The Humans
Roundabout Theatre Company
Written by Stephen Karam
Directed by Joe Mantello
Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Let me get directly to the point. This play is brilliant. It makes perfect sense why this production is working its way to Broadway in the near future. This play is brilliant – oh, I said this already! Continue reading The Humans
Dada Woof Papa Hot
Written by Peter Parnell
Directed by Scott Ellis
Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse
Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
Gay marriage is a done deal – – now the issue that is up to bat is gay parenting. Dada Woof Papa Hot explores the joys and challenges of gay parenting. This is certainly a relevant issue in that the next step on the road to true equality for gay Americans is the right to be parents. The play certainly looks into the many ramifications of this issue from the silly to the naughty to the serious. Continue reading Dada Woof Papa Hot
Mother Courage and Her Children
Classic Stage Company
Written by: Bertolt Brecht
Directed by Brian Klick
Production web 💉 out of 5.
It began in a blackbox. So far so good. Then Mother Courage came out in character and played with the audience trying to sell them watches and buy jewelry off of them. A bit of a gimmick, granted – by my hopes reached up. I thought I was going to see an entirely new take on this literally, war horse of a play. Then the play began, and all was back to the uninspired – – apart from placing the play in the Congo it was what I expected – – but then Tonya Pinkins, as Mother Courage, began to sing and I was right back there in the past with her in the front row of Caroline, or Change. Once she sings you can never forget that voice – – so beautiful, so rich, and so full of soul. NOW, I was in love with this show. Continue reading Mother Courage and Her Children
Spring Awakening
Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Books and Lyrics by Steven Slater
Based on the play by Frank Wedekind
Directed by Michael Arden
Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
My body tingled from the very first moment – – and all the way through the curtain call. I tingled. The hair stood up on my arms. I was in theatre nirvana. Never for a moment did I disengage from this show. In fact I tried to sit in the audience after the curtain call just to enjoy the high of the show for as long as I was able. Continue reading Spring Awakening
Therese Raquin
Roundabout Theatre
Written by: Helen Edmundson
Based on a novel by Emile
Zola
Directed by Evan Cabnet
Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
This play has appeared on my Theatre History test for the last 25 years. The question reads, “What classic naturalistic novel established the writing career of Emile Zola?” The answer is – – you got it!
I was so anxious to see this almost-never-done play to see if my lectures had any truth to them. To begin, I thought it a bit odd that this production was on Broadway. To me this play just seems to scream Off-Broadway. How in the world did this choice translate to the huge Studio 54 venue? I was more then curious. Continue reading Therese Raquin