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Category Archives: Performances

Wow! Sitting down to write my thoughts on Heidi Van’s window play “Rubble” with original music by Peter Lawless was just that. After watching this amazing blend of dance, performance art, and music I was left breathless. THIS show is what Fringe is about: the delicate flow of story driven by the ethereal melodies that were weaved between the choreographed movement of the masked beings and slice of life surreal performance of the actors behind the window created a stunning work of art.

Watching the actions of Andy Perkins and Coleman Crenshaw as they performed the almost cog and gear actions of their “Daily Grind” behind the window was not only comical at times and a commentary on day to day life, but also a revelation on how sometimes something small can cause us to see the world in a brand new way. When Perkins’ character had that moment of realization and found his new world outside of his normal grind, he shows us the intrigue and curiosity of what ifs and how nows, as Crenshaw keeps ticking away only to get more ticked as his counterpart changes their normal rhythms.

While all this is happening behind the glass windows, masked beings strive and struggle to keep going, to survive and rebuild, to collect the pieces of lost hope and broken dreams. I have too few words to describe their actions: the heart only feels for them, not vocalize. When they move, they show the strain of the burden, the confusion of what to do next in an ordered timed stride. Watching the dance and pantomime of these performers left me breathless and as distracted as Perkins trapped behind the glass.

And then, Read More »

The Tradition Continues…

THE BLOOMSDAY GAZETTE — It was 16 years ago on another June 16 that a group of puzzled participants first celebrated Bloomsday at the used book store of the same name in Brookside with a 24-hour reading of ULYSSES.  In addition, that midnight, Sylvia Stoner, fresh from Skidmore College, directed the first staged reading in K.C. of Professor Opitz’s play.

The early readers were an enthusiastic crew of volunteers who struggled with the words and blushed mightily at the content.  Despite widely varying degrees of talent, it was a huge success.  Gradually over the years, the enthusiastic amateurs have given way to some of our region’s finest professional performers.

A  special thanks this year goes to Kip Niven for assembling the wonderful cast, to Nancy Wormington and Renata Rea, executor director and assistant director of the Irish Center, and to the Kansas City Irish volunteers and barflies who never fail to show when needed.

— Tom & Nancy Shawver, Bloomsday Books

The Day’s Events

•9 a.m. Marathon Reading of Ulysses, includes traditional Irish breakfast
•4 p.m. Joyce to the World, documentary of the 100th Bloomsday celebration
•5:30 p.m. Bridget Driscoll Dancers with live traditional Irish music
•7 p.m. The play Bloomsday: Dublin, June 16

Admission, beer and refreshments are free, but donations to the Irish Center are appreciated.

 

More information about Bloomsday, Joyce and all manner of Irish bawdery below the break.

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The next, FREE Martin Tanner Monday is this coming Monday, June 6, 7:30 p.m. at The Fishtank Performance Studio, 1715 Wyandotte, KC MO

Visiting Mr. Green by Jeff Baron.
This reading features one of Kansas City’s most respected actors and acting coaches, Richard Alan Nichols, along with one of KC’s hottest young actors, Coleman Crenshaw.  The show is full of both humor and poignancy and will be sure to move you.

http://martintanner.com/Visiting-Mr–Green.php   or see the Visting Mr. Green event page on Facebook.

Mr. Green, an elderly, retired dry cleaner, wanders into New York traffic and is almost hit by a car driven by Ross Gardiner, a 29-year-old corporate executive. The young man is given a community service of helping the recent widower once a week for six months. What starts as a comedy about two men who do not want to be in the same room together becomes a gripping and moving drama as they get to know each other, come to care about each other, and open old wounds they’ve been hiding and nursing for years. Translated into 22 languages, with over 200 productions in large and small venues, it has won numerous best play and best actor awards throughout the world.

 

– Herman Johansen
http://.www.martintanner.com