VIEWPOINTS – BAM’s Next Wave Festival admirably focuses on both emerging and established artists with Yoann Bourgeois’s MINUIT and Shen Wei’s NEITHER

The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s expansive Next Wave Festival marches on, and what’s becoming evident is the festival’s dedication to giving exposure to both emerging (the use of the relatively … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Riffing on the classics, for better or worse: Brian Friel’s AFTERPLAY and José Rivera’s adaptation of THE MAIDS

Artists have long been riffing on what’s come before them. I recently wrote a piece about two productions I saw at BAM in which contemporary theater makers have distilled The … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Roundabout’s HOLIDAY INN and Paper Mill’s THE PRODUCERS make for solid, old fashioned musical entertainment

With the recent closing of Christopher Wheeldon’s gorgeous musical adaptation of An American in Paris last weekend, New York was bereft of a soaring piece of musical storytelling in the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – A long day’s journey into night and back: Taylor Mac’s 24-hour A 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC was miraculous, triumphant

After 48 hours, I’m still reeling from the experience I had last weekend at St. Ann’s Warehouse. From noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday – that’s right, a whopping … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Distilling classic texts: BATTLEFIELD and SONGS OF LEAR at BAM

BAM’s Next Wave Festival continues with two shows that showcase theater’s ability to distill narratives, particularly classic texts depicting troubled kings, to a few elegant strokes. With running times of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Judith Light is sensational in Neil LaBute’s otherwise pedestrian ALL THE WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU

MCC Theater has long been the prolific Neil LaBute’s New York home. Not surprisingly, his latest play All the Ways to Say I Love You was unveiled last night at … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – NAT TURNER IN JERUSALEM and MAESTRO continue to prove the challenge of staging fully convincing bio-dramas

In my experience, when it comes to depicting historical figures, the genre of theater is at a unique disadvantage when compared to, say, books or cinema. Books have the benefit … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The overeager EMPATHITRAX falls short on theatrical know-how

I recently had a chance to catch Empathitrax, a new play by Ana Nogueira that’s currently closing out its run at HERE Arts Center. The premise is certainly fascinating – … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Excavating the truth of the matter through performance: THE BLACK CROOK and UNDERGROUND RAILROAD GAME

The Civilians (whose short run of The Undertaking at BAM ended last weekend) aren’t the only ones in town who are interested in “investigative” theater. Two ambitious Off-Broadway productions are … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Taryn Simon’s arresting AN OCCUPATION OF LOSS explores the act of mourning intimately, expansively

Last weekend marked the final days of An Occupation of Loss, Taryn Simon’s arresting and expansive exploration of the act of mourning – utilizing professional mourners from around the world – … Continue Reading →