Aramide Timubu — Theater Critic

“Other Desert Cities” is a resounding piece of theater, not simply because of the subject matter but because of the performances. The entire cast works as a seamless ensemble, switching from quippy wit, including Polly’s assertion that sarcasm is “only for teenagers and homosexuals,” to heartbreaking and volatile outbursts rife with the pain of a family standing on a foundation of lies and hypocrisy.

“School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play” is a joyous and gutting play centering the treasure of Black sisterhood, exceptionalism and the pain and anguish of putting your best foot forward and still falling short of someone much less qualified. It is an ever-timely examination of what it is to be a Black woman or girl in a world that constantly labels you as unworthy. With exceptional performances from the entire cast and homages to musical legends like Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, Bioh and White present a reflection of the Black female experience in all of its dazzling idiosyncrasies, triumphs and pains.

Just as it did when it first debuted on Broadway in 1989, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” remains timeless. Though she doesn’t have much to do, Henson and the rest of the cast, including the younger actors, are exceptional. Bursting with heart and humor, the production showcases all of the intricacies and beauty of Black American life, the never-ending costs of slavery, racism and discrimination and how Black people flourish and move forward despite it all.

“Proof” remains a scintillating play. Its questions about hereditary mental illness, the truth, and who can be labeled a genius — especially with a Black woman at the center — continue to resonate. Cheadle, Young, and Ha deliver effortless portrayals. They anchor the story in time and space with dynamic, heartfelt performances. Yet, because Edebiri simply doesn’t work as the lead, this revival doesn’t quite knock it out of the park.

At age 21, Nick Yarris was stopped during a routine traffic stop, arrested and sentenced to die for the rape and murder of a young wife and mother. Though Yarris did not commit this crime, he would spend the next 22 years of his life in confinement awaiting an execution date. Based on the documentary by David Sington, playwright Lindsey Ferrentino’s “The Fear of 13” is a deeply moving play about Yarris’ experience on death row, the woman who became his lifeline and his eventual exoneration after more than two decades behind bars. With Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and actress Tessa Thompson making their Broadway debuts, the play features some profound performances. However, it also feels tonally bumpy by the end.

At age 21, Nick Yarris was stopped during a routine traffic stop, arrested and sentenced to die for the rape and murder of a young wife and mother. Though Yarris did not commit this crime, he would spend the next 22 years of his life in confinement awaiting an execution date. Based on the documentary by David Sington, playwright Lindsey Ferrentino’s “The Fear of 13” is a deeply moving play about Yarris’ experience on death row, the woman who became his lifeline and his eventual exoneration after more than two decades behind bars. With Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and actress Tessa Thompson making their Broadway debuts, the play features some profound performances. However, it also feels tonally bumpy by the end.

At age 21, Nick Yarris was stopped during a routine traffic stop, arrested and sentenced to die for the rape and murder of a young wife and mother. Though Yarris did not commit this crime, he would spend the next 22 years of his life in confinement awaiting an execution date. Based on the documentary by David Sington, playwright Lindsey Ferrentino’s “The Fear of 13” is a deeply moving play about Yarris’ experience on death row, the woman who became his lifeline and his eventual exoneration after more than two decades behind bars. With Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and actress Tessa Thompson making their Broadway debuts, the play features some profound performances. However, it also feels tonally bumpy by the end.

*CRITIC'S PICK* Broadway performances, despite their sensational acting and writing, often follow a certain set of conventions. However, “Every Brilliant Thing” shatters the format, making it a true breath of fresh air. The difficult topics of depression and suicide are referenced throughout the show’s script. Yet the show is a reminder that amid all the challenges and heartache that life throws at us, there is always something to look forward to, even if it’s just for a little while.

“Bug” is as intimate as it is intense. The set, designed by Takeshi Kata, drops the audience right into this specific place and time. The lightning, helmed by Heather Gilbert, and the sound, spearheaded by Josh Schmidt, also keep the play tightly grounded, though the production may have worked even better in a smaller theater. Additionally, midway through Act II, there is a shocking set change that reveals just how deep into their psychosis Agnes and Peter have sunk. Moreover, amid Agnes and Peter’s continued descent toward insanity, the story remains convincing because of the characters’ obvious affection and mutual obsession. It’s pretty apparent they are causing each other immense harm. However, their actions stem from a place of love, companionship, humor and understanding, which makes the tale especially heartbreaking.

the play’s positive components do not make up for its faults. Broadway is the wrong medium for this story. Musicalizing the story does little to ground the audience in Jackie’s world and instead pulls and stretches the tale, when the themes alone could speak for themselves. The narrative would actually soar if it were given feature-film treatment. Additionally, adding the musical element further bastardizes this tale. Except for “Caviar Dreams,” the third song in Act One, none of the other selections are particularly memorable. Though the opening act is fairly intriguing, by the second act, the nearly three-hour-long performance began to drag, especially as the show’s tone shifted drastically.

It can be challenging to deliver something fresh and unique to the memory play genre. However, in writer Bess Wohl‘s new Broadway show, “Liberation,” she manages to do just that.

A whirlwind of a play, the cast delivers incredible performances and seems at ease in this world cultivated by Jacobs-Jenkins and structured by Rashad. The play acknowledges how much our families and our places within them shape, define and break us. ‘Purpose’ is a brilliant and profound narrative about legacies, ambition, mental illness and who you may become if you were never allowed to know yourself.

The story of “A Streetcar Named Desire” remains timeless in this rendition, aided by the powerful performances. The barebone scenic construction (designed by Madeleine Girling) enables the story to stand alone without the extra frills usually found on more traditional sets. Specialized water effects by Water Sculptures are also beautifully effective, allowing audiences a window into Blanche’s increasingly fractured mind."

Sixty-five years after it first premiered on Broadway, “Gypsy” is still known as one of the greatest theater masterpieces of the 20th century. There have been stellar productions of the play from New York to London, led by icons including Angela Lansbury and Imelda Staunton. However, the latest revival, shepherded by legendary director and playwright George C. Wolfe and starring Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, is an electric and truly unique production that will undoubtedly become a crowning jewel in the canon of “Gypsy.”

With a script by Aurin Squire for a show conceived by Christopher Renshaw and Andrew Delaplaine and co-directed by Renshaw, James Monroe Iglehart and Christina Sajous, “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical” is a majestic spectacle, paying homage to a towering figure and his distinctive legacy.

With a script by Aurin Squire for a show conceived by Christopher Renshaw and Andrew Delaplaine and co-directed by Renshaw, James Monroe Iglehart and Christina Sajous, “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical” is a majestic spectacle, paying homage to a towering figure and his distinctive legacy.

Though “Our Town” runs just 105 minutes, much shorter than the original two hours and 35 minutes, the last act does drag a bit. This final chapter centers on death and what we miss out on when we’re not truly present. However, these scenes lean toward melodrama, removing some of the sharpness constructed in the play’s first two acts. Still, Leon masters the core of Wilder’s message. Life is fragile and fleeting, and love is all that matters.

“McNeal” falters because it doesn’t know what it wants to say. Moreover, the narrative felt confusing and meaningless, with a mix of genres and no actual theme or climax. Jacob is a writer, but viewers can never penetrate who he is beyond the surface. Instead, the play becomes an illustration of a self-absorbed man who treats the people around him like accessories for his own gain.

While most of the production works flawlessly, there are two major missteps. Because viewers are well aware of the time periods (Martha calls out the years throughout the show’s 105-minute run time), some of the major plot points are highly predictable, taking away the story’s emotional power. Moreover, one particular scene of Phyllis at home alone simply doesn’t work. The segment is supposed to depict her loneliness and isolation, but the wordless 10 minutes is overlong and dull, belaboring a point that could have been made in less than half the time. Still, despite its imperfections, “Mother Play” is a genuinely engaging examination of a family trying to find equilibrium.

Performances are solid throughout, though McAdams’ projection was muted at a recent performance. Still, it’s the story that truly drives “Mary Jane.” More often than not, the labor of child rearing lies heavily on the mother, who is frequently the primary parent, whether partnered or otherwise. As a single mom caring for a special needs child, the weight of Mary Jane’s existence and her adoration and love for her son are the anchors fortifying this narrative. By the time the final curtain on “Mary Jane” drops, the audience is fully immersed in the titular character’s experiences. McAdams masters her portrayal of a determined caregiver continually sitting in the uncertainty of worry, despite constantly leaning toward positivity. “Mary Jane” stays with viewers long after they leave the theater. It raises worthy questions concerning motherhood, sacrifice, community and lack thereof. It’s a story about how much one person — in this case, one woman — should be expected to endure before bowing under the pressure.

In addition to Moon and Bean’s sensational vocal range, “Hell’s Kitchen” illustrates how tender mother/daughter relationships can be. It also reflects the issues underlying New York City in the ’90s while demonstrating the impact of loss, absentee fathers and over-policing in communities of color. Since the play runs at a lengthy 2 hours and 30 minutes (including an intermission), these themes are often drawn out and sometimes feel cliché, bordering on corny. However, the absolute dynamism of the cast keeps the show from falling into pure melodrama.

Amid David Rockwell’s beautifully built rotating set depicting the church’s windows, a garden and the principal’s office, what’s exceedingly interesting about “Doubt,” aside from Schreiber’s standout performance, has nothing to do with Sister Aloysius’ indication or righteousness or if Father Flynn is or isn’t a pedophile. Instead, the play highlights how easy it is for influential people to prey on the vulnerable and how the systems we revere are complicit in demonizing those with the most to lose, while shielding the powerful from harm and repercussions. Uncomfortable and thought-provoking, the themes of “Doubt” have never been more urgent. Yet, the moral lesson at the story’s center worked best in the 2008 film, when the performances and characters could stretch beyond the limits of one confining act.

Amid David Rockwell’s beautifully built rotating set depicting the church’s windows, a garden and the principal’s office, what’s exceedingly interesting about “Doubt,” aside from Schreiber’s standout performance, has nothing to do with Sister Aloysius’ indication or righteousness or if Father Flynn is or isn’t a pedophile. Instead, the play highlights how easy it is for influential people to prey on the vulnerable and how the systems we revere are complicit in demonizing those with the most to lose, while shielding the powerful from harm and repercussions. Uncomfortable and thought-provoking, the themes of “Doubt” have never been more urgent. Yet, the moral lesson at the story’s center worked best in the 2008 film, when the performances and characters could stretch beyond the limits of one confining act.

Under director Lila Neugebauer, “Appropriate” creates one of the most engaging family dynamics presented on stage. The set, by multi-disciplinary collective dots, is highly effective: Packed full of boxes and trinkets, it’s a breath away from an episode of “Hoarders.” This adds to Toni, Franz and Bo’s feelings of claustrophobia. The intervals between scenes, however, plunge the audience into total darkness, surrounded by the shrill roaring of cicadas, creating an effect that’s more jarring than haunting. Additionally, with a runtime approaching three hours, even the humorous bits that slice through the heaviness of the material can’t save some of the overlong sections and monologues.

With absolute powerhouse vocals from the cast and songs written by Keys with orchestrations and arrangements by Emmy and Grammy winner Adam Blackstone, “Hell’s Kitchen” moves beyond Ali’s teenage experiences. The play also showcases Jersey’s perspective as a single mother determined to get her daughter to make different choices from her own. Though Keys’ iconic music is used throughout, Diaz and Blackstone don’t haphazardly sprinkle the tunes across two acts. Instead, tracks like “You Don’t Know My Name” and “Fallin” come thundering forward from surprising characters at unexpected times.