Beowulf hosts a few jazz gigs www.azstarnet.com ®: "Accent
Beowulf hosts a few jazz gigs
Tucson, Arizona Published: 05.20.2007"
Beowulf Alley Theatre has this cozy little space in Downtown Tucson. Perfect for plays ("Of Mice and Men" is playing there these days).
But it's also quite a cool spot for jazz, which may be why Beowulf is hosting a few jazz gigs these days, dubbing them "BeBop Meets Broadway."
At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, you can catch the smooth sounds of jazz singer Debbie Lun, who breathes life into torch songs and scat. She's performing with musician Tony Frank, who has played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Mantooth, Carl Saunders, Shirley Horn and Mike Vax; and keyboard player Lamont Arthur, who lists composer, arranger and producer among his accomplishments.
Beowulf Alley's at 11 S. Sixth Ave. Tickets are $25. Call 882-0555.
— Kathleen Allen, Arizona Daily Star
Monday, May 21, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Steinbeck classic makes wonderful local theater | www.azstarnet.com ®
Steinbeck classic makes wonderful local theater www.azstarnet.com ®:
Steinbeck classic makes wonderful local theater
By Kathleen Allen
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 05.11.2007
Dreams blossom and shatter with such intense swiftness in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" that one can get dizzy watching it.
But watch it you must. Beowulf Alley Theatre's production of the play about two farmworkers who long for a place of their own is a rich, nuanced piece that reminds us of the frailty, and cruelty, of human nature.
This is a powerful piece of theater, with poetic language, well-drawn characters, and wonderful foreshadowing of events without ever telescoping them. If you want to see a play that is exquisitely constructed, "Of Mice and Men" is it.
The Courtland Jones-designed set on the Beowulf stage evoked the dusty Salinas Valley and rickety shack that serves as home to migrant farmworkers. Russell Stagg's lighting conjured up the bright light of day and the moody hues of sunset. Jon Marbry's pristine sound made us see birds flying overhead and hear crickets talking to each other.
But it was the actors who really brought Steinbeck's work to painful, vivid life at a preview performance last Friday.
This production veered from most — a robust Terry Erbe played George, whom Steinbeck described as a slight man. Stephen Elton was the mildly retarded Lennie. Steinbeck envisioned this character to be large and lumbering; Elton is actually more slender than Erbe.
We've some advice: Get over the size issue quickly. While physically Steinbeck saw the two as an unlikely pair, Elton and Erbe were able to draw their characters so sharply that size did not matter.
Elton, at times, seemed a bit too bright for Lennie, but he captured the innocence of the character who loves to stroke soft things and longs to care for rabbits on the the farm he and George dream they will one day have.
Erbe's ability to get angry at Lennie for his naivete and still show his love was so well-rooted you never doubted his character.
Slim, the kind-hearted ranchhand, was given gentle life by Brian Wees, and Gregory Sweet was heavy with sorrow and loneliness as Candy, the one-handed ranch worker whose best friend and reason for living was his elderly dog.
This play is saturated with dreams denied and heartbreaking loneliness. It's kind of depressing, truth be told.
But it's also a rich tale of a friendship that goes so deep and true that hope survives.
Director Glen Coffman understood that and directed with a clean, knowing hand.
"Of Mice and Men" can shatter you. But it's also an exhilarating theatrical experience.
● Contact Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.
Steinbeck classic makes wonderful local theater
By Kathleen Allen
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 05.11.2007
Dreams blossom and shatter with such intense swiftness in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" that one can get dizzy watching it.
But watch it you must. Beowulf Alley Theatre's production of the play about two farmworkers who long for a place of their own is a rich, nuanced piece that reminds us of the frailty, and cruelty, of human nature.
This is a powerful piece of theater, with poetic language, well-drawn characters, and wonderful foreshadowing of events without ever telescoping them. If you want to see a play that is exquisitely constructed, "Of Mice and Men" is it.
The Courtland Jones-designed set on the Beowulf stage evoked the dusty Salinas Valley and rickety shack that serves as home to migrant farmworkers. Russell Stagg's lighting conjured up the bright light of day and the moody hues of sunset. Jon Marbry's pristine sound made us see birds flying overhead and hear crickets talking to each other.
But it was the actors who really brought Steinbeck's work to painful, vivid life at a preview performance last Friday.
This production veered from most — a robust Terry Erbe played George, whom Steinbeck described as a slight man. Stephen Elton was the mildly retarded Lennie. Steinbeck envisioned this character to be large and lumbering; Elton is actually more slender than Erbe.
We've some advice: Get over the size issue quickly. While physically Steinbeck saw the two as an unlikely pair, Elton and Erbe were able to draw their characters so sharply that size did not matter.
Elton, at times, seemed a bit too bright for Lennie, but he captured the innocence of the character who loves to stroke soft things and longs to care for rabbits on the the farm he and George dream they will one day have.
Erbe's ability to get angry at Lennie for his naivete and still show his love was so well-rooted you never doubted his character.
Slim, the kind-hearted ranchhand, was given gentle life by Brian Wees, and Gregory Sweet was heavy with sorrow and loneliness as Candy, the one-handed ranch worker whose best friend and reason for living was his elderly dog.
This play is saturated with dreams denied and heartbreaking loneliness. It's kind of depressing, truth be told.
But it's also a rich tale of a friendship that goes so deep and true that hope survives.
Director Glen Coffman understood that and directed with a clean, knowing hand.
"Of Mice and Men" can shatter you. But it's also an exhilarating theatrical experience.
● Contact Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Beowulf Alley scores big with 'Of Mice and Men' | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®
Beowulf Alley scores big with 'Of Mice and Men' www.tucsoncitizen.com ®:
Published: 05.10.2007
Beowulf Alley scores big with 'Of Mice and Men'
CHUCK GRAHAM
Tucson Citizen
What a season it's been for the Beowulf Alley Theatre Company. After setting a higher standard for local theater last January with the downtown company's atmospheric thriller "The Woman In Black," BATC followed with the well-received special stage effects of "Black Comedy" by Peter Shaffer.
Now we have an even more haunting production in John Steinbeck's Depression-era tale, "Of Mice and Men." Director Glen Coffman draws finely shaded performances from Terry Erbe and Stephen Elton as George and Lennie, a pair of migrant farmworkers in rural California, adrift and deprived of any chance to earn a decent wage doing physical labor. Their determination to be resourceful is a poignant reminder that government cannot be trusted to take care of its people.
Steinbeck was writing about poor families ripped apart in the 1930s when America's economy fell apart. Erbe's portrayal of the rough-mannered but good-hearted George is a compelling portrait of the kind of blue-collar guy we like to think built our country. Hardworking, honest and determined to keep everyone honest.
George's patience with the simple-minded Lennie proves George could have been a good family man. Instead, the misfortunes of this failed economy have turned George into a drifter who makes the man-child Lennie his family.
Elton amplifies the effect by playing on Lennie's almost infantile innocence, completely unaware in his gentleness that he has the physical strength of a giant. George and Lennie, always bickering like a married couple, share a kind of co-dependence in finding reasons to dream beyond their next paycheck working California's struggling farmlands.
The rest of the cast is equally strong, building together like a finely tuned ensemble, adding the story's elements of racism and ageism that ring even louder in our present time of civil rights awareness and of boomers nearing retirement.
grade: A
Published: 05.10.2007
Beowulf Alley scores big with 'Of Mice and Men'
CHUCK GRAHAM
Tucson Citizen
What a season it's been for the Beowulf Alley Theatre Company. After setting a higher standard for local theater last January with the downtown company's atmospheric thriller "The Woman In Black," BATC followed with the well-received special stage effects of "Black Comedy" by Peter Shaffer.
Now we have an even more haunting production in John Steinbeck's Depression-era tale, "Of Mice and Men." Director Glen Coffman draws finely shaded performances from Terry Erbe and Stephen Elton as George and Lennie, a pair of migrant farmworkers in rural California, adrift and deprived of any chance to earn a decent wage doing physical labor. Their determination to be resourceful is a poignant reminder that government cannot be trusted to take care of its people.
Steinbeck was writing about poor families ripped apart in the 1930s when America's economy fell apart. Erbe's portrayal of the rough-mannered but good-hearted George is a compelling portrait of the kind of blue-collar guy we like to think built our country. Hardworking, honest and determined to keep everyone honest.
George's patience with the simple-minded Lennie proves George could have been a good family man. Instead, the misfortunes of this failed economy have turned George into a drifter who makes the man-child Lennie his family.
Elton amplifies the effect by playing on Lennie's almost infantile innocence, completely unaware in his gentleness that he has the physical strength of a giant. George and Lennie, always bickering like a married couple, share a kind of co-dependence in finding reasons to dream beyond their next paycheck working California's struggling farmlands.
The rest of the cast is equally strong, building together like a finely tuned ensemble, adding the story's elements of racism and ageism that ring even louder in our present time of civil rights awareness and of boomers nearing retirement.
grade: A
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Tucson Weekly : Arts : High Standards
Tucson Weekly : Arts : High Standards: "
PUBLISHED ON MAY 10, 2007:
High Standards
Beowulf Alley Theatre turns in an impeccable 'Of Mice and Men' production
By JAMES REEL
"...how well-cast this show is from top to bottom"
"The entire production has been assembled with similar quiet care. The acting tends to be subtle and anti-melodramatic, yet heartfelt; the pacing is deliberate, yet never feels pokey. All in all, Beowulf Alley does a fine job of rescuing Of Mice and Men from its low status as required reading in high school English."
"Terry Erbe as George and Stephen Elton as Lennie waste little time in establishing their uneasy fraternal bond onstage, and they also quickly set themselves apart from actors who have played their roles in film adaptations. Elton finds more in Lennie than just a big, retarded oaf; he's basically a 4-year-old, with a child's full range of emotional complexity. Erbe doesn't play George as a fast-talking operator; he's a somewhat rough, common man with common sense, and a little knot of decency that, to his surprise, has been bunching up inside him over the years. "
"The rest of the cast--including David Alexander Johnston, Tim McKiernan and the single-named Darwin--is as fine as the players already mentioned. My one small reservation concerns the good and versatile Amy Erbe as the woman whose actions precipitate the final tragedies; in the context of this production, I would have expected her to make more of her character's loneliness, even at her most flirtatious. "
"As usual at Beowulf Alley, the set design (Courtland Jones), sound (John Marbry), costuming (Kyle Schellinger) and lighting (Russell Stagg) meet high standards--the standards set by this production's acting and direction. "
PUBLISHED ON MAY 10, 2007:
High Standards
Beowulf Alley Theatre turns in an impeccable 'Of Mice and Men' production
By JAMES REEL
"...how well-cast this show is from top to bottom"
"The entire production has been assembled with similar quiet care. The acting tends to be subtle and anti-melodramatic, yet heartfelt; the pacing is deliberate, yet never feels pokey. All in all, Beowulf Alley does a fine job of rescuing Of Mice and Men from its low status as required reading in high school English."
"Terry Erbe as George and Stephen Elton as Lennie waste little time in establishing their uneasy fraternal bond onstage, and they also quickly set themselves apart from actors who have played their roles in film adaptations. Elton finds more in Lennie than just a big, retarded oaf; he's basically a 4-year-old, with a child's full range of emotional complexity. Erbe doesn't play George as a fast-talking operator; he's a somewhat rough, common man with common sense, and a little knot of decency that, to his surprise, has been bunching up inside him over the years. "
"The rest of the cast--including David Alexander Johnston, Tim McKiernan and the single-named Darwin--is as fine as the players already mentioned. My one small reservation concerns the good and versatile Amy Erbe as the woman whose actions precipitate the final tragedies; in the context of this production, I would have expected her to make more of her character's loneliness, even at her most flirtatious. "
"As usual at Beowulf Alley, the set design (Courtland Jones), sound (John Marbry), costuming (Kyle Schellinger) and lighting (Russell Stagg) meet high standards--the standards set by this production's acting and direction. "
Friday, May 04, 2007
Migrants' dreams of the '30s still relevant today | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®
Migrants' dreams of the '30s still relevant today
CHUCK GRAHAM
CHUCK GRAHAM
Tucson Citizen
Published: 05.03.2007
Published: 05.03.2007
While threats of global warming hint at turning the Southwest into another Oklahoma dust bowl, we can consider the Depression Era story of Lenny and George in John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men.' The two migrant workers following their dreams while hoping for a change in their luck are in California, just the next state over, believing one day they will have a place of their own where no one can tell them what to do.
Although the play's time period is the 1930s (the novella was published in 1937), its theme of rootless loneliness among homeless men is considered quite timely. In Tucson, especially, communities of migrant workers are as real as the freeways and air-conditioned high-rise office towers. Problems caused by low pay and callous bosses belong to everyone.
Beowulf Alley Theatre Company brings us this production, directed by Glen Coffman, with George played by Terry Erbe and Stephen Elton cast as the mentally slow Lenny. Elton is Beowulf Alley's founding artistic director.
Also taking roles are David Alexander Johnston, Amy Erbe, Greg Sweet, Tim McKiernan, Brian Wees, Jonathan Hicks, Nate Weisband and Darwin.
additional information
IF YOU GO
What: "Of Mice and Men," presented by Beowulf Alley Theatre Company
When: previews 7:30 p.m. today-Friday; opening 7:30 p.m. Saturday and continuing 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Sundays through May 27; special fundraising performance and barbecue, 1:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave.
Price: $10 previews, $14 Thursdays, $16- $18 general admission, $65 performance and barbecue
Info: 622-4460, www.beowulfalley.org
IF YOU GO
What: "Of Mice and Men," presented by Beowulf Alley Theatre Company
When: previews 7:30 p.m. today-Friday; opening 7:30 p.m. Saturday and continuing 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Sundays through May 27; special fundraising performance and barbecue, 1:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave.
Price: $10 previews, $14 Thursdays, $16- $18 general admission, $65 performance and barbecue
Info: 622-4460, www.beowulfalley.org
'Mice' is always compelling | www.azstarnet.com ®
'Mice' is always compelling
By Kathleen Allen
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Please don't call John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" an important piece of literature.
Yes, yes, we know: The story of itinerant farmworkers, the mentally challenged Lennie and his protector, George, is a classic. That's why Beowulf Alley Theatre is staging the play as its season closer.
But it's not ponderous, or dull. And that's what Beowulf's artistic director, Stephen Elton, is afraid people will think when it's called "important."
"When you hear a play is important, I think it's boring," said Elton, who plays Lennie, the big, lumbering, simple-minded half of the famous Lennie and George team.
Instead, Elton said, it's a play that you almost have to watch it's so compelling.
"I compare it to when you're flipping channels on a Saturday afternoon and you come across a movie you've seen before. You know the story, but still you have to watch it. 'Mice and Men' is that kind of play — you have to pay attention to it, even if you know it."
George and Lennie have a tight bond and a common dream: They want to save enough money to have their own little farm.
"It's the struggle of the everyday guys, Lennie and George, as they try to get the American dream," Elton said as he explained the pull of the play.
"The dream of freeing yourself of the bonds of employment and working for yourself. They just want to do their own thing."
Terry Erbe, who plays George, said that the weaving in of the dream ethic is what makes the story, published in 1937, so timeless.
"I think clutching at the American dream is still very much part of our lives," he said after a school day at Catalina Foothills High School, where he teaches drama.
"It's about wanting a little place, and making a better life. I think that's universal. And Steinbeck does it in a way that goes back to the storytelling roots that we have. There's something eloquent about the pictures he paints."
George is a character Erbe embraces, even as he struggles to learn a massive amount of dialogue.
"George has got a big heart," said Erbe. "I don't think he would take on the care and feeding of Lennie if he didn't. At the same time, it's frustrating for George because Lennie will never grow up. I think George is a man at odds with his surroundings."
As for Lennie, Elton was determined to play him as an innocent, rather than a man with mental retardation.
"He's an innocent, but his bubble is very small," said Elton. "He relies on George to tell him what to do. In life, when you run across somebody like Lennie, it may take you five or 10 minutes to know that something's wrong. I wanted to play Lennie like that."
Both men have a profound respect for the friendship of the characters, and for their dreams.
"What I take from the play, and what I hope the audience will take, is how the themes are so current — loneliness, wanting a friend and wanting the American dream," said Elton. "I think we can all relate to what George and Lennie are going through."
Preview
"Of Mice and Men."
• By: John Steinbeck.
• Director: Glen Coffman.
• Presented by: Beowulf Alley Theatre.
• When: Preview is 7:30 tonight; opening is 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Regular performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 1:30 p.m. Sundays through May 27.
• Where: Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave.
• Tickets: Thursdays, $10; other performances, $18 (discounts if purchased at www.beowulfalley.org). The 1:30 p.m. Sunday performance is $65, which includes a barbecue, music, hobnobbing with the cast and crew, and the play.
• Information: 882-0555.
• Cast: Terry Erbe, Stephen Elton, David Alexander Johnston, Amy Erbe, Greg Sweet, Tim McKiernan, Brian Wees, Jonathan Hicks, Nate Weisband.
• Running time: About 21/2 hours, with one intermission.
• Look for: The review in next Friday's Accent.
"Of Mice and Men."
• By: John Steinbeck.
• Director: Glen Coffman.
• Presented by: Beowulf Alley Theatre.
• When: Preview is 7:30 tonight; opening is 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Regular performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 1:30 p.m. Sundays through May 27.
• Where: Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave.
• Tickets: Thursdays, $10; other performances, $18 (discounts if purchased at www.beowulfalley.org). The 1:30 p.m. Sunday performance is $65, which includes a barbecue, music, hobnobbing with the cast and crew, and the play.
• Information: 882-0555.
• Cast: Terry Erbe, Stephen Elton, David Alexander Johnston, Amy Erbe, Greg Sweet, Tim McKiernan, Brian Wees, Jonathan Hicks, Nate Weisband.
• Running time: About 21/2 hours, with one intermission.
• Look for: The review in next Friday's Accent.
● Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.
Friday, April 27, 2007
A Steinbeck classic for season finale | www.azstarnet.com ®
A Steinbeck classic for season finale www.azstarnet.com ®
A Steinbeck classic for season finale
Tucson, Arizona Published: 04.27.2007
Beowulf Alley Theatre Company's season ends with a classic: John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men.'
The play, which opens in previews on Thursday, is about a simple-minded migrant farmworker, Lennie, and his friend and protector, George.
The production is directed by Glen Coffman and stars Stephen Elton as Lennie and Terry Erbe in the role of George. Previews are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and next Friday, and opening is 7:30 p.m. May 5 at Beowulf, 11 S. Sixth Ave. Preview tickets are $10; regular performances are $18.
See next Friday's Accent for an interview with Elton and Erbe.
– Kathleen Allen "
A Steinbeck classic for season finale
Tucson, Arizona Published: 04.27.2007
Beowulf Alley Theatre Company's season ends with a classic: John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men.'
The play, which opens in previews on Thursday, is about a simple-minded migrant farmworker, Lennie, and his friend and protector, George.
The production is directed by Glen Coffman and stars Stephen Elton as Lennie and Terry Erbe in the role of George. Previews are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and next Friday, and opening is 7:30 p.m. May 5 at Beowulf, 11 S. Sixth Ave. Preview tickets are $10; regular performances are $18.
See next Friday's Accent for an interview with Elton and Erbe.
– Kathleen Allen "
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Art flexes muscles at old gym equipment site | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®
Art flexes muscles at old gym equipment site www.tucsoncitizen.com ®:
Art flexes muscles at old gym equipment site
TEYA VITU
Tucson Citizen
Published: 04.12.2007
"Glass artist Karen Ehart arrived first 4 1/2 years ago and Beowulf Alley Theatre gave the block a prominent presence in June 2004. The Drawing Studio plans to move next door by September"
"We've been fortunate enough to stay patient," said Steve Gibson, Johnny's son and the property manager. "Beowulf are fabulous tenants. Now we couldn't be more pleased to be associated with The Drawing Studio."
For the present, Beth Dell, administrative director at Beowulf Alley, cherishes getting an arts neighbor.
"I am incredibly grateful to the Gibson family for having such a dedication to the arts to do this," Dell said. "I look forward to having people next door who have a true understanding of the arts. It will be a mini little arts district."
Art flexes muscles at old gym equipment site
TEYA VITU
Tucson Citizen
Published: 04.12.2007
"Glass artist Karen Ehart arrived first 4 1/2 years ago and Beowulf Alley Theatre gave the block a prominent presence in June 2004. The Drawing Studio plans to move next door by September"
"We've been fortunate enough to stay patient," said Steve Gibson, Johnny's son and the property manager. "Beowulf are fabulous tenants. Now we couldn't be more pleased to be associated with The Drawing Studio."
For the present, Beth Dell, administrative director at Beowulf Alley, cherishes getting an arts neighbor.
"I am incredibly grateful to the Gibson family for having such a dedication to the arts to do this," Dell said. "I look forward to having people next door who have a true understanding of the arts. It will be a mini little arts district."
Thursday, March 15, 2007
'Black Comedy' sheds light on human foibles | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®
'Black Comedy' sheds light on human foibles www.tucsoncitizen.com ®
'Black Comedy' sheds light on human foibles
By CHUCK GRAHAM
Published: 03.15.2007
Tucson Citizen
"The singular scene design for Beowulf Alley Theatre Company's new show, 'Black Comedy' by Peter Shaffer, is the downtown company's most elaborate ever."
"Guest director Nancy Arnfield does her own ante-upping by having the actors add lots of inappropriate touching, which gets still more laughs. Performed in 90 minutes without an intermission, 'Black Comedy' becomes a physical workout for the actors, choreographed and timed to enhance the meaning of that phrase 'body language.'"
"'Black Comedy' does have its underlying social commentary about people with secrets, staying true to their values and all the rest. But in this production, the laughs come from watching people fall. Just as in telling jokes, the timing is everything."
'Black Comedy' sheds light on human foibles
By CHUCK GRAHAM
Published: 03.15.2007
Tucson Citizen
"The singular scene design for Beowulf Alley Theatre Company's new show, 'Black Comedy' by Peter Shaffer, is the downtown company's most elaborate ever."
"Guest director Nancy Arnfield does her own ante-upping by having the actors add lots of inappropriate touching, which gets still more laughs. Performed in 90 minutes without an intermission, 'Black Comedy' becomes a physical workout for the actors, choreographed and timed to enhance the meaning of that phrase 'body language.'"
"'Black Comedy' does have its underlying social commentary about people with secrets, staying true to their values and all the rest. But in this production, the laughs come from watching people fall. Just as in telling jokes, the timing is everything."
'Black Comedy' sheds light on fun | www.azstarnet.com ®
'Black Comedy' sheds light on fun www.azstarnet.com ®:
By Kathleen Allen
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 03.15.2007
"Key to a successful farce is timing, and these Beowulf actors had that down. Brian Taraz, especially, who played the huffy Harold thick with a righteous sense of indignation, showed a keen sense of comedic timing."
"Director Nancy Arnfield has fashioned a play that has a quick pace and a natural façade, which makes the farce even more farcical."
"...this Beowulf production sheds lots of light on the humor, and it smacks of a good time."
By Kathleen Allen
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 03.15.2007
"Key to a successful farce is timing, and these Beowulf actors had that down. Brian Taraz, especially, who played the huffy Harold thick with a righteous sense of indignation, showed a keen sense of comedic timing."
"Director Nancy Arnfield has fashioned a play that has a quick pace and a natural façade, which makes the farce even more farcical."
"...this Beowulf production sheds lots of light on the humor, and it smacks of a good time."
In the cast, from left, Stephen Cruz, Barbara Flanary
Armstrong, Abe Taltre, Brian Taraz and Nicole Stein.
- david sanders / arizona daily star
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Beowulf Alley brings a rich farce to town | www.azstarnet.com ®
Beowulf Alley brings a rich farce to town www.azstarnet.com ®
By Dennis O'Flaherty
SPECIAL TO THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona Published: 03.09.2007
It's a mix volatile enough to blow the roof off the theater.
It's rare that the words "farce" and "Peter Shaffer" are said with the same breath.
After all, Shaffer has written such tense and tragic dramas as "Amadeus" and "Equus."
But then there's his "Black Comedy," which Beowulf Alley Theatre opens Saturday.
That's where "farce" comes in.
And it's just the kind of play director Nancy Arnfield loves to shape.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/172464
By Dennis O'Flaherty
SPECIAL TO THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona Published: 03.09.2007
It's a mix volatile enough to blow the roof off the theater.
It's rare that the words "farce" and "Peter Shaffer" are said with the same breath.
After all, Shaffer has written such tense and tragic dramas as "Amadeus" and "Equus."
But then there's his "Black Comedy," which Beowulf Alley Theatre opens Saturday.
That's where "farce" comes in.
And it's just the kind of play director Nancy Arnfield loves to shape.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/172464
Friday, February 02, 2007
'Thumbs' gets thumbs up - WildLife
'Thumbs' gets thumbs up - WildLife
'Thumbs' gets thumbs up
Play preview
By: Alexandria Kassman
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: WildLife
When local playwright Gavin Kayner's production company, Piquant Plays Productions, went looking for a venue to perform his play "Thumbs," Beowulf Alley Theatre Company seemed like a perfect venue due to its intimate size and comfortably pristine new interior.
With a 99-seat store-front theater located in the heart of downtown Tucson, BATC's future as an artist-driven playhouse looks hopeful. Additionally, BATC is proving to be a great place for promising theater students to audition for exciting roles.
'Thumbs' gets thumbs up
Play preview
By: Alexandria Kassman
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: WildLife
When local playwright Gavin Kayner's production company, Piquant Plays Productions, went looking for a venue to perform his play "Thumbs," Beowulf Alley Theatre Company seemed like a perfect venue due to its intimate size and comfortably pristine new interior.
With a 99-seat store-front theater located in the heart of downtown Tucson, BATC's future as an artist-driven playhouse looks hopeful. Additionally, BATC is proving to be a great place for promising theater students to audition for exciting roles.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
More letters | www.azstarnet.com ®
More letters www.azstarnet.com ®:
More letters
Tucson, Arizona Published: 01.22.2007
"After reading the Star's description of 'The Woman in Black,' playing at Tucson's Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, my family decided to attend last Friday's performance. What a pleasure to relax in the story-telling of two fine actors, Roberto Guajardo and David Alexander Johnston. I felt like we were in a British drawing room listening to a mysterious tale that totally drew in each member of my family. All for about the price of a movie ticket. There's nothing like high-quality live theater.
Deborah H. Hildreth
Teacher, Vail "
More letters
Tucson, Arizona Published: 01.22.2007
"After reading the Star's description of 'The Woman in Black,' playing at Tucson's Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, my family decided to attend last Friday's performance. What a pleasure to relax in the story-telling of two fine actors, Roberto Guajardo and David Alexander Johnston. I felt like we were in a British drawing room listening to a mysterious tale that totally drew in each member of my family. All for about the price of a movie ticket. There's nothing like high-quality live theater.
Deborah H. Hildreth
Teacher, Vail "
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Tucson Weekly : Arts : Virtual Reality
Tucson Weekly : Arts : Virtual Reality:
PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 25, 2007:
Virtual Reality
Three excellent plays all deal with perception in entertaining ways
By JAMES REEL
"The Woman in Black is an English ghost story with greater ambition than you find in most such genre pieces."
"Guajardo and Johnston carry the evening with a steady sense of character and an undercurrent of dread. Guajardo plays a half-dozen figures in the story and gives each his own physical comportment and English regional accent. "
"But what makes this play most effective is its atmosphere, which is superbly established by the set and sound design."
"This is by far the most sophisticated use of sound I've heard in a Tucson production, outside of Arizona Theatre Company."
PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 25, 2007:
Virtual Reality
Three excellent plays all deal with perception in entertaining ways
By JAMES REEL
"The Woman in Black is an English ghost story with greater ambition than you find in most such genre pieces."
"Guajardo and Johnston carry the evening with a steady sense of character and an undercurrent of dread. Guajardo plays a half-dozen figures in the story and gives each his own physical comportment and English regional accent. "
"But what makes this play most effective is its atmosphere, which is superbly established by the set and sound design."
"This is by far the most sophisticated use of sound I've heard in a Tucson production, outside of Arizona Theatre Company."
Friday, January 19, 2007
The stars shine in gothic tale at Beowulf Alley | www.azstarnet.com ®
The stars shine in gothic tale at Beowulf Alley www.azstarnet.com ®
By Gerald M. Gay
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 01.19.2007
"The Woman in Black" finds strength in its actors"
"[Roberto] Guajardo shines ... he managed to bring to life an entire town of people, from Mr. Jerome, the firm's nervous, apprehensive local agent, to Keckwick, the strong and silent carriage driver. "
"[David Alexander] Johnston was no slouch either. ... The two kept a strong rapport whether the scene called for levity or heart-stopping horror."
"If you are more into Edgar Allan Poe and less of a "Saw II" fan, the play has enough suspense and quality acting to keep your adrenaline pumping."
By Gerald M. Gay
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 01.19.2007
"The Woman in Black" finds strength in its actors"
"[Roberto] Guajardo shines ... he managed to bring to life an entire town of people, from Mr. Jerome, the firm's nervous, apprehensive local agent, to Keckwick, the strong and silent carriage driver. "
"[David Alexander] Johnston was no slouch either. ... The two kept a strong rapport whether the scene called for levity or heart-stopping horror."
"If you are more into Edgar Allan Poe and less of a "Saw II" fan, the play has enough suspense and quality acting to keep your adrenaline pumping."
Thursday, January 18, 2007
'Woman in Black' lets you see what's not there | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®
'Woman in Black' lets you see what's not there www.tucsoncitizen.com ®:
Published: 01.18.2007
CHUCK GRAHAM
"... astonishing performance of "The Woman in Black" at Beowulf Alley Theatre "
"Directed by Terry Erbe, this elaborate production takes local theater to a new level of excellence. Around the finely balanced two-person cast of David Alexander Johnston and Roberto Guajardo are layered a detailed stage set and precise series of haunting theatrical effects that are remarkably effective. "
Published: 01.18.2007
CHUCK GRAHAM
"... astonishing performance of "The Woman in Black" at Beowulf Alley Theatre "
"Directed by Terry Erbe, this elaborate production takes local theater to a new level of excellence. Around the finely balanced two-person cast of David Alexander Johnston and Roberto Guajardo are layered a detailed stage set and precise series of haunting theatrical effects that are remarkably effective. "
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Local theatrical productions | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®
Local theatrical productions www.tucsoncitizen.com ®
photo: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/photos/2007/01/11/l37713-1.jpg
"THE WOMAN IN BLACK": Seeking nothing less than to scare the pants off its audience, Beowulf Alley Theatre Company is opening this play by Stephen Mallatratt, adapted from the book by Susan Hill. A production has been running continuously in London for 17 years, so it must be pretty scary. Terry Erbe directs this show, featuring Roberto Guajardo and David Alexander Johnston. The story centers on a young lawyer sorting through the final affairs of an elderly widow who lived in an isolated estate along a marshy spot of England's eastern coast. The more he discovers, the more he feels haunted by past events in the widow's life. When: The production opens Saturday and continues through Feb. 4. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Sundays; preview shows 7:30 p.m. today and Friday. Where: 11 S. Sixth Ave. Price: $14-$18 general, $10 for previews Info: 882-0555, http://www.beowulfalley.org/
photo: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/photos/2007/01/11/l37713-1.jpg
"THE WOMAN IN BLACK": Seeking nothing less than to scare the pants off its audience, Beowulf Alley Theatre Company is opening this play by Stephen Mallatratt, adapted from the book by Susan Hill. A production has been running continuously in London for 17 years, so it must be pretty scary. Terry Erbe directs this show, featuring Roberto Guajardo and David Alexander Johnston. The story centers on a young lawyer sorting through the final affairs of an elderly widow who lived in an isolated estate along a marshy spot of England's eastern coast. The more he discovers, the more he feels haunted by past events in the widow's life. When: The production opens Saturday and continues through Feb. 4. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Sundays; preview shows 7:30 p.m. today and Friday. Where: 11 S. Sixth Ave. Price: $14-$18 general, $10 for previews Info: 882-0555, http://www.beowulfalley.org/
Friday, January 05, 2007
'The Woman in Black' | www.azstarnet.com ®
'The Woman in Black' www.azstarnet.com ®
By Sherilyn Forrester
Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona
Published: 01.05.2007
Most theaters work diligently to fill their seats.The folks at Beowulf Alley are hoping their audiences will be jumping out of theirs.Beowulf's production of "The Woman in Black," which opens next week, is a uniquely theatrical ghost story that has been scaring and thrilling theatergoers for more than 17 years.
"It's just wonderfully frightening," says Terry Erbe, who is directing Roberto Guajardo and David Alexander Johnston in this Stephen Mallatratt adaptation of the book by Susan Hill."
Even though the book is a really good read and is very scary, I think the play works even better," adds Erbe. "The conventions of the theater — that are particular to the theater — really enhance the effect of the story and how it is told."
By Sherilyn Forrester
Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona
Published: 01.05.2007
Most theaters work diligently to fill their seats.The folks at Beowulf Alley are hoping their audiences will be jumping out of theirs.Beowulf's production of "The Woman in Black," which opens next week, is a uniquely theatrical ghost story that has been scaring and thrilling theatergoers for more than 17 years.
"It's just wonderfully frightening," says Terry Erbe, who is directing Roberto Guajardo and David Alexander Johnston in this Stephen Mallatratt adaptation of the book by Susan Hill."
Even though the book is a really good read and is very scary, I think the play works even better," adds Erbe. "The conventions of the theater — that are particular to the theater — really enhance the effect of the story and how it is told."
Friday, December 29, 2006
Snapshots: arts in the news | www.azstarnet.com ®
Snapshots: arts in the news www.azstarnet.com ®
Tucson, Arizona Published: 12.29.2006
Improv show is going public, and you're invited to join laughs.
LaughingStock Comedy Company is rarely seen around these parts. At least not in public.
But this year, for the second year in a row, it's bringing its show to Beowulf Alley Theatre Company.
And the troupe of six very funny people turns it into delicious comedy. Right then and there. Is talent wonderful or what?
Tucson, Arizona Published: 12.29.2006
Improv show is going public, and you're invited to join laughs.
LaughingStock Comedy Company is rarely seen around these parts. At least not in public.
But this year, for the second year in a row, it's bringing its show to Beowulf Alley Theatre Company.
And the troupe of six very funny people turns it into delicious comedy. Right then and there. Is talent wonderful or what?
Mac Awards time | www.azstarnet.com ®
Mac Awards time www.azstarnet.com ®
By Kathleen Allen / Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 12.29.2006
Best Actress
Lesley Abrams in Beowulf Alley's "Frozen"
Best Comedy
Beowulf Alley's production of Anton Chekhov's "Four Farces"
Best Drama Nominiations
Beowulf Alley's "Frozen"
Beowulf Alley's "Fiction"
Best Actress Nomination
Alida Gunn's turn as Abby in Beowulf Alley's "Fiction"
By Kathleen Allen / Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 12.29.2006
Best Actress
Lesley Abrams in Beowulf Alley's "Frozen"
Best Comedy
Beowulf Alley's production of Anton Chekhov's "Four Farces"
Best Drama Nominiations
Beowulf Alley's "Frozen"
Beowulf Alley's "Fiction"
Best Actress Nomination
Alida Gunn's turn as Abby in Beowulf Alley's "Fiction"
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