Looking Back on Buried Child and Forward to the Future
A Stirring Theater Experience
In the last issue of Front & CENTRAL we wrote with great anticipation of The Nora Theatre Company's springtime production of Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Buried Child. We're happy report that we enjoyed a wonderful three-week run from April 19 - May 6, playing to many large houses and enjoying praise from audiences and critics alike.
This spring, it really felt as if everything fell into place to make Buried Child a success. We assembled a dream cast of veteran and younger actors, including recent IRNE winner William Young and Boston favorite Nancy E. Carroll. The Nora's Associate Director, Daniel Gidron, applied his strong interpretation of the script to create two and a half hours of captivatingly dark and humorous drama. The set and lighting designs lured the audience into the shabby living room of one of modern drama's most dysfunctional families, bringing each patron right into the action occurring in the intimate space at Boston Playwrights' Theatre. All the elements merged to create a stirring theater experience.
The press agreed. Theater Mirror reviewer Beverly Creasey described the play as "chilling and surprisingly funny", praised the "ingenious set", and lauded the strong performances by each member of the ensemble, including Mark Peckham's "tour de force performance" as the shattered Tilden. "A huge portion of the credit is due to William Young, who…plays up the petulance that makes some old men comport themselves like bratty toddlers," raved Sandy MacDonald of the Boston Globe. "Daniel Gidron…manages to milk this American Gothic dramedy for every last grim laugh". The play struck a note with audiences, as well. As one patron wrote, "My friend and I talked about it for quite a while later and, in fact, it's still with me."
The production remains with us, as well. Buried Child's artistic, popular, and critical successes reaffirm our belief in the essential role arts and culture play in our lives.
New Plays at The Nora Caps Off The Nora's Season
On May 13th & 14th The Nora presented readings of Parallelogram, playwright Kate Snodgrass' exploration of control and choice through a mix of astronomy, physics and unruly mother/ daughter relationships, as part of the New Plays at The Nora reading series. Next up are readings of Silver Spoon by Amy Merrill, with songs by civil rights activist and songwriter Si Kahn. Silver Spoon chronicles a young woman's coming of age during the heady and turbulent '60s, and will be presented on June 17th and 18th at 7PM at Boston Playwrights' Theater, 949 Commonwealth Ave., Boston.
A well-known Boston playwright, Ms. Merrill's short plays have been featured at the Boston Theater Marathon and the African-American Theatre Festival. Her play Driving on the Left Side: A Reggae Play received its off-Broadway premiere in July 2005, and in March 2007 her writing was featured in the International Centre for Women Playwrights' Boston-area Celebrations during Women's History Month.
New Plays at The Nora events are free and open to the public as part of The Nora's commitment to developing and promoting the work of local female playwrights.
Stay-Tuned!
With the exhilaration of this season to buoy us, we are making plans for next season, a portion of which will be presented in our new home, the Central Square Theater. In our new space, as we have in other spaces, we will continue to present the kind of powerful and provocative theater experiences you have come to expect from us. Until our next update, enjoy your summer!