(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
I have extremely mixed feelings concerning Amy Herzog's thriller about the unraveling of a codependent relationship. On the one hand, the production values of this New York Theatre Workshop production are superb -- the acting (by Maria Dizza and Greg Keller as the couple and Pascale Armand and Phillip James Brannon as the landlords of their Parisian flat), direction (by Anne Kauffman), set design (by Julia C. Lee), costumes (by Mark Nagle) and sound design (by Robert Kaplowitz). As in her previous work, Herzog excels at creating vivid characters and capturing the twisted patterns of communications in close relationships. Also admirable is the way she builds a feeling of menace and paranoia. On the other hand, I found the big reveal about what underlies the current situation disconcertingly implausible and the denouement (annoyingly in French) unnecessary. Although Annie Baker seems to be the current darling of the lemming critics, I'll stick with Amy Herzog even at less than her best. Running time: one hour, 40 minutes; no intermission.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Hit the Wall **
(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
Ike Holter's version of the Stonewall Riot of June 1969, now at the Barrow Street Theatre, is lively and contains some affecting moments, but it offers no new insights about the event and isn't even a very effective history lesson. The energetic ensemble cast tries, with varying success, to breathe life into stereotypical characters, chosen to reflect the diversity of the participants. Thus we get one drag queen, one black militant feminist, a WASP from suburbia appopriately called Newbie; a pair of wisecracking friends, one black and the other Hispanic; an innocent draft-dodger, a butch teen-aged lesbian, her straight sister, a closeted Wall Streeter, a cop and some hippie street musicians. Mix and match. There's dancing, rioting and a little gratuitous nudity. Nathan Lee Graham and Rania Salem Manganaro stand out as the drag queen and the young lesbian. Lauren Helpern's set design is a bit fragmented. David Hyman's costumes are fine. Director Eric Hoff keeps things moving. Ultimately, the play sheds more heat than light. Running time: 95 minutes, no intermission.
Ike Holter's version of the Stonewall Riot of June 1969, now at the Barrow Street Theatre, is lively and contains some affecting moments, but it offers no new insights about the event and isn't even a very effective history lesson. The energetic ensemble cast tries, with varying success, to breathe life into stereotypical characters, chosen to reflect the diversity of the participants. Thus we get one drag queen, one black militant feminist, a WASP from suburbia appopriately called Newbie; a pair of wisecracking friends, one black and the other Hispanic; an innocent draft-dodger, a butch teen-aged lesbian, her straight sister, a closeted Wall Streeter, a cop and some hippie street musicians. Mix and match. There's dancing, rioting and a little gratuitous nudity. Nathan Lee Graham and Rania Salem Manganaro stand out as the drag queen and the young lesbian. Lauren Helpern's set design is a bit fragmented. David Hyman's costumes are fine. Director Eric Hoff keeps things moving. Ultimately, the play sheds more heat than light. Running time: 95 minutes, no intermission.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Neva **
(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
It's not often that we get to see a play by a contemporary Chilean playwright in New York. Now, courtesy of the Public Theater, we can see Guillermo Calderon's absurdist comedy set in early 1905 in St. Petersburg (the one on the Neva River, of course). The woman in black pacing back and forth before the play begins is Olga Knipper (Bianca Amato), star of the Moscow Art Theater and widow of Anton Chekhov. She has accepted a guest role with a theater in Russia's capital and is waiting for a rehearsal to begin. The noble-born Aleko (Luke Robertson) and the revolutionary activist Masha (Quincy Tyler Bernstine) are the only other actors to arrive. The rest of the cast may or may not be victims of the Bloody Sunday riot which is under way. Dissatisfied with her own interpretation of her current role, Olga segues from the monologue in the play to her own monologue about the actor's need for love and acclaim. The border between acting and real life is a porous one. Olga enlists Aleko and Masha to reenact scenes from her life, including different version's of Chekhov's death and his sister's reaction to learning about his impending marriage. Masha closes the play with a showy monologue about the irrelevance of theater in a time of revolution. The play contains many lively, entertaining moments, but at times drifts aimlessly. The playwright directed, which is not always a good idea. The nimble translation is by Andrea Thome, herself a playwright. Susan Hilferty's black costumes blend well into the prevailing murk. No set designer is credited. A fight director, Thomas Schall, is listed although the play contains no fights. Running time: 85 minutes, no intermission.
NOTE: I really dislike attending the Martinson Theater at the Public. Judging from the amount of time it takes to exit the theater and gain access to the only stairway to the street, I would not want to be there in an emergency.
It's not often that we get to see a play by a contemporary Chilean playwright in New York. Now, courtesy of the Public Theater, we can see Guillermo Calderon's absurdist comedy set in early 1905 in St. Petersburg (the one on the Neva River, of course). The woman in black pacing back and forth before the play begins is Olga Knipper (Bianca Amato), star of the Moscow Art Theater and widow of Anton Chekhov. She has accepted a guest role with a theater in Russia's capital and is waiting for a rehearsal to begin. The noble-born Aleko (Luke Robertson) and the revolutionary activist Masha (Quincy Tyler Bernstine) are the only other actors to arrive. The rest of the cast may or may not be victims of the Bloody Sunday riot which is under way. Dissatisfied with her own interpretation of her current role, Olga segues from the monologue in the play to her own monologue about the actor's need for love and acclaim. The border between acting and real life is a porous one. Olga enlists Aleko and Masha to reenact scenes from her life, including different version's of Chekhov's death and his sister's reaction to learning about his impending marriage. Masha closes the play with a showy monologue about the irrelevance of theater in a time of revolution. The play contains many lively, entertaining moments, but at times drifts aimlessly. The playwright directed, which is not always a good idea. The nimble translation is by Andrea Thome, herself a playwright. Susan Hilferty's black costumes blend well into the prevailing murk. No set designer is credited. A fight director, Thomas Schall, is listed although the play contains no fights. Running time: 85 minutes, no intermission.
NOTE: I really dislike attending the Martinson Theater at the Public. Judging from the amount of time it takes to exit the theater and gain access to the only stairway to the street, I would not want to be there in an emergency.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Ann ***
(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
I am not generally a fan of solo theatrical performances, so I was pleasantly surprised that I found this Lincoln Center Theater production quite enjoyable. In a bravura performance which keeps her onstage for almost two hours, Holland Taylor creates a vivid incarnation of Ann Richards, former Texas governor. Even though Taylor is also the playwright, I find her feat of memory remarkable. In the frame of a college commencement speech, we get a look back at Richards' early life and influences, her political career including a detailed look at one day in office, life after her defeat by George Bush and even a look beyond the grave. The emphasis is on anecdotes and reminiscences, many of them hilarious. Her battle with alcohol and her unhappy marriage are mentioned very briefly. It's more effective as an entertaining extended character sketch than as a history lesson. Some judicious trimming, particularly in the second act, would improve it. Nevertheless, it makes for a diverting evening. Michael Fagin's set design morphs from a generic auditorium stage to an attractive gubernatorial office. Julie Weiss's costume looks like something Richards would choose. Benjamin Endsley Klein's direction includes a few lovely grace notes, such as the office set receding as Richards looks back on her term as governor. Running time: two hours, including intermission.
I am not generally a fan of solo theatrical performances, so I was pleasantly surprised that I found this Lincoln Center Theater production quite enjoyable. In a bravura performance which keeps her onstage for almost two hours, Holland Taylor creates a vivid incarnation of Ann Richards, former Texas governor. Even though Taylor is also the playwright, I find her feat of memory remarkable. In the frame of a college commencement speech, we get a look back at Richards' early life and influences, her political career including a detailed look at one day in office, life after her defeat by George Bush and even a look beyond the grave. The emphasis is on anecdotes and reminiscences, many of them hilarious. Her battle with alcohol and her unhappy marriage are mentioned very briefly. It's more effective as an entertaining extended character sketch than as a history lesson. Some judicious trimming, particularly in the second act, would improve it. Nevertheless, it makes for a diverting evening. Michael Fagin's set design morphs from a generic auditorium stage to an attractive gubernatorial office. Julie Weiss's costume looks like something Richards would choose. Benjamin Endsley Klein's direction includes a few lovely grace notes, such as the office set receding as Richards looks back on her term as governor. Running time: two hours, including intermission.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The Old Boy ***
(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
The Keen Company's revival of A.R. Gurney's 1991 play proves once again that no other playwright does the world of WASPs as well as he. Sam (Peter Rini), a politician and diplomat who is considering a run for governor, has returned to his prestigious boarding school to give the commencement speech against the advice of his political aide Bud (Cary Donaldson). Dexter (Tom Riis Farrell), the Anglican clergyman who is second in command at the school, also asks Sam to announce the donation of an indoor tennis court by Harriet (the wonderful Laura Esterman) in memory of her son Perry (Chris Dwan), for whom Sam acted as old boy (mentor) during his first year. Perry's widow Alison (Marsha Dietlein Bennett). whom Sam had dated before Perry, is there for the occasion. The ever-cautious Bud has Perry's demise investigated and reveals to Sam that he died of AIDS. There are several flashbacks to Sam and Perry's years at school, during which Rini and Esterman continue to play their respective characters. Sam's speech at commencement is the play's climax. The play is topical and some of the action seems more driven by political correctness than dramatic impulse. Nevertheless, the characters are well-delineated and the dialogue is sharp. Even second-drawer Gurney is better than most people's top drawer. Rini looks a little too Mediterranean to be plausible as a WASP, but he captures Sam's callow charm. The rest of the cast is fine too. Jonathan Silverstein's direction is unobtrusive. Jennifer Paar's costumes are very good. The wide set by Stephen C. Kemp looked a bit underfurnished. Running time: 75 minutes; no intermission.
The Keen Company's revival of A.R. Gurney's 1991 play proves once again that no other playwright does the world of WASPs as well as he. Sam (Peter Rini), a politician and diplomat who is considering a run for governor, has returned to his prestigious boarding school to give the commencement speech against the advice of his political aide Bud (Cary Donaldson). Dexter (Tom Riis Farrell), the Anglican clergyman who is second in command at the school, also asks Sam to announce the donation of an indoor tennis court by Harriet (the wonderful Laura Esterman) in memory of her son Perry (Chris Dwan), for whom Sam acted as old boy (mentor) during his first year. Perry's widow Alison (Marsha Dietlein Bennett). whom Sam had dated before Perry, is there for the occasion. The ever-cautious Bud has Perry's demise investigated and reveals to Sam that he died of AIDS. There are several flashbacks to Sam and Perry's years at school, during which Rini and Esterman continue to play their respective characters. Sam's speech at commencement is the play's climax. The play is topical and some of the action seems more driven by political correctness than dramatic impulse. Nevertheless, the characters are well-delineated and the dialogue is sharp. Even second-drawer Gurney is better than most people's top drawer. Rini looks a little too Mediterranean to be plausible as a WASP, but he captures Sam's callow charm. The rest of the cast is fine too. Jonathan Silverstein's direction is unobtrusive. Jennifer Paar's costumes are very good. The wide set by Stephen C. Kemp looked a bit underfurnished. Running time: 75 minutes; no intermission.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Upcoming Reviews for March
(Please click above to see the complete list.)
March 2 The North Pool
March 3 The Old Boy
March 6 Ann
March 10 Neva
March 13 Hit the Wall
March 16 Belleville
March 19 The Mound Builders
March 21 Breakfast at Tiffany's
March 24 The Assembled Parties
March 30 Kinky Boots
March 2 The North Pool
March 3 The Old Boy
March 6 Ann
March 10 Neva
March 13 Hit the Wall
March 16 Belleville
March 19 The Mound Builders
March 21 Breakfast at Tiffany's
March 24 The Assembled Parties
March 30 Kinky Boots
The North Pool ***
(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
When Dr. Danielson (Stephen Barker Turner), the vice-principal of a large public high school, summons Khadim Asmaan (Babak Tafti), a Middle-Eastern-born transfer student, to his office at the end of classes on the final day before Spring Break, Khadim has no idea why. For the next 85 minutes, they engage in an escalating verbal duel. Danielson is not the one-note bureaucrat he first appears to be and Khadim is not just a cocky student he is badgering. Joseph effectively holds the audience is his grip as he springs a series of surprises that keep changing our perception of the two characters. The play almost never heads in a predictable direction. The story has too many subplots for its own good and some of them are less than plausible. Nevertheless, the play is well worth seeing for the gripping performances of Turner and Tafti. Donyale Werle's set is the perfect recreation of a high school office and Paloma Young's costumes are just right. Director Giovanna Sardelli certainly knows how to build and maintain tension.
When Dr. Danielson (Stephen Barker Turner), the vice-principal of a large public high school, summons Khadim Asmaan (Babak Tafti), a Middle-Eastern-born transfer student, to his office at the end of classes on the final day before Spring Break, Khadim has no idea why. For the next 85 minutes, they engage in an escalating verbal duel. Danielson is not the one-note bureaucrat he first appears to be and Khadim is not just a cocky student he is badgering. Joseph effectively holds the audience is his grip as he springs a series of surprises that keep changing our perception of the two characters. The play almost never heads in a predictable direction. The story has too many subplots for its own good and some of them are less than plausible. Nevertheless, the play is well worth seeing for the gripping performances of Turner and Tafti. Donyale Werle's set is the perfect recreation of a high school office and Paloma Young's costumes are just right. Director Giovanna Sardelli certainly knows how to build and maintain tension.
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