A Streetcar Named Desire

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:40:10 +0000

By Desmond Sam, 11th Grade & Olivia Munk, 12th Grade
LaGuardia High School

As the temperature rises in New Orleans during the sweltering summer of 1952, Blanche DuBois’ arrival does little to end the heat. Tennessee Williams’ classic play, A Streetcar Named Desire, chronicles the tensions between the DuBois sisters, Blanche and Stella, after Blanche moves in with her younger sister Stella and Stella’s husband Stanley.The play thrives on the theme about the border line between love and lust. Stanley is a man who has boyish tendencies and can only respond with violence. He’s responsible for taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster that goes out of control. There’s a constant battle between love and lust. Throughout the play you see Stella reaping the benefits of love in all its glory and Blanche uses class as a façade to hide the fact that the only thing she wants is love. The question that hovers over the show is - is worth all the consequences.

A Streetcar Named Desire is a whirlwind of intensity and pure drama that keeps you at the edge of your seat.

TICKETS: $29.50 student rush • Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St. website

Did you see Peter?

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:15:34 +0000

Were you in the audience today at Peter and the Starcatcher? What did you think of it? Tell us in the comments!

Jesus Christ Superstar

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:25:31 +0000

By Katherine Leung
11th Grade, Millenium High School

Jesus Christ Superstar is an amazing musical about the story of Jesus and his betrayal by Judas Iscariot right before his death.

Jesus Christ Superstar has a beautiful blend of the present and the past. 33 AD is a time period when I pictured dull clothing, but the costumes in this musical are full of color. Although the clothing seems modern, it does not affect the believability of the time period.
My favorite part of the show was the last song performed by Judas (Josh Young) that wraps up the story. The upbeat song praises the great things that Jesus has done for the people and describes him as a superstar. Considering the fact that Judas is the antagonist of the story, his song about Jesus makes the performance even more intriguing.

This show is a must-see – get your tickets now!

TICKETS: $27 student rush • Neil Simon Theatre, 250 W. 52nd St. website

Making some changes

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:34:31 +0000

We’re trying out some different design and layout ideas over the next few weeks…don’t be surprised if you see something new each time you visit this site.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK of the changes! Right here in the comments or by emailing juliar@tdf.org .

PXP interviews teen playwright about upcoming 9/11 piece

sabrina — Sat, 05 May 2012 18:00:46 +0000

By Liz Oakley
12th Grade, Brearley High School

This spring, my friend Helen Handelman is working on an interesting new “testimonial” play. A graduating senior at Manhattan’s The Brearley School, find out what she has to say about creating new theater as a high schooler!

LO: What is testimonial theater?

HH: Testimonial or documentary theater is a kind of theater that uses transcripts of interviews with real people or testimonies to form a narrative of sorts to convey important ideas about a historical event.

LO: Tell me about the play you’re working on.

HH: I’m working to create a theatrical piece from interviews with teachers and students in my school community about September 11th and the tenth anniversary of 9/11 this past September.

LO: What inspired you to do this project?

HH: Well, last May I co-directed a staged reading of The Laramie Project with my close friend, Liz Oakley (you!) and Laramie is a testimonial play about the effects of the murder of Matthew Shepherd on the town of Laramie, Wyoming. Working on this staged reading sparked my passion for testimonial theater and for communicating truth through theater. Having grown up in NYC, I have always been troubled and confused about 9/11. It was on my mind a lot this past fall when the anniversary rolled around, and I realized that I wanted to try to understand it in some way.

LO: What are your goals for the piece?

HH: I’m hoping to have at least 10 or 15 interviews […]. I will then present excerpts of the material I’ve gathered in the form of a one-woman show—this part of the project is inspired by actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith—transforming into each interviewee as they each answered my questions.

LO: What have been some challenges and surprises so far?

HH: I knew that transcribing was going to take a long time, but I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to listen to and record basically each breath taken and each vocal change (in terms of pitch and volume). I feel like I have learned a lot about 9/11 and about the city just from the 7 interviews I’ve done so far. I’ve been lucky in that each person I’ve talked to has been honest and clear with me about her ideas, and each person’s willingness to share their stories and thoughts with me has only increased my drive to work on this project.

Spring Awakening

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:00:29 +0000

Sofie Somoroff
10th Grade, Bronx Science High School

Spring Awakening. A tragic musical portraying the darker side of our teenage years finally performed by teenagers! So what if the show displays sexuality, death, depression and a whole lot of cursing? The Beacon School didn’t seem to think it an issue when they decided to put on this high school production, and as a high school production it was all the more powerful.
Seeing this performance was a whole lot more than watching a show. I was seeing real people deal with things that we, as teenagers, already deal with on a day to day basis. There’s nothing more powerful than seeing incredibly talented teens confront issues that are not easy for anyone to confront, especially in a mind-blowing performance. If you want to see something real, to experience truth in theatre, see Spring Awakening at the Beacon School.

TICKETS: All remaining performances are sold out, but are you lucky enough to have tickets? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Porgy & Bess

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:25:11 +0000

#heart-wrenching #hopeful #timeless #classic #family #love

Liz Oakley, 11th Grade, Brearley School
Desmond Sam, 11th Grade, LaGuardia High School
Sofie Somoroff, 10th Grade, Bronx Science High School

Desmond: It’s a hot, blistering day in the 1920’s for an African American community in South Carolina. A group of men arrive back from working in the fields (to gamble) and the women are finishing their evening chores. A young woman belts out “Summertime”, a classic about enjoying life and all the precious gifts it offers.

Sofie: Porgy and Bess is a story of two people who find love in a time of economic uncertainty, sorrow and despair on Catfish Row. Porgy, a disabled man, meets Bess, an addict and a prostitute, and welcomes her into his world.

Desmond: Throughout the show, you see the unity of the people; this community is actually a small family.

Liz:Porgy and Bess addresses many universal experiences, such as loss, addiction, perseverance, and standing up for others in need.

Sofie: These issues teach an important lesson: No matter where we are and what issues we’re facing, if we have someone to face them with us, we can manage.

Desmond: Religion is also an important part of the show. Many musical numbers include a vibe of spirituality and involve the whole ensemble, highlighting the importance of family and unity.

Liz: Porgy and Bess is an American classic, but the way in which it’s being revived is relevant today. The show’s creative team approached the opera with a critical eye, and adapted it to make it more accessible to today’s audiences: they shortened the show, clarified plot lines, and reworked the score to fit a smaller ensemble than usual.

Sofie: Lets face it, the lives of teenagers are complicated, and it’s almost always a challenge to sort out our priorities. In the story of Porgy and Bess these two characters have so many obstacles and responsibilities. Still, they find each other and discover what is truly important.

Desmond: Porgy and Bess is a musical that will forever stay in your mind and heart.

Is Porgy and Bess a love story?

TICKETS: $37 student rush tickets (cash only) starting 5pm • Richard Rogers Theatre, 226 W. 46th St. website

Venus in Fur

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:31:05 +0000

#psychology #fantasy #desire #control #greekmythology #sex #awesomeboots #mindgames

Thalia Garcia, Chione Jones & Destiny Torres
12th Grade, Young Women’s Leadership School

Venus in Fur is Greek mythology on steroids. Sensuality and psychology are merely play toys for Thomas, a writer and director, and Vanda, an aspiring actress (or is she?). Vanda runs into an audition very late. Thomas is not initially impressed, but she slowly begins to blow his mind and become everything he ever wanted.

Read an exclusive interview with Nina Arianda,
the young actress who plays Vanda, here!

TICKETS: $27 student rush tickets with student ID • Lyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45th St. website

The Morini Strad

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:47:53 +0000

By Sarah Taylor
10th Grade, Bronx Science High School

The The Morini Strad tells a surprisingly heartfelt story about an elderly woman, named Erica Morini, who used to be an extremely famous and talented violinist. Erica, whose famous and priceless Stradivarius violin is damaged, enlists the help of a striving violin maker/repairer. They go through trials and confrontations as he fixes and eventually helps her to sell the Stradivarius, but an unlikely friendship is formed. Throughout the play, Erica gives detailed recollections of her various performances and her encounters with established musicians. A young girl, meant to be a representation of Erica, plays along to the memories of performances on the violin. The characters also give soliloquies here and there, each brimming with lines of advice and life lessons that stick in your mind as you exit the theater.

The Morini Strad stays humorous in a sophisticated way, with an occasional pun or joke. The scene changes are interesting with the teenage violinist playing beautifully enchanting, flawless compositions, and projections of video and movies of New York. The mirage and clamor of a subway and the subtle calm of Fifth Avenue surround the theater and envelope the audience.

The Morini Strad might not be interesting for some high school students, but it would definitely appeal to those with a musical background, or those interested in music other than Katy Perry.

TICKETS: $20 student tickets • 59 E. 59^th St. website

Carrie

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:23:01 +0000

Larissa Heron, 10th Grade, School of the Future
Erin Krebs, 10th Grade, Mary Louis Academy Katherine Leung
11th Grade, Millenium High School
Gemma Lolos, 12th Grade, LaGuardia High School

KATHERINE: Carrie is about a shy teenage girl who wants to be accepted by her peers.

ERIN: Carrie’s classmates are completely unaware of her fiery powers that leave a path of destruction.

GEMMA: Carrie just wants to have a voice and to be treated as a normal person instead of being ostracized.

LARISSA: Carrie is an energetic, captivating show. The musical is set in a small town high school where there are the cool kids…and Carrie, the outsider. She wears an ankle-length skirt and cardigan, and drops to her knees to pray in front of her peers.

GEMMA: When Carrie gets invited to the prom, it appears as if matters are finally looking up. However, things take a turn for the worse when the bullying goes too far and a disastrous chain of events is set into motion.
LARISSA: Although parts of the show are heartbreaking, others are more upbeat and the show closes with a thrilling (and very disturbing) end.

ERIN: Carrie explores the very intense relationship between Carrie and her extremely religious mother. Their relationship, although loving, is a codependent, tumultuous one. Carrie just wants to be informed about puberty, boys, and how to deal with bullies so that she can fit in with her peers. Instead, Carrie is forced to pray and remain isolated. Carrie’s skill of telekinesis also drives a wedge between them.
GEMMA: Carrie incorporates the usual teenage stereotypes such as the concepts of the popular kids and the outsiders. Carrie authentically uses technology in a way that teenagers actually do – high school students are constantly on their phones. In addition, all the students fussed over their prom, which they expected to be “a night [they’d] never forget.” They saved up money to buy dresses and some girls fasted in order to fit into their outfits. As a high school student, I found it all very realistic. Especially the issues surrounding bullying.

KATHERINE: In some ways, Carrie’s situation may appear to be an unrealistic portrayal of bullying due to her supernatural abilities. However, though we may not have the same powers that Carrie has, we all react in a similar way to anger and despair. In the musical, Carrie is bullied physically and verbally by her peers. Bullying causes the victim to deal with stress, self-esteem issues, and even depression. What we can learn from Carrie is that we’re not always right and neither are our friends. Don’t be afraid of speaking out on what is wrong. Treat people with the same respect that you’d like to receive. Life may just be more rewarding.

TICKETS: $20 student rush tickets with a valid student ID at the theatre box office – Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. website