122 stories by "David Kaufman"
But of course, looks are famously and frequently deceptive, if not all the time. Indeed,"Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overload"Â emerges as one of the most serious-minded plays of all, as it s…
"Simon says let the games begin," and so they do, at the opening of "Chasing Jack," a new play by John S Anastasi, M.D. As directed by Peter J Loewy, "Chasing Jack" is a smart and rewarding …
If a hallmark of our best stand-up comics is that he or she is unique"think of Whoopi Goldberg, Jackie Mason and Lenny Bruce"a relative newcomer named Neal Brennan belongs in their company. …
The spartan set design by Wilson Chin features a large tin can, a tall streetlamp, a very large tire, a milk crate, and a high basketball net. The first two actors, Jon Michael Hill (as Mose…
Nelson Mandela's inestimable value to humanity in general and to the abolishment of apartheid in particular cannot be thoroughly assessed or overestimated, nor are they in a new play that be…
Some books and movies and poems do not lend themselves to theatricalization, and that's certainly the case with "Incantata," which is currently being given its American premiere at the Irish…
The inestimable Charles Busch has come up with something of a dud, as well as redundant, with his latest play, "The Confession of Lily Dare." Even its title leaves a lot to be desired. Ba…
If it sounds challenging to do a two-performer version of "Frankenstein," it proves just that in the current production at the CSC, being performed in repertory with a new stage version of "…
The trite set-up makes all of the characters one-dimensional, with the Jewish Seth a "knish maker" and shop owner on "Hester Street, Angie groping to find herself--not to mention a partner--…
An essay more than a play, with players as opposed to characters, "How to Load a Musket" is a racist diatribe that fails to make its points coherently. The costumes and appointments on the w…
Written by Sean Daniels, "The White Chip" is reportedly an autobiographical play, directed with an earnest finesse by Sheryl Kaller who sometimes has difficulty keeping her three different p…
The latest offering by JoAnne Akalaitis, "Bad News! i was there…" is something of a misnomer, since none of us was there for the "bad news" of the ancient Greeks, which is what Akalaitis …
Imported from London and directed with finesse by Jamie Lloyd, Tom Hiddleston (Robert), Zawe Ashton (Emma), and Charlie Cox (Jerry), all making their Broadway debuts, are practically choreog…
Co-written by and starring Rita Rudner (who is not only a playwright and performer but also an author, film writer, producer and director, with many TV appearances to her credit), "Two's a C…
Written by Isaac Gomez, who lives across the border in El Paso, Texas, "the way she spoke" is a one-woman show that fails to speak to us: it's performed by Mexican film star Kate del Castill…
Andrews' worldwide success with the films "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" is well represented here, as is the Broadway musical that established her in the first place, "My Fair Lady,…
Given references to "Prizzi's Honor," "Looking for Mr. Goodbar, " Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond, and VCRs, the otherwise effective revival of "Frankie and Johnny"--now on Broadway at the …
The epistolary "Posting Letters to the Moon" may, on the face of it, make one think of A. R. Gurney's "Love Letters" or Helene Hanff's "84 Charing Cross Road. "But unlike those two memorable…
In the final analysis, "Ink" is too swift and too slick for its own good--or should I say, for our good? Even if you know some of the details it traffics in, they zoom by at such a rapid cli…
For one thing, it takes far too long for Pale, Wilson's most outrageous and flamboyant creation, to arrive on the scene. (Malkovitch was Pale in the original production and Adam Driver is Pa…
After she won the Pulitzer Prize for "Topdog/Underdog," one approached a new play by Suzan-Lori Parks with great expectations--expectations that are strongly rewarded by her latest work, "Wh…
Though playwright Kelly strives for poetry at times--in addition to that last quote, consider Josh's mother calling him a "terminal optimist" and also learning that the play's title is taken…
Many of Blitzstein's melodic tunes are plunked out on the piano by several of the players at various points. But the fault is not only due to Doyle's direction: what's missing from Blitzstei…
While many of the greats have tackled Kate over the years ever since it premiered in 1948, O'Hara brings a subdued charm to the usually more boisterous part of Lilli, even if she is positive…
Some plays are simply too complicated for their own good, defying comprehension. This is certainly the case with Madeleine George's "Hurricane Diane," in which the God Dionysus or Bacchus, f…
