Category Archives: Off-Broadway

Pericles

PericlesPericles
written by William Shakespeare
music composed by Shaun Davey
Featuring Christian Camargo
Directed by Trevor Nunn
Theatre for a New Audience
March 22, 2016
Production website
πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰ out of 5

I walked into the theatre and was immediately blown away. The theatre was set up as a 3/4 thrust. This is always one of the most exciting features of this theatre. Taking up the entire upstage wall is an ocular or large circular medallion that was backlit and seemed to glow. This ocular must have been 40’ in diameter. There was nothing else on stage – – just this big medallion. Wow! Continue reading Pericles

Straight

StraightStraight
written by Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola
and directed by Adam Sandberg
Acorn Theatre
March 21, 2016
Production websiteΒ 
πŸ’‰ out of 5

Gay plays scare me. I am so worried every time that I buy my tickets for a gay play I am going to see a second rate play. First off, I am a bit taken back by the very term β€œgay play.” I am thinking that by now the role of gay characters should be so assimilated into culture that there is no need for the β€œgay play.” That being said, many gay people, especially gay men love their gay theatre. Continue reading Straight

Prodigal Son

5.217344Prodigal Son
written and directed by John Patrick Shanley
Manhattan Theatre Club
March 20, 2016
Production website
πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰ out of 5

This play started out rather slowly for me. It was either because I had worn a sweater way to heavy for the heated theatre or I was just so able to expect the first moments. I saw the young prep school boy on stage with a model of a very formal New England prep school in the background and I could just guess that we were going down a predictable β€œGood Will Hunting” world. Continue reading Prodigal Son

A Celebration of Harold Pinter

subpinter-popupA Celebration of Harold Pinter
written by Harold Pinter
starring Julian Sands
directed by John Malkovich
The Irish Repertory Theatre
March 19, 2016
Production website
πŸ’‰πŸ’‰ out of 5

I really need to schedule that first show back in New York more carefully. After having been away from grown-up theatre for a few weeks/months my ear gets a little lazy. Way too many episodes of COPS and Jail (two of my decidedly guilty pleasures) have dumbed down my ear to mere shouting a few curse words. I have the attention span of a sparrow and an almost barbiturate response to a story asking more than 5 minutes of my time. Continue reading A Celebration of Harold Pinter

Steve

6464064_origSteve
Pershing Square SignatureΒ Theatre
Written by: Mark Gerrard
Directed by: Cynthia Nixon

Production websiteΒ πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰ out of 5.

You arrive to a very small theatre at the Signature Theatre building. The moment you enter you notice a nicely dressed man sitting on stage alone with a piano. He is playing show tunes. He is playing lots of show tunes. Then he is joined on stage with the remainder of the cast – – all well dressed – – all gathered up to the piano singing show tunes to each other. A few audience members – including myself – thought that what we SHOULD do is to find this so hooky, so yesterday, so beneath serious theatre audience goers. But Β . . . Continue reading Steve