I’m a former university philosophy lecturer, trained in economics and philosophy. Now I devote most of my free time to pursuing my interests in theater and opera, writing plays and criticism, while still researching and writing in the field of political economy. Currently, and for the past five years, I have competed in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. Politically, I’m active in the Libertarian Party. I live in Center City Philadelphia, where I take in every production or performance that my schedule allows.
| Mauckingbird’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ |
August 31 2010 |
Mauckingbird’s imaginative, gender-bending staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream offers a spectacle that the Facebook generation can sink its teeth right into, notwithstanding the limitations of Mauckingbird’s scatterbrained approach to Shakespeare’s text.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By William Shakespeare; directed by Peter Reynolds and Lynne Innerst. Mauckingbird Theatre Company production through September 12, 2010 at Randall Theatre, Temple University, 1301 W. Norris St. (at 13th St.). (215) 923-8909 or www.mauckingbirdtheatreco.org.
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| Iron Age Theatre’s ‘Empress of the Moon’ |
August 17 2010 |
Instead of delving into the remarkable story of a 17th-Century woman who wrote some of the most popular plays of her era, writer-director Chris Braak trots out the usual feminist complaints.
Empress of the Moon. Written and directed by Chris Braak. Produced by the Special Operations Executive of Iron Age Theatre through August 22, 2010 at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 568-8077 or www.iatsoe.org.
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| BalletX Summer program at the Wilma (2nd review) |
July 27 2010 |
Choreographers can please a crowd in one of two ways: Give the audience something everyone can relate to, or seduce them with a work that’s irresistible. The two tremendous world premieres in BalletX’s recent Summer Series provided one of each.
BalletX Summer Series: Prescott, Journey of the Day; Hougland, Risk of Flight; Neenan, The Last Glass. July 21-25, 2010 at the Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-7824 or www.balletx.org.
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| Temple Repertory’s ‘Three Sisters’ |
July 20 2010 |
In a Russian garrison town far from the cultural capitals, three sisters dream of a better life. In three hours that end too soon, Temple’s staging evokes a world throbbing with a pulse of hope and despair that still beats today.
Three Sisters. By Anton Chekhov; directed by Dan Kern. Temple University Repertory Theater through August 1, 2010 at Tomlinson Theatre, 1301 W. Norris St. (215) 204-1122 or www.temple.edu/theater/trt.
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| Second City’s 50th anniversary tour (2nd review) |
July 20 2010 |
Great comedians can always elevate even bad material. But in this collection, it’s the superb writing that ensures the show’s hilarity.
Second City 50th Anniversary Tour. Directed by Bill Bungeroth. Through July 25, 2010 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad and Lombard Sts. (215) 985-0420 or www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.
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| ‘Survive!’: Exploring the future with Swim Pony |
June 15 2010 |
In Swim Pony’s brilliantly executed Survive!, we find ourselves venturing through space to answer an intriguing question: Could we understand our own lives without art but solely through science?
Survive! By Tim Sawicki; directed by Adrienne Mackey. Swim Pony Performing Arts Company production through June 20, 2010 at Underground Arts at the Wolf Building, 340 North 12th St. (215) 847-309-1266 or www.swimpony.org.
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| Pennsylvania Ballet’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ |
June 08 2010 |
Shakespeare may be history’s greatest playwright, but the Pennsylvania Ballet’s current production of Romeo and Juliet proves that we don’t need a great writer to tell a great story.
Pennsylvania Ballet: Romeo and Juliet. Music by Sergei Prokofiev; choreography by John Cranko. Through June 12, 2010 at the Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.
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| Megan Gogerty’s ‘Love Jerry’ |
June 07 2010 |
Megan Gogerty’s fatuous and one-sided Love Jerry sympathizes with the struggles of a child abuse perpetrator while ignoring his victim’s suffering altogether. And would you believe it’s a musical?
Love Jerry. By Megan Gogerty; directed by Rebecca Wright. Nice People Theatre Company production through June 20, 2010 at Latvian Society, 531 N. Seventh St. (267) 909-3309 or www.nicepeopletheatre.org.
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| Vaclav Havel’s ‘Leaving’ at the Wilma (3rd review) |
June 01 2010 |
Like Moses, Vaclav Havel led his people to the promised land, but it’s his own fault if he couldn’t follow them in. While this production soars, its valedictory message stammers— as I can attest, having lived in Prague in the wake of Havel's presidency.
Leaving. By Vaclav Havel; translated by Paul Wilson; directed by Jiri Zizka. Through June 20, 2010 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). 215-546-7824 or www.WilmaTheater.org.
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| Katharine Gray’s ‘516’ by Philadelphia Theatre Workshop |
May 25 2010 |
Katharine Clark Gray’s tedious and meandering 516 borrows heavily from Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things without much improvement.
516. By Katharine Clark Gray; directed by Bill Felty. World premiere presented by Philadelphia Theatre Workshop through June 6, 2010 at Studio 5, Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St. (215) 316-1361 or www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org.
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| Quintessence Theatre’s ‘Measure For Measure’ |
May 11 2010 |
The new Quintessence Theatre Group seeks to update the classics for a mass audience. With Measure For Measure, they’re off to a good start, even if its strengths lie more in strong acting than in novel concepts.
Measure for Measure. By William Shakespeare; directed by Alexander Burns. Presented by Quintessence Theatre Group through May 30, 2010 at Sedgwick Theatre, 7137 Germantown Ave., Mount Airy. (215)-240-6055 or quintessencetheatre.org.
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| ‘Braving the New World’ by Rebecca Davis |
April 27 2010 |
Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World shaped the course of modern thought. But Rebecca Davis’s choreography has gone those cerebral works one better, enabling us to see and feel how totalitarian regimes work in practice.
Braving the New World. Choreographed by Rebecca Davis. World premiere presented by Rebecca Davis Dance Company, May 7-8, 2010 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. (at Lombard). (215) 569-9700 or www.rebeccadavisdance.com.
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| Sheila Callaghan’s ‘Crumble,’ by Flashpoint Theatre |
April 24 2010 |
Sheila Callaghan’s politically incorrect Crumble boldly asks, in effect, “What would women do without men?” The answer is provided in her title.
Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake). Drama by Sheila Callaghan; directed by Michael Osinski. Flashpoint Theatre Company production through May 8, 2010 at the Second Stage of the Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 665-9720 or www.flashpointtheatre.org.
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| McPherson’s ‘Shining City’ by Theatre Exile (2nd review) |
April 20 2010 |
Conor McPherson’s Shining City raises uncomfortable questions about human relationships. I would have appreciated some attempt at an answer.
Shining City. By Conor McPherson; directed by Matt Pfeiffer. Theatre Exile production through April 25, 2010 at Plays and Players Theatre, 1724 Delancey Pl. (215) 218-4022 or www.theatreexile.org.
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| Enda Walsh’s ‘Bedbound,’ by Inis Nua Theatre |
April 20 2010 |
Ireland is no longer poverty-stricken, but you wouldn’t know it from the current crop of pessimistic Irish playwrights. Witness Enda Walsh’s allegorical Bedbound as the latest example.
Bedbound. Drama by Enda Walsh; directed by Tom Reing. Inis Nua Theatre Company production through April 25, 2010 at the Playground of the Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 454.9776 or www.inisnuatheatre.org.
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| Luna Theater’s ‘Sick’ at Walnut Studio 5 |
April 13 2010 |
Zayd Dohrn’s disturbingly intense and provocative play about parents who isolated their children from germs serves as an allegory about the benefit of exposure to alien ideas.
Sick. By Zayd Dohrn; directed by Gregory Campbell. Luna Theater Company production through May 2, 2010 at Walnut Street Studio 5, 825 Walnut St. (215) 704-0033 or www.lunatheater.org.
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| ‘The Gnädiges Fräulein’ by Tennessee Williams |
March 23 2010 |
In The Gnädiges Fräulein, Tennessee Williams serves up an absurd exaggeration of the kind of Southern myths that Williams himself popularized.
The Gnädiges Fräulein. By Tennessee Williams; directed by Tina Brock. Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium production through April 3, 2010 at Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., Philadelphia. 215-285-0472 or www.idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.com.
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| ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the Arden (1st review) |
March 09 2010 |
Matt Pfeiffer’s direction of the Arden’s Romeo and Juliet bathes us in emotional intensity. He also strips the young lovers’ tragedy of any romance in order to cast a disapproving glare on Shakespeare’s text itself.
Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare; directed by Matt Pfeiffer. Through April 11, 2010 at Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St. (215) 922-1122 or www.ardentheatre.org.
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| Pennsylvania Ballet’s ‘Program II’ |
March 09 2010 |
Pennsylvania Ballet’s version of Balanchine’s Four Temperaments demonstrates that artists know more about life than philosophers. Matthew Neenan’s take on Carmina Burana, on the other hand, tells us more about the artist than about life.
Pennsylvania Ballet: “Program II.” George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, music by Paul Hindemith; Matthew Neenan’s Carmina Burana, music by Carl Orff. Through March 13, 2009 at the Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.
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| Pink Hair Affair’s ‘Take It Off!’ |
March 09 2010 |
Pink Hair Affair’s Take It Off! purports to blend burlesque and modern dance, although its pieces rarely achieve a mix of either.
Take It Off!: A Burlesque-Inspired Show. Directed by Laura Jenkins; choreography by Jenkins, Ashley Wood, Lauren Mathis, Rachel Slater, Annie Wilson and Kaleigh Jones. Pink Hair Affair production March 5-6, 2010 at Mascher Space, 155 Cecil B. Moore Ave. www.pinkhairaffair.com.
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| Tan Dun’s ‘Tea’ by the Opera Company (1st review) |
February 22 2010 |
The overload of abstractions and metaphors in Tan Dun’s Tea sent many operagoers home early. But those who left missed out on the real rarity— even in opera— of the successful melding of total theater.
Tea: A Mirror of Soul. Opera composed and conducted by Tan Dun; libretto by Tan Dun and Xu Ying; translation by Diana Liao; directed by Amon Miyamoto. Opera Company of Philadelphia production through February 28. 2010 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 732-8400 or www.operaphilly.com.
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| ‘Coupla White Chicks’ by New City Stage (2nd review) |
February 16 2010 |
John Ford Noonan’s play about two women trying to salvage lives for themselves out of their wrecked marriages offers a forward-looking insight into the shortcomings of sisterhood. The night I attended, it also offered insight into the damage caused by a single boorish audience member.
A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking. By John Ford Noonan; directed by Brenna Geffers. New City Stage Co. production through March 7, 2010 at Adrienne Theatre Second Stage, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 563-7500 or www.newcitystage.org.
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| Graham’s ‘Any Given Monday’ by Theatre Exile (2nd review) |
February 16 2010 |
Overlook the logical lapses in Any Given Monday. Bruce Graham has delivered a major moral message about how a man must behave to hold his marriage together in an age filled with politically correct lies.
Any Given Monday. By Bruce Graham; directed by Harriet Power (world premiere). Co-production of Theater Exile and Act II Playhouse through February 28, 2010 at Plays and Players, 1726 Delancey Pl. (215) 218-4022 or www.theatreexile.org.
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| McNally’s ‘Golden Age’ by PTC (3rd review) |
February 09 2010 |
From its first moments, Terrence McNally’s Golden Age liberates itself from the fetters of the stage and soars into the magical realm that only theater can make possible.
Golden Age. By Terrence McNally; directed by Austin Pendleton. Philadelphia Theatre Co., production through February 14, 2010 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. (at Lombard). (215) 985-0420 or www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.
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| Gregory Burke's ‘Gagarin Way’ |
January 26 2010 |
Despite the intoxicating power of this play about a labor-management standoff, Gagarin Way shrinks from addressing critical questions, like the use of violence on behalf of a just cause.
Gagarin Way. Drama by Gregory Burke; directed by Tom Reing. Inis Nua Theatre Company/Amaryllis production through February 7, 2009 at the Playground of the Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 454.9776 or www.inisnuatheatre.org.
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| Mauckingbird’s ‘Tru’ and ‘The Threshing Floor’ |
January 19 2010 |
Some one-person plays provide drama, but most devolve into lectures. Mauckingbird’s current homages to Truman Capote and James Baldwin fall in the latter camp.
Tru, by Jay Presson Allen, directed by Tony Braithwaite. The Threshing Floor, by James Ijames, directed by Brandon McShafrey. Mauckingbird Theatre Company production through January 31, 2010 at Adrienne Theatre second stage, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 923-8909 or www.mauckingbirdtheatreco.org.
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| ‘Becky Shaw’ at the Wilma (2nd review) |
January 12 2010 |
If nothing else, Gina Gionfriddo’s Becky Shaw demonstrates why a universal health care system shouldn’t include free therapy— at least not for over-educated, uber-sensitive white people who’ve never faced a real problem in their lives and generate little in the way of taxable income.
Becky Shaw. By Gina Gionfriddo; directed by Anne Kauffman. Through February 7, 2010 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-7824 or www.wilmatheater.org.
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| Alex Ketley: A choreographer’s failure |
December 19 2009 |
The itinerant choreographer Alex Ketley rolled into town, created something beautiful, and then swept it away into dust. What community does his art create?
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| Who should play Helen Keller? |
November 24 2009 |
Inclusivity advocates are up in arms because a sighted, hearing celebrity actress has been hired to portray the blind and deaf Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. They say they’re concerned about creating better art, but their logic suggests otherwise.
The Miracle Worker. By William Gibson; directed by Kate Whoriskey. Previews begin February 12, 2010 at Circle in the Square, 235 West 50th St., New York. (800) 432-7780 or www.miracleworkeronbroadway.com.
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| Sport, theater and Lauren Feldman’s ‘Grace’ |
November 10 2009 |
Can’t mix sport and theater? The Greeks did it, and so does Lauren Feldman’s compelling Grace, in which a troubled young woman literally mountain-climbs her way out of depression before our eyes.
Grace, Or the Art of Climbing. By Lauren Feldman; directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh. Nice People Theatre Company production through November 8, 2009 at 233 N. Bread St. (between Second and Third Sts.). (202) 744-3362 or www.nicepeopletheatre.org.
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| Theatre Exile’s ‘Hunter Gatherers’ |
November 03 2009 |
Peter Sinn Nachtrieb’s Hunter Gatherers is the only play I know that takes its view of human nature from the relatively new science of evolutionary psychology. But no one could call Nachtrieb’s work sexist— it’s too damn funny.
Hunter Gatherers. By Peter Sinn Nachtrieb; directed by Deborah Block. Theatre Exile production through November 22, 2009 at Adrienne Theater, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 218-4022 or www.theatreexile.org.
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| Luna Theater’s ‘Slasher’ |
October 31 2009 |
Slasher, Allison Moore’s feminist satire of horror films, is the most deliciously humorous spoof I’ve seen in some time. But Moore never quite clarifies her views on the potential exploitation of actresses in these films.
Slasher. By Allison Moore; directed by Gregory Campbell. Luna Theater Company production through November 14, 2009 at Walnut Street Studio 3, 825 Walnut St. 215-704-0033 or www.lunatheater.org.
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| Sport vs. theater: ‘Chad Deity’ and ‘Grace’ |
October 27 2009 |
Americans are famously sports-obsessed, but you’d never know it from most plays. Two new productions cross the line by presenting professional wrestling and mountain climbing on stage. Both represent refreshing attempts to expand theater’s relevance, not to mention its audience.
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. By Kristoffer Diaz; directed by Seth Rozin. Interact Theatre production through November 22, 2009 at Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St. (215) 568-8077 or www.interacttheatre.org.
Grace, Or the Art of Climbing. By Lauren Feldman; directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh. Nice People Theatre Company production through November 8, 2009 at 233 N. Bread St. (between Second and Third Sts.). 202-744-3362 or www.nicepeopletheatre.org.
To watch a video feature about these two plays and the relationship between sport and theater, click here.
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| ‘The History Boys’ at the Arden (1st review) |
October 06 2009 |
Beyond an exceptional acting ensemble, in The History Boys the Arden stages a sharp intellectual prep-school drama that cuts to the core of if, how and why a society should value art, culture, education and learning.
The History Boys. By Alan Bennett; Terrence J. Nolen directed. Through Nov. 1, 2009 at the Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St. (215) 922-1122 or www.ardentheatre.org.
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| Headlong’s ‘more’ at Live Arts Festival (1st review) |
September 14 2009 |
When dancers rearrange furniture and operate a microwave oven, is it choreography? The cumulative experience of Headlong’s new and very poignant piece of dance theater left me feeling both invigorated and disturbed.
more. Headlong Dance Theater; choreographed by David Brick, Amy Smith and Andrew Simonet. Live Arts Festival production through September 14, 2009 at Arts Bank, 601 S. Broad St. (at South). (215) 413-1318 or www.livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=7077.
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| ‘Nuda Veritas’ at Fringe Festival |
September 13 2009 |
Four women pose all the right questions in their quest to explain women’s inexplicable behavior. But thanks to their obfuscations, I actually knew less about women when I left the theater than when I entered. Playwright Melissa James Gibson could learn a thing or two from Tennessee Williams, not to mention evolutionary psychology.
Nuda Veritas. By Melissa James Gibson; directed by Natalie Diener. Philadelphia Fringe Festival production through September 13, 2009 at Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St. (215) 413.1318 or
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=9085
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| Berczynski’s ‘Life Is a Dream’ |
September 13 2009 |
In her latest one-woman exploration of narcissism, the gorgeous exhibitionist Aleksandra Berczynski engages in less complaining and more pondering about the unfortunate aspects of her existence.
Life Is a Dream. Created by Aleksandra Berczynski. Philadelphia Fringe Festival presentation through September 18, 2009 at Philadelphia International Institute, 242 Race St. 215.413.1318 or www.livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=9018.
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| Pig Iron’s ‘Welcome to Yuba City!' At Live Arts Festival (2nd review) |
September 08 2009 |
Dexterous characterizations and vivid costumes make Welcome to Yuba City! the funniest show in this year’s Live Arts/Fringe Festival. But most of its humor derives from poking derisive fun at exaggerated stereotypes.
Welcome to Yuba City. By Deborah Stein; directed by Quinn Bauriedel; songs by Michael Friedman. Pig Iron Theatre Co. production (Live Arts Festival) through September 19, 2009 at The Hub, 626 N. Fifth St. (at Fairmount Ave.). (215) 413.1318 or www.livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=6849.
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| Whit MacLaughlin’s ‘Fatebook’ at Live Arts Festival (1st review) |
September 08 2009 |
Whit MacLaughlin’s Fatebook asks rhetorically: What actually happens in cyberspace? The answer eludes him, but in the process his 15-person troupe provides one of the most unique and immersive theatrical productions I’ve ever experienced.
Fatebook: Avoiding Catastrophe One Party at a Time. Created by Whit MacLaughlin and New Paradise Laboratories. Live Arts Festival production through September 19, 2009 at 919 N. Fifth St. (215) 413.1318 or www.pafringe.com/details.cfm?id=6854.
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| Mike Daisey’s ‘How Theater Failed America’ |
September 06 2009 |
In a 100-minute rant, Mike Daisey purports to expose the economic forces destroying American theater. He succeeds in demonstrating only that actors know nothing about economics.
How Theater Failed America. Created and performed by Mike Daisey; directed by Jean-Michele Gregory. Philadelphia Theatre Co. and Live Arts Festival production ended September 6, 2009 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. www.livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=8230
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| Melissa Dunphy’s ‘Gonzales Cantata’ |
August 29 2009 |
Melissa Dunphy’s Gonzales Cantata uses actual transcripts of a 2007 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to transform the tedious machinations of politics into a brilliant work of art. The only thing missing, alas, is a point. Alberto Gonzales facing Arlen Specter isn’t exactly Christ confronting Pontius Pilate.
The Gonzales Cantata, composed and conducted by Melissa Dunphy. Philadelphia Fringe and Live Arts Festival, Sept. 4-6, 2009, at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St. (215) 413.1318 or www.livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=9095.
To view Jim Rutter's video interview with Melissa Dunphy, click here.
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| Mauckingbird’s ‘Never the Sinner’ |
August 15 2009 |
Fascinating performances, highly nuanced direction and strong production values manage to infuse tremendous theatrical power into John Logan’s otherwise mediocre retelling of the famous 1924 Leopold-Loeb murder case.
Never the Sinner: The Leopold and Loeb Story. Drama by John Logan; directed by Peter Reynolds. Mauckingbird Theatre Company production through August 30, 2009 at Adrienne Theatre mainstage, 2030 Sansom St. www.mauckingbirdtheatreco.org.
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| BalletX “Hot Summer Series”: Neenan and Gates (1st review) |
July 25 2009 |
Jodie Gates’s new but dreary Inevitable Kiss contrasted sharply with Matthew Neenan’s older but inventive and prop-driven Broke Apart in the BalletX “Hot Summer Series.”
BalletX “Hot Summer Series”: Broke Apart, choreographed by Matthew Neenan, and Le Baiser Inevitable, by Jodie Gates. Through July 26, 2009 at the Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-7824 or www.balletx.org.
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| Evan’s ‘The Rock Tenor’ |
July 21 2009 |
Can rock, classical and Broadway music co-exist? The Rock Tenor ingeniously blends some of the best of each. It’s an ingenious concept, brilliantly executed— until Act II, when it runs out of gas.
The Rock Tenor. Musical created by Rob Evan; Vincent Marini directed. JV Theatricals production through August 23, 2009 at the Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-7824 or www.therocktenor.com.
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| LaBute’s ‘The Shape of Things’ |
July 14 2009 |
Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things purports to offer us a new take on a familiar literary theme: a man or woman trying to change in order to deserve someone else’s love. But LaBute adds little to the theme, other than the shock of exquisite viciousness.
The Shape of Things. By Neil LaBute; directed by Ed Renninger. Theatre rEvolution production through July 26 at Caplan Center for the Performing Arts, 211 S. Broad St. (below Walnut). www.theatrerevolution.org.
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| ‘Grease’ at the Academy of Music |
July 11 2009 |
Grease was not the word at the Academy of Music Tuesday night. Instead, the prime attraction was a bit-part “star”— the slimy “American Idol” crooner Taylor Hicks.
Grease. Musical comedy by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey; directed by Kathleen Marshall. Touring production through July 19, 2009 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 893-1999 or www.kimmelcenter.org/broadway.
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| ‘Spring Awakening’ at Academy of Music (2nd review) |
June 29 2009 |
Clearly, nothing changes in adolescence since Frank Wedekind first wrote Spring Awakening more than a century ago. As a survivor of that tortured experience, I just wish someone other than composer Duncan Sheik had attempted to write this musical adaptation 40 years ago.
Spring Awakening. Book and lyrics by Stephen Sater, based on the play by Frank Wedekind; music by Duncan Sheik; directed by Michael Mayer. June 23-28, 2009 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. www.kimmelcenter.org/news/item.php?item=2009-03-18
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| Olive Prince’s 'Serenade’ |
June 15 2009 |
In ten powerful minutes, Olive Prince’s erotic and psychologically perverse Serenade brought racing back some of the most painful (as well as some of the best) moments of my existence— moments that, like the intense experience watching her choreography, I wouldn’t replace for the life of me.
Serenade and once i lived in a cardboard portal. Choreography by Olive Prince. June 3-7, 2009 at nEW Festival 2009 Performance Program, University of the Arts Dance Theater at the Drake, 1512 Spruce St. www.newfestival.net.
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| Jaamil Kosoko’s ‘Virus’ at UArts |
June 14 2009 |
Jaamil Kosoko’s compelling but cluttered Virus purports to show how technology distorts identity and human interaction while leaving vestiges of our humanity intact. Call it a good idea in need of further development.
Jaamil Kosoko’s Virus. June 3-7, 2009, at the nEW Festival 2009 Performance Program, University of the Arts Dance Theater at the Drake, 1512 Spruce St.. www.newfestival.net.
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| Pennsylvania Ballet’s ‘Sylphide’ and ‘Barber Violin Concerto’ (1st review) |
June 13 2009 |
The Pennsylvania Ballet’s much-hyped restaging of Bournonville’s La Sylphide floundered in comparison to the brilliantly executed company premiere of Peter Martins’s Barber Violin Concerto.
Pennsylvania Ballet: Auguste Bournonville’s La Sylphide; Peter Martins’s Barber Violin Concerto. Through June 13, 2009 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.
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| Anne-Marie Mulgrew’s ‘SALT’ |
May 26 2009 |
Anne-Marie Mulgrew’s SALT is an ambitious choreographic exploration of one of the world’s most vital commodities. But in its lack of focus and its technical imprecision, it comes across more like a scatterbrained doctoral thesis.
SALT. Choreography by Anne-Marie Mulgrew. Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Company presentation May 23-24, 2009 at Painted Bride Performing Arts Center, 230 Vine St. (215) 925-9914 or www.annemariemulgrewdancersco.org.
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| National Dance Company of Spain 2 at Annenberg (2nd Review) |
May 19 2009 |
In three modern works by Nacho Duato, the National Dance Company of Spain’s junior troupe displayed incredible technical proficiency but achieved a fullness of sensibility only in one of them.
National Dance Company of Spain 2: Duende, Without Words, Gnawa. Choreography by Nacho Duato. May 14-16, 2009 at Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street. (215) 898-3900 or www.pennpresents.org.
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| ‘Made in China’ at the Adrienne |
May 19 2009 |
In their works about violent bumbling gangsters, Ireland’s leading contemporary playwrights seem to be taking up where the Three Stooges left off. Mark O'Rowe's darkly humorous and nasty Made in China succeeds only partially.
Made in China. By Mark O’Rowe; directed by Tom Reing. Presented by Inis Nua Theatre through May 24, 2009 at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 454-9776 or www.inisnuatheatre.org.
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| Pennsylvania Ballet’s ‘Tango With Style’ (3rd review) |
May 12 2009 |
Keep, an impressive and powerful new work by Matthew Neenan, proved the highlight of the Pennsylvania Ballet’s otherwise lackluster “Tango with Style” program. It’s the most mature blend of emotions I’ve seen in Neenan’s shorter works.
Pennsylvania Ballet: “Tango With Style.” Robert Weiss, Octet For Strings; Matthew Neenan, Keep; Hans van Manen, Five Tangos. May 6-10, 2009 at Merriam Theatre, 250 S. Broad St. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.
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| Nagle Jackson’s ‘White Room’ at Hedgerow |
May 09 2009 |
What happens when a materialistic couple loses all their possessions? It’s an intriguing premise, but Nagle Jackson’s The White Room offers little dramatic insight aside from reminding us that, yes indeed, materialism is unhealthy.
The White Room. Written and directed by Nagle Jackson. Through May 10, 2009 at Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Road,
Rose Valley, Pa. (610) 565-4211 or www.hedgerowtheatre.org.
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| EgoPo’s ‘Bluebird' (1st review) |
May 05 2009 |
How should we instruct a child to go forward in life after a tragedy that deprives him of a treasured sibling, his only source of happiness? To answer this question, EgoPo stages an ambitious production of Bluebird, based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s similarly titled mythical fable of 1908— a production so rich that it largely disproves Maeterlinck’s thesis.
Bluebird. By Maurice Maeterlinck, adapted by Molly Rice; directed by Lane Savadove; music by Orchestra 2001. EgoPo production through May 10, 2009 at Mandell Theatre, 33rd and Chestnut St. (800) 595-4849 or www.egopo.org.
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| Greenberg’s ‘Mother’s Brief Affair’ in California |
April 28 2009 |
Richard Greenberg won a Tony for Take Me Out. Several Philadelphia theater companies have staged his comedies. His latest, Our Mother’s Brief Affair, recently opened in California. Let us hope it ventures no closer to Philadelphia.
Our Mother’s Brief Affair. By Richard Greenberg; directed by Pam MacKinnon. Through May 3, 2009 at South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, Calif. (714) 708-5555 or www.scr.org.
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| Jeanne Ruddy’s ‘Juxtapose” |
April 28 2009 |
Jeanne Ruddy Dance presented two divergent world premieres: Ruddy’s elegant but confusing Lark, and Martha Clarke’s lusciously nightmarish Sandman.
“Juxtapose.” Lark, choreographed by Jeanne Ruddy; and Sandman, choreographed by Martha Clarke. Jeanne Ruddy Dance presentation April 23-26, 2009 at Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine St. (215) 569-4060 or www.ruddydance.org.
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| Luna Theater’s ‘Hot ’n’ Throbbing’ |
April 11 2009 |
Are women turned on by abusive men? Anyone seriously disturbed by that possibility should avoid seeing Luna’s intense and surprisingly funny production of Paula Vogel’s Hot ’n’ Throbbing.
Hot ’n’ Throbbing. By Paula Vogel; directed by Gregory Campbell. Luna Theater Company production through May 2, 2009 at Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5, 825 Walnut St. (215-704-0033) or www.lunatheater.org.
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| ‘Jihad Jones’ and Arab stereotypes |
April 07 2009 |
In Yussef El-Guindi’s comedy Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes, an Arab-American actor refuses to play stereotypical Arab bomb-throwing roles. And maybe he should. But let’s not throw the baby out with the stereotypical bathwater. With a video interview.
Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes. By Yussef El-Guindi; directed by Seth Rozin. InterAct Theatre production April 9-May 10, 2009 at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 568-8079 or www.interacttheatre.org.
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| Ballet X: 'Striped Hat’ and ‘Largo’ |
April 07 2009 |
Ballet X presented two world premieres whose moods could not have been more different. Christine Cox’s wonderfully entertaining The Striped Hat celebrated a child’s spirited imagination. Edwaard Liang’s Largo plumbed the melancholy emotions that accompany affection.
Ballet X: The Striped Hat, by Christine Cox, and Largo, by Edwaard Liang. Through April 11, 2009 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-7824 or www.balletx.org.
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| Why ‘Hamlet’ still matters |
March 31 2009 |
After 500 years, why does Hamlet still fascinate us? Because Hamlet's character continues to embody every facet of what it means to be a human. He's the thread upon which all our male cultural archetypes, even Mad Max, now unravel. With video interview: Click here.
Hamlet. By William Shakespeare; directed by Charles McMahon. Lantern Theater Co. production April 7-May 10, 2009 at St. Stephen’s Theater, Tenth and Ludlow Sts. (215) 829-0395 or www.lanterntheater.org.
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| ‘Long Day’s Journey’ and ‘Caucasian Chalk Circle' |
March 24 2009 |
In two current productions, O’Neill and Brecht paint thoroughly distinct (and for Brecht, thoroughly surprising) views of the family. Thanks to Carol Laratonda’s superbly intense direction, O’Neill’s darker take is better served.
Long Day’s Journey Into Night. By Eugene O’Neill; directed by Carol Laratonda. Simpatico Theatre Project production through March 29, 2009 at Adrienne Second Stage, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 423-0254 or simpaticotheatre.org.
The Caucasian Chalk Circle. By Bertolt Brecht; directed by Armina LaManna. Temple Theatre production through March 29, 2009 at Tomlinson Theater, 1301 W. Norris St. (215) 204-1122 or www.temple.edu/sct/theater.
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| Bodybuilders vs. the rest of us |
March 10 2009 |
Every year more than 165,000 overly muscled men and surgically enhanced women descend on Columbus, Ohio, for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s annual fitness weekend. In a land where 60% of the population is obese and only 15% belongs to a gym, should these bodybuilders be viewed as freaks, or as role models?
The Arnold Fitness Weekend. March 6-8, 2009 at the Columbus Convention Center and surrounding venues, Columbus, Ohio. arnoldsportsfestival.com.
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| Ballets Jazz de Montreal at Annenberg |
February 21 2009 |
Both MAPA and Rossini Cards, performed at Annenberg by Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, largely wasted the dancers’ talents with repetition and inanity. But one stunning five-minute interlude left me speechless at my own inadequacy to ever approach such a moment of ideal human beauty.
Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal: Rossini Cards (choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti) and MAPA (Rodrigo Pederneiras). February 19-21, 2009 at Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. (215) 898-6701 or www.pennpresents.org or www.bjmdanse.ca.
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| ‘Sizwe Bansi’ vs. ‘The Rant’ (2nd Reviews) |
February 14 2009 |
Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is Dead struck me as an outdated work of literary history. The moral dilemmas in Andrew Case’s The Rant, by contrast, are awesome in their current relevance.
Sizwe Bansi is Dead. By Athol Fugard, John Kani and Wintson Ntshona; directed by Peter DeLaurier. Lantern Theater Co. production through March 1, 2009 at St. Stephen’s Theater, Tenth and Ludlow Sts. (215) 829-0395 or www.lanterntheater.org.
The Rant. By Andrew Case; directed by Seth Rozin. Interact Theatre Co. production through February 22, 2009 at Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St. (21) 568-8079 or www.interacttheatre.org.
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| ‘Blackbird’ by Theatre Exile (2nd Review) |
February 14 2009 |
Playwright David Harrower and director Joe Canuso have used a morally unconscionable subject to show the transcendent, universal power of human emotions, no matter how misguided they may be. It’s a great theatrical moment about life's great dramatic moments when bitter enemies acknowledge the uniqueness of the experience they have shared.
Blackbird. By David Harrower; directed by Joe Canuso. Theatre Exile production through March 1, 2009 at Plays & Players, 1724 Delancey St. (215) 218-4022 or www.theatreexile.org.
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| The case for cantankerous critics |
February 07 2009 |
The head of the Dramatists Guild of America compared my review of a work in progress to smothering a baby in its crib. Are great artists really so fragile? I say: Any artist who could be smothered in his crib by the likes of me should probably find another line of work.
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| ‘Greed,' by Rebecca Davis Dance |
February 03 2009 |
Can Wall Street’s Enron scandal be set to music and dance? Choreographer Rebecca Davis— herself a business student and entrepreneur— has made something incredibly celebratory, beautiful, and powerful about a financial disaster.
Greed: The Tale of Enron. Rebecca Davis Dance Company production, January 30-31, 2009 at Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St. (215) 569-9700 or www.rebeccadavisdance.com .
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| Luna Theatre’s ‘Orange Flower Water’ |
January 27 2009 |
Divorce these days is a routine rite of passage that most Americans accept without revulsion. Luna Theatre’s gut-wrenching production of Craig Wright’s Orange Flower Water may change your mind.
Orange Flower Water. By Craig Wright; directed by Gregory Campbell. Luna Theatre Co. production through February 14, 2009 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 5, 829 Walnut St. (215) 704-0033 or www.lunatheater.org.
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| Mauckingbird’s lesbian ‘Hedda Gabler’ |
January 19 2009 |
Ibsen’s reckless Hedda Gabler found herself shunned by proper 19th-Century society. In Mauckingbird’s current adaptation, she’s a lesbian as well— but strangely, nobody seems to mind.
Hedda Gabler. By Henrik Ibsen; adapted by Caroline Kava; directed by Peter Reynolds. Mauckingbird Theatre Co. production through January 29, 2009 at Adrienne Theatre mainstage, 2030 Sansom St. www.mauckingbirdtheatreco.org.
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| ‘Schmucks’ at the Wilma |
December 16 2008 |
In a 1965 diner, Lenny Bruce debates Groucho Marx about the role of comedy in a free society. What emerges instead is a largely incoherent series of meandering, bloated conversations, better suited to a dissertation than an evening of theater.
Schmucks. By Roy Smiles; directed by Jiri Zizka. Through January 4, 2009 at Wilma Theatre, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 893-9456 or www.wilmatheater.org.
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| Theatre Exile’s ‘dark play’ |
November 22 2008 |
Carlos Murillo’s dark play concerns the online manipulation of a fragile teenager. But the real abuses on the Internet are far more frightening than anything in Deborah Block’s tame production.
dark play, or stories for boys. By Carlos Murillo; directed by Deborah Block. Theatre Exile production through December 7, 20087 at Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, 2111 Sansom St. (215) 922-4462 or www.theatreexile.org.
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| Opera Company’s ‘Italian Girl in Algiers’ |
November 22 2008 |
The Opera Company of Philadelphia takes few risks in its entertaining staging of The Italian Girl in Algiers, even though Rossini’s opera offers a potentially controversial ridiculing of Islam.
The Italian Girl in Algiers. Opera by Gioachino Rossini; libretto by Angelo Anelli; directed by Stefano Vizioli. Through November 23, 2008 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust St. (215) 732-8400 or .www.operaphilly.com.
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| Ballet X: Work by Booker and Neenan |
November 10 2008 |
Watching Giselle’s Room was like hearing poetry in a foreign language. But two works by Ballet X co-artistic director Matthew Neenan caused no such confusion. Ballet X, more accustomed to Neenan’s individual style and tone, gave superb performances of both pieces.
Ballet X: Giselle’s Room, by Zane Booker; Duet From Cali and Steelworks, by Matthew Neenan. November 6-9, 2008 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 917-1513 or www.balletx.org.
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| ‘The War Party’ at InterAct Theatre |
November 10 2008 |
After losing her re-election campaign because she refused to fight dirty, a Republican Senator and a loyal volunteer conduct a post-mortem and weigh her future options. Vincent Delaney’s script suggests she’s both an idealist and a carping bitch. No, I didn’t believe it, either.
The War Party. By Vincent Delaney; directed by Rebecca Wright. InterAct Theatre Co. production through November 23, 2008 at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 568-8079 or www.interacttheatre.org.
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| Pennsylvania Ballet’s ‘Balanchine and Tharp’ |
November 04 2008 |
It’s too bad the Pennsylvania Ballet didn’t stage these pieces after the election— because regardless of the outcome, these performances would have restored anyone’s faith in humanity. You can’t feel anything less than admiration after watching a corps of young people dancing with such pure elation, so fluid, lovely, and promising, as they moved in perfect unison.
Pennsylvania Ballet: “Balanchine and Tharp. ” October 29-November 2, 2008 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust St. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.
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| 'Psalms of a Questionable Nature’ at Studio 5 |
October 28 2008 |
Psalms of a Questionable Nature provides a showcase for two remarkable actresses. But the disjointed script itself suggests a playwright who suffers from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Psalms of a Questionable Nature. By Marisa Wegrzyn; directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh. Nice People Theatre Company production through November 9, 2008 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 5, 825 Walnut St. (267) 909-3309 or www.nicepeopletheatre.org.
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| A too-modern ‘Medea’ in an Athens restroom |
October 14 2008 |
I've seen my share of disturbing theater in Philadelphia over the past five years. And goodness knows stage nudity is no longer a big deal in the City of Brotherly Love. But nothing that I've seen in Philadelphia could have prepared me for what I watched in Athens the other night. Who in Philadelphia would have the courage to stage it?
Waterfront Wasteland/ Medea Material/ Landscape with Argonauts. Triptych by Heiner Müller. Asipka Theater Company production in Athens, Greece.
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| Luna Theatre’s ‘Monster’ (2nd review) |
October 14 2008 |
Luna Theatre Company’s production of Neal Bell’s Monster has evoked conflicting reviews from the Inquirer’s Toby Zinman (who found it shallow) and Broad Street Review’s Lesley Valdes (who called it “art on a shoestring”). Our resident philosopher suggests both of them missed the big picture.
Monster. By Neal Bell; adapted from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; directed by Gregory Scott Campbell. Luna Theatre Co. production through November 2, 2008 at Independence Studio on Three, 825 Walnut St. (215) 704-0033 or www.lunatheater.org.
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| ‘Opera Company’s ‘Fidelio’ |
October 12 2008 |
For its production of Beethoven’s Fidelio, the Opera Company of Philadelphia spent $2 million on towering sets and costumes by the sculptor Jun Kaneko. The result is a succession of visually disconcerting images that overwhelmed a great opera and some excellent voices.
Fidelio. By Ludwig van Beethoven; directed by Robert Driver. Opera Company of Philadelphia production through October 24, 2008 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 732-8400 or www.operaphilly.com.
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| ‘Rock and Roll’ at the Wilma |
October 05 2008 |
Perhaps because she’s a Soviet block refugee herself, the Wilma’s Blanka Zizka has made brilliant sense of Tom Stoppard’s incredibly ambitious though very disjointed take on the Cold War and its effects on individuals caught in ideological battles.
Rock and Roll. By Tom Stoppard; directed by Blanka Zizka. Through October 26, 2008 at Wilma Theater., 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-7824 or www.wilmatheater.org.
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| EgoPo’s ‘Woyzeck’ (2nd review) |
September 23 2008 |
Between them, director Brenna Geffers and Dan Hodge create a terrifying atmosphere that builds up slowly in intensity, forcing you to confront your despair and question your faith in humanity. I doubt that even Barack Obama would find any hope in this production.
Woyzeck. Drama by Georg Büchner; translated by Nicholas Rudall; directed by Brenna Geffers. Presented by EgoPo through September 26, 2008 at German Society of Pennsylvania, 611 Spring Garden St. (800) 595-4849 or http://www.egopo.org.
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| Pink Hair Affair’s ‘oOOoOoOo’ |
September 13 2008 |
Pink Hair Affair’s sophomore effort at the Fringe Festival offered nine works— most of them playful, some of them breathtaking and ethereal. What the evening lacked was a unifying vision.
oOOoOoOo. Presented by Pink hair Affair through September 13, 2008 at Susan Hess Dance Studio, 2030 Sansom St. www.livearts-fringe.org/2008/details.cfm?id=5483
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| Center City Opera Theater’s ‘ConNEXTions’ |
September 13 2008 |
From an initial stack of more than 100 submissions, Center City Opera Theater selected three pieces that best presented “new work, new artists,” while building “new audiences.” I can’t speak for the 97 rejected short operas, but on the basis of "ConNEXTions," I’d say contemporary opera faces a tough sledding ahead.
“ConNEXTions.” The Golden Gate: music by Conrad Cummings. Fade: music by Stefan Weisman, libre
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| ‘How Do I Love Me?’ at Fringe Festival |
September 09 2008 |
Aleksandra Berczynski allows us to admire her enviable body, then subjects us to a laundry list of self-indulgent complaints. Her one-woman show could be the most unintentionally funny piece in this year’s Fringe Festival.
How Do I Love Me? by Aleksandra Berczynski. Through September 13, 2008 at Philadelphia International Institute, 242 Race St.
www.livearts-fringe.org/
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| ‘Accidens’ at Fringe Festival |
September 09 2008 |
In Accidens, Rodrigo García invites us to watch a man torture, kill and eat a lobster. It’s supposed to be a metaphor, but I found my mind wandering in directions Garcia didn’t intend.
Accidens (matar para comer). By Rodrigo García. September 6-7, 2008 at Ice Box Projects Space, 1400 N. American St.
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/2008/details.cfm?id=31
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| LaBute vs. Durang at the Fringe Festival |
September 08 2008 |
In Bash: Latter Day Plays, Neil LaBute presents three monologues of American Mormon life that draw upon classical Greek tragedies. In A Streetcar Named Durang, Christopher Durang parodies pretentious American playwrights. It’s very funny stuff, but such easy targets. LaBute has set himself the greater challenge.
Bash: Latter Day Plays. By Neil LaBute. Through September 12, 2008 at Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church, 723 N. Bodine St.
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| ‘Pushkin at Boldino’ at Fringe Festival |
September 08 2008 |
Armina LaManna’s Pushkin at Boldino concerns the tyrannical relationship between a writer and his creations. Even if you’ve seen Tchaikovsky’s opera of Pushkin’s Queen of Spades, LaManna’s funny and engaging play creates an inventive new dimension for the story’s conflict.
Pushkin at Boldino. By Armina LaManna. Presented through September 7, 2008 by Crescent Moon Entertainment Co. production at Plays and Players, 1714 De
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| Fringe Festival: ‘Widow’s Blind Date’ (1st review) |
September 02 2008 |
I’ve enjoyed Israel Horovitz’s work—and Green Light’s Fringe shows—in the past. But The Widow’s Blind Date was the worst show I’ve seen in this year’s Fringe Festival.
The Widow’s Blind Date. By Israel Horovitz; produced by Green Light Productions. Through Sept. 13 at Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St. (215) 413-1318 or
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| Fringe Festival: ‘…And Piano Make Three’ |
September 02 2008 |
Philip Seward’s short one-act opera serializes the love triangle between a pianist, his girlfriend and… his piano. If only the lyrics had lived up to this unusual idea and Seward’s pleasing melodic lines.
…And Piano Make Three. Music by Philip Seward. Through September 6, 2008 at Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St. (215) 925-9914 or www.livearts-fringe.org/2008/det
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| Fringe Festival: ‘Waiting for the Ship at Delos� |
September 02 2008 |
In Waiting for the Ship at Delos, actor-turned playwright Steve Hatzai gooses up the last days of Socrates but adds little in the way of original insight.
Waiting for the Ship at Delos: The Last Days of Socrates. By Steve Hatzai. Iron Age Theatre production through September 13, 2008 at Franklin Hall, American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut St. www.livearts-fringe.org/2008
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| ‘The European Lesson” at Black Box Theater |
August 31 2008 |
What can Americans teach anyone about Europeans? Not much, according to the Norwegian Jo Strømgren’s ironic The European Lesson. Next question: What makes an easier target than an Ugly American?
The European Lesson. Written and directed by Jo Strømgren. Jo Strømgren Kompani production through September 6, 2008 at Black Box Theater next to Festival Bar, 626 North Fifth St. ‘Rabbit Hole’ at Olney Theatre |
August 19 2008 |
In Rabbit Hole, an atheist seeks consolation for the loss of a son, and finds it in…. science? That may be a bit much to swallow, but David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama receives a nuanced, psychologically engaging production at Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center.
Rabbit Hole. By David Lindsay-Abaire; directed by Mitchell Hébert. Through September 7, 2008 at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney,
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| Ballet X: Female Choreographers |
July 26 2008 |
For its “All Female Choreographers Project,” Ballet X commissioned new works by three women. Unfortunately, as Ballet X’s co-director Christine Cox acknowledged during the post-performance talkback, good women choreographers (other than herself) are hard to find.
All Female Choreographers Project: Still Life, by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa; Numb Roads, by Christine Cox; Union, by Helen Pickett. Presented by Ballet X through July 27 at Th
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| Opera New Jersey’s ‘The Merry Widow’ |
July 22 2008 |
Its plot may be ridiculous, but The Merry Widow unequivocally marked Opera New Jersey’s best effort of the summer. All of its elements elevated the emotional power of this simple love story to a height that opera usually achieves only in tragedy.
The Merry Widow. Music by Franz Lehar; directed by Marc Verzatt; conducted by Steven Mosteller. Opera New Jersey production through July 26, 2008 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton, N
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| Commonwealth Classic’s ‘Taming of the Shrew’ |
July 22 2008 |
In an age of gender equality, can you watch The Taming of the Shrew without raising your blood pressure? In his Philadelphia directorial debut, Damon Bonetti dodges controversy by telling his audience: Relax and enjoy— you're back in the '50s.
The Taming of the Shrew. By William Shakespeare. Commonwealth Classic Theatre Company outdoor production through August 1, 2008, at various locations around Philadelphia. (610) 202-7878 or ‘La Traviata’ by Opera New Jersey |
July 15 2008 |
How can an old favorite like La Traviata continue to entice audiences? Director John Hoomes has found an answer: He constructs Verdi’s too-familiar classic as a beautiful, intoxicating nightmare.
La Traviata. Opera by Giuseppe Verdi; directed by John Hoomes; Fernando Raucci, conductor. Opera New Jersey production through July 26, 2008 at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton, N.J. (609) 799-7700 or ‘Die Soldaten’ in New York |
July 08 2008 |
Ever wonder what war is really like? Bernd Zimmerman’s opera Die Soldaten attempts a total immersion experience, complete with grating, discordant music and moving seats that prevent you from turning your face away.
Die Soldaten (The Soldiers). Opera by Bernd Zimmermann; directed by David Pountney; Steven Sloane, conductor. Presented by Lincoln Center Festival through July 13, 2008 at Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue (between 66th and 67th Sts.), New York.
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| ‘In Memory of the Deathtrap,’ by Pink Hair Aff |
July 08 2008 |
Pink Hair Affair’s Deathtrap portrays nine women inhabiting a real crumbling house on Christian Street— a site reflecting the structure of emotional lives equally in need of repair.
In Memory of the Deathtrap. Directed by Anne MacGillivray Wilson. Presented June 28-29, 2008 at 2133 Christian St. by Pink Hair Affair. pinkhairaffair.com.
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| Kip Martin’s ‘Namja Yoja’ at UArts |
June 17 2008 |
Namja Yoja clearly lies in the dance theater tradition—just minus the dance. Choreographer Kip Martin needs to figure out how to integrate into his storylines the vivid choreography of which he’s capable.
Namja Yoja. Choreography by Kip Martin. June 13-14, 2008 at the UArts Dance Theatre at the Drake, 1512 Spruce St. (267) 269-5986 or www.dancewellness.com.
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| Pennsylvania Ballet’s two premieres |
June 15 2008 |
Two world premieres by the Pennsylvania Ballet delivered disappointing dosages of choreographic showboating and ballet kitsch. Oh yes, and John Lithgow.
Pennsylvania Ballet presents two world premieres: Peter Quanz’s Jupiter Symphony and Neenan’s Penumbra and Pampeana No. 2. June 6-14, 2008 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.
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| Paul Taylor Dance at Annenberg |
June 10 2008 |
The choreographer Paul Taylor is close to 80 and still growing in dramatic and thematic power, as a recital of his past and present works demonstrated.
Paul Taylor Dance Company: Esplanade, Changes, Lines of Loss and other works. June 5-7, 2008 at Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. (215) 898-6701 or www.pennpresents.org
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| In defense of Toby Zinman |
June 03 2008 |
Many readers find the Inquirer’s theater critic Toby Zinman harsh and joyless. Maybe that’s because her standards are higher then theirs.
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| InterAct's ‘House Divided’ (2nd review) |
June 03 2008 |
In this intelligent and gripping production, playwright Larry Loebell treats current issues in the Middle East with the importance they deserve—by showing how they too often direct and distort the attitudes and actions of an individual’s entire life.
House Divided. By Larry Loebell; directed by Seth Rozin. InterAct Theatre Company production through June 22, 2008 at the Adrienne, mainstage, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 568-8079 or Vanity House’s ‘Phèdre’ |
May 20 2008 |
Theater aficionados or purists may well want to travel to Manayunk to see this brilliant translation, as well as Brian McCann’s performance. Other theatergoers would do better to stay downtown.
Phèdre. By Jean Racine; translated from the French by Paul Schmidt; directed by William Braak. Vanity House production through May 24, 2008 at 4373 Main St., Manayunk. (610) 955-9282 or www.vanityhouse.org.
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| ‘Eurydice’ at the Wilma (3rd review) |
May 13 2008 |
Sarah Ruhl’s re-invention of the Eurydice myth is a consistently moving meditation on the enduring bond between father and daughter— one that’s circumstantially altered by marriage but not fundamentally changed over time. In Blanka Zizka’s sensitive direction, the play unfolds in a series of visually provocative, poetically touching moments.
Eurydice. By Sarah Ruhl; directed by Blanka Zizka. Through June 1, 2008 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at
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| AVA’s ‘La Traviata’ |
May 10 2008 |
Christofer Macatsoris understands the power of big emotions, and soprano Jan Cornelius sports a voice to match. It’s all maybe a bit too big for the tiny scale of the AVA’s cozy Warden Theater, where the first performances took place.
La Traviata. Opera by Giuseppe Verdi; Christofer Macatsoris, conductor; directed by Dorothy Danner. Academy of Vocal Arts production through May 17, 2008 at Central Bucks South H.S., Centennial Hall (Haverford College), Walter K. G
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| Rebecca Davis’s ‘Darfur’ |
April 26 2008 |
Rebecca Davis’s Darfur approaches a holocaust from two perspectives: the true story of Brian Steidle, a UN observer in the Sudan, and the fictitious tale of a young African boy caught up in the same events. One story is factual, but the other is dramatic. Davis clearly possesses brilliant instincts; if only she had trusted them in conveying Steidle’s story as well as the African family’s.
Darfur. Choreographed by Rebecca Davis. Rebecca Davis Danc
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| InterAct’s ‘Frozen’ |
April 22 2008 |
Frozen abounds with ideas about the nature of justice and the psychological costs of forgiveness. It provided me with some of the most thought-provoking theater of the year, and forced me to ask big questions. But is it a play, or a series of lectures?
Frozen. By Bryony Lavery; directed by Whit MacLaughlin. InterAct Theatre production through May 4, 2008 at Adrienne Theater, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 568-8077, or
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| Pennsylvania Ballet’s ‘Coppelia’ |
April 22 2008 |
I’d seen Pennsylvania Ballet’s amusing Coppelia before and didn’t intend to see it again. But the magnetic young Abigail Mentzer changed my mind.
Coppelia. Music by Leo Delibes; choreography after Marius Petipa. Pennsylvania Ballet production through April 27, 2008 at Merriam Theatre, Broad St. above Spruce. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.
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| Jeanne Ruddy’s ‘Obsessions’ |
April 12 2008 |
However engrossing Jeanne Ruddy’s Breathless may be, ultimately it fails to transcend its subject matter: murderous domestic abuse. Susanne Linke’s dazzling Quasi Normal, on the other hand, proves that even when a work is about nothing at all, audiences can find dance highly enjoyable and grasp it intuitively without an overload of explanation.
“Obsessions and Expressions”: Breathless, choreographed by Jeanne Ruddy, score by Ellen F
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| ‘Othello’ vs. ‘Pericles’ |
April 12 2008 |
These two productions— one full of subtle artistry, the other a poorly played screaming match—couldn’t be more different. Yet together they offer a surprising and subtle reminder of Shakespeare’s continuing legacy and importance.
Pericles. By William Shakespeare; directed by Carmen Khan. Through May 18, 2008, at Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, 2111 Sansom St. (215) 496-8001 or www.p
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| Opera Company’s ‘Norma’ (2nd review) |
April 05 2008 |
Director Kay Walker Castaldo could have generated some excitement by setting Bellini’s Norma in present-day Palestine, Iraq or Tibet. Instead she chose the traditional setting: ancient Gaul. Just as well: At the Opera Company, for the first time this season, the voices and music dominate, and consequently this production soars musically.
Norma. Opera by Vincenzo Bellini. Opera Co. of Philadelphia production conducted by Corrado Rovaris, directed by Kay Walker C
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| ‘Right to Spring’ by Ballet X |
March 29 2008 |
Matthew Neenan has filled his high-energy Right to Spring with bold movements that require both classical precision and a rigorous athleticism. It’s a work capable of bridging modern dance and classical ballet.
Right to Spring. Choreography by Matthew Neenan; music by Matthew Pierce. Ballet X production through March 30, 2008 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-8824 or www.balletx.org.
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| Funding for the arts (reply) |
March 25 2008 |
Armen Pandola proposes a “new play contest” financed by a one-dollar surcharge tacked on to the price of Philadelphia hotel rooms. I wish that Pandola, and everyone who supports similar schemes, would stop treating local industries, business owners and consumers as one more resource to plunder in support of the arts.
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| Petukhov’s ‘Carmen’ ballet |
March 23 2008 |
Bizet’s Carmen as a modern Russian folk ballet, told from Don José’s perspective to a techno-music score? Yes, I too was skeptical. But Yuri Petukhov’s psychologically complex choreography and alterations to the text rendered the inner story of José’s deadly infatuation into something far more dark and haunting.
Carmen. Ballet choreographed by Yuri Petukhov; music from Bizet’s opera re-orchestrated by Igor Ponomazen
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| What Spitzer could learn from Shakespeare |
March 11 2008 |
New York’s moralistic Governor Eliot Spitzer turns out to have been a customer of a high-priced prostitution ring. How could that be? You’ll find the answer in Measure For Measure, not to mention Pig Iron's recent production of Isabella.
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| Pennsylvania Ballet’s ‘Messiah’ |
March 08 2008 |
If Christ and his disciples had looked and moved like Sergio Torrado and the Pennsylvania Ballet corps, Christianity would’ve been a no-brainer from the start, even for the Roman Centurions.
Messiah. Ballet by Robert Weiss; music by George Frideric Handel. Pennsylvania Ballet production through March 9, 2008 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.
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| Stoppard and the Wilma |
March 01 2008 |
Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n Roll represents his most ambitious effort to confront the Czech Communist suppression of free expression that he lived through in the 1970s. Next year this ultimate dissident's play will be brought to the Wilma Theater, whose founders lived through it too. I can’t wait to see how the Zizkas stage it.
Rock ‘n Roll. By Tom Stoppard. Royal Court Theatre London production through March 9, 2008 at Bernard Jacobs Thea
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| Merce Cunningham at Annenberg |
March 01 2008 |
Some choreographers work with composers; Merce Cunningham works with computers. However cerebral, his Biped presents a brave, fascinating new world of dance. And the conceptual experience of his eyeSpace is a triumph, even if the piece itself isn’t.
Merce Cunningham Dance Company: Biped and eyeSpace. February 28-29, 2008, at Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. (215) 898-6701 or www.p
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| Jiri Zizka and Wilma’s ‘Ying Tong’ |
February 23 2008 |
Three of the last four plays directed by Jiri Zizka have dealt with artists who suffer for their art. Is this a coincidence? Or is the Wilma Theater’s co-founder, consciously or not, trying to tell us something?
Ying Tong: A Walk With the Goons. By Roy Smiles; directed by Jiri Zizka. Through March 16, 2008 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce. 215.546.STAGE or www.wilmatheater.org.
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| Opera Company’s ‘Cyrano’ (1st review) |
February 12 2008 |
In Cyrano, the big-budget sets received more applause than the performances, proving once again how the opera world keeps succumbing to an emphasis on visual appeal. Instead of writing an opera, composer David DiChiera has written background music.
Cyrano. Opera by David DiChiera (music) and Bernard Uzan (libretto). Opera Company of Philadelphia production through February 17, 2008 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 732-8400 or Lantern Theater’s ‘Skylight’ (2nd review) |
February 09 2008 |
The Lantern’s production of David Hare’s Skylight proves that compelling direction and a pair of richly textured performances can magnify the dramatic power of minor concerns into an event of staggering proportions.
Skylight. By David Hare; directed by Dan Kern. Lantern Theater Co. production through March 2, 2008 at St. Stephen’s Theater, 10th and Ludlow Streets. (215) 829-0395 or ‘Grace’ and ‘The Price’ (3rd review) |
February 03 2008 |
Were Arthur Miller alive today, I’d tell him to take notes from Craig Wright’s Grace. Where The Price is almost all talk, Grace offers a love triangle, murder, attempted suicide, religious conversion and a real battle of wills—between each character and God.
Grace. Play by Craig Wright; directed by Gregory Scott Campbell. Luna Theater Company production through February 23, 2008 at Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5, 825 Walnut St.
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| The trouble with Beatles impersonators (1st review |
January 19 2008 |
The four performers in “Rain: The Beatles Experience” have consumed the past 20 years imitating the Fab Four on stage. At what point does a performance devolve into psychosis?
Rain: The Beatles Experience. Through January 20, 2008 at the Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 893-1999 or www.kimmelcenter.org.
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| Back to the ‘40s in Norristown (2nd review) |
December 22 2007 |
At the opening curtain, this musical revue seems like a first-rate production without a point, other than nostalgia. It winds up drawing a bold contrast between a war-consumed but hopeful America and our own war-mired times that now stagnate in pessimism, rancor and despair.
Holiday Show at the Swing Club. Directed by Matt Decker. Through December 31, 2007 at the Centre Theatre, 208 DeKalb St., Norristown, Pa. (610) 283-2230 or Wilma’s ‘Age of Arousal’ (2nd review) |
December 15 2007 |
Despite an overwhelmingly successful and very funny production— the best individual and ensemble acting I’ve seen all season— and Blanka Zizka’s thoroughly engaging direction, this is quite clearly the wrong play for the wrong time.
Age of Arousal. By Linda Griffiths; directed by Blanka Zizka. Through January 6, 2008 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (215) 546-7824 or www.wilma
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| On boycotting Greg Wood |
December 04 2007 |
Greg Wood, Grace Gonglewski, Tom Teti, Frank X…. It’s fun to see local actors evolve and grow in new roles. But even Laurence Olivier could become tiresome if you watched him every week. Is this a world-class theatrical community or a small town?
The School For Wives. Comedy by Molière; directed by Kathryn Nocero MacMillan. Lantern Theater Co. production through December 9, 2007 at St. Stephen’s Theater, Tenth and Ludlow Sts. (215) 829-0395 or
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| Roles for Philadelphia actresses |
November 20 2007 |
Theater may be booming in Philadelphia, but roles for actresses remain in short supply. Four plays this month may offer the beginnings of a solution.
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| ‘Mother Courage’ at Villanova (2nd review) |
November 17 2007 |
Brecht may have been the 20th Century’s most influential and original playwright. But in the 21st his relevance has largely faded, especially for American audiences. Of course war is a bad thing. But what else is new?
Mother Courage and Her Children. By Bertolt Brecht; directed by Shawn Kairschner. Villanova Theatre production November 13-18 and November 27-December 2, 2007 at Vasey Theatre, Villanova U. (610) 519-7474 or
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| ‘Molly Sweeney’ at Amaryllis (2nd review) |
November 13 2007 |
Amaryllis Theatre’s production presents a stellar cast whose near-mesmerizing performances never falter. But sadly, Brian Friel’s play reduces the extraordinary struggle of a formerly blind woman to the common fear experienced by every kindergarten student who resists leaving home for his first day of school.
Molly Sweeney. Drama by Brian Friel; directed by Tom Reing. Amaryllis Theatre Co. production through Nov. 18, 2007 at the Playground at the Adrienne, 2030
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| Ballet dancers as role models |
November 06 2007 |
Take it from an Olympic weightlifter: A great athlete need not be graceful. A great novelist or painter can go years without producing a work. Only ballet dancers must achieve physical, aesthetic and ethical greatness at every moment of their careers.
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| InterAct Theatre’s ‘Last of the Boys’ |
October 30 2007 |
Two Vietnam veterans meet each summer to review their messed up lives. But the war itself seems to have nothing to do with their respective psychological messes. InterAct Theatre’s capable production can’t redeem this fatal flaw in Steven Dietz’s script.
Last of the Boys. Drama by Steven Dietz; directed by Paul Meshejian. Through November 18, 2007 at InterAct Theatre Co., 2030 Sansom St. (215) 568-8077 or ‘Death and the Maiden’ and Duke U. lacrosse |
October 20 2007 |
Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden takes an even-handed look at the question of due process vs. cathartic revenge. But his premature support for action against Duke University’s lacrosse players suggests where his sympathies lie.
Death and the Maiden. By Ariel Dorfman. Through October 27, 2007 at Curio Theatre, 815 South 48 St. (215) 525-1350 or www.curiotheatre.org.
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| Artists and criminals |
September 08 2007 |
Should a convicted drug dealer be allowed to put on a show about his crime? Performance artist Christian Lisak raised that question with his recent monologue, That’s Why They Don’t Call It a Picnic. Some Philadelphia theater people say yes and others vehemently disagree, but all of their reactions seem to misunderstand what art— not to mention crime— is really all about.
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| A plague of small-cast plays |
June 23 2007 |
Philadelphia’s Barrymore Awards, launched in 1995 to celebrate great local theater, have inadvertently encouraged small local theater. The reasons are economic: The Barrymore rules establish minimum pay scales for actors. So the question for theater companies becomes: How do you win a Barrymore without going broke? Answer: The fewer actors, the better.
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| ‘42nd Street’: Dissenting review |
December 02 2006 |
It’s one thing for a musical to hire singers who can’t act well, or actors who sing poorly. But this production employed singers who don’t even want to act, and actors who perform like they don’t enjoy singing.
42nd Street. Music by Harry Warren; lyrics by Al Dubin; book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble. Directed by Charles Abbott; choreographed by Mary Jane Houdina. Through January 7, 2007 at Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St. (215) 574-35
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| Two Irish one-acts at Amaryllis |
December 02 2006 |
Amaryllis chose a strange pair to present here: a stark contrast between a story seen and a story told. Blood Guilty is a fantastic, gripping allegory of modern Ireland. By contrast, in The Good Thief, tthe monologue-loving McPherson takes an entertainingly brief tale and weaves it into an hour cluttered by long stretches of boredom.
Blood Guilty, by Antoine O’Flatharta, and The Good Thief, by Conor McPherson; directed by Mimi Kenney S
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| ‘QED’ at Lantern Theater |
November 15 2006 |
As the Nobel physicist Richard Feynman, Peter DeLaurier captures the intensity and sheer zest for living that Feynman exhibited throughout his life. And director Kathryn Nocero modulates the impact of DeLaurier’s performance with impeccable timing. But actor and director are ill served by Peter Parnell’s one-dimensional script, which fails to capture the magnitude of this remarkable man’s life.
QED. By Peter Parnell, directed by Kathryn Nocero. Lantern The
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| Editor's Digest |
August 24 2010 |
The lost art of dictating a novel; museums as town squares and community centers; contests for new book authors; dangers of cultural elitism. Plus other links to recent articles and websites that have interested us.
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