Contributing Writer
Cromwell (Ben Miles) and King Henry (Nathaniel Parker) by Eugene Paul A huge, lavish, compelling retelling of the seething times of Henry VIII, how lust overcame religious duty Homo homini lupus. Hilary Mantel’s prize winning books, “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies” have been artfully fashioned by playwright Mike Poulton into a confident…
Kristin Chenoweth as Lily GarlandPhoto: Joan Marcus by Eugene Paul Screwball? Yes. Madcap? Yes. Zany? Yesss. Dizzying pace? Yes. Laughs? Galore. Laughs? Raucous. Laughs? Gut busters. Kristin Chenoweth? A scream. Peter Gallagher? A hoot. Andy Karl? A howl. Mark Linn-Baker, Michael McGrath, Mary Louise Wilson? Funny, funny, funny. Rick Faugno, Richard Riaz Yoder, Drew King,…
by Eugene Paul Helen Mirren is in residence on Broadway as the Queen. It behooves you to make haste to be in her presence. Here, in this splendiferous delight of ever in fashion old fashioned out and out theatrical craftsmanship, the compelling richness of Bob Crowley’s settings and costumes frame luminescent Helen Mirren as England’s…
Michael Alcide, Fernand Auguste, Ryan Jillian Kilpatrick, Chima Chikazunga, Darren Jerome Lamb, Cherith Scott. Photos by Gerry Goodstein by Eugene Paul There’s a prideful fervor in this Atlanta Black Theater Festival production of Dutchman which goes beyond the fact that Obie winner Dutchman is having yet another showing in the place that spawned it,…
Edgar with Misses DuvalPhoto by Joan Marcus by Eugene Paul Nevermore? Nevermore again, perhaps. And again. Poe’s swath is immense. And in this instance with this production once more bracing New York, twice as long, twice as lavish, twice as odd, twice as fantastical, Nevermore, the Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan…
Emily Padgett as Daisy Hilton and Erin Davie as Violet Hilton by Eugene Paul This heartbreakingly ambiguous entertainment, flecked with moments of beauty and laughter, is based on (a) a true story, the wrenching history of Daisy and Violet Hilton, (b) a horror film, Freaks, the passionate brainstorm of Tod Browning, which ruined his…
by Eugene Paul Sarah Ruhl, whose bewitching, off-beat plays, The Clean House and In The Next Room both produced by Lincoln Center, resulted in the commissioning of a new play by Ruhl, has responded at last despite a spate of other works that have taken her precious time. The Oldest Boy is that curious result,…
Tom Dugan in Wiesenthal. Photo credit: Carol Rosegg. By Eugene Paul He keeps a mug at the water cooler and another one on his desk, the other end of the long, disheveled office, and another sort of half way between on a shelf of the stuffed book cases covering the office wall. He’s always sipping at…
Gretchen Mol, Hari Dhillon ,Karen Pittman, and Josh Radnor Photos by Joan Marcus By Eugene Paul Riveting. If you’ve been too obsessed with what’s going on in the world to notice that Ayad Akhtar won an Obie for this, his play, Disgraced, in 2012, you’ll have to take notice now that it won the…
Rosemary Harris and Bhavesh Patel photos by Joan Marcus By Gene Paul Set designer Neil Patel’s elaborate Indian frame around the entire proscenium captures a certain exotic aura which enhances the tranquil, pale blue house – or is it a hotel? – within, its intricately arched windows saying this is India, 1930. A travel…