Sweat
Written by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Kate Whoriskey
Studio 54
June 14, 2017
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

Who actually are those people that voted for Trump as the President of the United States?  Who are those people?  Ironically in the liberal bastion that is New York we are given an answer.  Sweat focus on a small union-working collection of people in the heartland of the country. Their jobs are dependent on the manufacturing industry that is being so damaged by the NAFTA agreement that became such a contentious piece of legislation in the recent national election.   Continue reading Sweat →

Doll’s House Part 2
Written by Lucas Hnath
Starring Laurie Metcalf, Chris Cooper, Jayne Houdyshell, and Condola Rashad
Directed by Sam Gold
Golden Theatre
June 13, 2017
Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

This my readers THIS is a play!  90 minutes has never flown faster.  I was grabbed by my collar and whisked away and thrown out in the street later in numb silence to figure out what the f*** just happened.

I teach the good ‘ol Ibsen Dolls House every year to sophomores.  28 years of sophomores have walked through this story with me.  It bored some – – but the majority were really captivated by the blackmail and the sweet little skylark standing up and kicking some Torvald ass.  But what happened after the mighty door slam?  What happened to a woman who just gave it all up – – husband, children and station in society?  Where did she go?  What did she do? Continue reading Doll’s House Part 2 →

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Book by David Greig
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Witty and Marc Shaiman
Directed by Jack O’Brien
Lunt-Fontain Theatre
June 12, 2017
Production website
💉 out of 5.

I am sitting in a sea of very young children and I a wondering why Broadway has so very few offerings on a Monday night of theatre going.  This is just not fun.  The moment I walked into the lobby and saw the concession stand pumping endless sugar candy into the mouthes of over-hyped children I panicked.

This show had lots of problems.   Continue reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory →

Marvin’s Room
Written by Scott McPherson
Directed by Anne Kauffman
American Airlines Theatre
June 11, 2017
Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.

As an acting teacher there are scenes and monologues that you see a hundred times (as in the “care of the wig” scene) in this play.  After awhile you almost become numb to the scene as it becomes more of an academic exercise then a real story .  . . so it was nice to go back and discover the rich story that is here.

I am not sure if the young students that I took with me could really connect with the gut of this story.  Dealing with chronic, prolonged illness just changes everyone.  More than the patient, the entire house becomes a sick place.  And even more acutely the ones who are the caretakers are sicker than the patients.  This, I pray, is years and years away from the experience of these teenagers. Continue reading Marvin’s Room →

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Music, Lyrics, Book and Orchestration by Dave Malloy
Directed by Rachel Chavkin
Imperial  Theatre
June 10, 2017
Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

This musical was like a full exotic dinner with course after course of food that you could never imagine, served in a way you couldn’t anticipate, with a flavor that was both familiar and exotic.  That is my best shot at describing the “experience” of seeing the Great Comet.  The entire theatre had been gutted and made into a Russian beer hall.   A similar attempt was made by Broadway’s Cabaret a few years ago – but this TRULY took the idea and ran with it,   Food was served (or rather tossed) at the show’s beginning and much of the audience sat at candle lit tables. Continue reading Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 →