THE HANGOVER REPORT – ruth tang’s WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY kicks off Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks in typically offbeat manner

Last night at The Wild Project, I attended a performance of ruth tang’s Work Hard Have Fun Make History, the opening production of the 2023 edition of Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks series … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Bursts of drama from Flatbush to Washington Heights: Diane Exavier’s BERNARDA’S DAUGHTERS and Guadalís Del Carmen’s BEES & HONEY

This holiday weekend, I attended a pair new domestic dramas set in our teeming city that vividly capture diverse perspectives. Here are my thoughts on them. BERNARDA’S DAUGHTERSThe New Group … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Keeljay Gipson’s DEMONS. unpacks grief and inter-generational trauma in an unlikely, whimsical manner

Earlier this week, I wrote a piece about how several recent performances I’ve attended have addressed how to come to terms with grief. Continuing on this trajectory is Keeljay Gipson’s … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – La MaMa exquisitely reconstructs María Irene Fornés’s EVELYN BROWN (A DIARY), a poetic meditation on a lost life

Also last night, a rare revival of María Irene Fornés’s Evelyn Brown (A Diary) opened Off-Broadway at La MaMa’s The Downstairs performance space (in fact, the piece hasn’t been revived since premiering … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The perfectly pleasant stage musical adaptation of MONSOON WEDDING coasts on the strength of its terrific score

Last night, the anticipated stage adaptation of Monsoon Wedding opened at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. Based on the 2001 movie of the same name and conceived and staged by … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – A completist’s dream, J2 Spotlight’s rare revival of THE GOODBYE GIRL charms as it highlights the musical’s flaws

This past weekend, J2 Spotlight Musical completed its 2023 season with a short run of The Goodbye Girl at Theatre Row. Premiering on Broadway three decades ago, the musical features … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Hansol Jung’s strangely playful ROMEO & JULIET both updates and stays in the play’s milieu

Last week at Off-Broadway’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater (most familiar to theatergoers as the home of Classic Stage Company), I attended a performance of Hansol Jung’s self-described “modern verse translation” … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Michael R. Jackson’s latest self-excavating musical concoction WHITE GIRL IN DANGER is overstuffed, chaotic, and altogether glorious

This week at Off-Broadway’s Tony Kiser Theatre, I had the opportunity to catch up with Michael R. Jackson’s White Girl in Danger. A co-production between Second Stage Theater and Vineyard … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Rajiv Joseph’s KING JAMES examines male friendship through the lens of LeBron James fandom (oh, and racial and socio-economic circumstances, too)

Last night, Rajiv Joseph’s latest play King James opened Off-Broadway at New York City Center. The production arrives in New York by way of Chicago and Los Angeles, where it was presented … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Wesley Du’s HONG KONG MISSISSIPPI leans in on stereotypes in telling a cross-cultural coming-of-age tale

This past weekend at La MaMa’s The Downstairs venue, I attended one of the closing performances of Hong Kong Mississippi. Written and performed by Wesley Du, the solo show chronicles … Continue Reading →