Miscelaneous Reviews
Theater Breaking Through Barriers will present the world premiere of Kate Moira Ryan's Bass for Picasso Off-Broadway this spring.
Previews will begin April 17 prior to an official press opening May 2 at Theatre Row's Kirk Theatre. Ike Schambelan directs.
The cast will feature Anita Hollander, Mary Archbold, Felice Neals, Terry Small and Nicholas Viselli.
In Bass for Picasso, press notes state, "amputee and food writer for the New York Times Francesca Danieli throws a dinner party for her friends recreating recipes (including the titular entree) from the 'Alice B. Toklas Cookbook.' The guest list includes Pilar, her multilingual art detective lover, who has spent time in Guantanamo for visa problems; Bricka Matson, a lesbian widow with a small child and Republican in-laws who are trying to gain custody; Joe, an OB/GYN whose lover is a geographically challenged crystal meth addict; and Kev, a playwright who has recently fallen off the wagon and written a soon-to-open Off-Broadway play about all of them. It's an insanely funny, irreverent 80-minute look at gay and lesbian life in the new millennium."
Encore feature article (Julie Taveras 4/10/10): "Actress Anita Hollander, who plays Danieli, describes her character as a 'one-legged lesbian food writer for the Times who has a neurotically driven personality.' Not only is Hollander an amputee herself, which allows her a more authentic take on the physical aspect of the role, but she can also identify with many of the character’s experiences on sexuality and writing." More
Time Out article (4/29/10 Beth Greenfield) at: Read article here
Back Stage review (Erik Haagensen 5/2/10): "The actors wisely play against the absurdity. Anita Hollander has authority as Francesca and gets a good laugh whacking the unfaithful Pilar with her prosthesis." More
NYTheatre.com review (Martin Denton 5/1/10): "Francesca is written in the script as an amputee, and she's played by one, Anita Hollander, with vigor and bravada." More