1,084 stories by "Matthew Murray"
"Truly daring plays about race in America are rare these days; the Civil Rights era and the election of Barack Obama have more or less seen to that."
"Where there's smoke, there is not always fire."
"There's the sketch of a beautiful, human love story here, but it's one in desperate need of shading, color, and conviction."
So much has been written about the James Goldman"Stephen Sondheim musical Follies since its 1971 premiere that it's approaching the point it's best to let the show speak for itself.
Few family reunions unfold totally free of bitter aftertastes, and Sweet and Sad is no exception.
Good behavior at the theatre isn't difficult, but it means thinking more of others than you do yourself for a few hours. Here are some basic tips on how to make the theatre experience bette…
Sometimes writers, more than audiences, are at fault for shows that the theatregoing public doesn't want to see.
Reading a play may bring you closer to the playwright, but it pushes you further away from the theatre.
"Nice to look at while soused, but not particularly memorable once you've sobered up."
"Miscasting can occasionally be a blessing in disguise."
For some loneliness can be a debilitating condition. But for Dawson Nichols it's no impediment at all, at least as far as Virtual Solitaire is concerned.
"You're Muslim! Did you know that?"
"... although mash-ups can work, nothing quite compares to real, creative thought."
"... hot, wet, sweaty, and unpredictable, and by the end of it you can't wait for it to be over."
"No topic is off-limits for Charles Busch, and that's usually a good thing."
"Some slices of life have more life than others."
"... you are in strong, capable, and devious hands."
"... they end up trapped in a web of their own spinning."
Three questions for John Doyle about his actors-as-musicians style of directing, which he is employing in the Willimstown Theatre Festival production of Ten Cents a Dance.
This revival is Rent controlled.
... , it shows that real life, even when filtered through circus specialties, is the most thrilling experience theatre can offer.
For Brian Lowdermilk and Kait Kerrigan, discovering the real heart of The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown was almost as complicated as that musical's heroine's learning to disco…
Are schools supposed to be about exploring ideas, or to shelter their students from the realities of culture and history that shape everyday life in America? David Snead, the superintendent …
Two years ago, I wrote a column in this space called "Line of the Year", which detailed what I thought was the most memorable single line of dialogue of 2008. I didn't do a similar column la…
Children of God may not be the sharpest or most intricate musical to hit the stages this summer (or this year at all), but for that reason alone, it may be the most positive and uplifting.
