Reviews
‘Souvenir’ Is Perfection In New Milford
NEW MILFORD — TheatreWorks New Milford’s production of Souvenir is awesome. A night at the theatre I will not soon forget. Written by Stephen Temperley, this comedy with music is immensely entertaining while covering all of the emotional bases. This production was originally performed at Westport Community Theatre. Under a new director, Sonnie Osborne, the…
A Memorable Souvenir At TheatreWorks New Milford
Some theatres have been around long enough to have become known as reliable producers of certain types of shows. Such is the case with TheatreWorks New Milford, who has mastered the production of small yet dynamic dramas featuring fascinating women. In recent years, the venue has successfully produced shows about Katherine Hepburn, Golda Meir and…
‘Souvenir’ a production to remember
There are two things to keep in mind when attending “Souvenir,” a memorable comedy with music now playing at TheatreWorks in New Milford. First, this work by Stephen Temperley, directed by Sonnie Osborne, is based on facts told by Cosme McMoon, accompanist to Florence Foster Jenkins. The second thing to keep in mind is that…
A Theatre Review by Mary Hembree
“What matters most is the music you hear in your head” – Florence Foster Jenkins Souvenir is just that – a remembrance of a time gone by when politeness and gentility ruled the day and political correctness wasn’t even in the lexicon. As the play begins, we join Cosme McMoon in a supper club twenty years…
Celebrating the worst singer ever?
At first glance, “Souvenir” may appear to be a simple comedy about an eccentric socialite who loves to sing, even though she can’t carry a tune. But Danbury actress Priscilla Squires said the play, based on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, is actually quite provocative. “It gets to people’s experiences and love of art, and why…
Review – ‘Souvenir’ at TheatreWorks New Milford
When ‘Souvenir’ opened last night at TheatreWorks New Milford (with their usual opening night fanfare,) it felt to this reviewer like, well, a souvenir, French for “a remembrance” or “memory.” You see, I had experienced this two character play last April at the Westport Community Theatre with this same cast. Sonnie Osborne took over the…
Dark People, Dark Places In Theater
In 1962, when Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” premièred, George and Martha set the standard for marital mayhem. They caviled and carped and stung and deviled each other in front of guests, and theatergoers were stunned. Still, this was the way George and Martha entertained each other. Maybe even loved each other. But…
Nicky Silver’s The Lyons Not Quite A Roaring Comedy
There is something oddly disturbing about a dark comedy. The theatregoer is presented with a situation that is typically considered tragic but, instead, they find themselves laughing at things that would normally be considered inappropriate as comic fodder. Such is the case with Nicky Silver’s The Lyons, now playing at TheatreWorks New Milford. Ben Lyons is…
New Milford’s ‘The Lyons’ roars (4.5 out of 5 stars)
Family dynamics can be fraught with anger especially during a crisis. Nicky Silver, who wrote “The Lyons,” takes a close look at a family gathered around the dying patriarch’s bedside. Don’t expect sentimental professions in this blunt, uproarious comedy. Instead, expect to witness the results of a family that has been completely disconnected emotionally for…
An evening of exceptional regional theatre
Gripping the audience from the opening dialogue, amidst whirring expletives, the sterling cast of Nicky Silver’s The Lyons delivers this production the way it was intended with blistering wit, an edge of cruelty and sublime interaction. Nicky Silver is a contemporary American playwright residing in New York City. The Lyons is his first play to be produced on Broadway…