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Karen and Ian Peakes: Never tell your mate.

"Speaking in Tongues' at Walnut's Studio 3

Let's talk about marital guilt. On second thought, let's not

Andrew Bovell's Speaking in Tongues is based on the dubious premise that marital infidelity is the end of the world. And from where I was sitting, I got a stiff neck, to boot.

Jackie Schifalacqua

Apr 05, 2011 Articles 3 minute read

O'Neill, Whalen: Stunted lives and wasted sweetness.

"Pride of Parnell Street' in Ambler

Scenes from a disintegrating marriage

Sebastian Barry is the finest Irish playwright of his generation, and in The Pride of Parnell Street he recreates the Dublin of the 1990s with the most economical of means: two characters, one set, and a single, 90-minute act. The act of violence that lies at its core is never shown, but its trauma reverberates throughout the text.

Robert Zaller

Apr 05, 2011 Articles 6 minute read

Thaddeus Phillips's '17 Border Crossings' (1st review)

Bordering on anxiety

With 17 Border Crossings, the multi-talented Thaddeus Phillips renders his own international travel in the last two decades as the subject of this new work. By framing his sequential monologues on the anxieties of border crossings, he assembles a mix of experiences from which he can draw humor as well as make his political critiques. 17 Border Crossings. Conceived and performed by Thaddeus Phillips. April 1-2, 2011 at Painted Bride Arts Center, 203 Vine St. www.17borders.tumblr.com or www.paintedbride.org.

Jonathan M. Stein

Apr 05, 2011 Articles 3 minute read

Jennifer Barnhart as Officer Osteen: I felt invested in their fate.

Tracy Letts's "Superior Donuts' at the Arden (4th review)

The secret ingredient is heart

What distinguishes this play is its humanity. I cared about the characters, and that's all too rare in contemporary theater.

Jane Biberman

Apr 03, 2011 Articles 1 minute read

David and Joan Hess: Married to the theater, and each other. (Photo: Mark Garvin.)

Hitchcock's '39 Steps' at the Walnut (1st review)

You take the lowbrow and I'll take the highbrow, or: 28 reasons for 39 Steps

In The 39 Steps, as in most Walnut Street Theatre productions, art never strays too far from public taste— for which let us be grateful.

Jackie Schifalacqua

Mar 29, 2011 Articles 3 minute read

David Newman, Robert Hands: Parody of a parody.

"Comedy of Errors' in Brooklyn

Shakespeare gets the kitchen sink

What Shakespeare did to Plautus in The Comedy of Errors, Edward Hall's production now does to Shakespeare, in this wild, inspired version set in an all-inclusive holiday package resort somewhere in South America in the 1980s.

Carol Rocamora

Mar 29, 2011 Articles 5 minute read

Deavere Smith: A creator, not an imitator.

Anna Deavere Smith's "Let Me Down Easy' (2nd review)

It happens to all of us

When I learned that my friend was dying at age 59, I sought comfort from my doctor, my rabbi and my therapist. None of them conveyed as much calming effect as the sense of human commonality in Let Me Down Easy.

Steve Cohen

Mar 28, 2011 Articles 3 minute read

Ibsen’s “Master Builder” at People’s Light (1st review)

Ibsen's confession (or is it?)

With its layers of ambiguity, Ibsen's The Master Builder can be confusing, and the lead characters could seem cartoonish. But the People's Light cast is superb, and the tone established by director Ken Marini is perfect.

Steve Cohen

Mar 28, 2011 Articles 4 minute read

Wrenn, Etzold, Sweeny, Ford: The text is the thing,. (Photo: Mark Garvin.)

Lantern Theater's "Midsummer Night's Dream' (2nd review)

If it's spring, thus must be Midsummer

Forget the drabness of the costumes and set. The Lantern's Midsummer places the emphasis where it belongs— on the magic of Shakespeare's luscious language. When you have a talented cast, who needs fancy props?