Film: Playwright August Wilson began his chronicle of the African-American experience throughout the 20th century, one decade at a time, with 1984’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a fictional look at the so-called “Mother of the Blues” in a tension-filled recording session at a Chicago race label in 1927. Now director George C. Wolfe has brought the tale to the screen, with a pair … [Read more...]
Powerful acting brings quirky souls of ‘Inishmaan’ to vivid life
On the tiny, isolated island of Inishmaan, off the western coast of Ireland, either there is something peculiar in the water or the residents are genetically predisposed to quirkiness. Either way, few ever escape from their homeland. But at least Billy Claven, the so-called Cripple of Inishmaan, a 17-year-old orphan with a body mangled since birth, can dream of leaving his … [Read more...]
‘Cripple of Inishmaan’ leavens bleakness with dark humor
Palm Beach Dramaworks’ audiences can relax a little after the cerebral workout of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. The West Palm Beach stage company ends its 17th season with the less heady, but perhaps more emotionally involving, dark comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan by acclaimed Irish playwright – and occasional screenwriter – Martin McDonagh. “This is a narrative story in the Irish … [Read more...]
‘The Audience,’ at the Maltz: Human is the head that wears the crown
To dramatize the past 65 years’ history of Great Britain, you only need to focus on that nation’s queen, Elizabeth II. That is precisely what playwright Peter Morgan has done in his Olivier and Tony Award-winning hit, The Audience, premiering locally Thursday at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. “Queen Elizabeth has been on the throne for seven decades. The collective history of … [Read more...]