Daily Rehearsal: start planning your 4th of July

Daily Rehearsal: start planning your 4th of July
Will Eno doesn’t look too worried about ‘Middletown’ reviews
Daily Rehearsal: start planning your 4th of July
Will Eno doesn’t look too worried about ‘Middletown’ reviews

Daily Rehearsal: start planning your 4th of July

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Will Eno doesn't look too worried about 'Middletown' reviews
1. The comment police is reporting for duty: Chris Jones’ Middletown review is blowing up, and it’s all due to one particular commentor by the name of Mister Middle Town. He’s written a comment the length of a review of his own where he calls out Jones’ rave: “All I can say is, if you want to twist yourself into imagining profundity in this drivel, well, rather than criticize you, I’ll just say that I’m awe0struck [sic] by your power of imagination.” Let the debate begin on who said commenter is; a pleb, or a disgruntled theater rockstar?

But not before Mister Middle Town leaves us with this: “Basically, what we have here is Reality Show theatre-for-the-bland (which is to say Un-reality Show theatre), all cautiously dunked in lukewarm water for folks who need to keep their blood pressures monitored. If memory serves, I think there were even nurses in the aisles to ensure that all the patrons were perfectly comfortable with this theatrical pillow.” Will Eno’s Middletown opened at Steppenwolf two weekends ago.

2. Remy Bumppo has announced that founding Artistic Director James Bohnen is finally stepping down, after announcing his intentions to do so in January of 2009. He will be replaced by Timothy Douglas, who starts July 1, and who will oversee the 2011-12 season theme of “The American Evolution“. When he leaves, Bohnen will have directed 30 of the companies 38 mainstage productions. 

3. Speaking of Remy Bumppo; they’ll be helping you celebrate July 4th in style, with a musical and theatrical production that will include “over 100 theater and cultural leaders” reading the Declaration of Independence. It’s at 5:30 on the Sunday afternoon in Millenium Park, so go get your history on.

4. The Moth StorySlam last night was won by Eric Budzynski, an organist who wore a Chorus Line t-shirt and whose story was largely about his last name.

5. And the love for Chinglish keeps coming; after just opening at the Goodman, it will make its Broadway debut this Fall. If you’re interested in a look at the behind-the-scenes of theater, take a gander at the effort it took to get the props just right.

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.