Ragged Wing Ensemble

Just saw Ragged Wing's performance of The Winter's Tale and really enjoyed it. It's an unusual Shakespeare play in switching between tragedy and comedy, and a refreshing change from the 100th performance of MacBeth or Romeo & Juliet. The cast is wonderful and the ensemble uses the space creatively so you have close to an immersion experience. It's great to see vibrant theatre in Oakland. Flora is a great restaurant nearby if you want to do dinner before the show

My wife and I just had a great experience at a show this weekend. We have two young kids and haven't been to much theater in years, and can't say we went all that much to begin with, but we recently went to Winter's Tale put on by Ragged Wing Ensamble at the Flight Deck and we're really impressed. I have to admit, a few minutes in my wife and I both thought... ohh wait, Shakespeare is not so easy to follow and not so fun, but by intermission we were loving it and by the end so impressed. It is a really impressive cast, and the theater size was intimate and perfect for that kind of production. Really special. By coincidence, we ran into some very close friend's parents who live a few blocks away. They sold their house in Florida where they worked and raised their family and moved into a small downtown Oakland condo a few years ago and have gotten really involved in the Oakland arts and downtown scene. They said they and a group of other older folks they know in downtown go to every production at the Flight Deck. Very impressive space, great cast, great show. What a gem for downtown Oakland!

I saw Multiverse on Friday night. It was wonderful; I'm sorry to be writing a review for something that's gone, but it was a really cool experience. The cast seemed energized and motivated by the material. I will definitely be seeing more shows in the future.

I went to see their performance of Inanna's Descent and was completely impressed. Great ensemble, direction, script, acting, music, everything! I especially liked the interactive sites where you could meet the characters.These were brilliantly conceived, creative, fun, and thought provoking. I can't wait to see what else they do.

Visited The Flight Deck for the first time this weekend to see Multiverse by the Ragged Wing Ensemble. The theater is home to a host of great arts groups, and Multiverse was a really interesting play -- created collaboratively by the 7 artists who acted in it. I highly recommend going to see i!

I saw Multiverse for the second time last night. The process by which this piece was created captivated me and the product was fascinating. You'll get to learn about the creation process if you stay for the artist Q+A that follows the performance -- it's bound to inspire local theatre groups. The lighting was simple, as was the music, as were the costumes - and all potent choices that will stay with me. I was particularly moved by a 'scene' (if you can call it that -- maybe more like a verse of poetry) towards the later half of the 'play' (if you can call it that) in where the performers air-tapped a musical melody with fine precision and focus. The opening interaction in the performance was politically and interpersonally provocative -- scary and important to witness. It will stay with me.

What can I say about the play, A Different Long Stretch Of Earth? Yes, it is very entertaining and the actors pull you into this place and story, they make you laugh but then confront you with some hard questions to consider. What is decolonization? How CAN we give the land back? What is the bison, now that we saved it from extinction & it lives in a park and is no longer free to roam the earth in great huge herds across the land? Why do we stuff dead things and put them on a wall? What is wild? What is it to be tamed? Like the grasslands of Montana where the story takes place there are moments of deep silence and reflection here, and of course history. But mostly, white people be crazy! Yes, you should go see this play, the Flight Deck is a very intimate performance space which makes it all the more intense and the Ragged Wing Ensemble puts together an incredible experience with this new work that all comes together at the end.

To cut to the chase: This production was a joy, and I highly recommend it to everyone. In fact, in my 40-some years on this planet, it is, hands-down, the best Alice I've seen, and seems to embody, more than any other presentation, the frenetic exhuberant wonder and spirit of the Alice tales. (And that includes the Disney and Hallmark productions.) Thanks to the talented cast and innovative staging, it's often hilarious as well, and includes everything from a 15-foot-tall Alice puppet to moments where all the actors become Alice on stage. Three of us went last week to a performance, and with the show's sliding scale, we were able to get tickets for $15, which, frankly, is a steal -- especially when you consider that you can drop $9 or $10 for a movie ticket these days for something that, all too often, is pretty underwhelming. So see the show while you can. I think its only running till October 13. (Oh, and the kids will love it, too! Woo-hoo!)

This company is endlessly inventive and all their shows are generous: in spirit, in content, and in scope. The last piece of theirs I saw "Fortune: The Complete Works" left me amazed at their ability to do so much with such simple elements. They created an immersive experience. Bravo.

Saw Multiverse. I really liked it. Good ole artsy sci-fi. Short and sweet at 60 minutes. The space is nice too.