While Shepard’s plays would absorb different rhythms and influences, their essence and voice were unmistakably his—our—own.
Theater
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
Even Oscar Isaac can’t save the Public Theater’s “Hamlet”
In a bewildering new staging at The Public Theater, Oscar Isaac is giving a rich, riveting lead turn as the dubious Danish prince.
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
Saint or not, Dorothy Day belongs on the stage of American theater.
If the Greeks had Antigone, Americans have Dorothy Day.
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
In ‘Oslo’ peace is a process, not a destination
Like all the best historical narratives, “Oslo” shows the intense fragility and contingency of human affairs
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
What I learned from a way-off Broadway production of ‘Julius Caesar’
I will be glad to get some sleep when our “Julius Caesar” closes this Saturday, and I can stop living the fevered life of Casca the conspirator.
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
The view from Trump’s America and other timely Broadway tales
“Sweat” tells the story of steelworkers whose long friendship unravels as their livelihood is threatened by free trade and immigration.
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A ‘Richard III’ for our unsettled times
It would be fascinating were the producers able to arrange a quick transfer to a venue somewhere near the White House.
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‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’ returns with angst, humor and Harry Potter
The ‘Hamlet’-inspired play made the playwright Tom Stoppard an overnight sensation.
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Stephen Sondheim: a great artist whose work blossoms in simple settings
A good Sondheim show has the sinewy strength, both musically and dramatically, to thrive in the barest of renderings.
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
August Wilson will not go quietly: a review of ‘Fences’ and ‘Jitney’
Since he died in 2005, Wilson’s stature has only increased, with his name regularly appearing on annual lists of the nation’s most-produced playwrights.