DAN'S PAPERS, July 11, 2008 Page 70 www.danshamptons.com
Performing Arts
theater review/gordin & christiano
preview... off broadway 2008/2009
Richard Mitchell
Off Broadway New York City is fertile ground for some of the most provocative theater offerings in the world. With the possible exception of London, New York produces more consistently superior theater than any other major city. The 2008/2009 season doesn’t officially kick into high gear until the fall, but there is an outstanding potpourri of choices now playing at various venues away from the Broadway scene. In the lull before Broadway’s new shows light up the stages, we would like to mention our “critical picks” away from the Great White Way that bear mentioning for a variety of reasons. Shows with limited runs that you might want to catch before they close. In no particular order here we go. Brooke Berman’s A Perfect Couple, a lean, 75-minute drama by the talented playwright, has been extended at the DR2 on East 15th Street through July 12. The story, about a forty-something couple contemplating marriage after a decade of living together, is a smart take on our relationship values, and raises questions about loyalty, partnerships and modern love. Berman is a fresh voice that bears watching. The award winning playwright Judith Thompson’s Palace of the End, produced by the Epic Theatre Ensemble at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre is a harrowing account of violence and torture. Told in three successive monologues, the sobering play, which clos-
es on July 13, bears witness to the grave conflicts in war torn Iraq. The ambitious Bash’d, a gay rap opera, at the Zipper Factory on West 36th Street, begins like a hiphop party with a wink, but turns deadly serious to take on such urban topics as discrimination, violence, revenge and police brutality. The creators and stars, Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow, prove, like In the Heights, that rap and theater can make for an interesting marriage. The run is open ended, but these shows can disappear quickly. Catch it while you can. Jollyship of the Whiz Bang at Ars Nova on West
54th Street is a pirate-puppet rock musical spoof by the immensely talented Nick Jones. He’s a writer, puppeteer and musician, whose consistently inventive show, now extended through July 20, is an awesome blend of 1980s pop and hilarious nonstop jokes. Downtown at the Minetta Lane Theater, the critically acclaimed production of Adding Machine, which many consider the best new musical of the recently completed 2007/2008 season, has posted an August 31 closing notice. Joshua Schmidt’s haunting musical adaptation of Elmer Rice’s 1923 expressionist tragedy is a stunning artistic achievement. Directed by David Cromer, with daring style, the brilliantly conceived production is simply shattering. The moody chamber piece courageously avoids commercial conceits with an original staging of the dark tale that is a beautifully-acted heartbreaker. Now in previews are two plays by esteemed playwrights, Sam Shepard and Christopher Durang. Mr. Shepard is returning to the Public Theater, where he debuted many of his earlier plays, with his latest offering, Kicking a Dead Horse, through August 10. Directed by the playwright himself and starring Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), the play is described as a look at “the West, a Manhattan art dealer and a dead horse.” The Marriage of Bette and Boo is a revival of Durang’s dark comedy that takes a look at three decades of marriage, divorce, alcoholism, breakdowns and death with a unique blend of irony, humor and farce. The Roundabout production opens at the Laura Pels Theatre on July 13 for a limited engagement through September 7.
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Theater critics Barry Gordin and Patrick Christiano are members of the Drama Desk. Barry is an internationally renowned photographer and Patrick is artistic director of SilvaRoad Productions. Visit their website at theaterlife.com.
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