A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: Don’t Let “God” Put You Off
Some people I know are wary of Pacific Theatre: because it’s a Christian company, they’re afraid of proselytizing. So, in that sense, the title of PT’s latest production, A Case for the Existence of God, isn’t doing the company any favours. BUT DON’T BE FOOLED: A Case...
GUYS AND DOLLS: More Bimbo!
Madeleine Suddaby’s performance as Adelaide is worth the price of admission. Literally. Lay down that dough! Guys and Dolls premiered in 1950, but it’s based on work by Damon Runyon set two and three decades earlier. In the underworld of gamblers, strippers, and...
THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY: COULD USE A BETTER MAP
Brian Friel’s The Freedom of the City feels more like a patchwork of scenes and ideas than a fully realized script — but it’s passionate, some of the writing is transcendent, and this production from Vital Spark Theatre is solid. Set in Londonderry, Northern Ireland...
BODIES NEAR ENOUGH TO TOUCH
This is a piece I originally included in FRESH SHEET, The Newsletter a year ago. I’m reposting it here because I want to link to it in this week’s newsletter. CT BODIES NEAR ENOUGH TO TOUCH This isn’t breaking news. I stumbled upon fabric sculptor Judith Scott’s work...
HOMECOMING: TENDERLY REALIZED, COULD USE MORE SHAPE
The actors in this premiere production of playwright Kamila Sediego’s Homecoming are treating the characters — and the project — with a level of respect that’s a pleasure to witness. Sediego’s script is about the effect of emigration on three generations of Filipinas....
THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT: SLIGHT DIALECTIC, BEAUTIFULLY EXECUTED
Director Jennifer Clement’s production of The Lifespan of a Fact is so assured, so physically handsome and well acted, that I almost didn’t care that the script isn’t as smart as it would have you believe. Set in New York and Las Vegas, The Lifespan of a Fact is about...
YOU USED TO CALL ME MARIE: ALCHEMY
Something alchemical is going on here: You used to call me Marie… sustains itself longer than logic tells me it should. The play’s success doesn’t last all the way to the end of its 90 minutes, but there are significant forces at work here. Tai Amy Grauman’s...
THIS IS HOW WE GOT HERE: Indirectly
I wasn’t very engaged — I checked my watch a couple of times — and then tears were streaming down my face. For me this production of Keith Barker’s This Is How We Got Here took a sharp U-turn at about the 60-minute mark of its 80-minute playing time. It takes a while...
KEN LUDWIG’S BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY — LONG TITLE, MEDIOCRE SHOW
Before we get into this, let me say off the top that, to accommodate my schedule, the company allowed me to attend Baskerville’s first and only preview performance. I’m very grateful for that. Things may tighten up as the run progresses. Okay, here we go. What the...
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