The Huntington Theatre recruited director Maria Friedman and two of her lead actors from the 2012 West End production of Merrily We Roll Along to stage the Stephen Sondheim musical in Boston, and for good reason. The show, told backwards in time, about three friends who end with acrimony and selling out, but start with…
Last week I saw a performance of Jaclyn Backhaus’ Men On Boats produced by the Speakeasy Stage Company at the Calderwood Pavilion. All I knew about the production was that it told the story of John Wesley Powell’s voyage down the Colorado River, mapping territory in 1869. And that all the 10 characters — all…
I believe Anton Chekhov wrote that if you introduce the idea of a sky diving company in the first Act, someone better be jumping out of a plane before the end of the play. With a title like Ripcord, I don’t think I’m spoiling anything about David Lindsay-Abaire’s latest play, a 90 minute comedy (plus…
My wife thought Smart People by Lydia Diamond was going to be one of those plays where four people sit around and talk. According to the ads, they would be talking about privilege and ambition and race. She was right for about 5 minutes. The opening four person dinner party ended mid-scene. Then we were…
Jack Cheng, PhD 