★★★★☆ Richard Nelson brings his signature understated style to Chekhov’s tragicomedy in this debut from the Hunter Theater Project
Off-Broadway
Uncle Vanya: An Americanization of a Russian Classic
★★★★☆ Richard Nelson’s new version of Chekhov’s intimate classic is artfully understated
The Emperor: Up-Close-and-Personal/Generic Look at the Powerful
★★★★☆ Shape-shifting Kathryn Hunter skillfully plays many men in Haile Selassie’s Ethiopian court
Collective Rage: A Play In 5 Betties (Some More Memorable Than Others)
★★★☆☆ Four winning performances and a stunning one add up to an absorbing production of Jen Silverman’s entertaining but frustrating play.
Collective Rage: All Betties, All the Time
★★★☆☆ Jen Silverman’s characters are smart, sharp-tongued, and far from stereotypical. Try to keep up.
The Naturalists: A Romantic Triangle Shoots Up in the Irish Countryside
★★☆☆☆ A play about new love and old crimes amid Ireland’s rural greenery strains credulity and patience.
Heartbreak House: Framing Shaw’s Upside-Downton Abbey Saga
★★☆☆☆ Inconsistent acting styles and a needless frame obscure Shaw’s portrait of pre-war English society
Smokey Joe’s Cafe: Smokin’ Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller Hits Smokin’
★★★★★ A nine-cast Top-40 revue from mid-20th century so hot you could sizzle steaks on it
The Gospel at Colonus: A Joyful Noise Erupts in Central Park
★★★★☆ A unique piece of musical theater briefly makes an inspirational reappearance
Private Peaceful: One Soldier’s Story, in Multiple Voices
★★★★☆ Another World War I–era novel from ‘War Horse’ author Michael Morpurgo gets the theatrical treatment