Here There are Blueberries

Here There are Blueberries
Tectonic Theatre Project
by Moises Kaufman and Amanda Gronich
conceived and directed by Moises Kaufman
New York Theatre Workshop
April 19, 2024
Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

Based on real events, Here There are Blueberries tells the story of a mysterious collection of photographs that was set to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007. The shocking discovery in these photographs taken at Auschwitz was that not a single picture was of a prisoner or a corpse. Every picture was of a soldier or a person employed at the camp. There, picture after picture – – was of office meetings, retreats, and even holiday celebrations. They showed groups of young, giggling women all working as switchboard operators manning the phones and communication channels for the camp. In short it presented the human, day-to-day side of the Germans in Auschwitz.

TransMasculine Cabaret

TransMasculine Cabaret
by Vulva Va-Voom
NYC Theatre Fringe Festival at 14th Street Y
April 13, 2024
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

This second slice of Fringe Theatre for the trip certainly worked better than the first. To begin, the artist actually cared and invested in their message and how it was being shared. The story told was of a performer dressed as a female preparing for a cabaret performance that slowly transforms into a performance as a “drag king”. Along the way the performer- they/them shares the journey that they have experienced as a trans performer and how they have been received both off and on stage. The play is wild and offensive, gross and caustic – all good things you expect from a fringe piece.

A Drag is Born

A Drag is Born
Creator, Producer, & Performer Edu Diaz
Directed by Rachel Resnik
New York City Fringe – 14th Street Y
April 13, 2024
Production website
☠  out of 5.

This was one of the WORST nights in the theatre that I have experienced in years! I realize there is an entirely different metric to be used in judging and enjoying fringe pieces – and I do love seeing fringe pieces and supporting new artists – but nothing can excuse this shit! The “story” that was only “attempted” was about a middle-aged man letting go of his masculinity and its trappings and letting his freak flag fly was a suitable story line for a fringe piece but nothing worked here.

Patriots

Patriots
by Peter Morgan
Directed by Rupert Goold
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
April 12, 2024
Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

Simply brilliant! Patriots is everything a play should be: a smart play that gives causes you to think and feel – excites your imagination – is fun and clever – dangerous and radical – challenges your view of history – and causes you to think about your future! All that in 2 glorious hours. Set in 1991 as the Soviet Union is morphing into the new Russia, oligarchs are taking over the government and billionaire Boris Berezovsky (brilliantly, brilliantly played by Michael Stuhlbarg) looks to an unknown deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin (equally brilliantly played by Will Keen) to serve as the eventual successor to President Boris Yeltsin – Putin seems to be the perfect puppet to serve this king-maker – – or is he?

Titantique

Titanique
book by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue
Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements by Nicholas Connell
Directed by Tye Blue
Daryl Roth Theatre
April 9, 2024
Production website
💉 out of 5.

This piece was a TRUE let down! I came to the piece with high expectations and a handful of excellent recommendations from theatre friends and critics. Basically, Titanique is a spoof of the James Cameron movie in which Celine Dion re-writes the story with her as a participant and she sets out to poke fun at all of the classic scenes from the movie. It really could have been a workable premise for a fun evening but . . .