Minadakis is back on a “Hot Tin Roof” at Georgia Shakespeare by Wendell Brock

Theater & Film

Minadakis is back on a “Hot Tin Roof” at Georgia Shakespeare

By Wendell Brock | Jun 30, 2009

If the name Jasson Minadakis rings a bell, that’s probably because he used to live in Atlanta. As artistic director of Actor’s Express from 2003-2006, he introduced Atlantans to the work of playwright Tracy Letts, producing the unsettling “Bug” and “Killer Joe” when other local theaters wouldn’t dare take the risk of offending audiences. (Some of my other favorites from Minadakis’ time were David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Kimberly Akimbo,” Edward Albee’s “The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia?” and Martin McDonaugh’s “The Pillowman.”)

At any rate, Minadakis, who now runs the Marin Theatre Company in California, has returned to direct Georgia Shakespeare’s “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” which I review in today’s AJC.

Though I had a big problem with the casting of Tim McDonaugh as Big Daddy (top photo), the show looks absolutely gorgeous, thanks to designer Kat Conley, and it’s great to see Minadakis working again with Daniel Thomas May (Brick) and Tess Malis Kincaid (Mae), actors he employed to riveting effect at the Express. May brought chills in “The Pillowman.” And Kincaid soared to new heights in “The Goat,” “Kimberly” and other shows that required her to take off the white gloves. It will be interesting to see how theater-goers respond to Minadakis’ unusual choices for “Cat.”

ArtsCriticATL.com

Theater & Film