Romeo and Juliet — Wilma Theater
Forget the bold but unnecessary opening that has a stomping group of chanters pulsating through a mostly alphabetized litany of key words and themes from “Romeo and Juliet,” punctuating every … Continue reading
Coriolanus — Lantern Theater
The Roman rabble are ungrateful to and spiteful towards Coriolanus. All this great soldier and warrior has done is stave off enemy after enemy, the Volscian commander, Aufidius, several times, … Continue reading
The Recipients — Helen and Morris Zoren Awards 2014-2015
A glorious season is celebrated by citing some of the best productions and performances seen during it. Awards are a round-up of sorts,. They compact cherished memories and give a … Continue reading
Motown: The Musical — National Tour — Academy of Music
A familiar beat is struck recalling sounds that were favorites from my transistor-listening, records-in-the-basement youth. You hear a slight strain of the Martha and The Vandellas hit, “Dancing in the Street,” … Continue reading
Henry V — Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre
Aaron Cromie specializes in giving plays kinetic motion. His productions always brim with life and, when possible, are set in an alternative time and place them offsets themes and often … Continue reading
Caught — InterAct Theatre
“Caught” is Christopher Chen’s exercise in theatrical trompe l’oeil. Nothing is what it appears to be, and that’s the point. Chen, in “Caught,” at Philadelphia’s InterAct Theatre, captures the storyteller’s … Continue reading
Great Expectations — Arden Theatre
The “story theater” approach Gale Childs Daly employs is effective in bringing Charles Dickens’s “Great Expectations” to life on the stage at Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre. Director Matthew Decker is adept … Continue reading
Richard II — Quintessence Theatre Group
“Richard II” is a model for a history play. Although not as powerful or as varied as its natural sequel, “Henry IV,” “Richard” provides a platform through which Shakespeare supplies … Continue reading
Detroit — Philadephia Theatre Company at Suzanne Roberts Theatre
The difference between Gina Gionfriddo, whose “Rapture, Blister, Burn” is searing the stage at the Wilma Theater, and Lisa D’Amour, whose “Detroit” is fouling the boards for Philadelphia Theatre Company, … Continue reading
My Philadelphia Story: A Tourist in My Hometown
I am a traveler, and several factors make travel unlikely for the nonce. Yet I am lucky to live in a city, and region, with infinite variety. As much I … Continue reading →