THE HANGOVER REPORT – Richard Jones’s massive production of JUDGMENT DAY is a mismatch for the suffocating noir of Christopher Shinn’s adaptation

For a limited time this winter at the Park Avenue Armory, British director Richard Jones has taken over the Wade Thompson Drill Hall to mount the world premiere staging of Christopher Shinn’s … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A pair of loving revivals of Victorian-era works charm audiences over the holidays: THE MIKADO & LONDON ASSURANCE

Also over the holidays, two loving revivals of arguably archaic 19th century British works charmed New York audiences. First in line was The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ new … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Memorable holiday performances at Lincoln Center: THE NUTCRACKER, CELEBRATING SONDHEIM, DER ROSENKAVALIER

Over the past few weeks, Lincoln Center provided some iconic entertainment, befitting the holiday season and the storied performance arts complex. At the David H. Koch Theater, I caught two … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The Best of 2019

2019 is now officially a series of memories. Here are the best of them (in alphabetical order, by category).   BEST NEW PLAYS Ain’t No Mo’ (The Public Theater) BLKS (MCC … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Lauren Gunderson’s conventional THE HALF-LIFE OF MARIE CURIE features a pair of passionate performances that do their trailblazing subjects proud

In recent years, Audible Theater has been assembling a constellation of wonderfully performed, usually starry Off-Broadway solo shows (to date, I’ve seen five of their productions: Harry Clarke, Girls and … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – A living nightmare: Lucas Hnath’s stealthy psychological thriller THE THIN PLACE conjures first-hand terror

Of the crop of thriving contemporary playwrights, Lucas Hnath just might be the most consistently adventurous, both conceptually and stylistically. Over the years, he’s reliably surprised and delighted theatergoers with … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Daniel Kitson’s existential, purposefully elusive KEEP offers no prescriptive answers

This winter, British comedian/monologist Daniel Kitson has returned to St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn with Keep (I had previously seen his ANALOGUE.UE and Mouse, both also at St. Ann’s). Mr. Kitson’s brand of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Abbie Spallen’s emotionally unfiltered PUMPGIRL finds poetry in small town tragedy and desperation

Off-Broadway’s Irish Repertory Theatre is currently playing host to the extended run of Abbie Spallen’s 2006 play Pumpgirl. Set in a dead end community in rural Northern Ireland, Ms. Sprallen’s play tells the tale of two … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Beyond the proscenium: BABY, IN MANY HANDS, THE COURTROOM & THE TROJAN WOMEN prove to be profoundly compelling immersive theatrical experiences

In the last week or so, I coincidently encountered quite the lineup of immersive theatrical productions. Interestingly, each proved to be compelling yet very different experiences despite their fourth wall-breaking commonalities. Perhaps … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Maury Yeston’s career is zestfully, economically represented in ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE THEATER at the York

Although his musicals have won more than their fair share of awards over the years (quite a slew of Tonys were accumulated between Nine, Grand Hotel, and Titanic alone), Broadway composer/lyricist Maury Yeston still strikes … Continue Reading →