2018 Philadelphia Theater Critic’s Awards — The Recipients
Excellence, bred from assurance, has become a constant in Philadelphia theater. Gone, in particular, is the self-consciousness that plagued the early years when Philadelphia morphed from a touring town to … Continue reading
Quickies! And For Once, Success!
ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE, Media Theatre, State and Monroe, Media, Pa. through April 1 — Vocally, Jenny Lee Stern channels Patsy Cline. The clean, heartfelt sounds register. Physically, I kept seeing Judy … 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
Quickies Again — Rumors (Bristol), Saint Joan (Quintessence)
RUMORS, Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, Pa., through Sunday, April 17 — Neil Simon knows how to structure a play and give characters tics and neuroses that individualize … Continue reading
The Language Archive — Bristol Riverside Theatre
While language, its history, and its components are a preoccupation of several characters, talk is practically a pastime in Julia Cho’s “The Language Archive.” A passive, casual pastime. People trade … Continue reading
Mountain — Bristol Riverside Theatre
The thrilling thing about Keith Baker’s towering performance as Justice William O. Douglas in “Mountain” is how the actor’s wit and thoroughness goes beyond the biography of Douglas Scott’s script … Continue reading
Bus Stop — Bristol Riverside Theatre
All of the individual stories the wayfarers tell in William Inge’s “Bus Stop” come through clearly in Susan D. Atkinson’s production of the ’50s classic. You get a good sense … Continue reading
An Enemy of the People — Bristol Riverside Theatre
Consider all of the issues Henrik Ibsen broaches in “An Enemy of the People,” and you might think he was writing in the 21st century rather than in 1882. Parallels … Continue reading
Ragtime — Bristol Riverside Theatre
In addition to telling a moving and compelling story, E.L. Doctorow scored two remarkable achievements when he published his novel, “Ragtime,” in 1975. He composed his novel in the rhythms … Continue reading
Always…Patsy Cline — Bristol Riverside Theatre
Jessica Wagner is downright astounding in the authenticity she brings to Bristol Riverside Theatre’s production of “Always…Patsy Cline.” Wagner is so good, we know immediately why Louise, a Houston woman … Continue reading
NealsPaper 