author: Leonard Taube
Do you know what it’s like to die alive? That may be a heavy question, but it’s one that Diana asks and sets the stage for an evening of intense, raw, gut-wrenching drama. Iron Crow Theatre’s production of Next to Normal opened at the beautiful M&T Bank Exchange this evening to a large house and more than a few wet eyes. You simply cannot be unmoved by its subject matter and,
Representing the triumphant return of the Iron Crow Theatre after their long pandemic hiatus, Mankind – written by Robert O’Hara, and directed by Ann Turiano – is a bold and beautifully-presented madcap satire that throws stones at such formidable topics as religion, anti-abortion legislation, and an upside-down world where “FEMINISM!” is a battle cry while women themselves are an afterthought.
This frenetic cyclone of ever-escalating absurdity takes place in a future where women have been extinct for over a century,
Kids from the 90’s and the early 00’s might remember that one artist— Vitamin C? Mostly because she had that one song…who knows what it was actually called… but it was frequently referred to as “The Graduation Song.” And everyone knew it. What they likely didn’t know was that Vitamin C had this whole album and buried somewhere in the middle— track seven to be exact— was this song called “Girls Against Boys.” It was this futuristic song all about if women ruled the world and how different things would be,