"Becky Shaw' at the Wilma (1st review)

House of mirrors

This remarkably intelligent and moving play can't easily be pigeonholed as either a wicked comedy or a devastating psychodrama. Gina Gionfriddo's concern is the process by which human relationships change people for better or worse. Whether that makes you laugh or cry depends on your individual circumstances at a given moment.

Dan Rottenberg

Jan 09, 2010 · Articles · 5 minute read

"Ragtime' on Broadway, reconsidered (2nd review)

Let's go to the videotape: A few things I missed about Ragtime

Thanks to the Lincoln Center Library's collection of theater videotape recordings, I discovered a few things I'd overlooked in my original review of Ragtime. So why can't Philadelphia find foundation funding for a similar theater video repository?

Steve Cohen

Dec 29, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

Liv Ullmann's "Streetcar Named Desire'

Cate Blanchett's new Blanche DuBois (by way of Ullmann, Williams and Bergman)

In her interpretation of Blanche DuBois, Cate Blanchett appears to be channeling the spirit not only of Blanche but also of Tennessee Williams himself. In her happy first-time collaboration with director Liv Ullmann, it's clear that it takes a great actress to direct a great actress.

Carol Rocamora

Dec 27, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

"Superior Donuts' on Broadway

A comedy about real people

Superior Donuts is a gem of a comedy, notable for its warm comic interplay among genuinely recognizable characters. Too bad its Broadway run is closing soon.

Steve Cohen

Dec 22, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

"Holiday Show With the Swing Club Band'

America's last happy New Year's Eve

Instead of pretending to tell a story, this highly entertaining production authentically recreates a nightclub as it would have appeared on the last night of 1949— the last New Year's Eve of a triumphant America at peace.

Steve Cohen

Dec 20, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

"Sweeney Todd' in Wilmington

Clothes make the killer

Is Sweeney Todd growing too familiar? Michael Gray's new conception of Stephen Sondheim's horror musical focuses on its cast of desperate and volatile characters rather than its time and place. It's like seeing the show for the first time.

Julius Ferraro

Dec 19, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

Molière's "Scapin,' by the Lantern

Adults acting childish

Although Scapin was first staged in 1671 in Paris, the English adaptation of this archetypical French farce not only retains much of Molière's original structure but also thrillingly engages a 21st-Century audience, adults and children alike.

Gresham Riley

Dec 19, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

"A Little Night Music' revived in New York

Send in the you-know-whats

A Sondheim musical is always a balancing act between the big commercial demands of the Broadway stage and the intimate, understated demands of the author's subtlety. This splendid revival achieves both.

Toby Zinman

Dec 15, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

David Mamet's "Race' on Broadway

Mamet, the equal-opportunity cynic

David Mamet's new play about sex and race, currently receiving a vigorous Broadway premiere under the author's direction, reprises a familiar Mamet theme: betrayal, especially by women.

Toby Zinman

Dec 15, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

"This Is the Week That Is' by 1812 Productions (2nd review)

How do you roast a target like Obama?

The latest edition of This Is the Week That Is improves on its predecessors because it does more than attack the unpopular Bush administration. The writers clearly hold conflicted views about Obama's behavior as president, and their uncertainty leads to a more nuanced show than in the past. This Is the Week That Is: The New Administration. Conceived and directed by Jennifer Childs; head writer Don Montrey. Presented through January 3, 2010 by 1812 Productions at Plays and Players Theatre, 1724 Delancey Pl. (215) 592-9560 or www.1812productions.org.

Steve Cohen

Dec 12, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read