photo by Joan Marcus In his most personal work yet, playwright Tom Stoppard tells the story of the Merz family. Somewhat autobiographical, “Leopoldstadt” begins with a tableau of an extended family in Vienna in 1899. It is Christmas time, and, althou …Read more

Black comedy, or gallows humor, is a style of story telling that makes light of subject matter usually considered somewhat taboo, like death, suicide and disease. Either term applies to Martin McDonagh’s latest play, “Hangmen.” Harry, the main charac …Read more

“The Minutes” Playwright Tracy Letts possesses the extraordinary ability to lull an audience into expecting something dry and ordinary but then making it explosive. Teaming up again with Anna D. Shapiro, his director for “August: Osage County,” Letts …Read more

What a quandary! There was a new show to review, but it was opening night for my favorite baseball team. Which one should I choose? The theater won this time. A timely revival of Richard Geenberg’s insightful play, Take Me Out deals with all the curr …Read more

For many audiences, Phylicia Rashad will always be the elegant unflappable TV wife/mother/lawyer in The Cosby Show. She came into their homes every Thursday like a welcome friend. After the conclusion of her television stint, Rashad went on to appear …Read more

  One young man rejects a scholarship to MIT so he can stay home to care for his mother and younger siblings; he’s Depression. An older Nigerian man shares knowledge and tales from his youth; he is Wisdom. Love, a third man speaks in lyrical lan …Read more

Language plays a significant role in “Pass Over,” the play by Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu, whether through repetition, ambiguity or cultural references. It begins with the title referring to Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Most of the actio …Read more