King Charles III

Written by: Mike Barlett

Directed by: Rupert Goold

Music Box Theatre

Production website     💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

“What If” guides this “future history” play.  What if the Queen of England was dead?  What if Charles was REALLY up next in line to be king?  What if he decided to be more than a figurehead and assert powers that the royal family has not exerted in generations?  What if he didn’t sign a bill recently passed by the House of Commons?  What if he pulled out dusty old books of royal precedent and found that he could shut down parliament and demand a re-election.  What if the King of England just said, “NO.” Continue reading King Charles III →

Fool for Love

Written by: Sam Shepard

Directed by: Daniel Aukin

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

Production website     💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

Fool for Love passed the “gay test.”  The first criteria that I look for in enjoying Sam Shepard is the amount of gay that I find on stage.  Obviously I celebrate all that gay artists and particularly stage artists have done – – but I do not like gay with my Sam Shepard.  If it isn’t 100% straight, then it just doesn’t tell the story and fits like bad, off-the-rack clothing.

This play was bleak and sexually explosive.  Seldom did they ever mention the sex act and even more seldom they didn’t go to the easy, cheap overplayed crudeness in language that would fuel a play say by David Mamet.  Little was said or done with the sexuality but you won’t find a play that smokes with lust more then this. Continue reading Fool for Love →