DramaLit Blog 1.0: BU School of Theatre

Ok, so here we go.

1) Actor Chris Cooper in a reading of Sam Shepard's "Curse of the Starving Class" -- produced by
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. 7p, Mon Feb 21, at the Calderwood Pavilion

This event is free, but there's been high demand for tix, so CommShakes posted the following
instructions on their website. (If you want to go, as I know some of you do, get there hella early):

Due to overwhelming demand for seating for Curse of the Starving Class, CSC has established the
following policy for admission. Our goal is to make the process fair and clear. This process is for
audience members who have NOT donated to reserve seats and attend the post-performance reception.
•       At 5pm on Monday Feb 21st, CSC staff will start handing out 145 vouchers to people who wish to attend the free performance.
•       Patrons with vouchers are welcome to line up after receiving a voucher for entry into the theater, which will begin at 6:30.
•       Vouchers will be distributed until we run out. A waiting list will then be started.
•       There is a limit of two vouchers per person.
•       Vouchers guarantee admission, but do not guarantee specific seats. Seating location is on a first come, first served basis.
•       Doors will open at 6:30pm. Patrons with vouchers will be admitted.
•       Should any seats remain, we will admit patrons from the waiting list.
For audience members who have donated to reserve seats and attend the post-performance reception:
•       There will be a separate line for you to check in.
•       Patrons who have donated are welcome to line up for entry into the theater after 5pm.
•       Doors will open at 6:15pm for patrons who have donated. Seat locations are on a first come, first served basis.

2) "Ajax" at A.R.T.
Directed by Sarah Benson, it plays through March 13
Info on ART's Student Membership tix: http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/student-membership

Info on ART's Student Rush tix:
"A full-time college, university, or high school student with a valid student ID can purchase a Student Rush ticket for $15 on the day of the performance, subject to availability. These are available by phone at 617.547.8300 or in person at the box office only. Limit one ticket per performance per ID."

3) Theatre of War (Bryan Doerries' project) Nights at A.R.T
Two Monday night events, Feb 28 and March 7, at 7p.  Tix are free, but you must reserve online.  More info here:
http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/tow
I'll be going both nights, and would love to make a night of it with any of you who wish to attend. We can go to the event, and then retire to a local cafe for conversation afterwards.

4) "Ti-Jean & His Brothers" at the Central Square Theatre -- a co-production between Boston
Playwrights' Theatre & Underground Railway Theatre, playing through March 13
The show features several of your SOT colleagues, and is by Nobel Laurate (and founder of BPT) Derek Walcott.  Definitely worth seeing!
Info here: http://www.centralsquaretheater.org/season/10-11/ti-jean.html

5) Sleep No More in NYC (PunchDrunk Theatre)
I contacted the folks at the Sleep No More NYC pdxn.  There aren’t any single ticket or student
discounts at present, but you might consider geting a group together to attend during InCite.  Here’s their twitter message to me: “No discounts on individual student tix at this time but we are offering student group discounts. jweinbloom@sleepnomorenyc.com”
I leave it to you to follow up. You may also want to follow their (new) twitter feed, in case deals get offered there: @sleepnomorenyc

6) Young Jean Lee in NYC
Her new piece, "We're Gonna Die," goes up in NY April 1-30 at Joe's Pub (Public Theatre).
Info: http://www.youngjeanlee.org/were_gonna_die
April 1-2 and April 30 @ 7PM
April  8-9, 17-18, 22-23, 29-30 @ 9:30PM
TICKETS
Full Price: $30 Seated / $25 Standing
INSIDER DISCOUNT: $25 Seated / $20 Standing
(Valid only for tickets purchased prior to March 15. Use code JPTIXA2)

I'm going to head down some Sunday yet to be determined. If you want to make a caravan trip out of it (some people in my car, any extra people on Megabus or BoltBus or the like), let me know and I'll put you on the email list I'll use to plan the event.

This is a bit blast-from-the-past, but I thought I'd introduce you to the Guerrilla Girls.  This feminist arts group started in the 1980s to protest the ridiculously obvious underrepresentation of female artists in major art collections worldwide.  They are a collective of anonymous activists/artists who tend to make their statements in gorilla masks and via huge poster campaigns.  (See their FAQ page for more details.)

I bring them up for a few reasons.  First, I think as we wade through the plays of the last twenty years, it's worth us investigating the changing (or not) notions of feminism.  Second, they've got two great twitter feeds: @guerrillagirls and @GuerrillaGsOT. Third, in cleaning out a file folder the other day, I stumbled across the poster hand-outs I got in 1996 when the GGs came to my college -- in full gorilla masks -- to talk to us about the need for equality in the arts.  I've scanned those posters in, and have uploaded them here for you to see.

And lest you think that the struggle for equality in the arts is a moot point, I invite you to check out the work of a group called 50/50 in 2020. Their twitter feed is here: @5050in2020.  They also run an initiative called Works by Women Meet-up that organizes groups to attend plays by women.