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 →

VIEWPOINTS – NAT TURNER IN JERUSALEM and MAESTRO continue to prove the challenge of staging fully convincing bio-dramas

In my experience, when it comes to depicting historical figures, the genre of theater is at a unique disadvantage when compared to, say, books or cinema. Books have the benefit … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The overeager EMPATHITRAX falls short on theatrical know-how

I recently had a chance to catch Empathitrax, a new play by Ana Nogueira that’s currently closing out its run at HERE Arts Center. The premise is certainly fascinating – … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Excavating the truth of the matter through performance: THE BLACK CROOK and UNDERGROUND RAILROAD GAME

The Civilians (whose short run of The Undertaking at BAM ended last weekend) aren’t the only ones in town who are interested in “investigative” theater. Two ambitious Off-Broadway productions are … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Taryn Simon’s arresting AN OCCUPATION OF LOSS explores the act of mourning intimately, expansively

Last weekend marked the final days of An Occupation of Loss, Taryn Simon’s arresting and expansive exploration of the act of mourning – utilizing professional mourners from around the world – … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Sarah Delappe’s THE WOLVES is ferocious, stunning theater

Yesterday afternoon, I was lucky enough to catch Sarah Delappe’s rightfully acclaimed stunner of a play The Wolves, courtesy of Playwrights Realm at The Duke on 42nd Street. Over the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Civilians explore death and mortality in THE UNDERTAKING in typical inquisitive style at BAM

Back at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, I recently caught The Civilians’ latest piece, The Undertaking. I’ve been a fan of the company’s distinctive brand of investigative … Continue Reading →