2016 Philadelphia Theater Critic’s Awards — The Qualifiers
What an enriching year in Philadelphia theater! Choosing the alleged best among 176 productions proved an daunting task as companies are getting cannier about selecting plays that are good for … Continue reading
Christmas: in Story, in Panto, and in Wales; and Found
A line that sticks with me from vintage television echoes through my head today, “Chatsworth, you’re a lazy boy.” Well, not so much lazy and busy and tired while adjusting … Continue reading
The Legend of Georgia McBride — Arden Theatre (And Other Stuff)
Before making this current doomed-to-fail attempt to cover multiple productions in pithy quick takes, I need to say something about the superb acting local audiences have been treated to show … Continue reading
Guards at the Taj — Theatre Exile at Studio X
Jaunty, naturalistic acting, scattered bon mots, sporadic moments of amusement, occasional keen observations, and blatant instances of tense drama cannot save Rajiv Joseph’s “Guards at the Taj” from a typical … Continue reading
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
