Gregg Henry, center, and the company (Credit: Joan Marcus) By Arney Rosenblat The current retelling of the life and death of Julius Caesar, the 400 year old historic tale by William Shakespeare, has become a battle field, with friends of the present political administration whipping up the crowds to anger and retaliation just…
Mary Testa, Michael McGrath, Michael Urie, and Talene Monahon photos Carol Rosegg By Ron Cohen Believe it or not, some two hours of Russian-themed political corruption can provide you with a rollicking good time. You just have to forget our current imbroglios in Washington, DC, and turn yourself over to Red Bull Theater’s…
Juliette Binoche, photo credit: Stephanie Berger by Deirdre Donovan Sophokles’ Antigone might be old as the hills but with Belgian director Ivo van Hove and French actress Juliette Binoche teaming up in a new modern-dress version, the play gains cache and interest at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s 2015 Next Wave Festival. This touring production is a very…
by Deirdre Donovan The real reason to see Martin Sherman’s new play Gently Down the Stream, directed by Sean Mathias, is to see the one-and-only Harvey Fierstein back on a New York stage. The Tony Award winning actor-playwright teams up with another Tony Award winner, Gabriel Ebert (Matilda), and Christopher Sears…
By Ron Cohen There ae no burning crosses or lynchings, but the racism depicted in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Venus is virulent. This 1966 drama is being given a colorful and bruising Signature Theatre revival. Directed by Lear Debessonet and featuring a vibrant performance by Zainab Jah in the central role, the production renders full value to…
Ari Brand and Robert David Grant Photos by Richard Termin The Lucky One By Ron Cohen Can a person be too charming? That’s the dilemma facing Gerald Farringdon, the central character in A. A. Milne’s comedy drama The Lucky One, first produced in 1922 and now getting a sturdy revival…
la Ashe & Babak Tafti photos by Joan Marcus By Eugene Paul Hard working playwright Zayd Dohrn is both the beneficiary of Playwrights Horizons richly handsome production values and victim of their staging shortcomings, blessings and curses of the great, collaborative art which makes up Theater. If all aspects are not at…
Obi Abili photos by Carol Rosegg by Julia Polinsky The Emperor Jones at the Irish Repertory Theatre may be the best version of this play in many years. Between the terrific performance by Obi Abili as Jones, and the splendid vision of director Ciaran O’Reilly, this is one of those times when a…
Omar Metwally as Paul, Marisa Tomei as George, Lena Hall as Pip, Austin Smith as David and David McElwee as Freddie photos by Kyle Froman By Marc Miller A succinct verdict on How to Transcend a Happy Marriage, was offered up by a much-loved theater critic: “Well, it’s my favorite Sarah Ruhl play so…
Rob Nagle photos by Russ Rowland By Marc Miller There’s not much church, but plenty of state, in Church & State, Jason Odell Williams’s “serious comedy” now populating New World Stages. “State” as in the state of North Carolina, the current state of American politics, and an attempted statement on what to do about…