Bryn Boice
Above: Ryan Winkles as The Man in Here We Go. PHOTO CREDIT: Evgenia Eliseeva
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Tartuffe
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BOSTON THEATRE CRITICS ASSOCIATION CRITICS' PICK
Scenic Designer: Justin Lahue Lighting Designer: Nars Kelliher Sound Designer/Composer: Mackenzie Adamick Costume Designer: Marissa Wolf Prop Designer: Julia Wonkka Intimacy Direction: Lauren Cook Wig Maven: Liv Curnen (with Rachel Padula-Shufelt designs) Stage Manager: Jasper Scott |
Nah, there‘s nothing relevant about Molière’s “Tartuffe” in this day and age. (Deep sigh.) Anyhoo… If last week’s bleak developments in American politics, governance, and democracy [the 2024 election] have left you groping for reasons to laugh, you’ll find plenty of them in Bryn Boice’s rollicking, hugely enjoyable Hub Theatre Company of Boston production of “Tartuffe.” Boice has dialed up the mayhem to 11. This is a “Tartuffe” abounding in physical comedy, which gives plenty of running room to her cast."
--Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
Tartuffe is a riot as Moliere intended and as Hub Theatre Company presents it...this show explodes the confines of this tiny space with inventive performances, clever staging, and a plot as relevant in 2024 as it was the first time it was performed in 1664.
Director Bryn Boice elicits just the right broadly hilarious tone, and this vibrant ensemble commits with abandon to Moliere’s rhymed couplets– but it’s not so over the top that we don’t believe every word they say!
Enjoy the costumes, the horseplay, and the comeuppance. Thank god art can perfect reality."
--Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce's Choices
Boice whips her cast into shape for this madcap enactment of Moliere’s most famous play. She has them chewing the scenery and chasing their motivations across the stage to our delight. Boice, the cast, and the designs are all in on Moliere’s jokes, you see. Moliere didn’t write self-awareness into his play, but that doesn’t keep Boice from employing it...by breaking the 4th wall... Dorine makes direct eye contact and dusts an attendee’s shoe. Valère wooes an audience member when Mariane plays coy. It’s part of the fun and by design...
Hub Theatre Company’s Tartuffe is fun. It’s one of the better adaptations of Moliere’s play you’ll see in the next four years."
--Kitty Drexel, New England Theatre Geek
Director Bryn Boice incorporates modern [touches] throughout “Tartuffe,” which cleverly connects an old script to relatively young audiences...Because of the mix of modern and baroque style in the show’s design, these modern additions do not break the illusion of the time period. Instead, they add another layer of humor...Boice also masterfully directs her actors to embody the characters they portray. Each performer blossoms through intense monologues and physical acting. Every actor is able to land punchlines and convey emotion through Molière’s rhyming schemes...[and] the natural feel of their rhyme delivery contributes to the show’s humor..."
--Dzifa A. Ackuayi, The Harvard Crimson
I have been in a foul mood for the past several days, looking for ways to smash the patriarchy, cursing the unseasonably warm and dry November in my soul and longing to methodically knock a few people’s hats off. Thus I accounted it high time to get to...Tartuffe. I’m happy to say that for a couple of hours at least...[the] excellent performances lifted me out of my funk"
--Lynne Weiss, Stage & Cinema
The Winter's Tale
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Scenic Designer: James J. Fenton
Lighting Designer: Maximo Grano de Oro Costume and Wig Designer: Rachel Padula-Shufelt Sound Designer: David Remedios Composer: Mackenzie Adamick Prop Designer: Lauren Corcuera Choreographer: Victoria Awkward Fight and Intimacy Consultant: Jess Meyer Stage Manager: Ashley Pitchford |
Photos: Nile Scott Studios
Director Boice has chosen to embrace and embellish the discordance, as if the problems in this “problem play” were opportunities to engage the audience in thought-provoking, often powerful storytelling. And by placing this play in a modern time and having the two disparate nations led by two morally dissonant rulers sharing the same setting on stage, the play suggests the state of our nation during this election year...Everything [works] in this fine production of The Winter's Tale."
--Bob Abelman, The Boston Globe
CSC has done it again, creating magical evenings on the Boston Common and making Shakespeare feel as much a part of our time and our vernacular as he was to the theatergoers of 17th century London. All credit to Boice, though, in noting that under her direction, this famous "problem play" feels entirely right."
--Kilian Melloy--EDGE Media Network
Boice’s efforts prove as enlightening as a Delphic oracle. CSC’s “The Winter’s Tale” is a summer delight."
--Jules Becker, Boston Theatre Wings
From James J. Fenton’s spectacular set to director Bryn Boice’s nuanced yet spunky direction to the exceptional cast, the evening was an example of Boston’s cutting-edge theater scene at its most exciting...Highly recommended."
--Shelley Sackett, The Theater Mirror
Boice and her team breathe vitality and life into this [play]...In addition to the seasoned mastery of Marianna Bassham (Hermione,) Nael Nacer (Leontes) Omar Robinson (Polixenes) and the ever beloved Paula Plum (in multiple roles,) the scenic designs of James J. Fenton enable the play to move effortlessly from the cold minimalism of Sicilia to the lively exuberance of Bohemia. The clowning bits and an unforgettable adaptation of the sheep shearing scene (I’ll never hear those words the same again!) all contribute to a production of a play you may not know but one you don’t want to miss."
--Deborah Barlow, Slow Muse
This year, despite the difficult theme of “The Winter’s Tale,” one of Shakespeare’s problem plays, Commonwealth does not disappoint...lively direction."
--Michele Markarian, The Theater Mirror
The Book of Will
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Scenic Designer: Payton Tavares
Lighting Designer: Talia Elise Sound Designer: Ted Kearnan Costume Designer: Ellie DeLucia Props and Papers: Elektra Newman Stage Manager: Kelsey Whipple |
Photos: Tim Gurczak
Under the direction of Bryn Boice, Hub Theatre Company...offers a delightfully moving account of the process of creating the First Folio of William Shakespeare’s plays. The production is sharply compelling, with well-timed humor and poignant depth, making it both fascinating and highly entertaining."
–Lynne Weiss, Stage & Cinema
...includes a superb cast under the concise direction of Bryn Boice."
–Kevin T. Baldwin, METRmag
...a rollicking, meaty and glorious tribute to Shakespeare and storytelling. Get thee to The Book of Will! Directed exquisitely by Bryn Boice...The cast has crackling chemistry..."
–The Sleepless Critic
Tall Tales from Blackburn Tavern
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Scenic Designer: Lindsay Fuori
Lighting Designer: Amanda E. Fallon Sound Designer: David Remedios Costume Designer: Chelsea Kerl Phelps Props and Shadow Puppet Design: Steven Ducette Puppetry Consultants: Brzezinski & Schap Stage Manager: Marsha Smith |
...superbly silly...Under the direction of Bryn Boice, the camaraderie between the four performers is apparent from the outset and is maintained for approximately 90 sidesplitting minutes...What assists the actors in keeping things light is the clever use of shadow puppetry. It cannot be overstated how incredibly precise the timing was between the actors and lead puppeteer, Ryan Natcharian."
–Kevin Baldwin, MetrMag.com
In Gloucester Stage Company’s newest production, director Bryn Boice invites audiences to pull up a stool at the Blackburn Tavern and watch while Gloucester’s folklore unfolds before their eyes. Chaos and hilarity quickly ensue in scenes that are sure to leave everyone in the theater in a laughing fit...Tall Tales From Blackburn Tavern is campy and hilarious. Entirely self-aware, hyperbolic performances make funny moments that much funnier and scary moments that much scarier.
–Phoebe Mulry, The Ipswich Local News
Into The Breeches!
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2023 ELLIOT NORTON NOMINEES: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction (Bryn Boice), Outstanding Lead Performance (Katie Pickett), Outstanding Costumes (Kat Lawrence)
Scenic Designer: Justin Lahue Costume Designer: Kat Lawrence Lighting Designer: Talia Elisa Sound Designer: Ted Kearnan Properties: Taylor Beliveau Dramaturgy: Julie-Anne Whitney Stage Manager: Kelsey Whipple |
Photos: Tim Gurczak
Nimbly directed by Bryn Boice"
–Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
Thanks to Boice and a strong ensemble, [the company] proves both a celebration of the power of women and the gender-bending friendliness of Shakespeare's plays...Under director Boice's careful guidance, Hub Theatre's players turn in the kind of lively, amusing and loving performance that Shakespeare would likely embrace."
–Jules Becker, My South End
The handiwork and touch of award-winning director Bryn Boice are everywhere, especially when it came to melding the individual personalities into a seamless ensemble cast, all of whom seemed to be rooting for each other’s success."
–Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages
Gloria
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Scenic Designer: Jeffrey Petersen
Costume and Wig Designer: Rachel Padula-Schufelt Lighting Designer: Aja Jackson Sound Designer: David Remedios Properties: Steven Doucette Violence Designer: Ted Hewlett Stage Manager: Julia Fioravanti Asst. Director: Elise Joyner |
Photos: Shawn Henry
...excellent direction by Bryn Boice...[her] touch is unmistakable since she’s no stranger to intricate, truth-filled storytelling. She does a beautiful job of allowing the characters to unveil who they really are."--Jacquinn Sinclair, WBUR
Bryn Boice’s thoughtful and affective direction exposes their naked underbellies, yet still elicits our caring and empathy...[she] misses no chance to add meaningful touches; under her direction, even changing sets becomes an opportunity for whimsical choreography."--Shelley Sackett, Theatre Mirror
DO NOT MISS!"--Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce's Choices
The Sound Inside
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ELLIOT NORTON NOMINEES: Outstanding Production, Midsize Theater; Outstanding Performance by an Actress, Jennifer Rohn; Outstanding Performance by an Actor, Nathan Malin
Scenic Design: Cristina Todesco Lighting Design: Devorah Kengmana Sound Design: David Remedios Costume Design: Becca Jewett Properties: Gabriel Graetz Stage Manager: Jenna Worden Assistant Director: Jolie Fraser-Madge |
Powerful Production...The narrative, directed by Elliot Norton Award winner Bryn Boice, is plump with pain, yearning and twisty turns. According to her bio, Boice is 'inspired by the inclusion of anyone clamoring to express themselves' in theater, making her a fitting choice to shape this show...[it] cut deep into this heart of mine."--Jacquinn Sinclair, WBUR
Director Bryn Boice takes advantage of the smaller space to put a laser focus on her characters and continuously ratchets up the intensity...Boice is part of a diverse cadre of female directors who have come onto the scene in recent years and quickly gained both attention and acclaim. In her work to date, she has shown a certain fearlessness that serves her well here."--Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages
Speakeasy’s production helmed by director Bryn Boice, is a slick piece of theatre that’s perversely enjoyable. It’s determined to get at you and it succeeds...The squirming you feel isn’t so much from the story we’re watching as from that needling at the back of your neck. But it’s all part of Boice embracing the dark humor of the piece, cackling along with Rapp while she puts the screws to us."--Michael Hoban, The Theatre Mirror
The spareness of the design...make[s] a perfect backdrop for Rapp's seductive, if loquacious, dialogue. Bryn Boice's staging has...expressionistic touches, such as when [actress Jennifer] Rohn stands center stage and is reflected in two side mirrors; but at its heart is the bond that she shaped between its two leads, who have a wonderful rapport onstage. She also is in tune with the play's darker side, which gives the work its tension and humor. Bella has a tale to tell, and it is well worth a listen." --Robert Nesti, Edge Media Network
I was in shock. I thought this was going to be a Harold and Maude story. It isn’t. It’s another beast entirely, and that’s a little scary...Rohn and [actor Nathan] Malin pass the weight of the performances to each other flawlessly. They are symbiotes. They breathed together. It wasn’t astonishing at first but then they kept doing it. Breath – line of dialogue – breath – POV shift – breath. It was uncanny."--Kitty Drexel, NE Theatre Geek
Both actors, as directed by Bryn Boice, are completely immersed in the relationship between Bella and Christopher and never fail to impress...the design is intentional and used to great effect."--Kevin T. Baldwin, MetrMag
...[P]owerfully directed...Boice gives full voice to the loneliness and warring urges in both [characters] Baird and Dunn." --Jules Becker, Boston Theatre Wings
Article: In SpeakEasy's 'The Sound Inside,' two voices join in a high-stakes literary dialogue --Don Aucoin for The Boston Globe
The Children
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TOP TEN of 2020: The Boston Globe
ELLIOT NORTON AWARD: Outstanding Actress, Paula Plum ELLIOT NORTON NOMINEES: Outstanding Actress, Karen MacDonald, and Outstanding Production, Mid-size (Elliot Norton Awards 2020) Scenic Design: Cristina Todesco Lighting Design: Jeff Adelberg Sound Design: David Remedios Costume & Wig Design: Rachel Padula-Shufelt Properties: Madeline Hartrich Stage Manager: Rachel Sturm |
Photos by Maggie Hall Photography
...[Boice is] a director whose work has become must-see theater...[Karen] MacDonald and [Paula] Plum's chemistry is beyond words...Boice knows what she’s doing, as does her design team. I wondered throughout why they weren’t doing more with lighting throughout the play. I wasn’t wondering by the end of it. [Playwright] Kirkwood and Boice both sense when to hold back and when to push forward. When to delight in the human comedy and when to make it obvious that the stakes are too high for easy and instant gratification."
–Ed Siegel, WBUR-The ARTery
...a first-rate production directed by Bryn Boice...[the three actors team up] for what essentially amounts to a master class in nuanced performance...By any measure, MacDonald and Plum are two of the greatest Boston actresses of their generation...Boice again conjures the eerie, dislocating atmosphere of a world that has ceased to make sense."
–Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
It falls to this wondrous cast, with expert timing and toxic delivery, under Boice's intricate direction, to fulfill the author's ends. Kirkwood's writing has been described as Caryl Churchillian or Harold Pinteresque but is more in keeping with the work of Edward Albee, as in his A Delicate Balance with its own atmosphere of existential dread...this play is a stunner."
–Susan Mulford, South Shore Critic
...an affecting drama, thanks to a combination of the playwright's excellence at her craft, Director Bryn Boice's focus, and the trio of Elliot Norton Award-winning actors whose portrayals constitute a collective master class...Boice gives The Children a pace that mirrors real life. Moments of mundane conversation tick by at average speed, while awkward silences when conversation lags drag the second hand on a slow rotation. Suddenly, hot button topics flare up, quickly accelerating the dialogue and ratcheting up the emotion. In each instance, the actors react accordingly, with unmatched verisimilitude. Plum and MacDonald respond to each other as scene partners almost as if they are two halves of one person...and Allen finds a nuanced way to show that Robin connects with something in each of them."
–Nancy Grossman, Broadway World
[A] strong production...there are lighthearted moments peppered throughout...Director Bryn Boice is attuned to the script's nuances, and knows when to sprinkle bits of humor into what the Epistle of Jude calls, "the blackness of darkness." But be forewarned, this is a play that wards off sunshine. It commands us to drum up courage in the face of discomfort...The three performers work masterfully with one another."
–Robert Israel, The Arts Fuse
Kirkwood throws several difficult moments at the cast and director Bryn Boice responded to them with composed aplomb. Apropos of nothing, the actors are made to line dance a routine that Hazel made up at a party years ago. Under a lesser director, this scene could have been embarrassing or haphazard. Instead, Boice made the incorporation of the choreography make sense to the scene...We saw Rose, Hazel and Robin celebrating life with their bodies. Boice treats the preparation and eating of food, smoking of cigarettes, and excretion of bodily waste the same way: affirmations of life."
–Kitty Drexel, NETheatreGeek
Admissions
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Scenic Design: Patrick Lynch
Lighting Design: Steve McClellan Sound Design: Charles Cofone Costume Design: Amanda Downing Carney Properties: Jess Hill Stage Manager: Jenna Worden |
[A] knock-out cast...director Bryn Boice, Commonwealth Shakespeare’s associate artistic director, adds the laser-sharp focus."
--Channing Gray, The Providence Journal
[E]ntertaining whiplash. In her Gamm debut, Director Bryn Boice...gets the tone and texture of the action and the ideas just right, coming from a place of understanding for the characters and their feelings. Moreover, the actors portraying those feelings could not be better."
--Kathie Raleigh, The Independent
[E]xceptional performances...Right from the beginning it is very clear that this play is going to pull no punches...[Wendy] Overly and [Deb] Martin are absolutely hysterical...Jacob Osborne is perfect...Jim O'Brien is excellent...[Karen] Carpenter gets to deliver a heartbreaking moment toward the end that really resonates...Sets by Patrick Lynch and costumes by Amanda Downing Carney perfectly create the world...Every single detail is meticulously crafted in a way that is thoroughly satisfying."
--Andria Tieman, Broadway World
Topical, thought-provoking...directed with impeccable care"
--Don Fowler, Warwick Online
Directed with skill and sincerity by Bryn Boice...[at first, her] direction seems to lean toward an outward-facing presentational physical comedy, but as the language of the scene sinks in, we realize that the style works perfectly. Subsequent scenes with every character maintain this high-energy, fast-paced approach that serves the comedy, while the impact of the words and the script serve their own purpose. Think “All In The Family” – if those episodes wallowed too deep into the serious issues they explored, the show would have been a drag, preachy and ultimately overbearing, but a brisk, comedic approach allowed the serious moments to land that much harder – and so it is with Admissions."
--Terry Shea, Motif Magazine
My Fascination with Creepy Ladies
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Lighting Design: Bridget K. Doyle
Costume Design: Theona White Scenic, Properties, Sound and Movement: The Company Stage Manager: Gabriella Barbuto |
Right at the outset, a voiceover informs us: 'We’re trying to spook you.' And at that, as well as at casting a shadowy spell, the piece succeeds. One person in the front row on opening night was visibly and audibly shaken by the conclusion of “Berenice,” wherein the macabre contents of an innocuous-seeming wooden box scatter-dance across the stage...What I most admire, given Anthem’s stated aim to 'spook' us, is that its approach is so barebones and tersely atmospheric. Eschewing gory effects, “Creepy Ladies” allows Poe’s febrile yet precise language to provoke our discomfiture and dread."
--Carolyn Clay, WBUR's Artery
Most adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe don't take the seminal American writer seriously...but [director] Bryn Boice is deadly serious, and we do mean deadly, in 'My Fascination with Creepy Ladies,' which investigates Poe's obsession with the deaths of beautiful women in stories like 'Ligeia' and 'The Raven'...As a Poe devotee, I found it fully engaging...Lots of fine acting."
--Ed Siegel, WBUR (via FB)
Their deliveries may be different—Olivia Z. Cote’s Poe is quavering while Christine Power’s Poe proclaims, Luz Lopez’s Creepy Lady creeps while Siobhan Carroll’s Creepy Lady intimidates—but they are all fragments of the same characters, pieces of the same narrator. The effect is, indeed, creepy. As the audience, you are often surrounded, as if you’re inside a funhouse of mirrors that refuses to show your own reflection. It’s an impressive use of theater. I’m delighted by the choreography, Bridget K. Doyle’s lighting, and Theona White’s costume design...an exact, chilling, and obsessive love letter to Poe, the macabre, and the work he brought into the world."
--Gillian Daniels, New England Theatre Geek
Last Night at Bowl-Mor Lanes
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Scenic Design: James J. Fenton
Lighting Design: Jeff Adelberg Sound Design: David Wilson Costume Design: Becca Jewett Properties: Emme Shaw Assistant Director: Stephen Zubricki Stage Manager: Julie Marie Langevin |
Photos: Nile Scott Shots
...[E]ven a casual bowler can see that Symes, director Bryn Boice, and scenic designer James J. Fenton have gotten the atmospherics right. Fenton’s set is a spot-on simulacrum of a stuck-in-the-1950s bowling alley, from the jukebox in the corner to the overhead “Bowl-Mor’’ sign with the “M’’ dangling upside-down to the row of multicolored bowling balls lined up on a rack.
Boice also got the casting of the leads right: Ruth and Maude are played by Nancy E. Carroll and Paula Plum, twin treasures of Boston theater who long ago earned, and still deserve, the adjective 'inimitable'."
--Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
If you saw Actors Shakespeare Project’s all-female “Julius Caesar,” O.W.I.’s lamentably-neglected “Red Velvet,” or her Norton Award-winning turn for Commonwealth Shakespeare with two Caryl Churchill one-acts, you recognize director Bryn Boice’s talent, and she mines the humor, the love and the longing of the piece and allows the warmth of the characters to shine through."
--Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages
The soon-to-be-razed bowling alley of the title is authentically rendered by scenic designer James J. Fenton, and definitely one of the top three reasons to recommend the production. The other two are the grande dames of Boston theater, Nancy E. Carroll and Paula Plum, who take on the characters created by Symes to pay homage to women 'of a certain age.'...Director Bryn Boice draws crisp performances from the cohesive cast and keeps the ball rolling (sorry!) apace, making the game feel like it's happening in real time."
--Nancy Grossman, Broadway World
Audience members are immediately thrust into a sense of place with James J. Fenton’s incredible set...[so] ingenious is its construction that the actresses – wait for it – actually bowl during the course of the 90-minute piece, no easy feat...Plum and Carroll shine in their roles, and with each other...Director Boice keeps the action flowing."
--Michele Markarian, Theatre Mirror
Universe Rushing Apart:
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ELLIOT NORTON AWARD for
Outstanding Director, Large Theater TOP TEN of 2018: The Boston Globe & StageSource Scenic Design: Cristina Todesco Lighting Design: Jen Rock Sound Design: Dewey Dellay Costume Design: Nancy Leary Properties: Sally Tomasetti Assistant Director: Courtney Plati Stage Manager: Jenna Worden ASM: Rachel Corning |
Photos by Evgenia Eliseeva
Director Bryn Boice expertly envelops us in a very Churchillian mood — a kind of spell, really — in the rewardingly disconcerting double bill of “Blue Kettle’’ and “Here We Go.’’ The same five actors appear in both plays in this Commonwealth Shakespeare Company production, presented at Babson College’s Sorenson Center for the Arts. Boice draws finely calibrated performances from the entire quintet, who range from Boston theater luminaries Karen MacDonald and Maureen Keiller to Ryan Winkles (a fixture at Lenox’s Shakespeare & Company) to Sarah Mass and Siobhan Carroll.
...Finally comes a devastating scene of an extremely old or sick man being helped to get dressed and undressed by a caregiver. Director Boice boldly pushes the scene to the breaking point. As the wrenching, utterly human sequence repeats over and over again, not a word is spoken, and not a word is needed."
--Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
...[T]ender and exhilarating...Boice stages the two plays on an almost bare stage where ensemble members dressed in scrubs scoot white Styrofoam set pieces into different arrangements. Sound designer Dewey Dellay’s score — which ranges from the anxious to the magisterial but is never overwhelming — provides an emotional barometer, as an excellent ensemble of five goes through the absurdist motions of the plays, supplying both ironic commentary and genuine emotion that the linguistic trickery might in lesser hands obscure."
--Carolyn Clay, WBUR
...beautifully acted...Bryn Boice, the director, shows a deep understanding of the two plays."
--Jane Baldwin, Capital Critics Circle: "A First Rate Revival of Two of Caryl Churchill's Plays"
This was a year when women, prominently including women of color, directed a hefty percentage of the impactful stage productions that are likely to linger in the memory as we head into 2019.
This year, it was female directors, as often as not, who embraced challenging subject matter or took chances with form. For example, in Bryn Boice’s Commonwealth Shakespeare Company staging of “Universe Rushing Apart: Blue Kettle and Here We Go,’’ a pair of one-act plays by Caryl Churchill about deceit, identity, language, and mortality, Boice kept spectators off-balance by enveloping them in a hypnotic, vaguely disquieting aura throughout."
--excerpt from Don Aucoin's Boston Globe feature: "Female Directors Provoked and Excelled in Leading Roles"
Henry VI part 2
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Scenic and Costume Design: Brooke Stanton
Violence Design: Matt Dray Sound Design: Bryn Boice Properties: Sophie Garner Stage Manager: Rachel Corning |
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Photos by Nile Scott Studios
Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti
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Scenic Design: James J. Fenton
Lighting Design: Alex Fetchko Costume Design: Becca Jewett Sound Design: Angelica Alvarez Props Design: Linda McConchie Assistant Director/Dramaturg/Fight Director: Jessica Scout Malone |
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Photos by M.L. Flowers Chavez, James J. Fenton and OWI Theatre
Anthem Theatre Company artistic director Bryn Boice is bringing the same poignant immediacy to Aldridge's singular odyssey that distinguished her all-female edition of "Julius Caesar" for Actors' Shakespeare Company last year. [Producer] Riesenberg and Director Bryn Boice have assembled a crackerjack team of actors and designers to give full voice to Lolita Chakrabarti’s piece...Boice showed her skills with an ensemble piece in her all-female “Julius Caesar” at Actors Shakespeare Project earlier in the season, and this is another fine effort and another milestone for OWI in its development as a troupe." Excellent production...Highly recommended." |
Julius Caesar
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Scenic Design: Cristina Todesco
Lighting Design: Jen Rock Costume Design: Rebecca Jewett Sound Design: Amy Altadonna Props Design: Abby Shenker Fight Choreography: Lauren Squier Movement: Bryn Boice Stage Manager: Sam Layco |
Photos: Maggie Hall for Nile Scott Shots
Call this “Julius Caesar” a gender-bending experiment if you like, but ASP under Bryn Boice’s taut direction is strikingly calling into question audience preconceptions about [what] it means to be a leader or a follower, the nature of alliances, the enormity of war and the power of both friendship and love. As such, this staging becomes an exploration of which Shakespeare would likely approve.
Director Boice endows her staging with an incisive sense of ritual and metaphor – especially as soldiers purposefully put down their weapons near the close. A chant convincingly states that “This (Brutus) was woman!” Likewise theatergoers — male and female — are likely to say of ASP’s exquisite staging “This is ‘Julius Caesar.'”
-Jules Becker, The Jewish Journal
...director Bryn Boice establish[es] a foreboding mood while suggesting the patterns of fatefulness that will subsequently run through her darkly compelling [all-female production]...it’s intriguing to see how Boice reworks the end of “Julius Caesar’’ so that Antony’s famous final encomium to Brutus (“This was the noblest Roman of them all . . . nature might stand up and say to all the world ‘This was a man’ ’’) so that it registers not just as a victor’s tribute to the vanquished but as a broader statement of female solidarity."
-Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
Under the direction of Bryn Boice, the world of Rome, ruled by the god-like Julius Caesar played by a confident, self-absorbed Liz Adams, is totally inhabited by women.
To watch this experimental portrait of an Amazon-like kingdom is to question the conventional wisdom that women are more gentle, kind and forgiving than men...
[The cast is led by] a powerful Marya Lowry [as Brutus], Bobbie Steinbach in a devious and mesmerizing performance [as Cassius]...[and] Marianna Bassham as the most effective Mark Antony to have played the role in recent memory...Her declarative delivery of Antony’s funeral speech that builds from sympathy for the perpetrators to riling up the populace is a marvel of intention, crafty choice of words, and vocal timbre, all the more terrifying for its’ success."
-Iris Fanger, Wicked Local
"The Actors’ Shakespeare Project production of 'Julius Caesar' features women in all of the parts, a female director and an all-woman design team to boot. And, if anything, it is darker and more foreboding than any production of 'Caesar' I’ve seen..."
-Rich Fahey, OnBostonStages.com
Henry IV Part 1
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Scenic, Properties, Costume Design: Brooke Stanton
Violence Design: Matt Dray Sound Design: Bryn Boice Choreographer: Peter DiMuro Stage Manager: Rachel Corning |
PHOTOS: Nile Scott Shots
I, Snowflake
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Lighting Design: Kelly Martin
Snowflake's Costume Design: Stephanie Brownell Sound Design: Bryn Boice Props Design: Mary Sader Movement: Bryn Boice |
Photos: Bryn Boice
The ensemble work in this production is selfless, and gorgeous. The all-lady cast gives of themselves unconditionally. We receive a deeply personal and personalized performance from them. Boice’s staging is inventive and enables the ensembles character work to blossom...Julee Antonellis delivers her mime work as Snowflake with excellent control...Her Pierrot is no pining fool. She actively seeks to understand, and be understood. She represents everyone who feels voiceless.
For a show that was created, soup to nuts, in under 3 months I, SnowFlake is damned impressive on any scale. It pulls from a large community, and speaks to an even larger one. Which is why it should go on tour...[and] deserves to be seen by as many people as possible in the next four years."
-Kitty Drexel, New England Theatre Geek
Bryn Boice’s I, SNOWFLAKE is part elegant choreo-poem, part verbatim accounts...[of] post-election shock...The witnesses, all dressed alike in crisp white shirts, black leggings and cradling iPhones, lament the sorrows we all grieve about: global warming, violence, genocide, nuclear annihilation and so much more and more and more.
They’re dogged by a resilient little mime (the sensational Julee Antonellis) who is buffeted about and dispatched numerous times (most chillingly gunned down like Trayvon Martin and his many, many successors). Boice wisely balances the terrible sorrows and fears with humor and cheek.
Boice offers the best dissection I’ve yet encountered of the insidious, seemingly faultless male catcall, “Smile,” which is punctuated by Caitlin Jones’ stellar rendition of Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me.” The ensemble of ten extraordinary women utilizes metaphor, music, fluid movement and righteous indignation to drive home their hopeful (thank goodness) message: Each snowflake is unique and fragile by itself but thousands of snowflakes together can bring a city to a halt."
-Beverly Creasy, Boston Arts Review
Much like a snowstorm, I hope it spreads and remains utterly devastating. See it while you have the chance."
-Gillian Daniels, NE Theatre Geek
Twelfth Night of the Living Dead
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Scenic Design: Jessica Pizzuti
Lighting Design: Kayleigha Zawacki Costume Design: Rebecca Jewett Sound Design: Jess Malone Blood Props Design: Johnny Kinsman Fight Choreography: Matt Dray Movement: Bryn Boice |
Photos: Bryn Boice
What happens when a genuine Shakespeare troupe puts on a nuanced, well-acted performance of Twelfth Night, where the characters get attacked by zombies, like in the film Night of the Living Dead?
Surprisingly, it’s intelligent, hilarious fun. It’s gross and disgusting, but also compelling and deep. Did I mention hilarious? At the end of the performance you’ll be left stunned. What just happened?
The actors clearly know what they are doing, without a weak performance in the cast. Erica Jade Simpson takes the lead, as the first zombie of many, with physical comedy that is laugh out loud funny...and every line in the play is taken from Twelfth Night."
--Johnny Monsarrat, Boston Events Insider
By injecting blood and guts into the play, Boice and the cast [cast] aside the shackles of historical importance to bring us an energized update on Shakespeare. If you can handle the flying brains and the squirting blood, this production could serve as a gateway drug to fall in love with the Bard anew."
-Craig Idlebrook, New England Theatre Geek
Romeo VS. Juliet
|
Directed by Bryn Boice
Costumes, Props: Bryn Boice and Johnny Kinsman Music sourced from The Library of Congress |
PHOTOS: Tess Wenger
THE BARD MEETS BASEBALL: Romeo and Juliet staged as a vaudeville comedy"--feature by Joel Brown for BU Today
DIRECTING EXPERIENCE
The Winter's Tale William Shakespeare Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Tartuffe Molière Hub Theatre
Tall Tales from Blackburn Tavern John Minigan Gloucester Stage
The Book of Will Lauren Gunderson Hub Theatre Company
Into the Breeches!** George Brant Hub Theatre Company
The Sound Inside** Adam Rapp Speakeasy Stage Company
Romeo & Juliet William Shakespeare CSC/Stage2 at The Strand
Gloria Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Gloucester Stage Company
The Half-Life of Marie Curie Lauren Gunderson The Nora Company/Central Square Theatre
A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare CSC/Stage2 at The Strand
The Children** Lucy Kirkwood Speakeasy Stage Company
Admissions Joshua Harmon The Gamm Theatre (R.I.)
A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare CSC/Apprentice Repertory Company
Blue Kettle & Here We Go* Caryl Churchill Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Henry VI part 2 William Shakespeare CSC/Apprentice Repertory Company (tour)
Red Velvet Lolita Chakrabarti Office of War Information/BCA
Julius Caesar William Shakespeare Actors’ Shakespeare Project
Henry IV part 1 William Shakespeare CSC/Apprentice Repertory Company (tour)
The 25th Annual...Spelling Bee W. Finn & R. Sheinkin Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center
Rosmersholm Henrik Ibsen Boston University (Thesis)
Misalliance George Bernard Shaw Boston University Stages
boom Peter Sinn-Nachtrieb Boston University Stages
The Serpent Jean-Claude Van Itallie Boston University Stages
Endgame Samuel Beckett Boston University Stages
Machinal Sophie Treadwell Boston University Stages
Wonder of the World David Lindsay-Abaire Stephens College, MO
Speaking in Tongues Andrew Bovell Australian Made Entertainment (NYC)
Navy Pier John Corwin Theatre Row/InProximity Theatre (NYC)
Orange Flower Water Craig Wright Theatre 54/InProximity Theatre
*Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director, Large Theater
**Elliot Norton Nomination for Outstanding Production
DIRECTION of NEW WORKS, ADAPTATIONS, & DEVISED PROJECTS
Tall Tales from Blackburn Tavern John Minigan Gloucester Stage Company
Last Night at Bowl-Mor Lanes Weylin Symes Greater Boston Theatre Company
My Fascination with Creepy Ladies Bryn Boice Anthem Theatre Company
I, Snowflake Bryn Boice Anthem Theatre Company
12th Night of the Living Dead Brian MacInnis Smallwood Anthem Theatre Company/BCA
The Merry Way Bryn Boice Anthem Theatre Company
Romeo VS. Juliet Johnny Kinsman Anthem Theatre Company
No Vacancies Dan Schultz Okoboji Summer Theatre (Okoboji, IA)
Last Woman Standing Allie Kauffman, M. Timonina Boston University Stages
Sickle Abbey Fenbert Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
A Comedy of Errors, for 4 Will Ditterline, Mike Wamser Anthem Theatre Company/BCA
Puppet Love*** Mya Kagan American Globe Theatre (NYC)
No-Fault Christie Perfetti NYC Fringe Festival
Stuck Bryn Boice taxdeductible theatre/The Dare Project
***Turnip Festival of Short Plays. Honorable Mentions: Outstanding Direction, Best Play;
Winner: Best Actress. Later remounted for Ars Nova’s ANTFest (NYC).
ACTING RESUME AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
The Winter's Tale William Shakespeare Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Tartuffe Molière Hub Theatre
Tall Tales from Blackburn Tavern John Minigan Gloucester Stage
The Book of Will Lauren Gunderson Hub Theatre Company
Into the Breeches!** George Brant Hub Theatre Company
The Sound Inside** Adam Rapp Speakeasy Stage Company
Romeo & Juliet William Shakespeare CSC/Stage2 at The Strand
Gloria Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Gloucester Stage Company
The Half-Life of Marie Curie Lauren Gunderson The Nora Company/Central Square Theatre
A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare CSC/Stage2 at The Strand
The Children** Lucy Kirkwood Speakeasy Stage Company
Admissions Joshua Harmon The Gamm Theatre (R.I.)
A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare CSC/Apprentice Repertory Company
Blue Kettle & Here We Go* Caryl Churchill Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Henry VI part 2 William Shakespeare CSC/Apprentice Repertory Company (tour)
Red Velvet Lolita Chakrabarti Office of War Information/BCA
Julius Caesar William Shakespeare Actors’ Shakespeare Project
Henry IV part 1 William Shakespeare CSC/Apprentice Repertory Company (tour)
The 25th Annual...Spelling Bee W. Finn & R. Sheinkin Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center
Rosmersholm Henrik Ibsen Boston University (Thesis)
Misalliance George Bernard Shaw Boston University Stages
boom Peter Sinn-Nachtrieb Boston University Stages
The Serpent Jean-Claude Van Itallie Boston University Stages
Endgame Samuel Beckett Boston University Stages
Machinal Sophie Treadwell Boston University Stages
Wonder of the World David Lindsay-Abaire Stephens College, MO
Speaking in Tongues Andrew Bovell Australian Made Entertainment (NYC)
Navy Pier John Corwin Theatre Row/InProximity Theatre (NYC)
Orange Flower Water Craig Wright Theatre 54/InProximity Theatre
*Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director, Large Theater
**Elliot Norton Nomination for Outstanding Production
DIRECTION of NEW WORKS, ADAPTATIONS, & DEVISED PROJECTS
Tall Tales from Blackburn Tavern John Minigan Gloucester Stage Company
Last Night at Bowl-Mor Lanes Weylin Symes Greater Boston Theatre Company
My Fascination with Creepy Ladies Bryn Boice Anthem Theatre Company
I, Snowflake Bryn Boice Anthem Theatre Company
12th Night of the Living Dead Brian MacInnis Smallwood Anthem Theatre Company/BCA
The Merry Way Bryn Boice Anthem Theatre Company
Romeo VS. Juliet Johnny Kinsman Anthem Theatre Company
No Vacancies Dan Schultz Okoboji Summer Theatre (Okoboji, IA)
Last Woman Standing Allie Kauffman, M. Timonina Boston University Stages
Sickle Abbey Fenbert Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
A Comedy of Errors, for 4 Will Ditterline, Mike Wamser Anthem Theatre Company/BCA
Puppet Love*** Mya Kagan American Globe Theatre (NYC)
No-Fault Christie Perfetti NYC Fringe Festival
Stuck Bryn Boice taxdeductible theatre/The Dare Project
***Turnip Festival of Short Plays. Honorable Mentions: Outstanding Direction, Best Play;
Winner: Best Actress. Later remounted for Ars Nova’s ANTFest (NYC).
ACTING RESUME AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST