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MAPA’s ‘Glass Menagerie’ a Maui masterpiece

Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" is such an exquisite and impeccable script that as long as the proper theater team is in place, equipped with discerning eyes for detail, it is nearly impossible to blemish. Yet, a half-hearted effort could be dismal and disastrous. The Maui Academy of Performing Art's production, directed by Sally Sefton and co-designed by committee, is nothing short of a little Maui masterpiece. As has been the case once in a Maui blue moon, there is little to nothing to critique in "Menagerie," aside of what would be expected from a big-budget Equity ...

Maui Comedy Festival

There are a handful of world-renowned comedy festivals, in particular Montreal's "Just For Laughs." Next week, Maui joins an elite list with its inaugural comedy festival on Front Street in Lahaina boasting 20-plus performances starring more than 30 comics over four days.One of the Maui Comedy Festival headliners, Greg Proops, shared his thoughts about the island's good fortune."It's going to be really fun," Proops said. "Truthfully, they couldn't afford this if it was anywhere else. This is a chance for Maui to experience a comedy festival the size and scope of Montreal and Edinburgh. ...

The Glass Menagerie

When it comes to naming the greatest examples of American writing, Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" certainly belongs on the list. Its language, detail and similes are so rich - that a college-level playwriting course could devote an entire semester peeling back its layers.Williams was for many years a professional college student, studying English, journalism and playwriting at three universities. It was through the WPA (a federally funded program that helped many artists, musicians and writers survive the Great Depression) that Williams entered into professional playwriting, ...

Worlds collide in Guru of Chai

In recent years, more than a few India-themed performing arts productions have come to Maui. Thus far, all of them have been extraordinary, yet sparsely attended. Sheetal Gandhi's magnetically rhythmic "Bahu-Beti-Biwi" (Daughter-in-law, Daughter, Wife) graced the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in 2011; "They Call Me Q!," took first place in the 2013 Maui Fringe Theater Festival; and at last year's Maui Fringe, Antara Bhardwaj's "Tale of Kathaka" took both first place and the best performer awards. Qurrat Kadwani's "Q!" is now in its 20th week of running off-Broadway, and Bhardwaj has ...

Penn & Teller

When revealing that I would be interviewing Penn Jillette, I was encouraged to "ask about the tiger mauling." Although I hadn't planned the question, now I had to mention it. Jillette laughed, offering, "We get that," meaning being confused with "Siegfried & Roy." Prior to what Penn called "had his head bit off by a tiger," he had been making fun of "Siegfried & Roy" on stage for a decade."We have so little in common, except for everything," he shared. "We make things that are safe and easy look difficult and dangerous. They made the incredibly difficult and dangerous look ...

‘Wait Until Dark’ saves best frights for last

Offering a review on "Wait Until Dark" is a bit like telling someone Bruce Willis is really a ghost in "The Sixth Sense." In an effort not to reveal the most unnerving aspects of this suspense thriller, I'll keep much of the plot a secret.Frederick Knott's script is a bit old fashioned in regards to exposition. However, "Dark" is an extremely elaborate con that requires a great deal of background information for the audience to follow along, not unlike "The Sting." The script is also a slightly backwards thriller. In time, the entire audience knows what's going on, but the characters on ...