• The Women of Brewster Place
• Book, music and lyrics by Tim Acito
• Based on the novel by Gloria Naylor
• Directed by Molly Smith
• Produced by Arena Stage                                  Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
• Reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson

The postcard artwork for the long awaited women of Brewster Place tells it all – women of various appearances, different bearings and expressions, all with life-stories to tell, looking out the windows of a squalid tenement.  There was such hope in the prospect of getting to the heart and soul of these women, the characters so beautifully described in Gloria Naylor’s searing novel, through the magic of song and movement.  Perhaps I idealized what could have been – no, what should have been – for too long, and that’s what led to the disappointment of seeing what’s currently playing at Arena Stage.  [Read more...]