PlayMakers Rep's Rendition of Stephen King's Misery Is Perfect Friday the 13th Fare
“Not only are the set, lighting, sound, and costume design top notch; but the characters' inner feelings and thoughts are visible in a way that cannot be accomplished without effectively passionate direction. PlayMakers Rep's presentation of Misery is a team effort, and they makes you a part of that team the minute you walk into the Paul Green Theatre. Adding this to the near-guaranteed thrill of Stephen King's scary storytelling, how can you miss it?”
This Book Is Banned: A Hilarious Picture Book about Censorship and Free Speech
“Let’s face it. Without their caretakers' insistent input, most children do not know that books are being made unavailable to them at their schools. It’s debatable whether adult caretakers who oppose book bans even want them to. But the adult-child combination who reads This Book Is Banned together will have fun discussing the issue of “banning” in the hypothetical, thanks to the busy and engaging illustrations and text that await them.”
The American Way?
Sunday morning at the RDU Airport Observation deck, as my kids climbed the giant sandbox spider, I talked with a small business owner from Raleigh, a self-proclaimed conservative Republican and Marine Corps retiree, who was waiting with his young son for his wife’s plane to take off…
The World Premiere of Ona by Keith Burridge Vividly Dramatizes a Forgotten But Still Pertinent Chapter of 19th Century U.S. History
“Ona centers around Martha Washington's personal house slave Ona Judge. I'd never heard of her; and I'm not alone, which is not coincidental. thirty-five American states still censor discussion of slavery in secondary-school classrooms, which inevitably hinders public discussion altogether.”
Clyde's at PlayMakers Rep Puts Its Audience in the Shoes of the Formerly Incarcerated
“The riding momentum behind PlayMakers' production of this iconic play is toward social consciousness and literacy when it comes to addressing the denigrating, disparaging, and (seemingly) hopeless experiences that previously incarcerated people face every day. We nod our heads empathetically when the subject comes up in conversation, but how many of us with no incarceration experience ever put ourselves in their shoes? This is desperately needed, and seeing Clyde's is a good start.”
Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love
“Always Sisters is a pertinent tool for both adults and children as they learn to communicate and productively process their feelings together after the loss of a loved one.”
See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See
“Though it is meant to be read by early elementary students, middle-grade students will enjoy reading this book to their younger siblings and classmates, thanks to the clever trickery within its pages. For the same reason, See the Ghost makes a good, non-baby-ish picture book to share with reading-challenged students in middle-school and beyond.”
Sound Problems Make Ride the Cyclone a Bumpy Ride
“The highlight of the production is Kayla Petrille's expert portrayal of the doll-like Jane Doe, particularly her piercing, siren-like voice whenever she opens her mouth and especially when she sings. This is no surprise, as Petrille teaches voice lessons full time and has the most performing experience among the actors. “
Into The Forest: For Children With Feelings of Anxiety (Therapeutic Fairy Tales): A Book Review
“a book worth reading with your young child, particularly if they or you are experiencing anxiety. The story is calming and at times beautifully written.”
Lights! Costumes! Magic! Beetlejuice Brings the DPAC Audience to Its Feet!
“The costume and physical appearance of Lydia (Isabella Esler) is delightfully reminiscent of Christina Ricci's wardrobe as Wednesday in the 1991 film adaptation of The Addams Family or the costumes that Winona Rider wore when she played Lydia in Tim Burton's 1988 movie Beetlejuice. Whether speaking or singing, Esler's voice is prominent and clear, with the made-for-stage lilt and vibrato of a pop star.”
Mom’s Hugs and Kisses: A Review
Like Nancy Tafuri’s All Kinds of Kisses and Steven Henry’s picture book by the same name, Loupy’s story describes the different kisses given by numerous animals, in this case through a puppy protagonist who requests and receives others' kisses throughout the day. In the end, of course, “the best kiss of all is the kiss he gets from his mother.”
Hearing was about watershed rezoning, not 751 development
….Before I moved to Durham, I thought water was colorless. Jordan Lake clean-up costs certainly are, and will be long into the future.…
Q&A with Amberjack Author Melissa Rooney, Creator of Eddie the Electron
My Ph.D. advisor urged me to come back to work for him, eventually making me an offer he thought I couldn’t refuse. When I finally admitted that I hated lab work and, by no means, wanted to return to academics, he asked me, insistently, how I was going to put my degree to use. I told him I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book, he gave me a deadline, and Eddie the Electron was born.
What to do with a Stick, by Jane Yolen: A Book Review
My 1st review for New York Journal of Books is Jane Yolen's What To Do With A Stick. JY’s Owl Moon is one of my absolute favorites - I take it to elementary writing residencies. The story being written by one of my current Winston Salem students centers on a stick, which I is surely no coincidence…
John Frazier Lights Up the PSI Stage as Ladies' Man Garry Essendine in Noël Coward's Present Laughter
Present Laughter, which was written in 1939, but not staged until 1942, due to World War II, opens on a young woman in her dressing robe, waiting in a sitting room for world-loved comic actor Garry Essendine to emerge from his bedroom. Daphne, played in dramatic juvenile fashion by Dani Coan, forgot her latchkey the previous night and had to spend the night in Essendine's "spare room" …
Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill Earns a Standing Ovation at the Durham Performing Arts Center
When the musical debuted in 2018, it became the highest-grossing production at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA, which is no surprise, given that Alanis Morissette's album by the same name is considered one of the most important albums of the '90s and of the alternative rock genre in general, selling 33 million copies, topping the charts in 13 countries, and winning five GRAMMYS, including Album of the Year….
Durham Students Sparkled in An Evening to Shine on Feb. 21st at DPAC
An Evening to Shine is an annual event, presented at the Durham Performing Arts Center by Durham Public Schools (DPS), in partnership with the Durham Public Schools Foundation, which showcases the talents of dedicated youth from every public school in the county. [Of note, the DPS Scholarship Foundation merged with the DPS Foundation in 2020.] Only a handful of students are selected from each school, and they must commit to five weekly two-hour rehearsals, plus two full days of preparation at DPAC before show time…
The Justice Theater Project's Performance of Mark St. Germain's Best of Enemies Is Transformative
As a young, Afro-Latina woman, Yamila Monge said that she wants the production to demonstrate appreciation for the difficult trailblazing of the previous generation and their glowing, though generally not well-known, examples of the healing transformation that can occur when even the most heated adversaries agree to work together and listen to one another…
Come From Away at DPAC Tells the True Story of the Stranding of 7000 Airline Passengers in Gander, Newfoundland, After 9/11
I was a little wary about seeing the Durham Performing Arts Center's presentation of Come from Away, playing through Sunday, Jan. 22nd, as part of WRAL Greatest Hits of Broadway at DPAC. This 2013 Sheridan College Canadian Music Theatre Project, 2017 Broadway, and 2019 West End musical, written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, is based on the emergency landing of 38 airplanes (with 7,000 total passengers) in the Newfoundland town of Gander (population: 11,880) after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Zalman Raffael's Elegant Reinterpretation of The Nutcracker Sparkles
Not feeling that Christmas Spirit as much this year as in the past? Going to see the Carolina Ballet artistic director Zalman Raffael's reinterpretation of The Nutcracker, inspired by the Raleigh, NC-based ballet's previous productions by George Balanchine and Carolina Ballet's founding artistic director Robert Weiss, will change that. Last night, I saw The Nutcracker at the Durham Performing Arts Center, with my 12-year-old son, who had never seen the holiday staple and -- except for the melody of The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (which I couldn't stop humming since we got the tickets) -- knew very little about it…