The Balagan Theatre has been on a roll this season with its ambitious mix of contemporary and classical works in a massive ten show season. They scored big with last month’s production of “Trout Stanley” which earned rave reviews from everyone in town (including me) and here’s hoping the trend continues with tomorrow night’s opening of their new production, Rolin Jones “The Jammer” a 1950’s set comedy set in the world of roller derby. The play itself has earned good reviews since its premiere at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival but it will be interesting to see if Balagan can stage a show that features roller derby grudge matches, riots and roller coaster rides in their rather small basement theater…If anything, the show promises to be action-packed. The show opens Thursday night and runs Thurs-Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm through April 3rd. SGS is seeing the show Friday night; look for the review sometime this weekend.
The next show I’m going to mention, I know NOTHING about since I’ve seen little to no PR or advance publicity on it, but it does sound like something that could be of interest to LGBTQ theater lovers. Macha Monkey Productions is staging Kira Obolensky’s The Adventures of Herculina at The Annex (11th and Pike, on Capitol Hill) Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm now through March 27th. Macha Monkey’s synopsis of the show sounds intriguing:
The memoirs of Herculine Barbin provide the foundation for Obolensky’s gender-bending tale. Born in France in 1838, Herculine was raised as a girl in a convent school, only to be suddenly redefined as a male after a doctor’s examination at age 18. Throughout Obolensky’s tale, Herculina crosses paths with a host of intriguing characters and places: a bawdy prostitute in a British boudoir, aristrocrats in high society France, the famed actress Sarah Bernhardt, and a sideshow of freaks. Herculina raises questions of gender, sexuality and above all, love.
ZEXY! Check it out, if you get the chance. SGS is going to try and see this show NEXT weekend, and if we do, we’ll put up a review.
SPF #4 is still going strong at the Theatre Off Jackson in the International District. Shows to look out for include “Samson” by Billie Wildrick on Saturday, the Monologue Slam hosted by Kevin Kent at 10pm on Saturday, and the gay themed “Little Boy in Flames” by Guiseppe Ribaudo, his piece on “growing up gay in a straight world…Giuseppe tackles Nature vs Nurture with songs and stories…” which will be performed on Tuesday, March 16th for that evening’s “Best in Shorts!” performance of short works. For tickets/info, go here.
And, stuff to look out for next week includes the opening of Seattle Shakespeare Company’s production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona on Thursday, March 18th at the Central House Theatre at Seattle Center. Judging by the poster, I’m guessing it’s set modern day and they’re trying to ape “Legally Blonde”…Their tagline IS pretty cute:
A comic tale with moony, misguided guys, resourceful gals, and a funny bit with a dog!
This sounds adorable. Brush up your Shakespeare and check it out, Romeo.
Dis and Dat: Boylesque with Waxie Moon and Ernie Von Schmaltz begins next Wednesday, March 17th in the West Hall Theatre at Oddfellows Hall (10th and Pike) on Capitol Hill. This is a six week class, which is part of the curriculum of Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque, and it’s primarily designed for men but open to all who wish to gender bend, (several drag king aspiring women have taken the class in the past). There are six group lessons, five private lessons and a public graduation recital, so there is some time committment involved here, but it does sound like a lot of fun if you’ve ever wanted to release your inner “Gypsy Rose Lee”. The cost for the course is $525 (but, this IS a professional class taught by seasoned professionals) and I hear you get your money’s worth. For more information and to enroll, go here. I plan on checking out that recital in a few weeks, so if you take the class, you’d better knock my socks off…and yours.
I’m out of time and out of news, but if you have theatre news you want to promote, then send us email with all the details and hopefully, a picture or two, or a poster image. We love to hear from you.
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
