★★★☆☆ The wonderful Lois Smith, directed by Lila Neugebauer, in Lily Thorne’s well-cast death watch
The Beast in the Jungle: Henry James’ Work Dances on Uncertain Feet
★★★☆☆ Susan Stroman, David Thompson and John Kander get Irina Dvorovenko, Tony Yazbeck on their toes
A Pink Chair (In Place of a Fake Antique): Wooster Group on Tadeusz Kantor
★★★★★ A fascinating tribute to the late, great Polish director/author and his Cricot 2 company
Turning Off the Morning News: New Durang Satirical Sketch Sketchy
★☆☆☆☆ Emily Mann directs favorite Durang actor Kristine Nielsen, others to skimpy payoff
Twelfth Night: The Quality of Shakespeare’s Comedy Woefully Strained
★☆☆☆☆ The usually exceptional Maria Aitken runs into trouble directing a cast working overtime to no avail.
Long Day’s Journey into Night: O’Neill’s at Breakneck, Breakheart Pace
★★★★★ Richard Eyre brilliantly directs Jeremy Irons, Lesley Manville, Rory Keenan and Matthew Beard
The Gentleman Caller: Tennessee Williams, William Inge Oddly Coupled
★★☆☆☆ Playwright Philip Dawkins roams freely through the famous playwrights’ related lives
Light Shining in Buckinghamshire: Caryl Churchill’s History Lecture
★★★☆☆ Rachel Chavkin directs a talk-heavy look back at Oliver Cromwell’s civil war
Summer and Smoke: Ireland, Darrow Set Fire to Williams’ Hot Drama
★★★★★ Jack Cummings III stunningly directs the play that established the very idea of off-Broadway
Unexpected Joy: Mothers, Daughters Vie, Singing Joyful Tunes
★★★★☆ Bill Russell writes the book and lyrics, Janet Hood the music for a maybe likely story of tolerance