Gina Gionfriddo is something of a playwriting dynamo. Her last two full-length plays, Becky Shaw and Rapture, Blister, Burn, were both finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Her work goes far beyond the stage though; Gionfriddo wrote for Law and Order for several years, and more recently wrote an…
Six local theater companies have announced that they’ll honor tickets purchased for canceled Actors Theatre productions. The professional company announced in December 2014 that it would close after nearly 30 years. Originally, Actors Theatre representatives had said that refunds would not be granted for purchased tickets to shows in the…
Chris D’Elia didn’t start doing stand-up until 2006, but that’s not to say he didn’t start working on his comedy well before then. “My family’s real funny, so I had to be funny,” D’Elia says. “I really had no choice.” Almost nine years ago, D’Elia began participating in open mic…
For comedian Paula Poundstone, it’s all about bringing people together through laughter. Well, and making people lose control over their bodily functions due to laughter. Oh, and also getting a break from her 15 cats at home. “I know that not everyone is going to find everything I say hysterically…
Oh, 2014, parting is such sweet sorrow. That’s because it was a stellar year for art, dance, comedy, architecture, and all-around culture in metro Phoenix. In no particular order, these are the best things I saw…
Let us explain: Kevin Hart’s coming to town. The comedian’s keeping plenty busy at the box office in Chris Rock’s Top Five and a string of upcoming releases, The Wedding Ringer, Get Hard, and Ride Along 2. And on Friday, January 30, he’s coming to a performing arts venue near…
Early on Friday, December 19, Actors Theatre announced via press release that it will shutter after 29 years. “The simple truth is we’re out of money,” Actors Theatre board president Renee Gerstman says in the release…
The cast and crew of NBC’s Parks and Recreation recently finished shooting its final season. Which is a bummer. The final season will air two back-to-back episodes at a time. Which means it’ll go by super fast. And NBC canceled pretty much all its new comedies. Which makes a post-P…
Those attending this year’s opening night performance of Ballet Arizona’s The Nutcracker, choreographed by artistic director Ib Andersen, must have thought they’d been treated to a two-for-one special. The ballet we witnessed during the first act bore little resemblance to the ballet we watched during the second — leaving us…
You’ve probably seen or heard Joe Rogan before, whether you intended to or not. He’s a pretty busy guy, considering that he does the color commentary for the major UFC events, has his own successful interview-based podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, and shows up on a wide variety of television…
Year of the Rooster, now crowing its head off at Stray Cat Theatre, serves up a compelling theatrical medley of black comedy, tough characters, and pretty pathos. Intelligently handled by young playwright Eric Dufault, this angst-drenched story is presented by a quartet of characters who demonstrate what happens when pain…
Fans of Disney’s 2013 film Frozen take note: Center Dance Ensemble has been telling the Hans Christian Andersen tale that inspired the movie for more than 20 years in a production called Snow Queen. Performances continue through Sunday, December 21, at Herberger Theater Center, where CDE is the resident dance…
If you’ve been around YouTube, Tumblr, or the general Internet over the past few years, chances are you’ve heard of Mamrie Hart and Grace Helbig, seen one of their videos on either Helbig’s It’s Grace YouTube channel or Hart’s You Deserve a Drink, laughed, cried, and possibly had your life…
Though this winter’s dance calendar promises much in the way of tradition and holiday spirit, those looking for more cutting edge offerings have something to look forward to in the spring. CONDER/dance founder Carley Conder has announced the artist lineup for the eighth annual Breaking Ground contemporary dance festival, slated…
New York choreographer Jessica Lang, artistic director for Jessica Lang Dance founded in 2011, has been spending time on Arizona stages of late. Recently the company performed in Tucson and in Wickenburg, and they’ll perform this month at Mesa Arts Center, with a touring program that includes five dance works…
Full-length story ballets like Swan Lake are all good and fine, but there’s something to be said for mixing it up a bit. Hence the appeal of Dancers’ Choice, a program being presented this Friday by Ballet Arizona inside their own Dorrance Theatre. It’s a one-night only affair that raises…
You might be planning a long road trip or maybe you’ve just exhausted all of your go-to bands on Spotify while sitting at your desk. Never fear — the time to dive head first into the world of comedy podcasts is here. Whether they’re talking about the biz, literature, movies,…
This fall Phoenix Art Museum will feature something a little bit different from its normal exhibitions: Ballet. Through a partnership with the Bolshoi Ballet, the Museum will stream live-captured performances by the well-established Russian dance troupe…
What is the deal with Jerry Seinfeld? Well, the comedian has been up to a whole lot of something lately, recently joining Facebook, making his first Instagram post, and finishing up the fifth season of his web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which debuts on November 6. And today,…
When the curtain opens on Ballet Arizona’s Swan Lake, the audience is transported to a world reminiscent of Grimm’s fairy tales. Layers of elaborate trees, looking like a cross between delicate ink drawings and woodcuts used to illustrate storybooks long ago, line each side of the stage. Scenic design by…
Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni wants to talk about race in America — and she’s got an idea of where she wants to start. The writer-actor-director-producer extraordinaire will bring her one-woman show, One Drop of Love, to Mesa Arts Center on Saturday, November 1. Inspired by her own experiences with race, family,…
We’re used to seeing dancing vampires this time of year, thanks to A Vampire Tale choreographed by Lisa Starry for her Scorpius Dance Theatre. Now Valley audiences can also enjoy the première of a new Starry work titled Fade, which is part of The Bad and The Beautiful program for…
