Living & Arts

Thinking outside the box and into the box office

In print | December 3, 2009

When it comes to finding the right gifts, it helps to think outside the box. Every metropolitan area has at least one theater company and the gift of theater tickets is bound to surprise any recipient. There’s nothing quite like an evening at the theater to make a person feel sophisticated and very few gifts are capable of entertaining the giver just as much as they do the recipient. A little careful research is all you need to hit the mark.

Ann Arbor, MI
The Ann Arbor Civic Theater will be presenting the musical “Nine,” the basis for the star-studded film of the same name which opens on Christmas Day. “Nine” is the story of a man experiencing a mid-life crisis in the presence of far too many women. Check it out on stage and decide for yourself if the film translation does it justice.

Boston, MA
The American Repertory Theatre (ART), a heavy-hitter in the theater world, is staging “Gatz,” a re-examination of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel “The Great Gatsby.” “Gatz” is not an adapted script, although it is certainly a play: the script is the complete text of the novel, divided into two parts to keep performance times down. Chances are that you know at least one person who loves “The Great Gatsby,” and the play was exceptionally well received in New York.

Cleveland, OH
The perfect introduction to musical theatre, “Chicago” hits the PlayhouseSquare stage this January, promising to bring a little flare to your holiday. Fans of Kurt on “Glee” will get the chance to see the song “Mr. Cellophane” in its original context and the timeless “All that Jazz” as it was meant to be done, in the violent, sexy world of the roaring ‘20s.

Houston, TX
Houston’s Alley Theatre has a world premiere planned for this January, a musical from the composer behind “Jekyll and Hyde,” titled “Wonderland.” It’s a revamped version of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” in which Alice is a children’s book writer afflicted with writer’s block. This quirky production is intended for all audiences, so it’s a good bet for a family outing.

Los Angeles, CA
The exceptionally unusual “An Oak Tree,” produced by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, is the sort of show that keeps people talking for years. Every night, a different actor stars across from Tim Crouch, who also wrote the play. That guest actor shows up never having read the script, and inevitably ends up telling the same story, the story of two men who meet by chance and are linked by tragedy.

New York City, NY
The Signature Theatre Company’s 2009-2010 season is composed of a single, three-part repertory play, Horton Foote’s “The Orphans’ Cycle.” Segments of the play have been presented in various formats, but this is the first time that they have been presented as a whole. New York Times chief theater critic Ben Brantley ‘77, notoriously harsh in his critiques, raved about part one of the cycle, and part two will open in December. Imagine the excitement of getting in to see part three when it opens in January, before the buzz even has time to spread.

New York always has a plethora of shows available, but two other productions to note are the Atlantic Theater Company’s “Ages of the Moon,” a Sam Shepard play starring Irish theater superstars Seán McGinley and Stephen Rea, and The Roundabout Theatre Company’s “Present Laughter,” a Noël Coward crowd pleaser starring Victor Garber, who once played the role in a well-received performance at Boston’s Huntington Theatre.

Philadelphia, PA
Just a few miles from Swarthmore, the Arden Theatre is staging “Blue Door,” an exploration of one man’s relationship with his ancestry and the man he has become. This play is a good fit for the Arden’s aesthetic and celebrated director Walter Dallas, who will certainly bring a lot to the work. For a solid, polished taste of local theater, “Blue Door” is your best bet.

San Francisco, CA
The Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a reliable one at the cutting edge in the theater world, and those in the know are more likely to be impressed by the name of the theater than by the title of the play or playwright. Following a remarkably celebrated production of a Green Day (yes, the band) musical, Berkeley Rep is offering “Aurelia’s Oratorio,” a circus-inspired piece, after which they will present a version of Athol Fugard’s “Coming Home.” The Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia staged “Coming Home” earlier this year, but the production was less than impressive — something which is rarely a problem at Berkeley Rep. In the heart of San Francisco, the American Conservatory Theater is presenting a new translation of Jean Racine’s “Phèdre.” Seana McKenna stars as the ancient Greek woman caught between her husband and her illicit love for her stepson. “Phèdre” is a powerful drama and few actresses are up to the challenge, but McKenna is one of the few who seems to have the mettle to meet the challenge.

Seattle, WA
The Seattle Shakespeare Company is presenting “Electra,” the tragedy of the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, a character who appears in Aeschylus’ “Oresteia,” (to be produced by the Swarthmore Theatre Department this spring as the directing thesis of Louis Jargow ’10) in addition to serving the eponymous character in plays by Euripides, Sophocles and many more. If you enjoy a good classic, “Electra” is an excellent option.

Washington D.C.
Earlier this semester, Drama Board produced “Outrage,” a play by up-and-comer Itamar Moses. Washington’s Theater J is presenting another Moses play this winter—“The Four of Us.” Moses has a very distinctive narrative structure and style of speech, so if you enjoyed “Outrage,” “The Four of Us” will be a good match for you and the recipient of your gift. Philadelphia-based director Aaron Posner will be working for the Folger Elizabethan Theatre in his 11th time directing for them, this time on “Orestes, A Tragic Romp.” Greek myths seem to be popular this holiday season, but this modernization is certain to overturn your expectations for the genre.

If your city or state didn’t make the list, look for your local theater alliance. Most metropolitan areas have some sort of non-profit organization that supports the local theater community. Those organizations can tip you off to theaters in your area that you may not know and often have a schedule of current area productions online.