#Richard Topol

[motionpicturelover]

"Flash Gordon" (1980) - Mike Hodges

Films I've watched in 2024 (40/?)

Gloriously camp, gloriously 80s!

Max von Sydow as the evil emperor of the universe, Brian Blessed in hotpants and huge wings, Timothy Dalton as a heroic prince, Richard O'Brien, Topol and a soundtrack by Queen, what's not to love?!

Full film on Archive.org

[mariacallous]

In 1971, legendary British actress Judi Dench played Portia in a production of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” In her book about the playwright published this spring, Dench is candid and straight to the point about the play, which centers on a Jewish moneylender: “I think it’s a horrible play.” 

Dench, who would usually joyfully skip to the theater, added that she found herself dreading each performance. “All the characters behave so badly,” she wrote. “Nobody really redeems themselves.”

Written more than 400 years ago, the portrayal of Jews in “The Merchant of Venice”  — namely, the infamous, vindictive Jewish moneylender, Shylock, who demands a literal pound of flesh from the Christian merchant, Antonio — was called “profoundly anti-Semitic” by preeminent literary critic Harold Bloom. The play was even a favorite of Nazi Germany, where, between 1933 and 1939, it was performed 50 times.

And yet, it continues to be performed around the world  — including here in New York with a new, off-Broadway production of “The Merchant of Venice” that will open at Classic Stage Company (136 E 13th St.) on Friday, Nov. 22. 

Given the climate of rising antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023 — hate crimes targeting Jews in New York City have surged over the past year, according to NYPD data — staging the play in present-day New York City seems like an unusual choice, at least at first glance. But according to director Igor Golyak, his version of “Merchant” — a play Shakespeare wrote as a comedy — challenges Jewish stereotypes by doubling down on them. 

“The purpose of this comedy is to have the audience understand how easy it is to fall into hate,” Golyak told the New York Jewish Week following a rehearsal of the play last week.

Golyak’s “Merchant” offers a meta, comedic and, at times, cartoonish take on the original story. Billed as a “contemporary, spirited” production, it’s set in the present-day, in a nightclub/late-night talk-show setting with a camera pointed at the cast. Antonio (played by “Grey’s Anatomy” star T.R. Knight) welcomes the audience in a humorous fashion: “Tonight, we give you Shakespeare in a new time, a modern time,” he says. “So gone are the fancy tights, and gone are the boys playing women — we have actual real women!” 

“It’s a hard play,” Knight admitted, echoing Dench. 

“[The play] is filled with so much vile, racist ugliness,” he said, adding that “a straight version of ‘Merchant of Venice’” would “border on the impossible” to pull off.

However, as executive producer Sara Stackhouse points out, “We��re doing this version of ‘Merchant of Venice’ in the context of Oct. 7, and what happened in Amsterdam, and the election and a real rise in hatred and antisemitism around the world.” (Israeli soccer fans were attacked after a game in the Dutch capital earlier this month.)

According to Golyak, Shakespeare intended “The Merchant of Venice” to be a straightforward comedy in which good defeats evil. The problem? In the play, “evil” is presented as a loathsome Jew — a detail that was likely far more palatable in 1590s England, which had expelled its Jews 300 years earlier, than to present-day audiences. 

Golyak, who is Jewish and originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, leans into — and by the play’s conclusion, undercuts — the original script’s clear-cut, good-versus-evil plot by exaggerating its use of tropes. For example, as he contemplates loaning money out to Bassanio (José Espinosa) in Antonio’s name, Shylock the villainous Jew (Richard Topol) dons Groucho glasses and a vampire’s teeth and cape, while the Christian heroes at one point slip into Batman masks to defeat him.

“Batman, Superman, you know they’re the quote-unquote righteous ones,” Golyak said. “Of course, I’m being ironic, but that was the initial intention of the play.”

Golyak added that, centuries ago, the actor playing Shylock would don a red wig to echo traditional portrayals of Judas with red hair. And Shylock’s monologues — like the iconic, “Hath not a Jew eyes?” — which are nowadays typically portrayed in an emotional, human light, were once fodder for the audience’s laughter. 

“He was this comic villain,” Golyak said. “So we are going with that until the play turns on itself.”

Over the years, directors have altered the script of “Merchant” to confront its offensive aspects for contemporary audiences. An adaptation that ran last year at the New Ohio Theatre, for example, reimagined the play by focusing on the idea of white supremacy. The previous year, a “Merchant” production in Brooklyn tackled anti-Black racism.

Golyak’s take, however, acknowledges not just the hatred within the play, but also the ease with which audiences can become complicit in that hatred. Nearly every scene has comedic elements, like Antonio’s frazzled, bumbling introduction, or the game show played by suitors/contestants to win over Portia, which lull the audience into a state of enjoyment. “Everyone is having fun, everyone is laughing together,” said Golyak, “and then we fall into supporting the hate.” 

“This play is a comedy, and it’s a blast — until it’s devastating,” Stackhouse concurred. 

Golyak and much of the cast recently worked on “Our Class,” a dark play about the 1941 Jedwabne pogrom, that was performed at BAM in January. For his next work, he wanted to try something lighter — and thus he landed on “The Merchant of Venice.” “I wanted to come at the same theme of antisemitism from the opposite angle, but ultimately arriving at the same depth,” he said.

Broadway veteran Topol said playing Shylock is “a little bit scary for [him] to do” as a Jew. But the role has long been on the bucket list for Topol, who played Tubal alongside Al Pacino’s Shylock in the 2010 production of “The Merchant of Venice” at Shakespeare in the Park. “I’m stealing as much Al Pacino as I can,” he said. 

Shylock’s journey of losing his daughter — who marries a Christian — and losing the money loaned to Antonio leads to a twist ending hinted at by Golyak and cast members that forces the audience to reflect on their own laughter throughout the show. Like in the original, Shylock succumbs to the Christians, but “how we express it is different,” Golyak said. 

Alexandra Silber, who stars as Portia, is no stranger to the theme of antisemitism — she’s played a number of “harrowing Jews” in her career, including Rachelka in “Our Class” and both Hodel and Tzeitel in “Fiddler on the Roof” (twice each). And while she expressed concern over rising antisemitism — pointing to last week’s neo-Nazi demonstration outside a community theater production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Michigan — Silber also acknowledged the role that humor can play in combating it. 

“Jews are better than anybody in the world at laughter,” she said. “I think the shoulder shrug, the joyous dancing, the religious ecstasy and the cultural community that laughs together, is why we’ve been able to bear it all.”

[do-you-have-a-flag]

actually since i've seen over 30 live theatrical productions let me just list a few highlights of what i've seen because i love aussie theatre when i get out to see it

ghost quartet ending with them handing the audience their instruments and i got to pluck at a cello

calamity jane post show lobby piano sing along to i kissed a girl where calamity and kate's actresses kissed

the modernised edward ii play that used the Petula Clark song I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love, i saw it twice because it was soooooo much and i had to share the brainrot with friends #DicksOut4EdwardII

the bit in the black rider where an actor has to roll around in goop while everyone chants AN OILY NIGHT

rocky horror show production where Frank's floor show entrance was a upon a giant winged penis that ejaculated confetti hearts onto the audience

the guy playing Jesus in a small production of reefer madness coming out to sweep the stage hearing "take off your shirt Jesus!" and doing so

much ado about nothing at the pop-up globe right around the marriage equality postal vote where dogberry and verges got together at the end with dogberry shouting I VOTE YES!

seeing Topol in his farewell tour of Fiddler on the roof where the whole audience clapped in time every single scene change

studying richard iii in highschool going as a class to see the MTC production, and everyone realising the lead actor looked like our literature teacher, that teacher coming into class the next day doing an impression of richard the third

the production of les miserables that was so good not only did i see it twice but i think amongst my friends everyone must have seen it upwards of 30 times collectively

[daughterofhecata]

Reading List 2023

Ocean Vuong: Night Sky With Exit Wounds

Alena Mornštajnová: Hana

Wolfgang Benz: Theresienstadt. Ein Geschichte von Täuschung und Vernichtung.

Jáchym Topol: Die Teufelswerkstatt [org. title: Chladnou zemí]

Ocean Vuong: Time is a Mother

Richard Siken: Crush

Ben Nevis: Die Drei ??? Die Yacht des Verrats

Frank Wedekind: Frühlings Erwachen (reread)

James Ellroy: Die Schwarze Dahlie [org. title: The Black Dahlia]

André Marx: Die Drei ??? und der Puppenmacher

Evelyn Boyd: Rocky Beach Crimes #2. Mord unter Palmen.

Peter Hallama: Nationale Helden und jüdische Opfer. Tschechische Repräsentationen des Holocaust.

Brigitte Johanna Henkel-Waidhofer: Die Drei ??? Späte Rache

Kim Newman: Professor Moriarty. The Hound of the D‘Urbervilles. (reread)

Vera Schiff: The Theresienstadt Deception. The Concentration Camp the Nazis Created to Deceive the World.

Evelyn Boyd: Rocky Beach Crimes #2. Mord unter Palmen. (reread)

Josef Bor: Die verlassene Puppe [org. title: Opuštěná panenka]

Kari Erlhoff: Rocky Beach Crimes #1. Tödliche Törtchen.

Susanna Partsch: Wer klaute die Mona Lisa? Die berühmtesten Kunstdiebstähle der Welt.

Kathy Reichs: Virals #1. Tote können nicht mehr reden. [org. title: Virals] (reread)

Arthur Schnitzler: Reigen (reread)

Evelyn Boyd: Die Drei ??? Teuflisches Foul

Faye Kellerman: Der Zorn sei dein Ende [org. title: The Hunt]

J.D. Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye

Władysław Szlengel: Was ich den Toten las [org. title: Co czytałem umarłym]

Hanna Krall: Dem Herrgott Zuvorkommen [org. title: Zdążyć przed Panem Bogiem]

Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed

Thomas Mann: Der Tod in Venedig

James Oswald: Natural Causes. An Inspector McLean Novel.

Sylvia Plath: The Bell Jar (reread)

Christoph Dittert: Die Drei ??? Melodie der Rache

Maria Rolnikaitė: Mein Tagebuch [org. title: Ja dolžna rasskazat']

Mark Thompson: Leatherfolk. Radical Sex, People, Politics and Practice.

James Baldwin: Giovanni‘s Room

Christopher Tauber, Hanna Wenzel: Rocky Beach. Eine Interpretation.

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun

Jonathan Kellerman: Unnatural History. An Alex Delaware Novel.

Robert Arthur: Die Drei ??? und die Geisterinsel. [org. title: The Three Investigators in the Secret of Skeleton Island]

Evelyn Boyd: Rocky Beach Crimes #3. Eiskalter Rausch.

André Marx: Die Drei ??? Labyrinth der Götter

John Barth: Lost in the Funhouse

Langston Hughes: Selected Poems of Langston Hughes.

Claude McKay: Harlem Shadows. The Poems of Claude McKay.

Jonathan Kellerman: Exit. Ein Alex Delaware Roman. [org. title: Devil‘s Waltz. An Alex Delaware Novel.] (reread)

David Henry Hwang: M Butterfly

James Oswald: The Book of Souls. An Inspector McLean Novel.

Jonathan Kellerman: Time Bomb. An Alex Delaware Novel. (reread)

Manuela Günter: Überleben schreiben. Zur Autobiographik der Shoah.

Birgit Kröhle: Geschichte und Geschichten. Die literarische Verarbeitung von Auschwitz-Erlebnissen.

Alexander F. Spreng: Der Fluch (reread)

Sibylle Schmidt: Zeugenschaft. Ethische und politische Dimensionen.

Sibylle Schmidt: Ethik und Episteme der Zeugenschaft

Kari Erlhoff & Christoph Dittert: Die Drei ??? und die Salztote

Jeanette McCurdy: I‘m Glad My Mom Died

E.T.A. Hoffmann: Der Sandmann

Hendrik Buchna: Die Drei ??? Drehbuch der Täuschung

Michael Scott: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2. The Magician. (reread)

Alain Locke: The New Negro

Mascha Kaléko: Großstadtliebe. Lyrische Stenogramme.

Marco Sonnleitner: Die Drei ??? Der Tag der Toten

Georg Heym: Gedichte [herausgegeben von Stephan Hermlin]

Rose Ausländer: Hinter allen Worten. Gedichte. [herausgegeben von Helmut Braun]

Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

Paul Celan: Ausgewählte Gedichte. Zwei Reden. [herausgegeben von Günther Busch]

Rich Cohen: Lake Shore Drive [org. title: Lake Effect]

Jan T. Gross: Neighbors. The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland.

Kathy Reichs: Virals #2. Nur die Tote kennt die Wahrheit. [org. title: Seizure]

Jonathan Kellerman: Bones. An Alex Delaware Novel. (reread)

Akwaeke Emezi: You made a Fool of Death with your Beauty

Friedrich Schiller: Maria Stuart

Bret Easton Ellis: American Psycho

Christian Handel: Die Hexenwald-Chroniken #2. Palast aus Gold und Tränen.

Maurice Leblanc: Arsène Lupin und der Schatz der Könige von Frankreich [org. title: L'Aiguille creuse]

E.T.A. Hoffmann: Nussknacker und Mausekönig

Marco Sonnleitner: Die Drei ??? Panik im Park

Ben Nevis: Die Drei ??? Tal des Schreckens

Michael Borlik: Ihr mich auch

Robert Arthur: Die Drei ??? und der grüne Geist [org. title: Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators in the Mystery of the Green Ghost]

Barbara Köhler: Niemands Frau. Gesänge.

Christoph Dittert: Die Drei ??? Hotel der Diebe

Cornelia Funke: Tintenwelt #4. Die Farbe der Rache.

DNF:

Thomas Ziebula: Paul Stainer #1. Der rote Judas.

Faye Kellerman: Mord im Garten Eden [org. title: The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights]

[lindsaywesker]

Deaths In 2023

January

1: Fred White (67, American drummer, Earth Wind & Fire)

3: Alan Rankine (64, Scottish musician/producer, The Associates)

6: Gianluca Vialli (58, Italian football player/manager)

10: Jeff Beck (78, English guitarist, The Yardbirds/The Jeff Beck Group/Beck Bogart & Appice)

11: Yukihiro Takahashi (70, Japanese singer/drummer, Yellow Magic Orchestra)

12: Robbie Bachman (69, Canadian drummer, Bachman Turner Overdrive)

Lisa-Marie Presley (54, American singer/songwriter, daughter of Elvis, mother of Riley Keough)

16: Gina Lollobrigida (95, Italian actress)

18: David Crosby (81, American singer/songwriter, The Byrds, Crosby Stills Nash & Young)

27: Sylvia Sims (89, English actress, ‘Ice Cold In Alex’)

28: Barrett Strong (81, American singer/songwriter, co-wrote ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’/‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’

Tom Verlaine (73, American musician/songwriter/producer, Television)

Lisa Loring (64, American actress, ‘The Addams Family’)

February

2: Calton Coffie (68, Jamaican singer, Inner Circle)

3: Paco Rabanne (88, Spanish fashion designer)

8: Burt Bacharach (94, American songwriter, co-wrote ‘Walk On By’/‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’/‘A House Is Not A Home’/‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’)

10: Hugh Hudson (86, film director, ‘Chariots Of Fire’)

12: David Jolicoeur a.k.a. Trugoy The Dove (54, American rapper, De La Soul)

15: Raquel Welch (82, American actress)

16: Chuck Jackson (85, American soul singer, ‘Any Day Now’/‘I Keep Forgettin’’)

18: Barbara Bosson (83, American actress, ‘Hill Street Blues’)

19: Richard Belzer (78, American actor, ‘Homicide: Life On The Street’/’Law And Order: Special Victims Unit’)

Dickie Davies (94, British television personality, ‘World Of Sport’)

23: John Motson (77, English football commentator, ‘Match Of The Day’)

March

2: Steve Mackey (56, English bassist/producer, Pulp)

Wayne Shorter (89, American jazz saxophonist, Weather Report)

3: Carlos Garnett (84, Panamanian jazz saxophonist)

Tom Sizemore (61, American actor, ‘Saving Private Ryan’)

5: Gary Rossington (71, American guitarist, Lynyrd Skynyrd)

8: Topol (87, Israeli actor, ‘Fiddler On The Roof’/’Flash Gordon’)

10: Junior English (71, Jamaican reggae singer)

12: Dick Fosbury (76, American high jumper)

13: Jim Gordon (77, American drummer, Traffic/Derek & The Dominoes)

14: Bobby Caldwell (71, American singer/songwriter)

15: Greg Perry (singer/songwriter/producer)

16: Fuzzy Haskins (81, American singer, Parliament/Funkadelic)

17: Lance Reddick (60, American actor, ‘The Wire’/’Oz’/’John Wick’ films)

23: Keith Reid (76, English songwriter, Procol Harum)

Peter Shelley (80, English singer/songwriter/producer, ‘Gee Baby’/’Love Me Love My Dog’)

28: Paul O’Grady a.k.a. Lily Savage (67, English comedian)

Ryuichi Sakamoto (71, Japanese musician/composer, Yellow Magic Orchestra, composed theme to ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’)

29: Charles Sherrell a.k.a. Sweet Charles (80, American bass player/singer, The JBs, ‘Yes, It’s You’)

April

5: Booker T. Newberry III (67, American singer, Sweet Thunder, ‘Love Town’)

6: Paul Cattermole (46, English singer, S Club 7)

8: Michael Lerner (81, American actor, ‘Barton Fink’)

12: Jah Shaka (75, Jamaican sound system operator)

13: Dame Mary Quant (93, English fashion designer)

14: Mark Sheehan (46, Irish guitarist, The Script)

16: Ahmad Jamal (92, jazz pianist)

17: Ivan Conti (76, jazz drummer, Azymuth)

22: Barry Humphries a.k.a. Dame Edna Everage (89, Australian comedian/actor)

Len Goodman (78, English TV personality)

25: Harry Belafonte (95, American musician/actor/civil rights leader)

27: Wee Willie Harris (90, English rock & roll singer)

Jerry Springer (79, English-born, American TV host)

28: Tim Bachman (71, Canadian guitarist, Bachman-Turner Overdrive)

May

1: Gordon Lightfoot (84, Canadian singer/songwriter, ‘If You Could Read My Mind’)

3: Linda Lewis (72, English singer/songwriter, ‘Rock-A-Doodle-Doo’)

18: Jim Brown (87, American football player/actor, ‘The Dirty Dozen’)

19: Pete Brown (82, poet/singer/lyricist, ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’/’White Room’/’I Feel Free’)

Andy Rourke (59, English bass player, The Smiths)

24: Bill Lee (94, American jazz musician/composer, Spike’s dad, scored ‘She’s Gotta Have It’/‘School Daze’/’Do The Right Thing’

Tina Turner (84, American-born, Swiss singer/actress, ‘River Deep Mountain High’/’Nutbush City Limits’/’What’s Love Got To Do With It?’)

26: Reuben Wilson (88, American jazz organist, ‘Got To Get Your Own’)

June

1: Cynthia Weil (82, songwriter, ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’’/’Here You Come Again’)

6: Tony McPhee (79, English guitarist, The Groundhogs)

12: Treat Williams (71, American actor, ‘Hair’/’Prince Of The City’)

14: John Hollins (76, English football player, Chelsea/Arsenal/England)

15: Glenda Jackson (87, English MP/actress, ‘Women In Love’/’Sunday Bloody Sunday’)

27: Julian Sands (65, English actor, ‘A Room With A View’)

29: Alan Arkin (89, American actor, ‘Catch 22’/’Little Miss Sunshine’)

30: Lord Creator (87, Trinidad-born, Jamaican singer/songwriter, ‘Kingston Town’)

July

3: Vicki Anderson a.k.a. Myra Barnes  (83, American soul singer, Carleen’s mum)

Mo Foster (78, English songwriter/musician/producer)

5: George Tickner (76, American guitarist, Journey)

16: Jane Birkin (76, French/English actress/singer, ‘Je t’aime … moi non plus’, banned by the BBC in 1969)

21: Tony Bennett (96, American singer, ‘I Left My Heart In San Francisco’)

22: Vince Hill (89, English singer, ‘Edelweiss’)

24: Trevor Francis (69, English football player, Birmingham City/England)

26: Randy Meisner (77, musician/songwriter, Poco/The Eagles, ‘Take It To The Limit’)

Sinead O’Connor (56, Irish singer, ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’/songwriter, ‘Mandinka’)

30: Paul Reubens a.k.a. Pee-Wee Herman (70, American actor/comedian)

31: Angus Cloud (25, American actor, ‘Euphoria’)

 August

4: John Gosling (75, English keyboard player, The Kinks)

7: DJ Casper (58, DJ/artist/songwriter, ‘Cha Cha Slide’)

William Friedkin (87, American film director, ‘The French Connection’/’The Exorcist’)

9: Robbie Robertson (80, Canadian musician/songwriter/singer, The Band)

Sixto Rodriguez (81, American singer/songwriter, subject of 2012 documentary ‘Searching For Sugar Man’

13: Clarence Avant (92, owner of Sussex Records/Tabu Records, film producer, ‘Jason’s Lyric’)

Magoo (50, American rapper, Timbaland & Magoo)

16: Jerry Moss (88, music executive, the ‘M’ in A&M Records)

17: Bobby Eli (77, guitarist, MFSB/songwriter, ‘Love Won’t Let Me Wait’)

Gary Young (70, American drummer, Pavement)

19: Ron Cephas Jones (66, American actor, ‘This Is Us’)

24: Bernie Marsden (72, English guitarist, Whitesnake/songwriter, ‘Here I Go Again’/’Fool For Your Loving’)

29: Jamie Crick (57, English radio broadcaster, Jazz FM)

31: Gayle Hunnicutt (80, American actress, ‘Dallas’)

September

1: Jimmy Buffett (76, American singer/songwriter, ‘Margaritaville’)

4: Gary Wright (80, American singer/songwriter, ‘Dream Weaver’/’Love Is Alive’)

Steve Harwell (56, American singer/rapper, Smash Mouth)

8: Mike Yarwood (82, English comedian/impressionist)

13: Roger Whittaker (87, Kenyan-born English singer/songwriter, ‘Durham Town’)

16: Sir Horace Ove (86, Trinidadian-born, English film director, ‘Pressure’)

Irish Grinstead (43, American R&B singer, 702)

25: David McCallum (90, Scottish actor, ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’/’N.C.I.S.’/musician)

28: Michael Gambon (82, English actor, ‘Harry Potter’ movies)

30: Russell Batiste Jr. (57, American drummer, The Meters)

October

2: Francis Lee (79, English football player, Manchester City/England)

8: Burt Young (83, American actor, ‘Rocky’)

11: Rudolph Isley (84, American singer, The Isley Brothers/songwriter, ‘That Lady’)

12: Michael Cooper (71, Jamaican musician, Inner Circle/Third World)

14: Piper Laurie (91, American actress, ‘Carrie’/’The Hustler’)

19: DJ Mark The 45 King (62, DJ/musician/producer, ‘The 900 Number’)

20: Haydn Gwynne (66, English actress, ‘Drop The Dead Donkey’)

21: Sir Bobby Charlton (86, English footballer, Manchester United/England)

24: Richard Roundtree (81, American actor, ‘Shaft’)

28: Matthew Perry (54, American-Canadian actor, ‘Friends’)

November

12: Anna Scher (78, founder of the Anna Scher Children’s Theatre)

19: Joss Ackland CBE (95, English actor, ‘White Mischief’)

22: Jean Knight (80, American soul singer, ‘Mr. Big Stuff’)

25: Terry Venables (80, English footballer, Chelsea/Tottenham Hotspur/England manager)

26: Geordie Walker (64, English guitarist, Killing Joke)

29: Sticky Vicky (80, Spanish dancer and illusionist)

30: Shane MacGowan (65, English-born Irish singer, The Pogues/songwriter, ‘Fairytale Of New York’)

December

1: Brigit Forsyth (83, Scottish actress, ‘Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?’)

5: Denny Laine (79, English musician, The Moody Blues/Wings, songwriter, ‘Mull Of Kintyre’)

7: Benjamin Zephaniah (65, English poet/writer/actor, ‘Peaky Blinders’)

8: Ryan O’Neal (82, American actor, ‘Love Story’/’Barry Lyndon’/’Paper Moon’)

Nidra Beard (71, American singer, Dynasty)

11: Andre Braugher (61, American actor, ‘Homicide: Life On The Street’/’Brooklyn Nine-Nine’/’Glory’)

Richard Kerr (78, English singer/songwriter, ‘Mandy’)

15: Bob Johnson (79, singer/songwriter/musician, Steeleye Span)

16: Colin Burgess (77, Australian drummer, AC/DC)

17: Amp Fiddler (65, singer/songwriter/producer)

[frontmezzjunkies]

MART Foundation presents Arlekin in Residence at Off-Broadway's Classic Stage Company with Two Productions

#frontmezzjunkies reports: #MARTFoundation is presenting #ArlekinInResidence at #OffBroadway's #ClassicStageCompany with two productions: #OurClass - the acclaimed hit & #TheMerchantOfVenice - a bold new adaptation director: #IgorGolyak @classicstage

Richard Topol in Our Class. Photo: Pavel Antonov. Our Class – The acclaimed Off-Broadway hit & The Merchant of Venice – A bold new adaptation transfers to Off-Broadway’s Classic Stage Company. After its sold-out run at Brooklyn Academy of Music in winter 2024, the off-Broadway production Our Class, by Polish playwright Tadeusz Slobodzianek, and helmed by Ukrainian-born, Jewish director Igor…

[daughterofhecata]

Once again I aimed for complete blackouts on @batmanisagatewaydrug's and @macrolit's reading bingos and this time, I actually succeded! (Even if I took some liberties with the term 'novel' on the macrolit one, mostly focused on the 'classics' aspect.) Lowkey proud of myself ngl.

Titles for both under the cut, full reading list here.

batmanisagatewaydrug:

graphic novel: Christopher Tauber, Hanna Wenzel: Rocky Beach. Eine Interpretation. [no english title]

horror: Jáchym Topol: Die Teufelswerkstatt [org. title: Chladnou zemí/engl. title: The Devil’s Workshop]

author you’ve never read before: David Henry Hwang: M Butterfly

translation: Władysław Szlengel: Was ich den Toten las [org. title: Co czytałem umarłym/engl. title: What I Read to the Dead]

poetry collection: Richard Siken: Crush

a book recommended by a friend: James Oswald: Natural Causes. An Inspector McLean Novel.

verse novel: Alexander F. Spreng: Der Fluch [no english title]

novella: Thomas Mann: Der Tod in Venedig [engl. title: Death in Venice]

a book w/ vampires: Michael Scott: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2. The Magician.

book w/ a cover you think is cool: Cornelia Funke: Tintenwelt #4. Die Farbe der Rache. [engl. title: The Color of Revenge]

2023 release: Jonathan Kellerman: Unnatural History. An Alex Delaware Novel

book w/ an animal on the cover: Faye Kellerman: Der Zorn sei dein Ende [org. title: The Hunt]

book published before 1980: Josef Bor: Die verlassene Puppe [org. title: Opuštěná panenka/engl. title: The Abandoned Doll]

science fiction: Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed

romance: Akwaeke Emezi: You made a Fool of Death with your Beauty

historical fiction: Alena Mornštajnová: Hana [org. title: Hana/engl. title: Hannah]

450+ pages: James Ellroy: Die Schwarze Dahlie [org. title: The Black Dahlia]

memoir: Jeanette McCurdy: I‘m Glad My Mom Died

re-read a book from school: Frank Wedekind: Frühlings Erwachen [engl. title: Spring Awakening]

short story collection: John Barth: Lost in the Funhouse

non-fiction: Vera Schiff: The Theresienstadt Deception. The Concentration Camp the Nazis Created to Deceive the World.

book w/ a movie adaption: Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

book published in your birthday month: Jan T. Gross: Neighbors. The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland.

anthology: Alain Locke: The New Negro

macrolit:

Classic Author A/B/C: James Baldwin: Giovanni‘s Room

Published between 2000-2023: Kim Newman: Professor Moriarty. The Hound of the D‘Urbervilles

Philosophy or Literary Criticism: [various books and essays for three literature courses]

Harlem Renaissance: Claude McKay: Harlem Shadows

Children’s Literature: [various Three Investigators books]

Fan Fiction: [various works]

Essays or Satire: Mark Thompson: Leatherfolk. Radical Sex, People, Politics and Practice.

Book of Short Stories: John Barth: Lost in the Funhouse

Classic Author G/H/I: Lorraine Vivian Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun

LGBTQ+ Author: Ocean Vuong: Time is a Mother

Published before 1940: Friedrich Schiller: Maria Stuart

Classic Author J/K/L: Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed

Detective, Horror, or Suspense: Maurice Leblanc: Arsène Lupin und der Schatz der Könige von Frankreich [org. title: L'Aiguille creuse/engl. title: The Hollow Needle]

Classic Author M/N/O: Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

Classic Author S/T/U: J.D. Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye

Poetry or Play: Arthur Schnitzler: Reigen [engl. title: La Ronde]

Biography or Non-Fiction: Peter Hallama: Nationale Helden und jüdische Opfer. Tschechische Repräsentationen des Holocaust. [no english title]

Classic Author P/Q/R: Sylvia Plath: The Bell Jar

Graphic Novel: Christopher Tauber, Hanna Wenzel: Rocky Beach. Eine Interpretation. [no english title]

Published between 1940-1999: Hanna Krall: Dem Herrgott Zuvorkommen [org. title: Zdążyć przed Panem Bogiem/engl. title: Shielding the Flame]

Classic Author D/E/F: Bret Easton Ellis: American Psycho

Young Adult: Kathy Reichs: Virals #1. Tote können nicht mehr reden. [org. title: Virals]

Gothic Fiction: E.T.A. Hoffmann: Nussknacker und Mausekönig [engl. title: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King]

Classic Author V/W/X/Y/Z: Frank Wedekind: Frühlings Erwachen [engl. title: Spring Awakening]

[antonio-velardo]

Antonio Velardo shares: Notable Deaths 2023: Stage and Screen by Unknown Author

By Unknown Author Remembering Norman Lear, Matthew Perry, Paul Reubens, Richard Roundtree, Michael Gambon, Raquel Welch, Ryan O’Neal, Glenda Jackson, William Friedkin, Bob Barker, Gina Lollobrigida, Grace Bumbry, Topol, Jerry Springer, Suzanne Somers and many others who died in 2023. Published: December 18, 2023 at 11:37AM from NYT Obituaries https://ift.tt/eO2xngE via IFTTT

[amcsociety]

Theatre SF Review (TSFR) : “Let The Right One In”

I have watched the original film, "Let the Right One In," as well as the television series. The recent stage adaptation at Berkeley Repertory delivers a poignant coming-of-age narrative that revolves around the relationship between Oskar and Eli.

"Let the Right One In" is a widely acclaimed play that explores themes of friendship, love, and the darkness that can reside within us. It often showcases powerful dramatic moments and delves into the complex relationships between its characters, including Oskar and his mother, Oskar and his bullies, as well as Oskar and Eli. One of my favorite moments is the dance sequence in the first act, which beautifully portrays the close bond between mother and son. Additionally, the pivotal moment where Oskar grants Eli permission to enter the apartment is emotionally impactful. Another memorable scene is when Eli sleeps inside the trunk, with Oskar beside it, highlighting the blossoming bond between them.

Berkeley Repertory is currently showcasing the National Theatre's "Let the Right One In" at the Roda Theatre, and it will be playing until June 25, 2023. The stage adaptation, by Jack Thorne, is based on the Swedish novel and film by John Ajvide Lindqvist. The production is directed by John Tiffany.

The cast of "Let the Right One In" includes John Demegillo as Micke, Jack DiFalco as Janne, Erik Hellman as Kurt, Michael Johnston as Johnny, Noah Lamanna as Eli, Diego Luciano as Oskar, Nicole Shaloub as Oskar's mom, Julius Thomas III as Mr. Avila, Richard Topol as Hallam. The understudies for the production are Gabby Policano for Eli, Lisa Anne Porter for Oskar's mom, Lawrence Radecker for Hakan, Mr. Avila, Halmberg, and Johnny Rice for Kurt, Jocke, and more.

"Let the Right One In" is a novel written by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist. Published in 2004, it is a unique blend of horror, romance, and coming-of-age themes. The story takes place in the suburbs of Stockholm, primarily focusing on the relationship between two main characters: Oskar, a lonely and bullied 12-year-old boy, and Eli, a mysterious young girl who moves into the same apartment complex.

Oskar is constantly tormented by his classmates and finds solace in a secluded spot where he often fantasizes about revenge. One evening, he meets Eli, who appears to be around his age but has an otherworldly aura. Eli only comes out at night, and despite her peculiarities, she and Oskar strike up an unlikely friendship. Oskar finds comfort and companionship with Eli, unaware of her dark secret—she is a vampire.

As their bond deepens, Oskar starts to discover Eli's true nature. He witnesses her drinking blood and realizes that she requires it to survive. Despite the horror of this revelation, Oskar continues to be drawn to Eli, and she becomes his protector against his tormentors. Together, they navigate the complexities of their relationship, grappling with themes of loneliness, love, and the blurred lines between good and evil.

Throughout the story, Lindqvist delves into the moral ambiguity of vampirism and explores the emotional vulnerability and resilience of his young protagonists. The narrative explores the themes of alienation, violence, and the yearning for connection in a dark and atmospheric setting.

"Let the Right One In" received critical acclaim for its haunting atmosphere, character development, and thought-provoking exploration of human nature. It has been adapted into a successful Swedish film in 2008 and an English-language film titled "Let Me In" in 2010, as well as a stage play and other adaptations in various forms of media.

To conclude, the current production of "Let the Right One In" at Berkeley Repertory is a triumph in diversity as it embraces transgender representation in the updated stage version. This inclusive casting choice is commendable and adds a significant layer of representation to the production. Bravo to the entire cast, production team, and creatives involved in bringing this powerful and thought-provoking play to life.

[wafact]

15 Innovative Ideas For Fixing Healthcare From 15 Brilliant Minds Wafact

Top row: Malcolm Gladwell, Elisabeth Rosenthal, David Feinberg, Devi Shetty, Eric Topol. Second row: … [+] Richard Pollack, Donald Berwick, Zubin Damania, Amanda Calhoun, Christopher and Gordon Chen. Third row: Rod Rohrich, Jen Gunter, Vinod Khosla. Fourth row: Marty Makary, Jonathan Fisher, Robert Pearl. The Fixing Healthcare podcast with Dr. Robert Pearl and Jermey Corr After 18 years as CEO in…

[moxyphinx]

INDECENT dir. Rebecca Taichman

1907 - Berlin - A Cabaret

[caroleditosti]

'Prayer for the French Republic,' Haunting, Current, Universal

‘Prayer for the French Republic,’ Haunting, Current, Universal

Francis Benhamou, Jeff Seymour and Yair Ben Dor in Prayer for the French Republic (courtesy of Matthew Murphy), Shifting in flashback between (2016-2017) and (1944-1946) set in two different Parisian apartments, Prayer for the French Republic (currently at Manhattan Theatre Club) by Joshua Harmon (Bad Jews), directed by David Cromer (The Band’s Visit), focuses on a Jewish family’s concerns about…

[deprotagonisten]

Minyan

Recensie Minyan ★★★1/2 - vanaf 3-2 in de bioscoop en op @PiclNL Jezelf ontdekken kan spannend zijn, vooral als de mensen om je heen nogal oordelend zijn. Een lichte spanning, een interessante score en een cinematografie zonder poespas. Het kijken waard!

De dramafilm Minyan gaat over de 17-jarige David, die zijn homoseksualiteit ontdekt. In zijn gemeenschap is dat iets onbespreekbaars, maar toch zijn er mensen om hem heen die hem daarin begeleiden. Wat wij van Minyan vinden, lees je in onze recensie. (more…)

[guginosource]

Carla Gugino as Carol in Alice Birch’s Anatomy of a Suicide

“CAROL: I hope you live. Big. All the time. In every possible moment. With As Much as you possibly can. Like you do. Like you already do.”