Author Archives: burdreviews

            Writer, teacher, activist, organizer—the amazing Lorene Cary has now written a play about another amazing woman, Harriet Tubman. Taking place in two eras, the mid 19th century and today, Tubman is both real and imaginary as she fights to free slaves in her own time, and appears to four men within the walls ofContinue reading “My General Tubman by Lorene Cary at Arden Theatre”

           “The Vertical Hour” is a play by the renowned playwright, David Hare, written in 2006, that begins in the office of Yale Professor Nadia Blye. She is confronting a student regarding what she thinks is his naïve view of the political process. The final scene is of Blye with a different student, who also providesContinue reading “The Vertical Hour by David Hare at Lantern Theater”

            Tonight I sat laughing for seventy-five minutes as I watched Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs perform a series of sketches and songs on the intimate stage at Act II Playhouse. These two actors have collected some old comic routines from the classic tv variety shows and added their own hilarious nonsense to the mostContinue reading “Together Again For the First Time by Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs at Act II Playhouse”

            In 1900, L. Frank Baum published “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Two years later he worked with others to create a musical version for the stage. After opening in Chicago, it played for two years on Broadway, then toured the country. But it is the 1939 MGM version of the musical that we knowContinue reading “The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum at Quintessence Theatre”

           Angela is taking refuge in her basement in anticipation of a great storm about to hit, a tornado of potentially unmeasurable destruction. She is scared. She is alone. And she begins to talk, to herself and to us, the audience. In this hour long theater piece, we will learn of this 40 something woman’s entireContinue reading “Natural Shocks by Lauren Gunderson at Simpatico Theatre”

            Two finely dressed, elderly English gentleman sit in a garden, recalling their lives. They talk about their childhood, about roles in the military, about their marriages. Jack, the more talkative and opinionated one, rambles on and on while Harry responds with brief responses-  “really, ah yes, my word, indeed.”             After about twenty minutes,Continue reading “Home by David Storey at The Drama Group”