Items filtered by date: November 2007

Many of us have sky-high dreams and fantasies of landing Acting jobs, and being huge stars in reality.  Learn more of what actors on the rise think, regarding a lot of things. Plus, read what it’s like to have acted with “Seinfeld’s” ‘The Soup Nazi,’ Larry Thomas, in “You Don’t Say!” a new comedy.

“You Don’t Say!” was written/directed and co-produced by award-winning filmmaker, Robert Alaniz, of Sole productions, with music from Alan O’Day.

JULIA CHERESON (Roberta “Bobbi” Evans)

BUZZ:  I love asking people what they were like in high school because I’m just nosey like that! So, were you a “Stoner?”

JULIA: (LAUGHS) “I was a dweeb—I was a total nerd.”

BUZZ: But in a good way, being a “Dweeb” or “Nerd” can be a good thing. “Smart cookies” are yummy!

JULIA: “I was not the girl who got asked to dances—I was the girl who was asked to help with their homework, so they could get a good enough grade to be able to go to dances. So, I was very ‘Nerdy.’  I had a great group of friends, and that can get you through not being popular. And, we were smart and happy. And, I behaved, pretty much by the book. Hopefully, still making my parents proud. They’re pretty excited about the premiere [of ‘You Don’t Say!’]”

BUZZ: They must be, especially because you got a leading role in your first film—congrats, Julia!

JULIA: “Thank you. I wasn’t really sure I was going to get the role. When Robert called, I stepped out on the porch. I was at home visiting my parents in Ohio, and we don’t get good reception because we live in the country. Well, my parents don’t. And, I was like I can’t lose this call because of bad reception! And Robert told me I got the role, and we talked for a couple of minutes. And I went inside, and I asked ‘Mom, where’s that bottle of wine you picked up today?’ So, we opened up a bottle of her favorite wine, and we all toasted and celebrated—it was so exciting! And, how could it be any better than to be with my family when I got that news.”

BUZZ:  Besides, being excited and grateful for your family, how else did you feel about the film, since it was your first one?

JULIA:  “I kind of went in just ready to absorb everything I could. Also, to give my best performance possible.”

BUZZ:  How old are you?

JULIA: “I’m twenty-five.”

BUZZ: Oh, that’s great—you have the world by the balls, then!

JULIA:  “I say ‘I’m too old, I’m too old to act,’ and my boyfriend reassures me. And, then I see older actors [whose careers’ are just starting, and that makes me feel better too]. I’m always like comparing, and I know I shouldn’t do that. It’s like the little ‘Nerd’ in me asking ‘Am I too old, Am I too young, Am I…’ That’s the thing about going into auditioning for roles that you might quite not fit. They might not know you’re what they want until you go in and show them. So, that’s something I try to keep in mind. So, it’s just like ‘Go for it—no matter what—go for it!’ who’s gonna stop you other than you. And, I’m confident in my abilities—it’s a matter of finding the right thing for you, and the right thing for that project.”

BUZZ:  How inspiring—I feel like I could fly to the moon, now!  But before I do, I have another question for you:  “What was the funniest thing that happened on set?”

JULIA: “Oh, we had a lot of fun. There were these two actors, who play Martin and Bruce in the film, and if they found a third, they could be the ‘Three stooges.’ There’s a scene where one of them had a little body odor, and the other reacts to it. And, the faces they make are just hilarious! I had a lot of giggle retakes during that. So, they’re my favorite duo.”

BUZZ: What’s one of the things you love about “You Don’t Say?”

JULIA: “I love the fact that there’s a strong female character at the center of the story.”

GARY GOW (Jerry Brownwell)

BUZZ: What were you like in high school?

GARY: “Actually, the first three years, I was painfully shy. And, I discovered acting, thanks to my Freshmen English teacher. And unbenounced to me, he was doing the fall play that year and didn’t know who he was going to have play the child in the play. And I walked in [to the room] and he said ‘Kid, I’m gonna make you a star.’ And I said ‘What do you mean?’ And he said ‘You wanna be in ma play?’ And I was in all of the high school plays after that.”

“Yeah, but in high school I was pretty shy. And, it was actually the acting that got attention for me, or even respect. I played the role of male leading role in Oklahoma in my junior year, and it was a real popular play and popular role. So I had this newborn-like popularity, and I was elected Student Body President for the following year. It was all through the play, because no one knew me otherwise.”

“And about ten years ago, I met Robert--he was auditioning for his first film. And I got the lead role in the film ‘Timeserver.’ That kind of led me down another road, where I got an agent and did some commercials and TV.”

BUZZ: Yeah, such a great actor, like yourself, I bet is swamped with Showbiz  work.

GARY:  “I teach locally, and that keeps me pretty busy. So, I haven’t really tried” [to get anymore acting jobs yet.]

BUZZ:  What can you say about your new film ‘You Don’t Say?’

GARY: “The movie makes you think it’s the things that you don’t say, that really matter the most. Yeah, it makes you look at things differently. This film has a lot to offer, too--there are a lot of different stories going on. It pokes fun at things that are ridiculous in society, you know. And, I think it really has something to say.”

BUZZ: What’s the first thing that pops into your head when I say “Larry Thomas?”

GARY:  “Fun, nice guy. I got a chance to speak with him on set between scenes, and boy he’ll just sit and talk with ya and share stories. And, he’s a very,  gracious gentleman. Yeah, he’s been a lot of fun. And that’s not always the case when you get to meet someone who’s been on a higher level as an actor. Sometimes, they’ll disappoint you. So, I was very happy to see he is very grounded and down-to-earth, amazing.”

BUZZ: What do you like to do in your spare time besides acting?

GARY: “ In my summers, I like to spend it with my wife and dog. He helped me shovel snow today (CHUCKLES). It was like two shovels and throw the ball (CHUCKLES).”

BUZZ: Yup, dogs can really keep you on your toes!

GARY: “Our’s is a Rescue dog. The previous owner didn’t treat him very well. He ran over his tail. So, his tail doesn’t work. It doesn’t seem to be stressful for him, so we didn’t have it cut off or anything. So he can’t wag, so when we come home, he smiles.”

BUZZ: I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOUR DOG THAT HE HAS SUCH KIND PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND YOUR WIFE.

GARY: “And, we’re happy for us—he’s a good boy, and you know what dogs can add to your life.”

DANI WILKIN (Teresa Temptin)

BUZZ: You have a degree form Columbia College inchi-town.

DANI: “Yes, my degree was in Fine Arts with a Minor in Acting”

BUZZ: It costs a bunch of dough to go there, right?

DANI: “Yeah, I’m still paying for it now, that’s for sure. And just when I was thinking Columbia wasn’t that worthwhile, I did a short film and met some people. It was a student film that we all didn’t even see the ending of. We all still talk and do films together. It’s all so strange that little film, that I didn’t see the product of, made it all worthwhile.”

BUZZ: What kind of roles do you want to play the most?

DANI: “Something that challenges me to the point of having a breakdown. I would love to do something that would make me research day in and day out, that would make me work so hard, they put me through a breakdown, to make me someone I’m completely not.”

BUZZ: Wow!

DANI:  “ ’You Don’t Say’ has given me probably the one of the most far away roles I have ever played. I have played a couple of parts in movies, but in ‘You Don’t Say,’ it was really one of the ones that made me go: This person is nothing like me. She’s the ditz, she’s the slut, she’s supposed to be sleeping with the boss. All things I pride myself against. Not like I don’t like [that] type of person. I’m just not [that] type of person. I’m not slutty or dressing inappropriately at work, and those sorts of things. But, I think it makes you rationalize why someone would do something like that.”

BUZZ:  Besides, it can make you have empathy for all sorts of folks.

DANI: “Exactly. I played an ex-heroin addict in “Arthouse Junkies,” And, when I was preparing for that role, I watched a lot of different films about drugs. And, I still watch those shows, about anyone with an addiction. I watch those shows constantly because you do empathize with them—you almost feel a part of you was that person.” [You can identify with their struggling.]

BUZZ: Are you a Method Actor?

DANI: “I think in ‘Arthouse Junkies’ I was method. In fact, It took me a couple of weeks to really shake her from me. Because, she was so strong—silently strong. With ‘You Don’t Say,’ I didn’t do Method Acting because she drove me nuts so badly (LAUGHS). [I’d say to myself,] ‘I’m so excited, she’s so sassy. I love her,’ and then like an hour later, I would say something silly or ditzy, and I would be like, ‘Okay, I really don’t want to be her anymore (LAUGHS)! ’ “

“I would show up on set in my pajamas, without my hair done, and I would spend an hour or two hours getting hair and make-up done. I had worn the tightest clothes, I had hair extensions in, I had tons of make-up done--I was so uncomfortable.”

BUZZ: Knowing sex sells, how do you feel about actresses doing nudity?

DANI: “There’s just certain things where you go, they just wanted to slip a boob in there. You need to really question, [as an actor, “Is showing your breasts, buttocks, vagina and/or penis] really necessary? Is this really going to change the film? Is it relevant to the story?” I would rather sell strength, and sell ambition over that--I’m working towards it.”

DAVID BRANIGAN (Eugene Evans)

BUZZ:  I read in your bio you‘ve done a lot of theatre work.

DAVID: “I didn’t necessarily act in all the plays, I’ve done sound for plays as well. I’ve been primarily doing Gaelic Park plays, and doing some producing of plays.”

BUZZ: What turned you on to acting?

DAVID: “About 6 or 7 years ago, I auditioned for a play called ‘Gaelic Park Players.’ And got a small role. In 2003, there was an audition call for a movie filming in the area [Chicago]. Robert Alaniz was filming his first movie ‘Timeserver.’ So, I went there, and got a bit part as a lawyer. You see me for about 40 seconds in the beginning of the movie. Which is good because it had been cut out at first.”

BUZZ: Do you have any other showbiz projects in the works?

DAVID: “I’m trying to get my retirement for June of last year from teaching. And, I’m trying to get something going, playing guitar and singing. I do a one man 50s and 60s act [all oldies].”

BUZZ: Do you have any chillins’?

DAVID: “No, it’s just my wife and I. And, we have a dog (Smiles big, and has no teeth missing)!”

BUZZ: I also have a baby dog.

DAVID: “So, the dog’s the kid (LAUGHS)?”

BUZZ:              Yes, and my Angel (Smiles big, and with no teeth missing yet—thank goodness)!

BUZZ: Why in detail do you think it’s said theater is so much harder to act in than films?

DAVID: “It’s actually a lot harder to do theater than to do movies because you screw up onstage, and then all the other people around you are screwed up as well. If you screw something up in a movie they just take another cut. “

BUZZ: I could be wrong, but I think I heard theater actors are more respected than any other actors. Plus, I’ve definitely heard there are a lot of film actors and television actors that wish to do theater.

DAVID:  “Yes, there are a lot of movie actors who want to do theatre, and some of them succeed, some of them don’t.”

BUZZ: That just shows how difficult acting in plays is!

DAVID: “Yeah, you really have to memorize everything. You have to memorize your lines. You have to memorize your blocking, you have to memorize your movements, your interactions with other people and emotions.”

BUZZ:  Do you think there are many differences between Community plays and Professional ones?”

DAVID: “My wife and I go to a lot of Broadway plays, and in just the acting and performance part of things, there’s really not that much of a difference.”

BUZZ:  What is the best thing you think you have ever said?

DAVID: “Saying ‘I love you’ to my wife every morning.”

LAURA ANN PARRY (Madelyne Evans)

BUZZ: I read that you are an attorney, and have two kids who are into acting?

LAURA: “Yes, I am [and] uh, ha.”

BUZZ: Did your kids want to pursue acting because of mom and dad?

LAURA: “No, actually, my 14-year-old wanted to pursue acting, and she was taking Acting classes, and she turned to me at dinner one day. And was saying something about her acting class, and then said to me ‘Never mind--you don’t understand.’ And I thought, wait a minute, so I took an Acting class. She inspired me! I initially took the Acting class to bond with her. I followed her, and then the little one followed too, because she thought it was a lot of fun.”

BUZZ: Did anything strange happen on the set of “You Don’t Say?”

LAURA: “The first day of filming, a light fell on me, right before the first take (LAUGHS)! One of the Set lights.”

BUZZ: Oh, no! Did it hit you in the head?

LAURA: “Yes, it hit me in the head, but not with the hot part. I was lucky, but yeah, quite an interesting experience for my first day on set (LAUGHS).

BUZZ:  So, since “You Don’t Say” is your first film, were you intimidated at all?

LAURA: “I wasn’t intimidated—I was eager and somewhat anxious. I didn’t quite know what was expected of me. Until, I threw it out there and just did my thing.”

BUZZ: Maybe, you were hesitant to ask any questions?

LAURA: “Right, because everybody is going about their business, setting up the lights…doing the sound. You know, checking things. And I finally figured out, if they want anything, a little more or a little less, they’ll tell me.”

BUZZ: Do Chicago actors walk with their nose in the air, and a stuck out dairy air?

LAURA:  “The Chicago acting scene is a lot different than you might find in other cities. We let each other know when auditions are coming up. Even when you walk into an audition, and you see the person that beat you in the last role, you’re still friends.”

BUZZ:  Yeah, I believe everything you just said. I have had nothing but incredibly good experiences with Chicago actors.

LAURA: “Trademark attorneys are like that, too! They’re very helpful to each other. I’m a bit of a geek.”

BUZZ: That brings me to the question: “How were you in high school?”

LAURA: “Okay, guess.”

BUZZ:  A cheerleader?

LAURA: “Yes! That’s how I live my life. I know that sounds really ridiculous, but I am a huge cheerleader for other people!”

BUZZ: So, what kind of work do you want to do next?

LAURA: “I want to do more films. I like to do stage—I like to do both! I play a very light comedic role in this film, but I just did staged combat, and was a scorned wife trying to create problems for someone else. The play was by Austin Pendleton, who’s a Steppenwolf Theater Ensemble member—he wrote the play.”

BUZZ: He is a tremendously talented man—congratulations on landing that role, too.

LAURA: “Thank you.”

STEVE PARKS (Mr. Adeemus)

BUZZ: You must be “tickled pink” about the premiere of “You Don’t Say!”

STEVE: “Yeah, the premiere is in Chicago on April 6^th.  I’m gonna be in charge of crowd control. I used to be a Corporate trainer. I was the kind that whenever they would go to a new city, and open a new Lowe’s theater, I was there even though I lived in the Chicago suburbs. I thought with a big crowd like this [for the premiere of “You Don’t Say!”], you need someone with experience. When I was with Lowes, that was when they were opening up ‘Spiderman’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ so I had to deal with those midnight crowds in costume.”

“For D.I.N.K.S (Another Robert Alaniz film), I was sitting at the table to meet people, and I was really shy. Another movie I did was ‘Coin Toss,’ and I played twins, definitely an actor’s dream. One of course, was an evil twin. [And at that premiere], afterwards, people just started coming up and talking to me. And that was so much more comfortable to just hang out in the lobby of the theater and talk to people that way, like normal people because the table isn’t in between you.”

BUZZ: What do you want folks to know about “You Don’t Say?”

STEVE: “I think it’s just as good as a lot of other things I’ve seen in big budget films. Robert had a lot really invested in it, and it’s very well done. And I really love the soundtrack by Alan O’Day.”

CATHERINE HOOD (Donna)

BUZZ: Why did you get into acting?

CATHERINE: “My father put me into dance classes—I used to travel with a company I was dancing for. From there, I think I was in fifth grade, and I was reading a book. And the teacher asked me ‘Have you ever thought about acting?’ And I was like ‘No, what do you mean?’ And my friend said ‘You know, Catherine, you did sound good reading that book.’ So, that just made me think about acting, and I tried out for a high school play. I did a lot of high school plays, and I got a scholarship to go to AMDA in California.”

BUZZ: What other Showbiz work have you done?

CATHERINE: “Last year, I did six or seven films, and today I just got cast in one. And I’m doing a play, ‘Fit to Kill,’ in Park Forest, And I’ll be playing a sexy, devious, evil woman who’s trying to get revenge on a couple.”

BUZZ: You would take a gorgeous mug shot! You have the mug of a model. Have you modeled before?

CATHERINE: “I have modeled, at the moment, I am one of the faces for Devry University. So, you might see me on billboards or buses nationwide, and on the internet.

BUZZ: Is there anything else you would like to add?

CATHERINE: “Just that I’m an actress, publicist and writer. As far as being a publicist goes, I did an internship at WGN for Dean Richards [and am the publicist for ‘You Don’t Say.’ And I write for Examinor.com—I write articles with, Margie Korshak, reviewing Broadway plays.”

It certainly was a fun day interviewing the above actors of “You Don’t Say!” Also, the bound-to- be, laugh-out-loud comedy, should not have any movie attendees going astray--for the entire film of “You Don’t Say,” I bet they’ll all happily stay.

For tickets for the April 6^th Chicago premiere of “You Don’t Say,” or additional information on the film and all who worked on it, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/You-Dont-Say-A-Robert-Alaniz-Film/292368020819913www.facebook.com/robert.alaniz.98

“You Don’t Say” was produced by David Branigan, Robert Alaniz, William Wagoner and MaxandIrit Nayden. Other actors in the film include: Toni Pieper, Rebecca O’Connell, Mikhailia Scoville, Andy Clifton, Caitlin Costello, Alison Barnes, Isabella DeCeault, Jayson Bernard, Brandon Galatz, Hayley Camire, Brian Hoolihan, Jeanette DiGiovine, Shavar D. Clark, Matthew Montalvo and Melodye Lorrayne.

Many people bust out laughing when they hear someone who has the balls to say something that is "Politically incorrect," unfiltered and/or honest. Just think of all the bleep and giggles you frequently received from watching "OMG!" worthy types of TV shows, such as "All in the Family," "Rosanne" and "Seinfeld."

Speaking of bluntness and "Seinfeld," Larry Thomas Guest stars in the new comedic film, "You Don't Say." The movie was written/directed and partially produced by the two-time, award-winning filmmaker, Robert Alaniz. It deals with the issues of saying whatever the hell you feel like saying, and has people calling it "hysterical, a feel good movie, and truly a movie with a voice." And despite a potentially lethal Chicago snowstorm, I happily interviewed multi-award-winning, and Emmy award nominated, Larry Thomas, about "You Don't Say?"

Larry Thomas (Mr.Menendez) in "You Don't Say?"

BUZZ: I'm so glad you didn't croak on the plane from L.A?

LARRY: "You know I had to change flights, because of a little technical glitch, that was sort of my thing. But you never wanna be morbid enough to check the flight that you didn't take. You know, wouldn't that be awful—to just go, I wonder if that plane crashed?"

BUZZ: (LAUGHING)

LARRY: "I can't bring myself to that."

BUZZ: I almost always like to ask people what they were like in high school. Were you popular, a hoodlum, stoner, goody-two-shoes, jock, cheerleader, geek...?

LARRY: "You know what? That is such an interesting question for me, because I started out not being popular. We moved so much, that I never went to an elementary school or junior high school, for like the whole time. So, I never got to know people for that long. My high school was the 1st time I went to a school for 3 years. I wasn't ever anything, basically because I went to work every day before lunch. (Those days they gave high school credit for working.) But, I did find out that near the end of 12th grade that a lot of people knew me. I wouldn't say I was popular, popular, but just people knew who I was, and nobody bothered me, or had anything against me."

BUZZ: Were you similar to a "Richie Rich" as far as money went while you were growing up?

LARRY: "I grew up with a Single mom, and myself and my sister. But she could just through the years, barely afford to get us through life. But she did, and wonderfully, and worked hard. But when it came time to be a teenager and wanting to do something, I had needed my own money. In 11th or 10th grade, I got a job washing dishes in a restaurant after school. And in the evenings, I would unload a Catering truck."

BUZZ: That's some very tough work. I bet you had muscles like Hercules.

LARRY: No [muscles like Hercules]. I like to work—I like being busy. When I'm in between times of working, I just hope something will come up. I really enjoy working.

BUZZ: What made you get into acting?

LARRY: Well what made me get into acting, was trying to get a date with a girl who was a Theater major, when I was a Journalism major. And I took a theater class, thinking it might make it easier. But since I had never acted in my life before, and was 20 or 21, I was kind of forced to do something [take an Acting class]. But I was so thrilled by the aspect of just standing there, having the attention and focus on me, that I decided I wanted to do it. But talent as an actor, I just had to learn it, and I spent a lot of years on it, but I'm glad I did it."

BUZZ: Yeah, I can see why—you've been in many popular films, commercials and TV shows, which brings me to ask: What was it like being in "Seinfeld?"

LARRY: "Well, that was a very cool thing to do. It couldn't have been better. And 'Seinfeld' as a machine couldn't be better to me as the years go on, because it just keeps getting more and more popular. And takes the place of a lot of work, I might have to do to keep my name alive, my fame alive. Like that would be my job, and 'Seinfeld' does that for me. [People saying] 'I know who you are' is important, you know?"

BUZZ: Do you ever bump into anyone who also worked on "Seinfeld?"

LARRY: "It's funny because I will frequently run into Wayne Knight, who played Newman, in super markets because we both live in the same area. And some of the people who were Guest stars, like I, we keep in touch."

BUZZ: Could you please give their names?

LARRY: "Reni Santoni as, 'Poppie,' Liz Sheridan, who played, 'Helen Seinfeld,' and Brian George as, 'Babu Bhatt.' We keep in touch. We all kind of belong to this cool little club of having been a Guest character on 'Seinfeld.' "

BUZZ: So, you don't still talk to any of the main cast from "Seinfeld?"

LARRY: "No. But it's funny because last year, I did a Superbowl commercial with Jerry, and it was the 1st time I had seen him since the finale of 'Seinfeld,' like 14 years earlier. And he was just such a nice guy, and said 'Larry, thanks for coming down.' He was really cool because he joked around about life in general. Where I joked around about where being 'The Soup Nazi' has taken me. At one point we were shooting a scene, and he asked me a trivia question about the episode I was on." [He asked who the lady who grabbed the bag of soup was, I told him she was an extra, and he replied she was great—her timing was perfect.]

BUZZ: Were you afraid some people would take offense to the name of your character being "The Soup Nazi?"

LARRY: "No, it didn't occur to me at the time. I'm Jewish, and all Jewish people are brought up in their home, going 'That guy's a Nazi,' 'That guy's a Nazi!" It's been a joke to us, I mean all my life. So it didn't occur to me that it would be anything other than a joke. I mean, we don't like to watch footage of what happened in a Concentration camp, but when someone jokes that they're a Nazi because they're strict, it doesn't go any further than that."

BUZZ: (Eyes popped out of head, hair standing straight up, and jaw dropped wide open, very wide open!) Wow! That's just another thing that shows people, who are Jewish, have such an incredibly great and admirable sense of humor!

LARRY: "Yeah, I guess that is a trait. It has been said one of the surviving factors of Jewish people is their good sense of humor."

BUZZ: What do people who are your fans say about you, and what do the ones who aren't say?

LARRY: "For every 20 people that email me, and go I really like your book, [as well as the work you did in particular films and TV shows.] And I love the photos of you online that you sell, I'll get 1 person that'll be like Loser, can't you find anything else to do?"

BUZZ: That's so cruel!

LARRY: "Yeah, but I have to say I am the luckiest guy in the world. It just seems like 98 percent of the public loved what I did [on 'Seinfeld'], and are thankful that I did it. It can't get any better than that."

BUZZ: You have a son, Benjamin.

LARRY: "Soon to be 20. I love this era of getting together with him."

BUZZ: How does he feel about you acting for a living?

LARRY: "Many things. First of all, he would never ever want to be an actor. Both parents were actors, and he's been asked by Casting people 'So, what about you? Do you want to be an actor?' And he says 'That is the last thing I ever want to do,' but he says it with a smile on his face. That's how adamant he is about it. But he loves the fact that he's slightly famous, because I'm slightly famous. And he loves the perks. Someone will say 'I hear your dad's The Soup Nazi,' and that just gives him these cool perks. (He may meet some people he wants to know.) But he also knows exactly where it lies in the great scheme of things, it gets me work, but I still have to do the work."

BUZZ: When your son was little, and asked you for some soup, did you say "No soup for you?"

LARRY: (LAUGHS) "You know we've never played that game? He was only 2 when I did the episode. (Pauses) I do remember hearing a little tiny voice coming from the other room saying 'No soup for you!' though."

BUZZ: (LAUGHING and stomach growling for the best soup.)

BUZZ: When it comes to your new film "You Don't Say," please do say what you want to about it.

LARRY: "I really have high hopes for it—it'll be good. I'm really looking forward to the premieres. And I so enjoyed, not only working with Robert, but all the other actors. And Robert communicates extremely well with his actors, and is very open to ideas. He doesn't mind hearing the actor's say on things."

BUZZ: You don't say?

For more info on Larry Thomas, "You Don't Say?" and tickets for the Chicago Premiere on April 6th, 2013, please visit: www.facebook.com , http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0859130/ , and www.youdontsaythemovie.com

The Raven theatre has never disappointed me. Their performances strike an emotional chord with their audiences and their actors are among the best I’ve seen in Chicago. On a rainy Monday night, A Soldier’s Play premiered with mixed reviews, but from my perspective, this play is timeless and one you shouldn't miss.

When Captain Davenport, a black man with Captain bars in a white man’s army, comes to a segregated WWII-era Louisiana base to investigate a murder, the interrogation of the soldiers uncovers a web of contempt, expectation, and hatred. The play tackles the tough subjects of racism within races in the heat of the deep south. The play was written by Charles Fuller and premiered Off-Broadway in 1981, less than 20 years after the Civil Rights Act passed and less than 40 years after the end of WWII. Through the interactions between white and black soldiers, and amongst the black soldiers themselves, you can cut the tension with a knife and Captain Davenport, wonderfully played by Frank Pete, tries to unravel the mystery of who murdered Sergeant Vernon C Waters, wonderfully played by Antoine Pierre Whitfield.

The story follows Captain Davenport onto the Army base. We know nothing of what transpired other than Sergeant Waters being shot, but through interviews with the Privates on the base and their flashbacks we begin to see the events that led to the murder of the Sergeant and the palpable hatred that flowed in his veins towards his own soldiers and his own race. Waters is in charge of a black unit which is also the baseball team. They are allowed to fight in the war, but demeaned into playing ball for their white peers and, when not on the baseball diamond, cleaning up after them. One of the most tense and trying scenes of the play is told in a flashback by Private James Wilkie (Bradford Stevens), in which Sergeant Waters recounts his time spent as a black soldier during WWI, and his venomous thoughts towards a "typical" black Private under his command. Waters hatred stems from his inability to understand why people of his own race refuse to want to better themselves by learning to read, write, or anything else that would help them compete with their wither "superiors".  The flashback makes your skin crawl and Whitfield does a superb job portraying the character, in fact you’d actually believe he had those feelings himself, but that, after all, is the craft of the actor.

Director Michael Menendian had quite a task on his hands. A Pulitzer Prize winning play, with an original cast that originally included Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Adolph Caesar, the feat to bring A Soldier’s Play to life at The Raven was no small task. But the director succeeded with an excellent cast, seamless set design, and impeccable blocking. Menendian really brought the WWII Army base to life. At times, we were so enthralled with the scene, that you would forget characters blacked out on stage, though they were the characters recounting the scenes we were watching. The fight scenes were so realistic, you’d forgotten it was just excellent fake stage combat. Much of that is written in the play already, but this cast and its Director brought a fresh energy to the performance.

A Soldier’s Play had quite the challenge: a rich play pedigree, sensitive material, a challenging emotional depth, but I believe it met that challenge, and most definitely earned its stripes. A Soldier’s Play is playing at The Raven Theater (6157 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60660) through March 30^th. Enlist today and see this play while it lasts.

Fela! is based on the biography of Fela Kuti, a Nigerian superstar singer, musician, and composer who became an iconic spokesman for the country's underclass against the brutal and corrupt Nigerian military government in the 1970s and 80s.

Playing at the Arie Crown Theatre in McCormick Place through Saturday, Fela! is a magnificent show that should be seen and celebrated by everyone.

The first thing that really blew me away about this show is the incredibly beautiful and sensual style of dancing with the live onstage drummers and band to delicious expressive music termed "Afro Beat".

I've said in the past that the very best dancers are also very expressive actors, and the entire cast of dancers in FELA are absolutely in this A+ class. Directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, each dancer shows such remarkable individuality and style. While other musicals are increasingly strict and rigid in their dance styles, FELA's dancers remain completely free and unique, almost as if they are dancing for their freedom and the freedom of Nigeria's underclass right now on America's stages.

Adesola Osakalumi is absolutely electric as the Nigerian icon, Fela, and gifted vocalist Michelle Willaims of Destiny's Child is a stunning addition as Sandra, one of Fela's true influences during his formative years.

I really think everyone, young and old should see FELA! to realize how horrific it is for anyone to live under a military regime, and that in some ways we as Americans are also being held down and manipulated by our own government's corruption on many levels of our daily lives.

There are a few terrifying and powerful scenes though that should be explained to younger viewers in advance, like the 12 year old girl sitting next to me with her mom who needed consoling after the show.

When Fela Kuti describes his brutal interrogation by the police and says, "See this blade? It is to slice up your face. See this broken glass? Well, it is to shove up your A--!"

Later, when Fela's family camp is surrounded by 1000 police officers, who then proceed to gang rape and torture Fela and his wives and throw Fela's mother to her death from an upper story window, it is portrayed as calmly as possible but is still very disturbing, as it should be.

I have already made plans to see FELA! For a second time because the music and dancing and message of overcoming unspeakable violence and human rights violations is so uplifting and empowering.

FELA! produced by Jay Z and Will and Jada Smith, is a MUST SEE and of all the shows I personally have seen in Chicago this year, FELA, really is the most exciting and important of all by far in terms of music and dance originality and political relevance for the entire nation.

Inevitably, in every ballet review, you’ll find some keys words: genius, perfection, flawless. Throw in a few lines about choreography, music, and storyline and you’ve got yourself a puffed up piece that radiates with fabulosity about the performance. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can use any of those words or puffy pieces to describe the Joffrey ballet’s new American Legends.

Ballet enthusiasts and Joffrey loyalists will say American Legends is wonderful and they will recommend it to everyone they know. But if you see one ballet in your life, this should not be it. Most ballets have a single story told, or at the very least an underlying theme throughout the entire performance. It not only makes the performance easy to follow and understand, but it allows you to really enjoy the dancing.  American Legends did not offer any of these things.

American Legends made its world premiere at the Auditorium Theatre on February 13^th. The show was made up by four dance pieces each about 20-40 minutes in length: Interplay, Sea Shadow, Son of Chamber Symphony, and Nine Sinatra Songs. Interplay was the first ballet, and was an upbeat, West Side Story-like, playground romp. You could easily imagine Interplay as an interpretation of children playing at recess (if those kids were talented ballerinas). They even had a dance battle! The whole thing was fun, and best of all, it didn’t take itself too seriously (as some contemporary pieces can).

Sea Shadows was the best piece of the night, and could be enjoyable as a full length ballet. It was a duet which told the story of a man on a beach falling in love with a sea nymph. The ballet screamed sex, and the performers did an incredible job. But it ended about as soon as it started, much to the chagrin of some of the males in the audience. What followed after the intermission made me wish I had simply left.  Son of Chamber Symphony was an ultra-modern contemporary piece that had no storyline, no purpose. If it were a piece of art it would be a solid black canvas; trying so hard to be deep and meaningful, but falling just shy. The ballet was all over the place. Dark, moody, abrupt, and set to music straight out of a horror film. The whole ballet seemed like a ballerina’s bad dream. It couldn’t end soon enough. After another intermission, the curtain rose and a disco ball hung above the stage. It was time for Nine Sinatra Songs. Sinatra. A disco ball. How could this ballet possibly be bad? Oh, but it was.

Nine Sinatra Songs featured, you guessed it, nine songs by Sinatra. Each song featured a duet of ballet dancers dancing an unusual ballroom-contemporary style. You could tell the dancers were not too familiar with ballroom and awkwardly transitioned from traditional ballroom steps to contemporary segments. The dances didn’t interpret the Sinatra songs very well and after about three duets, all three couples would come back on stage, each dancing their own styles to Sinatra’s ‘My Way.’ It was another ballet in a string of ballets that night that was all over the place, lacked any sort of consistency, and overall was just disappointing.

Ballet is classic, timeless, and beautiful; no one in Chicago does classic better than the Joffrey. But contemporary is not their strong suit.  Overall, American Legends was a disappointment that won’t deter me from seeing the Joffrey again, but it definitely gave this reviewer second thoughts. American Legends runs through February 24^th at the Auditorium Theater. 

Lookingglass Theatre’s “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” is a dark comedy that questions human nature, the existence of God and explores living with the decisions we have made. Directed by ensemble member Heidi Stillman and written by Rajiv Joseph, “Bengal Tiger” takes us to Baghdad and centers around two U.S. Marines, an Iraqi translator and a tiger.

Greed and disloyalty are present in this land of ghosts. This play shows the world to which the spirits of those one kills stay with them, often driving one crazy. At the same time, we are also shown the unfortunate behavior of some American soldiers who take advantage of a country taken over for a gluttonous cause guised as a mission of liberation.

Troy West is delightful as the Bengal Tiger, who delivers one question on human nature and beliefs after another, adding profound observations on man from one looking in from the outside. JJ Phillips is sensational as “Kev” and lights up the stage with a dynamic performance while Anish Jethmalani anchors the terrific cast as “Musa”.

“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” is playing at Lookingglass Theatre through March 17th and is well worth seeing. For more information and/or tickets, visit www.lookingglass.org or call 312-337-0665.     

“The Birthday Party” at Steppenwolf’s new upstairs theatre, is theatre in the round at its best, with the living room set in the middle of the room amidst the audience, almost giving us the feeling that we are part of the play. With Chicago theatre heavyweights filling the cast, including John Mahoney, Ian Barford and Francis Guinan, we are treated to rich and passionate dialogue, making the show fiery and heartfelt. Harry Pinter’s “The Birthday Party” takes us from the dull times of daily living to a fast-paced, intriguing and often uncomfortable situation to which all hell breaks loose.

The story revolves around a boarding house in England run by Petey (Mahoney) and Meg (Moira Harris) where there single guest of nearly a year Stanley (Barford) has been hiding out from a past “organization”. Everything has been calm and relaxed until two mysterious guests arrive, members of this organization, to confront Stanley. Stanley, normally cocky and rather rude to his hosts, takes on a scared and fragile demeanor once confronted by the guests. But it’s Stanley’s birthday and Meg has a party planned, inviting the two guests, Goldberg and McCann. Goldberg and McCann are on their best behavior in front of Meg and Petey, while Stanley is obviously enveloped with impending doom. While Petey picks up the gravity of the situation, Meg is oblivious and is as overbearingly sweet as usual.

I enjoy watching John Mahoney in live theatre every chance I get, though I felt his tremendous gift of acting was a bit wasted here. While John Mahoney’s vast talent was harnessed by a less challenging role, Francis Guinan plays Goldberg and is just magnificent. He hammers his lines with the intensity of a wrecking ball making contact with a dilapidated building. Also to note that Sopia Sinese, daughter of actors Gary Sinese and Moira Harris, makes her Steppenwolf debut in strong fashion as “Lulu”.    

“The Birthday Party” is a dark comedy that may not get you in a birthday mood, but will get you to laugh at times and uncomfortably stir in your seat at others. Directed by ensemble member Austin Pendelton, “The Birthday Party” is playing at Steppenwolf Theatre through April 28^th.   For more information visit www.steppenwolf.org. 

In a small and unassuming theatre on a low traffic corner in Chicago rests a playhouse that offers some big surprises. We ventured into this playhouse to see, unbeknownst to us, a world premiere production. Southbridge, written by Reginald Edmund and directed by Russ Tutterow was as unassuming as the playhouse it was performed in and left this writer wanting to see what else the playwright and the theatre have in store.

Set in Athens, Ohio in 1881, Southbridge tells the story of a white, widowed woman who is brutally attacked and killed. An angry mob is at the jailhouse door demanding the sheriff lynch the accused murderer, a young black man called ‘Stranger,’ wonderfully played by Manny Buckley. The only way to untangle the truth is for the accused to relive the events that led him to the jailhouse. Stranger’s flashbacks weave a creative who-done-it web filled with surprises, subtlety, and just a touch of sorcery. The stories of the characters intertwine throughout the play and constantly surprise the audience. And while there is an underlying theme of racism throughout the play, as to be expected of a play set in 1881 America, it doesn’t throw it in the audience face. The story feeds off of that tension but is not eclipsed by it, allowing the audience to get fully engrossed in Stranger’s story. The wonderfully cast five person production featured Ashley Honore as Nadia, Stranger’s wife that gave up her dreams, Lance Newton as a slick African-American businessman, Edwin, Wendy Robie as the widow Lucinda, and Gene Cordon as the alcoholic Sheriff Ward, who looked as though he stepped right out of the 1800’s, complete with white handlebar mustache. The cast brought this American play to life and showed what a great group of people, from production to performance, can bring to the stage.

The play was performed at Chicago Dramatists, an organization in Chicago with a single mission: to find and nurture plays and playwrights that bring a new voice to the American stage. It’s a safe and encouraging environment where actors, playwrights, producers, and directors can come together to bring American features to life. It’s a refreshing concept in our oversharing, judgmental, sometimes overly critical society. And while Chicagoans have a plethora of playhouses and stages to choose from, Dramatists offers a raw originality that you can’t find at some of the larger production houses. And if Dramatists continues to have plays like Southbridge grace its stage, then you better reserve some permanent seats in the small theatre; you might just find yourself sitting in front of the next great American play. Southbridge runs through March 3^rd at Chicago Dramatists (1105 W Chicago Ave) Run Time: 2hr

It's 2004 and a violent war is raging in the desert. In Afghanistan, young, fatigued soldiers fight against terror, but in a secluded West Coast mansion, a war of word wages between a strained family. Brooke, the daughter of two prominent old-school Republicans - Ron and Nancy are among the dropped names - has just written a new book. This should be cause for celebration -- she's a brilliant writer who's just emerged from a 6-year depression-fueled writer's block, but it's not the novel Mom and Dad think it is. Her brother and aunt know it's a memoir, exposing a dark, family secret, sending the five-member family into a Christmas from hell in the humid desert heat.

Whether Brooke's new work is an expose for profit or her therapeutic life's work is a question that hangs like smoke in the Chicago premier of "Other Desert Cities" at Goodman Theatre. Lauded during its Broadway debut in the fall of 2011, Jon Robin Baitz's Pulitzer Prize finalist "Other Desert Cities" is a strong exploration of the modern blurring of the public and the private lives and how money complicates the matter even further. But this blurring has become faded in its translation to the Goodman's Albert Theatre. Perhaps the bi-coastal themes (East Coast academics versus West Coast relaxers) resonate more strongly on the coasts, or perhaps the cast doesn't quite carry the firecracker power of the NYC debut, but the Chicago show doesn’t live up to the potential the script holds.

Tracy Michelle Arnold's depressed Brooke is a bit one-dimensional, and not until the final scene does it really feel as if she has fallen into her character. Deanna Dunagan and Chelcie Ross Lyman, both connected with August: Osage County (a similar family drama fueled by heat) are strongly suited to play the aging GOP matriarch and patriarch of the family. John Hoogenakker is delightful as the brother trapped in the familial crossfire. A Los Angeles reality TV producer, he is on the front lines of profiting off a family's fights, and Linda Kimbrough's eccentric substance-abusing Aunt Silda provides much needed comedic relief in the tense family drama.

But Henry Wishcamper's direction has the cast swimming around the stage throughout the one-setting play - aimless, often lacking purpose, which seems to spill over into other character choices. Further, at the opening of the play, I felt something I'd never before in a theatre: I couldn't quite hear the actors. Whether it was a technical amplification question or not, it felt like it symbolized a soft understanding of the characters rather than fully inhabiting them and sharing them with the audience. Jon Robin Baitz's script is funny and smart, and his jokes are able to overcome their sometimes soft delivery in the Chicago premier, but I couldn’t help but imagine what New York audiences saw and responded so passionately to.

Other Desert Cities is through February 17, 2013. More information at http://www.goodmantheatre.org