Theater
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Page 211
Neil Simon's "Laughter On the 23rd Floor' by 1812
Make 'em laugh
With the aid of a uniformly strong cast of very funny character actors, Neil Simon's 1993 memoir based on his days as a young comedy writer recreates a landmark moment in the Golden Age of Television, when a group of inveterate wisecrackers confronted two serious existential threats.
Articles
5 minute read
Ibsen's "Master Builder' at People's Light (2nd review)
Memo to People's Light: Don't trifle with Ibsen
Ibsen's middle works explore a theme that's still relevant today: the balance between individual self-determination and the duty to one's family and the social order. But in the hands of director Ken Marini, a realistic drama like The Master Builder resembles a cartoon.
Articles
5 minute read
Sharr White's "The Other Place' in New York
When you think you're going out of your mind
Sharr White's The Other Place is a terrifying play, illuminated by an astonishing performance by Laurie Metcalf as a middle-aged scientist struggling with dementia.
Articles
3 minute read
"Bengal Tiger At the Baghdad Zoo' in New York
God made him a tiger…. in Baghdad, yet
The hyperactive Robin Williams as a philosophical tiger seeking moral truth in Baghdad— what tragicomedy could be more imaginative, thought-provoking and haunting?
Articles
5 minute read
"The Motherf**ker With The Hat' on Broadway
He shudda kept his edge on
Stephen Adly Guirgis knows street talk and can write dialogue of astonishingly funny mad-dog ferocity. But somebody has to speak that dialogue onstage, and Chris Rock, the crass standup comedy star, isn't the actor to do it.
The Motherf**ker With The Hat. By Stephen Adly Guirgis; Anna D. Shapiro directed. Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th St., New York. www.Telecharge.com.
Articles
3 minute read
Hitchcock's '39 Steps' at the Walnut (2nd review)
Teaching Hitchcock a thing or two
Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 thriller, The 39 Steps, wasn't his greatest film, but it's a perfect vehicle for a spoof. Patrick Barlow's adaptation is part vaudeville, part farce, and always hilarious.
Articles
2 minute read
Thaddeus Phillips's '17 Border Crossings' (2nd review)
Who needs borders, anyway?
Thaddeus Phillips transcends the kind of one-man water-sipping show that the late raconteur Spalding Gray created. Phillips ramps his performances up with physical, acting, authentic-sounding accents in any language, and ingenious stagecraft that includes lighting, the latest high-tech gadgetry and the oldest low-tech slight-of-hand.
Articles
5 minute read
"War Horse' at Lincoln Center in New York
Four-legged victims of war
World War I as seen through the eyes of a horse? Yes, and thanks to a remarkable team of puppet makers, puppeteers and actors, it's more magical than a show with live animals would have been.
Articles
5 minute read
"Wanamaker's Pursuit' at the Arden
Gertrude Stein confronts the Wanamakers
Different strokes for different folks: In Paris of 1911, an American commercial family eager to make deals crosses paths with another American commercial family eager to embrace the new avant-garde culture. Playwright Rogelio Martinez has an intriguing idea here, but it's still a work in progress.
Articles
3 minute read
"Theater of War' at the Penn Museum
Theater, or propaganda?
In the performance event Theater of War, a staged reading of scenes from Sophocles' Trojan War drama Ajax was followed by a panel of soldiers and others directly impacted by our current wars, with discussion afterward. But politics was declared off limits by the show's creator, Bryan Doerries, which left the event uncomfortably close to propaganda.
Theater of War. Created by Bryan Doerries; directed by Abigail Adams; produced by Phyllis Kaufman. April 2, 2011 at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, 33rd and South Sts. www.outsidethewirellc.com.
Articles
5 minute read