Sakina's Restaurant

I thoroughly enjoyed Aasif Mandvi's solo play, especially for what it tells us about 1998 vs 2018 -- and it's been left pretty much intact from then. Click here for my Times review.

Travisville

William Jackson Harper makes a polished playwriting debut. A bit too polished perhaps -- and yes, there is such a thing. Click here for my review for the Times.

The Evolution of Mann

Max Crumm wasn't the one we wanted back in that Kathleen Marshall Grease revival (a cynical ploy if there ever was one), but he's much better in the otherwise blah new musical The Evolution of Mann. Click here for my Times review.

"Art" in quotation marks

Yasmina Reza's "Art" (quotation marks in the title) is 24 and aging rather well. A reason: we now fight dirty with our friends, exactly as she described it back then. The very entertaining tg STAN/Dood Paard revival only confirmed that. Check here for my New York Times piece about how our perception of the play has changed over the years.

Uncle Romeo Vanya Juliet

Bedlam tries a theatrical mashup and let's just say it didn't quite gel. Click here for my review.

Todd Solondz makes his stage debut

I talked to Todd Solondz about making his stage debut as playwright and director at the Flea Theater. Thataway for my New York Times feature.

Soundstage

Rob Roth's Soundstage at HERE is intriguing but ultimately unrewarding. It did make me wonder what would happen if a director gave Rebecca Hall a siren role in a movie. Click here for my review.

Ingmar Bergman International Theater Festival

I went to Stockholm for the Ingmar Bergman International Theater Festival and wow, what a trip! Click here for the story.

Can critics learn to love the jukebox musical?

A tricky question, isn't it? I'd say jukebox musicals are like all shows: some work and others don't. In any case, it was a real delight to debate with the Times' theater team. Click here for the link.

Red Emma and the Mad Monk

Yay, summer discovery! There's an infectious, eccentric new musical at the Tank and you should see it, especially if you want to discover new voices. Note: I think this was my first use of "post-Michael Friedman." Click here for my review.

R.R.R.E.D.

There is an unfortunate musical about the possible extinction of redheads at DR2, and I was there to review it for the Times.