Project 4: Uncoventional Theatre

Jane Eyre
Gorrilla Theatre Company

"In the Gorilla Theatre production of Polly Teale’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s famous tale, plain Jane Eyre had an alter ego: the woman “Bertha,” locked in an attic cage but yearning to be allowed the free expression of all her capacities, female and human."
http://tampahappenings.creativeloafing.com/gbase/BestOf/BestOfAwards?Award=oid%3A287507


This production is an unconventional look at the classic novel Jane Eyre preformed by the Gorilla Theatre Company. The play is about the life of Jane's alter ego who lives in the attic and observes her story as it goes on. This website gives directions as well as upcoming events for the Gorilla Theatre.




The Sky Tumbles 2
UPT FORMA (Lithuanian Puppet Theatre)
Directed by Victorija Rudyte




















http://www.upt-forma.org/?menu=1&ln=en


This is the website link to a Lithuanian puppet theatre company. The specific show that is linked, The Sky Tumbles 2, the website gives us a complete plot breakdown as well as a couple of still shots of one of the performances. We also have a list of puppeteers, director, opening day, and where it was performed listed.





Crimes
International Student Network (ISN-R Theatre Group)


"Crimes dwells on the idea of Reality as a human construct, on the plurality of meanings that may bloom from the very same phenomenon: as many as individuals implied."
http://www.isn-rleiden.nl/theatre.html

The show Crimes which is performed by the Internation Student Network takes a short scene where a murder has takn place and replays it. The concept that makes this performance uncoventional is that everytime the scene replays, instead of moving the actors, the show moves the audience giving them different point of views for each experience. This website has an email contact as well as a section on recent workshopping.






The Dream House
The Independent Eye Theatre
Directed by Conrad Bishop and music by Elizabeth Fuller















http://www.independenteye.org/plays/dreamhouse.html


The Independent Eye Theatre is a theatre that specializes in obscure works. In this particular performance named Dreamhouse, the play is done completely with clowns. This website gives us a director and a writer as well a section that covers reviews. This website also gives a link where we can view the whole script or a video of the show.






Shun-kin
Complicite
Directed by Simon McBurney














http://www.complicite.org/productions/detail.html?id=44


Shun-kin, performed by the Complicite Theatre Company, is unconventional in that it delves completely into the Japanese culture, which most non-japanese people have little exposure to. This webpage gives us a listing for the director, composer, set designer, light, sound, projection, costume, puppetry, assistant director, and script editor. This website also gives us a link to reviews as well as a link to the awards that the production had won. This website also gives us when and where the show first started touring.

Project 3: Too Hot to Handle Part 2

Raided or Closed-
Pleasure Man
March 1930


"A hung jury caused the judge to dismiss obscenity charges against Mae West's Pleasure Man."
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/bway101/5.html

This article covers a few different theatres that were closed during the depression period. This article also covers the closing of Mae West's Pleasure Man and the trial that thus followed. This article discusses the closing of theatres due to the motion picture business as well.


Arrested-
Alton Fitzgerald White
as Coalhouse Walker Jr.
Ragtime
Sun. July 18th, 1999

"A day after Alton Fitzgerald White was arrested, strip-searched and then released when the police acknowledged they had erred, the actor, who plays a leading role in the Broadway musical ''Ragtime,'' said it seemed as if life had imitated art."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E3DD103FF93BA25754C0A96F958260&sec=&spon


This article covers the racial profiling of a man playing Coalhouse Walker Jr. in a production of Ragtime. The irony in this is Ragtime is a play about racial profiling in the turn of the century. There are many quotes from Mr. White directly.



NEA4-

Karren Finley, John Fleck, Holly Hughes, and Tim Miller

"They filed suit, alleging, among other things, that a provision of the NEA's governing statute identifying the standard for approval of funding applications violated the Fifth and First Amendments because it was impermissibly vague and imposed content-based restrictions on protected speech."
http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F3/100/671/475772/

This is a complete case study of the suite file by Karren Finley, John Fleck, Holly Hughes, and Tim Miller. It stated that the NEA was violating the first and fifth amendment rights of the four. It was basically an attack on the censorship of material.



Highschool Theatre
Rent
Rowlett High School
Dallas, TX

""If everyone on Earth were homosexual, there would be no more life. Just death," April Huddleston, a resident of Rowlett, said at the meeting."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/rockwallrowlett/stories/DN-rent_06met.ART.State.Edition1.4a779e4.html

This article covers the controversy over the production of the popular 90's broadway hit Rent. In this article we can conclude that there was a very negative reaction from the public when it was announced. Many were worried about the content matter in reference to the age group.

Project 3: Too Hot to Handle Part 1

NYC Today-

"Adults Only" showing of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

10/02/2005

New York, NY

https://cas.shsu.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=3b1d0ef16b184223a032b0aa57237772&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.broadway.com%2fHow-Do-You-Spell-R-I-S-Q-U-E-Spelling-Bee-to-Perform-Adults-Only-Show-102%2fbroadway_news%2f517519

This hillarious hit comedy apparently has a darker, if not more adult themed, side that the cast and director wanted us to see. On the night of October 2nd 2005, such a production was held on Broadway. In this article we get a direct quote from Jay Reiss who played vice principle Douglas Panch in which he tells us that he had come up with a bit of raunchy material in rehearsals and that we might get to see some of it in this particular production. The article also gives us a summary of the plot as well as a list of featured cast members. No specific time is given other than Sunday evening.

Naked Broadway:

Hair
Opened April 29th, 1968

Closed July 1st, 1972

Biltmore Theatre

http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3393

This is the Internet Broadway Database's entry for the original broadway production of Hair. This article gives us an opening date, closing date, location, total number of performances and a complete cast and crew list. This does not give us a plot synopsis or a description of the nude scene that makes this peice fall into the naked broadway category.

Gay Broadway

Naked Boys Singing

http://www.q-notes.com/2008/09/06/sc-paper-says-no-way-to-so-gay-broadway/

This article is about the controversy over the casting of the risque play Naked Boys Singing. This article tells us facts such as the local news paper placing it in the B columns and referring to it as a male revue. We also get some dialogue from a phone conversation between the casting director and the news paper editor.

Racist Theatre-

Showboat

1927

http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Show_Boat_-_Racism_and_Controversy/id/5461986

This article tells us about the different problems that arose from Showboat's start in 1927 to present day. The article discusses the use of non-socially acceptable language as well risque subject matter. This article also approaches the idea of Showboat being the first integrated musical.