It’s 1959. Two veterans of the Great War sit in silence. HENRI: I love the month of August GUSTAVE: I knew it couldn’t last, the…
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Category: Reviews
BOOTYCANDY (Wilma): Bringing genitalia to the stage
There is a certain brand of comedy that bases its entire aesthetic on the idea that genitalia, in and of itself, is hilarious. A lot…
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THE LYSISTRATA PROJECT (Simpatico): A momentary delight
Ancient Greek historian Thucydides introduced his majestic History of the Peloponnesian War by claiming it was “not a piece of writing designed to meet the…
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THE GAMBLING ROOM (Hella Fresh Theater): An ambitious conundrum
Hella Fresh is staging THE GAMBLING ROOM at Papermill Theater in Kensington. One of several little companies working in small neighborhood venues, Hella Fresh is…
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Azuka Charms with FAILURE: A LOVE STORY
In 1900 the city of Chicago reversed the flow of the Chicago River so that it discharged into the Mississippi River instead of Lake Michigan.…
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THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (Curio): 60-second review
“Rare moths, wives pretending to be sisters,” deadly moors, escaped killers, and a legendary hellhound: the plot points of Arthur Conan Doyle’s THE HOUND OF…
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THE MISANTHROPE (Quintessence): What’s not to like?
I hope one day to see (and understand) a Moliere play in the original French, though as I’m not doing anything about that desire except…
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JAPANAMERICA WONDERWAVE (Team Sunshine): Post-tsunami, pre-understanding
I came to theater through literature: words brought to life onstage. But seeing any small amount of theater, you quickly realize that that much is…
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NORTH OF THE BOULEVARD (Theatre Exile): If the Boss wrote plays he’d write this one
A few years ago I was at that good used bookstore on 20th Street by the Free Library and saw a crowd gathering on the…
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KARMA 101 (GoCar Productions): 60-second review
It’s a pretty safe bet that you didn’t have a high school teacher as cool as Aaron “Gobanna” Pleasant. By turns musician, radio DJ, and teacher at Philadelphia Mennonite High School, Pleasant wrote KARMA 101 to teach high schoolers about the realities of growing up, making decisions, and higher education.
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ARMS AND THE MAN (Quintessence) plays up the farce
Two main threads run through George Bernard Shaw’s plays: social critique (he was an early member of the socialist Fabian society) and sharp observant humor.…
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60-second review: FUTURE FEST (Luna)
“One generation’s Orwellian dystopia is the next generation’s comfort-inducing lifestyle.” J. Ferron Hiatt, FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI TOY AND NOVELTY. The six short plays in Luna Theater’s…
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Still Devastating: RUINED at The Stagecrafters
The outskirts of Philadelphia are blessed with several high quality community theaters, and visits to them are a welcome treat for theatergoers accustomed to the cadence of…
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60-second review: THE AMERICA PLAY (P&P)
Abraham Lincoln’s status as “the Great Emancipator” is a foundational myth of the American nation: a racially loaded narrative explored and satirized by Suzan-Lori Parks…
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Wilde’s curious SALOME at Villanova Theatre
They only believe in things that can’t be seen. Oscar Wilde’s witty drawing room comedies are well known to theatergoers. SALOME, an experimental modernist piece…
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60-second review: THE HAND OF GAUL (Inis Nua)
A pleasingly unpretentious comedy, THE HAND OF GAUL is something of a departure for Inis Nua, which generally produces serious works by contemporary Irish and…
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Everybody’s talking about TIMON OF ATHENS (PAC)
With their engaging interpretations of classic plays, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective has established a reputation as one of the best and boldest independent theater companies in…
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TIMON OF ATHENS (PAC) A rare glimpse at a Shakespeare work
I’m going to go out on a limb and say William Shakespeare is a pretty good playwright. Yet his stories, his speeches, his one-liners have so…
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60-Second Review: EVERYONE AND I (Azuka)
“I go back where I came from to 6th Avenue/ and the tobacconist in the Ziegfeld Theatre and/ casually ask for a carton of Gauloises…
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MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Philly Shakes): A Shakespeare comedy that’s actually funny
When presenting Shakespeare comedies, companies often forget that they should be funny. This is not the case with Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre’s production of MUCH ADO…
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