Wasp by Steve Martin (Directed by Kevin Young)

In the fractured landscape of 50s suburbia, a prototypical white protestant family exists in a dark limbo of expectation and routine. Mom is surrounded by people but deeply alone, dad speaks in delicious platitudes, and the children fear anything new. The play vibrates with satire and dark lyrical irony as the family meanders blindly toward catastrophe.

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh (Directed by Andrew Huff)

Winner of Olivier, Tony, and Drama Desk Awards, The Pillowman is one of the most sought-after plays of the last few seasons. In an unnamed totalitarian state, police drag a writer and his brother in for questioning; his stories the only clue in a series of bizarre murders. Moving between a cramped interrogation room and the world of imagination, The Pillowman tells the irrepressible power of storytelling. Mature language and content.

Reviews

Robert Bethume, Between The Lines "There are two features of Breathe Art's production of "The Pillowman," by Martin McDonagh: excellent acting and intense text."

Marty Kohn, Detroit Free Press (3/4 stars) "a combination of vague menace and explicit horrors...Andrew Huff's staging for the Breathe Art Theatre Project conveys a convincing sense of peril."

Robert Bethume, Between The Lines "It's a tough, tough play, but worth it."

M. Jackman, Metro Times "The performances are often riveting... Brian Dambacher’s excellent set design, which takes its cue from German expressionism, crafts a background of screens for pantomime and shadowplay."

As Bees in Honey Drown by Douglas Carter Beane (Directed by Courtney Burkett)

A comic satire on the lure of success and contemporary pop culture, As Bees…tells the story of a young writer who gets caught up in a lifestyle that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Faced with the prospect of fame and fortune, he is seduced by a witty and wicked socialite Alexa Vere de Vere. Following this discovery is a deliciously sticky romp through the worlds of art, literature and film in the company of fabulous people, and even more fabulous con artists.

Reviews

Donald V. Calamia, Between The Lines "Fame, fortune and a lesson at Breathe Art"

Oleanna by David Mamet
(Directed by Demetri Vacratsis)

A power struggle between a male professor and a female student who accuses him of sexual impropriety, Oleanna is a complex statement on the abuse of power in academic circles – between teachers and students, men and women, and the use of language. Oleanna has divided audiences between those who perceive the sexual harassment charges to be fabricated and those who view the image of a scheming woman as an attack on the rights of women.

Reviews

D.A. Blackburn, Between The Lines "a scorching social commentary, and a production sure to spark discussion among intellectuals...Moore is able to channel the spirit of the snobbish intellectual with uncanny ease...Galazka, too, is able to capture the essence of her character, both physically and emotionally...Demetri Vacratsis is the production's real star. His exquisite blocking moves characters around the stage with grace. Vacratsis is able to draw from his performers a very realistic argumentative quality, pushing the drama through a range of emotions and misunderstandings at what feels like a breakneck pace...they've given us a play that stands out as a unique and insightful experience for the theater fan."