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The Public Theater

Our Rock n’ Roll President…. Jackson?

by Katherine Brannan-Williams on June 21, 2010

in Theater

Well, hello, President Jackson.

There is an upside-down stuffed crocodile body hanging to the right, a faux red fox on the piano on the stage, and what looks like a veiled werewolf head to the left.  Blood-red velvet curtains are draped around the walls, and chandeliers hang from various positions on the ceiling.  The stage has a strong western look, but ironically, fancy portraits of men in old-fashioned clothing line the walls.  Then a man wearing black skinny jeans walks out after a song from the ensemble, addresses the audience, curses, and starts singing a rock song.

This man is Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States. [click to continue…]

Tagged as: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Public Theater

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Violence in the Park

by Katherine Brannan-Williams on September 12, 2009

in Arts Coverage,Theater

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Shakepeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theatre

Walking into the Shakespeare in the Park performance at the Delacorte Theatre, the vampire-esque music in the background let the audience know right from the start that the Greek play, The Bacchae by Euripides, was going to be dramatic.  A tragedy?  Yes, but also a horror story.

The story centers on a government that has outlawed love. The horror comes in when the people get a visit from the god of wine, Dionysus (also called Bacchus, and very well played by Jonathan Groff), and they refuse to worship him by joining in drink and revelry. This is when Dionysus’s possessed worshipers, called the Bacchae, descend to terrorize the Greek town of Thebes. [click to continue…]

Tagged as: Delacorte Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park, The Public Theater

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Perspectives on Gentrification

by Nikki Dodd on March 6, 2009

in Theater

Taking Over, performed at The Public Theater, displays a brilliant mastery of the theater in a way that is new and fresh, almost raw, as Danny Hoch tackles not only a challenging and controversial subject, but also a unique form of theater. Taking Over is not just about the gentrification of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it’s about the effects of gentrification, which go deeper than an influx of pricey restaurants to touch on what it means to call a place home.

But whose home is it? From the black woman who has come to feel out of place in her community, to the Jewish city official who welcomes growth, there are many different perspectives. [click to continue…]

Tagged as: Danny Hoch, Taking Over, The Public Theater

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