VIEWPOINTS – Pride Plays Aplenty: There’s no shortage of queer-themed plays to choose from this Pride Month

This Pride Month in New York, there’s no shortage of queer-themed plays to choose from. Last week alone, I attended two new plays with heavy LGBTQ+ messaging, MCC Theater’s production … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Bushwick Starr’s immersive but underdeveloped QUINCE christens the company’s new playing space

This past week, I ventured out to Brooklyn to take in The Bushwick Starr’s production of Quince by Camilo Quiroz-Vázquez and Ellpetha Tsivicos (Ms. Tsivicos serves as the show’s director, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Igor Golyak’s dreamlike THE ORCHARD is an intriguingly high-tech but fleeting imprint of Chekhov’s play

Last week, The Orchard – Igor Golyak’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard – opened Off-Broadway at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. The staging comes by way of Mr. Golyak’s … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Donja R. Love’s tough yet tender SOFT depicts love and conflict in a dead end youth correctional facility and beyond

I spent my Sunday afternoon (just before the Tony Awards) taking in Donja R. Love’s play Soft, which is enjoying a world premiere run courtesy of Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater. As … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The earnest, issue-driven new musical ¡AMERICANO! possesses both heart and melody to spare

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend a performance of the new Off-Broadway musical ¡Americano! at New World Stages. The New York production – which concludes its limited … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Anchuli Felicia King’s admirably ambitious GOLDEN SHIELD bites off a bit more than it can chew

This past weekend at New York City Center, Anchuli Felicia King’s play Golden Shield concluded its Off-Broadway run. The production – courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club – tells the story … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Summerworks continues with Gab Reisman’s SPINDLE SHUTTLE NEEDLE, a topsy-turvy parable that seems inspired by the pandemic

This past week at The Wild Project, I caught Gab Reisman’s Spindle Shuttle Needle, the second offering of Clubbed Thumb’s 25th edition of its invaluable Summerworks series (the mini-festival of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Karen Hartman’s speculative drama NEW GOLDEN AGE unfolds like a disorienting “Dark Mirror” episode

I recently caught Karen Hartman’s New Golden Age at 59E59 Theaters. The production marks the return to in-person performance for Primary Stages, which over the years has had a successful … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Steppenwolf unveils its new Ensemble Theater with SEAGULL, Yasen Peyankov’s subtly updated adaptation of Chekhov’s play

I closed out my Chicago theater-going binge by attending a performance of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s highly anticipated production of Seagull at the company’s new Ensemble Theater. Although the recently-completed in-the-round … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Court Theatre’s perfectly-acted revival of August Wilson’s TWO TRAINS RUNNING is theater at its most life-giving

My theater-going winning streak in Chicago continued with the sensational revival of August Wilson’s Two Trains Running by the Court Theatre. Located on the South Side of the city on … Continue Reading →