“We believe the way to move through these times is 6 feet apart and ALL TOGETHER.”
Theater
Theater Commentary: When the Curtain Falls — Like an Axe
Vibrant, independent theater in Boston and throughout New England will not be sustained if the demolition starts at the bottom and moves up.
Arts Commentary: Two “Killer” Worldviews
I’m suddenly startled by the almost simultaneous appearance of two killers, neither of them COVID-19, each seemingly unbeatable in its own way.
Book Review: “Woe from Wit” — A Great Russian Drama, Newly Translated
One of the masterpieces of Russian drama is done justice in a English version that successfully captures much of the wit and fluency of the original.
Theater Commentary: Peering into the Post-Covid Future for the New Play Sector
I’m curious to see what happens next. I’ll keep writing plays, but I might need to hone my skills as a handyman just in case this whole theater thing doesn’t pan out.
Arts Commentary: Pestilence on Stage, Part Two — “When the Impossible Really Begins”
Theater is seen as a cleansing illness that sets out to obliterate the illness we blithely accept as health.
Arts Commentary: Pestilence on Stage, Part One — Karel Čapek’s”The White Plague”
The White Plague uses dread to shock us into empathy for ourselves, to be alarmed by the fragility of our bodies as well as the resources and ethics of the medical system.
Arts Remembrance: Terrence McNally — Dramatist and Father of the Serious Contemporary Musical
The late Terrence McNally was more than just a masterful playwright. He also forged new roads in musical theater.
Theater Commentary: A Memorable “Merchant of Venice” — Squeezing Blood Out of a Rubber Chicken
This was an enormously exciting production of Merchant of Venice, a reminder that theater can be (in fact, must be!) nervy.
Theater Review: “Pipeline” — A Didactic Excursion
Dominique Morisseau’s earnest Pipeline is a “message” play, American style.