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CurtainUp's Philadelphia Notes
Philadelphia Reports Mission Statement
These occasional notes and reviews from Philadelphia will cover productions in
each of the following categories:
1. Significant new plays premiering in Philadelphia
2. Shows attracting attention in Philadelphia
3. Shows which, for one reason or another, have attracted attention outside the Philadelphia area
4. Shows which may be on their way to New York
Recent Reviews
EurydiceDear World
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All past reviews archived in our
Master Index of Reviews
New and Noteworthy
On Philadelphia stages — The theater season winds down, but there are still plenty of plays to be seen: Flashpoint Theatre Company presents The Dead Guy by Eric Coble. It’s a Philadelphia Premiere at the 2nd Stage at the Adrienne (2030 Sansom St.) May 14 – 31.
The World Premiere of The Happiness Lecture , a physical comedy created by and starring Bill Irwin, two-time Tony Award winner is at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Avenue of the Arts. May 16 – June 15.
The World Premiere of House Divided by Larry Loebell is directed by Seth Rozin. An examination of family, faith, and politics as two Jewish brothers’ paths diverge. Mainstage at the Adrienne. May23 – June 22.
Our Town in Old City. It’s an event: The Wilder play is presented in association with historic Christ Church, where the play’s 2nd act wedding scene is celebrated. A different choir sings at each performance. Directed by Terence J. Nolen at the Arden. May 22-June 22
Othello Trust and betrayal, villainy and suspicion reign in the Lantern Theater Company’s dynamic three-quarter round staging of Othello. Charles McMahon’s direction wields fierce theater as subtleties vie with gross humor, and characters prowl, brawl, and strut their three hours upon the stage.
The story of the doomed Moor (Frank X) who falls prey to the machinations of Iago (Peter Pryor) initially is set in orderly Venice, but Shakespeare cleverly moves the action to remote Cyprus, where anything can happen. The production boasts exceptional acting. Iago, apparently generous and honest to a fault, conceals his grudges. Pryor melds blunt feigned innocence with excruciatingly subtle insinuation. Peter Pryor is a very special actor.
Frank X’s Othello turns to the dark side and his whole person exaggerates as he morphs into a twisted monster. As always, X in performance is a singular experience. His Othello, played straight --noble and benighted-- doesn’t admit the suggestion, found in some approaches, that Iago addresses the "traitor within the gates" that Othello already harbors. When Othello kills Mary McCool’s Desdemona he wears, appropriately, a wife-beater t-shirt.
The skilled cast is a joy to behold: Anthony Lawton’s pathetic, quirky, and credulous Roderigo; the air of entitlement Seth Reichgott brings to the duke; Luigi Sottile’s naive and stalwart Cassio; Brain McCann’s bumbling, mumbling Brabantio; finally, the tuned, harmonized acting in the women’s scenes between Sarah Sanford’s Emilia and Mary McCool’s Desdemona.
Meghan Jones’s sturdy minimalist set includes, eventually, a curiously minimal marriage bed, fit for one. Nick Rye’s bold and effective sound design, featuring stand-out music, nails the transitions.
The Lantern’s Othello is part of Shakespeare for a New Generation (an NEA and Arts Midwest initiative). Although long and trickily verbose for kids, this is theater suitable for Shakespeare aficionados. At the Lantern Theater Company at St. Stephen's Theater. Directed by Charles McMahon. Extended to May 4
InterAct has the Philadelphia premiere of Frozen. By Bryony Lavery. Nominated for 4 Tony Awards, directed by Whit MacLaughlin. Featuring Catharine Slusar, Jeb Kreager, Mary Martello, Kyle Green. At the Adrienne (2030 Sansom St.) Through May 4
Azuka Theatre presents Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a rock musical. Book by John Cameron Mitchell, music & lyrics by Stephen Trask. This musical has made the rounds since 1998 and has been made into a film. Azuka has assembled an all-star design team for the production, which stars Pig Iron’s Dito van Reigersberg (aka the popular Martha Graham Cracker). At the Latvian Society (7th and Spring Garden Sts.) April 18 – May 11
Bristol Riverside Theatre is staging a revision Jerry Herman's rare musical, Dear World (Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee). The new version by David Thompson features new songs by Jerry Herman. The forces of poetry, idealism, and love are pitted against materialism, power, and greed. Directed by BRT Artistic Director Keith Baker. Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA. To May 18.
Walking Fish Theatre presents Fresh Fish, 9 Days of Fresh Plays. Six different plays at 2509 Frankford Ave. For info, www.walkingfishtheatre.com. May 7- 18.
Joe Orton’s What the Butler Saw is at the Calvary Center. Curio Theatre Company, 4740 Baltimore Ave. To May 17
Theatre Exile brings us Bug by Tracy Letts. Directed by Matt Pfeiffer. Since its first production in ’96, Bug has crawled the rounds and also become a film. This is the Philadelphia premiere. Christ Church Neighborhood House (N. American St.) To May18.
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl at the Wilma—directed by Blanka Zizka. A modern Orpheus tale with music by Toby Twining, told from the heroine’s point of view. April 30 – June 1
The Irish and How They Got That Way A musical celebration by Frank McCourt. Directed by Megan Nicole O’Brien, resident director of 11th Hour Theatre Co. At Independence Studio on 3 Opens May 1, through June 29
The Walnut Street Theatre brings us Les Miserables in an all new production. Philadelphia native and Broadway veteran Hugh Panaro will do the honors as Jean Valjean. May 13-Aug 3
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