Further customisation is available with a number of points to spend on strength, health and magic as well as dexterity the higher it is the more likely you are to hit enemies and also dodge their attacks. Priests are useful healers whilst barbarians provide brute strength and even enter a “berserk” mode when low on health to deal extra damage. From an aesthetic point of view there are twenty one character portraits, while gameplay-wise there are eight different classes to pick from, some being weapon specialists and others being able to perform useful magic spells it’s a good idea to have a mix of abilities in your party. The first thing to do in the game is assemble your group of heroes. So begins Heroes of the Monkey Tavern, a first person dungeon crawler with real time battles, much like the Atari ST classic Dungeon Master, complete with 90 degree turns and movement along an (unseen) grid. Before he’s properly explained the terrible dangers, the group has run off to the ominous looking tower in search of a fresh supply of beer tokens. This should be the point at which they crawl home and sober up, but then a man mentions a place with lots of treasure. $10 student rush tickets are available for non-sold-out performances 15 minutes before curtain time.Not long ago the four heroes were rich, but unfortunately they are alcoholics and after a few days drinking in the Monkey Tavern they are broke. They can be obtained at the Geva Theatre Center web siteor by calling the box office at 585-232-GEVA.

Over the Tavern is playing at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester February 15 - March 13, 2011. Rondeau for an especially funny and touching performance! There is no question, though, that the show was stolen by local actor Andrew Rondeau, who played Rudy's developmentally-disabled brother Georgie, and who himself who has Down syndrome. Cutts is temporarily replacing Arnie Mazer as Chet I thought he did a marvelous job). Other notable performances included Celia Howard as Sister Clarissa and Kevin Cutts as Chet Pazinski (Mr. The role of Rudy is aptly played by Forrest Gertin, a seventh grader at McQuaid Jesuit High School. However, this content means that Over the Tavern is therefore unlikely to be appreciated by young audiences. However, be forewarned: One of the funnier recurring bits involves Rudy's brother discovering the power of the 'S-word.'Īlso, the play acknowledges teens' interest in sex and romance it is addressed forthrightly, and, I was pleased to see, without a hint of the awful giggly quality with which sex is sometimes addressed (e.g., the musical Grease). Over the Tavern is, therefore, perfect for families whose preteens and teens are exploring issues of faith and maturity. So I had been particularly eager to bring Madison, who is interested in these issues as well as the role that philosophy and religion plays in everyday life. The play explored one of my pet interests: the need for kids to learn to think for themselves as they mature rather than passively accepting rules. It is, though, likely to make them think, between the giggles. What made it easier is that Rudy's incredulity is directed primarily toward the more-authoritarian strictures of pre-Vatican II Catholicism, so Over the Tavern is unlikely to offend contemporary audiences. WARM 101.3's Tony Infantino had talked about how his 91-year-old very-Catholic mother had seen Over the Tavern and enjoyed it very much, so I was particularly interested to see how the play would balance Rudy's exploration of the teachings of Catholicism without showing disrespect to the religion.

We found it both gut-splittingly funny (especially for those of us with Polish roots) and touching by turns. I brought my 11-year-old daughter Madison, who is interested both in issues of religion and in what it means to follow rules, to the February 23 performance. Rudy, a seventh-grader attending a Catholic school under the strict tutelage (and ruler) of Sister Clarissa, starts to question the premises of the Catholicism that serves as the anchor of his ethnically Polish, blue-collar community. Over the Tavern is a coming-of-age story that takes place in Buffalo in 1959. Caught between the steely-glare of a righteous nun and the chaos of a dysfunctional family, what’s a boy to do? Faith, family, spaghetti and Ed Sullivan fight for space in a comedy for anyone who ever had a family.or survived one! Twelve-year-old Rudy Pazinski is growing up Polish and Catholic in 1950’s Buffalo. At Geva Theatre Center, Rochester, NY Reviewed by Debra Ross

Tavern master review