VIEWPOINTS – Puppetry and Madness: Jessica Scott’s SHIP OF FOOLS and Kevin Augustine’s THE GOD PROJEKT use phantasmagorical imagery to evoke internal discord

Puppetry, as with the visual arts in general, has the uncanny ability to draw visceral, many times unexplainable, reactions from its viewers. As such, the art form is an ideal … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – David Rabe’s VISITING EDNA at Chicago’s Steppenwolf is flawed but deeply unsettling

If there’s a poster child for Chicago theater, I would argue it’s the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The company’s brand of theater is ensemble-based and embraces bold, in-your-face acting style and storytelling. … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Goodman’s visually arresting WONDERFUL TOWN is tremendous fun

Leave it to Mary Zimmerman to come up with a visual equivalent to Leonard Bernstein’s infectious and irresistibly fast-and-loose score. Her production of the classic musical Wonderful Town is a … Continue Reading →

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 →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Simon McBurney’s singular THE ENCOUNTER is a transcendent piece of theater that should not be missed

Yesterday, Simon McBurney’s singular The Encounter unleashed itself onto Broadway. When I saw the production last year, I hailed it as one of the landmark experiences in my recent years … 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 →