THE HANGOVER REPORT – Shakespeare in the Park’s refreshingly straightforward OTHELLO smartly stays out of the Bard’s path

This week, a traditionally-staged Othello opened at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, courtesy of the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park. Cleanly but assertively directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the staging refreshingly … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – FAIRVIEW & PASS OVER: Two ferocious new plays that forcefully, provocatively explore race in America

Over the last couple of days, a pair of ferocious racially-charged Off-Broadway plays roared opened in New York. Theater can be a confrontational medium, and both productions utilized this trait to … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The enticing Kander/Thompson/Stroman hybrid THE BEAST IN THE JUNGLE registers as traditional musical theater

This afternoon, I caught a matinee performance of The Beast in the Jungle at Off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre. The new, much anticipated self-proclaimed “dance play” is an enticing collaboration between some living legends of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Mallory Catlett’s dazzling, hypnotic THIS WAS THE END conjures a sort of singularity, via Chekhov

Last night at the Mabou Mines Theater in the East Village, I was thrilled to have been able to catch the final performance of the return engagement of Mallory Catlett’s … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – David Byrne’s ambitious SECRET LIFE OF HUMANS is compelling in concept, somewhat less so as theater

Last night, I further immersed myself in the annual Brits Off Broadway series by attending a performance of David Byrne’s Secret Life of Humans, presented by New Diorama Theatre in collaboration with … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Elevator Repair Service’s EVERYONE’S FINE WITH VIRGINIA WOOLF is a total hoot for the initiated

Elevator Repair Service has emerged over the years as one of New York’s premiere purveyors of experimental theater. As evidenced by their steady output of well-received avant-garde productions – they’re … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Maly Drama Theatre’s LOVE AND INTRIGUE, a Russian adaptation of a Schiller play, is a stylish slow burn

Last night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater, I caught the Maly Drama Theatre’s staging of Love and Intrigue, a Russian adaptation of a play by Friedrich von … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Angela Hanks’ quirky parody WILDER GONE is one of the funniest shows in New York

Last night at the Wild Project, I caught the second offering of this year’s Summerworks – the annual festival of new plays curated by the folks at Clubbed Thumb – … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Nilo Cruz’s melodramatic EXQUISITA AGONÍA is lost in translation

This past weekend, I caught a performance of Exquisita Agonía, the latest by Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist Nilo Cruz (he won the coveted prize with Anna in the Tropics), which runs in repertory at … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The hilarious, deceptively slight RANDY WRITES A NOVEL digs deeper than you’d think

Last night, I caught the final performance of the deceptively slight one-man comedy Randy Writes a Novel, an hilarious import from Australia (the show had made a number of international stops en … Continue Reading →