Here We Go Again: TBTS Delivers Another Hit

When I was in my teens and still amassing a music collection, I was eager to catch up on the classic rock and pop acts that had made their mark just prior to my getting seriously into music. To that end, I was gobbling up greatest hits collections by powerhouse acts from the ’60s and ‘70s. While ABBA didn’t necessarily hit my radar until a little later (even though “Knowing Me Knowing You” was a major hit the year I started listening to radio in earnest), I cornered the market in releases by most of the usual suspects, including one of the more theatrical acts of the ’70s, Styx. In my mind, while listening to their bloated, yet enjoyable mini-epics, I would form a musical production in my head, using all of these songs as source material. In the end, this imaginary production was haphazard in plot, a bit forced, but had great music and, in my mind, amazing production numbers. Flash forward to 1999, and someone did exactly that, except they used ABBA Gold (and an obscure 1968 Gina Lollobrigida film) as the basis for what came to be known as one of the hottest jukebox musicals ever conceived, Mamma Mia!

I’m sure there are far more ABBA fans than Styx fans in this world (and rightfully so), especially in the world of musical theater, and to call Mamma Mia! a punchline around which a long joke was written cannot possibly detract from the love people have for ABBA in general, and this play in particular. Knowing ahead of time that your audience will love the music only means that a production requires a crack orchestra, a stellar cast and a director with enough taste and talent to pull it off. Unsurprisingly, Theatre by the Sea has checked off that entire list.

Director/Choreographer Kevin P. Hill’s enthusiasm for this project is palpable. He took to the internet and enthused, “Ever since Mamma Mia! hit Broadway, I wanted the chance to direct and choreograph the show. What can I say?? I love ABBA!!! Finally, I get to put my original stamp on the show. I have an incredible cast and an amazing creative team backing my vision…This show is about hope, family and love. I would say we need this right about now. Much love!!!” His work has resulted in a production that not only lives up to the original, but transforms the barn in Matunuck into a Greek taverna on the beach, overflowing with music, humor and pure joy.

The plot is simple – a young woman, raised by a single mother who now owns and operates a taverna on a Greek island, is about to be married. Not knowing her real father, she scans her mother’s diary for clues and winds up inviting the top three candidates to the wedding. Hilarity (and a few surprisingly sensitive moments) ensues, everyone jams an ABBA classic somewhere into the storyline (none of which advance the story in any meaningful way) and we get a rainbow-colored disco-tinged dance party into the evening. It’s almost pointless to critique this production in any of the usual ways, because it’s perfect. Even the sets are incredible, with Kyle Dixon’s beach vista ringing so true that one sometimes feels as if Hill ordered the barn’s back door open and allowed us to see Carpenter’s beach glistening in the moonlit distance. Jose Santiago’s lighting design completes the skewed perspectives and even allows room for an eerily shadowed nightmare. Mike Hyde’s sound design is crisp and clean, balancing the exuberant sound of a rock/pop score with the subtlety required for theatrical presentation.

So, what of the cast? Mostly seasoned Broadway veterans or Boston Conservatory students with excellent resumes make up the bulk of the company, with no real locals in sight. The shining lights among many excellent performances are the “Donna and the Dynamos” trio of Erica Mansfield, Tari Kelly and the magnificent Jeanette Bayardelle. All three get their chances to shine, but it is Mansfield’s Donna who owns the show. While the three of them bring down the house again and again with renditions of songs like “Dancing Queen” and “Super Trooper” (and ode to a spotlight that often gets mistaken for being about almost anything else but stage tech), Mansfield’s solo “The Winner Takes It All” is worth the price of admission alone. The younger cast members are all spry, lithe and eager, with impeccable dancing chops and the ability to harmonize background vocals with casual precision. Much of the credit also goes to Bob Bray’s musical direction here, which allows for the music to live easily between the rock and musical theater worlds.

Mamma Mia! In lesser hands might be a colorful mess, but Theater by the Sea has the winner that they knew they would deliver as soon as they announced this year’s season. Even for those who may consider ABBA’s music a bit too kitschy for their taste, this production holds enough charm and light to get even the grumpiest toes tapping. You want your theater to be a little less sunny and heavier on the drama? Well, wait for Chicago to open up later this summer. Mamma Mia! is here through July 21 and if you can find an stray seat available, snap it up. Donna and the Dynamos are waiting to make you dance.

Bill Hanney’s Theatre By The Sea presents Mamma Mia! through July 21. 364 Cards Pond Rd Wakefield. For tickets and more information, call 401-782-8587 or email [email protected].

2nd Story, Take a Bow

There are better people than me who could be writing this. I acted in far fewer shows at 2nd Story Theatre than a lot of actors in this area, and directed only two. In its illustrious history, I was a participant for only a decade. The first show I acted in there was in the summer 2008 — although it speaks to what kind of opportunities the theater presented to local talent that somebody could go from sitting in the audience to directing a production in such a short time.

There doesn’t seem to be any way to write some in-depth piece on the theater as an artist without it being one of those indulgent pieces that hops from “And then I did this — and then that” and nobody wants to read one of those — myself included.

So when Motif asked me to write something, I quickly came to the conclusion that the only way to write about 2nd Story, or really any theater, was to write about it as an audience member. As one of those people sitting in the seats who knows nothing about the backstage drama or institutional changes that exist at every theater. While I’m sure whole books could be written about the history of an organization that existed for as long as 2nd Story did, I have only an article, so I’ll keep it as brief as I can, and talk about what I saw from my seat in the audience (and it was always a great seat).

Unfortunately, I can only go back as far as the building in Warren, although I’m not unaware of everything that came before it. What Pat Hegnauer and Ed Shea created in the state is now the stuff of legend, and Pat, in particular, should have received piles of accolades while she was alive for what she achieved as a woman in the Rhode Island theater community — one that still suffers from a lack of female leadership. I don’t know if the people who choose the Pell Awards are reading this, but not recognizing her while she was alive has to be one of their biggest missteps.

When 2nd Story was brought back to life in Warren, it took off by immediately establishing itself as irreverent with a fun approach to theater and theater-going. Short Attention Span theater arrived just as we as a culture were starting to figure out just how short attention spans were really getting. I remember first hearing about it as a college student.

“There’s a theater that lets you eat popcorn while you watch the show.”

My ears perked up. I had to check this place out.

The theater wouldn’t seem that far outside of Providence to anyone not from Providence, but a Rhode Islander might find the drive to Warren a little out-of-the-way.

“What kind of theater are they doing out here?” I thought.

This was before Warren became the blossoming arts and culinary hotspot it is today, and something I would argue 2nd Story is almost solely responsible for — another long-overdue bit of appreciation.

Parking was easy to find.

The building was charming.

You immediately felt at home and comfortable when you walked in.

At that point, I had just started making the trek to New York to see Broadway and off-Broadway shows, and I remember thinking that 2nd Story borrowed a lot from the off-Broadway model while dispensing with the cold “edge” that sometimes accompanied more intimate theaters. There wasn’t yet air- conditioning or fancy sets or even an elevator. The seating was strictly directors’ chairs with the names of benefactors on them. The ushers were — and still are — some of the friendliest front of house people I’ve ever encountered, and I was surprised to find out some of there were high-ranking members of the staff who thought nothing of treating an 18-year-old kid as though he were one of the theater’s biggest donors. When it comes to front house, 2nd Story was the gold standard.

Now the fun part—

We get to talk about the shows.

It’s clichéd to say there are too many amazing productions and performances to mention, but that’s the honest truth. Still, there are some that simply have to be evoked.

Let’s start with Bob Colonna in Death of a Salesman. You could arguably start with Bob Colonna in just about anything, but even though I may not be an expert on Willy Loman, I’ve seen seven different actors play him onstage and on film, and I will make the case that Bob Colonna was the best I’ve ever seen. He followed it up with a performance as Joe Keller in All My Sons that was equally earth-shaking.

Also in that production was Lynne Collinson as his wife, Kate. If the Rhode Island theater community has a collective matriarch, I think many people would feel safe saying that it’s Lynne. Her kindness and compassion was almost totally absent as Kate, so much so that when I saw her working the box office at the next show, I was almost too afraid to tell her how much I liked her performance. I couldn’t get over how this lovely woman turned in such a fiery and fierce portrayal. Little did I know at the time that she was the beating heart of that organization, serving as a cheerleader and champion not just of that theater and all who stepped into it, but other small organizations in the area as well, and she still is to this day.

I still use that production as an example of a show done with few resources that soared because of its commitment to acting and storytelling.

All My Sons was the show that had me grabbing friends on the street saying, “Have you been to 2nd Story? You need to go 2nd Story.”

Over the next few years, I’d dream about becoming an actor there, but in the meantime, I took my place in the audience and watched as stellar theater was made over and over again.

There were shows like Tartuffe, where John Michael Richardson gave one of the funniest performances I’ve ever seen — thrashing on a shag carpet like a glorious madman. The second funniest performance I’ve ever seen also happened at 2nd Story — Dillon Medina in A Flea in Her Ear, the first of many runaway productions that sold so well it became legend.

Legendary would also be the word to describe Joanne Fayan in Auntie Mame. Joanne was the definition of a star in that role, and the production managed to create an event using only two criss-crossing red carpets and a performance from then child-actor Evan Kinnane so good I sat there wondering if he was some kind of living magic trick. The boy made a martini onstage with the ease of Tom Cruise in Cocktail. It was instantly iconic.

There was Erin Olson in The Miracle Worker in a role I’d always seen done as a kind of throwaway, turned into something touching and unforgettable. Tim White in Desire Under the Elms, a performance and a play that only the bravest of theaters would tackle. Aaron Morris in Of Mice and Men giving a beating heart to a character who so often is done as a caricature. Rae Mancini and Kyle Maddock in A Month in the Country redefining chemistry in a play that had no business being that sexy. Christin L. Goff in The Heiress establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with for years to come. Lara Hakeem in The Marriage of Bette and Boo, breaking your heart into a million pieces then making you laugh 10 seconds later. Eric Behr and Vince Petronio in Inherit the Wind in one of 2nd Story’s first productions at the Bristol Courthouse — proof that searing theater can be done just about anywhere.

Once I started acting there, I would still marvel at the shows I was seeing. Being friendly with the actors didn’t do anything to deter my admiration for the people I was seeing onstage. Jeff Church in Lobby Hero, Valerie Westgate in Speech & Debate, Ara Bohigian in Take Me Out, William Oakes in Prelude to a Kiss (and just about anything else — the man is a gift), Andrew Iacovelli in Amadeus, Sharon Carpentier and Ben Church in The Goat (2nd Story did The Goat, a play even I’m terrified to do, and those who know me will understand what a compliment that is), Gabby Sherba in School for Wives, Amy Thompson and Joan Dillenback in The Miracle Worker, Rachel Morris in The Underpants, Juli Parker in Auntie Mame, Carol Schlink in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Emily Lewis in Frankie and Johnnie, Will Valles in Kimberly Akimbo, Jonathan Jacobs in To Kill a Mockingbird (no words; he didn’t need them), Wayne Kneeland in Fuddy Meers, Gloria Crist in Master Class, Gayle Hanrahan in Short Attention Span Theater, Liz Hallenbeck in The Foreigner, Margaret Melozzi in Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Ashley Hunter Kenner in Catholic School Girls, Tom Roberts and Joan Batting in An Inspector Calls, Sandra Laub in Golda’s Balcony, Laura Sorenson in Comic Potential, every single person in August: Osage County, and Paula Faber in Becky Shaw, a performance so good they should have filmed it and taught it in acting schools.

There were the people behind the scenes, who even as an observer, were visible as being the cogs and wheels that made the place turn — people like Lynne and Paula, Peggy Becker, Jon Connery, Michael Abbruzzi, Charles Lafond and Ryan Maxwell. Ron Cesario, whose costumes were so good they got entrance applause. Trevor Elliott, whose sets were the perfect combination of flawless and functional. Richard Dionne, who snapped so many good photos I’m still holding out hope for an exhibit. And of course, Max Ponticelli, who did everything but warm up your car for you in the winter — and he probably did do that a few times, if we’re being honest.

These are the people who arrive in my mind when I think of 2nd Story Theater. All of them were local artists who demonstrated that you don’t need to go to New York City and bring back Broadway actors to create work that’s meaningful and satisfying. The theater itself was proof that great art can be found anywhere from a courtroom in Bristol to a storeroom over a restaurant in Newport to a 100-year-old building in Warren where actors would paint sets, wait tables at the restaurant downstairs, then perform in a 10-minute play by Durang all in one day.

It’s a testament to what can be done through sheer determination and the urge all of us feel to tell a good story.

If you went to 2nd Story, you wouldn’t find any pictures on the walls of past shows or memorable moments. It was something that always made me a little sad, but I understood the meaning behind it. There was a firm belief that theater should be of and for the moment. There was no living on sentiment or resting on past laurels. If you wanted to exist, you had to create and keep creating, and if you stumbled, you got back on your feet and tried a little harder the next time. You had to make events — not just good theater. The people buying the tickets had to feel like they were there for something special. It’s a tall order, but one all theaters should set for themselves.

The moment for 2nd Story may now be coming to a close, but I know I’m just one audience member among many, many others who will never forget what it brought into my life. The theater was kept going primarily by the people who wanted to see it thrive and survive because they felt it spoke to them in unique and special way. It made them feel welcome. It got them to laugh. It let them eat popcorn.

I can’t think of a better legacy than that.

Newport Playhouse’s Remember Me Makes ’em Laugh

Sam Bobrick’s Remember Me? (described alternately as “wacky” or “elegant,” depending on your source) is Newport Playhouse’s current offering, providing several easy chuckles for their always appreciative audiences. Running through July 1, Bobrick’s familiar tale of unhappy marriage and playful infidelity slots in well with Newport’s programming (last year’s Self-Help comes to mind) – bawdy, lighthearted and played for laughs. While no classic, the script showcases Bobrick’s strengths as a television sitcom writer and Remember Me? becomes essentially a showcase for one-liners and playful mugging … not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Bobrick’s premise is the surprise visitation of an old college flame to Mary and Brian Hanson’s comfortable empty nest of a Manhattan apartment. While Brian (played straight by Michael Gregory who eventually winds up unravelling into several scene-stealing laugh-out-loud moments) is perfectly happy in the predictability and comfort of their marriage, his wife, Mary, clearly yearns for the spark of their younger years. Her college boyfriend, Peter, arrives on her doorstep out of the blue and it isn’t long before reminiscing turns into flirting and descends into outright adultery. Or does it? “Peter” turns out to be a figment of her imagination and the play’s short running time is mostly spent watching Brian spiral out of control trying to deal with his (quite justified) outrage and jealousy. Brian, is, of course, emotionally absent and takes Mary for granted, so she feels (mostly) justified in her spiritual dalliance. If one takes too long to analyze the premise, questions of misogyny, toxic male ego and even simple issues of dramatic structure crowd in and detract from the obvious fun that the cast and audience are having. To ding Remember Me? as a script would be akin to discussing just how horrible the characters on Saved By The Bell really were (incidentally, Bobrick created both).

Pamela Gill manages to keep the proceedings grounded by lending Mary some depth even while she displays an appropriate amount of meta-awareness as to how odd her situation has become. Does she actually see and feel Peter in a tactile sense, or is her pent-up sexual and emotional frustration manifesting itself in a Tyler Durden kind of way where we can explain away any of Peter’s physical actions as simple double-dealing on her part? Even this level of analysis is digging far deeper than Bobrick’s premise deserves, especially when it’s been handled far better even in scripts such as Harvey, but there becomes ample room for shtick when there’s a ghost in the room that only one person can see, and that’s the real endgame here. While Peter (played on various nights by either Charles Kehres or NP Playhouse president, Jonathan Perry) is mostly there as a figure off which to bounce, Gregory, Gill and the whirlwind express of Katrina Rossi’s lovably ditzy Tori are there for as many laughs as director Daniel Lee White can mine. No fourth wall is sacred, no bit is too broad and no physicality is reined in as the company wrings every last guffaw possible out of an audience that seems willing to play along the entire way. Do we explore the larger psychological issues at hand whereby a middle-aged housewife starts having succubus-like encounters on her own marriage bed, up to and including the smoldering cigarettes and half-chewed muffins? Do we wonder how a marriage can survive when a jealous husband employs an “actress” to pretend to be his young lover in order to get his mentally troubled wife jealous? No mention of marriage counselling or therapy, or even divorce is entertained. This is farce and, as such, it lives and dies by its cast and the direction, not the script. Gregory is an old hand at this type of broad comedy and Remember Me? is no exception. His ad-libbed audience asides and physical bits are broad but deftly executed. Rossi, as mentioned, is a force of nature and plays her aspiring, yet clueless, stereotype with such broad strokes that she makes it hers, transcending the trope. Gill’s comic chops are more subtle and restrained, but when directed to go big, she gives no quarter. It’s a script that Newport Playhouse has been trying to stage for some time and White (along with the assistance of Olivia M. Sahlin) has done what needs to be done given this tight, but ultimately forgettable script.

Remember Me?’s forgettability is in its design, not its execution, and Newport Playhouse has yet another crowd pleaser, another living-room romp (are all of their plays set in living rooms?) and another excuse to make ‘em laugh. As usual, Tonya Killavey’s scenic design is exemplary (although the ivy- covered walls on the outside are a tad busy) and any other flaws are minor enough to fade away with each passing sight gag. At the height of the busy summer theater season, there are literally dozens of choices all over Rhode Island, but Newport Playhouse (not unlike Theater by the Sea) is more of an experience than simply watching a play for two hours. Dinner and cocktails beforehand followed by the cabaret (and possibly more cocktails) is the serving suggestion. The play may not live in our memories, but a night at Newport Playhouse certainly will.

Newport Playhouse and Cabaret Restaurant presents Sam Bobrick’s Remember Me? through July 1. 102 JT Connell Hwy, Newport. Showtimes vary, but doors open for matinees at 11am and for evening shows at 6pm. Shows start approximately two hours following doors open. For tickets and information, call (401) 848-PLAY (7529) or visit newportplayhouse.com

TBTS Picks Up Speed As Bill Hanney’s Theatre By The Sea picks up speed in its 85th Season, all the buzz is concerning their second offering, the ABBA-inspired jukebox musical, Mamma Mia!. Hanney’s excitement about securing the rights to one of the more popular pop-infused Broadway gems was palpable even last year when he told Motif that he was working on “something big.” He knew even then that TBTS’ usual four-week run length would have to be expanded in order to accommodate the ticket demand, and he was certainly correct. “This is the first time in Theatre By The Sea history that a show has had a five-week run,” he tells Motif, clearly relishing being correct in his anticipation. “I’m also proud to say that all sets and costumes are designed and built by us.” Not succumbing to rental shops may seem a small thing about which to crow, but Hanney’s effusive praise of all things TBTS (and his companion company, North Shore Music Theatre) is rarely, if ever, overdone. In fact, there can be efforts that seem to pass almost unnoticed in the wake of a behemoth like Mamma Mia! (as well as the upcoming season-closer, Chicago). Of particular note is this year’s opening salvo, the Fats Waller showcase Ain’t Misbehavin’.

While it’s now too late to take in this salacious romp of a revue (the run ended on Jun 17), Misbehavin’ more than equaled its season-opening counterparts of years past. While Hanney’s formula of opening “light” (small cast, easy staging, familiar standards) is self-deprecatingly referred to as something to hold a place before the tourists show up in force, TBTS has upped the ante every year in this time slot. Last year’s Beehive was actually fairly ambitious in scope for a supposedly “light” time slot. Where that effort fell short, however, was in a young cast (however talented), that did not quite understand the time period with which they were dealing (the 1960s). The five-person ensemble of Misbehavin’ not only fully embraced the Interwar period in attitude and style, but the performances rang true as well, unsullied by modern vocal trills or showboating.

Not that the Misbehavin’s cast didn’t have ample opportunity to boast. Tarra Conner Jones and DeMone’s rendition of “Honeysuckle Rose” alone was worth the price of admission, and that was only four numbers into the first half. A familiar nightclub setting, reminiscent of Cotton Club glitz, afforded all the space needed for this cast, and it had a crack orchestra to up the ante over and over. Easing into a slithering, brilliant ode to marijuana (“The Viper’s Drag”) and headlong into the showstopper, “Black and Blue,” director / choreographer Gerry McIntyre delivered one of the most underrated productions seen in Matunuck in quite some time. Asked about his feelings concerning the production, Hanney seems to be constantly in forward motion. “Wasn’t it terrific??” is about all we get. His confidence in his choices of material lend Hanney the comfort of stepping aside and watching it all unfold.

In fact, Hanney is so comfortable in his ability to program a successful season he is now inviting audiences to help him decide. A recent survey sent out to email subscribers offers up the chance to weigh in on the 2019 lineup, with one winner receiving tickets to July 9’s A Broadway Celebration (featuring five Broadway performers, including Wicked‘s Julia Murney). The possible choices are intriguing, including Mame, Titanic, Dreamgirls, The Bodyguard, The Fantasticks and even the possibility of a pre-Broadway tryout. All of the survey options are winners and fit neatly within Hanney’s “formula.” One may wonder if that opening slot will eventually run out of contenders, but his possibilities (which include the Sun Studios “dream team” musical Million Dollar Quartet) belie that notion, proving that the season opener is no mere placeholder.

Which makes one wonder why so much hype is being lavished on Mamma Mia!, a “second slot” show usually reserved for the “classics.” Besides it being a regional premiere, the excitement concerning this production has a lot to do with the momentum gained from the international appeal and overwhelming success of the piece ever since it first opened in the West End in 1999. The Broadway run lasted through 2015, spawned a film version and countless touring productions, and boasts the startling statistic that “on any given day, there are at least seven performances of Mamma Mia! being performed around the globe.” The storyline is light and covered easily by a blurb in the press release: Sophie, a 20- year-old bride-to-be, is on the search for her father. After reading her mother’s diary, she discovers there are three potential suitors. Unbeknownst to her mother, Donna, Sophie invites each of them to her wedding, in hopes of having one of them walk her down the aisle. As the big day draws near, surprises abound with old flames and old friends. Mamma Mia! is packed with 22 ABBA hits, including “Dancing Queen,” “Super Trouper,” “Take A Chance on Me” and “The Winner Takes It All.”

And that’s it. Much has been praised concerning the show’s strong feminist stance and its ability to gender-swap some of the original ABBA material, leaving strong female characters in control of their own destiny. All good stuff, but what really gives Mamma Mia! its wings is nostalgia. The material in Ain’t Misbehavin’ is light years ahead of the breezy pop written by Sweden’s proud progeny, but nostalgia relies on joy and tends to be viewed through the lens of innocence. As deserving as Fats Waller is of timeless recognition, no one is staging a Waller world tour complete with holograms and newly recorded material (ABBA, however, is undertaking such a venture). There is an appetite for whatever sugary buzz an ABBA song brings, and although many a classic rock band has had their hits transferred to the stage, only ABBA has survived (and thrived) in such a fashion. Hanney knows a hit when he has one, and he has five full weeks to relish in his impending success. Let’s see what next year brings.

Bill Hanney’s Theater By The Sea presents Mamma Mia! Opening June 22. Performances are scheduled for Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8pm, Thursdays at 2pm, Saturdays at 3pm and Sundays at 5pm, with special performance times on Sunday, June 24 at 2pm & 7pm and special added matinee performances on Tuesday, July 3 and Wednesday July 18 at 2pm. The theater is located at 364 Cards Pond Rd, Wakefield. Tickets are on sale at the box office Monday through Saturday from 11am – 6pm, Sundays from Noon – 5pm and performance days until curtain, online 24-hours-a-day at theatrebythesea.com and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling 866-811-4111 or 401-782-TKTS (8587).

Arctic Goes Down the Rabbit Hole

For their last show at the 117 Washington St location in West Warwick, The Arctic Playhouse is taking audiences down the rabbit hole for the classic Lewis Carroll tale, Alice in Wonderland. Adapted by Brainerd Duffield, this version takes 14 episodes from “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” and knits them into a three-act play that follows Alice’s journey through this strange world filled with many eccentric characters. Though it is a children’s story, it also has darker elements that will appeal to adults.

In creating a Wonderland, the technical elements are key, and though The Arctic Playhouse has a small space to work with, they absolutely make the most of it. Joe Welch’s set design is cleverly versatile, with rotating panels, a tree that doubles as a table and a chessboard design down the aisles. Furthering the sense of whimsy is Kyle Renee’s lighting design, most notably the flashing colored lights that denote key moments, such as Alice falling down the rabbit hole. The wacky characters come to life with the help of John Cagno’s and Fantasy Factory Costume’s designs, from the fabulous Queen of Hearts and Duchess to the Tim Burton-influenced Mad Hatter. The sound of Wonderland consists of classical music expertly curated by director Rachel Hanauer.

Descriptions of this particular play claim that it requires a cast of 20 people. Arctic’s production has about half that number and manages through double-plus casting: one performer can play up to four characters. It is a testament to the talent of the cast how completely each actor transforms between each of their respective characters, and not just through their wild costume and makeup changes.

The cast is headed by Jenna Petrarca as Alice. As the titular character, she is on stage virtually the entire time, which is quite a feat, especially considering she is the youngest of the company (Petrarca starts high school in the fall). Her Alice transforms from being prone to hysterics and socially inept in a world where all the rules are different to being a strong leader, unafraid to stand up for herself.

Alice’s inadvertent guide through Wonderland, the perpetually late White Rabbit, is played by Joham A. Rosario, who delightfully captures the Hatter’s nervous energy, while also confidently dealing out advice to Alice on how to handle the Queen of Hearts. Katherine Kimmel’s presence as the temper- prone tyrant is larger than life, managing to be both terrifying and hilarious, ordering beheadings left and right.

Among the best moments are the Mad Hatter’s and March Hare’s tea party that Alice crashes, the song and dance of the Turtle and the Gryphon, the Trial, and Tweedledee’s and Tweedledum’s recitation of “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” The iconic Mad Hatter and March Hare are played brilliantly by Jonathan Sproule and Stefan Di Pippo, respectively, as they matter-of-factly spew nonsense. Also in attendance at the tea party is the narcoleptic dormouse (Shannon McMillan) who occasionally awakes from her slumber to drowsily recite a rhyme or tell an absurd story. The Lobster Quadrille is a fun moment of silly song and dance performed by Elizabeth Nelson as the Turtle and Selina Amargo as the Gryphon. The Trial features most of the cast, including the Mad Hatter who takes his time on the witness stand to sip his tea, which captivates everyone in attendance until they’ve all crowded around him, eagerly watching his every move. The Turtle and the Gryphon form a peanut gallery in front of the audience, often throwing popcorn at the judge or the White Rabbit in response to the proceedings. Finally, the famous Tweedledee and Tweedledum, played by Rose Peralta and McMillan, tell the morbid story of “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” punctuating every line with “Sit down!” as they catch Alice trying to get away as she attempts to escape in order to continue on her journey.

Other notable characters include the ever moral-seeking Duchess (Jessica Gates), the nutty and disheveled White Queen (Nelson) and the overconfident Humpty Dumpty (Emerson McGrath). This production of Alice in Wonderland is every bit as resourceful and clever as such a creative story ought to be. Their small cast and space in no way take away from the story, and the result is no less effective than if they had all the resources in the world. This is perhaps what makes the work of small theaters like The Arctic Playhouse such a feat: their ability to make more out of less.

Alice in Wonderland runs at The Arctic Playhouse, 117 Washington Street West Warwick. Remaining show dates are June 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 @ 8pm & June 24 at 2 pm. For tickets, visit thearcticplayhouse.com.

Out Loud’s Escape – Whiteballed

Who knew that the valley of the shadow of death was a ball pit?

Escape by Out Loud Theatre Ensemble

Escape is a “world premiere movement piece” (there are no words) with five actors centered on an enclosing ball pit that is white with white balls, suggesting the cushioning of a casket, all surrounded by black. As original music by Stephen DeCataldo is heard, “The Twin Brother” (Justin Fortin) is lying down in the pit wearing a suit and tie as if dead and prepared for viewing. “The Twin Sister” (Natasha Cole), overcome with grief, climbs into the pit and joins him, reviving him if only in her imagination to collaborate in a dance each mostly mirroring the movements of the other. Over about 1h20m, they are joined by “The Mother” (Patricia Hawkridge), “The Partner” (Erika Rethorn) and “The Therapist” (Siobhan LaPorte-Cauley) in a series of physical exchanges of constant grasping and pulling in a tense tug of war to keep the Twin Sister from being dragged away from the world of life and joy into the world of death and grief – which, of course, explains the title “Escape.” Credited as “conceived and directed by Kira Hawkridge,” the work is also credited to the entire company: “devised by Out Loud Theatre Ensemble.” I was told that it was developed over about a six- month period. There are a variety of subtle stylistic cues that suggest the differing personal perspectives of the characters and therefore, the actors.

It is impossible to fairly describe a movement piece that must be seen in person to be appreciated. The surprisingly clear narrative structure to this wordless experience ties it definitively to the traditions of theater rather than dance, consistent with Out Loud’s reputation and track record as among the most experimental of the avant-garde in Rhode Island. Subjectively, I found it immersive, plunging into the depths before emerging again, more the katabasis-anabasis of classical Greek myth than the five stages of grief. Seen as the journey of the Twin Sister, the piece does have a distinctive succession of stages, but they are far too abstracted to be easily identified with any particular set of pigeonholes, and are distinguished primarily by which different characters are engaged in each of the couplings.

At nearly an hour and a half, however, there is a degree of repetitiveness that can be exhausting, although perhaps that, too, is an essential part of the artistic intention. There are few examples of the funerary experience translated to other media: the most effective example that comes to mind, for me, is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, commonly known as “The Wall,” where the visitor walks down a deceptively gentle slope into what turns into an abyss with massive 10-foot tall stone tablets, well above the height of a person, and then walks back up at the same slow slope before returning to ground level; yet, in that purely architectural evocation, the visitor is the traveler on the journey of katabasis-anabasis. At an actual funeral, the feeling of grief is necessarily both personal and communal as one both feels it internally and sees it in others; it may not be possible to replicate that theatrically, but Escape comes close. Several audience members were visibly moved to tears as they exited at the end, so the effectiveness of the performance is undeniable.

Escape (a world premiere movement piece), by Out Loud Theatre Ensemble, 134 Mathewson Street Flr 4, PVD. Through Jun 13. Web: outloudtheatre.org/escape.html Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/out-loud- theatre-presents-escape-tickets-45722923495 Facebook: facebook.com/events/140629850116439

RISE Explores the Ripple Effect with Blithe Spirit

Woonsocket is home to one the state’s coolest local venues for community theater, The RISE Playhouse. I’ve been to the theater to see a few traveling shows and even to audition for a local film (if you are a performer, I recommend checking out their audition schedule). This was the first show I’ve seen from Rhode Island Stage Ensemble proper, and I was thrilled to be invited.

RISE is entering its 30th season, and I’m interested in seeing how the rest of the year expands on this season’s theme, “The Ripple Effect,” showcasing productions that focus on how small actions can have enormous unintended consequences, or how one person can change the world. This round kicks off with Blithe Spirit, a farcical, supernatural drama from the 1940s by British Playwright Noel Coward, who was described as [having] a combination of “cheek and chic.” This modern presentation is from director Eric Babato, who previously directed Proof and Doubt with The Community Players in Pawtucket. Although Barbato is known for tackling hard-edged drama, it’s no surprise to see how well he transitioned into dark comedy.

Blithe Spirit follows the evening exploits of ill-tempered author Charles Condomine as he arranges a seance to inspire characters for his new novel. Like most murder mystery farces of the time, Blithe Spirit takes place in one room. The characters are free to enter and exit, but the parlour is the main location. Charles and his wife, Ruth, host a dinner party that includes the skeptical Dr. and Mrs. Bradman, who are joined by psychic extraordinaire, Madame Arcati. The group is tended to by the hapless house servant, Edith. As the show unfolds, we find that the Condomines are in over their heads as their tinkering with supernatural forces may have conjured up more than literary inspiration. Charles begins to have visions of his ex-wife, Elvira, who has been dead for five years. Is he hallucinating? Did the eccentric Madame Acanti actually summon a spirit? What follows is a truly funny comedy of errors, known for its fast, funny (albeit dense) dialogue. The jokes come at a blink-and-you-miss-it pace.

The evening I attended hosted some truly remarkable performances. Michael Martins as Charles Condomine navigates the subject matter wonderfully to build an egotistical self-centered cad driven to madness. Kimberly Rau Harper as Ruth Condomine holds her own against her obnoxious husband and delivers a strong female lead, giving Charles a run for his money. Dr. and Mrs. Bradman, played by Steven Small and Rebecca Tung, respectively, cosign the Condomines’ skepticism and often try to offer a voice of reason. Even as the de facto “straight men” of the play, the Bradmans supply some of the laughs, as well. The dryer aspect of this show’s wit is broken up wonderfully by its two more physically funny characters — Madame Acanti, played by Erin Coughlin Tower, and Edith, played by Brittney Simard. Tower portrayed Acanti in high school 25 years ago, so this was a welcome revisiting for her. Brittney Simard, as Edith, breaks the tension of any scene with her portrayal of an awkward and seemingly witless maid. And then there is Elvira, played by Sarah Reed. Is she a ghost or a vision? Is she even really there? Elvira presents another woman to challenge Charles’ ever-present masculinity. She has a plan in store for her mortal ex husband, and Reed delivers a great performance as the vengeful apparition.

Barbato (who also succeeds here as scenic designer) kept things at a brisk pace — the scenes were engaging, the actors captivating. There were, however, long scene breaks that, I imagine, can be shortened as the run goes on and the crew becomes more familiar with set changes. The intermission ran long as the theater chose to do a raffle between acts. Another small point of contention is that, during the intermission, two crew members were talking behind me and I could hear about upcoming effects in the play. Since it was my first time seeing this particular show, that was a total spoiler alert moment. I tuned them out but, as Act Two played on, I could hear some of the calls being made in the tech booth (this could be because it’s a small theater and I was in the back). Again, this chatter revealed some things for me and I felt like I was watching a play with a live commentary track. There were a few effects that may have misfired but, overall, that’s the thrill of live theater and these sorts of kinks are worked out over time. I highly recommend seeing this show for yourselves, but you may want to sit up front.

Rhode Island Stage Ensemble presents Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit. June 8, 9, 15, 16 at 7:30pm, and June 10 & 17 at 2pm. For more information, go to ristage.org A Night of Comedy with Barry Rothbart and Greg Barris

Greg Barris

On Wednesday, June 13, two comedians will bring their unique brand of humor to The Comedy Connection in East Providence.

Your headliner for the evening, Barry Rothbart, has performed his stand-up on “The Tonight Show,” “Conan,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and his own Comedy Central Presents Special. Currently, he can be seen on the new Showtime series “Kidding with Jim Carrey” and in the upcoming Melissa McCarthy movie, Happytime Murders. He was named a “New Face” and “Best of the Fest” performer at the Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Fest, and as one of Variety Magazine’s 10 Comics to Watch. He has also co-starred in the ABC series “Downward Dog,” as well as making appearances in The Wolf of Wall Street, on MTV’s “Punk’d” and in Demetri Martin’s indie feature, Dean.

The other featured comedian is Greg Barris. Greg is a staple in New York’s downtown stand-up scene and is the creator of Heart Of Darkness, ‘The World’s Most Important Live Event” — a psychedelic showcase of comedy, live music and fringe scientists, which has been a frequent Time Out New York Critic’s Pick, much loved by BrooklynVegan, and hailed as “excellent” by The New Yorker. PAPER describes Greg as “the perfect combination of very good looking, hilarious and super-weird.” Greg’s comedic shorts have been featured on “Funny or Die,” “College Humor” and “Jay Leno’s Laugh Squad,” to name a few, and his debut comedy album Shame Wave is available on aspecialthing Records. Barry Rothbart

Now that we’ve gotten introductions out of the way, I had a chance to sit down and chat with the boys through the wonders of technology.

Dan Martin (Motif): Hey guys, how are you?

The Guys: Great. We just shared a peach. It was super ripe.

DM: Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?

TG: I’m going to mind soon, but not yet.

DM: How long have you guys been performing respectively/together?

TG: Separately around 15 years. Together we did one tour a few years back. We didn’t argue once.

DM: Is this your first tour together?

TG: Yes.

DM: Greg, have you always been good looking?

TG: Yes. Barry has never been though.

DM: Is this your first time in Providence?

TG: No, Passed through for a reason I can’t remember.

DM: Do you have any favorite facts about RI?

TG: Yes, I just heard its the home of the fifth longest orgasm ever recorded. Amazing. DM: Barry, you were named a “new face,” what was your old face like?

TG: Riddled with eczema.

DM: Do you have any other stops in New England?

TG: Boston and Chicopee, MA and Brooklyn, NY.

And there we have it — the unflappable Barry Rothbart and Greg Barris. Inspiring us all to pursue our dreams. I’m glad they could find the time in their hearts and busy schedules to teach us the values of eating healthy and sharing. Joke’s on them, however, as I asked way more than a couple of questions! Greg gives me a sense that he is not only modest about his looks, but honest about Barry’s appearance as well. Which, of course, is probably why they get along so well. The key to a lasting friendship, after all, is honesty. So, please come on out to the Comedy Connection and put a former rash-covered face to a name. If all else fails, maybe we can try for Sixth Longest Orgasm ever recorded. And, if that fails, we can string seven together and lie about it.

A NIGHT OF COMEDY WITH BARRY ROTHBART AND GREG BARRIS. Wednesday, June 13 at The Comedy Connection. 39 Warren Ave, East Providence. Doors 7pm, Show 8pm. Tickets and info available online at ricomedyconnection.com

Don’t Lose Your Head — Kathy Griffin Is Coming to The Vets

Last year I interviewed comedian Kathy Griffin in advance of her show at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. At that time she was just a funny female on the “D” list. In the course of a year she has become an extremely controversial figure. I spoke with her last month about her life now and her upcoming show at Veterans Memorial Auditorium on June 20. If you don’t know, in May 2017, she released a photo of herself holding a replica of the severed head of our less than qualified, vile, Cheeto- faced, misogynistic, racist, bigoted, lying, narcissistic, sociopath, criminal, POS, POTUS, and squatter in the White House. (Did I leave anything out?) I loved the photo but others felt that it went too far. I posted it on my Facebook page in support of Kathy and the photo ignited many arguments in the ensuing thread. Griffin faced far worse and suffered a backlash that sent her reeling. Things have changed a lot for Kathy over the past year and unlike last year’s interview that was more light and general, this one discussed the trials and tribulations of her controversial year. Read on… Kathy Griffin: Hi, John it’s Kathy, can you hear me on my old timey phone? John Fuzek: Yes. I have an old-timey phone as well! KG: I bought mine a year ago, but it looks like my ’80s phone and that’s all I can tell you. JF: I have a flip phone. KG: Oh, modern! I miss my Side Kick and my Palm Pilot! JF: I had one of those, too. KG: Me, too! With the stylus. Ugh, those were the days! JF: So, we spoke last year around this time when you were going to be in Providence… KG: My whole life has changed since then, John. JF: I know and that’s why I wanted to talk with you again. KG: How much can happen in one year? JF: Evidently a lot! I do have to tell you I was behind you 100% what you did. KG: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I mean this whole North American tour is kind of bizarre, but it’s almost based on like who has an open mind? Who forgives me? Who decided, in retrospect, the photo wasn’t worth the outrage? You know it’s such an interesting thing, I’ve never done a tour, I don’t want to say based on a single incident, but let’s cut the shit, it’s beyond the elephant in the room. The idea that I would do a tour and not tell the entire story-the good, the bad, the ugly, the actual interrogation, the two month federal investigation, the death threats, all the stuff. I am just honestly so grateful to be out there, and it’s odd to me that the American audience are the last ones to come around. It’s almost like I had to remind them, it’s just me, it’s just Kathy, it’s just me from “Suddenly Susan,” and from “My Life on the D List” and from comedy specials and my talk show…it’s just me! So, it’s been quite a journey! JF: So you went to Europe to tour after this happened? KG: Oh, not just Europe, honey. First of all I called my stand-up agent, who was the only one who stuck around out of the bunch, and I said this may be an unusual way to tour, but can you specifically send me to countries and cities where they can’t stand Trump? And that was very helpful! So, three weeks later he had 15 countries and 23 cities. So, the picture that almost decimated me, as Don Jr said on Good Morning America, “We are just going to ruin Kathy Griffin’s career, we want to decimate her.” Alright, Eddie Munster, shut the fuck up and I will do my job and by the way, what’s yours, besides being a criminal? They’re all going to jail!

Anyway, I started in Auckland, New Zealand, ended up in Reykjavik, Iceland, by the way, you should know you are talking to the darling of Iceland! Besides Bjork, of course, I’m not crazy! And, yes, I am on the Interpol list and I was detained at all 15 airports, London Heathrow, Singapore, every single time, my new thing is to figure out if I will ever know in my lifetime exactly what came up on the screen every time I was detained, and how do I get off those freaking lists? I am going to resume the North American tour in Canada, I’m not nuts, the whole time the Canadians have been saying what you said, “We get it, no big deal,” and then my first American show is in San Francisco, and they added a second night by popular demand! JF: So San Francisco will be the first American show since this happened? KG: YES! The first North American show will be Ottawa, which is already sold out, I am very excited, and I have five shows in Canada, and then I start in San Francisco, and you’re going to laugh, and this is what Granny Griffin just fucking figured out after all these years, after the overseas tour, like I said, not just Europe, it was all over Australia. Oh, by the way, in my current show I have the best story about having a little gab fest backstage with Stevie Nicks and Chrissie Hynde because Stevie was very supportive during this whole thing with me, which was super sweet. And we were in Australia and she was at a giant stadium and I was at the Sydney Opera House, perhaps you have heard of it, so, I went to her (Stevie’s) sound check and some really funny stuff happened backstage, which I will share with the audience. I want your readers to know it’s not like a whole show where I am giving a first amendment lecture, there’s a lot of funny crazy shit going on.

Hold on, can I stop? I am watching Rudy Giuliani.

OK, I am going to be honest. My show started in New Zealand for two hours, and by the time I got to Reykjavik it was three hours! So tell your readers to bring a colostomy bag. I don’t have an opener because I don’t have time for one, I have a fucking lot to say! And a lot of crazy shit happened! Oh my God, you want to get this? You’re not going to believe who sent me his fucking box set, that piece of shit Tony Robbins. OK, John, start writing this down: Google Tony Robbins “me, too” woman or Tony Robbins pokes woman’s chest. So this is my life, this is what I fucking love about touring, I got my little Trump story, and you may think that you know it, but there’s other elements, like I get this box set from Tony Robbins, and I’m not like into that sort of thing. He’s got a hologram, I mean go fuck yourself. I’m a real person. You’re never going to see a Kathy Griffin hologram. I’m an old fashioned work horse, I am actually going to be standing on stage at The Vets. Don’t worry, it’s not going to be a hologram.

But anyway, he’s got one of those and he’s got more money than God, and whatever, and so he sends me this box set like this will change your life, and then next thing you know he’s one of the guys in the me too movement. So like I said, my act is changing. Just so you know, when I got that box set I didn’t pay that much attention to it because the things that people were sending to my home, like the death threats, and the um, I don’t know if your audience will think this is funny but I do, but people keep sending me Bibles, to my house. These religious people think if they send me a bible I’m going to become less vulgar or whatever. Do they not know or have they not met me?

So, I love telling all that stuff, some of it’s kind of inside baseball and then I get into the stuff that’s relatable. I mean everybody knows that feeling of, where either it really happened or we felt like everyone turned on us, so I tell the whole ugly story, and then, of course, hopefully, the triumph, coming back, being able to play a place like The Vets, which I thought would never happen to me again. I am thrilled to be asked back to The Vets, I’m thrilled to tell the story, I’m proud of the story, and who knows what will happen between now and The Vets’ show, anything?

JF: What did you think of Michelle Wolfe’s routine at the Correspondent’s Dinner?

KG: Oh my God, I thought it was great! Remember, I was IN the room, so, don’t tell me she bombed. I was in the room, the whole program was nice until then, they talked about scholarships and whatever … and so Michelle Wolf gets up there, I’m just going to put there, I think there’s a big part of that audience that probably thought she was mixed race, so I’m just going to say I think that was part of it, and I am going to put myself out there and say it in a Kanye West fashion, but we’re dealing people who work for a guy who says there’s two sides to neo-Nazis. So what happened was, she only did 20 minutes, her jokes were so solid you could practically fact check them, so she didn’t go too far, she was saying shit that was true, and I’ve done many events like that where you’re in a ballroom. And what happened was she started her set and the people started giving her a pissy face, like Sarah Huckabee Sanders, of course, to John Karl, who I used to respect, who the president, if you recall, just days prior, told him that’s a stupid question, to John Karl of ABC, who fills in for George Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz. They were giving her the stink eye, because they’re so fucking scared of the Repubbies in the room or the Alt Righters or whomever might say something bad about them. I saw the first third of the room started getting a little quiet and I could see people looking around and not even making their own decision to laugh, like uh-oh, is Wilbur Ross laughing? Anyway, what the fuck is he doing in the cabinet? Then the middle section of the room did it and when it got to the back, I was on my feet standing and clapping, and giving Sean Spicer the stink eye like you’re lucky to not be in jail, in my opinion. And having hosted many events like that you can’t have the other people not laughing. But also John Karl kept slapping his hand on his forehead like oh, this is the seventh sign of the Apocalypse, I am just saying, as someone who has lived a year of faux outrage it’s my new favorite thing to point out, because we all have bigger fucking fish to fry for God’s sake.

JF: So, are you still on a watch list?

KG: Yeah, I am actually nervous about going to Canada because if I am detained again it’s the same thing, you know, they take your passport, they take your devices, they put you in a room, they go away, sometimes they come back in a little while, they take however long they want, you’re kind of the mercy at the one or two people who happen to be on shift at that moment. So, don’t even start asking, so did you tape it? NO! I am too fucking scared, I’m not taping shit. I don’t want to get in trouble for like trying like Dateline them, you know?

JF: So, is this call being monitored by the FBI?

KG: They told me that during my two months that my calls were being monitored and so, you want to know my new fantasy? They revealed today that Michael Cohen was wearing a wire so, maybe someone finds out that when my Trump scandal photo dropped on May 30, and on May 31 is when Trump personally tweeted about it and turned my world upside down, what if there’s a record of a fucking call from Sessions to Harvey Levin (TMZ) or some shit like that? Like that would be cool … I think I am accusing the Deep State of actually existing … wait, wait, I don’t believe in the Deep State, but, I also don’t put it past Donald Trump or John Baron or John Miller to put out the call. I don’t know if you remember, a lot of Nixon shit came out, years later, but I have to admit that there’s a piece of me as a comic, because Jim Carrey called me that day, the day of the photo, when I was in a ball sobbing, and he said, “Kathy, you are the most famous comedian in the world today, use it.” And that very day I did start thinking, how can I turn all this fucked up pain, I mean my mom got death threats at her retirement village, you know, shit like that, you know, how can I turn this into funny shit? And that’s one of those things that I have to say would absolutely crack me up, if somehow, years later, we find out, that there’s some record of someone in Trump’s orbit personally calling you know like the Enquirer and saying let’s find a way to get Kathy Griffin or something. JF: Yes, so we are the same age, we are within months of each other… KG: Do you remember how many people actually went to jail for Watergate? JF: I remember seeing it all on TV when I was young. KG: Me, too, oh my God, I loved watching those hearings. I met John Dean, I told him, he’s no longer married to Maureen Dean, but I told him, I said, if you don’t mind, when I was a child, my dream was to have hair like your wife, it was blonde and it was straight, and mine’s red and curly like Bozo, so of course I was jealous, and it was the funniest thing. I never thought I’d meet John Dean in my life, and he turns to me and he says “Well, I’m not with Maureen anymore, but you’d be amazed at how long it took her to do her hair like that everyday, because her hair, in fact, wasn’t blonde, or straight.” That’s not going to make the article right? Ok, fine, i just thought it was interesting. JF: So, you cut all your hair off? KG: Yes, my sister got cancer during all this, so, like I say, quite a year. Oh, by the way, I was also in a four day open court hearing because ironically while my neighbors were Kim Kardashian West and Kayne Kardashian West on one side, on the other side, and you can look this up, it’s all public record, there’s a guy who’s the CEO of a company called KB Homes, there like a tract house development company, he would stand at my wall, like the guy from Home Improvement, and he would yell, after the Trump photo, “Trump put the heat on you fuckin’ bald dike, talk shit, you fuckin’ cunt.” And there’s a tape of it, you can look it up online, that’s what security cameras happen to catch. So yeah, two days after my sister died, and I had shaved my head, because Trump put the heat on me I’m a fucking cunt, bald dike, and of course I’m not going to like shout back at him but yeah. So, during all this my sister got cancer, and I thought, alright, I’m kind of like undercover in a way. I wasn’t going out much very much, obviously, I still don’t, but I’m going to try to make her laugh. So, I shaved my head, I drove to where she was at the moment, and she really, really laughed, and so it’s finally growing back now, but that’s the reason that I did it. My sister didn’t make it I am sorry to say. JF: I’m sorry to hear that, I didn’t know that… KG: But, I’m glad that I did it ’cause while she saw it she would always get a kick out it, it was worth it, it grows back. JF: Someone told me that women cut their hair when some huge change in their life is going on or coming. KG: I know, because even then I had people in the Hollywood community they were so vicious, they’re like, you shouldn’t have done that, people are going to think you’ve lost it like Britney Spears, and I go I’m really not thinking about that right now, I really don’t care, like, I’m going to go see my sister in hospice, and I don’t really care about that, but whatever, you know? So it’s odd for me today when, like, I actually did the Wendy Williams show yesterday, and I like Wendy, she’s a hard working girl, she’s been doing radio, TV, whatever, and she was saying that stuff like everyone thought that you lost your mind, and I was like, AWKWARD! So, I’m trying to figure a way to say it in a very light way that I shaved my head in solidarity for my sister, and she was like, how’s she doing and I’m like, didn’t make it, anyway, so yeah. I do touch on that a little in my show to sort of give context, but I’m not there to like bring the audience down, so once again, I just want to make sure your folks know that it’s not a two hour lecture, they’re going to laugh their heads off. So, I finally decided, screw Cambridge Analytica, I finally decided to start my own mailing list four months ago, can you believe it? JF: Yes, I signed up for it! KG: After decades of touring I have a mailing list that you can sign up from my website and honestly that’s how I’ve been really selling tickets, so like I can’t really blanket advertise in certain cities because I don’t know who in that city, I don’t know if Bostonians think that that I am in fucking ISIS, I mean people thought I was in ISIS, and so, if not they were people who thought that I’m supposed to be in jail because they think that I actually did break the law, so, umm, so believe it or not my little mailing list and my little text list is getting me the people that know a little harmless, waif-like, because my hair is so short, little redhead with a very big mouth. JF: Did your boyfriend stick with you through all of this? KG: Yes, he absolutely did! He’s 18 years my junior, take that, gay community, that’s why I’m your queen, dammit! I also talk about in my show that I don’t like it when the younger gays want to call me a fruit fly, and I feel that at my age I would rather stick with the term hag, and some women may not like it but dammit I feel I’ve earned it! So my activism goes on, and yeah, the boyfriend stuck with me. He’s also my tour manager. Don’t even start. I’m in no mood, John, don’t start. But here’s what you will like: I actually poached him from the LA Times, the first year that we dated he was working at the Times and I was touring so it was almost like a long distance relationship. So I poached him, so I want you know that I’m actually part of the problem, and I I personally think that it’s my fault that they changed their name to fucking Tronc or whatever it is. Hey, is your paper a real paper or is it one of those papers that Sinclair bought? JF: No, no, it’s not. KG: Don’t fall for it, John, don’t you do it! JF: I would quit before I would write for them. KG: I know this is like Inside Baseball, but you do know the LA Weekly was like the Bible for decades and some conservative single party bought it out and they fired the whole staff except one person and now it’s like basically a blog, which is probably going to become right wing, The LA Weekly, I know. JF: So, will there be high security at your show? KG: Yes, but I can’t tell you what kind, I can’t discuss the details, but it’s kind a kill list where they say you’re on a kill list but you can’t say what agency because it’s an active investigation, so yes, there is security. JF: That’s good! That’s good! I just have a couple more questions, we’re running out of time… KG: Can we just take a minute and acknowledge that that is now where we are as a country? JF: Yeah, it’s disgusting, that it is that way. KG: I don’t consider myself to be a primarily political comedian at all but I have been entered into the zeitgeist and yeah I now have to have security at my shows and in freaking Providence and Boston, it’s insane. JF: It’s crazy! I mean if someone can shoot up a high school or elementary school then no one is really safe these days. KG: Right, being a stand up comic isn’t supposed to be life threatening, you’re supposed to live on the edge verbally, but yeah, I know, I commend folks who come to my shows and I promise to give them one of a kind stories and I will tell you some other things that Jim Carrey said that was honestly inspiring. He said most comedians would give their right arm for this story, and I was like yeah, that’s true, like nothing else, the good, the bad, the ugly, you know, it’s definitely unique. JF: So, who, I mean other comics, came out in support of you? KG: God, not many, that’s been the hard thing. I always kind of make the point, it wasn’t like the Dixie Chicks where the left wing and the artistic community really threw their arms around them and put them on the cover of Entertainment Weekly and Time Magazine. I really lost everybody, left, right, and center. So, I had to just honestly hunker down, several celebrities supported me that don’t want me to say that they supported me, and I had famous people call me and literally just say that I can’t be associated with you anymore. I got many e-mails from famous people saying what were you thinking? And one thing that I talk about in the show is several people, this is the part that’s sort of funny, you know I actually called like five different crisis managers? Right? And even though I didn’t break the law, it offended people. I mean I’m a comic, every single one of them, the reason that I didn’t hire one is I was like fuck their advice, one of them told me that I had to go away for eight years and another one said five and another one said three. I’m sitting there negotiating with crisis managers, who have never met me and don’t know a thing about me, so I thought, let me just weather the storm the only way that I know how, get back to basics, and honestly pretty much from two days after the photo I just started writing. I wrote a pilot, I made a bunch of funny videos, I took some meetings, I would kill to do a series kind of like the Leah Remini Scientology series, like season one I tell my story and season two you talk about other people because you know, this is a new thing. Just everyday Americans being arrested like never before for protests and things like that and who is going to stand up for them with this administration and stuff like that? And I can insert the funny, no matter how, because I always say “funny first”, so, the way to get a message across I think is with comedy. At least that’s my choice, but things are different, you know, what I want to say is trust me, if you’ve come to see me before, I don’t care if you came to see me ten years ago, five years ago, or two years ago, you are going to see all new material, cause I’ve got a hell of a story to tell! JF: Well, like I said I am totally with you. KG: You have to, it’s a first amendment thing whether you like it or not. At the end of the day I got to stand by it, at first I wanted to distance myself from it because of the fall out but I came to realize pretty quickly I have to stand by it because it truly is a first amendment issue. JF: I stood by you and I got in arguments with people about it because I was very supportive of that photograph because I believed that you had the right to do that. I believed that you could have your opinion about that, and I shared your opinion with that photograph because I would love to see a Game of Thrones ending to this mess. KG: I am sure that you took some hits on your timeline for supporting me, every now and then you’ll see me post something on social media, just again I want to apologize to anyone who writes something supportive, you’re going to get a flood of, troll bots, so, thank you for being brave enough to even say anything. Thank you so much for being on the RIGHT side of history! Dammit! I hope that I was more gracious than Ivanka Trump would ever be. JF: I am sure you were, are… anyway, thanks so much for your time and I enjoyed speaking with you again! KG: Thank you, John, I’ll see you at Vets in June. Bye!

Kathy Griffin will be at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence on Wednesday, June 20 at 7:30pm as part of her “Laugh Your Head Off” world tour 2018. For more, Ned Stark over to thevetsri.com

Summer Takes the Stage

Theater is on center stage this summer, so brush the sand off your beach bod and take in a show!

Avant-Garde Galore 5th annual Providence Fringe Festival (FringePVD) is your family’s chance to experience avant-garde theatre, dance and visual art from across the country. Created by The Wilbury Theatre Group, the festival will host a massive schedule of performances not only at the group’s new digs, but throughout the nearby WaterFire Arts Center, Steel Yard, Yellow Peril Gallery and RiffRaff cafe. Jul 30 – Aug 4. Full schedule of performers will be announced early July at fringepvd.org.

Under the direction of Rhode Island’s own avant-garde wunderkind Kira Hawkridge, OUT LOUD Theatre’s seeks to explore “Fantasy & Unreality” with their 6th season. Featuring the group’s hallmark innovative approach to devised theater and storytelling, the group’s summer season starts off with a venture down the rabbit hole in WONDER (Jun 1 – 6). Next up is ESCAPE, a movement piece with original music by Stephen DeCataldo (Jun 8 – 13), and the triptych concludes a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream called simply DREAM (Jun 15 – 24). outloudtheatre.org

Shakespeare for Days

Head Trick Theatre opens their season this July with Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at the Roger Williams National Memorial. Taking a more modern (and decidedly feminist) approach to the play, the sparks fly between sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick, who in this version are both played as female. In the middle of the current #MeToo movement, the play’s parallel tale of romantic betrayal and prejudice promises to hold deeper meanin (Jul 27 – Aug 12). headtricktheatre.org

Seaside Stage Society presents Hamlet, directed by Morgan Catherine-Cecilia Capodilupo (Aug 24 – 25). The show is set against the 1960s-early 1970s Vietnam War. Free admission, with suggested donation to benefit Emmanuel Church. facebook.com/SeasideStageSociety

The Contemporary Theater Company’s outdoor Shakespeare on the Saugatucket program presents the rollicking comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream in July and the tragic tale of the star-crossed lovers Romeo & Juliet in August. Performed Wednesday and Sunday evenings on the theater’s outdoor performance patio (complete with a brand-new bar!) on the banks of the Saugatucket River, Wakefield. Free. contemporarytheatercompany.com

The Rhode Island Shakespeare Theater (TRIST) performs Hamlet this summer at The Roger Williams National Memorial. Director Bob Colonna promises a production that is “strong and human and funny, exciting all the emotions from terror to sorrow to laughter.” Thu through Sun nights through Jun 17. Free, best to bring something to sit on. 401-331-6118

What Cheer, Shakespeare? is seemingly everywhere this summer, bringing their production of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It, to venues in Bristol, Newport and Warren. You can catch them July 7 at Mount Hope Farm, Bristol, July 20 – 21 at Saint John the Evangelist’s Church, Newport and July 27 – 28 at Hope and Main, Warren. Rain or shine. 401-332-0029. facebook.com/WhatCheerShakespeare

Cranston: The New Cultural Hub?

Epic Theatre Company tackles the suitably “epic” adaptation of the novel Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Director Vince Petronio helms the tale of Tudor powerhouse Thomas Cromwell (Jun 8 – 23). Up next is the RI premiere of British playwright Nick Payne’s critically acclaimed Constellations (Jul 13 – 28). This decidedly “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey” romantic two-hander celebrates a couple taking more than one look down the roads not traveled. Thematically similar, but dramatically different, is Jordan Seavey’s Homos, or Everyone in America, the achingly complicated and emotionally charged look at a one couple’s relationship, from meet-cute beginnings to teeth-bared unraveling (Aug 10 – 25). epictheatreri.org

Local playwright Nick Albanese premieres his new drama about old school vinyl enthusiasts struggling to keep their Greenwich Village record store afloat in The Last Days of Rockin’ Rob’s June 15 to 23 at the Artists’ Exchange. His popular Everybody Needs Some Therapy Sometimes will be enjoying an encore weekend after its recent sold out-run on August 17 and 18. artists-exchange.org/events.html

Artists’ Exchange’s 13th annual One Act Play Festival includes a dozen short play offerings from emerging local, national and international playwrights. This year’s winning local playwrights include Dave Rabinow (A Boy and His Ball), Tim Lehnert (A Conference on the Mound), Jayne Hannah (Burning), Nick Albanese (Clyde & Bonnie) and Mary Paolino (This Is Your Life?). The festival will run weekends Jul 26 – Aug 11. artists-exchange.org/events.html

Repping the Colleges

The Barn Summer Playhouse at Roger Williams University presents Jake Shore’s NY Fringe hit play Down The Mountain and Across The Stream (Jun 22 – 30) and behind the scenes Moonlight and Magnolias, Ron Hutchinson’s take on how the screenplay for Gone With the Wind was written in five days (Jul 13 – 21).

CCRI Summer Repertory presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Jul 18 – 22) and Macbeth (Aug 15 – 19), both directed by Theodore Clement on the college’s Knight Campus, Warwick. Clement has enlisted the enviable talents of stage combat choreographer Jim Beauregard and Kira Hawkridge of OUT LOUD Theatre to create what promises to be high-energy productions.

Make ‘em Laugh

The Bit Players bring their award-winning comedy to the stage weekly throughout the summer. Starting July 9, Laughter for Locals is on tap Monday evenings, sponsored by WhatsUpNewp and Newport Storm. On Wednesdays, you’ve got the all-clear to bring the kiddos down for their Family Friendly Funnies, but adults only for their Friday and Saturday Improv shows. Firehouse Theater. bitplayers.net

The Providence Improv Guild showcases all flavors of comedy acts, including long and short form improvisation, pop operas, sketch comedy and special guests every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. Southside Cultural Center. improvpig.com

The VETS brings self-proclaimed “D-Lister” and the unofficial First Lady of Trump Trolling back to Providence for her Laugh Your Head Off World Tour (Jun 20). Fans mourning the early cancellation of Netflix’s “Haters Back Off” series can get their fix July 18 at VETS when multihyphenate actor, comedian, writer Colleen Ballinger brings her Miranda Sings Live… No Offense With Special Guest Colleen Ballinger. thevetsri.com

From June 6 to 10, Contemporary Theatre Company brings together artists and improv troupes from all over the globe to perform at their Ocean State Improv Festival. The festival also features mixer shows, where various groups join together in pursuit of worldwide comedy domination.

If “American Ninja Warrior” and “Whose Line is it Anyway?” had a baby, it might look a lot like Contemporary Theater Company’s Theatresports. A truly unique evening held every Thursday, July and August. Audiences are encouraged to cheer on their favorite team, boo the judges and laugh along as the improvisers make up everything on the spot. contemporarytheatercompany.com

Sing Out, Louise! All Musicals, All the Time

Norton Singers brings the The Scarlet Pimpernel to Wheaton College through June 10. Before there were caped superheroes hiding behind secret aliases, there was The Scarlet Pimpernel, a swashbuckling, adventurer capturing hearts and saving damsels during the bloody French Revolution. nortonsingers.com Theatre By The Sea is celebrating 85 years with their inimitable brand of Broadway by the beach starting with the beloved Fats Waller revue Ain’t Misbehavin’ through June 17. “Dancing Queens” will delight in Mamma Mia!, the jukebox musical packed with 22 of the group’s catchy hits all wrapped up in a romantic comedy (Jun 20 – Jul 21). Next up is Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s hit Biblical musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Jul 25 – Aug 12). Ripped from the tabloids, the sensational musical Chicago tells the story of murder, greed and fame set in the decadent 1920s (Aug 15 – Sep 9). theatrebythesea.com

New Bedford Festival Theatre presents the lyrical masterpiece West Side Story at Zeiterion Performing Arts Center (Jul 20 – 29). The Sharks and The Jets will once again take it to the streets to settle their longtime beefs by pas de bourree and jazz hands, while Tony and Maria fall deeply in love by the fire escape. zeiterion.org

The Play’s the Thing

The award-winning and matinee crowd-pleasing Newport Playhouse and Cabaret Restaurant presents Remember Me? through July 1. A humdrum marriage is blown wide open when the wife’s college flame suddenly shows up wanting to win her back. The door-slamming comedy continues with No Tell Motel, in which a sordid affair goes off the rails thanks to a Bible salesman and a nosy motel manager (Jul 6 – Sep 1). newportplayhouse.com

The relatively new Seaside Stage Society celebrates their third season in Newport with Bert V. Royal’s biting comedy Dog Sees God. Under the direction of Ray Fournier, the script fast-forwards the Peanuts comic strip characters to a supposed angst-ridden teen years where life is filled more with grief than good (Jul 1 – 3). For mature audiences only. Admission is free with suggested donation to benefit Firehouse Theatre. facebook.com/SeasideStageSociety

Contemporary Theater Company’s Peter and the Starcatcher (Jun 22 – Jul 28) is a family-friendly comedy tracing back to the origins of the great feud between legendary Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith (Aug 3 – Sep 1) promises raucous laughs as a duo of rookie cops tries to set up a sting operation that goes terribly, hilariously wrong. contemporarytheatercompany.com

2nd Story’s Summer Series consists of Mark St Germain’s misfit rom-com Dancing Lessons (Jun 7 -Jul 1), a self-described “quirky pas de deux,” the black comedy Hand to God by Robert Askins (Jul 12 – Aug 5) and Conor McPherson’s gripping Irish ghost story Shining Cities brings us into the chills of fall (Aug 16 – Sep 9). 2ndstorytheatre.com

Rhode Island Stage Ensemble (RISE) will raise spirits with the Noel Coward’s comedy Blithe Spirit. The RISE Playhouse will be rattling with ghosts and laughter when a novelist and his new bride are welcomed back by his first wife, newly back from the dead and ready to raise some hell (Jun 8 – 17). ristage.org

ECAS Theatre, Providence’s prolific Spanish speaking theater company presents La Danza de Mingo through June 16 at the group’s Parkis Avenue venue. The play tells the true story of Mamá Tingó, the famed Dominican activist leader whose defense of rural farmers led to her assassination in the turbulent ’70s. In Spanish. ecastheater.org