SUPER SENIORS: It Knows What It is, Which is a Good Thing
This morning, the friend who accompanied me to Super Seniors emailed to say that the show left her feeling good and “That feels like it ought to be a metric for the value of a live theatre event, don’t you think?” Yep. I had a good time at Super Seniors and that...
WHEN WE WERE SINGING: A Flawed Good Time
I enjoyed myself at When We Were Singing. Beyond that, the analysis gets more complicated. Off the top, I want to thank the company for accommodating my schedule and letting me see this show in its first and only preview. To be clear, this cast had never performed in...
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...
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