Kerry Washington, James Spader, Richard Thomas and David Alan Grier in Race.By Hap ErsteinI had a 6:30 p.m. flight home Saturday, so I wasn’t going to see a matinee, the first time a play would be on that I was not in a theater seat.But a press agent recommended I see David Mamet’s latest play, Race. It’s only 100 minutes long including intermission … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: April 3-7
Dennis Creaghan and John Leonard Thompson in American Buffalo.Theater: This weekend is your last opportunity to see Palm Beach Dramaworks’ impressive production of David Mamet’s early scam drama, American Buffalo, the tale of three Chicago bumblers who plan to break in and steal a valuable coin collection. Director William Hayes and his cast harness the fragmented rhythms of … [Read more...]
Theater reviews: Brice, greed, and graphic novels
Marya Grandy as Fanny Brice. By Hap ErsteinThe Maltz Jupiter Theatre opens its subscription season with a world premiere musical biography of Ziegfeld Follies comedy star, Fanny Brice. Of course, there already is a perfectly good show about Brice, 1964’s Funny Girl, but it is rarely revived, in part because of its elaborate production numbers and in part because of the … [Read more...]
Theater review: GableStage’s ‘Speed-the-Plow’ a satisfying leer at movie biz
From left: Paul Tei, Gregg Weiner and Amy Elane Andersonin GableStage's production of Speed-the-Plow.(Photo by George Schiavone)By Hap ErsteinGableStage often produces name-brand plays that recently opened in New York, regardless of their quality. What else could explain artistic director Joe Adler’s selection of Romance and November, two undeniably subpar stabs at farcical … [Read more...]