Lynn Nottage’s 50s Memory Play Offers Inspiration in Hard Times by Philippa Kelly, Resident Dramaturg, California Shakespeare Theater In 1951, segregation was a social poison: What can two smart African American sisters expect from life in the U.S.? Marriage? A job in the bakery, or as a domestic? Or freedom to think, work and…
Bechdel, Kron, Tesori Chart Musical Trail to Queer Identity by Bailey Huston, Umut Yalcinkaya, and Philippa Kelly Under William Thomas Hodgson’s subtle and beautiful direction, “Fun Home” shines with fresh feeling. The acting, singing and music captivate us, as father and daughter unfold their adventures of sexual self-discovery. Spinning through Alison’s coming out as…
William Hodgson Shines in Unique List of Life’s Delights by Philippa Kelly Cardboard boxes are stacked against the wall, sporting post-it notes, a life in storage. There’s a large rug, and four boxes that designer Karla Hargrave has built into an ingenious podium. Solo performer William Thomas Hodgson watches us, waiting to begin Duncan…
Jon Tracy Celebrates Lady Zen’s Magical Memories by Philippa Kelly The central Mexican city of Guanajuato has a strange history of unearthing the dead. It’s home to a “mummy museum” that houses bodies interred during a cholera outbreak in 1833. When a burial tax was imposed in around 1900, those who couldn’t afford to pay…