The PHiXSouthwest Shakespeare Company Raises the Curtain on New Season with Orwell’s ‘1984’
M.V. MoorheadOctober 13, 2025
In the 1920s, “break a leg” was a way to wish theater people good luck in auditions and performances. But in the 2020s, it might as well be “break the internet,” especially since companies have had to cancel or postpone productions or move their performances to live streams in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Thankfully for thirsty theatergoers, there are a handful of local groups providing performing arts content they can enjoy from the...
Performing ArtsSouthwest Shakespeare Company’s Production of Liz Duffy Adams’ “Or,” Brings Buoyant Modern Comedy to One Night in the Life of Playwright Aphra Behn
Niki D'AndreaSeptember 4, 2016
“If Aphra Behn were here tonight, I hope she’d forgive our trespasses,” the groovy hippie chick says in the prologue, touching a white marble bust perched nobly next to a hot pink lava lamp with a zebra-striped base.
So opens Liz Duffy Adams’ play “Or,” in which there are many trespasses -- terrific trespasses and glorious liberties, which historical muse Aphra Behn, if she be anything like legend and this character portrayal, would no doubt forgive but downright appreciate. The play is an entertaining exploration of themes including identity and disguise, feminism and sexuality, and societal paradigms, built around a fascinating female figure from the literary canon and packed with witticisms and dashing dialogue. And Southwest Shakespeare Company’s production of “Or,” is a buoyant and brilliant testament to the talent of the company.
ListsTop 5 Arts Events for Aug. 29-Sept. 4: Will Goble at Musical Instrument Museum, Southwest Shakespeare Company’s “Or,” Get Lit at Valley Bar & More
Niki D'AndreaAugust 25, 2016
#1: Will Goble Quartet at Musical Instrument Museum, August 29
Here’s a great equation: Jazz bassist and bandleader Will Goble’s talented quintet + the impeccable acoustics at the Musical Instrument Museum Music Theater = an amazing night of live music. Goble has performed with Grammy-winning pianist Marcus Roberts and drummer and vibraphonist Jason Marsalis, but as we recently observed at an intimate club show, the Valley resident has his own swinging swagger. Presented by MIM and The Nash. $19.50-$23.50. 7 p.m. August 29 at Musical Instrument Museum. mim.org
#2: “Abstract to Absurd” – Carlos Rausch and Cindy Schnackel Art Exhibit at Olney Gallery, September 2
A former PHOENIX magazine Artist of the Month, Cindy Schnackel has a fondness for the absurd, which she colorfully paints on canvases in the form of coffee-drinking chickens and surreal (and sometimes cute) blobby monsters. Argentina-born Carlos Rausch creates large-scale non-representational paintings that combine various shapes and colors into eye-catching but seamless abstract amalgamations. Free. 6 p.m. September 2 at Olney Gallery at Trinity Cathedral. Exhibit open through September 28. azcathedral.org