Theater In Focus by Douglas Singleton
by Douglas SingletonThe Workroom (L’Atelier) at Manhattan Theater Source
Jean-Claude Grumberg’s post-WWII drama, set in a Parisian tailor shop, is a throwback to the socially driven ensemble dramas of eras past. Kevin Orton’s tour-de-force as the workroom owner lends the proceedings a Groucho Marx meets The Golden Girls meets Sophie’s Choice air. Everyone has been affected by the Holocaust and the horrors of war, but not in ways easily anticipated. Grumberg’s father was among the Jews deported and exterminated, most in Auschwitz, and here he revisits material he explored with director François Truffaut in the co-penned, The Last Metro.
The End of The Moon by Laurie Anderson at BAM
The End of the Moon features Laurie Anderson’s remarkable music for violin and electronics, turning to the incisive power of words to convey how we feel about ourselves at this complex juncture in time. NASA chose Anderson as its first artist-in-residence, and drawing from her impression-packed journals, personal theories and travels, she takes us on a performance journey examining 21st-century perceptions of beauty and time. This intentionally low-tech production explores the intricate relationships between war, aesthetics, spirituality, and consumerism.
A Very Naughty Greek Play (Utopia Parkway) by Aquila Theater Company
Based on Aristophanes’ ribald ancient Greek comedy Wasps, A Very Naughty Greek Play tells the story of the political battle between a father obsessed with his democratic power and a son appalled by his father’s xenophobic control of his people and championing of simplistic concepts of “freedom and liberty.” The son attempts to cure his father with temptations of the “good life” — swanky parties, fine food and wine. Naughty escapades ensue. This being an Aristophanes play, everything goes terribly wrong, with comically disastrous results.
House/Lights by The Wooster Group at St. Ann’s Warehouse
This revival of the Wooster Group’s Obie-winning multimedia extravaganza returns with a run at St. Ann’s Warehouse. Directed by Elizabeth LeCompte, House/Lights intermixes Gertrude Stein’s opera libretto, Doctor Faustus’ Lights the Lights with Joseph Mawra’s 1960’s B-film classic, Olga’s House of Shame. The original cast, including Wooster Group member Kate Valk as Faust and Suzzy Roche of The Roches as The Devil returns.
Belfast Blues at The Culture Project
During this memoir of her Catholic upbringing in Belfast during the “troubles” in Thatcher’s 80s Geraldine Hughes takes on a breathtaking range of personas. It doesn’t always sit well to see such pain presented for what is in essence a night of light-hearted entertainment. But Hughes has so much to say that her virtuoso performance begrudgingly enlightens.
Popular Events
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Rent @ New World Stages
- Mon, Wed-Sat at 8pm, Sat, Sun at 2pm, Sun at 7:30pm
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Chicago @ Ambassador Theater
- Tue 7pm; Wed-Sat 8pm; Sun 6:30pm; Wed, Sat 2pm
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Jersey Boys @ August Wilson Theater
- Tue at 7pm, Wed - Sat at 8pm; Wed, Sat at 2pm; Sun at 3pm
