A Celebration of Harold Pinter
written by Harold Pinter
starring Julian Sands
directed by John Malkovich
The Irish Repertory Theatre
March 19, 2016 Production website
💉💉 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→
Gay marriage is a done deal – – now the issue that is up to bat is gay parenting. Dada Woof Papa Hot explores the joys and challenges of gay parenting. This is certainly a relevant issue in that the next step on the road to true equality for gay Americans is the right to be parents. The play certainly looks into the many ramifications of this issue from the silly to the naughty to the serious. Continue reading Dada Woof Papa Hot→
This play has appeared on my Theatre History test for the last 25 years. The question reads, “What classic naturalistic novel established the writing career of Emile Zola?” The answer is – – you got it!
I was so anxious to see this almost-never-done play to see if my lectures had any truth to them. To begin, I thought it a bit odd that this production was on Broadway. To me this play just seems to scream Off-Broadway. How in the world did this choice translate to the huge Studio 54 venue? I was more then curious. Continue reading Therese Raquin→
Cloud Nine was the dirtiest play that I have ever read – that is when I was in undergraduate school in the early eighties. It was full of not only talk about gender, cross-dressing, gay and lesbian issues – – it actually played them out – – and further – – it went on to stage actual sex acts on stage. I thought the world of that the world of theatre was going to change forever! It did! – – at least to the the 90’s when all of this actually become a bit played out – and certainly here in the 21st century it plays out as a curious period piece of a play suffering as a severe horn-dog and unable to find a date for the weekend. Continue reading Cloud Nine→
Ubu Roi
prestented by Cheek by Jowl
by Alfred Jarry
directed by Declan Donnellan
Lincoln Center Festival
Gerald W. Lynch Theatre
July 22, 2015
Production website 💉💉 out of 5
When a play begins with a live camera on stage projecting itself on the back wall – – I grow a bit afraid. How many times I have seen this gimmick and saw actors more worried about the image they are projecting on the back wall then making something happen between the people on the stage. Follow me for just the first few minutes of the play and you will see what I am talking about. The very monochromatic, beige stage features one man lounging on the couch playing with a live camera – – just looking into the lens and playing with the buttons. Cheerful French radio plays from the onstage radio. Then the play begins. Continue reading Ubo Roi→
A Celebration of Harold Pinter
