THE HANGOVER REPORT – In the quirky new dark comedy WET BRAIN, John J. Caswell, Jr. pungently depicts a family woefully riddled with addiction

Earlier this week, John J. Caswell, Jr.’s Wet Brain opened at Playwrights Horizons (the production is being co-produced by MCC Theater). In the same vein as Caswell’s earlier play Man … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Tori Sampson’s impassioned THIS LAND WAS MADE speculatively looks back at the genesis of the Black Panther Party

Earlier this week, Tori Sampson’s This Land Was Made opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre. Set in Oakland in 1967, the impassioned new play in essence looks back at the genesis and … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The great Laurie Metcalf leads GREY HOUSE, Levi Holloway’s uneasy mix of deliciously pulpy horror and genuine trauma

Last week, the 2023/2024 Broadway season got underway when Levi Holloway’s Grey House officially opened at the Lyceum Theatre. Originally presented by Chicago’s tiny, envelope-pushing A Red Orchid Theatre, the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In an unlikely feat of intimacy and obsessive rigor, Joseph Medeiros brings Book 1 of THE ODYSSEY to theatrical life … in Ancient Greek

I recently had the opportunity to immerse myself in certainly one of the most unique and unlikely theatrical experiences I’ve had all year. In an unassuming, enclave-like private apartment in … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – ruth tang’s WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY kicks off Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks in typically offbeat manner

Last night at The Wild Project, I attended a performance of ruth tang’s Work Hard Have Fun Make History, the opening production of the 2023 edition of Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks series … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Bursts of drama from Flatbush to Washington Heights: Diane Exavier’s BERNARDA’S DAUGHTERS and Guadalís Del Carmen’s BEES & HONEY

This holiday weekend, I attended a pair new domestic dramas set in our teeming city that vividly capture diverse perspectives. Here are my thoughts on them. BERNARDA’S DAUGHTERSThe New Group … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Keeljay Gipson’s DEMONS. unpacks grief and inter-generational trauma in an unlikely, whimsical manner

Earlier this week, I wrote a piece about how several recent performances I’ve attended have addressed how to come to terms with grief. Continuing on this trajectory is Keeljay Gipson’s … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – La MaMa exquisitely reconstructs María Irene Fornés’s EVELYN BROWN (A DIARY), a poetic meditation on a lost life

Also last night, a rare revival of María Irene Fornés’s Evelyn Brown (A Diary) opened Off-Broadway at La MaMa’s The Downstairs performance space (in fact, the piece hasn’t been revived since premiering … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The perfectly pleasant stage musical adaptation of MONSOON WEDDING coasts on the strength of its terrific score

Last night, the anticipated stage adaptation of Monsoon Wedding opened at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. Based on the 2001 movie of the same name and conceived and staged by … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – A completist’s dream, J2 Spotlight’s rare revival of THE GOODBYE GIRL charms as it highlights the musical’s flaws

This past weekend, J2 Spotlight Musical completed its 2023 season with a short run of The Goodbye Girl at Theatre Row. Premiering on Broadway three decades ago, the musical features … Continue Reading →