Long Lost
Written by Donald Margulies
Directed by Daniel Sullivan
Manhattan Theatre Club
June 19, 2019
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.
I so felt like I was in a theatre, watching acting, experiencing a play and sitting next to a most aging audience – and that ain’t good folks. I was never transported away. It looked like a play, moved like a play, and made me question my love of plays. Continue reading Long Lost
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Written by Taylor Mac
Directed by George C. Wolfe
Booth Theatre
June 12, 2019
Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
I love this short gross, over-the-top mess of a play. The idea of tacking on a coda to Titus Andronicus, one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest plays is really novel and compelling. When the curtain comes up and you see a pile of life-size puppet bodies piled up to the top of the proscenium arch, you know that you are not going to be in for a subtle evening at the theatre! Continue reading Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Oklahoma
Music by Richard Rogers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Directed by Daniel Fish
Circle in the Square
June 12, 2019
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
I have never seen a golden age musical go down this plywood covered path before! Wow! When I first entered the stage I thought that Oklahoma was going to be more gimmick than art. The thrust stage was all boarded up in raw plywood – the floor and all the walls. Crockpots of chili were cooking away on long picnic tables where front row audience members were seated. Audience lights were going to be kept up for the majority of the production. I thought this was going to be a long night. Continue reading Oklahoma!
To Kill a Mockingbird
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Sam S. Shubert Theatre
June 11, 2019
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.
I am not sure why I went to the theatre to experience this story. It was such a warm, wonderful read, but such a flat, lifeless play. Why did they need to use the stage for this? Isn’t the book enough? I really don’t think that this show would have made any sense to someone who hadn’t read the book (which, gratefully, I am sure is not many). I know it must be difficult to condense something so rich to the stage – but as I said before – then why would you? Continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird
The Play That Goes Wrong
Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields
Directed by Matt Dicarlo
New World Stages
June 10, 2019
Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
I have seen this play now for the third and, hopefully, the very last time. The only fun left for me in this production was the joy of taking 16 young students who had never experienced the story. I almost wished that my seat had faced them and not the stage. I am sure that would been a worthy show.
I have little to say about the play that I haven’t said before:
http://nyctheatreaddict.com/play-goes-wrong-2/
Once you see a farce this many times it comes down to the mechanics and not to the joy. Please do see it. It is a brilliant play – but I am going to have to say “no” – been there and seen that.