Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photo by Cody Jolly Photography. So here is the premise for Harry Wood’s Roast, now playing at Greenhouse Theater Center: a stand-up comic kills himself and leaves instructions that four of his friends and colleagues, along with his sister and estranged father, should (instead of a […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photo by Brett Beiner. At what point do we stop producing a “classic” play that has become cliché and whose plot, while undeniably clever, may have lost its ability to thrill modern audiences? At what point do we admit that, due to its very nature, its […]
Review by Kelly MacBlane What is survival worth to you? How hard would you fight, what would you do in order to survive? And what if there is a chance- a very good chance- that you are the last person alive on Earth? As a historian, I have always been interested in stories of survival. […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photo by Alan Alabastro. Sitting at the thoroughly entertaining combination of European cirque, theatrical and operatic singing, cabaret, burlesque, low comedy, and a sumptuous dinner that is Teatro ZinZanni’s Love, Chaos & Dinner, the only thought going through my mind was, “Why did it take so […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photo by Austin D. Oie. I am on record as saying that I enjoy it when theatres engage in unusual types of plays. In the past week alone I’ve seen three shows (Ghost Quartet, Strange Heart Beating, and Wolf Play) that are, shall we say, off […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photo by Michael Brosilow. As much as I tend to enjoy good theatre of any ilk, I admit to having a particular fondness for the creatively unusual, and Black Button Eyes, with its focus on the surreal, the magical, and the macabre, can always be counted […]
Review by Ed Rubin, member of American Theatre Critics Association, NYC’s Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle; photo by Joan Marcus. In the past few years, there have been a healthy number of beautifully crafted, wonderfully acted, and solidly produced Black-centric plays both on Broadway and Off that have examined from every conceivable angle – […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photo by Michael Brosilow. Sometimes, these days, it seems as if we’re spiraling down some dark path with no real hope of salvation or redemption. But every once in a while, some play comes along that reignites that spark of hope in our hearts. American Blues […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member Something mysterious and dark is brewing on the tiny stage of The Frontier, where Cloudgate Theatre is producing its second show, the haunting midwestern gothic noir Strange Heart Beating by Kristin Idaszak. Focusing on the abduction and murder of a small girl in a seemingly idyllic […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photo by Ronnie Larsen. Now & Then is an ambitious little musical about the lives of a gay couple across forty years of time. With a book by Ronnie Larsen based loosely on the songs and life of composer Dennis Manning, the show features three versions […]