Author Archives: Nicole Villeneuve

Swashbuckling, sword fighting, scurvy scallywag. Sounds more like “Pirates of the Caribbean” than Pinter. But “The Pirate Queen,” which opened April 5 at the Hilton Theater in New York City, attempts to prove that these elements are just as valid in the theater as they are on screen, with mixed success. Set in 16th-century Ireland, »

Let’s face it: “The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade” sounds like a daunting reading for your next history seminar. But the play of that title, typically abbreviated Marat/Sade and produced by undergraduates this weekend, offers greater »

With student actors bemoaning the dearth of performance spaces and filling out reams of Sudler Fund applications, it seems that Yale is overflowing with University-sponsored theatrical opportunities. But until recently, theater in New Haven rarely stretched beyond the reaches of campus, leaving residents frustrated. When Nicholas Clarey moved to New Haven in 2004, he hunted »

Families no longer gather around the radio for the latest installment of “The Twilight Zone” or for a fireside chat. But the Yale Cabaret hopes to prove that radio is still living and thriving in “Live Radio/Vintage Suspense” this weekend. Developed in the 1920s and popularized in the 1940s, radio plays brought audio thrills into »

As Yale’s undergraduate theater scene expands, the once-common tendency to produce shows that are comfortable, “safe” and undeniable crowd-pleasers is diminishing. With more Sudler-funded productions, the promise of more performance spaces, and the Yale Drama Coalition’s revival in the fall of 2005, theater on campus is more prominent than ever. This outburst allowed directors of »

With a script that has substantial basis in historical fact, it seems strange that Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Black Snow” is so distanced from reality. The play, adapted by Keith Reddin, is based on a novel written by Mikhail Bulgakov in the 1930s. Aptly titled “Theatrical Novel” in Russian, the book recounts the difficulties of a »

Jimi Hendrix. Jimmy Page. Keith Richards. Yo-Yo Ma? Confused? Meet Low Strung. The ensemble may be composed entirely of cellists, but don’t expect to hear Brahms at these performances. Low Strung only plays classic rock hits, cleverly arranged for strings. The idea of one instrument — and the mellow tones of the cello at that »

Although she was not nude and slathered in honey, as she has appeared in past performances, Karen Finley’s reading of her book ‘George and Martha’ at Labyrinth Books last night was still controversial. The title of the piece itself is contentious; far from presenting the first presidential couple, as its historical implications of the name »

George Bernard Shaw once said, “The great advantage of a hotel is that it is a refuge from home life.” But in Yale Cabaret’s “Hotel,” one sees quite the opposite: many individuals’ home lives converge in one hotel room. As soon as one enters the cabaret, one is immediately transported to every hotel room in »

While Yale is often both hailed and criticized for being steeped in tradition, theatergoers have a chance this weekend to see something that is not just contemporary, but a world premiere. “For Love of the Boy,” a production by the Yale Undergraduate Musical Theatre Company, opened last night at the Off Broadway Theater. The musical »

Yale Cabaret’s Sleeping Beauty may share a title with the classic Perrault story, but for those who are searching for a brief return to childhood, be forewarned: the play is less “ever after” and more existential and evocative. An American premiere, the inventive (albeit controversial) script was written by Austrian Elfriede Jelinek, winner of the »

Stereotypically, pop music, rap and hip-hop are critiqued for their sexual content and explicit lyrics, causing parents everywhere to mourn the loss of innocence in their children’s generation. But rather than attempt to disprove this stereotype, Yale’s lone contemporary and hip-hop dance company, Rhythmic Blue, runs with it in its fall show. The performance, provocatively »