Boxcar Theatre: 2009/2010 Season Subscription

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BOXCAR PLAYHOUSE

505 Natoma St.
San Francisco,CA,94103

Begins: 09/01/2009

Ends: 08/31/2010

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• Beans
  08/10/2009

  I'm happy to see that Boxcar is stepping into its own by proclaiming itself to be a director's theatre. I think a lot of theatres in San Francisco and in the United States have worked too hard to be new works companies and the hand of the director has been seen less and less. In consequence, the world premier is no longer seen as an impressive stamp, but just another new script in a sea of often sub par new writing.
  
  Odd that they don't mention any of the plays they are doing in this Buzz, nor do they mention the directors they are working with. You could chalk it up to trying to get people to click on the website, but one hopes the website isn't a bell weather for the feel of their shows. A directorial hand isn't in the look of the website. It could use an update.
  
  The season itself looks intriguing with a re imagining of the most famous of star crossed lovers in "Romeo and Julien", Pi, the physical comedy troupe will be presenting "Antigone", handcrafted puppets will present a re imagining of Kafka's "Metamorphosis", there is an adaptation of Ionesco's "Rhinoceros" now titled "Rhino", "Project V" will bring us updated vagina monologues inspired by Eve Ensler, and two new pieces including a piece by Maria Braux (an SF playwright and film maker) and "I Heart SF" which is sure to be a crowd pleaser done in a choose your own adventure kind of way. Tina Howe's "Museum" looks like the only piece that hasn't been adapted, inspired by or re imagined in any way. It makes one wonder if Boxcar isn't trying to be a director's theatre, but a dramaturg's theatre.
  
  Boxcar will also present in rolling repertory three Tennessee Williams plays. "A Streetcar Named Desire", "Glass Menagerie" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". Here is where Boxcar must be claiming to call itself a director's theatre. I think their hope is to show how a strong directorial hand can cast even the most well known play in a startling and engaging new light. I worry, though that we will get the same Maggie the Cat prowling around in her lingerie desperately trying to either have sex with Brick or out him, the same Blanch who alternately teases the manly Stanley and yearns for her poet boy husband, and the same Laura still abandoned by her brother who would go on to write his victim sister, drag queen mother, manly crush, and boy toys in every play he would ever write. In which case, other than as an exercise for new, up and coming directors, why revisit them at all. But we can hope that Boxcar will show off it's best stuff and breathe fresh air into audiences who think they've seen everything.
  
  I don't mean to sound harsh. After all, I'm not reviewing a show, I'm just commenting on a posting. In part because I do hope that this posting gets more traffic and that their season does get off to a good start. What I've seen so far of Boxcar I like. I think their presence in that particular community is also a good thing. I want them to succeed, become established, grow and prosper.
  
  But, the proof is in the pudding.

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