L-R: Steve Nicolson, Simon Greenall, Will Barton, Matthew Kelly and Matt Sutton in TOAST. Photo by Oliver King) By Rachel Goddard You’ve probably never thought about what it would be like to be the fly on the wall of a bread factory break room, but that’s what Richard Bean (One Man Two Guvnors)…
Aoife Duffin photos by Mihaela Bodlovic. By Eugene Paul Curious how trends seem to compound. There have been countless plays, workshops, lectures, even performance artists on the sexual abuse of very young girls and the enduring effects on their lives. So it is not truly surprising that A Girl is a Half-formed Thing has…
Murray Abraham as Nathan photos by Richard Termine by Deirdre Donovan Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s Nathan the Wise is not a play to pass quick judgment on. At first blush it might seem the dramatic equivalent of watching paint dry. But those audience members who stay for the entire 2-hour production at the Classic…
Nat DeWolf, Maria Striar, Crystal Finn & April Matthis photos by Joan Marcus by Michall Jeffers Winston Churchill described Russia as “ A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” The same could be said, much less profoundly, of Antlia Pneumatica. Just when you think you’ve gotten a handle on it, the play…
L-R: Michael Ray Wisely, Carrie Paff, Mark Anderson Phillips, and Ben Euphrat Photos by Carol Rosegg By Eugene Paul Bill English’s conference room setting is so apt we’re immediately persuaded to believe whatever happens. Scooter (Ben Euphrat) and Hannah (Carrie Paff) are prepping for a meeting. The friction between them is sending us…
Sanjit De Silva, Claire Danes, and John Krasinski photos by Carol Rosegg Dry Powder By Ron Cohen “People don’t relate to me,” says Jenny, the delightfully monstrous financial executive portrayed with laser-like acuity by Claire Danes in Dry Powder, an exceptional new comedy by Sarah Burgess. The reverse, of course, is equally…
Ray (Alex Breaux) swims a lap in the pool that scenic designer Riccardo Hernandez (© Joan Marcus) By Rachel Goddard The play begins with Ray, played by Alex Breaux (The Real Thing) swimming the length of a plexiglass-walled pool which covers the entire front portion of the stage, the creative innovation of set-designer,…
(L-R) Susannah Flood, George Demas, Kati Brazda and Carter Hudson in ‘The Effect’ Courtesy of Matthew Murphy by Deirdre Donovan Lucy Prebble’s provocative new play The Effect, is a brain-teaser with a heart. Superbly directed by David Cromer, and under the aegis of The National Theatre of Great Britain’s North American wing, it’s…
by Deirdre Donovan The Actors Theatre Company (TACT) and the Gingold Theatrical Group (GTG) join hands and mount George Bernard Shaw first play Widowers’ Houses. Under the direction of the GTG’s Artistic Director David Staller, this is a rare opportunity to see Shaw’s maiden play staged with meticulous care. The program’s cover neatly…
By Ron Cohen The Royale is a taut, sometimes harrowing depiction of racism in America circa 1900, which unfortunately still resonates powerfully today. It’s also inventive drama, directed with élan and acted with incandescent fury. As a program note tells us, Marco Ramirez’s play is based on the life of Jack Johnson,…