The Yiddish King Lear

A delightful recreation of an art form that has almost disappeared.

Recommend.

A Thought in Three Parts (Wallace Shawn)

Yale Cabaret's production was one of the few on this side of the Atlantic since the play was written in the 1970s. Bold and daring understates it. Fine, fine acting by the entire cast. Saw it with Alice Kelly.

The Tempest (Shakespeare)

The third of Yale Cabaret's Summer Shakespeare Festival features strong performance, insightful directing, and clever stage design. No one actor plays Prospero; instead, the role is shared by the other actors/characters, revealing them at the end to have all been a figment of his imagination.

Strong work by artistic director Devin Brain and producer Tara Kayton.

Highly recommend.

As You Like It (Shakespeare)

The second of the Yale Summer Cabaret's ambitious Shakespeare productions. Cleverly imagined and clearly produced.

Recommend

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell)

Back in 1998, Mike got a call from a former student then working at an off-Broadway theatre, the Jane Street Theatre, raving about its current production, a new rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Not knowing much about it but eager to follow up on the student's recommendation, we bought 4 tickets and took the kids (12 and 10). I think the box office manager was a bit startled when we showed up with two pre-teens, but what the hey. They were precocious, this was New York, why not?

It was a great evening. The subject matter was a mature, needless to say, but the kids loved the music and the spectacle. Such vamp was not a regular part of their cultural diet. The theatre itself was classic off-Broadway: small, grimy, and full of youthful energy. John Cameron Mitchell played/sang Hedwig. Mike had introduced us to the 'real thing.' (And for that reason, I never felt the urge to the see the 2001 movie version.)

Thus, I was delighted to revisit that experience at the Yale Cabaret's production. Presented in a similarly small, underground venue, the Cabaret's Hedwig captured much of the same vibration of the original a dozen years ago. It didn't pack the same energy, and I thought the pacing was a bit off. But hey, it was opening night, and things should pick up.

Recommend.

Late: A Cowboy Song, Sarah Ruhl

Interesting, well-performed, look at homosocial love as a choice for a woman in an abusive marriage.

Recommend.

Tommy, Pete Townsend

Lively production that appeals to a wide audience.

Recommend.