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R E V I E W S Dance Reviews, Cabaret Reviews and Film Reviews are in their own sections Searching for a review? Search the New York Theatre Wire Four Evangelists Walk Into a Fog Beae Hein Bennett reports, "If you like to see and hear a play of ideas with lively dialogue and a wink-of-the-eye that brings great ideas that have moved the world into a human scale where we can appreciate the historical legends and myths as an effort to exert social influence (for better or for worse), come see 'Four Evangelists Walk Into a Fog'—the fog of bigotry will lift, I promise." That's (Not) All She Wrote... In the down under Cabaret space of Theater for the New City, a collective of feisty middle-aged women writers, known as the Westchester Collaborative Theater of Ossining, performed a series of stories to an appreciative intimate audience of mainly ‘mature’ women with a few men among them. The stories appeared to be based on personal experience, and they touched the nerve of any woman who grew up in America in the 50s, reaching young adulthood in the 60s and 70s. By Beate Hein Bennett. Café Resistance In these dark times of our own homegrown would-be “great dictator” and his collective of sycophants with increasingly repressive notions, the idea of “Café Resistance” would seem to be a timely theatrical entertainment, and it is. Roberto Monticello’s concoction is set in a Parisian low-class bordello on the eve of the German occupation in 1940, purportedly based on actual stories about the French Resistance which had its cells in many underground places, such as bordellos where the occupiers could regale themselves to sex and liquor. And where informants from both sides could operate and become (literally) strange bedfellows—with information traveling “under cover” of darkness. By Beate Hein Bennett.   “Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.” “Glass,” “Kill,” and “What If If Only” are smart Caryl Churchill plays, surreal metaphors of how people live as individuals and in societies. Of course, they are metaphors, and it takes Churchill’s inventiveness and director James MacDonald’s direct realistic portrayals to make them engage you. By Lucy Komisar.   A Black Hole where the Soul Vanishes: “Blackbird” by David Harrowe This particular production of a difficult play by one of the most renowned present British playwrights demonstrates that the best theater in New York can often be found in hidden spaces. By Beate Hein Bennett Ibsen's "Ghosts" at Lincoln Center Moral hypocrisy never goes out of style, and Norwegian playwright Hendrik Ibsen was a master at demolishing it. “Ghosts,” then called Gengangere (“the ones who return,”) published in 1881 and presented at that time in Norway and the US, aroused the fury of the smug burghers on both sides of the Atlantic with its searing portrait of an honorable gentleman as sexual predator. Perhaps because Ibsen not only took on forbidden subjects such as sexual abuse and venereal disease, but because pillars of society such as clergy were shown to share guilt for the evil done to “polite” society’s victims. By Lucy Komisar. Buena Vista Social Club “The Buena Vista Social Club” is about a Cuban band founded in 1996 made up of musicians that had played decades earlier, in the late 1950s, importantly on the cusp of the 1960 Cuban revolution. Their album released in 1997 became an international success. Some performed in the U.S. and Europe, and the band was the subject of a Wim Wenders documentary in 1999. Marco Ramírez has taken the songs and written a story to tie them together, moving between the 90s and flashbacks to the 50s, though the people of the story are no longer alive. By Lucy Komisar. "Purpose" “Purpose” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has more twists than a corkscrew. Though the drinks here are hard liquor, not wine. And director Phylicia Rashad, also a fine actor, keeps the pace so fast but smooth that you almost run to keep up. It is a not-to-miss play by an author who has become one of today’s not-to-miss playwrights. By Lucy Komisar. Chekhov in Brooklyn and Washington “Rich or poor,” goes a family adage, “it’s nice to have money.” This could be the watchword for virtually all the characters in “Uncle Vanya” and “The Cherry Orchard,” two reliably malleable staples in the oeuvre of Anton Chekhov. Chekhov is thriving in the world of re-imagined classics, enjoying a deserved place beside Shakespeare, Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and Molière. No more obligatory black dresses, overflowing samovars, lugubrious hand-wringing (maybe a little), fussy gardens, or fusty translations. Gone are the days of needing to look up or Google “boiled sweets” or “accoucheur,” begins Dorothy Chansky. Swallows Larry Litt writes, "I know I’m supposed to think that playwright Jill Pangallo’s retro dramedy is about sad characters that she wraps in her own brand of irony and sarcasm. But I’m sorry I don’t think that at all. I had too much fun to think that the reality of aging rockers with secrets is going to change my mood. This is a play for those who want a bit of everything contemporary thrown into a high speed blender and out comes a super cool delicious smoothie that will blow your head off with wit and spice." According to Howard Howard Hughes was an aerospace engineer, wealthy entrepreneur, film producer and philanthropist. He was also charming, ruthless and very eccentric. Surely this is the stuff of great drama. But somehow According to Howard, the third and last of York Theatre Company’s season of New2NY musicals, doesn’t exactly soar. By Pulanne Simmons. Who is Jimmy Pants? If you missed A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, or The Cher Show, or Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, have no fear. Now there’s Who Is Jimmy Pants? a new musical that summarizes and satirizes all those jukebox musicals Broadway, if not always the critics, loves so much. By Paulanne Simmons. Platinum Dreams The first production of York Theatre’s Spring 2025 “New2NY” series is Platinum Dreams, a three hander about Lila Halliday, a 1940s movie star and singer planning to stage a comeback with the help of record producer Jamie Stiles (Jovan E’Sean). This doesn’t seem to be a particularly new idea and unfortunately book writer Stevie Holland adds nothing special to it. By Paulanne Simmons. "Café Resistance" This WWII story by Roberto Monticello, directed by Lissa Moira, of French prostitutes' resistance to the Nazi occupation hits a nerve in our time. Eric Uhlfelder writes, "Café Resistance is the most ambitious Off-Off Broadway I’ve ever seen," adding "Big stars are currently holding stage on Broadway these days. But for theatergoers looking for something less glamourless, less polished, and a far more personal experience, I recommend stopping by the Blue Parrot." Last Call Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) and Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) may be two of the most renowned conductors of the 20th century. Both certainly were the most visible in the classical orchestra world and perhaps the most controversial in terms of their personal style and reputation. In 1988 the two met accidentally in Vienna in the Blaue Bar [Blue Bar] of the Hotel Sacher before Karajan’s performance with the Berlin Philharmonic in Vienna and Bernstein receiving an award from the City of Vienna. That meeting proved to be their last. "Last Call" by Pater Danish is a look back at it. By Beate Hein Bennett. Fog and Filthy Air What does an aspiring playwright living in New York City on subsistence between restaurant jobs and hope do when his mother makes an emergency call to come and pick up his parents and their car from the Hound Dog Motel, a per hour rental flee-bag on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee? He is to drive them back home to Staten Island! A nice son obliges and takes a twenty hour bus trip to…purgatory! He arrives to find his parents with bags packed ready to go but, as he is to find out quickly, his father is in some strange state of mind unable to drive. And from here on the family drama unravels in a brisk sketch of personal problems that touch on the social ills behind the American Dream. Tom Diriwachter tells us all about it in "Fog and Filthy Air." By Beate Hein Bennett.   Lists of Promises The question: Is “A Room of One’s Own” enough to satisfy the ever increasing demands of the creative female mind? This quote from Virginia Wolff’s 1928 long and fundamental university lecture of the same name kicks off this wildly imaginative performance. However "Lists of Promises" claims another origin story and inspiration from sculptor and art historian Merlin Stone’s equally important 1976 feminist exposition, “When God Was a Woman.” The creative team is quoting two of feminism’s most famous thinkers. Yet this performance is about so much more, at least from Larry Litt's male gaze.   "Above Ground—Not Exactly a Comedy" If you feel like dancing, go ahead --you’re never too young or too old, and if/or when you are old(er), you certainly don’t care what anybody else might think of you. That is the moral of an ensemble of ten actors, ages 74—98, and their two directors, Nancy Gabor and Paul Binnerts who assembled and choreographed this delightful and thought provoking performance “Above Ground—Not Exactly a Comedy.” By Beate Hein Bennett. The Magic of Light The Yara Arts Group, in residence at La Mama E.T.C., is producing an exquisite, though strenuously complex seventy-minute, multi-media show through March 16th in La Mama’s Downstairs theater. It showcases spoken-word theater and poetry, instrumental music (on the ancient Ukrainian bandura, a kind of cross between a portable harp and a zither, used to accompany oral epics) and songs, puppetry (both rod puppets and shadow puppets), videos, and, of course, delicate effects of lighting. By Mindy Aloff.   "The Magic of Light" While American and European newspapers are providing daily news about the present Russian aggression and decimation of an entire nation whose legitimate independent existence is being denied, the people’s spirit at home and abroad finds sustenance in its cultural traditions. The latest offering by the Yara Arts Group under the founding leadership of Virlana Tkacz connects to this spirit and fulfills a mission by unearthing and presenting the work of artists that have shaped Ukrainian consciousness and sensibility. By Beate Hein Bennett. The Village Theatre Group in Arthur Miller's "The Price" It has become a rare occasion to see a modern classic, especially one that resonates loudly in our mercurial times where the newest news and information are stumbling over each other and leave us stunned by the chaos. “The Price” by Arthur Miller (1915-2005) is such a modern classic. It originally premiered in New York in February 1968, another chaotic period. The present superb production proves the perennial validity of Arthur Miller’s dramatic exploration into the American psyche as it plays out within the nuclear family. By Beate Hein Bennett. "Garside's Career" at the Mint "Garside’s Career" is a play about the early 20th century rise of a young artful orator who had just earned his coveted BA that’s enhanced his prospects as an engineer. Instead, he jumps at the chance to fill a newly opened Labour seat in British Parliament.By Eric Uhlfelder The Best Brother There are many internal and external circumstances that can sever family bonds--divorce, discord, cultural divergences, convictions, ambitions and life-style choices. These various causes of conflict are underlying Victor Vauban Júnior’s play about the lives of two brothers: Daniel, the older brother and Paulo, his younger brother by two years. After their parents’ divorce, the father takes Daniel back to Angola, his country of origin, while Paulo stays with the mother in Harlem. Twenty eventful years pass before the two brothers meet each other again under confounding circumstances. By Beate Hein Bennett. "Night Sings Its Songs" by Jon Fosse Jon Fosse, the contemporary Norwegian poet/novelist/playwright who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2023, touches a raw nerve with his play “Night Sings Its Songs.” If COVID made us sensitive to social isolation and mutual alienation, this play is for our post-pandemic times. By Beate Hein Bennett. "A Knock on the Roof" It’s challenging to write about war. Many writers settle for recreating skirmishes and battles, telling stories about the soldiers or the corollary damage of victims caught in the crossfire. Khawla Ibraheem, both writer and sole performer of “A Knock on the Roof,” now at New York Theatre Workshop, brings us a Gazan woman who chooses an active stance, and that perspectives makes a dramatic difference. We experience the danger with Miriam. In every choice, we feel her terror and resourcefulness. English The women have head scarves and speak Farsi in “English” by Sanaz Toossi, an Iranian-American who won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for drama with this play. Set in 2008, the characters are taking a class in Iran to perfect their English to go to America for various reasons: study, get a job, see family. It might seem prosaic, but the heart of this story is about language as identity. As one says, it’s to speak to our souls. By Lucy Komisar. Gypsy belongs to Audra McDonald From the moment Audra McDonald enters to blasting horn music this is her show. Forget the great actors of the past, Merman to LuPone. With superlative acting and a stunning soprano, in every number her voice soars. McDonald is not just a singer who acts, with deep feeling and expressive moods, but an actor who sings, and it takes the play to a whole new dimension. By Lucy Komisar. Bodas de Blood Federico Garcia Lorca (1899-1936), one of Spain’s most renowned 20th century playwrights and poets, left at his death by execution during the Spanish Civil War a body of dramatic work that resonates with intensity to this day, albeit his work is too rarely seen on stage in this country. And so it should be much appreciated that two young ensembles are presenting a bi-lingual version of Lorca’s powerful tragedy “Blood Wedding.” Director and Adaptor Celeste Moratti (Founding Director of First Maria Ensemble) has brought together an international ensemble of young actors from Argentina, Italy, Poland, Colombia, Venezuela, Armenia, the Netherlands, and the USA, all of whom have made their home here in New York and perform this highly poetic play that plumbs the very depth of the human soul. by Beate Hein Bennett.   Slap! “Slap!” is a cabaret by Yara Arts Group on Ukrainian Futurist painter David Burliuk. It takes the audience on a concentrated journey through the world of art, through global history, and even the global world of NYC’s East Village, traditionally a place of immigration from Eastern Europe, more particularly Ukraine (note nearby Veselka, a supporter of the production, and the Ukrainian National Home Restaurant). If you want to breathe the air of (almost) yesteryear, come down to 9th Street between First and Second avenues, climb down those hidden steep stairs into the basement--and enjoy a special treat! By Beate Hein Bennett.   "Swept Away" Tales of survival intrigue us. Perhaps because they bring out the best and worst in humanity. The story of The Mignonette, told in "Swept Away" on Broadway, is a fine example. "Welcome to the Big Dipper" The interaction of a bunch of strangers brought together by unusual circumstances is a tried-and-true theme in musical theater. With fewer, better developed characters and a more interesting score this big dipper might begin to shine. By Paulanne Simmons Strategic Love Play Welcome to “Strategic Love Play,” a sharp, comic two-hander by Miriam Battye, the ups-and-downs of the evening directed by Katie Posner. Heléne has arrived with an agenda. No small talk, nothing but what she wants and how to make him want it too. He wouldn’t mind a little sympathy or stroking. She is as overwhelming as a gestating spider with her mate. Coming on strong and direct is how Heléne masks her insecurity. By Glenda Frank. Fowl Play One wouldn’t think that there are any connections to be made between an allegorical epic poem by the 12th century Persian Sufi poet Farid Us-Din Attar and our times but the Czech children’s book artist Peter Sís has re-imagined it for our times (Penguin, 2011). That text with illustrations by Peter Sís is the inspiration for the present world premiere CAMT production, directed by Vít Horejš as an “object theatre rock opera” with music and lyrics composed by Avi Fox-Rosen and choreography by Martha Tornay. Vít Horejš, whose puppet productions have delighted audiences of all ages for decades, has tacked with his production of “Fowl Play: Conference of the Birds” into the ancient mystic realm of human quests for spiritual fulfillment. By Beate Hein Bennett. “Gatz” at The Public shows, after 100 years, F. Scott Fitzgerald got it right Film director Joan Micklin Silver once told me that making a film from a book, she had to pull the movie out of the book. But here director John Collins has run the entire text of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby as a reading of Nick Carroway’s narrative, with drama when dialogue pulls in the dozen actors. Even so, GATZ grabs you so you cannot leave a 6 1/2-hour production. By Lucy Komisar. It was worth stopping for "Gatz" “Gatz” is one of those New York events that people travel distances to view, an eight hour marathon devoted entirely to a story theater presentation of “The Great Gatsby” by the Elevator Repair Service. Over a decade ago, in 2010, ERS began presenting segments of this show. The current marathon is in honor of the upcoming centennial of the publication of this American classic. And it is marvelous! By Glenda Frank. Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library The stakes are high. It is 1933 and Mrs. Stern is charged with treason, a capital offense in the Third Reich. The newly established bureau for political crimes is expanding exponentially. Mrs. Stern, known to us more familiarly as Hannah Arendt -- one of the most influential political theorists of the 20th century, who coined the phrase “the banality of evil” at Adolph Eichmann’s trial -- has only her wits to save her. The ninety minute play, directed by Ari Laura Kreith of Luna Stages, is essentially a confrontation between the prisoner and the young officer. By Glenda Frank.   Yellow Face In “Yellow Face” a twist about anti-Asian racism turns a fiction into reality. The under-story of David Henry Hwang’s play is more important than the obvious story line. By Lucy Komisar. McNeil Lucy Komisar imagines what it would be like to invoke AI to write a review about a play that has a writer using AI to pen his script. Yellow Face There’s an interesting and moving play somewhere in David Henry Hwang’s "Yellow Face," but it is drowned in so many authorial ticks and turnarounds it would take a sleuth with Holmesian ability to find it. The comedy/farce/drama was originally produced in 2007 at the Public Theater, directed by Leigh Silverman. Now the play has opened at Broadway’s Todd Haimes Theatre, again directed by Silverman. By Paulanne Simmons. Vladimir Good propaganda is subtle. You don’t know it’s propaganda. Erika Sheffer’s play “Vladimir” is as subtle as a sledgehammer. She hates the new state of Russia with a passion. Her play “Vladimir,” presented by the Manhattan Theatre Club, is a pastiche of the attacks the West has launched against Russia since the American neocons led by Dick Cheney post-Glasnost decided (first quietly, now openly) to conquer and divide it into weak mini-states, as if she were throwing mud at the characters and hoping some of it would stick. By Lucy Komisar.     "Sump’n Like Wings" Written soon after Oklahoma became a state in 1925, "Sump’n Like Wings" by Rollie Lynn Riggs, which is not political in any way, is about an anonymous family and a forgotten time, which may be the way many folks in the flyover states may think the rest of the country see them, who struggle to partake in the prosperity enjoyed by many who had ventured out west at the turn of 19th century. This kind of quiet tale speaks to the subtle enduring appeal of Mint productions and artistic director Jonathan Bank’s perpetual search for lost plays, revealing times past that speak to a contemporary audience. Bank has built a faithful following over the thirty years the Mint has been bringing the past to the stage just blocks away from Times Square. By Eric Uhlfelder. "Lakeplay" Drew Valins' play "Lakeplay" is a mixtape of romantic love with comic touches plus mystery and psychological horror, set in a lakefront cabin during the chilly months of early COVID. By Beate Hien Bennett. "Dickhead" In his kooky, spooky new play "Dickhead," Gil Kofman introduces an ensemble of characters who have a few toes in reality and the rest of them out there in cyber-fantasyland.  Its unpredictability and offbeat characters had Paul Berss always engaged and entertained.   "The Marriage" by Witold Gombrowicz As the world has been roiling in ever expanding wars and people are fighting for their very existence, this rarely performed play by Witold Gombrowicz (1904-1969) about a young soldier returning home from war resonates with immediacy. By Beate Hein Bennett. The Goldberg-Variations In "The Goldberg-Variations," now having its American premiere at Theater for the New City, George Tabori’s “variations” on the complex yet familiar condition humaine in Manfred Bormann’s sharp staging is a welcome serious theatrical event for which Crystal Field and TNC should be gratefully acknowledged. By Beate Hein Bennett. KS6: Small Forward The Belarus Free Theatre, founded and led by Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin, exemplifies the voice of protest while in forced exile in London, but it also shows the possibility of theater artists creating a network of support for those suffering the consequences of their protest actions inside and outside Belarus, even extending their assistance to Ukrainian and Russian dissenters and their families. An example of their commitment to the cause is the present production of “KS6: Small Forward,” a multimedia event that is centered on the biography of the Belarusian basketball star Katsiaryna Snytsina, now living in exile in London, of how she evolved from living the exclusive international life of a sports star to becoming a prominent voice of protest against the brutal regime of Putin friend, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, a country that borders Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Russia. By Beate Hein Bennett. "Honor" Roberta Pikser tell us that "Honor" at the Gene Frankel Theatre suggests that such a thing as honor is all but impossible, at least in a corporate setting, or perhaps that the concept is so totally subjective, that no one really knows what it is. JOB Max Wolf Friedlich’s “JOB” is a riveting psychological detective story that blurs the lines between truth and deception, sanity and madness. And evil. This taut two-hander, subtly directed by Michael Herwitz, keeps the audience on edge. By Lucy Komisar. The Roommate In “The Roommate,” by playwright Jen Silverman, we are thrust into a mismatched living arrangement that teeters on the precipice of absurdity, leaving audiences questioning the credibility of its characters and narrative. Directed by Jack O’Brien, this production features the formidable talents of Patti LuPone as Robyn and Mia Farrow, splendid as Sharon, yet even their seasoned performances struggle against a script and mood that often feel more suited for a sitcom than a stage play. By Lucy Komisar. The Outsiders This is TV stuff. It starts out hokey and it ends hokey. The actors are talented. Also good dancers to choreography by Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman. They deserved a better script. But teens will like it. By Lucy Komisar. Hell's Kitchen With a book by Kristoffer Dias and music and lyrics by singer Alicia Keys, this is presented as Keys' own story. At least that her "songs and experiences growing up in NY inspire a story made for Broadway." It turns out "inspire" can be interpreted many ways. By Lucy Komisar. Stereophonic “Stereophonic” confronts the often-glossed-over misogyny of the rock world. Behind many records, there may be stories of exploitation, abuse, and shattered dreams. It’s a sobering counterpoint to the nostalgia often associated with the era. By Lucy Komisar. Water for Elephants “Water for Elephants,” book by Rick Elice, music and lyrics by Pigpen Theatre Company, transports audiences to the rough glamour of a Depression-era traveling circus. Based on Sara Gruen’s novel, this musical adaptation is a charming, if somewhat hokey spectacle that relies on stunning choreography and circus acts. By Lucy Komisar. Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Rebecca Frecknall’s “Cabaret” shifts the focus from political to sexual decadence and prioritizes shock value over nuance, reminding how quickly a society can descend into self-centered moral bankruptcy and remain blind to encroaching fascism. There is more to politics than what you do with your sexual parts. By Lucy Komisar. Theatre Will Not Prepare You For Death Olga Lvoff and co-director Elena Che have created a piece of theatrical poetry with this production. Taking their cue from the playwright’s inspiration of a dream and her interest in “magical realism,” they have guided five actors and five dancers in full Tibetan head masks into a coherent ensemble moving seamlessly between realistic moments of family squabbles and the imaginary world of the dead as described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Six performances over four days are not enough for this fine production which deserves a longer or another run. By Beate Hein Bennett. Once Upon a Mattress In the latest Broadway revival of “Once Upon a Mattress,” Sutton Foster reigns supreme, solidifying her place in the pantheon of American musical theater greats. By Lucy Komisar.   "Job" "Job," Max Wolf Friedlich‘s new drama, which has transferred to the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway, from the Connolly Theatre, where it moved after its Off-Broadway premiere at the SoHo Playhouse, begins with the distraught Jane (Sydney Lemmon) aiming a gun at Loyd (Peter Friedman), her therapist. Jane has recently been fired from her job with a Bay Area tech company after a hysterical outburst that went viral, and the company wants Loyd to decide whether she is fit to return to her old job. There is a good play hiding somewhere in Friedlich‘s work, writes Paulanne Simmons. Issue #9 This musical, written and directed by Briana Bartenieff with music by J.H. Greenwell, tackles a subject that has brought grief and sickness to young women and their families: losing weight and body-shaming. The evening was, for the most part, quite engrossing, and writer Bartenieff did not sugar-coat her serious subject: the tragedy of self-hatred and the unrelenting pressure to conform to a certain image. By Paul Berss. The World According to Micki Grant It takes dedication, persistence, and enduring quality to give a thoroughly enjoyable and valuable history lesson to a New York audience that tends to look for the new original talent in the perennially ephemeral art of theater. Leave it to Woodie King Jr. and Elizabeth Van Dyke to unearth the generally forgotten but once celebrated black theater artists of past generations. With “The World According to Micki Grant” they have resurrected Micki Grant, an irrepressible personality, poet/ lyricist, and performer who succeeded to break through the white walls of Broadway, the “Great White Way” in the early 70s into the 80s after which the Broadway curtains tended to remain once again closed to much black theater. An Enemy of the People This play by Ibsen “En folkefiende,” written in 1882, was perhaps the West’s first environmental political play. Amy Herzog’s smart adaptation over a century later fits America today perfectly. It is about the utter corruption of a society where making money by powerful interests takes easy precedence over the health, even the death, of citizens. Lucy Komisar calls it one of the most important theatrical events of the season. Uncle Vanya Chekhov’s play was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstantin Stanislavski. It has gone way downhill to Lincoln Center’s production, says Lucy Komisar. "Sally & Tom" Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Sally & Tom” subtly but brilliantly dissects the story of Jefferson and with it the founding mythology of the United States. By Lucy Komisar. "In Crocodile's Lair" In JC Augustine's animal fantasy, The leadership of competing animal gangs, call them packs or herds if you like, all have the same enemy. You know them. What to do about the demonic humans who are established in the vicious but food laden surface world? Larry Litt writes that the show is over-the-top staged fun in that subaltern way that makes him think that queer theater is high comedy. He says, If it comes around again, don’t miss it.   “Bring Them Back, a Dark Comedy” David Willinger wrote “Bring Them Back, a Dark Comedy.” It is a semi-autobiographical paean to all the people that he has lost to death in the course of his life time. He invokes in his “meta-comedy” (as he calls it) the most recent shared experience of COVID, but also AIDS, the other “plague” that ravaged New York City in the 80s and 90s. By Beate Hein Bennett.   The Heart of Rock and Roll Paulanne Simmons writes, "Let me confess. Before entering the James Earl Jones Theatre on May 7, I had never heard of Huey Lewis or the News. But after seeing the musical, The Heart of Rock and Roll, inspired by the band, Huey Lewis and The News, and featuring songs from their catalog, I was impressed by the music, the dance, and the talent and enthusiasm of the cast." In the Common Hour Trend setting director Ildiko Nemeth deliciously and daringly thrusts disparately alienated characters into a smokehouse of desparately hanging flanks of meat. For me it was like experiencing the intimate and personal gender bending battles one has when seeking a place to let off steam. Only this smokehouse is actually a roadhouse in the great Western American desert where we find little comfort for the forlorn. By Larry Littany Litt.   The Great Jones Rep revives their "Medea" Zishan Ugurlu and the Great Jones Repertory Company have re-conceived a beautiful work of theater, originally directed by Andrei Serban with music by ELizabeth Swados, that connects us to the long tragic human history of collective displacement and betrayal by connecting one of the oldest works of theater with the immediate traumas of our own time. One could only hope that it stays in the repertoire of La Mama ETC to be revived after this too short run.   In the Common Hour When, in our lives, if ever, do we assess the path we find ourselves on? Is that confrontation, if it happens, an awakening, or is it part of an ongoing dream? Ildiko Nemeth’s new multi-media work takes place inside the projection of a painting of a Southwest motel, isolated in the desert, where seven strangers find themselves and play out the roles that exemplify each others’ insecurities, secret desires, and confrontations. At bottom, the play, written by Marie Glancy O’Shea, asks us to consider the meaning of our lives: Is life a carnival, a walk in the woods, a discovery, a torture, or a charade? Is there love, or only betrayal? Or is it all these things at once? At the end of the performance, we must really confront ourselves, whether in our dreams or in our realities. By Roberta Pikser. "The Wiz" returns Whether you’re a fan of the original 1939 film or the original 1975 Broadway musical, you’ll most probably enjoy the new revival of William F Brown (book) and Charlie Smalls’ (music and lyrics) The Wiz, directed by Schele Williams. By Paulanne Simmons. Doubt, a Parable Roundabout is presenting a very fine revival of John Patrick Shanley’s play, which opened in 2004, but is set forty years earlier in 1964. It deals with complex themes of suspicion, faith, and morality surrounding the possibility of child sexual abuse. By Lucy Komisar. Corruption “Corruption” is the most important play in New York this season. In a mesmerizing true crime narrative, it documents the takeover of the UK by sleazy media, bought or cowed political leaders and even top paid-off law enforcement officials. No, this is not fiction. By Lucy Komisar. Orson's Shadow Austin Pendleton’s play "Orson's Shadow" is theatre about theatre. He explores the vexing problems for a performer who had attained fame at a young age and now must contend with aging and being eclipsed by younger talents. It's a script built around famous theatre personalities (and one not at all famous): Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier (before “Sir”), Vivien Leigh, young Joan Plowright, acerbic critic Kenneth Tynan, and Sean, a young theatre hanger-on who serves as a down-to-earth foible who knows nothing about theatre (or any other) history. By Beate Hein Bennett.   American Rot “American Rot” by Kate Taney Billingsley, directed by Estelle Parsons, is a masterful dramatic compendium of collective pain and the production a powerful rendering of the collective ills within American society and history. By Beate Hein Bennett. Pharaoh Trust Theater for the New City to give space to surprises and small gems of theater art, in this case an amazing fusion of a modern retelling of the Jewish Passover story, the Exodus from Egypt, with Kathakali, the ancient South Indian performance art from the Kerala region. However, the playwright/actor/rabbi Misha Shulman turns the narration on its head and tells the story through Pharaoh and the catastrophe of the Ten Plagues that befall Egypt. By Beate Hein Bennett. Days of Wine and Roses Lucy Komisar says, the acting is excellent. And you will love the voices. Two Views of "The Ally" Paulanne Simmons writes, "For the most part, I don’t like plays about 'iissues.' I’m also not fond of plays that are based on the beliefs of the characters rather than their actions. But somehow Itamar Moses’s The Ally, now making its premiere at The Public Theater, blew all those opinions away." Lucy Komisar adds, "If you don’t have the time to read or listen to every argument about the Israeli-Palestinian question, spend an evening at the Public Theater production of 'The Ally' (ie America’s ally, Israel) and you will get it all. In an entertaining and succinct fashion."   Make Me Gorgeous! Theatre thrives on synergy, and nowhere is it on better display than in “Make Me Gorgeous” by writer/director “Donnie” (Donald Horn) at Playhouse 46. The inspiration for the one-person play was Kenneth/Kate Marlowe, one of those indomitable, overlooked LGBTQ trailblazers, a bundle of irrepressible creativity who remade themselves over and over. Marlowe is resurrected by Darius Rose, aka the charismatic Jackie Cox, one of the top five contenders on the 12th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. In less accomplished hands, “Make Me Gorgeous” could have been simply a history lesson, but the show is filled with extraordinary performances. And then there are the stunning costumes. By Glenda Frank.     A "Henry V" in the raw A young ensemble, with high octane “raw” energy, fast moving lips and words tumbling out, performs William Shakespeare’s “Henry V” (1599). The production is in all respects “raw,” meaning minimalist and practically unrehearsed. Hold on to your hats, says Beate Hein Bennett. Bronx Opera Company Larry Litt reviews Bronx Opera Company in Rossini's "Il Signor Bruschino" and Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi" and decides it's worth getting on their mailing list so you can discover real opera without spending a months salary on tickets. This is not a time of peace Each of us harbors private demons but there are also demons embedded in our public and national psyches. All swirl about, at times loudly and other times quietly gnawing at us. Until we collapse or explode! Deb Margolin’s play "This is not a time of peace" deconstructs these “epigenetic” (as she calls it) demons in a powerful mash-up in the lives of two generations, that of a father-daughter relationship and a daughter’s troubled marital relationship. By Beate Hein Bennett. This is not a time of peace In the center of the stage is a bed – the marital bed where Aline’s husband (Simon Feil) falls asleep when she talks, and the rough and tumble adulterous bed, where no one falls asleep. “This Is Not a Time of Peace” by Deb Margolin, founding member of Split Britches Theatre Company, now playing on Theatre Row, is about guilt: Alina’s guilt for betraying her husband whom she claims to love, and her father’s supposed betrayal of his country. By Glenda Frank   Deadly Stages “Deadly Stages” is a delicious comic bon bon, a gender-bending homage to the movies of the 1940s and 50s, now playing on Theatre Row. This back stage, murder-mystery stars Marc Castle,  co-writer with director Mark Finley, as the charming Veronica Traymore,  an aging  theatre legend who has been cast in a new play with a temperamental young film actor. The plot is familiar. The delight is in the performances. By Glenda Frank. Russian Troll Farm Lucy Komisar writes, "If I was writing this review as a drama, where I could make things up, I would say “Congratulations to the Deep State (aka CIA & Co), which has moved from propaganda films into propaganda theater. However, Langley guys, you need some theatrical help."   Prayer for the French Republic Through the lens of one Jewish family in Paris, “Prayer for the French Republic” delves into the thorny issues of identity, racism, and anti-Semitism. And to what country you belong. Seen from an intimately human perspective, these divisive political debates couldn’t be more pointed or timely. The work by Joshua Harmon premiered off-Broadway two years ago and reopened on Broadway last month. By Lucy Komisar. Jonah “Jonah” by Rachel Bonds is about a woman who may be an author and a dysfunctional family. The realistic opening scenes show us a blooming romance at an exclusive boarding school between Ana, the protagonist, and Jonah, who is still mourning his mother’s death. Hagan Oliveras as Jonah is vulnerable and very endearing. Their discussions are tender and funny, but they also raise troublesome questions about Ana’s behavior, which the play does not immediately address. Later we find out why. Ana has a fondness for inventing stories, and the romance with Jonah may have been a fantasy. By Glenda Frank. "Appropriate" The most interesting character in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ "Appropriate," now making its Broadway debut, never appears onstage. He is the pater familias of the Lafayettes, whose death has brought his children together at the family estate, an Arkansas plantation that could have come out of a Tennessee Williams play.By Paulanne Simmons. "Crime and Punishment" for the stage It’s too bad this adaptation has done its run here in New York City. It’s worth a bring back for the ever experimental and successful Phoenix Theater. By Larry Litt. Two views of "Our Class" at BAM Lucy Komisar writes, “'Our Class' by Tadeusz Slobodzianek, one of Poland’s most important playwrights, is a powerful and dramatic exploration of the impact of anti-Semitism and betrayal in a Polish village during and after World War II. Paulanne Simmons adds, "Our Class makes considerable demands on both the cast and the audience. It is three hours long. The cast holds up its end magnificently. Those in the audience must be willing to be at various times puzzled, overwhelmed and horrified. They will not be bored."