Cabaret: so many spectacular elements
Although it doesn’t have enough emotional depth, this Cabaret is dazzling in many ways. Cabaret is about Clifford Bradshaw, a young American novelist who arrives in Berlin on New Year’s Eve, 1931. Although he’s had sex with men and is conflicted about his orientation,...
The Matchmaker: when it all lines up, it’s fantastic
I went from thinking, “This is going to be a very long night,” to laughing uncontrollably. That is an excellent trajectory. Thornton Wilder wrote his farce The Matchmaker in 1954. It’s probably best known today as the play that Hello, Dolly! is based on. Set in the...
A Prayer For Owen Meany: divine exasperation
Guest review by David Johnston Chris Lam and Tariq Leslie work hard but drop the ball in A Prayer for Owen Meany. (Photo by Zemekiss Photography) It was a bad sign when, after sitting through A Prayer For Owen Meany's fourteen-hour runtime, my first reaction was "What...
salt.: how history fits on contemporary bodies
In Salt,. Selina Thompson explores how she experiences the legacy of slavery as a young black woman in the UK.
Prince Hamlet: the play’s the thing—sometimes
Dawn Jani Birley makes a compelling Horatio in Prince Hamlet. (Photo by Bronwen Sharp) This Hamlet is like a priceless fabric with a lot of holes in it. Director Ravi Jain has conceived and cast this production with refreshing inclusivity: the players are racially...
The Open House: six degrees of obscuration
Less than halfway through this evening, I wrote in my notebook, “I don’t want to spend any more time with them.” Mostly, I was talking about the characters. There are strengths—as well as significant weaknesses—in the production.
Mrs. Krishnan’s Party: accept this invitation
I feel revived. So many things in the world these days are so depressing and alienating—the endless Trump news, for instance. Grounded, personal, and celebratory, Mrs. Krishnan’s Party is the perfect antidote for all of that. I don’t know when I’ve left the theatre feeling so refreshed and renewed.
Dakh Daughters: lots of texture—and bafflement
Dakh Daughters looks and sounds great, but what the heck is it about?
The Full Light of Day: through a glass darkly
The Full Light of Day is obsessed with its surfaces and, as a result, many of them are well crafted. The performances in this production are first rate. And the script is a mess—especially in Act 1, which is 90 minutes long. By intermission, I had very little...
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