Ten years ago, Elaine Jarvik’s science fiction play Based on a True Story (in a Plan-B Theatre world premiere production) took its audiences to 2046, where commercial time travel is an option on the P-F highway (past-future) which stretches 15 billion years in either direction. There are time refugee centers for persons whose trips trap … Read more
At a time when many are trying furiously to erase the past rather than expose it, a play like Sarah Ruhl’s Becky Nurse of Salem: A Contemporary Comedy about a Historical Tragedy, hits the zeitgeist punch with illuminating humor and intelligent drama which telegraph the real meaning of witch hunts. With Morag Shepherd’s sharp-witted direction, … Read more
Focusing on the experiences of some of the greatest figures in English literature, Kristina Leach’s Grasmere, a theatrical docudrama that weaves historical facts with speculative fiction, can only work if the chamber ensemble of four actors truly comprehends the actual legacy to which they have been tasked to interpret on stage. In the case of … Read more
In the new musical Ten Brave Seconds, by the time Wooster High School student Mike is looking for a refuge and reset in Mr. G’s classroom, it has been a hellish day of spiraling emotions for the boy. From the time when he woke up that morning, one blunt confrontation after another has repeatedly exploded … Read more
This was a signature year of short films at Sundance. Four program tracks highlight the incredible spectrum of approaches in this compact format. For The Utah Review’s feature reviews about the remainder of the short film slate, see these links: Animated Short Film Program, Documentary Short Film Program, Midnight Short Film Program and Short Film … Read more
One of the most important considerations for any arts critic and reviewer is to ponder the role that new work plays in the democratization of society. For any critic to embrace a genuine role as a public intellectual when commenting on the arts and culture, that individual must set aside their personal tastes and view … Read more
Comedy also has its place on this year’s Sundance slate, including the feature-length Hot Water and three selections in the Episodic Fiction Pilot Showcase. A boilerplate road comedy but anchored with some unique features to captivate the audience’s attention, Hot Water is a Sundance feature-length narrative debut for director and screenwriter Ramzi Bashour. Utahns also … Read more
The septet of juried offerings in the second track of the Sundance Short Film program reiterate the strength of this year’s slate in this cinematic format, particularly in the quality of acting across the board. Seniors, directed by Adam Curley, shows promise as a comedic feature-length film. It is the morning of the day when … Read more
With different subjects and geographical locations, three Sundance Film Festival documentaries are masterfully crafted contemplations of our greatest contemporary moral and ethical responsibilities, when considered together. ONE IN A MILLION One In A Million (directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes) is an exceptional documentary. The documentary chronicles the experiences of Isra’a from her preteen … Read more
After making her Sundance debut in the Midnight Short Program with the short narrative Prime, also her first film as a director, Meagan Coyle says she still eats meat and she still feels bad about it. Prime is a deliciously sardonic comedy about how ethical consumption is defined, the privilege of those who champion its … Read more