Theater
2688 results
Page 221
"Threepenny Opera' at the Arden
What did Mack the Knife really want?
Although virtually all cultured people are familiar with The Threepenny Opera, the play remains elusive. Contrary to conventional belief, it's not about the plight of the poor. It's about the plight of the poor performers.
Articles
3 minute read
Jennifer Haley's "Neighborhood 3'
Suburbia as The Twilight Zone
In Jennifer Haley's Neighborhood 3, all the world's a video game, and the suburban teenagers merely avatars and zombies. It's a clever but superficial idea: The reality of teenage video gaming is more complicated and less frightening.
Articles
4 minute read
Emma Rice's "Brief Encounter' in New York (1st review)
Improving on Noel Coward
Emma Rice's inspired adaptation of Noel Coward's play and David Lean's film has made the transition from off-Broadway to the Great White Way with all of its charm and intimacy intact.
Articles
3 minute read
Mamet's "A Life in the Theatre' on Broadway
Mamet sans teeth
David Mamet's play about an older actor and his protégé-rival is full of snippets and in-jokes celebrating life on the stage but bereft of Mamet's signature ferocity and danger.
Articles
3 minute read
David Hirson's "La Bête' on Broadway
Tour de force doesn't begin to cover it
La Bête is a wild Molière parody/homage, nearly two hours of rhyming couplets delivered at breakneck speed. The effect is jawdroppingly amazing— and very, very funny.
Articles
3 minute read
"Legacy of Light' at People's Light
Meeting of minds
Legacy of Light follows two brilliant woman scientists living 260 years apart. As a play of ideas, it's not quite up to Shaw or Stoppard, but it's a respectable addition to the genre.
Articles
3 minute read
Jen Childs in "Why I'm Scared of Dance'
Oh, for the life of a would-be dancer
In this original and often charming one-woman autobiographical tour, the multi-talented comedienne Jen Childs reflects on her life as an aspiring dancer who's a tad too short and clunky for the Kirov or A Chorus Line.
Articles
3 minute read
Blaming the critics: "Jekyll and Hyde' in Media
Meltdown in Media
I didn't intend to write about the Media Theatre's Jekyll and Hyde, but Jesse Cline left me no choice. This director's greatest gift, it seems, is his talent for turning potential friends into enemies.
Articles
4 minute read
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"Macbeth' at the Wilma (3rd review)
A human monster, rendered natural
The remarkable strength of this Wilma production is its clarity of language and action, releasing the power of Macbeth through means that are devoid of histrionics. The clarity also allows us to revisit and better understand the other characters who co-habit the stage with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Articles
6 minute read
"Macbeth at the Wilma (2nd review)
The play's the thing— or is it the set?
I'm all for aggressive staging of Shakespeare, and certainly Blanka Zizka's has its virtues. But staging should serve rather than distract from the text, which in Macbeth particularly is crucial to establishing atmosphere.
Articles
8 minute read