Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: June 13, 2021
By: Laura Deni
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LINCOLN CENTER THEATER'S MARYS SEACOLE IS A POWERFUL HOMAGE TO CAREGIVERS

Based upon a real person, this play Marys Seacole by Jackie Sibblies Dury is a gem of a production. Both powerful and poignant, this is a high voltage, over the top emotional expose brilliantly directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz.

Mary Jane Seacole was a British-Jamaican nurse, healer and businesswoman who, hoping to assist with nursing the wounded on the outbreak of the Crimean War, applied to the War Office to be included among the nursing contingent but was refused, so she traveled independently and set up her own operational "British Hotel" to tend the battlefield wounded. She became popular among service personnel, who raised money for her when she faced destitution after the war.

In 1858 a four-day Fundraising Gala took place on the banks of the river Thames.

This video production was filmed with 2 cameras in a single performance in front of 112 people at the Claire Tow Theater in London.

Like merry-go-rounds intersecting into a dramatic kaleidoscope Marys Seacole intertwines between the 19th and 21st centuries. As the play announces Marys Seacole is about medical care - "who performs it, receives it and is denied it."

Starring Gabby Beans as Mamie - Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Mary - Marceline Hugot as Merry - Karen Kandel as Duppy Mary - Ismenia Mendes as Miriam - and Lucy Taylor as May.

Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Mary Seacole screaming.

Mary (Quincy Tyler Bernstine) is an ambitious Jamaican woman determined to live a grand life; her adventures take her across oceans and eras, from a battlefield of the Crimean War to a contemporary nursing home, and many times and places in between. Marys Seacole is an exploration of what it means to be a woman who is paid to care.

Performed without an intermission, Act 1 is a story of Mary Seacole's background including an abusive childhood. Jamaican accents may be difficult for some American ears to immediately grasp, but it eventually becomes understandable. There is a 5-hour window to view the hour-and-a-half performance. You might want to start and then, after your hearing adjusts to the accent, begin again so you don't miss any of the important dialogue.

Also heard are audience reactions such as laughter and whispers which can be distracting, especially those from one particular man.

Gowned in glorious Victorian costumes by Kaye Voyce, Mary demonstrates that she has a spine of steel and lets everyone know she is nobody's fool. Quincy Tyler Bernstine all but eats the scenery. The other actors aren't far behind.

Numerous vignettes requiring set and costume changes on stage in front of the cameras while a scene is taking place, only adds to the drama.

A ringing telephone calls Mary into a different dimension.

Whether it's a hospital or a battle field - death happens. Some react with vulgarity, other with tears.

Hospital settings are stressful for the patients, nurses and relatives. A granddaughter's almost unbearable frustration as she muses by the bedside of her dying relative: "because you are working you can't take care of the people who depends upon you, but if you didn't work you still couldn't take care of the people who depend upon you, so you work and work and work."

Also upset is the dying woman's daughter. Stressed to the breaking point she demands that her moaning mother receive the care she needs. "I know that your job is difficult but this is my mother," pleads the woman.

The patient is rolled over as soiled bed liners are changed.

A nurse chastises the women for not letting them know she needed to go to the bathroom.

Nurses and aides are tired, overworked and stressed. No matter the location, it's the nature of the business.

There is humor is in blackest of circumstances. However, when you are dealing with geriatric patients who are at the end of their life nobody is optimistic.

There are life cycle situations in which all of the care in the world can't cure or make a patient decades younger, full of health and life. It can be easier for the patient to let go than the loved ones.

Returning to the blooded Crimean War battlefield, nuns pray and Harry Belafonte's hit Day-O (Banana Boat Song) is heard - "daylight come and me wanna go home" - for many that isn't to be.

Mary is running both towards and away from problems.

The real Mary Seacole

"I will never forget you." The Crimean War experiences have carved scars into her psychic. "Suffering for a cause - so glorious."

Other scenes include a nanny in a park; tending to a 7-month pregnant woman who miscarries; interrogation of a woman who wants to become a nurse; going head to head with Florence Nightingale and a show stopping, explosive scene between Mary Seacole and an austere, black clad woman Duppy Mary (Karen Kandel) who turns out to be Seacole's mother.

Excellent lighting, costumes, sets, sound effects and staging.

Backed by a dramatic rock chorus that - for a few seconds - deliberately sounds like a stuck record as Mary is lip syncing to a recording of the pop classic I’m Every Woman, hence the added "s" to her first name.

A scene near the end is a cross between free form improv and choreographed slapstick showing the plethora of patient needs and emotions that can simultaneously confront, astound and overwhelm medical personnel.

The entire gamut is artfully, intellectually, and humanly presented in this exquisite play.

This is a high voltage, over the top emotional expose. Sometimes lifestyle conditions don't really change they just warp into a different category.

The emotional speaking chorus which ends the show is backed by Belafonte's Day-O "Daylight come and me wanna go home."

Creatives:
Mariana Sanchez Sets. Kaye Voyce Costumes. Jiyoun Chang Lighting. Palmer Hefferan Sound. Charles M. Turner III Stage Manager. Daniell Swee casting.

Video presented by Lincoln Center Theater in New York City. A not to be missed experience.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

ART AND ABOUT

THE ON POINT

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and Dame Darcey Bussell examine displays at the On Point Exhibit at the V&A Museum. Photo: Clarence House.

display is on until September 12, 2021 at the V&A Museum in London. The free display, celebrating 100 years of the RAD, tells the story of how the RAD shaped the future of dance training, the famous faces who lead the way, and how it continues to bring the joy of dance to the lives of people across the world.

Wearing a lovely blue dress with delicate white polka dots, a floral face covering and cream heels, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall visited the display meeting with retired ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell, who previously appeared on the BBC‘s Strictly Come Dancing as a judge and is the president of RAD, to hear about the organization’s century-long history.

Dame Bussell looked vivacious in a bright floral dress with a cinch belt.

Camilla is the vice patron of The RAD, while the Queen has been patron of the academy since 1953.

The two women toured the display, hearing about the organization's century-long history.

The exhibit tells the story of how the academy helped shape the future of dance training and is the first time in its history that RAD has given access to its archive on such a scale. Last year, the Duchess of Cornwall revealed in a video call to Dame Bussell that she has secretly been taking ballet lessons at home with a group of friends for the last 18 months and starts the day "‘with a bit of Silver Swans and a bit of Pilates… and a lot of walking, which I love," she added.

The RAD is home to one of the largest dance collections in Europe, and this is the first time in its history it has given access to its archive on this scale.

The display presents costumes, designs, photographs and more from the RAD’s archive and the V&A’s Theatre & Performance Collection, exploring the RAD’s story from its foundation to its influence on ballet and dance internationally. It highlights the role of successive presidents, including Nureyev’s first performance in Britain in partnership with Dame Margot Fonteyn.

Original ballet costumes and accessories worn by RAD founders and presidents are on display, along with 60 original objects and over 80 supporting archival images. Other items include busts and sculptures, sketches and drawings, as well as letters, posters, programs, audio-visual footage and some original photographs.

Highlights include:

Posters. In 1954, the RAD was approached by a training club for British high jumpers who were seeking ways to increase their elevation. They wondered if ballet exercises would be beneficial to the training of athletes and, following a pilot in 1956, a series of exercises were created, based on ballet, but adapted to athletic needs.

Rudolf Nureyev’s Swan Lake costume – The tunic, designed by Carl Toms in 1963 for a production of Swan Lake by The Royal Ballet, was worn by Nureyev when he was at the height of his career. Nureyev’s first performance in Britain was at an RAD fundraising gala in 1961. He was invited to perform by Dame Margot Fonteyn, the RAD’s longest-serving President, laying the foundation for their famed partnership. This set in motion one of the most exciting chapters in dance history, with Fonteyn and Nureyev still regarded as two of the best dancers to have ever graced the stage.

Dame Darcey Bussell’s costume from Prince of the Pagodas – After the premiere of this ballet by Kenneth MacMillan, Darcey Bussell became Principal at The Royal Ballet at the age of just 20 years old. Darcey has been President of the RAD since 2012 and has a key role in supporting the Academy carry out its work.

Harlequin by Alfred Gilbert – Made by the sculptor of Eros at Piccadilly, this figure of Harlequin was given by Stanislas Idzikowski to the RAD ‘Production Club’. Established in the early 1930s, the Production Club aimed to provide a link between the students of the RAD and the dance profession. It also mounted performances of original choreography and is credited for offering famed choreographers Robert Helpmann and John Cranko their first opportunities in the industry.

EACH/OTHER: MARIE WATT AND CANNUPA HANSKA LUGER TATE COLLECTIVE launches a new series of filmed performances with three of the most exciting acts in UK music today. Tate Reframed sees three Universal Music Group artists give intimate live performances in specially designed sets inspired by iconic artworks from Tate’s collection.

Celeste, Bree Runway and Steam Down have each selected an artwork that resonates with their own creative practice, now brought to life in these exclusive new videos. Released throughout June on Tate’s website and YouTube channel, the series shows how creativity has no boundaries as music and visual arts intertwine.

The videos remind us that although the past year has been incredibly challenging for artists, there is a thriving cultural scene that offers inspiration to all. Tate’s world-class collection, once more open for all to visit in Tate’s four galleries, takes on a new form in beautiful backdrops designed by teams of young creatives for these one-off performances.

Celeste plays Not Your Muse in a surreal, Dalí-inspired landscape, referencing the artist’s much-loved painting, Metamorphosis of Narcissus 1937. In 2019, Celeste won both the Brit Award for Rising Star and the BBC Music Introducing award for Artist of the Year, and she was also named the number-one predicted breakthrough act in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2020.

On June 16, Bree Runway takes her single Hot Hot to another level in an energetic performance on a set inspired by the radical feminist photomontage of punk icon, Linder. Runway was nominated for BBC Music’s Sound of 2021 and MOBO’s video of the year in 2020. She has previously collaborated with the likes of Missy Elliott.

Finally, on June 30, artist collective and music community Steam Down come together for a spectacular group performance of Empower, framed by Samuel Fosso’s African Spirits. Steam Down are based in Deptford, South-East London and their cult weekly live music events have established the group as a household name in London’s music scene. They have received two Jazz FM awards including The Innovation Award and they are set to release debut EP 'Five Fruit' on September 24, 2021.

All costumes and set design have been created exclusively for these performances in collaboration with emerging UK-based creatives. Celeste’s Dalí-inspired scene came together thanks to stylist Ella Lucia, fashion designer Sarah McCormack and set designer Jabez Bartlett. Rebecca Davenport created her beautiful make up look with James Catalano on hair. Bree Runway collaborated with stylist Holly Wood, Seraiah Artistry on hair, make up artist Bernicia Boateng and set designer Ranya El-Refaey of Vision Artists, to emulate Linder’s punk ethos. Steam Down’s striking monochrome Samuel Fosso-inspired set was created by Jimmy Van Twest and Sarah Asmail, alongside stylist Ola Ebiti.

Each music video will be released alongside a behind-the-scenes interview with the artists, sharing insight into the process of choosing the artwork that inspired each set and exploring the value of the visual arts in their work.

Tate Collective is the first free-to-join membership scheme for 16-to-25-year-olds at a national UK museum and is open to people anywhere in the world to join online.

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SWEET CHARITY

FLORAL ANGELS is a lovely charity which recycles donated flowers from events and arranges them for use in hospices, shelters and care homes throughout London.

Nothing screams "centerpiece thief" louder than a society matron who has "unobtrusively" slide a centerpiece off of the table onto her lap and then under her gown. With the object clasped between her knees, she "nonchalantly" walks like her pants are full.

A far better second life for flowers than wealthy ladies, who can afford to buy their own blooms, scrambling to purloin table centerpieces and sneak them out.

On what would have been Prince Phillip's 100th birthday, Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall who is Patron of the organization visited the Garden Museum and met volunteers from Floral Angels. She remembered both Prince Philip and her father, Major Bruce Shand, who died 15 years ago on Friday.

"I'm very honored to be here, to be doing something I know they both would have appreciated," she said. Floral Angels was created in 2013 to recycle and reuse flowers from events, weddings and retailers. "We deliver bouquets and arrangements to those in the community who would not normally receive flowers. In doing this we are also supporting the floral industry in reducing waste. Floral Angels is run entirely by volunteers and we are based at New Covent Garden Flower Market in London, in space generously donated by event florists Pinstripes & Peonies.

"We deliver to hospices, elderly care homes, shelters and many other deserving beneficiaries within our community. We are extremely well supported by many leading florists, event professionals and venues , and major retailers.

"Our philosophy: We believe that flowers have healing properties which can impact people's recovery rate and well-being. When we deliver the bouquets we offer support, encouragement and a moment of kindness. The flowers bring joy to all who receive them and this is what motivates our wonderful team of volunteers. This is supported by academic studies which show that flowers have a positive effect on elderly patients."

In America, Flower Angels, USA has a mascot named Grace who says: "My goal is to spread flowers, kindness and love to everyone who needs a little sunshine. I visit nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehabs, hospice care patients and hospitals, bringing bouquets and “spreading a whole lotta love” to people who need to know that someone cares for them. Our beautiful bouquets are made and delivered by volunteers just like you."

Flower Angels USA collaborates with our Differently-abled Community - "Wonderful adults with disabilities from Community Connections and LIFE communities are a vital part of out team. They join us in our loving, supportive environment helping with the many responsibilities needed to keep our mission going strong. They love delivering bouquets and bringing smiles to the residents in the nursing homes. The floral recipients love their visits, too. It’s a partnership made in heaven!"

This organization has been awarded the Myra Kraft Community MVP Award; Paul Harris Fellow Award; Cape Cod Magazine Award; John F. Kennedy Jr. Community Service Award and the VFW Members Partner with Flower Angels award.

Their gently used flowers come from "Brides, and our floral partners; Trader Joes and Shaws Supermarkets and some florists. Sometimes families donate their loved ones flowers to us. Rather than let all that gorgeousness go to waste, we will happily “recycle” your flowers into new bouquets."

It was also announced Wednesday, June 9, 2021 that Queen Elizabeth, 95, was presented with a rose that was specially created to mark the Duke of Edinburgh's 100th birthday which would have been Thursday, June 10, 2021.

“Last week, The Queen was gifted a Duke of Edinburgh rose at Windsor Castle by The Royal Horticultural Society of which Her Majesty is Patron. In a statement, Buckingham Palace explained, "The newly bred deep pink commemorative rose from Harkness Roses has officially been named in memory of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh."

The Queen accepted the small rose bush, wrapped in brown paper and twine, from the Royal Horticultural Society's president and then watched as it was planted in the mixed rose border of Windsor Castle's East Terrace Garden. This location is particularly meaningful as, during his lifetime, Prince Philip played a major role in the garden's design. He both restructured the flowerbeds and commissioned a bronze lotus fountain, which currently sits at the garden's center. Adding greater meaning to the new rose is its charitable component: For every rose sold, the company Harkness Roses will donate 2.50 pounds ($3.50) to a fund aiming to help a million more young people from all backgrounds take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards, a popular youth award program set up by Philip in 1956. The award funds various organizations and enrichment programs for young people across 130 countries.

The flower, which is now available for sale, is a dark magenta, dappled with white flecks. According to the DofE award website, the rose is "a shrub of medium size with a delicate fragrance, suitable for rose beds or in combination with other perennials."

SPREADING THE WORD

BRITAIN'S QUEEN ELIZABETH II lightened the mood of a G-7 summit extended photo session of world leaders by asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson, “are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourself?”

THE GLOBAL BRAIN HEALTH INSTITUTE (GBHI) is presenting a live, online public event titled "UnRavelled in Conversation: Creativity, Love & Dementia” on Saturday, June 26 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET.

The panel discussion, which features NYPD Blue and Deadwood creator David Milch, who is currently living with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, is offered as an adjunct to the virtual premiere of UnRavelled, a new drama about creativity and the mysteries of dementia currently streaming through June 30. June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.

Written by Jake Broder and directed by Nike Doukas, UnRavelled is a critically acclaimed new drama that explores the fascinating connection between modern-day painter Anne Adams and early 20th century composer Maurice Ravel, both of whom experienced intense periods of virtuosic creativity while in the early stages of primary progressive aphasia, a form of frontotemporal dementia.

See Broadway To Vegas review of Unravveled

WOMEN IN THE ARTS free to stream on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at 12:30PM CDT.

Join Steppenwolf ensemble member Carrie Coon in conversation with Annette Bening and Sherry Lansing, both trailblazers in their own careers.

Annette Bening is an Emmy Award, two-time Tony Award, four time Academy Award nominee, and a BAFTA Award, two-time Golden Globe, and two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner and has frequently spoken about the lack of women's voices in roles of power and influence.

Sherry Lansing made history as the first woman to head a major film studio when she was appointed president of 20th Century Fox in 1980 and is now a philanthropist and activist through the Sherry Lansing Foundation.

Join these women as they discuss their expansive careers, personal journeys and the challenges faced by women in the entertainment industry.

Registration closes Friday, June 18 at 11:59PM CDT.

GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE has announced that the production of It’s Only A Play, directed by Kevin Cahoon will stream June 15 and will run through July 4, 2021.

This hilarious work by Award-Winning playwright Terrence McNally is filled with sharp wit, ridiculous sight gags and a dash of Broadway magic.

Professionally filmed onstage at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, Tony Award winner Terrence McNally’s hit comedy comes to life for this new streaming production. It is opening night on Broadway, and an unforgettable cast of characters, from the self-possessed leading lady to the starry-eyed coat check boy, is eagerly awaiting “rave” reviews. Equal parts uproarious and heartfelt — It’s Only a Play will remind you why there’s no business like show business.

Starring: Greg Cuellar (Frank Finger), Andy Grotelueschen (Peter Austin), Julie Halston (Virginia Noyes), Doug Harris (Gus P. Head), Christine Toy Johnson (Julia Budder), Triney Sandoval (Ira Drew) and Zach Shaffer (Axel Hammond).

The design and production team includes: David Arsenault (Scenic Design), Mike Boylan (Cinematographer), Alan Edwards (Lighting Design), Samantha Flint (Production Stage Manager), Charles G. LaPoint (Wig Design), Dorothy Peterson (Makeup Design), Ryan Rumery (Sound Design, Music and Sound Editor) and Alejo Vietti (Costume Design). Casting by Pat McCorkle, McCorkle Casting, Ltd.

PEACOCK’S GIRLS5EVA join the creator and stars of Peacock’s acclaimed new series Girls5eva – Meredith Scardino, Sara Bareilles, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, and Busy Philipps – for a conversation about the making of the show with TV Guide Magazine’s Damian Holbrook. Following the members of a one-hit wonder ‘90s girl group as they take one more shot at making their pop dreams come true, Girls5eva is being hailed as a smart, hilarious take on the music industry, fame, and the ‘90s nostalgia machine. Hear the creator and stars discuss making a comedy about music, the enduring power of ‘90s pop, stories from behind the scenes, and much more.

Wednesday, June 16, 7 pm EST, free presented by 92Y in New York City.

EAST WEST PLAYERS (EWP) the nation’s largest producer of Asian American theatrical works, presents Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct)’s 1 Hour Photo, written and performed by Tetsuro Shigematsu and directed by Richard Wolfe, June 12-20, 2021.

The production is the fourth offering of the Virtual 55th Anniversary Season of East West Players, Between Worlds, led by EWP Producing Artistic Director Snehal Desai.

"vAct collaborated with a Vancouver based film production company, Brightlight Pictures, to produce a high quality, 75 minute cinematic adaptation of 1 Hour Photo accompanied by a live talkback with Tetsuro Shigematsu."

"1 Hour Photo is a true, moving portrait of a Japanese Canadian man’s quest to find beauty in the depths of a savage century, as he journeys from finding love in a WWII incarceration camp to rebuilding his life as a scientist, businessman, and father. A heartfelt exploration of a life well-lived, 1 Hour Photo employs the use of intricately crafted miniatures to explore the artifact of Mas Yamamoto’s life inside and beyond internment.

“East West Players is excited to host the US virtual premiere of 1 Hour Photo. In this elegant, moving production we learn about the forced incarceration of Japanese Canadians from the memories of Mas Yamamoto,” says EWP Producing Artistic Director Snehal Desai. “Tetsuro’s animated and heartfelt storytelling coupled with Susan Miyagishima’s intricate, transporting miniatures create an experience that you won't want to miss.”

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct) is the only theatre company in Canada that exclusively creates new Asian Canadian work, at all levels: In scripts, on stage, in the producer’s chair. Bringing artistic excellence from the Asian diaspora, and uplifting narratives previously unseen.

The creative team for 1 Hour Photo includes:
Written and performed by Tetsuro Shigematsu
Directed by Richard Wolfe
Artistic Producer: Donna Yamamoto
Director: Richard Wolfe
Dramaturg: Heidi Taylor
Set Design: Pam Johnson
Lighting Design: Gerald King
Costume Design: Laura Fukumoto
Costume Design Mentor: Barbara Clayden
Sound Design/Composer: Steve Charles
Audio Dramaturg: Yvonne Gall
Video Design: Jamie Nesbitt
Technical Director/Production Manager: Adrian Muir
Stage Manager/Model & Miniature Design: Susan Miyagishima
Apprentice Stage Manager: Maria Zarrillo
Apprentice Lighting Design: Harika Xu

1 Hour Photo was developed in dramaturgical collaboration and partnership with Playwrights Theatre Centre and filmed in association with Brightlight Pictures.

THE OLD GLOBE IN SAN DIEGO will present their summer 2021 outdoor concert series A Evening With . . . in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. The series will feature the return of Solea Pfeiffer, Tony Award nominee Carmen Cusack, and Eden Espinosa. These critically acclaimed artists will perform the best of Broadway show tunes and delight audiences with classic and contemporary songs.

An Evening with Solea Pfeiffer June 19-20 will feature newly arranged hits from her most celebrated stage productions, including “Morocco” from Almost Famous, “Burn” from Hamilton, “Rainbow High” from Evita, and others. She will also perform a collection of songs from contemporary to classic artists such as Billie Eilish and Fleetwood Mac.

TONY AND DAYTIME EMMY AWARD WINNER LILLIAS WHITE will release her first solo studio album, Get Yourself Some Happy! on July 23rd, 2021 via Old Mill Road Recording.

THEATER RESOURCES UNLIMITED (TRU) presents Dust off Your Dreams: The Long-Awaited Return of Our Favorite Festivals on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 via Zoom.

The panel speakers will include Cate Cammarata, literary manager TRU Voices Reading Series; Gene Fisch, Jr., festival director New York New Works Theatre Festival; Dennis Corsi, artistic director of Fresh Fruit Festival; Glory Kadigan, founding artistic director of Planet Connections Festivity/Zoomfest; a rep from the Dream Up Festival at Theatre for the New City; and Van Dirk Fisher, artistic director of Strawberry One-Act Festival and Strawberry Theatre Festival.

Doors open at 5:00pm EST for networking and roundtable introductions of everyone in the room – come prepared with your best 20-second summary of who you are, and what you need. Panel will start at 5:30pm. Free for TRU members, $15 for non-members.

THE 20th TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL opened this past week. Founded in 2002 to promote the economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11, Tribeca has become a premier event drawing talent and audiences from across the globe.

Opening night kicked off the much-anticipated release of the Made in NY production In The Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda. True to form, the film is a beautiful work of motion picture storytelling that couldn’t come at a better time to remind us of what makes New York City—and Washington Heights in particular—truly special. It is also a wonderful illustration of the incredible work that emerges literally from the streets of New York out of creative collaborations between the local production industry and our Film Office at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME).

CONSTELLATIONS by Nick Payne. Donmar Artistic Director Michael Longhurst will revive his acclaimed Royal Court, West End and Broadway productionat the West End’s Vaudeville Theatre from June 18 - September 12, 2021.

A quantum physicist and a beekeeper meet at a barbeque. They hit it off, or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. In the multiverse, with every possible future ahead of them, a love of honey could make all the difference.

Four brand new casts will take turns to journey through the multiverse exploring the infinite possibilities of a relationship; each refracting the play afresh. The couples are Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah, Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker, Omari Douglas and Russell Tovey, and Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O'Dowd. The production will run in accordance with the latest UK government social distancing guidelines.

DRUID DEBUTS 2021 a series of online rehearsed reading of new plays is currently taking place through July 1, 2021.

Selected by the Dublin Theatre Festival from almost 300 submissions, this year's Debuts are:
And Other Hellish Things by Shane Burke
Flicker by Róisín Coyle
Håber Undone by Catherine Cronin
The readings are streamed live online.

REHEARSALS ARE UNDER WAY for the first major revival of Ayad Akhtar's The Invisible Hand, at the Kilm Theatre in London, directed by Indhu Rubasingham.

OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS when a massive humpback whale swallowed and - about 30-40 seconds later - then spit out lobster fisherman Michael Packard off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts, late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon quipped: The Bible is going to sue for plagiarism.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

THE ABA FORUM ON THE ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS INDUSTRIES presents Drafting Arbitration Provisions for Film, Television & Streaming, Production and Distribution Agreements on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

Speaking will be Daniel M. Flores, Executive Vice President and head of litigation at Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios Inc. Since January 2013, he has been responsible for managing all litigation and pre-litigation matters for the company worldwide, responding to government agency investigations/inquiries and third-party subpoenas, and advising the company on antitrust and FCPA compliance, production-related claims, and risk management.

Vera Golosker who is Associate Principal Counsel in Unscripted Programming and Marketing at The Walt Disney Company where she works in legal affairs on programs airing on ABC, Disney+, as well as other platforms. Before joining Disney, Vera worked as Counsel in business and legal affairs at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she also served as the production attorney on the Emmy Award-winning series Shark Tank. Before joining MGM in 2017, Vera was a litigator at a boutique entertainment law firm in Beverly Hills, handling intellectual property, entertainment, contract, and employment disputes.

They join Aaron Gothelf who who is Vice President of the American Arbitration Association's Commercial Division for the Pacific Region, and Paul Burns who has presided over 200 arbitrations and/or mediations including disputes in excess of $100 million, to discuss best practices for drafting arbitration provisions for film, television, and streaming, production & distribution agreements. The program will address various types of arbitration provisions customized for particular types of production and distribution agreements, to insure confidential, cost-effective, efficient, and where necessary, expedited resolution of disputes in circumstances where the parties are in an ongoing relationship.

THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP (TCG) has announced the launch of THRIVE!, a regranting program to provide unrestricted funds and professional development and technical assistance for U.S.-based Black Theatres, Indigenous Theatres, and all Theatres of Color (BITOC). With $1,635,000 in support from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, TCG is working in partnership with an Advisory Circle of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to craft a program that will include regranting, leadership development, convening, and widespread dissemination of learnings. At the core of this new program is a call for emergent, complex thinking to help BITOC thrive and reach their highest potential, with opportunities for reflection and collective action. The THRIVE! Program is launching as part of THRIVE! Week, a virtual convening from June 7-11 with programming by, for, and about theatremakers who identify as BIPOC, POC, or People of the Global Majority.

Working in emergent partnership with BIPOC leaders, THRIVE! will have three main areas of activity: Grantingmaking, Convening and Dissemination.

Working closely with an Advisory Circle of BIPOC theatre leaders and representatives of BITOC throughout the life of the program will ensure that the components are relevant and useful. Advisory Circle members include:
Andrea Assaf, Founding Artistic Director, art2action; Miranda Gonzalez, Producing Artistic Director, Urban Theatre; Andre Harrington, Professor of Design at California State University, San Bernardino; Dr. Nicole Hodges Persley, Artistic Director, KC Melting Pot Theater; Leslie Ishii, Artistic Director, Perseverance Theatre; Jonathan McCrory, Executive Artistic Director, National Black Theatre; Alexandra Meda, Artistic Director, Teatro Luna; Kate Moore Heaney, Artistic Producer, Noor Theatre; Meena Natarajan, Executive and Artistic Director, Pangea World Theatre; Ryan Opalanietet Pierce, Artistic Director, Eagle Project; DeLanna Studi, Artistic Director, Native Voices; K. Zaheerah Sultan, Founder and Executive Director of Mind Your Business Art; Meredith Suttles, Managing Director, Marin Theatre Company; and Torange Yeghiazarian, Founder, Golden Thread Productions.



2021 MARK T. BANNER AWARD was virtually presented on June 10, 2021.

The ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law honors these stars of intellectual property law who have risen to the top of the profession with this award.

2021 Honorees:
Hon. James Donald Smith, Chief IP Counsel at Ecolab Inc., and former first Chief Judge of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Karyn A. Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel of the Motion Picture Association, and former Register of Copyrights at the U.S. Copyright Office.
Philip G. Hampton, II, Senior Partner and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer in the D.C. office of Polsinelli PC. and former Assistant Commissioner for Trademarks at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Featured Speaker:
Bismarck Myrick, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The late Mark Banner was chair of the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law from 2002 to 2003. He sought, demanded, and attained the very best from himself and everyone. These characteristics made him and those around him seek excellence in all they did: advocacy, work, relationships, intellectual property matters, and work for the ABA-IPL Section.

"Mark was widely recognized not only as one of the best IP trial lawyers in the United States, but also as one of the country’s best trial lawyers, period. His work transcended narrow principles of IP decisional law and wove in the fabric of general law to reflect the reality of his legal positions in a way that was reasonable and cogent as well as easily understood. Mark Banner’s extraordinary gift, in addition to his trial expertise, was in teaching, where he always varied the performance to conform to a student’s style. He often said that teaching was his 'labor of love.'"

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FINAL OVATION

SISTER MARY JOSEPH of the Trinity, O.C.D. died June 5, 2021. She was 92.

31 years ago Ann Russell Miller, was a wealthy San Francisco socialite who smoked, drank, played cards and became an open water diver. At 20, she married Richard Miller, who became vice president of Pacific Gas and Electric, a utility company. They had 10 children.

Her closets were filled with couture outfits, Hermes scarves and Versace shoes. She had her hair done at Elizabeth Arden and bought her date books at Tiffany’s. She called her friends “darling,” and took them on trips around the world.

At one time she was a member of 22 different boards and raised money for gifted college students, homeless people and the Roman Catholic Church including: Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation, Inc., both as a Founder of the Northern California Chapter and as the National Board President. She was happy to support Dick as the Opera Association Chairman and in his service as a SF Police Commissioner. But, their spiritual lives were the center of their marriage, from membership in the Order of Malta, and Order of the Holy Sepulchre; a Founder of the Daughters of Charity Foundation, to the International Dominican Foundation and as California Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums."

Her husband died of cancer in 1984. They had promised each other that when one died the other would devote their life to God. Five years later she announced she was giving away her possessions and intended to become a cloistered nun.

On her 61st birthday Ann threw a black-tie party for 800 guests at the Hilton Hotel in San Francisco to say farewell to her old life. They dined on expensive seafood, listened to live orchestral music and Ann is said to have worn a flower crown and had tied a helium balloon to herself which said "here I am" so people could find her to say their goodbyes.

She told her guests she had devoted her first 30 years of life to herself, the second 30 to her children and that the last third of her life would be dedicated to God. The next day she flew to Chicago to live at the monastery as Sister Mary Joseph.

She took a vow of silence, solitude and poverty, and died at the monastery where she lived for the past three decades.

- The Carmelite nuns are a cloistered and ascetic order, living largely in silence. They do not leave the monastery, except when necessary, such as to see a doctor. The nuns only speak if it is essential, leaving more time for contemplation and prayer.

She is survived by her ten children and their spouses, 28 grandchildren, and more than a dozen great-grandchildren.

Next Column: June 20, 2021
Copyright: June 13, 2021 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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Laura Deni

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