red barn News
KONK Life Theater Review: THE THANKSGIVING PLAY
I am thankful to have been at the Red Barn Theater for opening night of “The Thanksgiving Play.” Before the play began, I was impressed by Gary McDonald’s set design -nothing says classroom like institutionally green classroom walls, complete with the ubiquitous wall hung map of the United States. The drama classroom we were transported to was a nostalgic setting for this contemporary and hilarious comedy.
REVIEW OF THE THANKSGIVING PLAY AT THE RED BARN THEATER
by EB aka Ennid Berger | March 6, 2024
https://konklife.com/the-thanksgiving-play/
I am thankful to have been at the Red Barn Theater for opening night of “The Thanksgiving Play.” Before the play began, I was impressed by Gary McDonald’s set design -nothing says classroom like institutionally green classroom walls, complete with the ubiquitous wall hung map of the United States. The drama classroom we were transported to was a nostalgic setting for this contemporary and hilarious comedy. We are here to observe four adults putting together a theatrical production for elementary school students – the question is, can they come together to produce a contemporary take on Thanksgiving honoring the Native American viewpoint. This unusual play was written by Larissa Fasthorse, the first Native American playwright whose work was produced on Broadway. Calling it a comedy of “performative wokeness,” the Broadway version of the play was produced with great success at the Helen Hayes Theater. The current Key West production was directed by Mimi McDonald, the managing director of the Red Barn., who was “delighted to work on The Thanksgiving Play.” The Red Barn’s artistic director, Joy Hawkins, added that writer Larissa Fasthorse had presented a one act play, hoping that the second act is one where you go home and talk about the play.
The cast consists of four white people attempting to write a culturally sensitive play for Native American history month. Local resident, Elena Devers, plays Logan, and glows with excitement, perfectly playing the energetic and anxiety ridden drama teacher, the director of the play within the play. She calls herself a “sensitive vegan” horrified by the slaughtered flesh of Thanksgiving turkeys, but in charge of rewriting the traditional holiday play to present one of contemporary wokeness and color blindness. Arthur Crocker, perfectly cast as the yoga practicing Jaxton, is a physical comedian, especially funny in his pretend eating scenes . Jeremy Zoma, historically accurate Caden, valiantly tries to keep the team on factually track but succumbs to the absurdity of the group. Nina Pilar is the standout, cast as the beautiful and hot Alicia and drawing the eye with her graceful movements, stillness and comedic timing. She reveals the secret to being content in an overly busy world – “I don’t do anything.”
Try as they might, the inept foursome struggle to come up with a play that reflects the true Thanksgiving story from the Native American viewpoint. In horrifying comparison, we are shown intermittent and real Pinterest animations that are put forth as tools for teachers. The “Injun” is shot down and other animated inequities are equally horrifying. The cast continuously experiments with numerous attempts to capture the realities of the first Thanksgiving. Their earnest attempts include eating invisible food and speaking to invisible indigenous people to no avail until finally they realize that the empty stage best represents the brutal history which can’t be spoken or staged. We are left struggling with the acknowledgement that there is no conclusive story – all remains disturbingly unresolved. As stated by the Red Barn, as a community, “we recognize the ever-present systemic inequities that stem from past wrongdoings…the land that One Island Family now stands on and the waters surrounding Key west, were the traditional homes under the stewardship of the Mascogo, Seminole, Calusa and Taino Peoples.”
RED BARN’S “THE THANKSGIVING PLAY” TAKES A HILARIOUS ‘WOKE’ LOOK AT OUR ICONIC HISTORY
We hear a lot about “wokeness” in the heady world of national politics these days. It’s usually pretty serious stuff, with each side slamming the other for either having too much of it, or not having enough. But what happens when you bring that thorny issue down to the common earth of everyday people?
PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102
For Immediate Release
From Left to Right: Elena Devers, Arthur Crocker, Director Mimi McDonald, Jeremy Zoma, Nina Pilar
We hear a lot about “wokeness” in the heady world of national politics these days. It’s usually pretty serious stuff, with each side slamming the other for either having too much of it, or not having enough. But what happens when you bring that thorny issue down to the common earth of everyday people?
Well, we’re about to find out in a very funny way when Key West’s Red Barn Theatre stages “The Thanksgiving Play” as the third mainstage production of their remarkable 44th season. The show opens March 5 and will run Tuesdays to Saturdays through the 30th.
The play was written by Larissa Fasthorse, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, and the first female Native American playwright to have a show on Broadway when it premiered at the Helen Hayes Theatre in New York. It won a Drama League Award in 2023.
It’s a simple premise: a group of white theater nerds meet in an elementary school classroom to put together a dramatic rendition of the Thanksgiving story for their young students – the one we’ve always been told about the Pilgrims and the “Indians” and the turkey and the corn. But when the supposed Indigenous professional actress they hire turns out to be anything but, everything plunges headlong into hilarious absurdity as the hopelessly woke whites try to fashion a play that ultimately has nothing to do with the actual unsavory history of that occasion, and is completely devoid of any insight into a Native American perspective on it.
“It’s very funny,” said director Mimi McDonald. “It brings home how we really don’t know what to do with what actual history – as opposed to the glossed-up stories – tells us really happened. The takeaway is that we’re all just trying to figure things out, and it can get really funny and absurd as we do.”
Fasthorse herself has said she hopes the audience – while entertained by the laughter – will walk away with more questions than answers. But the main point she wants to cut through the laughter is this: “Doing nothing is not adequate anymore,” she says. “Stepping away because it’s too complicated can no longer be considered a part of any kind of solution.” This sentiment is brought to side-splitting life in her show’s audacious climax, which, for the sake of not spoiling the hilarity of it, will not be revealed here.
Entertainment Weekly said the play is “…a good dark comedy that makes you laugh, makes you think, makes you mad, makes your brain explode.” The Hollywood Reporter called it “Very, very funny…”.
Tickets are available at redbarntheatre.com or by calling 305-296-9911 and are already selling quickly. Ticketholders for the March 5 Opening Night will be invited to a catered Opening Night reception with the cast and crew.
“The Thanksgiving Play” is sponsored in part by Key West Compass Realty – Keller Williams, Culture Builds Florida, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.
KONK Life Theater Review: POTUS
POTUS unfolds in a simple set of an unknown room in the White House (period wallpaper and wainscotting establish the scene). The show revolves around the inept, unnamed and philandering President of the US,. He remains an unseen presence whose unadmirable character and personality are implied by the ongoing chaotic farce.
REVIEW OF POTUS AT THE RED BARN THEATER
by EB aka Ennid Berger | January 31, 2024
Photo by Roberta DePiero
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive takes the stage at Key West’s historic Red Barn Theater from January 30 – February 24, 2024. First debuting with great reviews on Broadway in 2022, POTUS is an entertaining farce with an excellent ensemble cast including some of Key West’s best actors.
POTUS unfolds in a simple set of an unknown room in the White House (period wallpaper and wainscotting establish the scene). The show revolves around the inept, unnamed and philandering President of the US,. He remains an unseen presence whose unadmirable character and personality are implied by the ongoing chaotic farce.
The comedy sketches that structure the show are hilariously funny interactions among and between the seven women in the excellent cast. Outstanding performances all around, with extra kudos to Susannah Wells, playing Dusty the Dalliance with charm and pizzaz, to Annie Miners, cast as Bernadette, POTUS’ outrageous drug dealing sister, and to Lynn Casamayor as Margaret, POTUS’ first lady., who exudes a powerful presence. POTUS is LOL funny with one liners and comedic interactions from the outstanding cast that also includes George DiBroud as Harriet the chief of staff, Lauren Thompson as Jean the press secretary, Jessicca Kruel as Stephanie the secretary, and Fritzie Estimond as Chris the breast pumping journalist.
The Red Barn’s theatrical presentation of POTUS was directed with great timing and sensitivity by the Red Barn’s Joy Hawkins. It is fast and funny with a sprinkling of obscenity. The show was written by Serena Fillinger, a writer for TV’s The Morning Show. According to Fillinger,. “It’s a story that you could put in any institution, any office, many homes. It’s about systems of oppression and systems of injustice.” POTUS is political, to be sure, but also an absurdist look at a very insular, patriarchal, workplace run, in reality, by the women in the office who try to offset the fumbling and bumbling of the incompetent man who never appears.
RED BARN’S “POTUS” IS ONE VERY FUNNY FEMALE-DRIVEN TOUR-DE-FORCE
It would be hard to deny that politics in this day and age has pretty much distilled itself down into a daily dose of outright farce. Just turn on any TV news channel for five minutes, and it’s obvious. Things are out of control.
PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102
For Immediate Release
Cast of POTUS: Fritzie Estimond, George diBraud, Annie Miners, Lynne Casamayor, Jessica Miano Kruel, Lauren Thompson, & Susannah Wells
NOTICE ABOUT POTUS: This very funny play has language that is irreverent, bawdy, racy, sexual, smutty and gleefully filthy.
The extraordinary songstress Christine Mild will make her long-awaited return to the Red Barn Theatre in Key West with her brand new show, “This One’s For The Girls: Women of Country Music”. The show will run for four nights only, January 17 through 20, at the Red Barn, 319 Duval Street.
Well-known for her wildly-popular production, “Always, Patsy Cline”, Mild will be expanding her repertoire to include the top hits of close to two dozen of country music’s most fabled female artists, running from the classics of the 50’s and 60’s through to the rock-tinged hitmakers of the modern era.
“It really grew out of the ‘Patsy’ shows,” Mild said. “I realized that all the women singers I was listening to are kind of her legacy…she was the blueprint that laid the groundwork for them to become the marquees and bring the glamour. And there’s no denying that each of the women I’m featuring in this new show has done just that.”
Mild will be offering a swath of music from some of the most successful female country artists in history, including, among many others, The Judds, Shania Twain, Tanya Tucker, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Tammy Wynette, Taylor Swift (yes, she was originally a country artist before crossing over), Martina McBride, Little Big Town, The High Women, Casey Musgraves, and of course, the incomparable Loretta Lynn.
“She was an inspiration,” Mild said. “She made me think about these singers and what they went through to get where they are. When you really listen to their songs, they’re filled with what those women think is important. The messages are as profound as the music.”
Mild will be weaving many of those stories into her show, an element that will make the evening much richer. “These women have always lifted each other up, and I think this show will do the same for the audience,” Mild said. “It will be toe-tapping, heartwarming, and inspiring, with songs you’ll all know.”
Mild will have a terrific band backing her up, with musical director Jim Rice on piano, Mike Emerson on guitar, Gary Rivenson on bass, and Gary McDonald on drums. “It’s a great band,” she said. “We’re going to have a blast.”
Tickets for “This One’s For The Girls: Women of Country Music” are available at redbarntheatre.com or 305-296-9911. It is highly recommended that tickets be purchased early, as Mild’s shows always sell out. Sponsored in part by Culture Builds Florida, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.
COUNTRY ARTIST CHRISTINE MILD RETURNS TO THE RED BARN THEATRE
The extraordinary songstress Christine Mild will make her long-awaited return to the Red Barn Theatre in Key West with her brand new show, “This One’s For The Girls: Women of Country Music”. The show will run for four nights only, January 17 through 20, at the Red Barn, 319 Duval Street.
PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102
For Immediate Release
The extraordinary songstress Christine Mild will make her long-awaited return to the Red Barn Theatre in Key West with her brand new show, “This One’s For The Girls: Women of Country Music”. The show will run for four nights only, January 17 through 20, at the Red Barn, 319 Duval Street.
Well-known for her wildly-popular production, “Always, Patsy Cline”, Mild will be expanding her repertoire to include the top hits of close to two dozen of country music’s most fabled female artists, running from the classics of the 50’s and 60’s through to the rock-tinged hitmakers of the modern era.
“It really grew out of the ‘Patsy’ shows,” Mild said. “I realized that all the women singers I was listening to are kind of her legacy…she was the blueprint that laid the groundwork for them to become the marquees and bring the glamour. And there’s no denying that each of the women I’m featuring in this new show has done just that.”
Mild will be offering a swath of music from some of the most successful female country artists in history, including, among many others, The Judds, Shania Twain, Tanya Tucker, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Tammy Wynette, Taylor Swift (yes, she was originally a country artist before crossing over), Martina McBride, Little Big Town, The High Women, Casey Musgraves, and of course, the incomparable Loretta Lynn.
“She was an inspiration,” Mild said. “She made me think about these singers and what they went through to get where they are. When you really listen to their songs, they’re filled with what those women think is important. The messages are as profound as the music.”
Mild will be weaving many of those stories into her show, an element that will make the evening much richer. “These women have always lifted each other up, and I think this show will do the same for the audience,” Mild said. “It will be toe-tapping, heartwarming, and inspiring, with songs you’ll all know.”
Mild will have a terrific band backing her up, with musical director Jim Rice on piano, Mike Emerson on guitar, Gary Rivenson on bass, and Gary McDonald on drums. “It’s a great band,” she said. “We’re going to have a blast.”
Tickets for “This One’s For The Girls: Women of Country Music” are available at redbarntheatre.com or 305-296-9911. It is highly recommended that tickets be purchased early, as Mild’s shows always sell out. Sponsored in part by Culture Builds Florida, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.
RED BARN GALA, “LIFE’S A DRAG!”, SET FOR JANUARY 14TH AT OLDEST HOUSE
Anywhere else but Key West, saying “Life’s a Drag” would be considered a bummer. But in Key West, it’s life as usual.
PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102
For Immediate Release
Anywhere else but Key West, saying “Life’s a Drag” would be considered a bummer. But in Key West, it’s life as usual.
Some of Key West’s most popular entertainment are the drag shows that line Duval Street. The Drag Queens and Kings that perform there nightly are the heart and soul of our tiny island, whether entertaining, working community events and projects, or appearing at charitable events.
The Red Barn Theatre will be fully embracing and honoring this unique entertainment as they’ve chosen “Life’s A Drag!” as the theme for their annual fundraiser this year. The Barn’s party of the season will take place at The Oldest House, 322 Duval, on Sunday, January 14, from 6-9 pm. Tickets are $150 and include a cornucopia of food, drink, and over-the-top entertainment.
The always-popular QMitch will emcee a star-studded Drag show, produced by drag icon Elle Taylor, and featuring performances by Epiphany, Jessica Deveraux, Queen Mother, and Elle, and there are hints at a special star performer also dropping in.
There will be an open bar, a huge buffet catered by Destination Catering, a wine tasting provided by Breakthru Beverage, and a silent auction put together by Susie’s Estates.
An added bit of fun: the world-famous Bourbon Street Pub Red Shoe from the New Year’s celebration will also be there, and guests of the Gala will have the opportunity to have their picture taken sitting in the shoe.
Tickets are available at redbarntheatre.com, at the Barn’s box office at 319 Duval Street.
KONK Life Theater Review: TUNA CHRISTMAS
The Red Barn Theater has once again gifted Key West and the Florida Keys with a rollicking holiday treat, “A Tuna Christmas.”
A TUNA CHRISTMAS RED BARN THEATER REVIEW
by Guy deBoar | December 21, 2023
https://konklife.com/a-tuna-christmas-red-barn-theater.../
Actors David Black & Brandon Beach in Red Barn’s A Tuna Christmas
The Red Barn Theater has once again gifted Key West and the Florida Keys with a rollicking holiday treat, “A Tuna Christmas.”
This comedic gem, penned by the brilliant trio Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, transports audiences to the whimsical universe of Tuna, Texas, where holiday cheer collides with the peculiarities of small-town life.
Set in the cozy, fictional town of Tuna, this play is a delightful sequel to the beloved “Greater Tuna.” From the outset, it’s clear that this production doesn’t pull any punches in delivering a flurry of fast-paced humor, witty repartee, and an ensemble of characters as diverse as the Texas landscape itself.
Directed with finesse by Michael Marrero, the seamless transitions and lightning-fast costume changes by David Black and Brandon Beach, who deftly juggle multiple roles and genders, keep the audience engaged in this madcap journey. Yet, beyond the laughter-inducing antics and the holiday setting, “A Tuna Christmas” invites us to peer into a funhouse mirror reflecting our own quirks and idiosyncrasies. It’s a testament to the universal appeal of small-town charm, where regardless of our current locales, the characters’ tales resonate with a familiarity that elicits laughter and nods of recognition from the audience.
The Red Barn’s presentation encapsulates the heart and soul of this play, intertwining uproarious comedy with moments that tug at heartstrings. The synergy between the actors, the ingenious set design by Gary McDonald, costume design by Gary R. Marion, and the evocative lighting by Jack McDonald elevates the storytelling to an immersive experience.
This production is more than a mere play; it’s a pleasant celebration that unites theatergoers in shared laughter and nostalgia. Its magnetic blend of humor and heartfelt moments has rightfully earned it a place as a perennial holiday favorite for many.
To the residents and visitors of the Keys, I would like to ask you to please secure your tickets to this uproarious spectacle. Join in the laughter, spread the word, and revel in the sheer delight of “A Tuna Christmas.” Your time at the Red Barn Theater promises not just laughter, but an unforgettable journey into the heart of comedic storytelling. Tickets: (https://redbarntheatre.com/tickets)
RED BARN ANNOUNCES THEIR FABULOUS 44TH SEASON
Key West’s Red Barn Theatre will open their remarkable 44th Season in December with an eclectic mix of new plays and familiar faces on stage. Pre-Season tickets and subscriptions are now on sale through their website, redbarntheatre.com.
PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102
For Immediate Release
Key West’s Red Barn Theatre will open their remarkable 44th Season in December with an eclectic mix of new plays and familiar faces on stage. Pre-Season tickets and subscriptions are now on sale through their website, redbarntheatre.com.
“I’m really excited about this season,” said long-time Artistic Director Joy Hawkins. “It’s very theatrical and risk-taking. We’re doing some new plays that are just out that are timely and funny, and we’re bringing back a new musical show by Christine Mild that I’m really looking forward to.”
Opening the season December 19 and running through January 13, 2024 will be “A Tuna Christmas”, written by Ed Howard, Joe Sears, and Jaston Williams. It’s one of the popular “Tuna” series of plays, and will be a perfect show to point up the holidays. Two of Key West’s most popular and accomplished actors – Brandon Beach and David Black – will star, and between them will bring dozens of characters and voices to life in the hilarious production. It will be directed by Key West playwright/filmmaker/photographer Michael Marrero.
Next up January 30 through February 24 will be the very timely “Potus: Or Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive,” written by Selina Fillinger. The title should tell you all you need to know about the play’s very funny and outrageous skewering of today’s political landscape. Hawkins will direct a Who’s Who cast of Key West’s top actresses – George Dibraud, Susannah Wells, Lauren Thompson, Jessica Miano Kruel, Marjorie Paul Shook, Lynn Clark, and Fritzie Esimond. Variety called the show “a delicious feminist farce…irresistibly funny”, and TimeOutNYcalled it “A broad, zany, old-school comedy.” If you want to laugh ‘til you cry, this is your show.
March 5 – 30, the Red Barn’s Managing Director, Mimi McDonald, will direct the big Off-Broadway and Broadway hit, “The Thanksgiving Play”, written by Larissa FastHorse. Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in this wickedly funny satire, as a troupe of terminally “woke” teaching artists scrambles to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month. The show will star Arthur Crocker, Jeremy Zoma, and Elena Devers. The New York Times called the play “…a delicious roasting…”, and the Hollywood Reporter calls it “…very, very funny…a clever satire”.
The season’s final production will be “The Lifespan of a Fact”, written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell. A fact checker and a talented writer at a prominent but sinking New York magazine clash when the former must fact check the latter’s explosive essay that could save the magazine. It’s a comedic yet gripping battle over facts versus truth. What could be more timely?
Two special events will also punctuate this new season. The first will run January 17-20 and feature the return of the very popular vocalist Christine Mild, with her new show, “The Women of Country Music”. Mild, known for her accomplished interpretation of Patsy Cline, will deliver the top hits of the most iconic female singers in the long history of country music. She’ll be accompanied by pianist/arranger Jim Rice, bassist Gary Rivenson, and drummer Gary McDonald.
And the always-popular annual fundraiser for the Red Barn will take place on Sunday, January 14th at the Oldest House, from 5 pm until 9 pm. As always, it will be a themed party, this year being “Life’s A Drag”. Tickets will be $150 and will include a delicious spread catered by Destinations Catering and an open bar. Performances are planned by some of Key West’s most iconic entertainers. Attendees are encouraged to display their best costuming in line with the theme.
The Red Barn Journeys to “Parallel Universes” in Short Attention Span Theatre
There are those who believe our universe – the one our planet and galaxy currently exist within – is but one of many such universes, involving multiple dimensions, overlapping times, and repeating histories. While that concept may be hard to wrap your head around, the Red Barn Theatre in Key West may be able to help.
PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102
For Immediate Release
Photo by: Roberta DePiero
Actors: (l to r) Iain Wilcox, Erin McKenna, Arthur Crocker, Susannah Wells, Jeremy Zoma, Cassidy Timms
There are those who believe our universe – the one our planet and galaxy currently exist within – is but one of many such universes, involving multiple dimensions, overlapping times, and repeating histories. While that concept may be hard to wrap your head around, the Red Barn Theatre in Key West may be able to help.
Their perennial favorite production, “Short Attention Span Theatre”, will return to their stage April 7 – 29, with this year’s theme being “Parallel Universes”. It’s an evening of six eclectic new one-act plays, each of which will take a skewed, often hilarious, look at the world (or universes) we live – or may live -- within.
“They’re all comedic plays, but they’re meaty,” said Mimi McDonald, who is executive producing the show. “They’ll make you laugh, but they’ll also make you think. They’re about things that could happen, or could be, or that make you wonder about reality. The show’s colorful, lots of cool costumes, lots of good music. It’s a great evening if you’re looking for something fun and out of the ordinary.”
McDonald spent a lot of time finding just the right plays for this year’s show. She researched the best new short plays that have won awards from 2021 and beyond, and took advantage of her relationship with Miami’s City Theatre, which is well-known for their short play roster. Each play McDonald chose has its own world and reality, with characters and situations that not only surprise but are highly entertaining.
“The concept of SAST is good writers, good actors, good directors,” she said. “I wanted new things by published writers. And we found them, for sure…David Ives is always good, and Laurie Allen. It’s hard to pick favorites -- they’re all terrific.”
Once again the entire McDonald theatrical clan – Mimi, husband Gary, daughter Amber, and son Jack – will be behind the scenes directing the various plays and creating the clever sets. They’ll be joined by Key West photographer/playwright Mike Marrero.
“Our kids have grown up in the theater,” McDonald said, “and it’s nice to have the youthful perspective on these particular plays. And Mike’s got a real sense of humor too. The audiences are going to be laughing a lot.”
It’s a rich veteran cast of solid Key West favorites they’ll be directing: Susannah Wells, Erin McKenna, Arthur Crocker, Cassidy Timms, Jeremy Zoma, and Iain Wilcox. Expect them to be pushing the envelope far into the parallel universes.
Tickets for “Short Attention Span Theatre: Parallel Universes” are available at redbarntheatre.com or by calling the Red Barn box office at 305-296-9911. Ticketholders for the Opening Night performance on April 7 will be invited to join the cast and crew for a catered Opening Night Reception in the Zabar Courtyard, catered by Michelle Chennault.
The show is sponsored by Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry of the Keys, Design Group Key West, and by grants from Culture Builds Florida, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.
