BEST OF THEATER
Wei-Huan Chen offers his 10 favorite shows of the year and the top performances by actors.
Is it too much of a cliché by now to say that the arts are more important than ever? Well, it’s true. This was a truly historic year for entertainment.
All of the year’s biggest events, after all, served as a reminder of why supporting art, and artists, is vital. The Trump administration threat’s to cut public arts funding, the explosion of sexual harassment scandals in the entertainment world and, of course, Hurricane Harvey — all threatened to destabilize the mechanisms by which we create and consume art.
Yet here we are, at the end of a crazy year that nevertheless shines as an exemplary one for live performance, one that brimmed with artistic innovations and big gambles. The city’s artists, directors and actors made it happen, despite it all. And that’s worth celebrating.
Here are the Houston Chronicle’s Best Theater Productions in Houston, 2017.
“Describe the Night”
Alley Theatre Theater rarely feels like it makes history these days. It’s a constant battle making a visceral art form stand out against the barrage of scandal, tragedy and entertainment that’s foisted upon the average American adult. It takes something truly special to make you say, “That … that was important.”
Rajiv Joseph’s “Describe the Night” was one of those events. The Alley Theatre’s premiere of this play about Russian history is worth remembering not only for the story’s subject matter, which speaks to the current moment through universal themes, but also because it was the epitome of the theater company’s heroic post-Harvey recovery. A great play, staged at a time when Houstonians needed greatness the most — we will remember “Describe the Night” for a very long time.
“The Last Days of Judas Iscariot”
Gravity Players “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” was the best ensemble piece in 2017 — a supernova assembly of Houston’s acting heavy hitters delving into Stephen Adly Guigis’ meaty play. This was the Houston theater version of “Ocean’s Eleven,” showcasing the city’s upper rung of acting talent in a fiercely personal and philosophical story about the man best known for betraying Jesus Christ.
“Cry Havoc”
Stephan Wolfert/4th Wall Theatre Company
“Describe the Night” was the best theater of the year, but “Cry Havoc” was my favorite. Stephan Wolfert’s one-man show, using Shakespeare to describe the trauma of war, was heartbreaking, inspiring, zany but, most important of all, honest — an emotionally authentic show about veteran’s issues performed by a veteran who believes that theater plays a key role in post-combat recovery. I’m convinced.
“Red House”
Dinolion Dancing spirits by the Houston Ballet. Secret closets filled with pornography. Sexually charged one-on-one interactions. These were just some of the thrilling elements of Dinolion’s pop-up theater installation, which held a limited (and mostly secret) run in April. This one-hour gothic dystopia, inspired by Houston punk outfit Black Kite, took place in an