HISTORY

Older reviews and photos from Acme's past. Above is Turqoise Taylor-Grant and Dan Ferranti in an ancient Acme Production. c 1991. By this time Acme was officially one year old, celebrating its first anniversary with "30 plays in 30 minutes"between sets at TT The Bear's in Cambridge, MA. Although the troup could only deliver 7 plays in 30 minutes they were well recieved.

Boston Herald December 1990

"We are not a band" begins Acme Theatr's press release, but the drama group does perform in rock clubs."we're trying to make theater more of a party" says Acme member Jeb Barrier "and let clubgoers know that they can do something for enjoyment besides just seeing bands."

Boston Rock, November 1990

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR...ACME THEATR: They aren't a band, but an ensemble of young actors and musicians whose mission is to bring about a revitalization of theater through a unique and unconventional presentation of Modern drama...

Boston Magazine June 1991

by Becky batcha

Some people's gripe with contemporary drama is they just don't get it. Acme Theatr has a different catch: unless you look really hard, you can't find it. Instead of performing out of a home theater, Acme hops among rock clubs all over the city. Patrons willing to track Acme's movements will be well rewarded with an evening of short plays by modern masters Brecht, MAmet, Checkov and Sam Shepard...

Boston Sunday Globe 6/19/94

P U L S E

By David Wildman

Three plays for a fin

In what could signal a new trend, man, area musicians. bored with the current musical climate, are starting to merge with acting groups. As one might guess. the result is often a different kind of club experience. Possibly one of the most bizarre and risky products of such a merger is the three-act presentation of the ACME Theatr group, playing tonight and next Sunday upstairs at the Mildle East in Cambridge.

ACME has been around in one form or another for five years,With the common thread running through the three or so incarnations being founder Daniel Ferranti. The group's current incarnation has Ferranti working with Bim Skala Bim guitarist Jim Jones. The three-act extravaganza they are currently offering consists of a tongue-in-cheek sendup of a Bertol Brecht play called "EIephants, Baby, Elephants," with songs composed by Jones and performed with his side-project band; Elevator," an adaptation of a Phillip K. Dick short story about a man who realizes he is a robot; and a disturbingly funny play called "Roots of Chaos," which features an elaborate set and a dysfunctional family.

"Most people will see that is Brecht, and they will think that it will be boring, .so we want to target the skeptical people," says Ferranti, whose crazed character Mr. Banana Tree dominates the play.

In 'Root's of Chaos," Ferranti plays an incestuous father who goes after his daughter when his wife is killed. But WMFO DJ Mikey D. carries the lion's share of stage time, performing in all three segments.

Jones, who also wrote the, music for ACME's rock production of "X-Mass. Carol" is excited ahout his new avenue of creative expression. "People latch on to it more than thev do a band." "when you see a play with music there's so much more going on."