Passing down a craft, a sustaining livelihood, from generation to generation may be a fading phenomenon, but Dennis Watkins never misses an opportunity to thank his grandfather for sharing his incredible skills with him. Watkins’ granddad not only owned a magic shop, he was also an accomplished sleight of hand magician. And now, thousands of …
Finding something small and quiet and intelligent that outshines just about everything else in its orbit is no small triumph. Which may be why some people call The Midnight Diner, Tokyo Stories a hidden treasure in the Netflix galaxy of video amusements. Premiering in 2016, the series is enjoying a fifth season of telling simple …
Midnight Diner Tokyo Stories, Classic Storytelling at its Best Read More »
Artists can create under nearly any circumstance. Still, the constraints facing them these last few months have pushed them to their limit. Given the rigidity of its standard model, the theater community has had an especially hard time adapting to the limitations Covid has imposed on it. Necessity is demanding new ways of thinking about …
Virtual Play/Actual Breakthrough : State vs. Natasha Banina Read More »
On the surface, few things could seem as removed from one another as what we understand classical dance to be and the tumultuous demands for justice and equality now roaring through city streets in America. The Met doesn’t agree and has raised the profile of one of its past dance events to prove its point. …
Say the word “ballet” and you’re likely get a blank stare. The kind of look that indicates complete non-interest and perhaps even mild irritation. Considered a thing of the past, an institutional relic; few of us give the dance form a chance to show what it is today. One thing it’s not is on stages …
Until you confront it, it’s sometimes hard to understand what it means to read or listen to the language and voice of a southern writer. Few are as extraordinary as Tennessee Williams whose plays plunge into the human spirit and swirl with delicate words that seduce the ear and can cut with the accuracy of …
In this brave new world, you never know what to expect when you venture onto that jam packed digital highway in search of a respite from the Covid harangue. Most of the time, all you’re looking for is some soul satisfying entertainment that both soothes and excites. A semblance of what’s no longer part of …
Struggle and the arts have long been too close for comfort. Peer all the way to the distant past, and stories of artists searching for the right mix of time and place to have their art valued and appreciated run like wildfire throughout history. One of those artists is having his show simmering on hold …
The impact of the coronavirus continues to reach deep into our lives and remind us of our common vulnerability. Gov. Pritzker’s recent declaration of a “bending” of the curve stands as the first faint ray of hope the city and state have seen in its month-long battle with the covid 19 virus. The news bolsters …
Even in a pandemic, dancers can’t and don’t stop dancing. Respected and inventive Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre graciously tacked up a Youtube video in late March showing what can happen when creativity just won’t be constrained. Using a series of movements developed by choreographer Alice Klock, a dozen dancers interpret and perform them as they’re …