The Diaries, a mess of a play now being presented at the New Theatre in Coral Gables, begins with the suggestion of something much better. A young American scholar is about to give a talk on campus on the subject of his Nazi grandfather’s diaries, a controversial document that may…
Edge: This one-woman show about the tormented life of poet Sylvia Plath features a startling, riveting performance by Angelica Torn that blazes as fiercely as Plath’s poetry. Paul Alexander’s play depicts Plath’s failed romances and suicide attempts, and excoriates her husband Ted Hughes as a controlling monster who profited mightily…
With Saint Patrick’s Day on the horizon, the Irish are likely to briefly re-enter the public consciousness, even here in South Florida, which is hardly a Celtic stronghold. Beyond the usual beer and blarney, even the most casual thoughts of Ireland tend to center on its long struggle with foreign…
Good news. The Promethean Theatre is a young company to watch, and its debut production of Orange Flower Water is as exciting as it is promising. Directed by Margaret M. Ledford with a keen eye for detail, the local premiere of Craig Wright’s intense domestic drama treks through familiar territory…
Centenarian sisters Sadie and Bessie Delany fondly reminisce about their first 100 years in Having Our Say, a delightful though at times tiresome new production by the African-American Performing Arts Community Theatre. The setting couldn’t be more appealing: As the curtain parts, it unveils a modest, lived-in dwelling with a…
Action: Mad Cat Theatre Company’s new production of this Sam Shepard one-act play has a lot going on: screaming and chair-throwing, fish-filleting on stage, what looks like a Pollo Tropical chicken passing for a Christmas turkey, lots of drooly finger-licking, spiffy winter clothes, and the sounds of a nasty snowstorm…
To many, modern art is all about provocation. That was the case with gonzo journalist and novelist Hunter S. Thompson, whose booze- and drug-fueled rants were the stuff of popular legend for decades before he committed suicide last week. Trailing along in Thompson’s wake is Eric Bogosian, a theatrical provocateur…
Action: Mad Cat Theatre Company’s new production of this Sam Shepard one-act play has a lot going on: screaming and chair-throwing, fish-filleting on stage, what looks like a Pollo Tropical chicken passing for a Christmas turkey, lots of drooly finger-licking, spiffy winter clothes, and the sounds of a nasty snowstorm…
Clarence Darrow’s Last Trial: It’s a trial all right. Shirley Lauro’s new play takes a long time to bring to life the minor last chapter of a major life in law. There is certainly nothing wrong with Rafael de Acha’s production or with his cast, which boasts entertaining performances by…
It might have worked. Mad Cat Theatre Company’s new production of Sam Shepard’s Action, a one-act play passing for a full evening of theater, has a lot going on: screaming and chair-throwing, fish-filleting onstage, what looks like a Pollo Tropical chicken passing for a Christmas meal, lots of drooly finger-licking,…
With plays, as with people, old does not necessarily mean stale. Such is decidedly the case with The Constant Wife, now at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. This drawing-room comedy from 1926 comes across with a lot more bite than most of the trendy but empty fare that’s dragged across South…
It takes no time at all to get into the swing of the M Ensemble’s latest production, a revival of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. To one side of a small stage swathed in red velvet, a trio of jazz veterans in porkpie hats are laying down some…
Clarence Darrow’s Last Trial: It’s a trial all right. Shirley Lauro’s new play takes a long time to bring to life the minor last chapter of a major life in law. There is certainly nothing wrong with Rafael de Acha’s production or with his cast, which boasts entertaining performances by…
What’s going on at Florida Stage? After establishing a reputation for presenting provocative, substantial new plays, the award-winning Manalapan company has recently swerved toward a series of pleasant but dramatically insipid works. The latest in this troubling trend is Hanging Fire, a low-wattage comedy whose title phrase refers to a…
You know there’s trouble brewing when you get this bit of conversation between husband and wife: “How was your day?” “I wish you wouldn’t talk to me like that.” This snippy exchange in The Retreat from Moscow acts as prologue to the pathetic end of Edward and Alice’s marriage, a…
Clarence Darrow’s Last Trial: It’s a trial all right. Shirley Lauro’s new play takes a long time to bring to life the minor last chapter of a major life in law. There is certainly nothing wrong with Rafael de Acha’s production or with his cast, which boasts entertaining performances by…
American poet Sylvia Plath has long been a hallowed, haunted figure in American literary culture. Dead at 30 in 1963, a presumed suicide, Plath had a short career, but her intense, dense poetry and harrowing private life have made her the ultimate poster girl for feminist rage against male oppression…
It’s a trial all right. Now on stage at the New Theatre, Shirley Lauro’s Clarence Darrow’s Last Trial takes a long time to bring to life the minor last chapter of a major life in law. The play actually had a snazzy buzz before its world premiere in Coral Gables…
Four voices sing in beautiful harmony about hope, dreams, and the dilemma of happiness in Songs for a New World, a musical revue that meshes gospel, R&B, and jazz into eighteen heartfelt melodies of surprising emotional depth. As poignant and deftly chosen as Jason Robert Brown’s music and lyrics are,…
The Boys Next Door: This is a heart-warming, brilliantly acted look at the lives of four mentally challenged men. Arnold (Michael Collins) constantly spells out the injustices of life, threatening to move to Russia if his grievances go unacknowledged. A chubby and lovable Norman (Jason Scott Quinn) always has a…
I must confess, I have never been a big fan of Broadway tunesmith Charles Strouse. Not that he needs my approval. The prolific composer has been banging out hits since his very first musical, Bye Bye Birdie, grabbed a Tony in 1960. After that, Strouse went on a tear with…
The Boys Next Door: This is a heart-warming, brilliantly acted look at the lives of four mentally challenged men. Arnold (Michael Collins) constantly spells out the injustices of life, threatening to move to Russia if his grievances go unacknowledged. A chubby and lovable Norman (Jason Scott Quinn) always has a…
