Critic unbound

About 20 minutes into Time and the Conways, J.B. Priestley'a 1937 play now being revived by the Roundabout Theater Company, I was feeling the way I imagine John Osborne and the "angry young men" of British drama must have felt in the 1950s: Enough of these well-mannered, well-made plays about the rarefied concerns of the … Continue reading “Time and the Conways”: Give It Time →

I just finished a busy weekend of filmgoing at the Hamptons International Film Festival. This annual Hamptons ritual — which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year— has always struck me as a bit of a superfluous stop on the film-festival circuit.  It overlaps with the higher-profile New York Film Festival, just a hundred miles to … Continue reading Cruising the Hamptons Film Festival →

Broadway's fall season doesn't immediately inspire me. Several of the most high-profile new shows come from people whose work I've not been crazy about in the past. But I'm always looking for surprises, and here are six upcoming shows that might provide some: Meteor Shower (opening Nov. 29): Steve Martin's new play, first staged last … Continue reading The Fall Season: Six Shows I’m Looking Forward To →

I am a big fan of Amy Herzog. For the variety, humanity and sheer storytelling craft of her work (After the Revolution, 4000 Miles, Belleville), I think she may be the best playwright currently at work in America.  Which is why I was just a little disappointed with her new play, Mary Jane, down at … Continue reading Is Amy Herzog Our Best Playwright? →