rakemag What is it about an Ingmar Berman retrospective that says “autumn”? Sure, there’s Autumn Sonata (a humdinger with Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Bergman in her final role), but the cinematic giant also made Winter Light, The Virgin Spring, and Smiles of a Summer Night (not to mention Summer Interlude)—all of which will be screened, along … Read more
Seems like over the past couple of decades we’ve learned to appreciate regional foods, regional parks, even regional shopping malls (thanks MoM!). Why not celebrate darn good movies home-grown in the heartland—or any of the other distinctive regions that make up our country’s vast interior? That’s how the Central Standard Film Fest came to be. … Read more
Suffering from battle fatigue this election season? Chin up! There’s succor if you know where to look. One outstanding example is the series of “Real People” ads by documentarian Errol Morris, in which Republicans talk about why they’re not voting for the incumbent (they may not air in our state, but they’re online at MoveOnPAC.org). … Read more
This was Sarah Kane’s final play prior to her suicide in 1999 at the age of twenty-eight, and the title refers to the apocryphal time at which most suicides take place. Kane rose to prominence in London as a kind of theatrical counterpart to that city’s “YBA” art scene: Her first work, Blasted, received an … Read more
Theater buffs will remember the staged reading of Bel Canto at Penumbra Theatre a few years back—and they might also recall that American Theater magazine named Jones as one of its artists to watch in the twenty-first century. As tender coming-of-age stories go (are there any other kind?), this one stands out in its orchestrated … Read more
Emily Johnson has been described as “postmodern dance’s hottest new talent.” Drawing on enormous reserves of energy, precision, and creativity, the compact, pixyish Johnson can now be called a force of nature. Her newest piece, Heat and Life, centers on the emotional and atmospheric impacts of global warming. While she moves and bends, like a … Read more
Northrop brings a pair of powerhouse imports to its stage this month. Lyon Opera Ballet has an adventurous repertory grounded in classical roots. This time out, ballets from European choreographers William Forsythe, Russell Maliphant, and Jiri Kylian are on the bill. Two weeks later, the bold and brassy Bolshoi takes the stage with its contemporary … Read more
William Nicholson’s play—a Tony nominee this year—chronicles the slow, excruciating unraveling of a thirty- three-year-old marriage, and the ways both spouses manipulate their only son in their retreat from each other. If nothing else, this production should make at least some of us feel we’ve got it pretty good. But seriously, when a topic is … Read more
Remember Uncle Tupelo? After their breakup in 1994, fans tended to fall into two camps: Son Volt freaks and Wilco worshipers. Son Volt was for people who liked the twang of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco was for the dirtbag in all of us that could appreciate a strong drink and a loud guitar. Let’s face … Read more
Any posthumous work is inevitably bittersweet. Smith’s struggles with drugs and depression were well known, and he always projected a breakable quality—onstage he often came off more as simply weary than rock star. It’s that very fragility that made his songs so personal and lovely. From a Basement on a Hill brings together three years’ … Read more