Everyone knows that an hour speeds by quickly when you’re having fun. In children’s theater, though, that isn’t always the case: what works for the teeny weenies often bores their parents to death. Yet this production of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, is just delightful regardless of age: kids and parents alike will scarcely feel […]
Archives for September 2016
The Trial of an American President Review: George Bush Accused of War Crimes
President George W. Bush was convicted of war crimes at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, on the night I attended The Trial of an American President, an earnest, informative and flawed mock trial. The jury voted 5-4, which is not bad, considering the circumstances.
Five film musicals to watch for – some you’ve seen onstage
I love musicals. I prefer my musicals live and in person; however, I will take a good musical wherever I can find it regardless of setting or format. Below is a list in chronological order of five upcoming musicals (more or less) that can be found in movie theatres or on television. I am eagerly […]
All The Ways To Say I Love You review: Judith Light in new Neil LaBute monologue
Those of us who have followed her splendid career since Judith Light returned to the New York stage in 2010 welcomed the news that she would be appearing in a new solo play written by Neil LaBute. As expected, Light is the best thing about it. What’s less expected is how slight the play is.
Marsha Norman’s ‘Night Mother at Highwood Theatre (review)
It has been 31 years since this reviewer previously saw a live production of Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer Prize winning drama ‘NIGHT, MOTHER, yet it remains an indelible theatre experience. The fine production mounted by Your Theatre at The Highwood Theatre conjures up the power and pathos of this excellent play.
The Last Schwartz won’t be his last time on a DC stage, Billy Finn hopes
When Adam Immerwahr was asked to make his D.C. directorial debut with The Last Schwartz as the new artistic director for Theater J, he knew the actor he wanted to cast as Gene, the youngest son in the absurd, yet thoughtful Jewish comedy. He called Billy Finn and the actor was happy to sign on board.
Othello at Chesapeake Shakespeare (review)
Othello is one of the crown jewels of Shakespearean plays. The tragedy of Othello, a black general in the ranks of the Venetian army, is one of an eminent outsider who falls in love and marries a white noblewoman, Desdemona. His right hand man Iago dupes him into believing Desdemona has been faithless, and leads […]
Eleanor Roosevelt: Her Secret Journey at Compass Rose (review)
All right. Let me get to the hard part first. Had Rhoda Lerman’s play, now being given a vigorous and effective production at Compass Rose Theater, simply been called A Secret Journey it would be a boffo tale of the timid wife of an aspiring politician who learns about the horrors of war and breaks […]
Nat Turner in Jerusalem review
Nat Turner in Jerusalem, a new play by Nathan Alan Davis at New York Theatre Workshop, is yet another retelling of Nat Turner’s 1831 slave insurrection, a story that has been told and retold for nearly two centuries – and will be told again in The Birth of a Nation, a film by Nate Parker […]
Theater at the new National Museum of African-American Culture and History
The National Museum of African-American Culture and History officially opened this past weekend in Washington D.C. Among the almost 37,000 objects in its permanent collection are photographs, programs and the like connected to the theater.
Flying V’s ‘Be Awesome: A Theatrical Mixtape of the 90’s’ is, well, Awesome (review)
If you’re over twenty years old, chances are you remember the lost art the mix tape. And yes, it’s a lost art. Don’t tell me you can still make a Spotify mix and send it to someone on Facebook, because that whole process lacks the AV Club-masochism of getting the songs to match up correctly, […]
brownsville song (b-side for tray) at Theater Alliance (review)
In recent years, turning on the TV or radio, or even just logging in to Facebook, can often feel like a feat of the will. The barrage of stories of unspeakable violence, pain and anguish is staggering. Some days, it feels as if the human race is trying to tear itself apart. I am often […]