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My problem with Toby Zinman

I’m saddened by Toby Zinman’s joyless spirit and her apparent lack of enthusiasm in her reviews for the Inquirer— most recently the Wilma’s widely acclaimed production of Eurydice. And why does the Inquirer seem to take music more seriously than theater?

Jonathan M. Stein

May 31, 2008 Articles 5 minute read

'Our Town' at the Arden (3rd review)

In the Arden’s Old City-oriented production of Our Town, director Terrence Nolen delivers a moving, evocative and utterly charming evening of theater, even if it strays from Thornton Wilder’s original vision.

Our Town. By Thornton Wilder; directed by Terrence J. Nolen. Through June 22, 2008 at the Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second Street. (215) 922-1122 or ardentheatre.org.

Bob Cronin

May 31, 2008 Articles 3 minute read

"Our Town' at the Arden (1st review)

Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, a play meant to challenge nostalgic illusions about American small-town life, is made instead into a celebration of them in the Arden Theatre’s wrap-up of its 20th anniversary season. Linking Grover’s Corners to Philadelphia itself only makes the city look provincial.

Our Town. By Thornton Wilder; directed by Terrence J. Nolen. Through June 22, 2008 at the Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second Street. (215) 922-1122

Robert Zaller

May 31, 2008 Articles 6 minute read

"Our Town' at the Arden (2nd review)

Our Town has become a staple of high school and college theater groups that emphasize its surface artifices without probing Thornton Wilder’s deeper convictions. Thanks to director Terence J. Nolen and a wonderful cast, in this production the play is revealed in all its dimensions.

Our Town. By Thornton Wilder; directed by Terrence J. Nolen. Through June 22, 2008 at the Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second Street. (215) 922-1122 or

Anne R. Fabbri

May 31, 2008 Articles 3 minute read

"Our Town' at the Arden (4th review)

Our Town in Old City – the title used in the Arden Theatre’s advertising– is a celebration of community. It’s also a memorable theatrical experience, even more for its presentation than for the script itself.

Our Town. By Thornton Wilder; directed by Terrence J. Nolen. Through June 22, 2008 at the Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second Street. (215) 922-1122 or ardentheatre.org.

Steve Cohen

May 31, 2008 Articles 5 minute read

"Eurydice' at the Wilma (4th review)

The play’s not really the thing in the Wilma’s final season production, but Blanka Zizka’s staging— a brilliant ensemble of music, dance, and drama— renders it more than worth the price of admission.

Eurydice. By Sarah Ruhl; directed by Blanka Zizka. Through June 1, 2008 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-7824 or www.wilmatheater.org.

Robert Zaller

May 25, 2008 Articles 7 minute read

"Les Miserables' at the Walnut (1st review)

I cringed at the notion of seeing Victor Hugo’s idealistic saga strained through a Broadway musical meat grinder. To my surprise, Hugo’s vision comes across almost as powerfully on stage as it does in his novel. Maybe even more.

Les Miserables. Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; book by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel; lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer; directed by Mark Clements; based on Victor Hugo’s novel. Through August 3, 2008 at Walnut Street Theatre,

Dan Rottenberg

May 25, 2008 Articles 4 minute read

Vanity House's "Phèdre'

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.

Jim Rutter

May 20, 2008 Articles 3 minute read

"Eurydice' at the Wilma (3rd review)

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

Jim Rutter

May 13, 2008 Articles 5 minute read

"Eurydice' at the Wilma (1st review)

In a spectacular production, the inventive playwright Sarah Ruhl transports her mythical characters across the River Styx into the land of the dead. She’s a dazzling sleight-of-hand magician, but her wacky suspensions of logic take some getting used to.

Eurydice. By Sarah Ruhl; directed by Blanka Zizka. Through June 1, 2008 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). 215.546.7824 or www.wilmatheater.org.