News from The Rogue Theatre
A View from the Bridge, September 2020
Photos: Rogue Theatre Tries to Reach Tucson Audiences in New Way
Photo essay by Mamta Popat in the Arizona Daily Star, September 12, 2020
Tucson’s The Rogue Theatre trailblazes an answer to live shows amid COVID-19
Article by Kathleen Allen, special to the Arizona Daily Star, September 11
The Rogue gives full life to A View from the Bridge
Review of A View from the Bridge by Kathleen Allen, special to the Arizona Daily Star, September 11
The Rogue presents A View from the Bridge with COVID constraints
Review of A View from the Bridge by Chuck Graham on September 12 in Let The Show Begin! at TucsonStage.com
Free “Open Talk” Video:
Arthur Miller’s View, Abridged
available Monday, September 7
Professor Patrick Baliani of the UA Honors College will explore what makes Miller America’s most “moral” playwright, and the special place occupied by A View from the Bridge in the evolution of Miller’s development.
A link to the video on YouTube will be posted here when it is available.
This open talk is supported in part by a generous gift from Bill & Nancy Sohn.
June 10, 2020
Black Lives Matter
For things to reveal themselves to us,
we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.
—Thich Nhat Hanh, Being Peace
Dear Rogues,
Over the last several days, we’ve been reflecting on our role in creating a more racially equitable community. How does The Rogue, as a primarily white cultural institution, speak to questions regarding inclusion and diversity without being hypocritical or giving lip service in order to feel better about ourselves?
I want to share with you a paragraph I sent to our acting ensemble yesterday after we had a long discussion the previous day on Zoom:
I’ve been thinking deeply about what we can do. I sat for awhile in the green room yesterday and looked around at all the photos of our shows on the wall and imagined that I was a person of color and I couldn’t see myself on the walls. Yes, there’s a photo from Celia A Slave, but that’s about it. I’m overwhelmed right now with all that’s going on—the virus, the theatre closure, the death of George Floyd, and the reminder of the inequality in our world and in our theatre. I’m sure everyone else is a bit overwhelmed right now, too. I read something in the New York Times this morning that seemed to be an outline for a plan for us: “Many arts leaders agree that the most effective response is institutional change—hiring more staff members of color; diversifying the board; presenting a range of programming.” It strikes me that this is a pretty good map for us. I haven’t sent out any statement to our audience. I’ve been reluctant to send out a statement to our audience that we cannot back up with action. I keep coming back to the question--what can we DO? It’s a learning process ahead, which will involve mistakes and corrections and apologies and progress. And I really appreciate moving through it with you all.
Please know, dear Rogues, that we will continue to think about these issues and discover what we can do to move our theatre towards a more equitable world.
With love,
Cindy Meier
Managing Director
March 18, 2020
Dear Rogues,
I've been going for morning walks in our neighborhood this spring. The flowers have been comforting and surprising. How do they manage to weather the rain and wind and hot sun and remain so effortlessly beautiful? Looking closely at their delicate petals and vivid colors has helped me with all the changes we're experiencing right now...
I have to tell you that we are unable to present Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night this spring. We were supposed to start rehearsals last night, but we felt that we couldn't responsibly do that. Twelfth Night has 13 cast members, 2 musicians, a director and 2 stage managers involved. How could we have all those people in the same room rehearsing together with the coronavirus on the loose? We couldn't. And who knows if by April 23 (our projected opening date—and Shakespeare’s birthday, by the way) we'd be able to have an audience in the theatre?
Our problem seems small compared to all that the world is now experiencing. But for 15 years this has been our world—rehearsing plays, presenting them to you, and reveling in some of the greatest ideas and poetry of the English language. It feels very strange to stop.
Theatre by its very nature is social. We are a community. And how do we do theatre with social distance? We have some ideas for ways we might continue to share with you—through short videos, podcasts, images and words—and we'll keep you updated here on our Website as these plans develop. (Some of our ideas sound like they’ll be quite fun.)
But for now, we ask for your patience and your help. If you have tickets for Twelfth Night, please consider making a tax-deductible donation of them. We would be tremendously grateful and would use the funds to pay our out-of-work actors and staff. If however, you’d like to move your tickets to another performance in the future or if you’d like a refund, please call Holly at our box office—520-551-2053.
Also, if you plan to join us for next year's season, now would be a great time to buy your season tickets. The income would help us make it through this difficult time.
Finally, if you can’t send money or buy tickets, please send love. If there’s a moment at The Rogue this past year that you especially remember, tell us about it. We’d love to hear from you.
Thank you, dear Rogues. I hope you have time to stop and enjoy the flowers. We’ll be in touch soon.
With love,
Cindy Meier
Managing Director
March 13, 2020
Dear Rogues,
It is with a heavy heart that we are canceling the remaining four performances of The Beauty Queen of Leenane at The Rogue Theatre due to the current public health risk of large gatherings. We are also canceling the upcoming staged reading of The House of Bernarda Alba on Sunday afternoon March 22.
At this time, we hope to continue with our production of Twelfth Night which is scheduled to open April 23. We'll be posting updates here on our Website as more developments occur.
As a nonprofit arts organization, we rely on your support. Your support is crucial to our existence, and The Rogue and other arts organizations could see significant losses due to the impact of COVID-19. Please consider making your existing ticket purchases for The Beauty Queen or Bernarda Alba a donation to The Rogue. If you would like to transfer your tickets to another production or would like a refund, please contact our box office at 520-551-2053.
The health and safety of you, our valued patrons, and our employees and artists is of utmost importance. Take care of yourselves. And thank you for your support and patience as we navigate this unprecedented and ever-changing situation. Know that we will be back in touch soon.
With affection,
Cynthia Meier and Joseph McGrath, Co-Founders
The Beauty Queen of Leenane, February–March 2020:
Beauty Queen of Leenane will shake your foundations
Review of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Chuck Graham on March 3 in Let The Show Begin! at TucsonStage.com
Rogue stages a vivid, dark Beauty Queen of Leenane
Review of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Kathleen Allen to appear in the March 9th Arizona Daily Star
A Very Irish Play
Review of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Cliff Cunningham on February 29 in SunNewsTucson.com
Rogue Theatre production takes on the impact of scarcity on the human condition
Preview of The Beauty Queen of Leenane in the February 27 Arizona Daily Star
Moby Dick, January 2020
Massive imagination frees the emotions that create Moby Dick on stage
Review of Moby Dick by Chuck Graham on January 16 in Let The Show Begin! at TucsonStage.com
The Rogue is fearless, and successful, with its take of Moby Dick
Review of Moby Dick by Kathleen Allen to appear in the January 16th Arizona Daily Star
Moving, Beautiful Production of Moby Dick is Better Than the Book
Review of Moby Dick by Lena Quach on January 14 in Taming of the Review at TamingOfTheReview.com
The Rogue Theatre Tackles Obsessions With an Original Moby Dick Production
Review of Moby Dick at FrontRowReviewersUtah.com
The great white whale, sighted in Tucson!
Interview with Cynthia Meier and Joseph McGrath featured on the January 9, 2020 edition of Arizona Public Media’s Arizona Spotlight with host Mark McLemore
Rogue Theatre takes on a whale of a tale with Moby Dick
Preview of Moby Dick in the January 9th Arizona Daily Star
Blithe Spirit, November 2019:
The “Spirit of Ribaldry” is Successfully Summoned
Review of Blithe Spirit by Betsy Labiner on November 11 in Taming of the Review at TamingOfTheReview.com
Comedy at Rogue Theatre lifts spirits
Review of Blithe Spirit by Ann Brown to appear in the November 15th Arizona Daily Star
Blithe Spirit finds genuine laughs in a clairvoyant world
Review of Blithe Spirit by Chuck Graham on November 11 in Let The Show Begin! at TucsonStage.com
Beguilingly theatrical: Blithe Spirit at the Rogue
Review of Blithe Spirit posted November 13th in the Tucson Sentinel
Blithe Spirit haunts Tucson
Review of Blithe Spirit by Cliff Cunningham on November 10 in SunNewsTucson.com
Four reasons to see Rogue Theatre’s Blithe Spirit
Preview of Blithe Spirit in the November 7th Arizona Daily Star
Long Day’s Journey Into Night, September 2019:
Long Day’s Journey filled with unforgettable moments
Review of Long Day’s Journey Into Night by Chuck Graham on September 17 in Let The Show Begin! at TucsonStage.co
Director offers three reasons to watch Rogue’s O’Neill play
Preview of Long Day’s Journey Into Night in the September 5th Arizona Daily Star
Free Open Talk: On Reading Eugene O’Neill
Saturday, September 7, 2:00 pm
Patrick Baliani
Associate Professor Patrick Baliani of the UA Honors College delves into O’Neill’s many plays and his experimentations with form, providing a holistic context for The Rogue’s production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
Listen to a podcast of the talk.
For more background on the play, check out Jerry James’ essay
“The Long Voyage Home: The Lifelong Quest of Eugene O’Neill”
This open talk was supported in part by a generous gift from Andy & Cammie Watson.
Middletown, July 2019:
Middletown is about the beauty in the banal
Review of Middletown by Kathleen Allen in the July 18 Arizona Daily Star
The Profoundness of the Ordinary
Review of Middletown by Annie Sadovsky Koepf on July 15 in Taming of the Review at TamingOfTheReview.com
Thought provoking humor fills Middletown
Review of Middletown by Chuck Graham on July 15 in Let The Show Begin! at TucsonStage.com
Middletown examines the highs, lows of everyday life
Preview of Middletown by Kathleen Allen in the July 11 Arizona Daily Star
Bringing Literature to Life On Stage at The Rogue Theatre
Season preview Touring the golden cage with The Rogue Theatre’s Joe McGrath and Cynthia Meier, by Leigh Moyer for The Taming of the Review blog
Free Open Talk: Yesteryear in Today's City of Tomorrow
Saturday, July 6, 2:00 pm
Christopher Johnson
Director Christopher Johnson will talk about the works of playwright Will Eno, and the Rogue actors will perform scenes from his plays. We will also share a sneak preview of Middletown.
Listen to a podcast of the talk.
This open talk was supported in part by a generous gift from Kristi Lewis.