Wilma's 'My Children! My Africa!'

Fans of Athol Fugard will find themselves on familiar ground here— a bit too familiar, for my taste. The problem with My Children! My Africa! lies not with the actors, who are uniformly excellent, but with Fugard’s script, which tends to get in their way and ultimately retraces old ground.

My Children! My Africa! By Athol Fugard; directed by Blanka Zizka. Through January 7, 2007 at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (at Spruce). (215) 546-7824 or

Dan Rottenberg

Dec 17, 2006 · Articles · 4 minute read

Two Irish one-acts at Amaryllis

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

Jim Rutter

Dec 02, 2006 · Articles · 2 minute read

"42nd Street': Dissenting review

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

Jim Rutter

Dec 02, 2006 · Articles · 2 minute read

"42nd Street' at the Walnut (1st review)

42nd Street at the Walnut is a marriage made in heaven: a rare case of a large theater company choosing a compatible vehicle and lavishing its huge resources wisely. You don’t laugh out loud too often, but it’s a stubborn curmudgeon indeed who won’t have a smile on his face throughout this production.

42nd Street. Music by Harry Warren; lyrics by Al Dubin; book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble. Directed by Charles Abbott; choreographed by

Dan Rottenberg

Nov 16, 2006 · Articles · 3 minute read

"QED' at Lantern Theater

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

Jim Rutter

Nov 15, 2006 · Articles · 3 minute read

"Zoo Story' at Society Hill Playhouse

A good cast can’t rescue a dated play or mask the misogyny at the heart of Edward Albee’s work.

The Zoo Story. By Edward Albee; directed by Steven Wright. Through November 18, 2006 at Society Hill Playhouse, 507 South Eighth St. www.societyhillplayhouse.org.

Robert Zaller

Nov 07, 2006 · Articles · 3 minute read

InterAct's "Kiss of the Spider Woman'

After a generation of multi-media treatment, Puig’s two revolutionary cellmates are no longer all that revolutionary. Which means that what was once the inspiring experience of sharing their enlightened company has now become stale and hackneyed.

Kiss of the Spider Woman. By Manuel Puig, with a translation by Allan Baker; directed by Seth Rozin. InterAct Theatre Co. production through November 19, 2006 at Adrienne Theatre,, 2030 Sansom St. (215) 568-8079 or

Dan Rottenberg

Oct 26, 2006 · Articles · 2 minute read

Barrymore Awards: A bush-league show

The Barrymore Awards ostensibly honor the best of Philadelphia theater. But this year's Barrymore ceremony was an embarrassment. Countless spokesmen spent three and a half hours telling us that the Philly theater community is great. Won't they please shut up and show us what’s great?

Barrymore Awards. October 23, 2006 at the Merriam Theatre, Broad above Spruce St.

Steve Cohen

Oct 26, 2006 · Articles · 5 minute read

Wilma's "The Pillowman' (second review)

Martin McDonagh’s macabre comedy-drama is no predictably Kafkaesque tale of a repressive state destroying an innocent individual. It’s more of an inquiry into the creative and destructive power of words. There’s ample food for thought in this provocative work, and McDonagh’s genius here lies in his ability make profound and heavy issues entertaining and even funny.

The Pillowman. By Martin McDonagh; directed by Jiri Zizka. Through November 5, 2006,&n

Dan Rottenberg

Oct 20, 2006 · Articles · 3 minute read

'Pillowman' at the Wilma (first review)

Martin McDonagh’s complex murder mystery, set in an unnamed totalitarian state, is much more than a black comedy. This is a forensic drama that mocks its own convolutions, as well as a scabrous satire of cultural violence.

The Pillowman. By Martin McDonagh; directed by Jiri Zizka. Through November 5, 2006, at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. (215) 893-9456 or www.wilmatheater.org

Lewis Whittington

Oct 18, 2006 · Articles · 3 minute read