Chaz Mena and Avi Hoffman in The Quarrel.By Hap ErsteinSome theater reaches for spectacle, but what the theater does best is traffic in dialogue and ideas.Words and the emotions behind them are in the spotlight in a brief, intermissionless play at GableStage, The Quarrel, by David Brandes and Joseph Telushkin, which chronicles a chance reunion of two men who were … [Read more...]
Theater roundup: Poetic ‘Buffalo,’ sharp ‘Song,’ shocking ‘Blasted’
John Leonard Thompson and Dennis Creaghan in American Buffalo.By Hap ErsteinAfter some of playwright David Mamet’s recent anemic attempts at whimsy (Romance, November), it is a pleasure to be reminded by his 1977 Broadway breakthrough, American Buffalo, how visceral and, yes, poetic he can be.The poetry is of the fragmentary, high-profanity, elliptical street type, but at Palm … [Read more...]
Theater review: Smart, crisp ‘Farragut North’ at GableStage
Nick Duckart and Betsy Graver in Farragut North.(Photo by George Schiavone)By Hap ErsteinAnyone who has heard artistic director Joe Adler’s impassioned, rambling introductory remarks at GableStage knows he cannot repress his views on politics. So he understandably could not resist bringing Beau Willimon’s backroom, back-stabbing campaign morality play, Farragut North, to his … [Read more...]
Weekend picks: Dec. 25-28
A scene from the Moscow Classical Ballet's The Nutcracker.Dance: This is normally the time of year when we'd expect to see Ballet Florida's Nutcracker in Marie Hale's indelible, lovely production. Ballet Florida, sadly, is no more, but there is still a Nutcracker at the Kravis over Christmas. The Moscow Classical Ballet's version of Tchaikovsky's immortal 1892 ballet opened … [Read more...]
Theater review: GableStage’s ‘reasons’ mines white-hot emotions
Erin Joy Schmidt and Ricky Waugh in reasons to be pretty.(Photo by George Schiavone) By Hap ErsteinNeil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty, with which he made his overdue Broadway debut last season, is considered more gentle than his usual exercises in the gender wars. Maybe so, but you would never know it from the opening tirade by a young, attractive woman who goes ballistic at … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Oct. 23-25
Trumpet Player, by Herman Schreiber.[This entry has been updated to correct a factual error.] This weekend, the south end of Palm Beach County has what you need for your art fix. Opening Friday night at the Urs Art Studio Gallery in Boynton Beach is an exhibit featuring eight artists: George Cheskes, Portland Jastram, Vera Rekstad, Naomie St. Amand, Maxine and Herman Schreiber, … [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...]
ArtsBuzz: GableStage, Mosaic win big at 33rd Carbonells
The Mosaic Theatre's The Seafarer won the 2008 Carbonell for best play.By Hap ErsteinFORT LAUDERDALE -- In a year that saw a near-revolt among some of the participating theaters, several of whom charged that South Florida’s Carbonell Awards were broken and badly in need of repair, the 33rd annual awards for excellence in professional theater in South Florida were handed out … [Read more...]
Theater reviews: ‘Defiance’ and ‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’
Paul Tei, left, and Reiss Gaspard in Defiance.By Hap ErsteinDoubt: It is both the title of John Patrick Shanley’s 2006 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama and the theatrical element that he has been exploring of late.Its shadow can be seen hovering over Defiance, his follow-up play and second part of a projected trilogy, currently on at GableStage.While it is not up to its predecessor … [Read more...]