Miss Julie
produced by Theatre of the Nations, Moscow
written by August Strindberg
adapted by Mikhail Durnenkov
Lincoln Center Festival
directed by Thomas Ostermeier
July 27, 2015 Production website 💉 out of 5
What in the hell was I supposed to be watching? I had the following choices throughout the entire production:
1. Snow falling around the circular revolving stage.
2. Sub-titles in 3 various screens.
3. A giant screen upstage with a down camera focused on the kitchen sink and stove top as food was made and dishes left dirty. For at least 30 minutes we simply watched a pile of dirty dishes being projected on the 20’ upstage screen.
4. And, oh, the actors – – them too.
Smartly I got tickets a good deal of distance from the stage so that my neck wasn’t unduly dislocated. Continue reading Miss Julie→
It Should Have Been You
books and lyrics by Brian Hargrove
music and concept by Barbara Anselmi
directed by David Hyde Pierce
starring Tyne Daly
July 26, 2015 Production website 💉💉💉 out of 5.
I never expected this to be such a sweet experience. Although the story of the day-of-the-wedding-blues and accombant regret has been told over and over – It Should Have Been You seemed oh, so fresh to me. The play was certainly built on the fun of the Jewish family marrying up with the decidedly not-Jewish. The wit is quick. The mother-in-laws, featuring Tyne Daly and Harriet Harris simply rock with comic timing, but it is the big, belting number of the plus-size sister played by Tony-nominee Sierra Goggess that sealed the success of the matinee. Her anthem, “Jenny’s Blues” nearly brought the house to its feet. She so deserved each and every moment. Continue reading It Should Have Been You→
John
by Annie Baker
directed by Sam Gold
Signature Theatre
July 25, 2015 Production website
NO 💉. I would rather go into rehab. Thank you very much.
I have broken a personal record: I have see the very WORST PLAY I have ever seen in NYC. The only reason that I stayed beyond the first hour and the first of two intermissions is that I wanted to see if, in some way, a play could take me from totally numb to comotose. I am one to NEVER nod off in a play – – but, oh what a relieve that would be here. AND the ironic thing is that this play (loosely used term) is by Annie Baker, the author of my favorite play of the summer, The Flick. Continue reading John→
Kafka on the Shore
based on the book by Haruki Murakami
adapted for the stage by Frank Galati
Ninagawa Company
Lincoln Center Festival
July 23, 2015 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Only in New York after a quiet cappuccino do you get a chance to see a play with talking cats, transgender librarians, truck drivers, a man named Johnnie Walker that cuts off he heads of cats and refrigerates them, and Colonial Sanders (yes, the one from chicken fame) hustling to get you laid for the night. All of this in an elaborate Peer Gynt-like story of finding yourself by taking the greatest journey. Crazy right? Continue reading Kafka at the Beach→
Ubu Roi
prestented by Cheek by Jowl
by Alfred Jarry
directed by Declan Donnellan
Lincoln Center Festival
Gerald W. Lynch Theatre
July 22, 2015
Production website 💉💉 out of 5
When a play begins with a live camera on stage projecting itself on the back wall – – I grow a bit afraid. How many times I have seen this gimmick and saw actors more worried about the image they are projecting on the back wall then making something happen between the people on the stage. Follow me for just the first few minutes of the play and you will see what I am talking about. The very monochromatic, beige stage features one man lounging on the couch playing with a live camera – – just looking into the lens and playing with the buttons. Cheerful French radio plays from the onstage radio. Then the play begins. Continue reading Ubo Roi→
