Ana Carpenter

Nov 14, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | Joan Marcus |Ana Carpenter

“Yellow Face,” with performances from Sept. 13 through Nov. 24 at the Todd Haimes Theatre, is a profoundly uncomfortable exploration of racism, identity, and the double standard that blurs racial boundaries for some and militantly enforces them for others. It’s also hysterically, ruthlessly funny, the kind of humor that embraces discomfort as a language of comedy and eviscerates everything in its path. To describe “Yellow Face” as metatextual would be an understatement.

Nov 10, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | Ana Carpenter

The Broadway Haven Players, the Columbia University Irvine Medical Center’s most prominent theater company, produced a “Legally Blonde” that stayed true to the pink, sparkly ethos of the original musical, yet hummed with its own unique life. With performances on Oct.

Oct 8, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | Ken Howard |Ana Carpenter

The opera, with performances at the Metropolitan Opera from Sept. 23 to Oct. 19, follows Jess, a fighter pilot who, after taking time off due to an unexpected pregnancy, is recruited to fly Reaper drones in the Middle East out of a military base near Las Vegas. There, Jess goes to war in front of a gray pixelated screen and returns to her husband and daughter at the end of each shift.

Apr 8, 2024 | l8r.it | Ana Carpenter

When it comes to dysfunctional family tragedies, it’s hard to beat Greek mythology, especially if you like your dysfunction served with a side of cannibalism. “Mangled House”offers not one, but two Greek tales of family drama turned bloody. Unfortunately, the final product is less tantalizing than the sum of its parts.

Apr 7, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | Ana Carpenter

When it comes to dysfunctional family tragedies, it’s hard to beat Greek mythology, especially if you like your dysfunction served with a side of cannibalism. “Mangled House” offers not one, but two Greek tales of family drama turned bloody. Unfortunately, the final product is less tantalizing than the sum of its parts.