Glass. Kill. What If If Only. IMP. Written by Caryl Churchill Directed by James Macdonald Martinson Stage – Public Theatre May 20, 2025 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
The above are the names of four very short plays written by Caryl Churchill that are woven together with a bit of acrobatic interludes to create a wonderful evening in the theatre. Actually, the first three: Glass. Kill. and What If If Only are very short and play out as the first act and Imp. stands alone as the second act. They all are tied together very loosely by themes of faith and our need for myth – – juxtaposed against the violence we live with. And, of course what we get with any Caryl Churchill play is a seductive, playful, dangerous use of language that you just don’t find that often in the theatre.
Bowl EP Written and directed by Nazareth Hassan Music by Free Fool Vineyard Theatre May 15, 2025 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
Bowl EP and the National Black Theatre – – – from all I could read about it going into the production was NOT going to be a production geared to my demographic – but that wasn’t going to stop me from going to seeing the production and expanding my theatrical repertoire. I love challenging myself as an audience member. The play sells itself as follows: Kelly K Klarkson and Quentavius da Quitter need to find a name for their rap group. Through flirty interludes, cringy overshares and practicing their “ollies”, they grow increasingly closer. Skating and Smoking. Skating and Drinking. Skating and exorcising a demon. With live skateboarding and original music, enter Bowl EP:
Eurydice Written by Sarah Ruhl Directed by Les Waters Signature Theatre May 13, 2025 Production website 💉💉💉 out of 5.
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl is a very popular play – – done by colleges and high schools around the county – one that I have seen many, many times. I was very much looking forward to seeing my first professional production of the play. I wish I had a better first professional showing than this one. The story is a most familiar one – it is the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and their ill fated love story. Orpheus and Eurydice are young lovers in the land of the living, but soon in the story Eurydice dies on her wedding day. Orpheus then descends into the underworld to bring her back – – – but is given one condition: he cannot look back at her on their journey back to the upper world or he risks loosing her forever. Just as they are about to reach the land of the living, Orpheus, doubting Eurydice is truly behind him, turns to look, which causes her to vanish back into the Underworld.
Drag: The Musical Book, Music, & Lyrics by Justin Andrew Honard, Tomas Costanza, & Ashley Gordon Directed & Choreographed by Spencer Lee New World Stage December 30, 2024 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
Produced and introduced by none other than Liza Minelli herself, Drag, the Musical centers on the rivalry of two drag clubs each facing its own set of troubles. At the Cat House—where Savannah St. James (Jan Sport), The Tigress (Jujubee) and Puss Puss DuBois (Nick Laughlin) hold court—girl boss Kitty Galloway (Alaska Thunderf*ck) is dealing with imminent eviction. Across the street at the Fish Tank, house mother Alexis Gillmore (Nick Adams, of Broadway’s Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) is in big trouble with the IRS; fellow queens Tuna Turner (Lagoona Bloo), Popcorn (Luxx Noir London) and Dixie Coxworth (Liisi LaFontaine) push her into seeking help into seeking help from her estranged accountant brother, Tom (played by Rent’s Adam Pascal).
Merchant of Venice Written by William Shakespeare Directed & Adapted by Igor Golyak Classic Stage Company December 22, 2024 Production website 💉 out of 5.
This was just a horrible night in the theatre and it was made even more horrible in that just a few months prior to this production it was this very same director (Igor Golyak) and same company of players (Arlekin Players) that turned in for me what was the finest piece of theatre of the entire year, Our Class. I thought that since both pieces deal the plight of the Jews and anti-Semitism, I was going to be in for a real treat seeing this fresh take on The Merchant of Venice which has long been regarded as one of Shakespeare’s so-called “problem” plays. Classically, it is called a “problem” play in that it’s both a comedy and tragedy; and the villain, the Jew, Shylock, is portrayed with the worst anti-semitic tropes. But the “problem” in this HORRIBLE adaptation is far more basic than anything cited by scholars. The messaging is muddied, and almost every line of the Bard’s text is just an excuse to do stupid stuff!
