Review: THE PENELOPIAD at Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Susan V. Booth puts her own spin on Margaret Atwood’s decidedly feminist tale THE PENELOPIAD. As with her famous novel THE HANDMAID’S TALE, Atwood uses THE PENELOPIAD as a device to convey the horrors and abuse committed against women. Atwood’s points are valid and mirror the gender inequalities and abuse women still experience now (the original novella was penned in 2005). But THE PENELOPIAD’s feminist argument isn’t revelatory. Instead of providing truly new insight or perspective, the play rather reinforces existing (though rightfully undeniable) points.
WATCH NIGHT At The Perelman Performing Arts Center Opens Tomorrow
The Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC, Executive Director Khady Kamara and Artistic Director Bill Rauch) presents Watch Night at the new performing arts center at the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The production opens tomorrow, November 8, 2023.
Kennedy Center GUYS AND DOLLS, Kevin Chamberlin, And More Win Helen Hayes Awards
This evening, the 2023 Helen Hayes Awards took place at The Anthem on the District Wharf, with over 1,600 theatre-makers and theatre supporters in attendance. Esteemed Washington theatre artists Naomi Jacobson, Erika Rose, Holly Twyford, and Christopher Michael Richardson hosted an evening showcasing the vibrant and diverse community of professional theatre artists in the Washington region.
Review: THE ART OF BURNING at Hartford Stage
What did our critic think of THE ART OF BURNING at Hartford Stage? Kate Snodgrass' world premiere play, The Art of Burning, presented by Hartford Stage in association with Huntington Theater Company, is a disappointingly thin work, though the producing theaters are to be congratulated for supporting new scripts. The production itself, led by the sure hand of Hartford Stage Artistic Director Melia Bensussen, is well cast and fascinating to look at: Luciana Stecconi's scenic design creates an atmosphere of alienation, leaving the characters looking uneasy, often lost, and like chess pieces trying to defend their positions on a brutally cold board. However, the set is more original than the plot, which attempts to put a feminist spin on old themes: marriage is difficult; raising a child is even more difficult; affairs lead to thorny divorce settlements; and children get caught in the middle.
THE ART OF BURNING Begins in March at Hartford Stage
The cast has been announced for Hartford Stage's upcoming production The Art of Burning. This inspired new comedy by award-winning playwright Kate Snodgrass explores the love, rage, and responsibility that go with marriage and parenting in America.
Review: The Huntington's THE ART OF BURNING Could Use a Bit More Fire
The trend of modern plays seems to be that playwrights a trimming down their plays, often to ninety minutes or less. While this brevity can work for many plays, it doesn’t work for all. There’s only so much a playwright can say or do in ninety minutes and sometimes plays move too quickly and the audience leaves wondering if they missed something.