THEATRE

Unless you’re completely oblivious to current affairs and the world in which you live , you’d be hard pressed to not to notice the racial and socio-economic divide which has–and continues to– plague our nation.  Even before our recent election, many American cities and towns have been taut with tension from race and gender inequalities, unemployment, police brutalities, failing educational systems, and a recidivism rate that is unreasonably high. Now, it could be argued, our collective emotions and reactions have hit an apex and our responsibility to reunite and mend seems to be an insurmountable task. [Read more…] about Theater Review: “Notes From The Field”

Henry David Thoreau observed that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.”  While it may seem like pure schadenfreude, never before has such distress been more painfully entertaining than it is in The Barrow Group and Pond Theater Company’s impeccable staging of Mike Leigh’s classic play Abigail’s Party. Leigh’s timeless examination of class struggle is well known in the U.K. to the extent that the live 1977 theater version was preserved for television audiences and ranks as one of the 100 Greatest British Television Programs. For fans of classic British sitcoms, it might be argued that Abigail’s Party served as inspiration for Keeping Up Appearances, an early nineties television comedy that skewered both the middle and upper classes. [Read more…] about Theater Review: The Pond Makes a Splash with “Abigail’s Party”

One thing about Andy Bragen’s original comedy: It undeniably has a catchy title.  Currently at 59E59 Theater,  Don’t You F**king Say a Word is meant to be a high octane comedy about an ongoing, competitive tennis match between two testosterone fueled men and the women who love them.  Unfortunately, the title is the most provocative aspect you’ll find in this otherwise dull play. [Read more…] about Review- “Don’t You F**king Say a Word” & “Terms of Endearment” at 59E59th

Almost everyone had the same general reactions when I told them I was going to see a production of Coriolanus: “That’s not one of my favorite Shakespeare plays” or “That’s really not his best work”. I had never read it- nor had I seen it staged anywhere- so I approached the material with fresh eyes.  I was hesitant, given the fact that I did not know the theatre company and believe that Shakespeare in the wrong hands can be deadly. [Read more…] about Theater Review: “Coriolanus: From Man to Dragon”

Show queens and theater nerds were obviously in their element this past Monday evening, November 7^th, when Broadway diva Chita Rivera headlined Carnegie Hall. The stage legend practically taught a master class on the way things should be done in show business. At 83, she ought to know. In a evening entitled “Nowadays”, Rivera took a thrilling and reflective walk down memory lane, recalling her leading roles in West Side Story, Sweet Charity, Chicago, The Visit, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink, and Bye, Bye Birdie. [Read more…] about Chita Rivera’s “Nowadays” at Carnegie Hall

As cosmopolitan theater-goers, we have the luxury and all too often, the unfortunate oblivion when it comes to feeling the pulse of America’s heartland.  Even if, as transplants, we return to our native hometowns, our conscience is somehow anesthetized to the daily harsh realities that far too many in middle America contend with on a daily basis. [Read more…] about Theater Review: Pulitzer Prize Winner Lynn Nottage Breaks a “Sweat”