1,000 stories by "Darryl Reilly"
"I never met a peanut butter junkie" is one of the many sharp zingers in Fran Handman's romantic park bench meetup, "A New York Encounter" (directed by Elowyn Castle) between an older man an…
Playwrights Kevin Armento and Bryony Lavery take the well-known facts that have been explored in documentaries and in the feature film "Battle of the Sexes" and shovel on a cascade of imagin…
Whether bantering with the audience, displaying energetic dance moves, reciting factual details or performing Bobby Darin's signature songs, the boyish Groff was sensational. "Splish Splash,…
Soviet born actor Ilia Volok is quite personable and definitely commands the stage; his performance is heroic but it is so intense and his accent is often intrusive. Comical and sensitive po…
Murky, glacial and hypnotic, "Sheila" is a dreamy reunion drama among two 28-year-old women who haven't seen each other in 10 years. It recalls the sort of off-beat female-centric play direc…
Ms. Orlandersmith skillfully organizes the material into short monologues that are revelatory, insightful and often tinged with humor. Â Visually striking with her animated facial features…
Dull, smug and interminable," The Undertaking" is a multimedia play written by Steve Cosson that explores the meaning of death. Jean Cocteau, Marcel Duchamp and Greek mythology are tr…
With the support of film director, screenwriter and playwright Neil LaBute, the St. Louis Actors' Studio has held an annual festival of one-act plays since 2013. This is the third year t…
Darryl Reilly, Critic Harold Pinter "He's a fucking fine actor," said Harold about the actor who had just ruined an otherwise excellent production. "It's a fucking hard job, acting. I've don…
Playwright Robert O'Hara's fertile premise might have made for a provocative, sober sci-fi take on gender roles, sexuality and parenthood. Instead, it's broadly conceived and lame. The flat …
Shaw employs the gruff cadences of George C. Scott and Weaver has the calm and measured tone of Peter Sellers and both are thoroughly delightful. Their tremendous rapport is most evident…
Darryl Reilly, Critic Doric Wilson circa 2011. "Making magic out of nothing," is how Doric Wilson described his 50-year devotion to the penury of alternative theater. Why am I writing about …
Darryl Reilly, Critic It is not widely known that among Frank Langella's many accolades, including four Tony Awards, there was also a hat named after him. In the winter of 2003, after Sunday…
As "Rock of Ages" did for the 1980's, "Cruel Intentions: The Musical" does for the 1990's. This is a carefree entertainment accompanied by the revelry incited by a two-item minimum in a nigh…
Vince Guaraldi's monumental jazz themes are beautifully rendered by musical director Jenny Shiroma on piano, Laura Hamel on percussion and Billie Sholen on bass. This talented trio also perf…
Deffaa's great achievement is joining the narrative portions with just the right song. An anecdote about encountering Florenz Ziegfeld having an office dalliance with a chorus girl is fo…
Darryl Reilly, Critic Looking back at the 128 performance reviews I wrote for Theaterscene.net in 2017, these shows were outstanding and quite memorable. My assignments rarely include Broadw…
Joni Mitchell's "River" was given a powerful rendition by guest artist Megan Hilty. The blonde and statuesque Ms. Hilty was a glorious vision wearing a luminous white wedding dress as sh…
Written by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher, the show presents a stylized take on the couple's love at first sight meeting, the complications it caused with their partners at the time, their i…
Decked out in nerdy regalia of a yellow shirt, red tie and plaid pants with suspenders, Ethan Slater is terrific as SpongeBob. The immensely personable Mr. Slater wonderfully sings, dances a…
With expressive and limber physicality, animated facial features, piercing eyes, and a smoothly resonant voice, Mr. de la Fuente vividly depicts Mr. Hirabayashi from youth to old age. Ma…
He grew up in rural Pennsylvania, was raised by foster families, and learned about magic by reading books at the public library. These biographical details add depth to his shaded yet sunny …
David Gow is the show's producer and he also plays Tommy Flowers. Mr. Gow perhaps saw this showy role as a vehicle for him to shine in and he does up to a point. Gow is an appealing,…
Crumm and DeVito have a marvelous chemistry together and terrific mutual comic timing that make them seem like a real couple. Their compelling performances energize and elevate what could ha…
With his commanding and emotionally expressive baritone voice, the eternally boyish Holbrook wearing formal wear, vividly performs a program drawn from show tunes, Hollywood musicals, classi…
