BOTTOM LINE: A cleverly written story about five unique people in an acting class. First-rate performances and a touching script make for a quality night of theatre that’s not to be missed.

First off, let me apologize for not seeing Circle Mirror Transformation, the new play by Annie Baker, sooner — the show closes November 15 at Playwrights Horizons. It’s the kind of show that’s most deserving of a positive review on a website visited by a wide variety of cool people. I want you to see this show.

If you’ve ever been in an acting class (or hell) or been forced to do “team building” exercises, you’ll find relatable fodder here. And at its core it’s a sincere and engaging story of five normal people trying to find their way.

Circle Mirror Transformation takes place in a beginning acting class in a small town in Vermont. It’s a community class, open to everyone, and four unique individuals have signed up for the five-week program instructed by Marty (Deirdre O’Connell): Marty’s husband, James (Peter Friedman), recently divorced Schultz (Reed Birney), shy sixteen-year-old Lauren (Tracee Chimo), and ex-New York actress Theresa (Heidi Schreck). Through the five weeks, the characters play those ridiculous games to get comfortable with one another (e.g. everyone lies on the floor, and the group tries to count to ten without two people saying the same number). They also play trust games that lead to soul-bearing openness (everyone writes a secret on a piece of paper and then someone else anonymously reads it). Through these situations the audience learns who these characters are. This leads to an incredible connection between the characters and the audience because as the play goes on and their back stories become clear, their interactions and conversations all become colored; the audience is given the insight to really get it. This is a testament to Baker’s incredible writing and also to the actors’ abilities to bring these characters to life, with all of their quirks and nuances.

(more…)

BOTTOM LINE: A nicely executed production with two great performances. This play is intense in all the right ways.

David Mamet is known for writing sharp, biting dialogue and creating great character conflict. His plays (Speed-the-Plow, American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross) generally present uncomfortable situations through which his characters must navigate using whatever tools necessary to achieve their final goals — and sometimes that means head-to-head combat, verbal and otherwise. Oleanna, Mamet’s latest Broadway offering, exemplifies his MO and proves yet again why he’s one of the most thought-provoking playwrights out there today.

(more…)

BOTTOM LINE: A well-done revival of a very funny play.

Some theatrical experiences are just perfect: all of the elements (cast, design, technical aspects) come together is a totally satisfying way and it’s apparent the story is best told on a stage. These are the shows from which you walk away with total respect for those involved with the production. Whether or not you liked the play itself is a separate matter, as you appreciate the experience regardless. I consider The Royal Family, playing at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Friedman Theatre, to be in this particular category. It’s just a really solid production.

The story takes place in 1927 and was written around the same time, by the super-gifted team of George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. It’s a farce about a show-biz family (the “royal” description being tongue-in-cheek). The Cavendish clan includes three generations of stage actresses: Fanny is the matriarch (Rosemary Harris), Julie is her daughter (Jan Maxwell) and Gwen is Julie’s daughter (Kelli Barrett). The three women have found themselves at crossroads, independent of one another, and all must decide what to do with their lives. Fanny is aging and isn’t able to handle the busy life of an actress like she used to, Julie is happy being a diva until a wealthy suitor reappears in her life and offers her a domestic alternative, and Gwen must decide if she should quit the stage and marry her boyfriend, who isn’t too excited about playing second fiddle to his wife’s burgeoning career. When something is your passion, for whom is it worth giving up? Can you have both love and a successful career or does something always have to give? And what happens when you can no longer do what you love? Although presented in an overly dramatic, vivacious way, the questions asked in The Royal Family offer a thoughtful look at these circumstances.

(more…)

BOTTOM LINE: There is nothing more ridiculous than reading a celebrity memoir. There is nothing more entertaining than having Rachel Dratch read it to you.

Long live the comedians of the world. And long live the people who provide fantastic fodder for their jokes. Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words is a hilarious 75-minute show, a sort of Barnes and Noble book reading-meets-stand-up comedy show at the Triad NYC theater on the Upper West Side. It’s a great cabaret space in an intimate setting, complete with full bar and cocktail service. And this is definitely the kind of show that can be enjoyed with a drink in one’s hand.

The premise of Celebrity Autobiography is so incredibly obvious, I wonder why no one thought of it before: a handful of well-known actors from stage and screen read excerpts from the silliest of celeb tell-alls. Writer-comedian Eugene Pack created the show one night when he brought some friends together to read memoirs in front of an audience. It was well received, eventually becoming a weekly performance produced and hosted by Pack and Dayle Reyfel.

With shows in both Los Angeles and New York, the Celebrity Autobiography company of performers includes screen actors like Rachel Dratch, Molly Shannon, Matthew Perry, Justin Long, Paul Rudd, Bobby Cannavale (Third Watch, Cupid), and Michael Urie (Ugly Betty), as well as big-name Broadway stars like Matthew Broderick, Andrea Martin, Alan Cumming, Jackie Hoffman (Hairspray, Xanadu), Donna Murphy (The King and I), and Christopher Sieber (Shrek: The Musical).

(more…)