VIEWPOINTS – At Odds: Theater & Magic

Already this season, three shows, both large and small, have prompted me to contemplate the relationship between magic and theater. These two genres of performance strike me as diametrically and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Two timely revivals celebrate Arthur Miller’s centennial

Arthur Miller, one of our great and most-produced playwrights, was born on October 17, 1915 birth, and this year marks the centennial of his birth.  To commemorate this landmark, two … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Women & Shakespeare: Taking ownership of HENRY IV

Perhaps in (subconscious) reaction to the Globe’s incredibly successful “original practices” productions of Twelfth Night and Richard II, in which men take on the women’s roles as was the practice … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Dabbling in some experimental theater, for better or worse

You never know what you’re going to get when you dabble in experimental theater. Indeed, this was the case with two avant-garde productions I had both the fortune and misfortune … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The dysfunctional family is alive and well in the theater

The dysfunctional family has long been a reliable staple in the theater. Audiences have long flocked to see juicy familial dramas, particularly those featuring domineering matriarchal characters, in plays by … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Two plays this fall theater season exemplify how far we’ve come

Two beautifully-acted plays this season have shown New York theatergoers how far gay life has evolved, at least in America, in the last half century or so. Seen together, these … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Mac Rogers’ sci-fi saga THE HONEYCOMB TRILOGY is compulsively watchable stuff

One of the pleasant surprises for me in this very busy fall theater season has been Mac Rogers’ compulsively watchable The Honeycomb Trilogy at the Gym at Judson. Before I proceed, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Colin Quinn’s one-note New York City history lesson loses steam

You know something’s wrong when a 75 minute show feels 45 minutes too long. Well, that’s what I felt about Colin Quinn: New York Story, Mr. Quinn’s latest theater/stand-up comedy … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Abe Koogler’s KILL FLOOR is less than the sum of its considerable parts

Abe Koogler’s new play, Kill Floor, has a lot going for it. It’s beautifully and sensitively directed by Lila Neugebauer (whose work on last season’s production of A.R. Gurney’s The … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – David Lindsay-Abaire’s RIPCORD delights and warms the heart

Ripcord, David Lindsay-Abaire’s latest, is a warm-hearted comedy that’s receiving a delightful production via Manhattan Theatre Club. Although it doesn’t carry quite the same emotional punch as his Good People or … Continue Reading →