Josh Costello Revives Soldier-Poet for Our Time by Lynne Stevens I’ve always felt that an intelligent, witty man is much more attractive than one who is merely lucky to be handsome. I always liked the guy who was smart and funny. Appearance was secondary. For “Cyrano,” the classic tale of a beloved big-nosed hero,…
Joyful Raven’s High-Spirited One-Woman Show Fits the Moment by Kim Waldron Abortion rights are tangled up again. We’ve got access in California, and we’re lucky to have Medicaid to cover the cost. But in Tennessee and Texas abortion is banned even for rape and incest victims. It feels like I need a legal degree…
Jaclyn Backhaus Ridicules Male Heroes—Bring on the Gals! by Lynne Stevens Sarah Bernhardt did it playing Hamlet. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon did it to infiltrate an all-woman band in Some Like It Hot. Shakespeare’s pals played the roles of women in his plays. It’s called Cross-dressing. It’s also called acting. Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus…
Beth Wilmurt Revives Prophetic Musical Genius by Robert M. Gardner Song stylist and virtuoso keyboard artist Beth Wilmurt inhabits the skin of 60s folk icon Malvina Reynolds. She treats Reynolds with a sense of awe, but also exposes Reynolds’ conflicts. As Reynolds, Wilmurt appears alone in a recording booth struggling with rhythm and tempo. …