Robert Israel

Traveling Exhibit Review: “Auschwitz — Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.”

March 17, 2024
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“Auschwitz: Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.” is compelling, but its message feels hermetically sealed — the exhibit needs to draw crucial connections with what is going on now.

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Theater Review: “A Case for the Existence of God” — Cry Hallelujah

January 30, 2024
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In terms of the joy that theater can provide, this Speakeasy Stage production sets the bar high.

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Theater Review: “The Heart Sellers” — A Moving Homage to Friendship

December 3, 2023
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Dramatist Lloyd Suh takes us on an inner journey by weaving silences into his script that encourage his characters (and us) to reflect and pause.

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Theater Review: Blue Man Group — A Sugar High, Spray-Painted Blue

November 4, 2023
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The “new” version of the Blue Man Group is all mayhem, all the time.

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Theater Review: “Prayer for the French Republic” — The Din of History

September 15, 2023
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“Prayer for the French Republic” is of interest because it raises significant questions about faith during a hate-filled time.

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Book Review: “Poland, A Green Land” — A Meaningful Reflection on Horror

August 26, 2023
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Aharon Appelfeld’s final novel is haunting meditation on how to deal with past hostilities that are all too present.

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Book Review: August Wilson — Poet, Pugilist, and Playwright

August 13, 2023
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Patti Hartigan’s biography is a workmanlike portrait of dramatist August Wilson that never delves deep enough into his poetic soul.

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Theater Review: “The Lehman Trilogy” — The Trials and Tribulations of the Mercantile Class

June 29, 2023
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The Lehman Trilogy is epic in its proportion and ambitions, so it is ironic that it sacrifices opportunities to probe troubling topics.

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Theater Interview: Set Designer Sara Brown — Alchemy is Afoot

May 26, 2023
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Set designer Sara Brown creates theater wizardry through the assistance of digital tools, not a magic wand.

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Theater Review: “Joy & Pandemic” — Smothered in Talk

May 6, 2023
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A talented cast does its best to add buoyancy to a script weighted down in palaver.

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