"Pretty Fire' at Horizon in Norristown

Growing up black in the '50s

Norristown, once almost exclusively white, is today mostly African-American. Horizon's attractive new theater there has pitched its first production there to the new realities of the local audience. Pretty Fire, By Charlayne Woodard; James Ijames directed. Through November 18, 2012 at Theatre Horizon, 401 DeKalb St., Norristown, Pa. (610) 283-2230 or www.theatrehorizon.org.

Steve Cohen

Nov 06, 2012 · Articles · 2 minute read

"Freud's Last Session' at the Arden (1st review)

Christianity vs. psychiatry

When the Christian polemicist C.S. Lewis meets Sigmund Freud— who considered God an illusion— whom do you root for? Mark St. Germain's imagined meeting between two brilliant men crackles with the conflict of ideas and emotions and blessedly leaves us to decide where our sympathies lie.

Steve Cohen

Nov 03, 2012 · Articles · 3 minute read

Carson Kreitzer's "Behind the Eye' (1st review)

She did it her way

The beautiful and talented American model and photographer Lee Miller constantly reinvented herself throughout a long and tumultuous life, while repeatedly wangling her way onto the world's center stage. What drove her, and why should we care? Carson Kreitzer's Behind the Eye offers food for thought without providing a completely satisfying answer.

Dan Rottenberg

Oct 29, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

PTC's "Stars of David' at the Suzanne Roberts (1st review)

What's it mean to be Jewish?

Having grown up ambivalently Jewish, Abigail Pogrebin embarked on an intriguing project: to interview famous Jews about their Jewishness. The new musical based on her book is equally intriguing.

Steve Cohen

Oct 26, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

PTC's "Stars of David' at the Suzanne Roberts (2nd review)

The new Jew revue

Jews comprise a large segment of urban theater audiences, so any show with a Jewish theme enjoys a good head start. But even discriminating Jewish theatergoers may gag on this musical celebration of Jewishness. It's all heroes, no villains, and too many cooks concocting the songs.

Dan Rottenberg

Oct 25, 2012 · Articles · 6 minute read

Graham's "Outgoing Tide' in Wilmington

Alzheimer's, rendered more believable

In Delaware Theatre Company's incarnation, nothing has changed in Bruce Graham's script about a man with Alzheimer's, but the direction and acting interpretations revealed the story in a new light.

Steve Cohen

Oct 23, 2012 · Articles · 2 minute read

Albee's "Virginia Woolf' revived on Broadway

George stands up to Martha, for once

Rarely does a revival shed new light on a play with the same intensity as the blazing new production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? that just opened on Broadway on its 50th anniversary.

Carol Rocamora

Oct 23, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

"Drumline Live' at the Merriam

Strike up the (pumped up) band

The spectacular Drumline Live celebrates the type of pumped-up band music played at historically black, mostly Southern colleges. It's dazzling stuff, but to judge from the audience at the Merriam, it's mostly preaching to the choir.

Steve Cohen

Oct 22, 2012 · Articles · 2 minute read

New City's "RFK' at the Adrienne

Bobby Kennedy's unfinished (and uncertain) legacy

Jack Holmes's RFK is a play for our political season, but also a sympathetic and sometimes searching portrayal of Americans' last political icon. Russ Widdall's performance is a tour de force.

Robert Zaller

Oct 20, 2012 · Articles · 9 minute read

"Gutenberg! The Musical' at Ambler

Let's put on a show! On second thought, let's not

Gutenberg! The Musical! is a parody of simpletons trying to create a Broadway show in total ignorance of its subject. What next— a parody of retarded children?

Steve Cohen

Oct 20, 2012 · Articles · 3 minute read