VIEWPOINTS – Mike Birbiglia and Neal Brennan’s stand-up comedy acts at the Lynn Redgrave prove the legitimacy and potency of the form

Currently playing in repertory down at the Lynn Redgrave Theater is an outstanding pair of solo shows in the guise of stand-up comedy acts: Mike Birbiglia’s Thank God for Jokes … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – In DC, two literary adaptations take to the stage, to varying results

Putting together stage adaptations of literary works is tricky business. By its very nature, literature is an introspective genre, being unmoored, really, from time and space. On the other hand, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Lucy Prebble’s THE EFFECT asks provocative questions in David Cromer’s incisive production at the Barrow Street Theatre

This past weekend, I caught the North American premiere of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect at the Barrow Street Theatre. The play, which was originally staged by the London’s prolific and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A trio of Off-Broadway plays discusses what it means to be poor in our capitalist society

Currently on the boards of our Off-Broadway theaters are a trio of plays (one a revival of a rarely-seen Shaw play and two new plays) that explore what it means … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The ravishing 10th anniversary reunion concert of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA was a night to cherish

Last night I was lucky enough to be in the audience of the ravising 10th anniversary reunion concert of Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas’s The Light in the Piazza at … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Chekhov and art: Theater-makers’ endless fascination with THE SEAGULL

During the last month, New Yorkers were privy to a rare occurrence. Concurrently in the city, theatergoers were able to take in two adventurous riffs on Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Encores! powerful modern dress, color-blind 1776 makes a strong case for the musical’s relevance

Last night, I caught a very fine revival of Sherman Edwards’ Tony-winning 1776 via New York City Center’s indispensable Encores! series. The musical, which had its Broadway premiere in 1969, … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Three auteurs grab hold of New York theater and opera goers’ imaginations

Cinema has long had the concept of the auteur in its vocabulary, which is defined as “a filmmaker whose personal influence and artistic control over a movie are so great … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Roundabout’s sterling revival of SHE LOVE’S ME is musical theater heaven

Folks, it doesn’t get much better than this. Yesterday, I had the great good fortune of catching Roundabout’s sterling revival of the effervescent, warm-hearted She Loves Me at Studio 54. … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Excellent performances lift Deirdre Kinahan’s MOMENT at Studio

Studio Theatre has long been one of the bedrocks of the Washington, DC theater scene, as well as the Logan Circle neighborhood. They continue to be just that with productions … Continue Reading →