Last Train to Nibroc

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Last Train to Nibroc by Arlene Hutton and directed by Mark Edward Smith is at the Mad Cow Theater (54 W Church St, Orlando, FL 32801) through March 8, 2020. The play begins with May  (Alexandra Rose Horton) reading a book on a train on December 28, 1940 somewhere west of Chicago. A soldier named Raleigh (Dalton Hedrick) asked if he can be seated next to her. The set was spartan and simple, the train seat to house right from where I was seated, a curved bench center stage and then May’s front porch on house right.

May was a petite and powerful woman. She and Raleigh both spoke with thick and round Kentucky accents. Raleigh considered himself an author. He asked May about the book she was reading. She said it was religious, but he seemed convinced it was a romance. She had traveled across the country to visit a boyfriend who had entered the service. That trip had gone horribly, he wasn’t who she thought he was. There was a playful banter between the two who were from the same part of Kentucky. Raleigh wanted to go to the big city to start his writing career but after meeting May he decided to return to their home town. On that fated train trip he asked May if she would go with him to the Nibroc festival if he decided to stay in Kentucky.

The middle staging area had the couple meeting at a state fair. Raleigh was dressed in farmers overalls and his prospects for the future seemed dim in the back woods rural town. The friendship sparked on the train had also soured but the two though throwing jabs at each other clearly seemed to care about where life might take them. Each of them was flawed but proud. They grew on me because of their frankness and hopes for a better life. It made me wonder at the myriad of ways that my ancestors might have met and fallen in love through the centuries. This was the first of three plays in a trilogy by the Florida native author.

 Last Train to Nibroc by Arlene Hutton

Mad Cow Theater 54 W Church St, Orlando, FL 32801

Tickets: $30 – $42

Key Themes: Romance, choices, consequences

Age Recommendation: 13+

Run-time: Approx. 90 minutes with no intermission

Remaining Show Dates:

03/01/2020 03:00 PM (Sunday)

03/04/2020 08:00 PM (Wednesday)

03/05/2020 08:00 PM (Thursday)

03/06/2020 08:00 PM (Friday)

03/07/2020 08:00 PM (Saturday)

03/08/2020 03:00 PM (Sunday)

Men on Boats

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Men on Boats written by Jaclyn Backhaus and directed by Rebekah Lane runs at the Mad Cow Theater through February 9, 2020. The show outlines the story of an 1869 expedition,
where a one-armed captain named John Wesley Powell (Cynthia Beckert), and a crew of insane, yet loyal volunteers, set
out to chart the course of the Colorado River. Powell was a Civil War Veteran and personal friend of President
Grant. Though he himself could not hold a paddle, he lead the  government sanctioned journey down the wild rapids leading through Colorado, Utah,
and New Mexico, and through the most dangerous waterway of all, in the
Grand Canyon. 

The ten explorers were divided among three boats.  Though historically all men, the cast was all woman, which added to the bravado as they overcame each obstetrical on this harrowing journey. As an artist I found the pace of the show dauntingly fast and furious. To simulate the ride down river the cast would crouch behind one another facing the audience and move as a unit to the rivers every ebb, flow and swell. In slow motion one of the crew might loose balance as if a ballerina and be caught by another crew member.


The canyon walls of the set had crystalline cubes set into it that seemed to have lines of text on them. I didn’t know what to make of them. The painted river on stage would be ignored when the crew were out of the boats and at camp. This involved some suspension of disbelief when crew were sitting lying or standing in the water. In general the stage was a tight fit for the full cast of 10.


On the expedition the crew grew tighter together like a band of brothers as the odds mounted. They also began to doubt one another and grow on each other’s nerves. When they suffered the loss of a boat and supplies, at Disaster Falls, they argued, postured and pretended, and to relieve   pressure they would name
mountains after themselves. When it looked like supplies would not last, three of the crew decide to split off, hoping to find a Mormon settlement rather than ride the insane rapids. The remaining seven decided to brave the dangerous rapids to reach the
other side.


At one point the entire cast stood in awe of the majestic Grand Canyon that stood as their adversary to survival. I imagined the canyon walls illuminated by the golden glow of the a setting sun. For me the comedic highlight was a rattle snake that made its way into camp. All the bravado was suddenly replaced by shrieks of terror. Considering the dire circumstances of the expedition, that snake seemed a minor thing to fear.

The Spitfire Grill

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I went to a dress rehearsal for The Spitfire Grill at Mad Cow Theater. The show is based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff. The music and book are by James Valcq with Fred Alley on lyrics and writing. The wonderful thing about a rehearsal is that the actors have fewer worries since they are not in front of an audience. I  am used to hearing actors exercising their voices with scales and vocal calisthenics. For this run, a loud burp echoes from back stage. The mood was set for a classy Midwestern musical.

A Stage hand was working on the moon made of wooden planks cut into  a circle. He called out to director David Lee to see of it was straight. David asked Pam Schwartz and I if we thought it was straight. I had just drawn the moon and the slats in my sketch were straight, so I shouted back, “Yep perfectly straight.” David then called back to the stage hand saying “I just asked a straight couple and they should know.” David explained that his lead singer Kari had been
the understudy for Evita at the Shakes and she had to take on the lead roll
twice in one day with just 45 minutes notice.Actors in the show also doubled as the band performing on banjo

The play opened with Percy Talbot (Kari Ringer) sitting on her suitcase. She had just been released from prison and was hoping to start life over. Based on a page from an old travel book, she ended up in the small town of Gilead, Wisconsin. Kari’s singing voice immediately dominated and the song of hope for new beginnings certainly resonated with me. The local sheriff, Joe Sutter (Sean Powell) who was also Percy’s parole officer, found
her a job at Hannah’s Spitfire Grill, the only eatery in the
struggling town.

It turned out that Pecy wasn’t much of a cook and the town gossip Effy (Leesa Castaneda) talked about her behind her back. Shelby Thorp (Brittany Halen) stepped in to also help out at the grill. Her husband, Caleb (Jason Blackwater) a quarry Foreman, however felt a woman’s place is in the home. She had to fight for the independence needed to work outside the home.

Hannah (Jac LeDoux) had wanted to sell the Spitfire Grill for years. But with no interested buyers, her two worker bees talk her into raffling it off. Entry fees were $100, and the best essay on why you want the Grill wins. Percy, a feisty parolee, winds up in Wisconsin and lands a job at the Grill. Soon, things start heating up as mail arrives by the wheelbarrow-full.

I loved every gruff Midwestern character and lost soul hoping to find home. They reminded me of the big hearted but callous and cautious people I come across when traveling to Iowa. The Spitfire Grill is an inspiring celebration of fresh starts and positive influence of any one person. It was a fabulous uplifting show and a great way to kick off the holiday season. “Say what you want, say what you will, somethings cooking at the Spitfire grill.”

The show runs through December 29, 2019. Tickets are $20 to $42.

Second Saturday Matinee: Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019 at 2:30 p.m.

Discounted Monday Nights: Monday, Dec. 16 and Monday, Dec. 23, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

Ken Carpenter Talk backs: Take place after
each regular Thursday and Sunday performance. Talk backs are free to
audience members and are open to the public at no extra cost.

Group Discounts: Save 20% off full-price tickets with parties of 10 or more.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 16 and 17, 2019

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Saturday November 16, 2019

9am to 1pm.  $10 to enter your chili $5 to eat. Coffee With Pat and Matt Chili Cook-off. The Nook on Robinson (2432 E. Robinson St., Orlando). Fundraising chili cook-off. Our friend Patrick Greene is heading off on another adventure. This time to do Vienna’s prestigious Monochrome Q21 residency! The chili cook off event is a fundraiser for his art venture and a farewell-for-now party. First prize is a $25 bar tab, 2nd and 3rd prize winners get a Pat Greene for Mayor t-shirt.

10am to Noonish. Children under 3 are
free. Admission is included with your $10 ticket. To enjoy free admission present your Annual Pass Member card at
the gate.  Owl Be Home for Christmas. 

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey


(1101 Audubon Way, Maitland Fl). Holiday kick-off event with holiday crafts, meet-and-greets with bird ambassadors, tasty treats and Santa.


(407) 644-019.

5pm to 7pmish. Free. Star Wars Masquerade. 

Gods and Monsters


(5421 International Drive, Orlando Fl). celebrating the Disney release of The Mandalorian, with a Star Wars Masquerade in VAULT 5421. The Empire Strikes Back at 5pm, followed by Return of the Jedi and other Star Wars films and shows on our big screens throughout the night, with spacey tunes playing, themed cocktails, and Cosplay Cage-Dancing by Jacqueline Obsidian from 8pm-12am! If you go in Star Wars cosplay or SW themed masquerade attire to receive 1 FREE SHOT or soda at the bar and 15% off store wide inside Gods and Monsters! (Just mention your attire, at the bar, for your FREE shot or soda and at the register for store discount.)

Sunday November 17, 2019 

Noon to 2pmish Free for kids 12 and under. Regular Ticket Pricing $12.00.  Peanut Butter Matinee: My Neighbor Totoro.

Enzian Theater


(1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland Fl). One of my favorite of Miyazaki’s films. Backgrounds are gorgeous. Two girls move to the countryside and befriend playful spirits and a cuddly giant in this animated film from Hayao Miyazaki.


407-629-0054.

 2pmto 4pmish $62 to $37Macbeth.  Orlando Shakes


812 E. Rollins St., Orlando. Shakespeare’s cursed play about a Scottish thane who, under the urging of his wife, murders his way up the ladder of success.


407-447-1700. 

3pm to 5pmish $42 Boesman and Lena. Mad Cow Theatre 

(54 W. Church St., Orlando Fl.) Tale of the struggle of two refugees who encounter a stranger while wandering the South African wastelands.


407-297-8788.

Buyer and Cellar at Mad Cow Theater

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Written by Jonathan Tolins, Buyer and Cellar is based on a very real but ludicrous idea. Barbara Streisand has set up a shopping mall in the basement of her luxurious farm house and she needs someone to watch over the merchandise. Actor Alex More, career hit a rod block when he cursed out a child harassing him in a Disney Land costume. He gets a break when told to go to a mysterious location. He is hired to man the private basement mall in Barbra Streisand’s house.

There was an annoying hum that I thought was an issue with the sound system, but turned  out to be the sound of the yogurt machine in the basement. Louie Gravance plays the lead role as the actor turned dapper curator in Barbara’s basement. He plays all the rolls  inn this one man show that is a tour de force of high energy acting.  I have such a deep respect for any actor who can retain so much material and perform it with such abandon. The roll called for some very flamboyant diva worshiping. Though he sees Barbara as very controlling, he connects with her on a personal level as they play a game of buyer and seller.

Philip Nolan who directs the play is a familiar face from many of the funniest productions I have sketched over the years. He worshiped the projector which had been painted black with such theatrical reverence, that I laughed out loud before the run through. Set designer Cliff Price recreated the opulent basement set.

I am so used to  seeing one man shows at Fringe, but those shows are only an hour long. Though I didn’t time the run through it was certainly much longer than an hour. For those who love Barbara or divas in general this will be a fun show. If you know little about Barbara, then at least listen to The Way We Were before you head to the theater. Now I wish I had painted a misty water color of the show, but a digital sketch made sense in the low light.

Buyer and Cellar has 16 shows running from August 10, 2018 to September  2, 2018 at Mad Cow Theater (54 W Church St, Orlando, Florida 32801). Tickets are $15 with a $2.50 fee.

What’s Up Downtown for the Holidays.

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The Downtown Development Board invited people to attend the annual What’s Up Downtown  free holiday event held at the Walt Disney Amphitheater at Lake Eola.   Held at lunch time, downtown workers were encouraged to pack up a lunch and experience song and dance performances by the Russian Ballet, Mad Cow Theatre,
Docs and Dellas, Dr. Phillips Center Premier Performance Ensemble,
Howard Middle School Jazz Band and Howard Middle School Show Choir. I decided to sketch the choir whose choreography involved lots of exuberant hand motions. 

Artist German Lemus had an easel set up and was doing a painting of the event. It is encouraging that I wasn’t the only artist documenting the occasion.  His painting involved bold acrylic brush strokes.  An office worker in front of me was having a cup of soup.  Some of the young singers were flat and a few wrong notes were blatted out, but seeing so many kids exited to be on stage was heart warming enough.  It was overcast and downright cold, but my tablet manages to help warm my hands.  

Man’s Dominion a true story about the nature of man.

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There are some stories in American history that need to be told because they resonate through the ages. In September of 1916 the god fearing people of Erwin, Tennessee lynched an elephant named Mary. She was a star in Spark’s World Famous Circus. The 18 year old elephant had grown up in captivity.  Red Elkridge, on his second day on the job got thrown and then had his  head crushed when  Mary stomped on his skull. For this, Mary was sent and to death, and the giant railroad cranes of  the Blue Ridge Railroad were to be the engines of her demise. She was chained by the neck and hung. Man’s Dominion provided  a voice for ten witnesses and participants in this  horrific event.

Presented by Pachyderm Productions, Tim Powell performed  in this tour De-force one man show this one man show That brought ten characters to life. The play written by David Castro and directed by, Dennis Neal peals away the  layers to show man’s basest nature. I’ve seen many one man shows at  Fringe but none of them compared  to the emotional punch of this  show. A circus ringmaster opened the show, setting the scene. The show became particularly powerful when Fish, an Irish Roustabout, spoke about the lynching feeling that Red, an outsider, deserved what he got. Captain Prescott who had seen slavery and lynching gave his insights into the white man’s blood lust.  Reverend George McKee became more and more demonic as he spoke a boot man’s dominion over the animals and the need for vengeance. Hobo Joe, a clown, had spent years working beside Mary and he blamed Red for his mishandling of the billhook. A bullhook is a sharp steel hook that is used to this day to inflict  pain when used to poke elephants where there skin is the most tender and sensitive. It is a tool of torture.

There was a talk back after the show. Tim who resides in Los Angeles confided that he had reached a low point in his career. He didn’t even want to get up in the morning. He was introduced to David’s play and his southern up bringing made him the perfect actor for the part. He asked Dennis Neal to direct. This was Tim’s first one man show, and it was Dennis’s directing debut.

There were just five shows of Man’s Dominion at the Mad Cow Theater (54 West Church Street Orlando FL). The show is heading to the New York City next at the United Solo Festival on October 9th, 2015 in Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, New York City). There is only one show at 7:30pm.

for tickets visit Man’s Dominion Ticket sales and specify the 7:30pm showing on Friday, Oct 9th.

Dinner with Friends shakes up the Mad Cow Theater.

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Mad Cow Theater (54 W Church St, Orlando, Fl) presents Donald Margulies‘ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Dinner
with Friends which travels through space and time to paint two pictures of
contemporary marriage. Gabe (Brian Brightman) and Karen (Ame Livingston) are happily married while their
friends Tom (Cameron Francis) and Beth (Becky Eck) are on the verge of divorce. As Tom and Beth fight
for the support of their seemingly happy counterparts, Gabe and Karen
begin to question the stability of their own relationship. A portrait of
interconnected love and loss, Dinner with Friends
beautifully depicts the burdens we build out of our most intimate
relationships.

In the opening scene, Beth is having dinner with Gabe and Karen who are the consummate hosts. They are undeniably foodies who prepared a delicious Italian dinner. One chair remained mysteriously empty. When they moved to the living room, Beth broke into tears confiding that Tom was going to leave her. Unfortunately I couldn’t see the revelation because it was staged in a corner of the set that I couldn’t see.

Tom was leaving Beth because he met a travel agent and
fell in love. 12 years of marriage and children were a thought of the
past. When a flight is canceled he returned home to Beth and they have a
huge fight. He was furious that Beth told their friends about the looming divorce he wanted to tell them the news as a couple. He never actually believed in Beth’s artistic talents and
he let her know this in his rage. This fight almost escalated to blows
but then, in the midst of their fury, they kissed and fell into bed
while ripping off each others clothes.

The next act flashed back to Martha’s Vinyard where Gabe and Karen introduced Tom to Beth. I identified with Beth since she was an artist. I was rather surprised that she refused to show Tom her sketchbook. Why create art if you aren’t willing to share it? When I was first dating Terry, I showed her my sketches, but when she asked for one to keep, I refused. That surprised her, but I am a professional. You don’t give it away when you know what it is worth.

Beth quickly met another man and is ready for another committed relationship. Karen thinks this is a bad idea, feeling that Beth might be better of taking time to be alone. This results in a fight between friends. Beth feels that Karen always wants her to be an emotional mess. The men have a similar fall out since Gabe can’t understand how Tom could throw away 12 years of marriage. Tom confided that he did a test to see how often Beth touched him. Hy realized he never experienced her touch unless he initiated the embrace. Gabe and Karen start experiencing trouble and examine their own marriage. Karen shares a dream and Gabe doesn’t share enough of himself when they talk about it. “I need you to talk to me!” she shouts at him.

Directed by Denise Gillman, the play is an emotional roller coaster. One couple seemed so much happier when they separate but hope remained that the other couple can remain committed.  They cling to each other as if abandoned in a life raft in a raging sea. As I left the theater I had to wait as a woman hugged all her friend in my row. I was the only person in the row that wasn’t one of her friends. “You want a hug as well?” She asked me. “Sure” I replied, laughing as I opened my arms. I probably flushed as we embraced, but darn it, I needed that hug.

Mad Cow Theater 54 W Church St, Orlando, Fl

Zehngebot-Stonerock Theatre  (Mad Cow Black Box)

Dinner With Friends runs June 19 – July 19
Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00pm
Sundays at 3:00pm

Special Discount Performances on Saturday, July 4 (6:30pm) and Wednesday, July 15 (8:00pm)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

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Tennessee Williams‘ Pulitzer prize-winning “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” opened Friday, March 21, at Orlando’s Mad Cow Theatre 54 W. Church St., Orlando FL.

I went to a dress rehearsal on March 18th. In the classic story, secrets push a family to the brink during a memorable evening. Wealthy Southerner Big Daddy is celebrating his 65th birthday among his passionate and greedy family. Son Brick (David Jachin Kelley) is a hunky former football hero married to sexually frustrated Maggie (Summer Dawn Wallace). Meanwhile, son Gooper, a lawyer, had his eye on the family fortune. Also featured are Ron Schneider, Karel K. Wright, Amanda Leakey, Stephen E. Middleton, Tommy Keesling and Michael G. Knight. Bobbie Bell directed.

Brick got drunk and tried to relive his former football glory days at the high school stadium where he managed to break his leg. His wife Maggie was all a flutter talking about family and those “no neck brats” of the sister in law. Summer Dawn Wallace was exceptional in the role as Maggie. She gave the character some teeth like a wild animal cornered in a conflict. Her affections toward Brick were always rebuffed. He spent the show sipping drinks until he felt “that click” which is the moment when he finally had enough.

The show absolutely had me mesmerized.  Big Daddy had health troubles and the family felt the need to protect him from the truth. Family buzzed around him trying to ingratiate their way into the family fortune. Brick was the favored son but Big Daddy could see his addiction to the bottle. There has been much talk lately about the Mad Cow Theater having financial troubles. However this show proves that the theater is committed to staging exceptional productions.

Mrs. Warren’s Profession

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The Mad Cow Theatre is staging George Bernard Shaw’s scorching tour de force, “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” which tells the story of Kitty Warren, a mother who makes a terrible sacrifice for her daughter Vivie’s independence. The clash of these two strong-willed but culturally constrained women is the spark that ignites the ironic wit of one of Shaw’s greatest plays. The show runs from February 8 to March 3, 2013.

Sarah Lockard is starring as Vivie and she asked me to come to a rehearsal to sketch the assistant director Melissa Cooper.  I went to the Mad Cow Theatre an hour before the rehearsal was to start so I could get the sketch done before the dress rehearsal. I walked into the theatre and started walking back stage. From behind me I heard “Can I help you?” I explained that I was looking for Melissa. I watched a tech adjusting a stage light from high atop a ladder as I waited. Melissa greeted me and when I mentioned the sketch she lit up. She tried to ask director Eric Zivot where we should do the sketch but he was heading out to get dinner.

Sarah was bringing in a Victorian lace blouse but she hadn’t arrived yet. Melissa sat in a stern hard back wooden chair and I started sketching her portrait as we waited for the blouse. Melissa was posing as Honoria Fraser a character who doesn’t appear in the play, but the final act is staged in her office. Melissa was wearing a black Nike “Just Do It T-shirt and it was hard to resist sketching it. Sarah arrived in a flurry with the blouse. Melissa slipped it on right over her T-shirt and I sketched it in.

The rehearsal was about to start so I lost Melissa as she had to get the stage props set. She returned later and I started adding color. Sketching seems eternally slow when there is so much commotion back stage. Actors started appearing in their period costumes speaking their lines out loud to themselves. The priest seemed quite pleased with the sketch. Eric, the director, however felt she should look more formal. I had enjoyed sketching Melissa’s thin chiseled features so much that I had her smiling. Melissa posed one more time looking stern as she pursed her lips.

The dress rehearsal was a full run through of the play. Sarah was impressive with her haughty high society airs. The set, designed by Lisa Buck functioned as both an exterior and an interior. Between acts furniture was moved and panels added to change the look. I will not revel any story points other than the fact that Kitty Warren’s voice breaks into a crisp street urchin rogue when she discusses her profession with her daughter. It is like watching a high society female Jekyll and Hyde.

Tickets are $34. Seniors and students with ID receive a $2 discount.

Opening Night is February 8, 2012.  Join us for a champagne toast after the performance.

Pay What You Wish Performance is Wednesday February 27 at 8pm.
Tickets are $15.00 in advance and Pay What You Wish at the door. The Pay
What You Wish tickets will be sold only in person at the Box Office
starting at 7pm. Two tickets per transaction only. Tickets are limited
until sold out.