"Jihad Jones' and Arab stereotypes

Bombers, billionaires and belly dancers: What's worse than an Arab stereotype?

In Yussef El-Guindi's comedy Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes, an Arab-American actor refuses to play stereotypical Arab bomb-throwing roles. And maybe he should. But let's not throw the baby out with the stereotypical bathwater. With a video interview.

Jim Rutter

Apr 07, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

Theatrical readings, and where to find them

A playwright's trial by fire

Theatrical readings are getting a bad rap in Broad Street Review. But as a playwright, I can attest that they're a necessary element in bringing a play from a writer's mind onto the stage. The audience (and even critics) benefit too. And in Philadelphia, there are many opportunities to participate.

Mark Wolverton

Mar 31, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

Why "Hamlet' still matters

A distant mirror to the modern world: Why I never grow tired of Hamlet

After 500 years, why does Hamlet still fascinate us? Because Hamlet's character continues to embody every facet of what it means to be a human. He's the thread upon which all our male cultural archetypes, even Mad Max, now unravel. With video interview: Click here.

Jim Rutter

Mar 31, 2009 · Articles · 5 minute read

Simpatico's "Long Day's Journey Into Night' (2nd review)

Long Day's Journey, up close and personal

Simpatico reminds us that Long Day's Journey is an intimate play with a small cast, set in one living room. Very appropriate, then, to see it close up on a small stage, even if the actors look better than they sound.

Steve Cohen

Mar 28, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

"Impressionism' on Broadway

Don't stand too close

Michael Jacobs's soggy play isn't drama; it's chick lit, an inspirational sitcom masquerading as a highbrow play about Art. If Oprah had a theater club, Impressionism would be her pick.

Toby Zinman

Mar 28, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

"Cabaret' at Villanova

Do academicians have more fun?

Villanova Theatre, which seems to enjoy a special flair for musicals, scores once again with a lively and enthusiastic revival of the Kander and Ebb perennial Cabaret.

Bill Murphy

Mar 28, 2009 · Articles · 2 minute read

PTC's "At Home At the Zoo'

East Side, West Side, or: When vegetables yearn to be animals

Fifty years ago Edward Albee's The Zoo Story exposed the fragility of the defenses that so-called “civilized” postwar Americans thought they had constructed. In At Home at the Zoo, Albee offers a prequel that shines some new light on his characters but also raises more questions than it answers. In effect, Albee is guilty of superimposing a 21st-Century sensibility on a '50s character.

Dan Rottenberg

Mar 27, 2009 · Articles · 6 minute read

"Long Day's Journey' and "Caucasian Chalk Circle'

The family, pro and con: O'Neill gets the better of Brecht

In two current productions, O'Neill and Brecht paint thoroughly distinct (and for Brecht, thoroughly surprising) views of the family. Thanks to Carol Laratonda's superbly intense direction, O'Neill's darker take is better served.

Jim Rutter

Mar 24, 2009 · Articles · 5 minute read

Reza's "God of Carnage' on Broadway

Delusions stripped bare

Yasmina Reza's venomous play about two modern couples, billed as “a comedy of manners without the manners,” gives us the kind of laughter that's about five seconds from just totally losing it. The Lord of Misrule is in fine form here, as is a cast that nails every line, every look, every gesture.

Toby Zinman

Mar 23, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

"Born Yesterday' at the Walnut

From Billie Dawn to Bernie Madoff

Billie Dawn, the heroine of Garson Kanin's 1946 comedy Born Yesterday, is a “smart stupid person” whose faults are easily remedied by education. Today we face a tougher problem: “stupid smart people” who turn their millions over to avuncular swindlers like Bernie Madoff. Oh, for the good old days of transparent villains.

Dan Rottenberg

Mar 23, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read