A Touch of the Poet Written by Eugene O’Neill Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly Irish Repertory Theatre March 26, 2022 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Irish Repertory Theatre is one of my favorite theatres in NYC. The space is so small and in-your-face. No other theatre in the City puts you right on stage with the performers like the Irish Rep. Irish literature also is a favorite of mine. No other plays seem to have as much humanity – so much fighting, suffering and passion as the Irish plays.
Touch of the Poet started out very predictably for me. Two Irish bar goes were sitting around a bottle of whiskey providing us with the exposition needed for the night, and yes, one had an obviously makeup/manufactured scar and the other a bit too forced of a brogue. I was willing to accept these small bumps and settled down into one of Eugene O’Neill’s classics – only performed professionally after O’Neill died. I thought I had this play figured out. BUT THEN,
Kimberly Akimbo Book & Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire Music by Jeanine Tesori Based on the play by David Lindsay-Abaiore Choreographed by Danny Mefford Directed by Jessica Stone Atlantic Theatre Company December 30, 2021 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Kimberly Akimbo is a truly magnificent musical. It is true, honest, sincere and in no way pretentious. The story involves a teenage girl suffering from Progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes the patient to age very quickly and often results in death around the age of 16. The girl in this play, Kimberly, played by master performer Victoria Clark, is played by a 60+ year old woman. Essentially we have the soul of a teenage girl being played by a much older actress. Kimberly Akimbo is one of the most beautiful examples of theatrical irony then have seen in many years.
Trouble in Mind Written by Alice Childress and Michael Aegean Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright Roundabout Theatre Company at American Airlines Theatre December 29, 2021 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
The last three post-Covid trips that I have taken to New York have all been about bringing visibility to black artists, stories, and history. There has truly been a renaissance in black literature on stage and new actors/new faces are popping up all over Broadway. It is so great to be part of this excitement. But of all the stories about the Black experience none is more effective than Trouble in Mind – – and that is quite a feat for a play that was first optioned and later rejected for Broadway in 1955. Back in 1955, the play was well received Off Broadway but was stopped on its path to Broadway because white producers wanted the script to be “toned down”. The playwright, Alice Childress, refused to make the change. But today we see the full unedited production straight from the playwright’s pen.
Caroline, or Change Book and Lyrics by Tony Kushner Music by Jeanine Tesori Choreographed by Ann Yee Directed by Michael Longhurst Roundabout Theatre Company Studios 54 October 13, 2021 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Admittedly, I am not trained or pretend to be a qualified musical theatre practitioner but I do love the art form. I write this as an audience member totally mystified at the art of musicals. The first thing I noticed was how this musical spoke for this very unique time in Broadway history when almost every venue was working on plays exploring Black Americans and struggles they face every day. The statue of the Confederate soldier that holds fort in the center of the stage and the center of the story of Caroline or Change became the perfect lightning rod for this “change” in how post-COVID theatre is being practiced. Artists are certainly exploring change in all arenas.
Letters of Suresh Written by Rajiv Joseph Directed by May Adrales Second Stage Theatre October 10, 2021 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5
With this play I did something I have never done in all of my years of theatre-going. I just looked at my watch and found that I could make an evening show if I wanted. I hadn’t planned on this – didn’t do any research. I just went to Playbill on-line and picked one not too far away that I hadn’t seen – – thus Letters of Suresh. Luckily it paid off and the play was the perfect choice for the evening.
Essentially Letters of Suresh is a series of letters that were found in the meager estate of a dead priest in Hiroshima. Over the years he had corresponded to Suresh about life and love. These letters where found and through a third party they are read and passed on to another reader. Essentially the correspondence of one pair of penpals grew into a small group of people that were transformed by the beauty and honesty of the writing. Each person that read the letters was driven to become a writer and the art of letter writing blossomed.
