Greater Clements
Written by Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by Davis McCallum
Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse
December 31, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Tonight was one of the most disturbing evenings I can remember having in the theatre in a long long time.Again, this was another play that I did no preparation for.Boy was I surprised!Tonight I saw two of the best acting performances of the year – for sure!
Edmund Donavan as Joe and Judith Ivey as Maggie just took me away!Never have I seen acting that just took my breath away and truly scared me.Usually I am not such a fan of realism – finding it a bit too much like so much of TV – but this is modern realism done right.Three hours went by and I never checked my watch. Continue reading Greater Clements→
Ink
Written by James Graham
Directed by Rupert Goold
Manhattan Theatre Club
June 21, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Ink is an explosion and of far more than just ink.I have never found a play that winds up so hard and so fast.The punch that it delivers at the end of Act 1 truly hit me viscerally and left me limping back to the lounge for the men’s room. It is one fast furious roller coaster.I had thought that I was going to see one of those comparatively gentle, sentimental plays such as “The Front Page” that explores the backstory of what it takes to put out a daily newspaper in the American 40’s.Well, this is London and this is nothing but brutal.Continue reading Ink→
The Prom
Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
Music by Matthew Sklar
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Longacre Theatre
June 8, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
This show is “enough” is the best possible way.It has enough humor, enough dance, enough music, enough laughs, and enough of a message.It is the best time I have had watching a good ol’ musical comedy in years.It is damm near perfect.If felt like the writer of the book and director watched this show very carefully and made sure that everything was in the right portion.I was worried that since it is about “show people” it was all going to be uncomfortably over the top – but, again it was just perfect.The silliness and making fun of itself was just right. Continue reading The Prom→
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Written by Terrence McNally
Directed by Rain Arbus
Broadhurst Theatre
June 6, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
It is an accomplishment to make a two-handed play like Frankie and Johnny work on the big stage on Broadway.But of course, when you have the rough, masculine and unique Michael Shannon, who can do anything, and Audra McDonald, who can do anything while looking gorgeous – – anything is possible.Continue reading Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune→
American Son
Written by Christopher Demos-Brown
Directed by Kenny Leon
Starring Kerry Washington and Steven Pasquale
Booth Theatre
January 3, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
This was by FAR the best play that I have seen in many months.In only about 75 tight moments on stage this play prepares you for a kick in the gut that my entire row in the theatre AUDIBLE recoiled at the play’s conclusion.It started with a slow wind-up as the mother (Kerry Washington) paces around the stage in complete agitated silence checking her cell phone again and again.It seems like forever.The lady next to me actually thought someone had forgotten to enter.But the pain of the wait was oh so necessary. Continue reading American Son→
Greater Clements
