In most of Shakespeare’s tragedies, the characters are overtaken by the swirl of events, following fate to their bloody end. A notable exception is OTHELLO,…
View More 60-second review: OTHELLO (Philly Shakes)Author: Christopher Munden
Another entertaining stay at George F. Walker’s SUBURBAN MOTEL (Walking Fish)
Not a lot has changed since last time Walking Fish Theatre checked into George F. Walker’s Suburban Motel, for November’s PROBLEM CHILD. The room is…
View More Another entertaining stay at George F. Walker’s SUBURBAN MOTEL (Walking Fish)Theatre Confetti is On Target with EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM
Stretched along the long wall of Old City’s Power Plant Basement, Theatre Confetti’s set for EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM evokes the emptiness…
View More Theatre Confetti is On Target with EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEMA Hollywood Wasteland: New City’s HURLYBURLY
“When shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain? When the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.” —William Shakespeare, MACBETH…
View More A Hollywood Wasteland: New City’s HURLYBURLY60-second review: ENDGAME (Arden)
Samuel Beckett’s ENDGAME (now onstage at the Arden Theatre) is empty and confusing; the action confined, the pacing slow. For all this, it’s a great…
View More 60-second review: ENDGAME (Arden)60-second review: EQUUS (Curio)
Peter Shaffer’s EQUUS premiered in 1973, and its age shows. A psycho-sexual exploration of insanity, spirituality, and conformity, it continues to appeal to generations of…
View More 60-second review: EQUUS (Curio)60-second review: THE AMISH PROJECT (Simpatico/Renegade)
After a solid run from upstart Renegade Company, THE AMISH PROJECT is getting a revamped co-production with star indie company, Simpatico Theatre Project. Janice Rowland…
View More 60-second review: THE AMISH PROJECT (Simpatico/Renegade)InterAct’s ASSASSIN Hits Hard
Every week there seems to be another news story about the dangers of NFL football. The average career length for an outfield offensive player (running…
View More InterAct’s ASSASSIN Hits HardA Darker Emerald Isle: Lantern’s THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE
The Lantern Theater Company’s production of THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE completes its presentation of Martin McDonagh’s Leenane Trilogy, following 2007’s THE LONESOME WEST and…
View More A Darker Emerald Isle: Lantern’s THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANESharing a Cerveza with THE DRUNK LION
“My mom always told me to be careful accepting invitations, but how often does a Mexican lion invite you to a cantina?” Philadelphia has bright…
View More Sharing a Cerveza with THE DRUNK LION“Reviewing a Play”
Writing a play review, a brief critical account of an actual performance, involves making an evaluation.
View More “Reviewing a Play”SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF (Wilma): A genius performance by John Douglas Thompson
For some time I’ve read effusive descriptions of John Douglas Thompson’s acting. They are all true—he is an incredible talent. In SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF, now in a brief run at the Wilma Theater, Thompson brilliantly portrays Louis Armstrong, the musician’s hard-nosed talent manager, and other characters, switching diction and mannerism so completely that he seems to inhabit different bodies with each change.
View More SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF (Wilma): A genius performance by John Douglas ThompsonPOOKIE GOES GRENADING (Azuka): The filling for your existential doughnut hole
Behind a thick veneer of such entertainingly hilarious absurdity, Azuka Theatre’s world premiere production of J.C. Lee’s POOKIE GOES GRENADING explores the self-serious commitment necessary to produce any works of artistic expression. Lee’s script is theatrical comedy at its best, fast-paced fun with seriously smart dialog and perceptive underpinnings.
View More POOKIE GOES GRENADING (Azuka): The filling for your existential doughnut holeWalking Fish’s PROBLEM CHILD is One To Love
Kensington’s Walking Fish Theatre continues its presentation of George F. Walker’s Suburban Motel series with PROBLEM CHILD. Walker’s cycle features six plays set in the…
View More Walking Fish’s PROBLEM CHILD is One To LoveFever Dream’s BEYOND THERAPY Is No Couch Potato
There is something appealing about short theater. A ten to thirty minute play can be unapologetically funny, without aiming for emotional depth or bothering with character…
View More Fever Dream’s BEYOND THERAPY Is No Couch PotatoDivided By Faith: Curio Theatre’s THE RUNNER STUMBLES
“At night I wonder how you are feeling, what you think, if you’re happy, if you can sleep. Even when I pray, I wonder what…
View More Divided By Faith: Curio Theatre’s THE RUNNER STUMBLESTreats of the 2012 Philly Fringe: THE GHOST SONATA and THE MAIDS
One of the great things about the Fringe Festival is the opportunity to see independent companies perform works unlikely to be attempted by more established…
View More Treats of the 2012 Philly Fringe: THE GHOST SONATA and THE MAIDSNeighborhood Treats of the 2012 Philly Fringe: Fishtown, Kensington, Northern Liberties
The annual Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe showcases dozens of local and international performing artists at venues all across the city, but you…
View More Neighborhood Treats of the 2012 Philly Fringe: Fishtown, Kensington, Northern LibertiesBest of Philadelphia Theater, 2011-12
Here are my annual picks for the best of Philadelphia theater: Best Play: August: Osage County (Arden) Honorable mention: The Island (Lantern) Best Actor, Male: Frank…
View More Best of Philadelphia Theater, 2011-12Plenty of Pulp: THE END OF CIVILIZATION at the Walking Fish
Some of the best entertainments are plot-heavy pulp mysteries: the film Double Indemnity, Raymond Chandler’s stories, Agatha Christie’s plays. With unemployment, serial killing, prostitution, addiction, and…
View More Plenty of Pulp: THE END OF CIVILIZATION at the Walking Fish