Coraline

By Nat Marcus

Are you…brave?

Coraline is a musical based on the children’s book of the same name. Although I never read that book, I still found this show entertaining.

Nine-year-old Coraline and her parents have just moved into a new apartment building full of quirky and puzzling residents. Coraline spends her time exploring the mysterious yard and creaky buildings, but nothing peaks her interest. One day she finds a door that leads her to an alternate reality and the life that she has always dreamed of: meals are delicious, toys can talk and nothing is ever boring. How­ever, Coraline soon realizes that this perfect life might be too good to be true and she might be trapped in this other world forever.

Jayne Houdyshell, at age 56, does an excellent job of portraying a nine-year-old. Her mannerisms and physicality perfectly reflect the mindset of a young antsy girl.

I would recommend Coraline to anyone in the mood for something different. It’s full of excellent performances, amusing music and an enthralling and unnerving story.

HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $15 student rush • Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. Visit www.mcctheater.org for more information.

Next to Normal

By Mariana Quinn-Makwaia

Are you…understanding?

Next to Normal is a musical about a not-quite-normal family trying to hold itself together. Diana, a stay-at-home mom struggling with bipolar disorder, attempts to juggle the chemicals in her brain with her reality at home. Her husband, Dan, works hard to pretend that everything is fine. Their seventeen-year-old son, Gabe, is very close to Diana, while their sixteen-year-old straight-A-student daughter, Natalie, feels ignored. At times, it is difficult to determine the differ­ence between reality and what is happening inside of Diana’s head.

While Next to Normal has hilari­ous moments, it does not shy away from bringing up truths. Diana’s struggle with mental illness and Dan’s attempts to save their marriage were so emotional that I choked up a few times.

Natalie’s rollercoaster into drugs and depression was simplified a bit too much, almost to the point of being cliché. Perhaps if she had been the main character, she would have seemed less like a health teacher’s imper­sonation of a teen.

Next to Normal is deep, genuine and comedic. If you are a fan of rock musicals (hint, hint, Spring Awakening), don’t miss this show!

HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $25.00 general rush • Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St. • Visit www.nexttonormal.com for more information.

Avenue Q

By Claire Pienaar

What do you get when you combine a story that takes place on the wrong side of the tracks, a (literally) colorful cast of characters and some very crude and immature humor?

Nope, not Adult Swim. I’m talking about Avenue Q, a musical collaboration of puppets and humans and monsters alike.

Though it was initially confusing to distinguish between humans and puppets, the puppets soon had enough life to be actors on their own. The human puppeteers handled their inanimate counterparts very well, while showing identical expressions in their own faces and body language. Some characters did not wield puppets and instead interacted with the puppets as they would with each other.

Most of the performance was composed of comedy, a type that rings with honesty and lets people make light of their own moral flaws (maybe everyone is a little bit racist…sometimes…) Parts of the play were meant to cause the audience discomfort, including the gratuitous puppet sex scene, and Rod the Republican’s tune about his “girlfriend that lives in Canada”. However, the use of puppets is what made all of the near-blasphemy in the musical more acceptable.

Avenue Q has been running since 2003 and has been very popular among our generation. Since many teenagers in New York City have already seen the musical, bits of humor and lessons from the musical have influenced our culture. Never having seen the show before, I sat through it once and recognized almost half of the jokes as ones my friends have been telling me about for years.

Avenue Q is wonderful for teenagers and adults alike. The continuous humor and brutal honesty will keep you laughing and cringing throughout the entire show!

Ruined

By Sabrina Khan

Lynn Nottage’s Ruined is an intense and sexually charged drama that draws the audience to the stage. Ruined tells the heroic tale of Mama Nadi and the young women she harbors in the war ridden Democratic Republic of Congo. While several factions of militia and rebel forces tear the villages apart and destroy the lives of its inhabitants, Mama Nadi discovers a way to remain safe—by consorting with these very factions.


Set in a quaint village bar, the play begins in a rather lighthearted manner. Mama Nadi is busy cleaning when she is visited by the “Professor,” a salesman who brings her supplies such as lipstick and condoms. They discuss business in a humorous tone, but the mood shifts when The Professor offers Mama Nadi some additional cargo—Sophie and Salima, two homeless young women. It turns out that Mama Nadi provides more services than just food and drink. Her innocent pub is actually a brothel that serves all of the men fighting in the war. We soon meet Josephine, the most popular prostitute, who helps Mama Nadi run the business.

Mama Nadi makes no distinction between those she welcomes, as long as they follow her one rule of not bringing loaded weapons into the bar. At first it seems that Mama Nadi is safe from conflict because she shows no loyalty to either side, but her flexibility makes her even more vulnerable.


Sophie, Salima, and Josephine tell their stories throughout the play. Each story about their ruin is more heartbreaking than the last and moves the audience to sympathize with these women who must sell their bodies to the very men who stole them from their homes. Sophie, the most physically scarred of these women, is exempt from the usual brothel duties and takes on singing and bookkeeping to pay for her room and board. Her singing is the only soothing aspect of Ruined, the music of which exemplifies the essence of the struggle of the citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ruined pays homage to the women who have no voice of their own. It is as suspenseful as it is moving and will not disappoint.

How to see the show: New York City Center, Stage I, 131 W. 55th St. Visit www.mtc-nyc.org for schedule and more information.

Award Season

by Christa Tandana

Every spring many organizations honor specific shows with awards.

You may have heard of THE TONY AWARDS, an annual awards ceremony for the best of Broadway’s current season, presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Awards include Best Play, Best Musical, Best Performance, Best Lighting Design and many more.

Other awards include the Drama Desk Awards, Lucille Lortel Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, Drama League Awards, Equity Awards, Obie Awards and more. Some are specifically for Broadway productions, some just for Off-Broadway, and some for both.

So, why would anyone want to win a TONY or other award? Well, just like a movie gains popularity for winning awards, so does a play or musical. Even receiving a nomination gives a show publicity as well as public recognition from people outside of the world of theatre. For example, In the Heights, set in Washington Heights with a largely Hispanic cast, won four TONY AWARDS (including Best Musical) as well as receiving nine other nominations. People who previously were not interested in the show all of a sudden realized that this wasn’t a show to miss!

What shows do YOU think should win awards? Let us know in the comments!

33 Variations

By Amalia Queller

After a 46 year hiatus from the stage, Jane Fonda makes an outstanding comeback in Moisés Kaufman’s new Broadway play 33 Variations. Ms. Fonda plays Dr. Katherine Brandt, a mother and musicologist who embarks on a journey to discover the mystery behind Beethoven’s obsession with “a grain of sand” waltz by Diabelli. While on this journey, Katherine discovers the love that exists between mother and daughter as well as friends and lovers.

While struggling with the acceptance of her terminal diagnosis, Katherine and her daughter Clara are finally able to understand each other. As their relationship is reborn, Clara is able to grow on her own and allow someone else into her life. Katherine travels to Austria in order to see into the mind of Beethoven. The audience is able to watch Beethoven struggle with composing as Katherine questions why the maestro would take on such a trivial piece of music.

When the two worlds collide, the real connection between Beethoven and this simple waltz is apparent – it is not until Katherine is truly able to comprehend the simplicity and beauty of the work that she is finally able to truly understand her daughter.

33 Variations has dynamic energy and passion. Katherine and Clara as an example of any mother and daughter who just can’t seem to break through to each other. This play exceeds its potential with strong actors and even stronger writing. It transcends age, gender and style and brings classical music into a forum where even hip-hop obsessed teens can appreciate the sheer beauty of the works.

How to see the show: $30 student rush tickets with ID • Eugene O'Neill Theatre, 230 W. 49th St. Visit www.33variations.com for schedule and more info.

Exit the King

by Ben Ellentuck

Ionesco’s absurdist masterpiece Exit the King is back on Broadway and not a moment too soon.

Geoffrey Rush stars as the narcissistic King Berenger, whose ineptitude has left his kingdom on the brink of ruin. In his circus of a royal court—where actors sport more makeup than Michael Jackson—the King’s first wife, Queen Marguerite (Susan Sarandon) and his conniving doctor/executioner/astronomer/advisor (William Sadler) try to convince him that he and his kingdom will die in 90 minutes, and therefore must relinquish control of the kingdom and himself.

As King Berenger, Rush is an absolutely hysterical diva. Reminiscent of a tipsy grandmother, he delivers a tour-de-force performance of comedic and poignant proportions. Sarandon shines in a affecting turn at the end of the evening, helping Berenger truly evolve into the next stage of his existence. Lauren Ambrose (of Six Feet Under fame) provides a satirical contrast with her thanklessly melodramatic Queen Marie, the King’s significantly younger second wife (and main love interest). Neil Armfield’s direction is solid, building nicely towards a disturbing conclusion.

At the end of the evening, there is one man who rises above all others. Known as the father of the Theatre of the Absurd, Ionesco reigns supreme. The new translation (by Rush and Armfield) is adequate, despite some cheap twenty-first century references. Ionesco’s surreal masterpiece is too good for such unnecessary distractions. His material floats fluidly between comedy and tragedy, often occupying a snug space encompassing both territories. Ionesco shows a human side to our leaders that is just as relevant today as it was in 1962, the year the play first premiered. The conflicts are riveting because the characters' desires are simple and crystal clear. Ionesco's perfect grounding allows him flexibility with structure, language and theatricality—all while keeping us thoroughly engaged.

The end result? Go see it for yourself!

How to see the show: $26.50 student rush tickets with ID • Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th St. Visit www.exitthekingonbroadway.com for schedule and more information.

August: Osage County

By Amalia Queller

Have you ever…thought that your family was crazy?


August: Osage County shows a dysfunctional family dealing with drug use, incest, infidelity and death. Even if your family hasn’t experienced any of these issues, you will still be able to relate to the characters–whether as the granddaughter sneaking out of the house to smoke pot or the home health aid caught in the middle of another family’s conflicts. All of the drama (and there is a lot of it) takes place under one roof, a hot house on the plains of Oklahoma–important not only as a location, but also as a state of mind.

All of the actors deliver compelling performances, especially Estelle Parsons. She plays Violet, the controlling and pill-popping grandmother at the helm of the family, who is able to manipulate her relatives through guilt and aggression, which only causes pain to everyone in her path.

As the family problems and secrets come to the surface, some relationships grow stronger while others are lost forever. After seeing this play, I felt grateful for the simpler dysfunction of my family.
How to see the show: $29.50 student rush tickets with ID • Music Box Theatre, 239 W. 45th St. Visit www.augustonbroadway.com for schedule and more information.

Ruined

By Amy Leon

Have you ever…felt unsafe in your environment?

Ruined is a captivating play that forces you to face the realities of both physical and psychological violence.


Inside the walls of Mama Nadi's bar and brothel, we witness the problems that arise for women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during civil war. This violence is in contrast with the music and dancing that fill the bar and shed light on the culture of the DRC in a very natural way.

Mama Nadi has taken in three new girls, though it is unclear whether for profit or protection. The women are constantly “visited” by soldiers from both sides of the fighting; men who feel entitled to brutalize, rape and dehumanize the women to the point of ruin.

I recommend Ruined, however be prepared for its intensity. Even though it deals with a subject the world is afraid to publicize, I think it is important to face the darker parts of the world we live in.

How to see the show: New York City Center, Stage I, 131 W. 55th St. Visit www.mtc-nyc.org for schedule and more information.

UnCensored

By Derick Sherrier

Have you ever…really been heard?

If you only had one word left, what would you say?

Theatre, a place for exploration and creativity, is where actors can truly discover themselves—UNCENSORED gives us that opportunity.

Members of the MCC Youth Company, comprised entirely of NYC high school students, spend months after school creating monologues, scenes and poems about our lives. Some of these pieces become part of UNCENSORED, the Youth Company’s annual spring performance.

Having a piece in UNCENSORED is an amazing feeling because it is something that you have created, literally leaping from paper to stage and announcing itself. Every word and sentence of each piece is chosen carefully; we fine-tune our pieces and play around with the language and staging in order to find the best representation of our work. Sometimes we find that a piece is stronger when other voices are involved, so a monologue might be broken up for three people to say. The hardest part of the process is hearing that one of your pieces will be cut. It’s frustrating, but sometimes less is more.

Being in UNCENSORED is letting your voice be heard.

How to see the show: April 23-25 & April 30-May 2 at 7pm · $5 student tickets · Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street. Visit http://www.mcctheatre.com/youthcompany/performances.html

Garden of Earthly Delights

by Claire Pienaar

Have you ever…felt good and evil in the same day?

Garden of Earthly Delights combines dance and theatre to interpret a triptych (three-section painting) painted by Hieronymus Bosch. The abstract choreography has deep biblical symbolism as the characters travel between heaven, earth and hell.


Dancers were lifted into the air, sometimes high above the audience. Musicians wove in and out among the dancers shrouded in monk robes, at points even dancing themselves. In one instance, the spotlight was focused on a dancer attempting to seduce a cellist in order to take his bow. The cellist impaled the girl in the stomach with his bow and continued to play.

At times, the movement was hard to follow. When all fourteen cast members were on stage doing something different, it was difficult to know where to look.


I recommend Garden of Earthly Delights to people who appreciate modern dance, complex symbolism, or just something distinctive and strange. If you have conflicts with simulated nudity and sexuality, or find it hard to comprehend conceptual performances, then this might not be the best show to see.

How to see the show: $30 student rush tickets • Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane. Visit www.gardenofearthlydelightsnyc.com for schedule and more information.

Shrek the Musical

By Monikha Reyes

Have you ever…felt like you weren’t normal?

Shrek the Musical brings out the child in all of us. Sticking closely to the popular book and movies, this modern fairytale shows the importance of never judging a human, animal or ogre by its exterior. Shrek is forced to rescue Princess Fiona in order to keep his swamp to himself and on his journey learns to accept himself and the creatures around him.

Princess Fiona, the alternative damsel in distress played by Sutton Foster, is quite a character. She tries to be the perfect princess by sitting still and looking pretty, but all she really wants to do is burp and fart. She feels comfortable and happy with Shrek, but these feels conflict with what she’s always believed.

Sutton Foster took a moment to talk to PxP about her role in the new musical.

What is the message of Shrek?

Shrek is about not judging a book by its cover. It’s all about misconceptions – the big bad wolf isn’t really bad, the wicked witch isn’t really wicked and the princess isn’t all she seems. It’s all about embracing who are you are on the inside and letting your freak flag fly!

How does Princess Fiona define beauty?

Fiona struggles with this. She’s raised as a princess and to believe all of the storybooks that she grows up reading in her tower. It’s confusing for her. She thinks that she has to be this one way, but yet constantly struggles with it. By meeting and falling in love with Shrek, she learns to truly accept who she is on the inside. Shrek says a beautiful line to her at the end of the show:

“Once upon a time to look like us would be a pity,
But now we know that beautiful ain’t always pretty.”

She finally realizes that to be truly beautiful, you don’t have to look a certain way. You can be beautiful in many ways.

Can you relate to Fiona in that way?

Absolutely! I think we all can. As women, we’re surrounded by magazines telling us what’s supposed to be beautiful or sexy or attractive or desirable, and we have to work very hard to find strength and our individuality and to be confident with who we are and what we look like.

Being an actor, people have preconceptions of what I’m supposed to look like or what I’m supposed to be like, and I’m all about just trying to be as authentic to myself as possible.

What is it like to burp and fart onstage?

It’s always been a dream of mine. My favorite part of it is the way that the audience responds. They often can’t believe that it’s happening! It’s really fun just to be able to tilt your butt.

I think that scene’s pretty ingenious. I just love that it becomes a fart-off. It begins as a challenge, but Shrek and Fiona realize what they have in common and fall in love with each other. It’s so ridiculous, but pretty great.

Did you see the movie before you started to work on Shrek?

I’ve only seen the first one.

Has that influenced your interpretation of Princess Fiona?

Definitely. I feel like these characters were created so iconically, so my job was to honor a character already created. At the same time, going from an animated film to a live theatrical production, we had a lot of creative license to really make the characters our own. It was nice to have a template to bounce off of while bringing the characters to physical life.

What do you think makes a hero?

I think a true hero is someone who’s true to themselves and true to their friends and is kind. That’s what Shrek is. It’s not about scaling tours or fighting dragons – it’s about trying and dreaming big and being authentic.

What advice do you have for young artists?

Take as many opportunities as you can. Never stop learning. Learn from your peers and also from your teachers. Be kind to the people you work with. Be open to new ideas, new ways of thinking. Always be really willing to learn.

How to see the show: $26.50 lottery rush at M&M’s World, 1600 Broadway; $36.50 student rush • Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway. For schedule and more information, visit www.shrekthemusical.com

The Play Was...

What's another way to say that you liked or hated a play?
Ploggers brainstormed some creative responses:

The Play Was "Good"
OMG!
The play was bitchin’
The play was energizing and invigorating.
Spectacular! Stupendous! A marvel of the modern stage!
The play was engaging.
It positively penetrated my soul.
The play was sassy!
Colorful.
The play was like the cherry on top of an ice cream cake!
The play was phenomenal.
The play was delicious!
Awww-some!
LMAO! LMFAO! OMG! OMFG!
The play was thought provoking.
The play was unlike most.
Dazzling.
Had the time of my life!
The play made me salivate with joy!
Visually stimulating.
The play was mind boggling fun!
Unbelievable!
Fab!
There were so many captivating moments.
I want to go see it again!
The play was o-o-okay.
The play was intellectually stimulating.
I have never seen a production quite like this.
It was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
I am speechless.
The play stimulated me mentally.
The play intertwined my being (in a good way).
It was out of the world.
I was glued to that stage.
It touched me.
Socially relevant.
Extremely memorable.
The play was mentally captivating.

The Play Was "Bad"

The play did not meet my ecstatic expectations.
Horrid!
The play was grotesque!
The play was disgusting!
The play was bleh.
Sucked balls.
The play was atrocious.
It tried too hard.
If my life depended on the plays outcome I would have died.
That play wasted 3 hours of my life.
Arrgh.
The play let me down.
I was so disappointed!
Despicable.
Surprisingly, the play had a way of crushing my interest.
Ruptured my heart
I might have been killed by that.
I died a little inside…
I felt like I lost a piece of my soul.
This was a waste!
The play was horrific!
The play was atrocious and abominable.
Patronizing, overly-pretentious.
This play was not meant to be publicly presented for a reason.
This play tries too much.
The play was dreadfully boring.
Alienating, forgettable, sleep inducing.
It corrupted my innocent soul and mind.
My eyes and ears may never again function.
The play made my brain hurt.
This is a play?

Add your own responses in the comments!

Othello

by Sarah Abdalla

Othello is about a black leader in a white society. Shakespeare touches on many issues, including gender, race, social class and betrayal.

The relationship between Othello and Desdemona is extremely significant because a white woman like Desdemona was expected to marry a white man. Being in an interracial couple has never been easy, but Othello and Desdemona have a particularly difficult time. Had Othello not maintained a high status that put him in the top social class, he would not have been able to marry a girl like Desdemona.

Other characters, such as Bianca and Emilia, forced me to question the role of woman. Othello made me realize that women have come a long way. For the most part, women are respected and treated equally in today’s society. We are definitely a progressive nation.

Overall, I recommend Othello and think that that it was well done. The set was really simple and the acting was tremendous. It did feel long at some points, but with the music and the action, I felt like I was living it!

That is why I love theater – you can release the other thoughts and worries that occupy your mind and become a part of the action in front of you.

$10 Student Tickets! Visit http://www.tfana.org/othello.html for more information.

Freshwater

by Mariana Quinn-Makwaia

As I stepped into the Julia Miles Theater, I was greeted by the sound of cicadas. A colorful quilt was hung across the stage as a makeshift curtain and the lighting was designed in such a way that I could almost feel a warm summer breeze - a nice change from the harshness of the weather outside.

Freshwater by Virginia Woolf is about a model, Ellen, and the eccentric artists that she lives with—a photographer, a philosopher, a poet and a painter (her husband). Ellen feels suffocated and yearns for a simpler life, and when she receive a love note from a young sailor, she decides to take her chances.

The comedy was endless. Characters broke from their Victorian accents to drop a side note to the audience in an American drawl, causing a wave of laughter as the actor jumped back into a dramatic rant.

Most of Freshwater was movement and monologues; the dialogue was mostly between the two romantic leads when they met halfway into the play. The physical comedy was fantastic. It was as if the director, Anne Bogart, told each actor to try to upstage anyone speaking. For example, while one actor spoke, another was at the top of a ladder with a wizard's hat on.

Freshwater is a short and delightful play. Every problem is solved with silliness and a constant pulse of wit and intelligence.

$20 Rush Tickets – visit www.womensproject.org for more information.

In the Heights

by Sarah Schlesinger

In The Heights is a musical about the residents of a block in Washington Heights.

The characters deal with failure, love, sacrifice and identity. Almost every character is searching for someone to love and someone to be loved by. Boundaries created by family and distance get in the way of these relationships, but with a bit of patience and faith (as Abuela Claudia tells us), many of those boundaries are overcome.

The songs, with a rhythmic beat, are unexpected for Broadway. The music is catchy and the lyrics will stay in your head for hours. The lighting was incredible; at one point the electricity goes out and there is a blackout during which the cast dances with light from their cell phones.

The plot is a bit predictable and it’s no surprise when everything works out in the end. Despite that, In The Heights is definitely a show worth seeing!

$26.50 lottery tickets -- arrive at the theatre 2 1/2 hours before the show. Visit
http://www.intheheightsthemusical.com/ for more information.

On The Fly!

Written and performed by NYC high school students!

December 15th at West Side Theater Downstairs, 407 W. 43rd St., at 7 pm. What do New York teenagers have to say? Check out MCC Youth Company’s first production of the year!

NOTHING is off limits! Company members have ONLY three hours to write and rehearse a show...can they finish in time?

Free!

For more info visit www.mcctheater.org/youthcompany

Home

by Delvin Marte

What if…you needed a place to belong?

Where is your home? For Cephus Miles, a man from Crossroads, North Carolina, home turns out to be exactly where he knew it was.

Cephus is eager for love and adventure. He travels to New York City to make money, but finds the city’s parasitic way of life a little too strenuous. Cephus tries to better himself, but ends up hastily throwing his chances away. His life falls apart because he can’t stop running from his problems.

Many of us do that. We look for the easy way out and then wonder why things don’t turn out differently. We try to compensate for our flaws and mistakes, further burying us in our own graves.

Cephus’ journey shows that though life isn’t always easy, with perseverance and passion, the good life will find you. Cephus finds his way home because he stays focused on what’s important. In the end, Cephus and I both realized that in order to know where you’re going, you first have to know where you’re from.

Home by Samm-Art Williams.

$20 tickets - visit www.signaturetheatre.org for more information.

Spring Awakening

By Nat Marcus

Spring Awakening is a musical about confused teenagers who are unsure of their role in a world that won’t speak to them honestly. Melchior, Wendla and Moritz are three adolescents who deal with conflicts still common to young adults today. Melchior wants to push everything to the limits and experiment, Wendla wonders about becoming an adult and Moritz is haunted by expectations.

The characters in Spring Awakening are forced to hold in what they need to say and do. The actors play their characters to the extremes, showing us the moody, fervent and very hormonal side of teenagers. These are characters that we can relate to. After all, aren’t we moody, fervent and very hormonal?

Spring Awakening is very relevant to young people today. Although there are fewer limitations on our free speech, our feelings, and our ideas today, there are still many teenagers who feel oppressed and downtrodden.

Spring Awakening is pure passion onstage. See this show to learn about yourself.

$27 Student Rush Tickets at the O’Neill Theatre, 230 W. 49th Street. For schedule and more info visit www.springawakening.com

Prayer for My Enemy

By Derick Sherrier

What if…it was time to speak the truth?

Prayer for My Enemy is a complicated and captivating play that intertwines many stories and characters. The first two characters we meet are Billy and Tad, childhood friends, who are reconnecting after years apart. The two are in different places: Tad is still stuck in the past, while Billy is trying to move forward with his life. Billy’s step forward is to serve in Iraq, a decision that affects everyone in his life.

Billy’s family is full of secrets. The relationship between Billy’s mother and sister, Marianne, was very realistic. Billy’s mom is always trying to hold the family together, despite the anger and resentment building within. Initially, Marianne also covers her true feelings to hold the family together, but as the play progressed she spoke more honestly.

The young people (Billy, Tad and Marianne) portrayed on stage represented broader generalizations of what it means to be a young person in a family and in society. These characters were affective because they could reach out to audience members of all ages.

Prayer for My Enemy made me think about the different people in my life with whom I am connected. You never know who might be your enemy and who might be your friend.

Prayer for My Enemy by Craig Lucas.

How to See the Show: $15 student rush • Playwrights Horizons, 416 W. 42nd St. Visit www.playwrightshorizons.com for schedule and more information.

Equus

By Chris Ramirez

What if…you were scared of your passion?

Daniel Radcliffe has been placed in a mental institution for blinding six horses.

Confused? Don’t be. That’s just the beginning of Equus and Radcliffe is playing the role of disturbed teenager Alan Strang. Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon from the Harry Potter movies) joins Radcliffe as a child psychiatrist who is determined to help Alan deal with his issues.

At first, I felt total disgust for Alan’s actions, but as his story unraveled I began to understand what led to his vicious crime. The use of flashbacks to show moments from Alan’s childhood helped me to put Alan’s actions in context.

The actors who played the horses were extraordinary. From the moment they put on their metal horse masks and began to elegantly prance around the stage, I forgot they were people wearing flesh-colored outfits and metal hoof boots and was lost in the illusion. The use of white halogen lights in the place of their eyes was really creepy.

As an aspiring actor myself, I have to give Daniel Radcliffe credit for taking on such a difficult role and nailing it. I highly recommend seeing this show, whether or not you are a Harry Potter fan.

Equus by Peter Shaffer.

How to See the Show: $31.50 student rush • Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44 St. Visit www.equusonbroadway.com for schedule and more information.

The Language of Trees

By Amalia Queller

What Language Do You Speak?

The Language of Trees follows the story of a family split apart by war. Loretta and her seven year old son, Eben, deal with the absence of their husband and father while he is stationed as a translator in the Middle East. Their stories are told through dialogue and monologue on several mini-stages, forcing the audience to exist in different places at the same time.

Eben, and his mother Loretta and her neighbor, Kay, begin as strangers starting off on an awkward note. We see Kay as the noisy neighbor that we have all had at one time in our life. Their friendship grows into a codependent relationship, while trying to allow each other to grow and heal.

The play also explores the renewed relationship between mother and son as they rediscover one another. We see the truth of story through the young boy’s naïve but honest eyes. We also experience the husband’s relationship with his own psyche and how he copes with the war, by creating a figment of his imagination in the form of President Bill Clinton to survive the solitude.

The casting of an adult, Gio Perez, to play a young boy was genius. His acting is brilliant. He embodies the precocious nature of the curious child we’ve all known. We were able to experience the situation through his eyes; his naivety and optimism allows us to experience the essence of childhood. The characters illuminate the central theme of communication.

The idea of a tree language is the theme that brings the story together and gives us insight into Eben and Denton’s relationship. This language is really Eben’s escape from the grave situation of his father. We also see the philosophy of Denton’s that helps us understand why he went to the Middle East in the first place: “Enemies are just friends who don’t know how to talk to each other yet,” which is the essence of this play.

How to See the Show: $20 student tickets available through www.hiptix.com. Steinberg Center Black Box Threatre, 111 West 46th St.

The True Tale of an Intern

By Amalia Queller

I love the theatre, but I hate being onstage. This led me to look for an administrative internship, so I would have the opportunity to work with the people who run the theatre. I looked through the internship guide in last fall's PxP and wrote my first resume and cover letter. Luckily, my parents gave me a hand. I sent out what felt like hundreds of emails and slowly started getting responses. The Women's Project asked me to come in for an interview and I was so nervous.

Fear, excitement and anxiety pulsed through my veins as I approached the offices. A little voice in my head told me to turn around, but luckily, I kept going because they hired me! That day began an incredible experience. I found an amazing group of people who were a fountain of information.

The first day was a mixture of intense fear of making a mistake and pure excitement. I gradually learned how things worked and got to know the people I worked with.

My intern experience showed me many of the different paths available in theatre: development, dramaturgy, artistic direction, stage management (check the glossary for definitions). I was also able to see shows for free (such as Aliens with Extraordinary Skills), meet all kinds of amazing people in the field and learn how to put on plays.

Aliens With Extaordinary Skills

By Mariana Quinn-Makwaia

Have you ever...taken a chance to follow a dream?

Where are you from? And where are you going?

Aliens With Extraordinary Skills is the heart-warming tale of a clown from Moldova,“the unhappiest country in the world,” who illegally immigrates to New York City in order to find work. Nadia searches Manhattan for clowning gigs and green cards.

The actors used a combination of clowning and perfect comedic timing to tell a captivating story. Who knew what could be done with just a suitcase of balloon animals?

Nadia’s roommate, Lupita (an aspiring actress who works as a stripper), delivers a monologue about working in the enter-tainment business that I can see myself ranting in ten years. Each bad job or situation is “just another role youplay,” Lupita convinces herself and the audience.

Aliens With Extraordinary Skills is a delightfulmix of physical comedy and the rough reality of green cards and immigration. I spoke with play-wright Saviana Stanescu about what Nadia sacri-ficed in order to be a clown. Saviana told me that passion is what’s important: “Believe in yourself as an artist,” she said. “Say what you have to say.”

Aliens With Extraordinary Skills by Saviana Stanescu at the Women’s Project.

$20 rush tickets 1 hour before the performance - Julia Miles Theater, 424 W. 55th St. Visit www.womensproject.org for schedule and more information.

Saviana Stanescu, the playwright of Aliens with Extraordinary Skills talked with ploggers after a recent performance of her show.

PXP: What inspired you to write Aliens with Extraordinary Skills?

SS: I read an article anout a Romanian and a Ukrainian who got arrested in 2006 because they created a bogus circus. They smuggled hundreds of people from Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia into the US under fake circus visas. I found that funny and sad at the same time. Most of these people worked illegally in carpentry and housecleaning, but a few worked as clowns for birthdays and parties on the side. They all got deportation letters.

All of these "clowns" had dreams of a better life when came to the US. They love America and come here with lots of enthusiasm and trust in this country's democracy and socio-political economic system. The fact that America is a country of immigrants is constantly forgotten or ignored.

PXP: How would you describe the style of your play?

SS: Parts of the play are in a surreal, dream-like style. The rapid-fire dialogue represents Nadia's inner conflicts and fears. I always like to dramatize the inner life of a character. I think we miss a lot by not seeing that on stage but only as a subtext or in what the character says to other characters.

The play can be seen as a big circus show, a tragecomedy with "aliens" in leading roles. It's a realistic play at the same time, dealing with the important issues of immigration and love. I hope I don't sound pretentious saying that.

PXP: What do you imagine audiences will take away after seeing Aliens with Extraordinary Skills?

SS: I hope they will have fun, I hope they will find the joy of theatre, and I hope they will learn something about what life is for an immigrant. With its hardships, its despair, its fears, but also its hope and joy.

PXP: What advice do you have for young artists?

SS: Find your truth. Believe in yourself as an artist. Say what you have to say.

For more on Saviana Stanescu visit www.saviana.com

13

Have you ever…had the chance to recreate yourself?

by Sarah Abdalla

Do you remember being 13? The stress of not being a child, but definitely not being an adult either. Friendships change, parents become weird and school becomes more of a headache.

13, a new musical performed only by teenagers, captures some of these changes. After his parents divorce, Evan has to move from New York to Indiana while planning the best Bar Mitzvah* party ever. He begins at a new school and has the chance to reinvent himself.

Evan has the chance to choose between friends who care about him and friends who don’t. After attempting (and failing) to be popular, Evan finally realizes who his real friends are—the two who come to his Bar Mitzvah. I was hoping that more classmates would show up, but maybe this is more realistic.

Some of the jokes in 13 were based on stereotypes. When the audience laughed, it was a wake-up call. I was able to understand that these jokes were meant to point out offensive stereotypes, but other people might not. I hope that audience members are aware of the humor in this play.

13, Music & Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, Book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn

How to See the Show:
$25 student rush tickets with ID • Jacobs Theatre, 242 W. 45th St. Visit www.13themusical.com for schedule and more information.

Kindness

By Monikha Reyes

Have you ever...had to care for a caregiver?

Kindness begins with the backside of Dennis. He is watching porn and masturbating in a hotel room in midtown Manhattan. His mom, Maryanne, hears his screaming and runs in. Talk about awkward.

Maryanne has cancer and wants one last weekend of fun with Dennis. He is a bratty teenager and caring son—a very difficult combination. Maryanne leaves and Frances, a stranger from the hotel, sneaks in. She brings secrets and danger and weaves her way into Dennis and Maryanne’s lives.

Dennis is a disturbing yet vulnerable character. It was heartbreaking to watch him care for his mother. Dennis is responsible for a lot of Maryanne’s medical care. Their relationship is different from the traditional form of parent and child, but one that is pretty common today. Dennis has a strained relationship with his father, who is a gambler and doesn’t see Dennis frequently.

You don’t want to miss Kindness. I guarantee you that there will be at least one moment that shocks you.

Kindness by Adam Rapp at Playwrights Horizons.

$15 student rush tickets. Visit www.playwrightshorizons.com for schedule and more information.

In Conflict

By Brenda Grande

Have you ever…fought for something that you didn’t believe in?

In Conflict is a play about 15 young American soldiers who served in the Iraq War. The actors tell their stories directly to the audience through monologues adapted from interviews of young Iraq veterans.

All of the actors from In Conflict are either college students or recent college graduates, which made them seem so similar to me. One of the actors looked right at me as he spoke about his experience enlisting in the military, and it sounded so different coming from a peer. Some soldiers were excited to leave for Iraq, but others only joined the army so they could pay for college. When they returned from war, many soldiers had a difficult time readjusting to the American lifestyle, in addition to dealing with injuries and nightmares. Family and friends had a difficult time understanding what happened in Iraq and many soldiers did not have the words to describe their experiences.

I spoke with the author, Yvonne Latty, about her process of creating In Conflict. Ms. Latty interviewed veterans and wrote a book, which was then adapted into a play at Temple University with the young people I saw perform.

Culture Project presents Temple University’s production of In Conflict, based on Yvonne Latty’s book, adapted by Doug Wager.

$15 student tickets with ID• Barrow Street Theatre, 27 Barrow St. Visit www.cultureproject.org for schedule and more information.