16 stories by "Cynthia Allen"
Laurence Holder's impressive bioplay celebrates the 125th anniversary of Zora Neale Hurston's birth and her phenomenal literary accomplishments. Zora once said: "The present was an egg laid…
Gordon created the role of Gertrude Stein with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe in mind. Blythe's monumental presence, thanks to a towering, charismatic, forceful voice, is meant to arrest and…
Benjamin Stuber's puppetry designs are a disappointment and should be more thoughtful and complementary to the play. Ghoulish puppets that are meant to disturb seem make-shift and thrown tog…
Visual artist and puppeteer Jessica Scott navigates through a satiric and fascinating new media "seascape" with a dysfunctional ship's crew, albeit all women. Scott's "Ship of Fools" uses ni…
In "The God Projekt," the "Divine He" repeatedly tries to make reparations for his past destructive deeds, but to no avail. God is wrestling with dementia and in a time loop. Yet, he is dete…
Sheppard recollected that in the Underground Railroad game his fifth grade classmates were designated to be either Union or Confederate soldiers. The Yankees (Union) tried to covertly run sl…
"Bears In Space" is a story-within-a- story. An interstellar archivist, who collects "every story in the universe," enjoys having his sons (Bertram, Darcy and Lady Susan Vernon) regularly ac…
Lott employs skillful puppetry, complementary video projections, innovative lighting and novel sound design to show the transitions between the present and make-believe. Five puppeteers (Rob…
"To Protect the Poets" shows how readily lines can be crossed when "street justice" is employed, instead of the judicial system. This first-rate, timely and intelligent play is a just repres…
"Alice in Black and White" is a play-within-a-play. Two parallel stories are told: one of Austen's life and relationship with Gertrude Tate, her companion for over 40 years; and one in the e…
A new media and sophisticated ticket booking system is brought into play even before the play begins. In order to buy tickets, a theatergoer has to give out his/her cell phone number for tex…
In this swashbuckling comedic play, 'Men on Boats" takes an innovative approach by casting ten women in the roles of the first "white" discovers of the Grand Canyon. However, this was not a …
Bartlett Sher complements Rogers by punctuating the play with visual puns that substantially add to the drama and importance of the enfolding events. A dinner party at Mona and Larsen's home…
Karen Carpenter singing her song, We Have Only Just Begun (to live), sitting on a stool in the afterlife takes the meaning of ill-fated to a whole new level. However, Karen Carpenter, Whitne…
"Phoenix Rising: Girls and the Secrets We Keep" takes place in two worlds: the New York CBGB punk scene of 1985, and a dark, Greek mythological other world of indeterminate time and place. I…
James Joyce most always put himself first, according to Jonathan Brielle, who wrote the book, music and lyrics for "Himself and Nora," (subtitled "The Greatest Love Story Never Told"), Minet…
