Cyprus Avenue
Written by David Ireland
Directed by Vicky Featherstone
The Public Theatre
June 9, 2018
Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.

The baby is going to die.  Don’t treat this as a spoiler to the play.  From the very first moment when the baby is handled a bit too objectively – –  you KNOW it doesn’t stand a chance – – – and for ninety terrible – beautiful and outrageously acted moments – we play out the inevitable tragedy.  What made this play a bit brutal from the start was how close it plays through mental illness, depression and even suicide.  Just days ago we lost Kate Spade and Andrew Bourdain.  The world has just become too dangerous, too private, and too painful to take personal tragedy this casually!  Continue reading Cyprus Avenue →

A Letter to Harvey Milk
Lyrics by Ellen M. Schwartz
Music by Laura Kramer
Book by Ellen Schwartz, Cheryl Stern, Laura Kramer, and Jerry James
Directed by Evan Pappas
The Acorn Theatre
May 12, 2018
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

A Letter to Harvey Milk was just such a sweet way to spend a Saturday afternoon in NYC.  From the notices of the play it was difficult to tell what the musical was actually going to be about.  Was it going to be some kind of a biography of Harvey Milk or a story of an older Jewish man trying to come to piece with being a widower after so many years of a happy marriage – – or – or was it going to be a story of the power of writing as a way to release your mojo?  Which?  How? To what end? Continue reading A Letter to Harvey Milk →

Afterglow
Written by S. Asher Gelman
Directed by S. Asher Gelman
The Loft at the Davenport Theatre
March 11, 2018
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

Well, I saw it before.  Here were my thought 6 months ago: http://nyctheatreaddict.com/afterglow/ .  Now what would lead me back to see a show a second time – – which I have only done a handful of time in over 30 years of NYC theatre going?  Could nudity be a part of the answer?  Damn right.  There is a place for the sordid and exploitive.  Not all theatre needs to uplift or enlighten.  Sometimes two dudes in a shower is enough for a Friday night in NYC. Continue reading Afterglow →

Amy and the Orphans
Written by Lindsey Ferrentino
Directed by Scott Ellis
Roundabout: Laura Pels Theatre
March 20, 2018
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

Amy and the Orphans was damn near the best show I have seen in a long time.  I know there are those who do not value the comedy and would only say that ratings of 💉💉💉💉 ro 💉💉💉💉💉 must go to a drama – because of their profundity, but I disagree!  A great night in the theatre is a great night in the theatre!

I have to admit that part of my reason in going to see Amy and the Orphans was to see how a woman with Down Syndrome would actually work out in a full theatrical production.  My very limited experience with those living with Down Syndrome convinced me that this was impossible.  But I was wrong!  Continue reading Amy and the Orphans →

Good for Otto
Written by David Rabe
Directed by Scott Elliot
The New Group at the Pershing Square Signature Theatre
March 21, 2018
Production website
💉 out of 5.

As a MFA Playwright from Penn State – and now a high school teacher of playwriting, I always run into the same problem with beginning writers. When given the choice to write about what they want to write  about, young students seem to gravitate to setting their play in the psychiatrist’s office.  The reason is clear – rather then writing a story with some conflict – rather than SHOWING us the story – they would rather put a wild, kooky outragious character on a psychiatrist couch and just drill them with questions to get a monologue out of them.  It is cheap easy playwriting.  You don’t have to SHOW us you can just TELL us – and that is not what our art form is about. Continue reading Good for Otto →