Tag Archives: theatre

‘GRIFFIN IN SUMMER’ (2025) Hilarious as it is heartfelt.

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GRIFFIN IN SUMMER

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Filmmaker Nicolas Colia‘s irresistibly funny, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age GRIFFIN IN SUMMER is finally in theaters tomorrow. This massive hit from Tribeca 2025 sets the tone in its opening scene. We find our titular character at a Talent Show. While other kids sing off-key duets, the ambitious and undeniably talented 14-year-old Griffin performs a scene from his latest play, acting out both roles, of course. It is more Tennessee Williams than child’s play. Griffin is in another strosphere.

GRIFFIN IN SUMMER - 2As he prepares to self-fund his hefty two-act drama with his theatre “besties,” Griffin’s theatrical passion is further fueled by a tumultuous homelife. Colia delivers a truly tangible script. Griffin’s mom seems overwhelmed with her go-getter and rather demanding son, but under the surface, something else is simmering. She hires a neighbor’s son to help with yard cleanup. What begins as an annoyance to Griffin transforms into a sexual awakening, a test of relationships, and a piece of art that mirrors his unresolved trauma.

Kathryn Newton, once again, gives us a quirky, memorable character as Brad’s girlfriend. Abby Ryder Fortson is a gem as Griffin’s director friend, Kara. Melanie Lynskey elevates every single project she works on. Playing Helen, she has more depth than at first glance. She can do no wrong in my book.

Griffin in summer 1Owen Teague plays Brad with an initial aloofness that perfectly contrasts Griffin’s overzealous nature. As Teague taps into Brad’s motivation, *no pun intended,* the performance captivates in an entirely unexpected way. Everett Blunck is a star. His portrayal of Griffin feels like a documentary rather than a performance. It is one well beyond his years. He exudes fierce confidence that is infectious. Teague and Blunck have magnetic chemistry. Colia skillfully creates a subtle doppleganger effect between the two. It is an incredibly nuanced balance of characterization and performance.

Griffin is every tenacious theatre kid *cough, cough* who has a creative drive that is their lifesblood. When I was Griffin’s age, a teacher asked me why I liked theatre. Before I could answer, she suggested it is because it’s easier to put on a mask of a character. First, I was insulted. As a neurodivergent adult whose entire existence revolves around creation, art, and performance, she wasn’t wrong.

griffin in summer 3Colia cleverly speaks to art as catharsis, the plight of a tortured artist, and the meaning of authentic friendship. Existing between childhood and adulthood is wrought with emotional chaos, impossible questions, self-loathing, fear, and awkwardness. GRIFFIN IN SUMMER playfully touches on each of these with unfiltered heart and humor.

GRIFFIN IN SUMMER trailer:

Opening In Theaters August 29th

Written & Directed by: Nicholas Colia Griffin in summer



Starring:

Everett Blunck (marking his feature film debut)

Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”)

Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes)

Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret)

Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein)



Produced by: Juliet Berman, Bobby Hoppey, Camila Mendes, Rachel Matthews, Matthew Miller

Executive Produced by: Fred Bryant, Cullen Conly, Alex Tynion



Griffin Nafly (Everett Blunck) is the most ambitious playwright of his generation. He’s also fourteen years old and living with his parents in a humdrum suburb while dreaming of moving to New York City. When his mom (Melanie Lynskey) hires a handsome 25-year-old handyman (Owen Teague), Griffin’s life and his new play take an inspired turn. Also starring Kathryn Newton and Abby Ryder Fortson. Griffin in Summer



RT: 93 minutes

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‘CREEDE U.S.A ‘ (SXSW 2025) The powerful hope between theatre and politics.

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CREEDE U.S.A.CREEDE U.S.A.

A mining boomtown wanted to expand their minds by inviting a repertory theatre to establish themselves in the 1960s. Kahane Corn Cooperman SXSW 2025 is a peak behind the curtain of the country’s political landscape. Leave your judgment at the door. Welcome to a genuine snapshot of small-town America. Welcome to CREEDE U.S.A. 

A town of roughly 300 asks the hard national questions, from guns to LGBTQ curriculum inclusion. CREEDE U.S.A. features school board meetings that seem to put empathy on trial as the months pass, but discussions occur with the utmost civility and open ears. Sit-down interviews with the residents are charming, insightful, and raw. The cinematography by Jilann Spitzmiller and Graham Willoughby is stunning, and Osei Essed‘s score feels like home. 

Boasting theatre legend alum Mandy Patinkin, Creede Repertory Theatre is a machine with three productions in a single season, with a local audience from every street in town. Deliciously diverse casting and productions that challenge preconceived notions. 

The positive impact of the rep theatre is undeniable. Like all theatre spaces, it is a safe and inclusive place filled with new ideas, challenging an audience to think. One does not usually equate theatre and conservative values. As a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC, a homeowner in the city and CT, a children’s theatre director, and a writer, I speak from firsthand knowledge over my 44 years. We’ve seen the national impact over the past 10 years, with groups like Moms For Liberty infiltrating school boards and banning books in counties they don’t even live in. 

CREEDE U.S.A. is an unbelievably fascinating microcosm of the country. Big ideas are not abstract because the town is so small and close. Civility is the key to communicating. They are the perfect example of how important local government remains. CREEDE U.S.A is a how-to guide to getting involved, listening, authentic problem-solving, and open-mindedness. This community obliterates political bias and cliché. We should all aspire to be more like them. The film is a celebration of tradition and art. It honors the complexity of humans.

Director: Kahane Corn Cooperman

Producer: Innbo Shim, Kahane Corn Cooperman

Running Time: 94 mins 

In Kahane Cooperman’s lyrical CREEDE U.S.A., a remote Colorado mountain mining town becomes an unexpected model for public discourse. For generations, Creede’s residents have held tightly to their heritage and values. But when the town brought in a theater company to revitalize the economy, the citizens were introduced to new ideas and perspectives—creating an ongoing tension between tradition and change.

Nearly 60 years and countless performances later, Creede is a stunning microcosm of America’s national divisions. Issues like guns in classrooms and gender pronouns spark tense debates, yet the town remains bound by a shared sense of place and community. Through intimate portraits, charged town meetings, and a rich historical lens, CREEDE U.S.A. explores how this evolving community continues to find common ground – both inside and outside of the mining shafts, ranches and the Creede Repertory Theatre. Hopeful and urgent, the film offers a poignant reflection on the challenges and possibilities of coexistence in an increasingly polarized world.

 

REMAINING CREEDE U.S.A. SXSW SCREENINGS:

  • PREMIERE: Sunday, March 9 at 9:00 PM CT – SXSW Film & TV Theater at the Hyatt Regency
  • Monday, March 10 at 5:00 PM CT – AFS Cinema
  • Thursday, March 13 at 9:30 PM CT – Violet Crown Cinema theaters 2 and 4 

 

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‘YANNICK’ (2024) Meta theatre lunacy

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YANNICK

The absurdity of filmmaker Quentin Dupieux (Smoking Causes Coughing) is back in his latest film, YANNICK. During a live performance of a play, a dissatisfied audience member stops the actors, demanding a better story. The actors do not take his criticism well, leading the man to take more drastic measures.

With real-life increases in incidences of unruly theatergoers, Dupieux taps into the lack of civility and the culture of complaint. You see it all over the Internet because anyone can upload to YouTube or TikTok these days “expressing” their faux outrage. From conspiracy theories to rage-baiting clickbait, we have gone mad. YANNICK also directly addresses how quickly words lead to the threat of physical violence.

Yannick still 1Dupieux is a master of providing comedy within social commentary. As Yannick becomes more agitated, he reveals how out of touch he is with general society while simultaneously hurling offensive barbs at his captives. Equal parts hilarious and terrifying, all I could imagine as an actor and theatre patron was how I might escape such a scenario.

Longtime collaborator Raphaël Quenard gives our titular character a fully fleshed-out nuance that startles. His surprisingly levelheaded approach and matter-of-fact delivery create an entirely unsettling fear. All of this is evident within the first twenty minutes of the film. Quenard delivers one hell of a turn. He is fantastic.

Yannick cast still 2The honest laughs come when Dupieux leans fully into the meta satire in new dialogue written by Yannick. Filled with redundancies and mistakes, the audience in the theatre and at home belly laugh at the actors’ forced commitment.

The cast nails the table-read style of acting. It’s such a specific cadence. Fellow performers will eat it up. YANNICK is classic Dupieux. His dialogue drips with sarcasm, saying the quiet part out loud. That is what makes his films deliciously unpredictable.

YANNICK captures the essence of live theatre and life itself. Dupieux continues to thrill with his coordinated chaos. These days, everyone’s a critic.

YANNICK PREMIERES EXCLUSIVELY ON MUBI, APRIL 5

DJ-turned-filmmaker Quentin Dupieux (Smoking Causes Coughing, Deerskin) returns with the Locarno-prize-winning comedy YANNICK, an absurdist tale navigating the relationship between artists and audiences. 

On a rare night off, car park guard Yannick attends a production of the play “Le Cocu.” Dissatisfied by the performance, he hijacks the show and demands to be made the playwright in order to get his valuable time back. Despite the ridicule, he is determined to prove even a car park guard can create good entertainment.

Shot in secret in just 6 days, Dupieux serves up his signature slice of satire in this quick-fire meta-comedy reflecting on his own relationship with audiences and critics. 

 

Director’s Biography

Born in Paris in 1974, Quentin Dupieux discovered cinema and bought his first synthesizer at the age of 18. Under the name Mr Oizo, he released his track Flat Beat and albums such as Analog Worms Attack, Moustache (Half a Scissor), and Lambs Anger.

In 2007, Dupieux directed, shot, edited, and composed the music for his first feature film, Steak. He went on to direct the absurdist horror film Rubber (2010) and the comedy Wrong, followed by Wrong Cops (2012), Reality (2014), Keep an Eye Out (2018) with Benoît Poelvoorde and Grégoire Ludig, Deerskin (2019) with Jean Dujardin and Adèle Haenel, Mandibles (2020), with Grégoire Ludig and David Marsais, Incredible but true, selected at Berlinale 2022, and Smoking Makes Coughing, presented in the Midnight Screening section at Cannes Film Festival 2022.

Yannick, his latest feature film stars Raphaël Quenard, Pio Marmaï, Blanche Gardin, and Sébastien Chassagne; and was produced by Hugo Sélignac (Chi-Fou-Mi) and Thomas and Mathieu Verhaegue (Atelier de Production).

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