E – Photographed by Solwazi Afi Olusola- R. Pikser Why do we go to see dance or to listen to music? One reason is to admire the skill of those who do what we cannot do: We go to witness others being alive, so that we, too, may partake of their vitality. But…
Richard Topol and Cassie Beck photos by Joan Marcus by Deirdre Donovan Misogynist? Madman? Genius? The Swedish-writer August Strindberg was all of these, and then some. Born on January 22, 1849 on the islet of Riddarholmen in Stockholm, Strindberg became—in the admiring words of Eugene O’Neil—the “most modern of moderns” when it…
Ethan Hawke, Paul Dano Photo: Joan Marcus by Fern Siegel Before we knew the term “toxic masculinity,” Sam Shepard’s 1980 play True West, now in revival at the American Airlines Theatre, reveled in it. The story of two mismatched brothers is a study in menace, sibling rivalry and family despair. It’s like…
Jessica Fontana, Ann Harada, Lilli Cooper, Santino Fontana, Vishal Vaidya by Julia Polinsky Lyrics & Lyricists at the 92nd Street Y has long been the gold standard for celebrations of the American songbook. They’re lovely anthology shows: a couple of hours of superb (mostly) songs, sung by terrific (mostly) singers, backed by…
Photo by Bjorn Bolinder Review by Julia Polinsky Broken Box Mime Theater has crafted an evening of terrific stories out of nothing but their bodies, their mime-mask faces, and a couple of boxes. Even if the prospect of an evening of mime, mime, and more mime makes you cringe, give it a chance and go…
David Ganly and Niall Buggy (back) Photos by Patrick Redmond On Blueberry Hill By Ron Cohen On Blueberry Hill is a testament to the power of acting that’s both skilled and inspired. This Irish drama, in a production from Ireland’s award-winning Fishamble theater company, is basically two interlocking monologues, each of…
Jeff Daniels photos by Julieta Cervantes To Kill a Mockingbird By Ron Cohen Aaron Sorkin has done a monumental job in transplanting Harper Lee’s revered novel To Kill a Mockingbird into dramatic form. And it’s being performed in an emotion-grabbing production that helps elevate an extraordinary Broadway season for straight plays to even…
Nicholas J. Ashe, J. Quinton Johnson, Jeremy Pope, Caleb Eberhardt ,John Clay III Photos by Matthew Murphy , By Ron Cohen In 1968, the writings of Lorraine Hansberry were adapted into a posthumous play entitled To Be Young, Gifted and Black. The title, later shaped into a song by Nina Simone, became…
John Noble photos by Shirin Tinati by Julia Polinsky Ensemble for the Romantic Century creates extraordinary staged readings/theatrical multimedia concerts of chamber music, melding multiple art forms into good drama – most of the time. Maestro may be the least successful of the ensemble’s excursions into that fusion of arts and artists…
Marin Ireland Photo Credit: Ahron R. Foster Blue Ridge By Ron Cohen Alison, the central character in emerging playwright Abby Rosebrock’s heartfelt if somewhat muddled drama Blue Ridge, is a high school English teacher who can get really angry. How angry? When the school principal who’s also her lover does her wrong…