First Nighter: Ayckbourn's "Things We Do for Love" Done Lovingly in Westport by David Finkle

Generally, it's not a good idea for playwrights to direct their own work--or maybe anyone else's, for that matter. ...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 4:06pm on August 25, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Eric Comstock, Gabrielle Stravelli Light Up Cabaret by David Finkle

Cabaret is alive and not quite yet reduced to gasping for breath in New York City.

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 2:36pm on August 21, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: The Visit Overstays Its Welcome, Henry IV Stumbles by David Finkle

This time of year, things are so beehive-hectic in these parts that it's easy to drive around on a single Saturday and see, say, The Visit at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the compac…

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 4:43pm on August 19, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Theresa Rebeck's "Poor Behavior"Just Plain Poor by David Finkle

At the start of Poor Behavior, Theresa Rebeck--who may be the most overrated contemporary American playwright by virtue...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 7:35pm on August 17, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Lengthy-Named Revolution... Musical Not Worth Its Title's Length by David Finkle

Is it clear by now that there's no call to throw your good money after their good money gone bad for something that might only be comprehensible to the citizens of Iceland -- something that …

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 9:36pm on August 13, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Lengthy-Named "Revolution..." Musical Not Worth Its Title's Length by David Finkle

Helpful word has reached me about the musical longwindedly called Revolution in the Elbow of Ragnar Agnarsson...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 9:36pm on August 13, 2014☆⚑

Playwrights Impress at FutureFest Competition by David Finkle

Ohio's unique community theater showcase of new plays should be copied widely.

SOURCE: Clyde Fitch Report at 11:15am on August 11, 2014☆⚑

New York Musical Theatre Festival Disappoints Musically by David Finkle

The craft and art of the song is assailed at the annual new-tuner event.

SOURCE: Clyde Fitch Report at 3:13pm on August 4, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: 'Sex With Strangers' Is Sexy With Straining by David Finkle

Since Laura Eason calls her tense romantic comedy Sex With Strangers, audiences can be forgiven for jumping to the correct conclusion that these strangers -- they're both writers -- won't wa…

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 9:04pm on July 30, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Sturges's "Strictly Dishonorable," Quinton in "Drop Dead Perfect" by David Finkle

Before he began writing as well as directing his celebrated movies, Preston Sturges uncorked Strictly Dishonorable, a...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 3:42pm on July 28, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: "Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story" Works Piecemeal by David Finkle

Among the ground-shifting 1960s music and music-biz developments was the emergence of the singer-songwriter. ...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 10:59pm on July 21, 2014☆⚑

Farewell to the Irreplaceable Elaine Stritch by David Finkle

Remembering the unique pleasure of interviewing the theater legend.

SOURCE: Clyde Fitch Report at 12:54pm on July 21, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: The Musicals Pump Boys and Dinettes and The Gig by David Finkle

Yes. Absolutely. No question. If you can get to City Center anytime through this weekend to see Pump Boys and Dinettes, which is the third and last of Encores! Off-Center summer series, g…

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 5:51pm on July 17, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Robert Boswell's The Long Shrift, John Banville's Love in the Wars by David Finkle

The last 10 minutes or so of Robert Boswell's play The Long Shrift, at the Rattlestick, are richly dramatic. During them Richard (Scott Haze) and Beth (Ahna O'Reilly) finally get to the conf…

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 7:32pm on July 14, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Musicals "Atomic," "The Mapmaker's Opera," "ValueVille" by David Finkle

Atomic, at the Acorn, is the show that asks the musical question: Once the A-bomb was realized, was it wise to use it? Coming...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 9:06pm on July 13, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: 'Henry IV Part I' and 'Henry IV Part II' on Screen With Antony Sher by David Finkle

William Shakespeare historians have tried and failed to find a figure during the reigns of Henry IV and Henry V who might have been the inspiration for Sir John Falstaff, whom many of the pl…

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 10:14am on July 5, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, Brook's Valley of Astonishment in London by David Finkle

Hilary Mantel persuasively presents the case for his preeminence at this relentless need in Wolf Hall, which won the 2009 Man Booker Prize, and then again in Bring Up the Bodies, which won t…

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 12:17pm on June 27, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: 'Skylight,' 'The Pajama Game' Revived, 'Adler & Gibb' New in London by David Finkle

When Tom Sergeant (Bill Nighy) drops in on Kyra Hollis (Carey Mulligan) totally unannounced in the revival of David Hare's 1995 play Skylight, at Wyndham's, he's clearly there to fan the emb…

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 4:11am on June 24, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: "Fathers and Sons," "Khandan [Family]," "Handbagged" in London by David Finkle

LONDON--Ivan Turgenev's 1862 novel Fathers and Sons, which Brian Friel adapted for the stage under the same title in 1987 is just revived...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 4:34am on June 16, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: "Titus Andronicus," "Antony and Cleopatra" Expand the Globe by David Finkle

LONDON, THE GLOBE--Scholars aren't certain when William Shakespeare wrote Titus Andronicus, although they favor 1593. ...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 6:04am on June 14, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: New Musical "Fly By Night" Doesn't Fly, Then Does by David Finkle

Fly By Night, the Will Connolly-Michael Mitnick-Kim Rosenstock (who also conceived the enterprise) musical at Playwrights...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 6:14am on June 12, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: A Gotta-See Alan Ayckbourn Festival by David Finkle

The big fact about 75-year-old Alan Ayckbourn is that he's written 78--count 'em, 78--plays during his long career,...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 4:12am on June 12, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Ayckbourn's "Small Family Business" Large and in HD by David Finkle

Alan Ayckbourn is the chronicler of the middle class. Up in Scarborough, England, where he turns his plays out and puts...

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 7:43am on June 11, 2014☆⚑

First Nighter: Nancy Harris's Our New Girl Unsure of Herself by David Finkle

The cast members -- despite their now-you-hear-them-now-you-don't accents -- are up to their character's challenges.

SOURCE: Huffington Post at 7:33pm on June 10, 2014☆⚑

A Press Room View of the Tony Awards by David Finkle

Jackman hopped, men kissed men, and McDonald made history.

SOURCE: Clyde Fitch Report at 1:25pm on June 9, 2014☆⚑