VIEWPOINTS – Filling in the void: Looking back at 59E59 THEATER’s eclectic summer programming

One of the things that struck me when watching The House of the Negro Insane earlier this week (my review of Terence Anthony’s pungent drama is forthcoming) is the extent to … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Laura Strausfeld’s THE REAL IVANOV truncates and puts a farcical spin on Chekhov’s early-career play, to mixed results

Anton Chekhov’s rarely-performed play Ivanov has been receiving notable attention as of late. Earlier this year, the newly-formed New American Ensemble presented a fabulously maximalist Off-Broadway revival of the play. … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In a rare revival of CITY OF ANGELS at Ogunquit Playhouse, Cy Coleman’s jazzy score pops in a fluid and cinematic staging

During a recent holiday trip to Maine this summer, I caught one of the final performances of Ogunquit Playhouse’s revival of City of Angels. Featuring a score by Cy Coleman, … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – STRATFORD FESTIVAL 2026: A roundup of Antony Cimolino’s wonderfully balanced farewell season

Earlier this month, I traveled up north across the border to Ontario, Canada to immerse myself in the 2026 season of the Stratford Festival — one of the few remaining … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Theater is alive and well across the pond: In LONDON, a healthy spread across musicals, plays, new works, and revivals

Earlier this summer, I had the great opportunity to visit London to catch up with the latest theatrical offerings – spread across musicals, plays, new works, revivals – on tap … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – London dramas take on new life Off-Broadway: The American premieres of John Donnelly’s THE PASS and Andrew Stein’s DISRUPTION

One of the best ways to get out of the August heat and humidity is to escape into one of the city’s womb-like, air-conditioned theaters to catch a new play … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Women under fire over the years: Assessing the current revivals of THE GIN GAME, AN AMERICAN DAUGHTER, and THE WINTER’S TALE

On the boards of Off-Broadway theaters this August, you’ll find a trio of revivals that depict, over the years and in various circumstances, women under fire by societal forces. Here … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Bespoke, unconventionally staged revivals that immerse audiences: Adult Film’s WOYZECK and GoodBadGroup’s THIS LIME TREE BOWER

This summer, I’ve come across a number of fascinating revivals that highlight a recent trend in New York theater — that is, to stage plays in intimate and unconventional spaces … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Stand-up comedy, musical theater, and cabaret collide in PEPPER SLIT LIVE IN HER LIVING ROOM and BROAD STROKES

This summer seems ripe for a certain type of musical entertainment. More specifically, a number of writers/performers have been thinking outside the box, creating immersive and intimate musical entertainments that … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The heartache of love: The New York transfer of Benedict Lombe’s SHIFTERS, the world premiere of Bubba Weiler’s THE SAVIORS

This past week Off-Broadway, I encountered a pair of carefully crafted new dramas — one a stylized depiction of a cosmic love across time and space; the other a fiercely … Continue Reading →