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Boston Globe
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
The Ufot Family Cycle turns toward a younger generation in ‘Kufre N' Quay'
Directed by John ADEkoje, 'Kufre N' Quay' is the fifth drama in Mfoniso Udofia's nine-play Ufot Family Cycle, which chronicles the experiences of three generations of a Nigerian-American family over a period of decades. As with August Wilson's 'Century Cycle,' which explored the Black experience through the prism of a drama for each decade of the 20th century, what makes Udofia's plays work is that they're grounded in a specificity of character while also encompassing major sociological movements. Advertisement The playwright is nothing if not ambitious, and in 'Kufre N' Quay,' she fuses a coming-of-age story with a strangers-in-a-strange-land narrative, while also delving into issues of racial identity (Udofia calls it 'the most overt race-play in the cycle') and belonging. In an initiative spearheaded by The Huntington and its artistic director, Loretta Greco, dozens of Boston-area arts organizations have committed to staging the plays in the Ufot Family Cycle. Previous productions have included But 'Kufre N' Quay' does not reach the level of those four earlier plays. The action begins in the summer of 2018 and moves back and forth from the Inwood section of Manhattan to Harlem to — in Kufre's mind, at least — Lagos, Nigeria. Advertisement A glowing glass model of the solar system given to him by his grandmother ignites Kufre's vivid imagination, allowing the universe to periodically open up to him. Projection designer Justin Lahue and lighting designer Karen Perlow have done stellar work in evoking the cosmos. Act One is unwieldy; it feels both overstuffed and underdeveloped as the kids at the youth center treat Kufre with derision while counselor Miss Ey Yo Miss (Jalyse Ware) tries to persuade them to accept the newcomer. The play begins to round into form in Act Two, which foregrounds the estimable Ramona Lisa Alexander as Iniabasi Ekpeyong, Kufre's fiercely protective mother, and Jackie Davis as Abasiama Ufot, his even more formidable grandmother. This is the first professional production by the Boston Arts Academy, which has teamed up with Wheelock Family Theatre. A dozen academy students are in the cast. Unsurprisingly, with such a youthful ensemble, the levels of acting ability vary widely. One clear standout is Ngolela Kamanampata, who transitions skillfully through multiple moods as 13-year-old Laquasha 'Quay' Price. Quay is Kufre's first ally at the youth center, until he alienates her by saying, clumsily, that she is good enough to live in Nigeria while none of the other Black kids are. 'You are one of the better ones,' he says, intending it as praise. She is rightly incensed. Eventually, he is rightly repentant. In the aforementioned program note, Udofia writes that she focuses on young people in the play 'so we can see how early the othering starts. How deep it cuts. And maybe — because it's youth at the center — how possible it is to change.' Advertisement KUFRE N' QUAY Play by Mfoniso Udofia. Directed by John ADEkoje. Presented by Boston Arts Academy and Wheelock Family Theatre. At Boston Arts Academy. Through July 26. Tickets $21.40 to $41.80. 617-635-6470, Don Aucoin can be reached at
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Singers soar above the flaws of ‘The Light in the Piazza'
If you can accept those tradeoffs, you'll be in a position to savor In particular, you'll have a chance to experience the stunning vocal power of Sarah-Anne Martinez as Clara, a 26-year-old woman on vacation in Florence with her mother, Margaret (Emily Skinner), in the summer of 1953. The way Martinez deploys her crystalline soprano in the title song, just to choose one highlight of her performance, is shiver-inducing. Advertisement For a reason we later learn — she suffered a brain injury in childhood that has affected her development in hard to predict ways — Clara tends to act on impulse. And when she falls in love with a 20-year-old Florentine named Fabrizio (Joshua Grosso), and he with her, Margaret faces a dilemma: Should she tell Fabrizio and his parents (William Michals and Rebecca Pitcher) the truth about Clara's condition? That, in Margaret's words, 'She is not quite what she seems'? Music director Andrea Grody and her orchestra bring out the lushness of Guettel's score, which is often lovely and always heartfelt, but could do with more tonal variety. As a matter of storytelling, 'The Light in the Piazza' takes a few short cuts, introducing what seem to be major conflicts, only to resolve them too tidily, with a song or a bit of dialogue, reflecting an impatience to get on to the next scene — and the next song. The result is a lack of necessary tension. Advertisement The cast of "The Light in the Piazza." Julieta Cervantes/Photo: �Julieta Cervantes That's when the quality of the cast's singing proves vital. While Martinez is on a plane of virtuosity all her own, Skinner and Grosso also sing beautifully. In dialogue and in song, Skinner lets us feel the anguish of a mother caught in a bind between the possibility of happiness for her child and the possibility of emotional devastation for that child. Grosso, who was in the cast of last year's ' The courtship between Clara and Fabrizio gets a bit too cutesy, but there is a genuine chemistry between Martinez and Grosso. It's vital that we believe the ardor of their love, even though they scarcely know each other, and we do. Martinez delivers a wonderfully subtle performance, equally convincing in communicating Clara's condition and general innocence via bright, birdlike movements and expressions —Clara is somewhat reminiscent of Laura Wingfield in 'The Glass Menagerie' — then transitioning to an explosive key for a riveting meltdown scene. To this observer, 'Piazza' leans in the direction of Italian stereotype in its depiction of Fabrizio's brother (Alexander Ross), and sister-in-law (Rebekah Rae Robles). Advertisement Greco, The Huntington's artistic director, shows an adroit touch in handling 'Piazza''s shifts in mood and atmosphere. From the mist-shrouded opening scene, there's a gauzily cinematic quality to the production, suffused with a swoony romanticism. A film version of 'The Light in the Piazza," starring Olivia de Havilland, Yvette Mimieux, and George Hamilton (!) was released in 1962, shorn of the 'The.' Scenic designer Andrew Boyce has created a movable set that is both visually arresting and versatile, swiftly establishing a sense of place as the musical moves from one locale to another. We all have our own definitions of true love. The implicit argument of 'The Light in the Piazza' is that the most important quality is unstoppability. THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA Book by Craig Lucas. Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel. Based on the novella by Elizabeth Spencer. Directed by Loretta Greco. Presented by The Huntington. At the Huntington Theatre, Boston. Through June 15. Tickets start at $29. 617-266-0800, Don Aucoin can be reached at
Boston Globe
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
The Huntington announces 2025-2026 season
Advertisement Nearly three dozen arts organizations are expected to be involved in stagings of Udofia's cycle by the time it is done. 'The Ceremony' will be part of the package offered to full-season subscribers to The Huntington. That season, announced Thursday afternoon, will include Jez Butterworth's 'The Hills of California,' Chris Grace's 'Sardines (a comedy about death),' the wrenching musical 'Fun Home,' Luis Alfaro's 'Oedipus el Rey,' Joshua Harmon's 'We Had a World,' and Jonathan Spector's 'Eureka Day.' In a telephone interview, Huntington artistic director Loretta Greco said that in mapping out the season, she sought 'great stories that are going to speak to us today' while also being mindful that 'there are too many humor-free things happening today. We have to be able to laugh.' Advertisement Greco will direct 'The Hills of California,' which ran on Broadway last fall. It's about the fraught homecoming of four adult sisters in the mid-1970s who return to the seaside house where they grew up – and where their mother is dying. The mother had tried to prepare them for careers as singers, akin to the Andrews Sisters. The play will be presented in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre from Sept. 11-Oct. 12. From Sept. 30-Nov. 9, The Huntington will present 'Sardines (a comedy about death).' Written and performed by Chris Grace, and directed by Eric Michaud, 'Sardines' is a seriocomic solo play about Grace's attempt to process a staggering amount of loss in a short time period: the deaths of Grace's partner, his parents, and two of his siblings. 'He performs it with the deft radar of a comedian,' Greco said. Next up, from Nov. 14-Dec. 14, is seven years ago. 'Fun Home,' which is based on Alison Bechdel's graphic novel, focuses on a middle-aged gay cartoonist looking back at her complicated relationship with her closeted father. As with 'The Hills of California,' the musical offers a reminder, Greco said, that 'your parents are a piece of who you are.' With music by Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, 'Fun Home' will be directed by Logan Ellis. From Feb. 12-March 15, 2026, The Huntington will present 'We Had a World,' by Advertisement Greco will be back in the director role for Luis Alfaro's 'Oedipus el Rey,' a reimagining of the classic drama by Sophocles that is set in present-day Los Angeles. It will run May 7-June 7, 2026. Rounding out the year will be 'Eureka Day,' Jonathan Spector's comedy about parents at a progressive private school whose ideals are tested when they are confronted with a case of the mumps. Slated for May 28-June 28, 2026, 'Eureka Day' will be directed by Margo Bordelon, who helmed the Huntington production of Don Aucoin can be reached at
Boston Globe
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
The Ufot Family Cycle comes away with 18 Elliot Norton Award nominations
American Repertory Theater landed 19 nominations, including three in the new script category, for Kate Hamill's 'The Odyssey,' Martyna Majok's 'Gatsby,' and Ayodele Casele's 'Diary of a Tap Dancer.' They'll compete in that category against Zoë Kim's 'Did You Eat? (밥먹었니?),' as well as Udofia, who's nominated for 'The Grove.' Other companies earning multiple nominations for one show include SpeakEasy Stage, whose ' Advertisement The ceremony will also honor Kathy St. George with the 2025 Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, for her body of work, including productions in Boston and on Broadway. She also appeared in Daigneault's 'A Man of No Importance.' For tickets to the ceremony and more information, visit Outstanding Play, Large 'The Grove,' The Huntington 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company 'Sojourners,' The Huntington 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington 'The Winter's Tale,' Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Outstanding Play, Midsize 'Ain't No Mo',' SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective 'Her Portmanteau,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective 'The Hombres,' Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project 'Romeo and Juliet,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Outstanding Play, Small 'Did You Eat? (밥먹었니?)' CHUANG Stage and Seoulful Productions 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre 'My Dinner With André,' Harbor Stage Company 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Outstanding Musical 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater 'A Little Night Music,' Sullivan Rep 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Large Jennifer Mogbock, 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington Nael Nacer, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Joshua Olumide, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Advertisement Abigail C. Onwunali, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Abigail C. Onwunali, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Midsize Jade Guerra, 'Her Portmanteau,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Ricardo 'Ricky' Holguin, 'The Hombres,' Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea Karen MacDonald, 'Pru Payne,' SpeakEasy Stage Bill Mootos, 'Network,' The Umbrella Stage Company Omar Robinson, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Small Andrey Burkovskiy, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Sehnaz Dirik, 'The Lion in Winter,' Theater UnCorked Parker Jennings, 'Hedda Gabler,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Robert Kropf, 'My Dinner With André,' Harbor Stage Company Patrick O'Konis, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Large Asha Basha Duniani, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Kate Hamill, 'The Odyssey,' American Repertory Theater Patrice Johnson Chevannes, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Joshua Olumide, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Valyn Lyric Turner, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Midsize Grant Evan, 'Ain't No Mo',' SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective Arthur Gomez, 'The Hombres,' Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea Anthony T Goss, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Jade Guerra, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project 'ranney,' 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Small Lauren Elias, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Kody Grassett, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Deb Martin, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Brooks Reeves, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Laura Rocklyn, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical Ayodele Casel, 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater Sherée Marcelle, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Advertisement Paul Melendy, 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' Lyric Stage Boston Jeremy Radin, 'Fiddler on the Roof,' North Shore Music Theatre Eddie Shields, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical Cortlandt Barrett, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Diego Cintrón, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Aimee Doherty, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Alaina Mills, 'Fiddler on the Roof,' North Shore Music Theatre Solea Pfeiffer, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Outstanding Musical Direction KB Bickford, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Wiley DeWeese and Kimberly Grigsby, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Milton Granger, 'Titanic,' North Shore Music Theatre Paul S. Katz, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Jenny Tsai, 'A Little Night Music,' Sullivan Rep Outstanding Choreography Rachel Bertone, 'An American in Paris,' Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston Ayodele Casel, 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater Larry Sousa, 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' Lyric Stage Boston Sonya Tayeh, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Ebony Williams, 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington Outstanding Director, Large Rachel Chavkin, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Kevin P. Hill, 'Titanic,' North Shore Music Theatre Carey Perloff, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Dawn M. Simmons, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Awoye Timpo, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Outstanding Director, Midsize Paul Daigneault, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Christopher V. Edwards, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Pascale Florestal, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Armando Rivera, 'The Hombres,' Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea Dawn M. Simmons, 'Ain't No Mo',' SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective Advertisement Outstanding Director, Small Bryn Boice, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Danielle Fauteux Jacques, 'Hedda Gabler,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Danielle Fauteux Jacques, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Igor Golyak, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Kiki Samko, 'Rosemary's Baby Jesus,' Gold Dust Orphans Outstanding Scenic Design, Large Jason Ardizzone-West, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Jason Ardizzone-West, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Yuki Izumihara and Ken MacDonald, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Junghyun Georgia Lee, 'The Triumph of Love,' The Huntington Mimi Lien, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Outstanding Scenic Design, Midsize or Small Justin Lahue, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Joseph Lark-Riley, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Saskia Martinez, 'The SpongeBob Musical,' Wheelock Family Theatre Afsoon Pajoufar, 'Network,' The Umbrella Stage Company Jon Savage, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Outstanding Lighting Design, Large Reza Behjat, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Alan C. Edwards, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Maximo Grano De Oro, 'The Winter's Tale,' Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, 'The Odyssey,' American Repertory Theater Robert Wierzel, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Outstanding Lighting Design, Midsize or Small Jeff Adelberg, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Isaak Olson, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Karen Perlow, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Deb Sullivan, 'Romeo and Juliet,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Lawrence A. Ware, 'The SpongeBob Musical,' Wheelock Family Theatre Outstanding Sound Design, Large Alex Berg, 'Titanic,' North Shore Music Theatre Michael Bodeen and Rob Milburn, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Lucas Clopton and Aubrey Dube, 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington Tony Gayle, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Sharath Patel, 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater Outstanding Sound Design, Midsize or Small Advertisement Gage Baker and Peter DiMaggio, 'The SpongeBob Musical,' Wheelock Family Theatre Arshan Gailus, 'The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn,' Boston Playwrights' Theatre Jesse Hinson, 'Romeo and Juliet,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Joseph Lark-Riley, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Fedor Zhuravlev, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Outstanding Costume Design, Large Fabian Fidel Aguilar, 'A Christmas Carol,' Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Alex Jaeger, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Junghyun Georgia Lee, 'The Triumph of Love,' The Huntington Rachel Padula-Shufelt, 'The Winter's Tale,' Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Sandy Powell, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Outstanding Costume Design, Midsize or Small Sasha Ageeva, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Seth Bodie, 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' Lyric Stage Boston Johnny Cagno and Brian Simons, 'South Pacific,' Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston Chloe Moore, 'The SpongeBob Musical,' Wheelock Family Theatre Rachel Padula-Shufelt, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Outstanding Solo Performance GiGi Buddie, 'Where We Belong,' The Umbrella Stage Company Parker Jennings, 'Every Brilliant Thing,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Zoë Kim, 'Did You Eat? (밥먹었니?)' CHUANG Stage and Seoulful Productions Cristhian Mancinas-García, 'Cada Cosa Maravillosa,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Jenece Upton, 'Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill,' Merrimack Repertory Theatre Kathryn Van Meter, 'The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,' Merrimack Repertory Theatre Outstanding New Script Ayodele Casel, 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater Kate Hamill, 'The Odyssey,' American Repertory Theater Zoë Kim, 'Did You Eat? (밥먹었니?),' CHUANG Stage and Seoulful Productions Martyna Majok, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Mfoniso Udofia, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Outstanding Ensemble 'Ain't No Mo',' SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater 'Fiddler on the Roof,' North Shore Music Theatre 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston 'Titanic,' North Shore Music Theatre 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington Lisa Weidenfeld can be reached at
Boston Globe
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Huntington's ‘Mangos' explores a family's dark secrets
That doesn't make the revelation any less horrifying, of course. But it does raise the question: Is what leads up to and follows that revelation compelling enough and distinctive enough to make 'Mangos' hang together as an organic whole? The answer is: Not quite. For the most part, 'Mangos' registers as two different plays, jammed together. But González demonstrates an understanding of family dynamics: the ways in which the past is never really past when it comes to the people close to you; it's always poking its nose into the present. Advertisement The playwright also knows what kind of ingredients can create an explosive or chilling scene, and 'Mangos' unleashes a couple of doozies. The play carries echoes of Set in 2019 in a community near San Juan, 'Mangos' focuses on three sisters: 46-year-old Ismelda (Jessica Pimentel); 44-year-old Yinoelle (Yesenia Iglesias), and 39-year-old Wicha (Evelyn Howe). Their mother (Susanna Guzman) has cancer, but has lately been skipping her treatments. Their father (Jose Ramon Rosario) has suffered a stroke that left him bedridden. When he needs assistance, Papi peremptorily summons family members by ringing a bell. In another power move, he often insists that family members scratch his nose. Advertisement 'Don't Eat the Mangos' premiered in 2020 at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, when it was led by The Huntington cast delivers strong performances all around, especially considering that they have to juggle the play's contrasting elements as it moves from comedy to horror and back to comedy and then… A hurricane is heading their way, but one is starting to build in their house, at first with familiar pressure points. Ismelda has been shouldering the bulk of the caregiving duties and is starting to resent it. In a conversation with Yinoelle, Wicha caustically notes that Ismelda got pregnant three times in her teens. There's more to that story than she knows. One of the things the sisters argue about is whether to sell their house. A momentous decision under any circumstances; infinitely more so in this case. 'We have to think about our future,' says Yinoelle. 'This place. … It's not our future.' DON'T EAT THE MANGOS Play by Ricardo Pérez González. Directed by David Mendizábal. Presented by The Huntington. At the Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. Through April 27. Tickets are $29-$150. At 617-266-0800 and Don Aucoin can be reached at
