Capsules Galore — Birds, Disgraced, Mountaintop, Notes on a Native Son
The first two months of Philadelphia’s 2016-17 theater season have been extraordinary., Not only was much of quality presented, but variety and creativity have soared. Almost every night in the … Continue reading
Molly Sweeney — Irish Heritage Theatre at Walnut 5
Molly Sweeney can identify several varieties of flowers from the scent and touch. She is a championship swimmer who elegantly describes how slicing through the water, of a pool or … Continue reading
Fasten Seat Belts; Another Blitz — Patsy Cline, Electra, Grounded
Wish me discipline. Other pursuits, mainly a predictable income job to which I am just adjusting, have kept me from the keyboard. “All work…..” as they say. Catching up is … Continue reading
Breaking the Waves — Opera Philadelphia at Perelman Theater
The church-dominated north Scottish coastal town in which Bess McNeill resides in so strict and pinched, it looks askance at undevout foreigners and continues to refer to Bess as McNeill … Continue reading
Bathing in Moonlight — McCarter Theatre Company
While Nilo Cruz broaches some interesting subjects and often provides his characters with profound things to say, his world premiere play, “Bathing in Moonlight,” never takes off dramatically. The … Continue reading
The Bridges of Madison County — Media Theatre
Jason Robert Brown has a unique way with lyrics. Several of his songs begin by wallowing, more artfully and articulately than most, in the modern trend to tell stories … Continue reading
Electile Dysfunction — Act II Playhouse
Smart is different from sharp. “Electile Dysfunction,” the satirical revue Tony Braithwaite concocted with Will Dennis and Tracie Higgins for Act II Playhouse, is not the most incisive in … Continue reading
Auspicious Start to 2016-2017 Season — From “Bathing” to “Mrs. Warren”
So far, so good. And I mean really good. The 2016-2017 theater season has begun with almost unanimous quality in productions ranging from musicals to classic to the new-ish. Even … Continue reading
The Chairs — Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium, Walnut 5
Eugène Ionesco is categorized as an absurdist. The dialogue in his plays often reads as non-sequitur. His characters can rampage, pose, cower, or make declarations at unexpected times. Fantastic events … Continue reading
The Recipients — Helen and Morris Zoren World Theater Award 2015-2016
People ask, “How can you see 216 productions in a year?” The answer is I would see more if time and cash flow allowed. Those two life-enriching commodities rarely arrive … Continue reading
