Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“The Women” is a hysterical, satirical look at women living in a man’s world during the 1940s. Everything about the play is quick and breezy. The all-female cast from By Any Other Name Theater Company tackles the fast-paced and clever script with the same ease they manage the countless costume changes during the two-hour-plus show at Paladium Productions.
“Self-Portrait” has the makings of a good play: an interesting premise, dramatic lighting and softly lilting music. The problem lies with the actors. With the exception of Patricia Gallagher, the Zebra Theater actors seem to be concentrating too much on delivery and not enough on little details that would give their characters some depth. For instance, audience members sitting by the side of the stage could see that one character who was supposed to be playing the piano barely went through the motions.
Though Jack Wagner is eager to talk about his music, he is the first to point out that had it not been for his exposure on “General Hospital,” he may never have given music a serious thought as a career option.
Some people are born losers. And some marry them. “Eden Court” offers an example of each. Schroeder Duncan is a working-class man who lives in a small trailer with his Elvis-crazed wife, Bonnie. He throws alarm clocks out the door when they ring in the morning; she fixes him breakfasts of untoasted bread with frozen butter. He works at a job he hates; she tries to make their miserable home as livable as possible.
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf” is a beautiful and touching experience. It’s a play about being a black woman in today’s society, and it is done well by the Pegasus Players. The play, which opened to good reviews last April at the Edgewater Presbyterian Church, is currently running at CrossCurrents. The intimate atmosphere of the club suits the production. When the actresses speak, they are not reciting words to an estranged audience. They’re so close, and they look and talk directly at you. You feel as if you’re sitting in on an open confession. Some members of the audience even venture to talk back to the actresses. This doesn’t faze them one bit.
When a playbill gives as much credit to a casket as it does its stars, you know you’re in for a good time. “Amidst the Gladiolas” is a good play on two levels. While it projects genuine humor, the production also is poignant with scenes that hit home more often than not. It centers on a day in the lives of eight people at a wake. And while the premise doesn’t seem to hold much promise for laughter, the Human Medium Ensemble cleverly brings out the everyday tensions revolving around the death of a loved (or not so loved) one.