The Rose Tattoo
The Opening performance of the American Repertory Theatre's production of Tennessee Williams The Rose Tattoo was powerful indeed. Set among a colony of Sicilians on the American Gulf Coast, The Rose Tattoo is the story of a woman for whom love was stronger than death. An infrequently produced play, The Rose Tattoo is a show that must been seen to appreciate the scope and experimentation of Williams' writing.
According to Artistic Director Matthew LaChiusa, the last time this play was seen in Buffalo was at Shea's in the mid 60's. Perhaps this was a pre-Broadway stop of Milton Katelas's revival of the play in 1966.
When asked 'why this play?' LaChiusa says, "Language, the Language." By that he means not only Tennessee Williams' writing but also that of the Italian language, the Southern language, language that identifies a time and place in American History. LaChiusa, who spent many years in New Orleans, and of Italian heritage himself certainly knows the place he speaks of.
Indeed, the cast itself has many Italian actors. Drawing on their own, and surely their ancestors verbal and body language, it is natural performance, not forced or learned. And it certainly facilitates the difficulty of working with the Italian accents and language.
With artful performances by the entire cast, Marie Costa gives a stand out performance as Serafina, a role with many challenges, and Michael Votta embodies the role of Alvaro Director Chris Standart has interpreted this play well, deftly bringing out the grotesqueness of the comedy. The seemingly happy ending is more complex that it seems, and Standart's direction hints at this nuance.
American Repertory Theater Presents The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams at the TheaterLoft, 545 Elmwood Ave.
Cast : Marrie Costa, Joy Scime, Michael Votta, Alaina Renee Miller, Jeanne Cairns, Candace Lukasik, John Kaczorowski, Kerry Kate Able, Peter Jaskowiak, Kelly Ferguson Moore, Mary Loftus, Diane M. Cammarata, Diane Serra, Carol J. Alaimo. Directed By: Chris Standart
Performance Dates:
April 18th-19th 8PM; April 20th 7PM April 24th-26th 8PM; April 26th 3PM Matinee; April 27th7PM May 1st & May 3rd 8PM; May 4th 7PM May 8th-10th 8PM; May 10th 3PM Matinee; May 11th 7PM May 2nd, Special Presentation: A Reading of Tennessee Williams "Suddenly Last Summer" 8PM
TICKETS: $15, $12 for students INFO: 884-4858 or www.artofwny.org
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