The Misanthrope at Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Under the confident direction of David Grindley, the production puts Moliere’s text front and center, although fleshing out the milieu of his privileged characters might have added a welcome layer. Grindley is ably abetted by John Lee Beatty’s stately unit set and the gorgeous costumes by Robin Fraser Paye are almost a show by themselves. I dare say the costume budget alone was larger than the annual salaries of all but the very richest in the audience.
The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Falstaff is played by long-time Festival star Geraint Wyn Davies and his performance is an unalloyed delight from start to finish. Even so, Tom Rooney almost steals the show with his splendid turn as the might-be cuckolded Ford.
Hosanna at Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Hosanna I was so captivated by Michel Tremblay’s For The Pleasure Of Seeing Her Again at the 2010 Stratford Shakespeare Festival that I looked forward to seeing Hosanna, a 1973 play that I gather helped establish his reputation as a major French-Canadian playwright. It turns out I had seen it before. Not this play specifically, […]
The Homecoming at Stratford Shakespeare Festival
The Homecoming Harold Pinter is a playwright of such profound idiosyncrasy that he has his very own adjective – Pinteresque. And if ever there was a Pinter play that deserves that soubriquet it’s The Homecoming, which is being given a top drawer, if somewhat flawed, revival by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival at their downtown Avon […]
Grapes of Wrath At Stratford Shakespeare Festival
This is tough theater to watch but if you can take it (and maybe even if you can’t) it is theater that demands to be seen.
Jerusalem on Broadway, a Review
Rylance is an actor of astonishing idiosyncrasy, as anyone who saw him in Boeing, Boeing, or La Bete, or as Richard II at the Globe will readily appreciate. Rylance’s hallmark is making choices no other actor would dream of and, improbably, making them work beautifully. Ironically his larger than life Rooster Byron is his most straightforward interpretation in years. Mark Rylance quite simply is Rooster Byron. His embodiment is so complete that it leaves no room for reinterpretation. It is hard to imagine the play being mounted without him.
Virginia Woolf at Arena Stage, Washington, DC
What the play has going for it, of course, are its protagonists, George and Martha, who let us wallow in the voyeuristic schadenfreude of watching a relationship far more dysfunctional than any of ours could possibly be. Albee certainly knew how to create powerful moments. It is also an opportunity for first-rate actors (if you’re lucky enough to have them) to pull out all the stops and really chew the scenery.
La Bete on Broadway, a Review
Written in rhyming couplets in the manner of Moliere, set in Moliere’s France, and dealing with the sort of cultural hypocrisies that were Moliere’s bread and butter, Hirson’s play seems uncannily of the moment nearly twenty years on, with much to tell us about the current debased state of our entertainment culture. (Are you reading this Snooki?) Perhaps that is the definition of great dramatic art.
Cirque du Soleil’s ‘O’ at Bellagio in Las Vegas – A Review
Cirque du Soleil’s “O” is one of the many well known shows on the Las Vegas Strip produced by the French Cirque Du Soleil production company. This show has been described as intense, otherworldly, and ethereal.
Like some other Cirque Du Soleil shows, O Las Vegas has lots of diving, synchronized swimming, and water based performances. Bellagio’s “O” continues to be one of the Strip’s best selling shows and one of the most unique experiences in the city of Las Vegas.
Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Ka’ at MGM Grand in Las Vegas – A Review
Ka is another fantastic production by the famous Cirque du Soleil acrobatic company. With an ongoing performance at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on the south Strip, audiences are treated to a true spectacle of art at Ka.
This show expertly combines martial arts, puppetry and acrobatics into a thrilling performance for all. Ka’s elements are a masterpiece that tell the story of Imperial Twins who are separated by an attack on their palace.