The Beacon Written by Nancy Harris Directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull Irish Repertory Theater October 20, 2024 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
The Beacon tells (in a most uninteresting, jumbled way) the story of Bev (Kate Mulgrew) a famed painter of abstract art welcoming her son Colm back to the family cottage with his new American bride just has Bev has embarked on a full-scale renovation replacing most of her walls with glass in an odd desire to seek more privacy. Enter an old family friend and home renovator, Donal who shares a secret (but not that scandalous) past with her son to be followed by a late inclusion of a local true crime podcaster interested in the death of Bev’s ex-husband and what do you get? – We don’t get much.
N/A Written by Mario Correa Directed by Diane Paulus Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center Theater June 15, 2024 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
N/A is a two woman play between N (a quite obvious Nancy Pelosi – right down to the look, clothes and hairstyle) and A (a near look-alike for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The two women meet on stage shortly after A has won the election to join the House of Representatives and makes her introduction to N. The playwright, Mario Correa, who actually served as a Congressional aide prior to writing this play, sets out to tell the story of the person whom many consider the most powerful woman in American history – and the “once-in-a-generation political talent who defied her.”
Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel directed by Charlotte Moore Irish Repertory Theatre June 12, 2024 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
Molly Sweeney tells the story of an independent, affable blind woman living a simple life in Northern Ireland. Her life takes a huge change in direction when she meets her husband who has a passion for self improvement and wonders if his wife’s sight can be restored. At his prompting, they seek out the advice of a surgeon who claims that although the success may be slim an operation is worth the risk. After all, what does she have to lose.
What Became of Us by Shayan Lotfi Directed by Jennifer Chang Atlantic Theatre May 30, 2024 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
What Became of Us was a very nice play. I wish that it had been more than just a nice play, but it really was just a nice play. The play told the story of two siblings, one born in their native country and one born in the US) as they each navigated their ties to both their birthplace, the United States and their relationships to their parents.
TransMasculine Cabaret by Vulva Va-Voom NYC Theatre Fringe Festival at 14th Street Y April 13, 2024 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
This second slice of Fringe Theatre for the trip certainly worked better than the first. To begin, the artist actually cared and invested in their message and how it was being shared. The story told was of a performer dressed as a female preparing for a cabaret performance that slowly transforms into a performance as a “drag king”. Along the way the performer- they/them shares the journey that they have experienced as a trans performer and how they have been received both off and on stage. The play is wild and offensive, gross and caustic – all good things you expect from a fringe piece.
