Articles Tagged With: Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Melanie Kurstin & Jon Townson in Rocky Horror Show

Rocky Horror Show at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews October 31, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

There’s a liiiiiiiight! Over at the Taylor Street Plaaaace!
There’s a liiiiiiiii— iiiiiiii— iiiiiiight! Burning in their fireplace, there’s
a light— in the darkness of the October-November calendar and it is blazing
rainbows, folks. That’s right, as only Wolf Pack Theatre Company can do, they’ve
but a kooky and queer-positive spin on an already zany cult classic. Are you
just dying with antici— PATION to know what we’re talking about? Cause it’s
just a jump to the left (of Bladensburg) and then a step to the right (of DC.) Put
your hands on your hips— and HOLD ON TIGHT because Wolf Pack Theatre Company is
bringing you their very own Rocky Horror Show.

Jekyll & Hyde at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews October 3, 2019 Wes Dennis

Before we plunge into the guts of
this review, let me offer an admission: I am not generally a fan of musicals.
That said, I am incredibly fond of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case
of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. I even reread it in preparation for reviewing
Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical, with book and lyrics by Leslie Briscusse
and music by Frank Wildhorn. I imagined that my affection for the source
material would,

Hand to God at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews July 6, 2019 Wes Dennis

There are certain works that, for
all of their other merits, really demand to be seen for one specific scene.
Fans of obscure cinema know this well. In an age where sharing spoilers was not
a capital offense, amateur critics would often open reviews by describing these
climactic scenes in exhaustive detail, and readers were not deterred. Rather
than complaining that the work had been ruined for them, they signed into their
eBay accounts and searched for used VHS copies of the films in question because
it was incredibly important that,

Dog Sees God at Wolf Pack Theater Company

Reviews May 3, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

The broken parts of a dead body will never heal. Sticks and
stones may break my bones but names— will scar me so deep that I just may never
recover. Good grief. When the iconic, albeit off-kilter, happiness of one’s
childhood, hits puberty and spirals off course with tough life lessons and
harrowing high-school truths, you get Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God. Fitting into the wheelhouse of Wolf Pack Theatre
Company productions,

Wolf Pack Theatre Company's Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews September 14, 2018 Alan Duda

Spring Awakening – Charity, Chastity, Choreography

Every generation thinks they invented sex. Spring Awakening is how they invented it under the Second Reich. Wolf Pack Theatre Company brings you this oft-censored 1890 play which was revamped as a musical in 2006 to win eight Tony Awards.

Co-director William Leary usually chooses dark and heavy adult subject matter, and continues to do so with Spring Awakening – this time with adolescents.

Steel Magnolias at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews July 13, 2018 Alan Duda

Having recently been introduced to members of Baton Rouge’s Red Hat Society, I… can’t remember who imitates who… but Life and Art are definitely happening in Wolf Pack Theatre Company’s Steel Magnolias. Set in 1980’s Chinquapin Parish, Robert Harling’s play revolves around a year in the life of six women in a gathering place where they can let their hair down.

Director Bill Leary did a marvelous job assembling a cast that is phenomenally strong across the board.

Deathtrap at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews May 11, 2018 Alan Duda

Deathtrap: A play of one set, two acts, five characters.

One Set: A writing den in a converted church. A typewriter. Walls decorated with posters from previous plays and various prop implements of persuasion and destruction.
Two Acts: Running an hour each with a 15-minute intermission.
Five Characters: The established writer. His wife. The new writer. The psychic neighbor. The lawyer.

Pardon my conceit as I continue the review by repeating this again with further variations,

A Christmas Carol at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews December 8, 2017 Alan Duda

A thoughtful retelling of Dickens’ classic, with music.

This is the fourth year of Wolfpack Theatre Company’s A Christmas Carol. Director William Leary has updated the off-told story with modern settings and sentiment. For example, we learn that Robert Cratchit Sr. and Andrew Scrooge had formed a beneficial business partnership that young Ebenezer destroys by merging with Marley. This deliberately joins all of the characters as an extended family with its attendant tensions.

Midnight Cigarette at Wolfpack Theatre Company

Reviews September 8, 2017 Alan Duda

Content Warning! Midnight Cigarette contains nudity, racist, derogatory and inflammatory terminology, sexual situation, graphic content, coarse language, controversial conversations regarding politics, abortion, incest, rape, domestic violence, and scenes of substance abuse.

So reads the insert in the program of William Leary’s latest play. Set in a coal town with no more coal, Midnight Cigarette revolves around the remains of those still trying to live there. It’s a small town where everyone knows most everything about everyone,

Review: A Christmas Carol at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews December 17, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther 3 Comments

Hark the herald angels sing— beckoning you to see this thing! Peace on earth and mercy mild, glory to this precious child! And all the children in Wolfpack Theatre Company’s production of A Christmas Carol. Written by Charles Dickens, Adapted and Directed by William Leary, this production is not the Dickensian classic you’re familiar with, unless you’ve been attending the Wolfpack family tradition over the last few years. When most companies choose to take the comedic twist,

12 Gifts of a Wolf Pack Christmas Carol: Day 5 an Interview with Vashti Gray Sadjedy

Interviews December 7, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

On the fifth day of Christmas Wolf Pack Theatre Company did give to TheatreBloom— five golden answers! Plus an addition seven more as the “12 Gifts of Wolf Pack…” interview series continues on and TheatreBloom sits down with actress Vashti Gray Sadjedy and finds out just what she wants for Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Greetings and thanks for your time, if you could give us just a quick introduction we’ll get underway with these dozen Christmas questions!

12 Gifts of a Wolf Pack Christmas Carol: Day 4 an Interview with Susan Smithers

Interviews December 7, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

On the fourth interview of Christmas, Wolf Pack Theatre Company did give to TheatreBloom— four flashes into the future? No, that’s not quite right. Into the present. Christmas present that is! Continuing through the “12 Gifts of Wolf Pack…” interview series we sit down with actress Susan Smithers to find out just what her feelings are on the whole Christmas Carol story.

If you could give us a quick introduction and tell us who you are in the show,

12 Gifts of a Wolf Pack Christmas Carol: Day 3 an Interview with Brigid Lally and Dwayne Allen

Interviews December 3, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

On the third interview of Christmas, Wolf Pack Theatre Company did give to TheatreBloom— three trips back in time to the days of young Belle and young Ebenezer Scrooge. Played by Brigid Lally and Dwayne Allen respectively, these talented performers give us their insight to the true meaning of Christmas as we follow along the journey of the TheatreBloom exclusive interview series and discover what it’s like for the young ingénues in Wolf Pack’s Christmas Carol.

12 Gifts of a Wolf Pack Christmas Carol: Day 2 an Interview with Technical Director Stephen Beitzell

Interviews December 2, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

On the second interview of Christmas, Wolf Pack Theatre Company did give to TheatreBloom— the insight of their company’s resident Technical Director Stephen Beitzell! Two blinking lights— quick, Stephen they’re not supposed to blink! And a glowing spotlight on solo singers too! Follow along in the TheatreBloom exclusive series to see what Stephen has to say about his Christmas favorites and his experience with A Christmas Carol

Merry Christmas, Stephen! Thanks for giving us a moment of your time!

12 Gifts of A Wolf Pack Christmas Carol: Day 1 an Interview with Director William Leary

Interviews December 1, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

God bless us, every one! At this time of year where need is most keenly felt, Wolf Pack Theatre Company is reminding us all that it is the season to be spreading kindness and good cheer. Their annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as adapted by the company’s Founder and Artistic Director William Dean Leary, is cause for true celebration as it shines a radiant light on the true meaning of Christmas.

Review: Nunsense at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews April 12, 2015 Patrick Albright

Glory to God in the highest and peace to those Nuns who have taken over St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Riverdale, Maryland. (Generously sponsored by the Wolf Pack Theatre Company and Directed by William Dean Leary, this comedic production of Nunsense benefits Bountiful Blessings and Men Against Breast Cancer) According to Reverend Mother, the sisters were originally going to use the Spanish church across the street from St. John’s for their fundraiser BUT due to a language barrier,

Imaginative Interviews: Habit Forming Nunsense with Reverend Mother

Interviews April 11, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

She’s holier than thou! Supreme chief nun, as it were, the big momma in charge! Finishing out the TheatreBloom exclusive interview series (a part of Imaginative Interviews featuring characters from musicals and plays) with the Little Sisters of Riverdale is Revered Mother, Sister Mary Regina. And she has some explaining to do about those poor nuns stuck in the freezer!

Mother Superior? Reverend Mother? What should we call you?

Reverend Mother: My name is Sister Mary Regina,

Imaginative Interviews: Habit Forming Nunsense with Sister Hubert

Interviews April 11, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Second in command does not necessarily mean second best! Sister Hubert is definitely top notch when it comes to keeping things going at the convent! In the penultimate piece of the TheatreBloom exclusive interview series (a part of Imaginative Interviews featuring characters from musicals and plays) with the Little Sisters of Riverdale, we sit down and talk shop with Sister Hubert.

Thank you for sitting down with us, Sister Hubert. What is your role here at Little Sisters of Riverdale?

Imaginative Interviews: Habit Forming Nunsense with Sister Leo

Interviews April 6, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

It is always unfortunate when a sister comes down with an illness! Thankfully Sister Leo did not come down with a case of death like the other 52 sisters at the Little Sisters of Riverdale after the incident! Unfortunately, when TheatreBloom visited the convent to call on the sisters, Sister Leo was taken out with a case of extreme dancer’s shingles and could not be seen at the time. However, through special arrangements with the ecumenical council,

Imaginative Interviews: Habit-forming Nunsense with Sister Mary Amnesia

Interviews April 6, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

The next stop down the line of discovering just what happened to those poor unfortunate Little Sisters of Riverdale, in the TheatreBloom exclusive interview series (a part of Imaginative Interviews featuring characters from musicals and plays) is with an unusual nun, Sister Mary Amnesia, a very special sister who just can’t remember who she really is.

Thank you, Sister, for taking a brief moment out of your rehearsal for the talent show to sit down and speak with us.

Imaginative Interviews: Habit-forming Nunsense with Sister Julia, Child of God

Interviews April 6, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Nunsense! It’s habit forming! It’s hilarious! It’s a last ditch effort to get those poor nuns out of the freezer and into consecrated ground where they belong! A new group of characters comes along to the “Imaginative Interview” series. This time TheatreBloom is going to get to the bottom of what’s happening with the Little Sisters of Riverdale (generously hosted by the Wolf Pack Theatre Company in their current production of Nunsense) and hear all about how those unfortunate nuns ended up in the freezer and just exactly how they’ll be gotten out.

Belle (L- Lauren Giglio) Tiny Tim (C-Sophia Nasreen Riazi-Sekowski) and Scrooge (R- Ray Converse) celebrating a Christmas miracle.

Review: A Christmas Carol at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews December 3, 2014 Amanda N. Gunther

The bells of St. John are ringing you in for holiday season. Wolf Pack Theatre Company is proud to present an original adaptation written and directed by William Leary of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. When everyone is popping this holiday classic onto their stages this time of year as the Christmas Cash-cow, Leary’s socially brilliant commentary brings the story to modern day times and highlights the social issues that are so prevalently buried in Dickens’ original text that are all too often forgotten or overlooked in favor of spectacle.

Review: Masquerade at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Reviews September 18, 2014 Amanda N. Gunther

Pain. Illness. Death. These are all parts of our lives. All too often the socially unacceptable topics along these lines creep in unnoticed and are swept away into taboos. Suicide becomes one of those un-discussable topics, the white elephant in the room as it were. The founding Artistic Director of Wolf Pack Theatre Company is pushing to change that convention with a brand new work entitled Masquerade. Playwright and Director William Leary embarks on a journey with a cast of six to create an honest conversation about the topic of suicide with his compelling new work;

Interview: Unanswerable Questions- An In-Depth Look at Masquerade with Playwright and Director Bill Leary

Interviews September 16, 2014 Amanda N. Gunther

Unanswerable questions. Unbearable loss. This is the tagline for an evocative new drama presented by Wolf Pack Theatre Company, entitled Masquerade. Written and Directed by company founder and artistic director Bill Leary, the production tackles the tough social issue of suicide, brought to light in the face of a family tragedy. Having the distinguished honor of meeting the playwright prior to the production’s opening, I’ve sat down with Bill for an interview about what motivated him to write the play and what he hopes producing such a production will achieve in the community.