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.
All of Me by Laura Winters directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe The New Group at Signature Theatre June 11, 2024 Production website 💉💉💉 out of 5.
All of Me is a boy-meets-girl romantic comedy that follows the love story between Lucy and Alfonso, who have a sweet first meeting outside in a hospital parking lot. Lucy, who dreams of being a jazz singer, and Alfonso, a healthcare researcher, face hurdles that have plagued lovers since time immemorial, including race, class, and disapproving mothers. But their story has an added layer: The dynamic pair use mobility devices and text-to-speech device and apps to communicate. It is interesting that what is very new to the audience – at least to me – is the text-to-speech device that gives that unmistakable “Stephen Hawking voice” is not what is the source of the conflict. The complex disability is really not the disability.
The Welkin by Lucy Kirkwood Directed by Sarah Benson Atlantic Theatre June 9, 2024 Production website 💉💉💉 out of 5.
This has to be the most gruesome, vile, horrifying play that I have seen in a good long time. It is bloodier than many of those bloody Irish plays! Set in 1759, on the night of Halley’s Comet passing, a dozen rural women are enlisted to decide the fate of a young woman (a horrible human being herself) convicted of murdering the young daughter of her wealthy employer. The alleged murderer claims that she is pregnant and, if true, she will escape being hanged in the public square. Thus, the men of the town have locked 12 matrons of the town in a room with the alleged murderer to determine if she is indeed pregnant and thus innocent.
Dark Noon by Peter Morgan Written & Directed by Tue Biering Co-Directed & Choreographed by Nhlanhla Mahlangu St. Ann’s Warehouse June 7, 2024 Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Experimental theatre can be a real risk. It can either be the best of theatre or the kind of theatre that makes you want to chew your arm off to escape the trap of sitting there having to endure another hour of watching it. Dark Noon was the very BEST of experimental theatre. This group of South African actors (one white male, one black female, and the remainder black males) created a piece that set out to tell the history of white America from the founding of the country through the end of the Gold Rush and the Wild West.
Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen a new version by Amy Herzog Directed by Sam Gold Circle in the Square Theatre June 6, 2024 Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Enemy of the People was a lean, mean fighting machine of a play. This new version of the play as edited by Amy Herzog resembles her production of last season’s Doll’s House in that it is a stripped down production that gets to the heart of the story in the fewest steps needed. All of the window dressing is gone. The play uses the full theater-in-the-round experience that Circle in the Square can uniquely provide so you really feel close to the action itself. Of course, you do have the problem of the actors turning their back to you at times and the occasional chandelier that is in your line of sight, (I swear, I wanted to climb on stage and take that chandelier down, but . . . ) but this is a very small price to pay for this front row opportunity to see this drama.
