My love of Shakespeare drew me to this tiny theatre in the West Village, for in the title of this one man show are some of the fiercest words of Antony’s soliloquy over Caesar’s murdered body in ‘Julius Caesar’.
“Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.”
One of the things I adore about productions from The New Group is their willingness to take on plays that deal with tough subjects. I can’t imagine too many other theater companies that would have staged the terrifically terrifying Mercury Fur.
Read MoreI had never heard of, nor seen a production of The Price. I am a fan of Miller’s work and was also drawn in by what turned out to be the perfect casting of Mark Ruffalo, Tony Shalhoub, Jessica Hecht and Danny DeVito. I am so, so glad I went.
Read MoreI love theatre that breaks away from the norm; be it in staging, costuming, production or idea. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Everybody is unconventional in almost every one of these categories.
Read MoreIn Transit is a new and very original a cappella musical set in the New York subway system. It tells the stories of a baker’s dozen characters (3 played by the terrific Moya Angela) who are all trying to get by, move up, hang on and be human in the Big Apple.
Read MoreI loved, loved, loved the all-female Taming of the Shrew directed by Phyllida Lloyd last summer in the park, so I was thrilled to have the chance to see her all-female The Tempest at St. Ann’s Warehouse. This Tempest was the third leg of an all-female Shakespearean trilogy of which, unfortunately, I missed the other two, Julius Caesar and Henry IV.
Read MoreThe last time I saw theater this shockingly fantastic was a couple of years ago with The New Group’s “Mercury Fur”.
Read MoreThere is no human relationship more prone to the extremes of emotion than that of mother and daughter and in Martin McDonagh’s revelatory The Beauty Queen of Lenane the levels of loathing, vitriol and volatility between Mag and Maureen Folan are incendiary. This is what great theater is all about; being unable to look away from the train wreck which is occurring onstage.
Read MoreThough there may be no story by Andersen more tragic than The Little Matchgirl, in this lovely, sweet mashup she pays for stories from Ole Shuteye, (a warm, charming and extremely funny Paul Hunter) the ringleader of a band of merry storytellers/dancers/singers and acrobats with her precious matches; giving both light and warmth to the tales and herself. Edie Edmundson beautifully breathes life into a Matchgirl who seems less a puppet than a human with Ms. Edmundson’s help.
Read MoreI have seen The Heiress in many incarnations over the years both on stage and on screen and I have to say that I have never seen a finer performance than this.
Read MorePoor Anna Karenina. That is the usual refrain that rings out after one has read the novel or seen the movie(s). Tolstoy's tragic heroine, driven to give up her life of comfort and privilege, her place in society, her child and very nearly her life by her cruel, emotionless husband and the demands of her awakened heart.
Read MoreI am a sucker for holiday shows and a huge fan of anything written, directed by or starring the ridiculously talented Jennifer Childs so The Carols put me right in my holiday happy place!
Read MoreIs there any better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than as witness to The Poet who moves, ghost-like, between the camps, the worlds, the minds of the men engaged in the final throes of the Trojan War? If you are spending that time watching a mesmerizing Peter DeLaurier as the The Poet, then I would have to say no.
Read MoreAlthough Party People does have fabulous music, a large ensemble cast and some terrific hip-hop beats, it is not about a Saturday night on the town. The Parties in Party People are the Black Panthers, The Young Lords and The Rainbow Coalition.
Read MoreCharity Hope Valentine, a name that reverberates with an almost saccharine optimism. Leave it to Neil Simon to give it to a character who is in a seamy, dead-end job as a ‘dance hostess’, who’s taken advantage of by every man she comes into contact with, who’s barely hanging on, yet remains almost stupidly upbeat.
Read MoreSet in The Taj Mahal Trailer Park in Ireland, this lovely, quirky, funny-as-hell story gives a glimpse into the odd, odd world of Eddie the Pigeon (an absolutely fabulous John Keating). A man adrift in middle age, unmoored by the death of his beloved mother and without the tools, or the will, to live in modernity Eddie is a sort of sappy, yet savvy philosopher.
Read MoreWow—just wow! Problematically, this isn’t a good wow it’s an “I can’t believe I just sat through that” wow.
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A reworking of the 1942 movie of the same name starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, Holiday Inn is the feel-good, Busby Berkeley-ish confection that is currently ringing out with the sounds of tap shoes and classic Irving Berlin songs on 54th Street.
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