Rae Mancini News

The Wilbury Theatre Group closes its 2015/16 season with the Rhode Island premiere of Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth's epic Tony and Olivier award-winning play, May 19-June 4, 2016.

One might argue that Titus is the perfect kind of play for a bold young company like Burbage Theatre Company. Willing and able to take risks, to go places other theater companies might not be so interested in going. And while there are some high points for Burbage and their production, it seems that they've fallen into the trap of focusing too much on one thing, to the detriment of other important aspects of Shakespeare's work. Primarily, they seem to have spent most of the time perfecting all of that carnage, all the blood and gore, while not spending enough time on perfecting the actual text, the words and language that make up the work and create its true life. As a friend and Shakespearean scholar noted to me, “That's always the danger with Titus, I'm afraid,” and her fears would have been realized in this production.

After their sold-out run of 'Happy Birthday, Wanda June', Burbage Theatre Company presents the Rhode Island Theatrical Premiere of TITUS ANDRONICUS, the first tragedy written by William Shakespeare, directed by Jeff Church, which is the second and final play in the Burbage Theatre Company's winter series, This Winter's War. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the company onstage below!

After their sold-out run of 'Happy Birthday, Wanda June', Burbage Theatre Company presents the Rhode Island Theatrical Premiere of 'Titus Andronicus' the first tragedy written by William Shakespeare, directed by Jeff Church, which opens previews tonight, February 18, as the second and final play in the Burbage Theatre Company'swinter series, This Winter's War. 

After their sold-out run of 'Happy Birthday, Wanda June', Burbage Theatre Company presents the Rhode Island Theatrical Premiere of 'Titus Andronicus' the first tragedy written by William Shakespeare, directed by Jeff Church, which opens previews February 18 as the second and final play in the Burbage Theatre Company'swinter series, This Winter's War. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WANDA JUNE the only play by the great American satirist Kurt Vonnegut Jr, directed by Wendy Overly, begins previews January 7 as the first play in the Burbage Theatre Company's winter series, This Winter's War. Happy Birthday, Wanda June runs through February 5 at Aurora Providence, 276 Westminster Street, Providence, RI. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Happy Holidays! It's the last week to vote for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Rhode Island Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 18. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31!

Time is running out to vote for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Rhode Island Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 18. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31!

Voting is fully underway for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Rhode Island Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 11. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31.

Voting has opened for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Rhode Island Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 27th. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31.

Voting has opened for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Rhode Island Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 27th. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31.

ENTERTAING MR. SLOAN by Joe Orton, the latest entry in the grim comedy sweepstakes currently going on at 2nd Story Theater in Warren, is a funny plays made with gruesome ingredients. When the audience takes its seat, it is greeted by Trevor Elliot's set--a simple, orderly middle class living room, which suggests nothing of the chaos soon to take place. Like the characters Orton created in 1964, the set is not what it first appears to be: what the audience cannot see is that the orderly living room is in a house at the edge of a dump.

The Burbage Theatre Company (BTC) presents Julius Caesar, today, August 23-September 7.

Burbage Theatre Company's production of William Shakespeare's JULIUS CAESAR, directed by Jeff Church, began previews on Thursday, August 21 and opens tomorrow, Saturday, August 23, 2014, running through Sunday, September 7 2014. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Burbage Theatre Company (BTC) presents Julius Caesar, August 23-September 7. Julius Caesar is a play about men who make mistakes; great men whose choice to act was met with grave consequences.

The two shows currently playing at 2nd Story Theater in Warren, RI were not originally scheduled as part of this year's season. They are both replacement shows, chosen by Artistic Director Ed Shea, who is quoted as saying that he wanted audiences to "have fun" and leave the theater "feeling joyful." Though I haven't seen the show playing in the DownStage space, Shea has certainly achieved that goal with the UpStage production, Becky's New Car, a play that, regardless of some faults, provides an evening of undeniable entertainment.

There's no denying it, it's been an awful winter. There are likely a number of scientific studies to back up that fact. It's been cold and grey and dismal for quite a while and the snow and ice are just now, at the end of March, starting to vanish completely. What better way is there to shrug off this dreary gray season than a bright, exuberant and riotously funny comic farce, live on stage? Have no fear, 2nd Story Theatre has exactly what you need with their current production of Le Dindon, by the master of French farce, Georges Feydeau.

Le Dindon or The Dupe by Georges Feydeau, in an original translation by Ed Shea, will play UpStage at 2nd Story Theatre, March 20 - April 13, 2014.

The 24-Hour Play Festival is an annual tradition at South Kingstown's Contemporary Theatre Company, where for 9 years, 6 plays are written, cast, staged, teched, and put in front of a live audience in a 24 hour span. I tagged along with one of the productions during this year's festival on January 11th, 2014, to see how it's done.

Among other things, playwright Tennessee Williams is known for plays which fit into the category of "southern gothic." His works are often set in the south and tell steamy, sordid tales of love, sex, power and death. One such play, The Rose Tattoo, is set in a small town on the gulf coast, where everybody knows everybody else's business and where secrets and passions run as deep as the humidity is high. Less often produced than Williams' other plays, Rose Tattoo is currently on the stage at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren.