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Provocative puppets

Woolly show cleverly explores death

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Famous Puppet Death Scenes, gay news, Washington Blade
Famous Puppet Death Scenes, gay news, Washington Blade

ā€˜Famous Puppet Death Scenesā€™ is cleverly staged with a wide array of beautifully crafted puppets. (Photo by Jason Stang Photography; courtesy Woolly Mammoth)

ā€˜Famous Puppet Death Scenesā€™

 

Through Jan. 4

 

Woolly Mammoth Theatre

 

641 D Street, N.W.

 

202-393-3939

 

Nothing like 80 minutes of charmingly told stories that all end in death (by accident, suicide or murder) to keep you in the holiday mood.

But in the case of ā€œFamous Puppet Death Scenesā€ (now at Woolly Mammoth) it especially works. Funny, poignant and visually pleasing, this cleverly rendered puppet show for grownups compellingly addresses lifeā€™s big mystery ā€” not love, but the eternal dirt nap ā€” in a way thatā€™s not the least bit depressing.

Created and performed by the Old Trout Puppet Workshop, Death Scenesā€™ 22, quaintly titled brief vignettes unfold without a glitch. Highlights include ā€œThe Ballad of Edward Grueā€ which recounts in several minutes the demise of an eccentric young man (played by a gorgeously made, antlered puppet) who enjoys traversing the forest disguised as a deer. That is until a hunter takes him down with a single bullet.

Then thereā€™s ā€œThe Swede of DoneyLargenā€ that riffs on Swedenā€™s high suicide rate. ā€œThe Cruel Seaā€ continues the Scandinavian melancholy refrain with a manā€™s isolation and deadly dark winter at the shore. And ā€œThe Last Whaleā€ says it all with an enormous, lone blinking eye that slowly closes ā€” forever.

Costumed as vintage undertakers, the bearded puppeteers (Nick Di Gaetano, Viktor Lukawski and Pityu Kenderes) are sometimes seen expertly manipulating the workshopā€™s exquisitely made puppets. Occasionally they come out from behind the deco puppet theater and play parts in the scenes, amusingly expressing the frustration and resignation associated with the meeting of oneā€™s maker.

The showā€™s host is Nathaniel Tweak, a wild-haired old puppet who shares his philosophy on death and the great beyond in the most calm and reflective ways. In his final scene, the desiccated Tweak is gently carried off by a rather frighteningly countenanced but caring grim reaper. Itā€™s sweet and affecting.

But humor is the thread line of this piece. In recurring themed scenes titled ā€œThe Feverish Heart,ā€ an amusing puppet best described as a squat Spaniard repeatedly does his darnedest to outwit death ā€” here personified as an outsized fist ā€” but never succeeds. The showā€™s message remains unchanged: Despite our best efforts, death always wins in the end.

Originally staged by Tim Sutherland, ā€œDeath Scenesā€ oh-so cleverly brings Muppets, puppets, Fisher Price-ish barnyard-themed figurines and other objects to life in the most believable ways. A humongous storybook opens to reveal a painting of an idyllic home that isnā€™t what it seems. There are shades of illustrator Edward Goreyā€™s dryly macabre sensibility and a bit of the creativity and whimsy of New York-based puppet auteur Basil Twist, who enjoyed a retrospective in Washington several seasons back. But this puppet show is entirely its own creation.

Founded in 1999, the Old Trout Puppet Workshop is based in Calgary, Canada. Its mission is to make puppet theater that is appealing to both children and adults. ā€œDeath Scenesā€ was initially inspired by the workshopā€™s 2004 production of ā€œPinocchioā€ in which the title character killed Jiminy Cricket with a hammer. The reaction to the death scene was so strong, that workshop members were prompted to produce a show entirely focused on puppet deaths scenes.

ā€œDeath Scenesā€ is entertaining and fast-paced, as fleeting as life itself. Its onslaught of untimely demises may inure you to death or at least quell the anxiety surrounding the final exit. At least enough to let you enjoy a puppet show.

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Theater

Signatureā€™s fresh take on classic ā€˜Forumā€™

Actor Mike Millan says ā€˜itā€™s like a new work in many waysā€™

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ā€˜A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forumā€™
Through Jan. 12
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington, Va.
$40-$126
sigtheatre.org

For out actor Mike Millan, Signature Theatreā€™s production of ā€œA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,ā€ couldnā€™t feel fresher. 

Set in ancient Rome, the 62-year-old Tony-winning hit (music with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart) borrows from Roman comedy, farce, and a dash of bawdy vaudeville to the tales of slaves, soldiers, courtesans, and a lovesick young man. 

Millan plays Hysterium, a nervous slave in the House of Senex, whose tagline reads ā€œI live to grovel.ā€

ā€œIā€™ve never done ā€˜Forum,ā€™ so to me itā€™s like a new work in many ways,ā€ he says. ā€œAnd because itā€™s older and has a classic musical point of view and weā€™re doing it now, itā€™s as if weā€™ve been given a lovely opportunity to make it our own.ā€ 

And indeed, they are doing just that. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Gardiner, the Signature production is introducing new bits and playing with gender: the central character Pseudolus, a sly slave role created by Zero Mostel, is played by Erin Weaver; Erronius is played by Sherri Edelen in drag; and two male actors and one nonbinary actor play courtesans.

Though Millan, 35, is based with his partner in Los Angeles, he regularly travels to New York and is pleased to make Signature in Shirlington an additional destination on his bicoastal work journey. Recently, the affable actor took time to talk about Signature and ā€œForum.ā€ 

WASHINGTON BLADE: A little about the brilliantly named Hysterium, please. 

MIKE MILLAN: As a gay actor, I can say that Hysterium is one of the gayer characters Iā€™ve ever played. Heā€™s a sort of fop and heā€™s in drag most of the second act. How can you not see him as a queer character?ā€ 

When the part was written it was sort of gay coded and now itā€™s just abundantly clear, you donā€™t think twice about it. 

BLADE: ā€œForumā€ is unapologetically fun. Is now the right time for a romp? 

MILLAN: The show comes with a level of escapism that is really infectious. During these tense times, it feels great to be doing a silly musical. Weā€™re doing fart jokes in tunics, and the material and jokes really hold up. Youā€™ll feel better leaving than when you came in.

BLADE: All that and a Sondheim score too? 

MILLAN: Heā€™s the reason Iā€™m here. In high school, I discovered his ā€œInto the Woodsā€ and remember locking myself in my room until I knew every word to ā€œGiants in the Sky.ā€ 

ā€œPassion,ā€ ā€œFollies,ā€ I love it all. Heā€™s so singular because he writes from a perspective of acting and storytelling; Sondheim touches me in a way that feels quasi-religious. 

When I think about the number of times I sang ā€œLast Midnightā€ alone in my car, it fills me with a joy that Iā€™ve never gotten from any other composer or jukebox musical.

BLADE:  In 2022, you played Idina Menzel super fan Jeff in ā€œWhich Way to the Stageā€ at Signature. Are you glad to be back? 

MILLAN: Yes, Iā€™m happy to be employed. Itā€™s a tough business. Not only are we asked to be great singers, dancers, actors, and performers but weā€™re asked to have a social media presence and to be the most popular kid in school. 

Signature provides a safe environment to try something new and different, to experiment with a community that respects doing that. Also at Signature, it never feels like any audience members are being dragged by their partners to see a show. Itā€™s a supportive community. 

BLADE: Speaking of partners, do you miss being away from home?

MILLAN: Sometime itā€™s nice to have that time away from each other; it builds a little mystery.

BLADE: Will your performance change between now and January?

MILLAN: In recent years, Iā€™ve changed my acting approach from cracking the code on how to play a character to inviting the audience on a journey and making them part of the process. 

I was raised in musical theater, but by doing comedy, standup, and improv, Iā€™ve come to find the joy of failure freeing. And I like being part of a changing show. I like the idea of somebody being able to say ā€œI was there the night Patti LuPone yelled at the guy who took a picture.ā€

BLADE: An unexpected moment. 

MILLAN: Of course, I go in with certain things I have planned out, but I like the element of excitement that anything might happen. And I think the audience should feel that way too.

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Theater

Sexy, spooky werewolf tale comes to Congressional Cemetery

ā€˜LĆ½kos Ɓnthrōposā€™ explores story of men who live double lives

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Patrick Kilpatrick (left) and Nicholas Gerwitz inĀ LĆ½kos ƁnthrōposĀ at CongressionalĀ Cemetery

LĆ½kos Ɓnthrōpos
Oct. 31-Nov. 24
Thursday through Sunday at 8 p.m., 75 minutes without intermission
Congressional Cemetery
1801 E St., S.E.
Tickets: bob-bartlett.com

Just in time for Halloween, Bob Bartlett is reprising ā€œLĆ½kos Ɓnthrōpos.ā€ With his sexy, spooky werewolf tale, the gay playwright brings his passion for horror and site-specific productions to historic Congressional Cemetery on Capitol Hill.  

ā€œVampires are great and I love ghosts and kind of believe in the spirit world, but werewolves are my favorite,ā€ he says. 

Bartlett is interested in the duality of men who turn into wolves and consequently live double lives. The character heā€™s written is on the queer spectrum but not particularly discriminating. However, one night a month when the moon is full, he reliably leaves his wife and kids and hooks up with a guy. The playā€™s conceit starts off with two men cruising in the dark outdoors. 

Before penning ā€œLĆ½kos Ɓnthrōpos,ā€ Bartlett believed ā€œthere isnā€™t a lot of horror theater, and what there is, isnā€™t particularly sophisticated. Itā€™s kind of grand guignol, or tongue in cheek,ā€ and he was ā€” and remains ā€” eager to expand on that. 

So, he spent a month in the summer of 2022 in Rhodes, Greece, immersed in lycanthropy. Based in an Airbnb far from any touristy hubbub, he explored the countryside and wrote his werewolf-themed play. 

ā€œIt was sunny, dry summertime, and I wrote a good deal of the play in ruins and ancient amphitheaters; I looked at classical texts, including Ovidā€™s ā€˜Metamorphoses,ā€™ and included much of what I learned in my play.ā€ 

His characters talk about rocky landscape, the heavens, and the effect of the moon on the Earth ranging from tides to our moods and, of course, its impact on werewolves. Itā€™s all a bit more nuanced than the classic Hollywood take, i.e. Lon Chaney Jrā€™s 1941 horror hit ā€œThe Wolf Man.ā€  

In keeping with the playwrightā€™s love for site specific locales, ā€œLĆ½kos Ɓnthrōposā€ premiered around Halloween in 2022 in a clearing in the woods on a farm near Bartlettā€™s home in Davidsonville, Md.  

The team that opened the two-hander in the woods, director Alex Levy and cast members Patrick Kilpatrick and Nicholas Gerwitz, remain on board for the Congressional Cemetery version. 

Moving the story from the farm to an urban cemetery in the Nationā€™s Capital presented some amusing challenges: ā€œI definitely did some tweaking; rewrites include references to the city and all the dog walkers found in the cemetery. Itā€™s been fun.ā€  

A horror fanatic since childhood, Bartlett cut his teeth on George A. Romeroā€™s ā€œNight of the Living Dead,ā€ when his aunt let him stay up past his bedtime and watch the scary classic on TV, and though he only made it through the first five minutes, and didnā€™t didnā€™t sleep for a week, he was hooked.  

Growing up in Accokeek, Md., Bartlett was introduced to theater through his high school pit band. Later he acted, and did some directing at the community theater level. After returning to school for a second masterā€™s in playwrighting, he took up writing. 

With his current production, he says ā€œThe gods had my back. We open on Halloween and its first weekend will be performed under a full moon,ā€ says Bartlett. ā€œPeople (about 30 per performance) are asked to bring a fold up chair, blanket and lantern or flashlight. They will meet as a group and walk together, with a guide, to the performance site at the cemetery where the actors will be in place surrounded by a circle of eerie light. Death metal will be pounding from the woods.  

ā€œSometimes itā€™s more terrifying if the violence is offstage. I believe in the mantra donā€™t show the monster, so there are moments when the characters turn off the lights.ā€

Also, a longtime professor of theater at Bowie State University, Bartlett is a semester from retiring after which he intends on becoming ā€œa full-time creepy writer.ā€

Upcoming projects include a play about the controversial and closeted FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and his longtime romantic partner Clyde Tolson, who not incidentally are buried just a few yards apart in Congressional Cemetery. Largely fictional, the play wonā€™t be site specific, but, says Bartlett, will have its own monster in Hoover.

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A contemporary take on ā€˜Romeo and Julietā€™ at Folger

Creating a world that appeals to young audiences

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Fran Tapia as Lady Capulet, Caro Reyes Rivera as Juliet, and Luz Nicolas as Nurse in William Shakespeareā€™sĀ ā€˜Romeo and Juliet,ā€™ directed by Raymond O. Caldwell at the Folger Theatre through Nov. 10.Ā (Photo by Erika Nizborski)

ā€˜Romeo and Julietā€™
Through November 10
Folger Theatre
201 East Capitol St. S.E., Washington, D.C.
$20-$84
Folger.edu

In out director Raymond O. Caldwellā€™s production of ā€œRomeo and Julietā€ currently playing at Folger Theatre, the Capulet family are Puerto Rican except for Lord Capulet (Todd Scoffield) who is white with a Southern accent. 

Fran Tapia (Lady Capulet), Luz Nicolas (Nurse), and Caro Reyes Rivera (Juliet) all speak Spanish when they are together. Rosa Garay LĆ³pez (Translator and Interpreter) translated certain scenes into Spanish. The Montagues are played by a cast of multiracial and multiethnic actors.

Tapia, a Helen Hayes Award-winning actor, identifies as part of the LGBTQ community. She says, “I am Chilean, Latina, queer and a proud immigrant.”  

After receiving her acting degree in Santiago de Chile, Catholic University, Tapia started working professionally as an actor and a dancer with contemporary dance companies.

The newly single actor has been living in D.C. since 2019 and plans to remain based here. Recently, she shared her experiences playing Julietā€™s mother in Shakespeareā€™s story of the star-crossed lovers, a play she first read as a girl in Santiago. 

WASHINGTON BLADE:  Typically, Lady Capulet is portrayed as detached, a woman who canā€™t even remember her daughterā€™s age. Whatā€™s your spin on the Capulet matriarch?

FRAN TAPIA:  From what Iā€™ve read and seen, including productions and films, sheā€™s a woman who has distanced herself from her daughter.

I see the part differently. I want to make it special, to get away from the hard mother. She does care about her husband and daughter. Her expectations are shaped by society more than anything, she has conservative goals, but that doesnā€™t mean that she doesnā€™t love her daughter.

BLADE: What else about your Lady Capulet is unique?

TAPIA: First of all, sheā€™s Puerto Rican. She speaks in Spanish and English. She loves to sing. Sheā€™s a party girl. Sheā€™s a devoted wife and partner in crime with Lord Capulet, sharing both his ambition and devotion to family. 

Lady Capulet wants to look pretty and she loves money. And she wants to be blonde, of course. I wear 26-inch blonde extensions for the part. Iā€™m giving so much drama to it. Itā€™s fun and dramatic and over the top.

She can share secrets with the Nurse played by Luz [Nicolas]. There are nuances with how she speaks to her. Lady Capulet speaks English when she wants to be formal. Luz brings the comedy. Sheā€™s also, a very good dramatic actress.

BLADE: Itā€™s a contemporary take on the Bardā€™s masterpiece. 

TAPIA: Itā€™s super contemporary. Raymond [Caldwell] is looking to create a world that appeals to young audiences. Heā€™s working with so many designers doing projection, lighting, and sound. There are so many surprises for you. 

BLADE: Am I right in guessing itā€™s not set in Verona.

TAPIA: Itā€™s set in a fictionalized Washington, D.C., inspired by the election year. The Capulets are a conservative political family based on nobody in particular. Theyā€™re struggling for power through the marriage of their daughter. Unlike the source material, theyā€™re not trying to marry off a teenager. Itā€™s more about preserving a legacy. Thatā€™s scary to lose when youā€™re used to having it.

BLADE: How is working with Raymond? Iā€™ve heard so many good things about him. 

TAPIA: Prior to joining the cast, Iā€™d heard from friends that he was good, but I had no idea how good. When I got this part, I gave myself the opportunity to offer my resources like singing. And heā€™s been super receptive. 

Raymond is very clear and bold. Lady Capulet has problems with addiction more intense than I imagined. I wonā€™t specify but weā€™re diving into all of that. There are so many kinds of addiction including social media for instance. In real life, Iā€™m addicted to Diet Coke as anyone in the cast can tell you. 

BLADE: Is Lady Capulet a part youā€™ve longed to play? 

TAPIA: Not really, but under the direction of Raymond Iā€™m loving every second of it. His view of things has given me a lot of freedom that I didnā€™t expect.

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