This week’s spotlight…
“Slam Frank” at Orpheum Theatre
Beyond Broadway
Being comically audacious isn’t necessarily the same thing as being theatrically brilliant.…
-
"The Hairy Ape" at Irish Rep
Beyond Broadway
4.5 out of 5 starsThe Irish Rep gives “Ape” all its due in a ferociously energetic and edgy production…
-
"Human Things" at the West End Theatre
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsIt’s perhaps best to think of Joshua Owen’s “Human Things” as two plays in one…
-
"Pre-Existing Condition" at Greenwich House Theater
Beyond Broadway
3.5 out of 5 starsLupita Nyong’o brings plenty of star power to this Marin Ireland play…
-
"Lean-To" at 59E59 Theaters
Beyond Broadway
3 out of 5 starsCan a play deliver on an atmospheric level but fail to hit the mark plot-wise? That’s the question you might wrestle with after seeing Stephen Sheffer’s set-in-the-woods play….
-
“Garry Starr: Classic Penguins” at Studio Seaview
Beyond Broadway
2.5 out of 5 starsGive kudos to Damien Warren-Smith for having the, um, balls to crowd surf naked as part of the many oddball antics that make up this show…
-
The 300 Word Commentary: Does every immersive show earn its immersion?
“Music City” is a damn good show. But does it need all the belly-up-to-the-bar bells and whistles?
-
"Paranormal Activity" at the August Wilson Theatre
Broadway
3.5 out of 5 starsIf you like a good scare, you’ll like this theatrical extension of the cinematic horror franchise…
-
"Public Record" at Central Park's Delacorte Theater
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsIt’s no easy feat assembling 100-plus community members and having them tell their stories in a scant 70 minutes – all while speaking to what makes New York City so distinctive. But that’s what the Public Theater has done…
-
“The Producers” at Ogunquit Playhouse
Beyond Broadway
3.5 out of 5 starsOgunquit Playhouse’s staging of “The Producers” is a delightful romp that honors the original Mel Brooks show, even if the musical is showing its age…
-
“Les Misérables” at Hudson Valley Shakespeare
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsThe masterstroke of stagecraft in Hudson Valley Shakespeare's "Les Misérables" isn't one of the many elegant gestures to its new open-air theater's scenic mountain setting…
-
"King Lear" at Hudson Valley Shakespeare
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsIt's clear from the first moments that Hudson Valley Shakespeare's "King Lear" will take maximum advantage of its gorgeous new open-air theater's glorious hilltop setting…
-
“The Bathroom Attendant” at 124 Bank Street Theater
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsThink of Tom Kelly’s crime drama like a great John Patrick Shanley play you somehow missed…
-
"Disruption" at Pershing Square Signature Center
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsIt’s hard to imagine a drama that speaks more to our AI-driven world than “Disruption”…
-
"The Vessel" at 59E59 Theaters
Beyond Broadway
3.5 out of 5 starsBrendan George’s intriguing new play “The Vessel” takes its name from the Hudson Yards attraction that gained notoriety after a series of suicides…
-
“Broad Strokes” at the Lucille Lortel Theatre
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsHaving survived a stroke at age 30, Cat Cohen now makes light of her medical story with a darkly humorous one-woman show…
What we do
The 100 Word Review delivers exactly that: sharp, digestible critiques of theater and other cultural events, all in 100 words or less. (Because honestly, who has time to read more?) Plus, look for 200 word Q&As with theater pros, 300 word commentaries on the theater scene and occasional other news and features.