Critics rave over
The Actors' Theatre of South Carolina...
ACTORS' THEATRE OF SOUTH CAROLINA presents
"Southern Men!"
A cabaret comedy
by Boo Sheppard & Chris Weatherhead
Directed by Clarence Felder
Stars Boo Sheppard, Chris Weatherhead & Clarence Felder.
Composers, Greg Ross and Michael Evans
Lyrics, Boo Sheppard and Chris Weatherhead
Keyboard Arrangements by Bill Nance
DO Southern Men have the edge?
A modern southern belle reveals secrets on the battle of the sexes to a California ex-surfer girl in this comedy cabaret in a Folly Beach coffee bar!
Critics Rave...
Post and Courier Tuesday, June 1, 2004
'Southern Men' clever, masterful
"SOUTHERN MEN!" a packed house of enthusiastic theatre-goers... got more than their money's worth ...masterful... against a colorful Folly Beach coffee bar setting ...held the audience in the palms of their hands as they threw out quick-witted-one-liners deserved many kudos ...tight, funny, meaningful. These women should be writing for the sit-coms... definitely for a mature audience... four show-stopping tunes... one hour flew by...a job well done."
Sandy Katz, Post & Courier, for Piccolo Spoleto
"Southern Men ! truly sizzled...fresh cabaret musical a big heart and many profound funny, folksy messages...thanks to its creators, Boo Sheppard and Chris Weatherhead...gem of a play ...we were captivated... Comic diva, Boo, did a winning job...boosted the comedy's rock and roll pace. Who could resist laughing when Chris Weatherhead sucks the audience in...veteran Broadway and film actor, Clarence Felder, playing "Southern" Jimmy Ray, does an uproarious soliloquy...perfect comic timing...The laughter and audiences' quick responses were non-stop.
Diane Scher, free-lance theatre critic, Charleston
"Wild Dunes Club ...had a sold out house...total audience laughter that continued at each of the sharp comedy sketches...tops! "Southern Men!" is a fun-filled evening that appeals to Northern, Eastern and Western folk as well!"
Pat Cooke, Wild Dunes Club Director
2: GOERING AT NUREMBERG by Romulus Linney...
"......exhilarating... gripping tour-de-force for its charismatic star, Clarence Felder, whose bravura performance brings Hermann Goering so vividly to life, he will leave you breathless... played with flame-throwing self-confidence... Felder is a larger-than-death villain."
"A riveting portrait...from the moment he appears looking like a Nazi Rumpelstiltskin with a voice that could perform surgery, Felder dominates the stage..."
" Hard-hitting...all the complexities of Goering are on view. For Clarence Felder who plays the role, it's a tour-de-force..."
THE JEWISH POST & OPINION
"fascinating...a provocative, thoughtful, examination...Clarence Felder delivers a strong portrayal, letting us see the cunning as well as his self-aggrandizement."
"As Hermann Goering, Clarence Felder turned in one of the great virtuoso performances in Festival history...he takes the stage like a tank with all guns blazing..."
THE POST & COURIER, Charleston, SC
"Gripping...a compelling, frightening, not to mention excellent drama, propelled by multi-layered content and excellent acting. The standard of excellence is set by Clarence Felder as Hermann Goering...powerful, first-rate drama."
THE STATE, Columbia, S.C.
Whispers & Dreams:Voices of Carolina Slave Children
Compiled and directed by theatre, film and television actress/writer Chris Weatherhead based on the new book by Nancy Rhyne by Sandlapper Publishing
" 'Voices' speaks with dignity, sings with humanity...brought vividly to life by an ensemble of four accomplished actors under the direction of Chris Weatherhead."
Sheila Riddick, The Camden Chronicle Independent, SC
" ...an amazing new offering...rich with truth, legend and humor...an emotional whirlwind. I laughed, cried, gritted my teeth, wrung my hands, shook my head, swayed to the rhythms of spirituals and Gullah and reached out to hold slave child in my arms. This is theatre you won't want to miss."
Ceille Baird Welch, The Columbia Star
MARY CHESNUT'S WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE!
Directed by Clarence Felder
Starring Chris Weatherhead
Mary Boykin Chesnut and her perspectives on love and war are becoming some of the most important and controversial commentary of the entire Civil War era. She was a woman of dazzling wit, charm, and intelligence. In recent years, her diaries have amazed critics and historians alike. Mary Chesnut's journals of this chaotic period, edited by C. Vann Woodward in his highly acclaimed book, MARY CHESNUT'S CIVIL WAR, won the Pulitzer prize for history in 1982.
"Chris Weatherhead delivers a wonderfully nuanced performance . . . excellent theatre . . . right on target."
Elisabeth Muhlenfeld, author, Mary Chesnut, A
Biography and Two Novels by Mary Chesnut
"Magnificent sense of humor . . . mesmerizing . . . such a powerful actress knows how to capture as audience and never let them go . . ."
Sandy Katz, Post & Courier, Charleston
"...Chris Weatherhead sparkles delightfully...persuasive acting...a worthy project." Robert Jones, Post & Courier, Charleston
"..an historic hit...brilliantly amalgamated by Chris Weatherhead...through her ample humor and knowing smirk...thoroughly professional."
James Ewing, The Charleston Citypaper
"In a delightful play, Chris Weatherhead does what many notable historians fail to do in a lifetime of writing. She presents a clear overview of the Civil War with both historical integrity and dramatic excellence."
William R. Scaife, author, THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN
About Mary Chesnut's journals:
"A feast . . . One of the best firsthand records of the Confederate
experience . . . Electrifying."
"Chesnut's prose and insights dazzle. Lively sketches, biting
characterizations, entertaining anecdotes . . ."
The Journal of American History
"Mary Chesnut's wit and shrewdness, her fierce abhorrence to slavery, her
feminist ambitions, make her observations peculiarly modern . . . a remarkable woman . . ."
". . . one of the most remarkable eye-witness accounts to emerge from that or
any other war."
