Syracuse Stage: Opening Night
We’ve heard great reviews and word-of-mouth praise for “The Whipping Man.” The play was directed by Timothy Bond and written by Matthew Lopez. Here’s an interview Bond did with Kenny Dees last week.
Following Friday night’s performance Lemon Elefant, everyone’s favorite go to band for the Connective Corridor, played a gig in the Syracuse Stage lobby.
Thanks to The Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company (PRPAC) for choosing one of our photos for their most recent production. The PRPAC is producing “Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This” with Omanii Abdullah at Jazz Central. We saw a similar production when it was staged at CFAC. The shows were directed by Ryan Johnson-Travis.
A Shout in Salty Water is a one man/one act play that serves up some answers to single fatherhood. But it also raises some questions as well.
The name of the play, which was conceived and performed by Ryan Johnson-Travis (directed by Joseph Trevino), was derived in part by the definition of Salina (as in Salina Street…think Landmark Theater, Rite Aid and the old Centro hub). Salina is defined as a salt pit or salt marsh. Many of the brothers portrayed in the show seem trapped in what seems like pockets of despair and closets of hopelessness.
Are the men dead-beats or just dead broke? Why are some voluntarily absent from their children? Why do they feel their pie in the sky has been reduced to crumbs?
These are some of the serious issues Johnson-Travis tackles on stage (and in the question and answer session). The performance takes you on an emotional roller coaster.
Maybe the most creative parts of the play are the actor/director vignettes (are they real or imagined) and the hilarious re-enactment of a dialogue with a Syracuse Post Standard reporter. But this is not about fun and games, which is evident when on opening night, Johnson-Travis fights through tears to sing about a slain 6-month old.
This complex experience is like being inside the head of a single father, yet inside the head of someone studying them/interviewing them as well.
The show concludes tonight. We look forward to a second act in the future.
Kudos again to CFAC and Johnson-Travis for collaborating on this must-see stage endeavor.
Corcoran, Obeng and Jordan: Three of the seven ladies who took the stage to discuss race and gender at CFAC tonight.
Bravo to director and actor Ryan Johnson-Travis. The theater man continues to write, direct and produce some creative stage work along the Connective Corridor Arts District. His latest conception, “When We Were Wanderers” closed tonight to a packed house at the Community Folk Art Center’s Black Box Theater. The play touched on a plethora of emotions, and honestly explored race and gender from a female perspective.
Later this weekend brothers will grace the stage at CFAC for the CNY Mocha Men production by Me’Shae Brooks Rolling. The Mocha Men event will focus on financial literacy.
Timothy Bond, Producing Artistic Director at Syracuse Stage, said Brian Dennehy was one of his heroes because he practices what he preaches about the importance of regional theater.
Seasoned actor Brian Dennehy, whose son attends Syracuse University, was a special guest for the Friday night portion of Orange Central. He was joined in conversation and an occasional gut-busting laugh by Syracuse Stage’s Timothy Bond.
The event was held at the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium (Newhouse complex).
During the hour-long program, Dennehy gave numerous anecdotes about writers Jimmy Breslin and Frank McCourt, as well as actors Kevin Kline and Zero Mostel.
He discuseed his numerous roles in film, television and his first love, regional theater. “What happens in the theater can only happen in the theater,” he said.
Dennehy, whose career spans five decades, also gave a reading, told some jokes, and even sang during a musical interlude with pianist Jeff Sawyer (an SU grad).
Brian Dennehy, an actor’s actor, prepared for a reading of the work of Arthur Miller on Friday night.
Winter’s Tale in Thornden Park: Jack Sherman (King Leontes)
John Bixler as Macbeth
The Redhouse kicked off their summer season by staging a lively performance of Macbeth in Armory Square last night. The show drew an audience of about 100 (of all ages) if you include downtown residents watching from above the square.
Upcoming performances of Macbeth, which are free, will be held in Liverpool and Dewitt.
Open Air Theater in Armory Square
The next open-air show in Armory Square will be Cabaret, the musical.
Laura Austin as Lady Macbeth with witches (left to right) Allie Villa, Tyler Spicer and Brian Detlefs.
Here is a conversation with social entrepreneur Ryan Johnson-Travis, who aims to reposition, rebrand, and resurrect the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company.
CNS senior Kierrah Titus took her skills to the CFAC stage during the Cabaret & Conversation program last week. Titus sang a Beyonce song.
A rejuvenated Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company (PRPAC) took theater back to its roots when they collaborated with high school students and parents in the area to produce “Cabaret & Conversation” at The Community Folk Art Gallery (CFAC) last week. The show was developed with PRPAC following a controversy at CNS High when the school cast an all-white ensemble for “The Wiz.”
In the clip above, Dionna Owens and Justin Tanksley interpreted a duet by Rhianna and Mikkey Ekko.
Actress Karin Franklin King and PRPAC Artistic Director Ryan Johnson-Travis present artist Cheryl Wilkins-Mitchell with an award.
Author, educator, photographer and performance artist Josefina Baez came to the Point of Contact Gallery on East Genesee Street on Thursday. She read from her acclaimed collection Dominicanish (with a prologue written by SU professor Silvio Torres-Saillant). The reading alternated between Spanish and English and featured themes such as cultural identity and relationships. I don’t wait to be inspired, I just live, Baez told one of the students.