Karen Tortora-Lee

Let’s Keep Dancing … At The Company XIV Workshop

by Karen Tortora-Lee March 8, 2012 Brooklyn

Even casual readers of The Happiest Medium know that when it comes to Company XIV and Austin McCormick I am reduced to a screaming fan-girl. I am older, of course -not a girl, so my screaming is done on the inside (most of the time), but when it comes to this neo-baroque dance ensemble [...]

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Starting Tonight! Frigid Hangovers Begin At The Kraine Theater

by Karen Tortora-Lee March 5, 2012 Festivals

Every year the Frigid Festival gives us a hangover – of shows, that is! A Frigid Hangover has nothing to do with alcohol but it has everything to do with shots! As in — these shows get one more shot at entertaining audiences. HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP PRESENTS THE 2012 FRIGID HANGOVERS THE BEST & BRIGHTEST [...]

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Stripper Lesbians: When Baring It All Is Academic (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

by Karen Tortora-Lee March 1, 2012 Festivals

When you read that the title of a play is as blatant as Stripper Lesbians you might be led to believe that what you are about to see is nothing more than a show which has women in various states of undress (personally or professionally), making out a lot. However, read further to “Rising [...]

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Man Saved By Condiments: Some Time Alone To Ketchup (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 29, 2012 Festivals

Man Saved By Condiments by Mary Jo Pehl is a dramatization of the true story of a man whose car went off a bridge while he was on his way to work. With a broke his hip, no cell phone and no one aware of where he was, he survived for five days by eating [...]

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The Stranger To Kindness: City Of Strangers (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 28, 2012 Festivals

More often than not, when the question of “how do you want to die” comes up the answer is often “in my sleep” or “surrounded by my friends and family”. The hope of most human beings is that, when it’s our turn to check out, we do so peacefully and with someone caring by our [...]

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Big Plastic Heroes: Good Things Come In Big Plastic Packages (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 28, 2012 Festivals

To say I was “pleasantly surprised” by Slash Coleman‘s solo show Big Plastic Heroes currently playing at UNDER St. Marks as part of the FRIGID Festival is an understatement. All signs pointed to this show being a raucous, self-aggrandizing narcissistic sausage-fest devoted to testosterone-ladened cultural touchstones and overblown Americana. After all, the artwork for the [...]

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I’m Only Explaining This Once: A Rosen By Any Other Name … (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 27, 2012 Festivals

Not everyone got the kind of name that looks good on a marquee or sounds good in the sentence ” … and the award for best actor goes to …”. And let’s all just admit it now: no one really knew how to pronounce “Gyllenhaal” till several movies in, and even then it took TWO [...]

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Rabbit Island: No Man Is A Rabbit (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 26, 2012 Festivals

“How long does it take to become a true New Yorker?” Obviously playwright Chris Harcum goes right for the tough questions in his play, Rabbit Island, currently playing in the Kraine Theatre as part of the 2012 Frigid Festival. When we first meet Alex (Ethan Angelica) he is nervously pinging around his therapist’s office, a desperate Canadian transplant [...]

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Daughters Of Lot – A Lot Going On (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 24, 2012 Festivals

“This is not your father’s burlesque show,” intones host Atlanta Georgia (Marlena Kalm) to the assemblage who stare at the three preening women who are outfitted in sky-high heels, racy bodices and flirty skirts of the schoolgirl-gone-bad-kilt and tutu variety. With glittery winks and flicking hips these three women ooze dangerous sex appeal and [...]

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Poe-Dunk: A Matchbox Entertainment – Listen To These Tales Of Poe (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 23, 2012 FRIGID 2012

The characters of this show may be tiny, a little wooden, and come off as a little stiff but Poe-Dunk: A Matchbox Entertainment is anything but rigid. In fact, this innovative, charming, engaging show by Playlab NYC directed by John Pieza is a lively piece of theatre thanks to the man behind the matches – [...]

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Call For Submissions: Putting The “BLE” In Combustible

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 21, 2012 Books

What is “BLE”? It’s Best Lesbian Erotica of course! Simply Google the title and you’ll find nothing but praise for this anthology of steamy hot stories. This is the fourth year that friend of our site, Kathleen Warnock, is editing the anthology – and she’s looking for submissions for Best Lesbian Erotica 2013 to be published by [...]

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An Evening Of Awkward Romance Equals An Evening Of Laughter

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 16, 2012 Manhattan

Wendy Herlich is many things, but “awkward” is not one of them. In her new show An Evening of Awkward Romance currently playing at The Tank Ms. Herlich proves that she is not only a gifted writer with the ability to create short sketches which manage to be sweet, funny and (yes) awkward all at [...]

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The Navigator – Everything Becomes Clear In One Point Seven Miles

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 13, 2012 Manhattan

There’s a terrific moment in Eddie Antar’s The Navigator when main character, Dave, is beginning to realize the true capabilities of his GPS system. Not only did the soothing female voice guide him to the proper exit, but she (albeit a bit cryptically) pointed him toward a great stock tip, gave him some advice on [...]

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Company XIV – The Workshop You’ve All Been Waiting For …

by Karen Tortora-Lee February 7, 2012 Dance

If you read THM with any frequency you already know that I am a HUGE fan of Austin McCormick and his amazing Company XIV. What comes out of the 303 Bond Street Theatre is almost impossible to describe – because how can you describe the way your life is changed, over and over again? The [...]

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The 2012 National Newborn Festival Is Almost Here!

by Karen Tortora-Lee January 31, 2012 Event

As part of the Board of Directors of MTWorks I’m really proud to be involved with the National Newborn Festival. Part of my job was to help choose the Excellence in Playwriting Award (see below for the winner!) and this year I’ll be introducing one of the plays — but I won’t tell you which [...]

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Extended! – Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History Of The Robot War

by Karen Tortora-Lee January 30, 2012 Theatre

We’re always excited to hear that a great show is sticking around for a while. And if you had a chance to read Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s review of Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War you know that it was a great show. (If you DIDN’T get a chance to read [...]

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Menders: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors – Good Menders Make Great Theatre

by Karen Tortora-Lee January 29, 2012 Manhattan

Flux Theatre Ensemble’s production of Menders (written by Erin Browne and directed by Heather Cohn) currently playing at The Gym at Judson will catch you by surprise – but not all at once. It will do so in subtle ways, often, and always differently than it did moments before. First you will be drawn in [...]

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