Theater
2725 results
Page 213
Taking liberties with Chekhov
Who (did you say) wrote that play?
Why would the Royal National Theatre mount a “version” of The Cherry Orchard laced with lines Chekhov never would have written, rather than a faithful translation? What is meant by a “version,” anyway? As a Chekhov translator, I wonder: Who would hang a "version" of Monet?
Articles
5 minute read
Simon's "Lost in Yonkers' at Plays & Players
A different take on ‘coming of age'
In an age that's overrun with “coming of age” stories, Neil Simon's Lost In Yonkers takes a different tack, examining the coming-of-age of an entire dysfunctional family. A superb production expertly navigates the journey.
Articles
3 minute read
Lynn Nottage's "Ruined,' by PTC
Sunshine among the ashes
Lynn Nottage's Ruined, set in a bar during the Congolese civil war, demonstrates how people create community and happiness even in the midst of devastation. But how to reverse the world's endless cycle of civil warfare? For the answer to that question, you must search elsewhere.
Articles
4 minute read
"In a Daughter's Eyes,' by InterAct (2nd review)
Daughters without fathers
The shadows of Mumia and MOVE haunt the stage of InterAct Theatre's world premiere production of A. Zell Williams' In a Daughter's Eyes, as they do Philadelphia itself. The play sheds more heat than light, though, as its two characters grope in a world of pain in which neither can truly find the other.
In a Daughter's Eyes. By A. Zell Williams; Rebecca Wright directed. InterAct Theatre production through June 19, 2011 at Adrienne mainstage, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 568-8077 or www.interacttheatre.org.
Articles
6 minute read
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"In A Daughter's Eyes,' by InterAct (1st review)
Mumia, and the ignorance of certainty
What if Officer Daniel Faulkner's widow and Mumia Abu-Jamal's wife had to hang out together in a setting that required them to acknowledge their common humanity? That's the intriguing premise of this new play, which unfortunately suffers from superficial execution.
Articles
5 minute read
Directors vs. Critics: BSR's debate (2nd comment)
Who critiques the critics?
Who will hold theater critics accountable? Other critics, for one. But the Internet offers an even more effective solution.
Articles
3 minute read
Directors vs. critics: BSR's debate (1st comment)
Theaters, critics and delusions of injustice
At Broad Street Review's debate on theater criticism, three Philadelphia directors largely ignored the panel's Internet-based critics and mostly complained instead about the Inquirer. Earth to directors: Hip theatergoers no longer care about, much less read, the Inquirer.
Articles
3 minute read
"Vigil' and older audiences at the Lantern
Why was I the only one laughing?
The wicked humor of Morris Panych's Vigil comes mostly at the expense of older audiences. That's bad news for cutting-edge theater in Philadelphia.
Articles
4 minute read
What the pros can learn from "The Cappies'
Teaching the Tonys a thing or two
The Cappies, an international project for high school theater and journalism students, is an awards show without commercials or long-winded acceptance speeches. And it's refreshing to see kids cheering for something other than sports.
Articles
3 minute read
"Miss Saigon' at the Walnut
Beyond Butterfly
The Walnut's new production of Miss Saigon reaffirms the quality of its authors' work when they were at their short-lived peak. This play is more compact and focused than Les Miz, and more nuanced than Madam Butterfly, the play and opera on which Miss Saigon is based.
Articles
4 minute read