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Dreams Deferred

Zach Armstrong | February 20, 2020

Topics: August Wilson, Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Fences, Jamar Jones, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, The Conciliation Project, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Virginia Repertory Theatre

In Virginia Rep’s current presentation of August Wilson’s Fences, director Tawnya Pettiford-Wates shows the heart of a black family’s struggle to keep the lingering effects of racism from pulling them apart.

From one of the largest performing arts organizations in Central Virginia comes a story of legacy, family, responsibility, honor, duty, and love. This month, Virginia Repertory Theatre presents famous playwright August Wilson’s Fences.

This play, originally presented in 1985, tells the story of Troy Maxson, a sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh whose skin color denied his dream of playing baseball in the majors. Years later, his relationship with his son turns bitter when his son wants his own chance to play ball. Troy attempts to get a better position as a truck driver and shows love to his wife, but also looks down with resentment toward his two sons. Over the course of the play, the audience sees that Troy’s insecurities wall off his emotions and diminished dreams, like a fence surrounds a piece of property. 

Directing Fences for Virginia Rep is Tawyna Pettiford-Wates; Pettiford-Wates is a playwright, director, actor, poet, and writer, in addition to being an associate professor at VCU. She was thrilled at the opportunity to direct the production, in order to bring a nuanced female perspective to it.

“When I first encountered Fences years ago, I felt that the female character was not very present in the story,” said Pettiford-Wates. “That is certainly not the case in this production.” 

Pettiford-Wates has had a prolific life in entertainment and theater production. In 2001, she founded the non-profit social justice arts organization The Conciliation Project, which tries to undo racism through performances that show how systems are tied to the nation’s racist beginnings. She brings this insightful perspective to her take on Fences.

“I want the audience to experience the story as if they are witnesses to it,” said Pettiford-Wates. “I want them to be inside the story as we explore a family’s struggle with the everyday obstacles and challenges of life, love, and family.”

Pettiford-Wates has another big reason to be excited about directing this play — for her, directing all ten plays of August Wilson’s Century Cycle, of which Fences is one, is part of her creative “bucket list.”

“Each and every August Wilson play is not only a history lesson, it is also the full embrace of the rich cultural and artistic continuum of African American people,” said Pettiford-Wates. “Wilson’s words are like jazz on stage; he is one of American theatre’s best storytellers.”

The cast features an array of talent making their Virginia Repertory Theatre debut, including James Craven as Troy Maxson and Lisa Strum as Rose Maxson.

28-year-old actor Jamar Jones, a Richmond native, takes on the role of Cory, a high school football star with professional league ambitions. In Fences, Cory develops a complicated relationship with his father, whose own athletic dreams were crushed. 

“Many of us can relate to challenging family dynamics and the desire to fulfill long-standing childhood dreams,” said Jones. 

In preparation for the role, Jones received coaching to swing a baseball bat, watched wood sawing tutorials, watched footage of old football games, and explored his vocal range in order to embody both a high school youth and a man with life experiences.

“Cory was one of the first characters that I was introduced to when I began to take theatre seriously in high school,” said Jones. “I’ve performed monologues as this character for years. So to finally be able to do this play is truly a gift.”

Virginia Rep, located at 114 W Broad St, will be showing the production ten more times through Sunday, March 1. Ticket prices range from $30 to $54, and they can be purchased on Virginia Rep’s website.

Photos by Jason Collins, via Virginia Repertory Theatre/Facebook

Ease On Down To See The Wiz

Christopher McDaniel | June 24, 2019

Topics: Kikau Alvaro, November Theatre, The Wiz, VA Rep, Virginia Repertory Theatre

This summer, Virginia Rep presents an original production of The Wiz, the African-American musical reimagining of fantasy classic The Wizard Of Oz.

The latest and final production of Virginia Repertory Theatre’s 2018-2019 Signature Season is The Wiz. This fantastical modern retelling of The Wizard of Oz hits the November Theatre with aplomb. For those unfamiliar, The Wiz features an all-black cast of actors, singers, and dancers, containing heavy Motown motifs and featuring some local Richmond talent.

Associate Artistic Director of Virginia Rep, Kikau Alvaro, directed and choreographed the production with a hand-picked cast of professionals spanning multiple states. The production is structured around big musical numbers, but those expecting “Over The Rainbow” or “If I Only Had A Brain” will get something quite different from The Wiz.

“The Wiz has its own original songs,” Alvaro said, explaining the differences between the two productions. “Whereas the The Wizard of Oz is a movie musical, The Wiz is a musical production.”

When the production first hit Broadway in 1974, it won seven Tony awards the following year, including Best Musical. However, The Wiz is most commonly known for the 1978 film featuring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Richard Pryor. More recently, the musical was restaged for a 2015 NBC special, The Wiz Live!, which featured performances by Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier, and Queen Latifah, among others.

In the hands of Virginia Rep, a professional theatre company dedicated to the development and production of new plays, The Wiz is an important artistic production in today’s age. In particular, Alvaro thinks the importance of having an all-African American cast is immeasurable in Richmond today.

“A cast member will bring their small child to rehearsal sometimes, and you can see it her face,” he said. “It’s about having positive images and role models.”

Dancers from local ballet companies have been contracted to perform in The Wiz. Ira White from Richmond Ballet and Rachel Seeholzer from Stavna Ballet will premiere alongside professionals flown in from out-of-state. With the November Theatre’s location just outside Jackson Ward, even the lineage of the theatre itself has important resonance for this production. It’s not to be missed.

The Wiz runs until August 4 at VA Rep’s November Theatre, located downtown at 114 W. Broad St. Tickets start at $36 and can be purchased at VA Rep’s website.

West Side Story is a Triple Threat

Jo Rozycki | June 29, 2018

Topics: Virginia Repertory Theatre, West Side Story

Virginia Rep brought to life the memorable work of Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins in the classic production of West Side Story. Direction by Nathaniel Shaw perfectly intertwined the many moving parts and production elements vital to a production like this. Shaw captured the energy, drive, and conflict.

This is truly a triple threat show. The acting must be convincing, humorous, and tragic. The singing has to be textbook. And the dancing…you’ll wish you knew how to move like that. Shaw had a talented cast to provide the acting chops. Musical direction by Anthony Smith came in the form of ascending melodies, tight harmonies, and an orchestra that sounded out of this world. Choreography by Matthew Couvillon would have made original choreographer Jerome Robbins proud. It is safe to say nearly every single performer onstage was firm in their talent and poise.

With her lithe and whimsical charm, Brittany Santos gave her character of Maria a three-dimensional personality rather than a flat affect. Her subtle movements were purposeful yet communicative. Both her highs and lows were appropriate, convincing, and tore your heart apart both in the best and worst ways. Her voice soared through the theatre in a beautiful soprano, exemplifying her craft and expertise. Opposite Santos, Justin Luciano was a tall and forthright Tony. Rather than youthful and naive, Luciano embodied Tony as a young man of equal parts maturity and restlessness. Luciano’s timbre was unique when singing solo, but mixed surprisingly well with Santos’s bright tone.

Photo by Aaron Sutten

The role of Maria’s brother Bernardo, played by Eddie Maldonado, was full of machismo, sex appeal, and power. His anger was red-hot, and his dance moves were controlled and purposeful. As Bernardo’s love interest and best friend to Maria, Maria Cristina Slye as Anita wowed the audience with her comedy and choreographic expertise.

It was a joy to watch Slye move onstage. She was a convincing actress, too. One could truly feel the pain and heartbreak Anita felt during so many instances throughout the show. Finally, Corey Mosello dripped with coolness as Riff, Tony’s best friend from “womb to tomb.” As leader of the Jets, he flew over the stage with his dancing and embodied the swagger of a leader of a young group of men making their way on the streets.

The talent of the leads were exceptional, but a powerhouse ensemble completely wraps up the show in a nice, tight bow. Noteworthy talent of their skills in dancing, singing, and acting included Paul Dandridge as A-Rab, Giovanni Da Silva as Pepe, Savannah George as Teresita, and Grant Taylor as Big Deal.

Photo by Aaron Sutten

Scott Bradley designed a brilliant set for the stage of the November Theatre. Eye-catching skyscrapers, chain link fences, and support poles allowed for the actors to dance, swing, and leap around the space. In order to save on fly space, Bradley would use panels of walls or curtains as entrances in order to create new settings, forcing the actors to continue acting even when they’ve “left the room,” thus allowing the audience to “see through the walls” whilst the action is going on centerstage.

Mixed with BJ Wilkinson’s phenomenal lights, the visual components of West Side Story came together harmoniously. Wilkinson’s use of color, texture, and spotlights were expert. Rounding off the design team, Sarah Grady’s costumes delineated the Jets versus the Sharks through color and style. Costumes were appropriate for the time period, functional, and truly spectacular to look at.

It is understandable that years of training, time, and work goes into getting a cast of this caliber. The story itself, however, surrounds youth of New York, on the cusp of real adulthood. While the talent was evident, it was difficult to not acknowledge the fact that the bulk of the cast looked just a little too mature for the characters. Save for this one critique, it is without saying that the rest of the boxes were checked for this production.

Photo by Aaron Sutten

There is a strange sensation that comes over you when you sit in the audience of a show, a show that has been performed on stages across the world for decades, and yet still packs the same punch today as it did when it first opened onstage. West Side Story is no exception to that. The division between the New York Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks forces one to think about the other divisions made toward immigrant groups that arrive in the United States. Time and time again, the Sharks inform the Jets that all they want is simply to live in the country that they came to.

A painful reminder comes when the Sharks remind the audience that “Nobody knows in America/Puerto Rico’s in America,” commenting on the fact that still to this day, Americans seem to forget about the island that holds American citizens. Finally, there is a surprising amount of police brutality toward the Sharks that goes on in West Side Story. Lieutenant Schrank blatantly tells the Jets to finish off the Sharks, otherwise he’ll do so himself. It slaps one in the face, reminding anyone of the brutality that goes on in the country to this day.

With energy and passion vibrating throughout the entire theatre, West Side Story can provide a memorable evening of theatre for anyone. An American classic, it could win over even the most reluctant of audiences. The talent is evident. The music is memorable. The dancing…don’t miss out.

Get your tickets for West Side Story here– they’re going fast. West Side Story runs through July 29.

‘West Side Story’ Blends a Classic Love Story with Current Political Turmoil

Jo Rozycki | June 22, 2018

Topics: Stephen Sondheim, Virginia Repertory Theatre, West Side Story

Combining the classic tale of star-crossed lovers separated by tradition and conflict and racial tensions between two groups on the streets of a city, West Side Story hits the stage at Virginia Rep at a time when the world seems rife with conflicting group interest, resulting in violence and disagreement.

Directed by Nathaniel Shaw, Artistic Director of Virginia Rep, the musical is a classic right out of the tail end of the Golden Era of theatre from the early to mid 20th century. “Directing West Side Story is an honor,” Shaw said. “There are few projects in my mind that are either on the same plane of excellence as West Side Story.”

West Side Story transcends time by taking factors of Romeo and Juliet and adding a racial component, pitting Puerto Ricans against white New Yorkers. Maria, of the Puerto Rican Sharks, falls in love with Tony, a white Jet. Their love is separated by the long-standing feud between the Sharks and the Jets. But, as fate would have it, nothing can keep two lovers apart, not even a racial feud that results in violence in the alleys of New York City. This last point is what makes West Side Story a timeless tale, since the United States knows racial violence all too well, especially in light of the surge in presence of white supremacists.

Photo by Jason Collins

The Spanish-flavored number “America” receives new meaning in the current political climate, especially as it pertains to immigration. The Shark Girls argue over the homeland of Puerto Rico and their new home in America, both in defense and in criticism. No cultural, social, or political topic is safe from criticism in this song, including the blatant recognition of the fact Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, even when many fail to acknowledge it. Perhaps the most bitter-tasting pill within the lyrics of this number is, “Life is all right in America/If you’re all white in America,” commenting on the racial component that impacts one’s success as an immigrant and citizen within the nation.

“Immigration right now, particularly Hispanic and Latino immigration, is as hot as it’s ever been,” said Shaw. He acknowledged the crisis in the detention centers holding immigrant children, and how that has fueled the passion, creativity, and dynamics within the show. “I think [that] has reconfirmed America’s very complex history of immigration and immigration particularly of non-white populations,” he said.

On a less political note, the musical aspect of this show also makes it timeless. As Stephen Sondheim’s first taste of lyrical success, West Side Story offers memorable ballads, duets, and group numbers, including “Tonight,” “Maria,” and “Gee, Officer Krupke.” With lyrics by Sondheim and music by the incomparable Leonard Bernstein, it is without saying that West Side Story will leave you humming once the curtain falls.

Photo by Friedman-Abeles/New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

The choreography by Matthew Couvillon honors the late Jerome Robbins’s original choreography, but brings it to a new level. With musical direction by Anthony Smith leading the orchestra to sound its best, West Side Story is a classic slice of the American musical that should not be missed by anyone.

The gangs ooze coolness. The young romance is saccharine but all-too-familiar. But most importantly, the relevance West Side Story possesses greater importance now more than ever. The beauty of theatre partially resides in its political commentary. Not only is there value in the form of singing, dancing, and production, but this classic musical takes a new meaning as the news is rife with immigration legislation, violence, and young lives taken too early.

West Side Story opens Friday, June 22, at the November Theatre, and runs through July 29. Tickets are already selling fast, so get yours here.

VA Rep’s Performance of ‘Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End’ Exemplifies Humor & Trials and Tribulations of the Housewife

Jo Rozycki | March 5, 2018

Topics: Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End, Hanover Tavern, RVA Theatre, Virginia Repertory Theatre

The difficulty of putting on a one-woman show is truly underappreciated. Adding in the portrayal of a recognized and widely-adored figure adds another level of difficulty. But Catherine Shaffner does a truly admirable and memorable job at bringing Erma Bombeck back to life on the stage of Hanover Tavern in Virginia Rep’s production Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End, which opened this past weekend.

Many would recognize the household name of Erma Bombeck. A revolutionary in her time, Bombeck’s middle-brow humor was translated through her weekly newspaper columns on suburban life nationwide. Her impact on women, specifically housewives, of the 1960s, struck a chord with many due to her humorous yet relatable tales of motherhood, wifely duties, and suburbia nightmares. Her relatability was highlighted through her portrayal of being a housewife as a role being rife with headaches, yet equally full of memorable, heart-warming opportunities.

Photos by Virginia Rep

In addition to her smashing success as a humor columnist and author, her activism in the 1960s, the height of the second wave feminist movement, is often forgotten, especially her role in the promotion of the Equal Rights Amendment. But perhaps her most significant contribution to the world was how she changed the way women were seen as comediennes. On the heels of Lucille Ball and before the time of Mary Tyler Moore, Bombeck evolved female humor from slapstick, dopey know-nothings to rib-aching, real humor.

The beauty of this show can be found by Shaffner’s portrayal of the much-loved columnist. Her delivery of punchlines, tear-jerking memories, and reflective narratives could bring any audience back to the 1960s. Shaffner takes the audience on a journey through the 1960s, the peak of Bombeck’s career and lifetime, speaking in the past tense all the while acting out in the present and directly addressing the audience (even telling her physically-absent husband that she has “company” over). The most striking feature about Shaffner’s performance is her ability to move through the space as a lone actor while conjuring images and sounds and shapes of the people- her children and husband and friends- as if they were really there (also with the help of sound effects by Derek Dumais). It is through this astonishing strength as an actor that Shaffner is able to exemplify her humor.

The structure of the play itself goes through her career chronologically, while making commentary on the cultural and societal factors that shaped the lives of housewives across the nation. Shaffner takes a moment to comment on the popular magazines of the time, such as Good Housekeeping, that tries to sell the role of housewife as a fun and carefree lifestyle. But Bombeck’s witty analysis of the grinning model on the cover of the magazine says otherwise. It is evident that Bombeck truly does love her life, her kids, her family; but even Shaffner portrayed the exhaustion that was behind Bombeck’s eyes, probably for every housewife, in fact.

It is worth noting, however, that Shaffner is carrying this whole show on her shoulders. Due to inclement weather, the opening performance was canceled, so the attendance on the evening of the review was her first opportunity in front of a full, live audience. There were a couple of moments where Shaffner silently scrambled for her next line, causing her to trip up on her words. But, it is important to keep in mind that it was her first full performance in front of an audience, and it is extraordinarily difficult to remember what is basically an hour-long monologue without time offstage.

Although Shaffner is alone onstage, her performance is supplemented by the timely patterns and shapes of the 1960s and early-1970s set design by Terrie Powers. The blues and yellows of BJ Wilkinson’s lighting design gave the warmth but momentary melancholy that was a part of Bombeck’s life. The direction by John Moon wrapped it all together; the power and skill of Shaffner with the artistic direction by Moon tied this smart performance together into a beautiful package.

It is worth the trip out to Hanover to see this powerhouse performance. Shaffner is a talent that truly must be recognized and applauded, especially under the circumstances of a one-woman show. Performances of Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End have already been extended through April 15, but tickets are going quickly. Ticket information can be found online here.

Top Photo By: Catherine Shaffer

City to unveil Maggie Walker monument this Saturday

Jo Rozycki | July 12, 2017

Topics: Antonio Tobias "Toby" Mendez, Bistro 27, Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, Jackson Ward, Levar Stoney, Maggie L. Walker, Max's on Broad, National Park Service, Public Arts Comission, RVA ARt, RVA Trolley, Studio Two Three, The Valentine, Untold RVA, Venture Richmond, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Maggie L. Walker, the first female bank president of any race to charter a bank in the United States, is getting her long-deserved recognition with her very own statue in Richmond. An unveiling ceremony and celebration for the highly debated monument will occur on Walker’s 153rd birthday, Saturday, July 15, at 10 am, at the intersection of West Broad and Adams streets, the entrance of historic Jackson Ward.

Artist Antonio Tobias “Toby” Mendez, Mayor Levar Stoney, city officials, members of the Walker family, and more attend the ceremony. Walking tours of Jackson Ward by the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, led by Leadership Academy students, will begin at 11am from the statue, followed by a reception at the house.

Photo credit: National Park Service

After the unveiling, attendees are encouraged to make a day around the neighborhood. Free trolley rides will be provided by Venture Richmond from RVA Trolley from Leigh to Belvidere to Marshall to 10th for the event. Many local business are participating in the event, offering giveaways, discounts, and more.

Studio Two Three will have the S23 truck on site with giveaways. The Valentine will offer free admission to those who show an event program. The Black History Museum & Cultural Center will offer cookies and special Maggie L. Walker displays. Max’s on Broad will open early at 8am for the event. Bistro 27 will offer 10 percent off that day to those attending the event, and will be open for brunch starting at 10:30am and dinner at 5pm.

Attendees are also encouraged to stop by Virginia Repertory Theatre to learn about the Walker Theatre, the first purpose built cinema in the area and the first public tribute to Maggie L. Walker in 1936.

To learn more about Walker’s accomplishments, call the number listed on any of Untold RVA installations located between Adams and 2nd which will be up for the unveiling.

The unveiling ceremony and following activities will occur rain or shine. 

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