`           In the 1950’s and ‘60’s, entertainment in the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York, was dominated by many extraordinary entertainers. Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, and Sammy Davis, Jr. were among the scores of famous performers. Even more than the singers, the Catskills (also known as the Borscht Belt for decades) were the great comedians of the day- Jackie Mason, Buddy Hackett, George Burns, Henny Youngman, Joan Rivers, and Billy Crystal, to name a few. These are among the many portrayed by Tony Braithwaite in a 70-minute performance on the Act II Playhouse stage in Ambler. In the show, “Christmas in the Catskills.”  He is truly amazing!

            The Borscht Belt arose when Jews weren’t permitted entry into many of the hotels around the country. Places like Kutcshers, Grossingers, The Nevele, and Browns soon developed a reputation for having the finest food and the finest comedians. Tony Braithwaite, with the assistance of Assistant Director Nick Cordillo and pianist Dan Matarazzo, have collected routines and monologues and created a show for the ages. And only Braithwaite, amongst all the Philadelphia comedians, could portray these iconic comedians with both subtlety and panache. And while it is most appealing to an older crowd, I do think that younger folks who enjoy comedy will get a kick out of the wide assortment of jokes.

            I find lots of today’s comedy a bit over-the-top, but what I loved about this show is that Braithwaite lets the lines speak for themselves with just little nuances. As he imitates the styles of Jerry Lewis, Mort Sahl and others, he doesn’t try to overdo it- still, he nails each one.

            Early on, Braithwaite informs us that he grew up a practicing Catholic. What’s he doing, then, performing the likes of these great Jewish comedians? He’s doing what he does best- portraying them and portraying them probably better than anyone else. He had me, usually smiling at good comedy, laughing out loud.

            One sad note. At the end of the show, Braithwaite comes on to tell us that if we liked the show, not to tell our friends about it. It is sold out for the run. I am glad for them, and hope they bring it back next December. to make it available for the tons of others who would love this show as I did.

“Christmas in the Catskills” created by Tony Braithwaite, Nick Cardillo, and Dan Matarazzo at Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Avenue., Ambler, PA 19002, 215-654-0200,  act2.org   Thru December 30, 2023

            In 1962, as a young teenager, I visited my brother at Wilmington College in Ohio. While there, I learned that they needed a young guy in the next play and wound up staying the summer. While building the sets with the group, everyone was singing songs from a show that they all knew- “The Fantasticks.”

It was a great experience for me and when I returned home to New York that autumn, I knew I had to see the show and went into the City to see it- then in its second year. I came out singing the songs myself and even bought the LP record. Some sixty years later, I got the opportunity to see it again, not in New York, but at Quintessence Theatre in Mt. Airy.  It was an outstanding production and I urge everyone to see it.

            The story is a simple one. Two neighbors build a wall in their backyards to keep their curious children apart. They feel like the kids would say no to any and everything so they hope that by keeping the kids apart, the two would fall in love and eventually marry. To say that everything backfires would be a gross understatement. But by the end of the first act, the parents have enlisted the aid of El Gallo and some players to enact an fake abduction of the girl which will cause the boy to rally, defeat the abductors and rescue the girl. What makes this story so fascinating is all the substories and the extraordinary songs that express so many of the feelings.

            The second act is even more powerful as the characters have trouble adjusting to the reality of life. Simple questions take on more profound meanings.

            The songs alone are reason to go. “Try to Remember, Soon it’s Gonna Rain,” and “Plant a Radish” are some of my favorites and these performers have superb voices.

            Director Meghan Belwoar has assembled an outstanding cast of eight. They can sing. They can act. But most of all, they just FIT. They define the term, “ensemble.” When singing together or revealing the developing plot, they ARE those characters. Even the presence of the mesmerizing mute played by Karen Getz, on stage for the entire play, was most engaging.

 I rarely feel this strongly about a production, so fine in every aspect, that I can’t imagine that what I saw a half century ago in Greenwich Village was half as good as this.

            I’m not going to reveal any more about the play. See it! It’s a winner.

“The Fantasticks” by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt at Quintessence Theatre, 7137 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19119, 215-987-4450, quintessencetheatre.org   Thru December 31, 2023

Lynn Nottage is an American playwright who during her prolific career has won two Pulitzer Prizes, the only woman to have done so. She received them for “Ruined” and “Sweat,” in 2009 and 2017. Her subjects are the Black working class. “Crumbs From the Table of Joy,” one of her first plays, was written in 1995 and takes place in Brooklyn, where Nottage grew up.

            It is 1950. Godfrey Crump  is grieving after the death of his wife and decides to move with his two teenage daughters from Florida to Brooklyn, where he hopes to be closer to radio evangelist Father Divine and his mission. One cannot but notice the large portrait of the preacher on the wall- he is like the fourth character in the room. Godfrey tries to teach his daughters the value of prayer and he discourages any independence. But soon after they settle, Lily, the dead wife’s sister shows up, coming from Harlem, baggage in hand.

            Lily represents another way out of the difficult life of the Black person of the day- she embraces Communism which promises equality for all in a new Negro revolution. She flaunts her wild social life and ridicules Godfrey’s devotion to what she sees as a phony bill of goods.

            All this is revealed from the perspective of the older sister, Ernestine as she tries to be respectful of her father but also to find a way to a better future for herself through education. It gets more complex in the second act when Godfrey shows up one day, married to a White woman he met on the subway.

            One of the things I love about Nottage’s writing is the complex relationships she develops. The conflicts that evolve are so real. Watching Ernestine come to grips with her life and the life a a Black woman was subtle but powerful.

            Overall, the acting was first rate, but I did have some issues with Brett Ashley Robinson’s portrayal of Lily. She played it over-the-top in a rather one-dimensional style and less believable than the others. Also, the second act was stronger as it dealt with the themes of the day rather than lots of exposition. The lengthy opening monologue by Ernestine was a bit too long. But what I loved most about seeing this play was recognizing the development of one of America’s great playwrights in an early work. It was a treat.

“Crumbs From the Table of Joy” at Lantern Theater Company at St. Stephen’s Theater, 923 Ludlow St., Philadelphia, PA 19107. 215-829-0395   lanterntheater.org   extended thru Dec.  17, 2023.  

 “The Elephant in the Room” is the name of the one-woman show at Azuka Theatre, written and performed by Priyanka Shetty. She is a young Indian woman who decides to leave the restrictions surrounding her life in India and come to the United States to pursue a dream. Trained as an engineer, she wants to be an actor. She also wants to escape from a closed society and shine in America, the land of opportunity. This is the story of her journey.

            In India, she tells us how she was called an elephant and a fool. She was criticized for her weight. She is a second-class citizen because she is not a man. In America, things will be different, she believes. And when she gets a scholarship to attend the MFA program in acting at the University of Virginia, she is overjoyed.

            In the 80-minute play, there are many different stories of how she tries to assimilate. But she soon finds that life is no easier than it was in India. Though she successfully loses her accent, she is still a woman of color. Is she just a token at Virginia? Will she ever be taken seriously?

            It is most engaging to follow her story, from her boyfriend at home who encouraged her to follow her dream, to the auditions she endured, to the panic she feels when dealing with her family. In actual time, she is backstage, trying to convince herself to perform the play that we learn she has written. Her parents, who constantly told her not to pursue acting, have come from India, to be in the audience. She is full of anxiety- ready to quit.

            This is Priyanka Shetty’s play, and she is portraying herself. While she is a dynamic performer with lots of energy and I found her stories most interesting, they didn’t grab me on an emotional level. The substance was there but I felt that Shetty needed to slow down and let the moments sink in. It seemed more like an essay about her life rather than a memoir. “The Elephant in the Room” has been performed extensively in recent years around the country. I couldn’t help but ask myself if Suli Holum’s direction was significantly different from other productions of the play as it was the recipient of many awards.

            Still, I appreciated the important personal and universal issues that she presented and was glad to have seen it. It is Shetty’s debut as a playwright, and I look forward to more by this talented artist.

“The Elephant in the Room” by Priyanka Shetty at Azuka Theatre, at the Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, 302 S. Hicks St. Philadelphia, PA 19102, 215-563-1100, AzukaTheatre.org    Extended thru November 19, 2023

What is the point of life? What is in our power? Do we control our own fates? These are the questions asked by the existentialist thinkers of the late 19^th and the 20^th century. And one of its greatest proponents was philosopher Jean Paul-Sartre, who expressed those ideas in film, in books, and in plays. He received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1964- he declined it. One of his most significant plays, “No Exit,” is now on the stage at Quintessence Theatre.

            The play begins in a locked room with no windows. We soon learn that the three people (two women and a man) in the room have recently died. They think they are going to Hell. Ironically, this room does not feel like a hell or even a prison cell. It is a comfortably furnished room, but there is no exit. Where are they? At first, it seems heavenly… until we learn of what brought each to the room.

            In fact, they are all guilty of a wrongdoing involving a sexual dalliance. One cheated on his wife. Another cheated on her husband. And the third person seduced her cousin’s wife. They made others miserable, driving some to suicide. But that is just the background for these people who have been thrown together. Each entered the room, expecting to be tortured, They soon discovered that just being there with others for what might be an eternity, was a kind of torture.

            Inez is an openly gay woman who simply doesn’t like men. Estelle has lived a life based on her beauty but seems to avoid any permanent relationship. Garcin was a pacifist writer who is trying hide from the label of coward because he tried to flee to Mexico to avoid fighting in a war.

            That is the backgrounds of the three. But what goes on in the room is another story- seduction.  Estelle tries to seduce Garcin. Inez tries to seduce Estelle. Garcin seeks approval from Inez for his desertion while he also comes on to Estelle. In this “hell,” will anyone get what they want? And can they ever get out of there?

            The play is full of questions. Unfortunately, I did not find it engaging. Though Alex Burns did a fine job with his new translation of the Sartre play, he did not succeed as well with his direction. Instead of bringing out the subtleties, the nuances of the situation, he has created characters that are over-the-top stereotypes. I got tired listening to Inez constantly shout her needs and demands. I was quickly bored with the cutesy girlishness of Estelle. Even Garcin, who did have a few moments of reflection, was like the others in their tv-like interpretation of the characters. As a result, the 90-minute play felt much longer. In a way, I was trapped in a theater with no exit.

“No Exit” by Jean-Paul Sartre at Quintessence Theatre, 7137 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19119, 215-987-4450, quintessencetheatre.org   Thru October 28, 2023

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which the abuser attempts to sow self-doubt and confusion in their victim’s mind. That is the definition from Google. Most people are familiar with the term from a 1944 film starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman, based on a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton. Act II Playhouse is presenting “Gaslight,” the original play, and it is quite the psychological thriller.

Jack Manningham seems like the caring husband as he attends his wife who is troubled by various visions. Does she have a mental illness like her mother? She hears strange noises. She misplaces and forgets things. She complains of the gas lights that light their home that flicker and dim when he is not there. What is going on?

In time, we learn of the history of the house from Elizabeth, the parlor maid, but we are not sure whether or not we can believe her. But it soon becomes clear that Manningham is gaslighting his wife. There is so much story for me to comment upon, but it would reveal too much of the plot, and so I won’t.

The production, directed flawlessly by Kate Brennan, is beautifully underplayed by an amazing ensemble. Curtis Mark Williams as Manningham, is so convincing as he tends to his wife at the start, that we sympathize with his effort to help her. And Jessica Dalcanton as his wife Bella, perfectly portrays a woman who is struggling and confused. Add to the mix the incomparable Penelope Reed as Elizabeth who is an odd anchor on the shipwreck of this macabre tale with so many unfolding stories in this 80 minute drama.

It’s a classic story that is still very relevant today. Infused with humor, it is “old theater” at its best and presented superbly by Act II Playhouse.

“Gaslight” by Patrick Hamilton at Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Avenue., Ambler, PA 19002, 215-654-0200,  act2.org    Extended thru October 28, 2023

“True West” is one of acclaimed playwright Sam Shepard’s many plays. He won eleven Obie Awards as well as a Pulitzer Prize for “Buried Child” in 1979. The following year, “True West” opened. And over the next 20 years, the two main roles were played by Peter Coyote, Gary Sinese, John Malkovich, Dennis Quaid, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly among others. People’s Light is presenting the show with Sanjit De Silva and Ron Domingo as the two brothers, and I can’t imagine anyone better.

            Though the title would lead you to believe it’s about the American west, it is more about the two brothers who land in their mother’s home in California while she is off exploring Alaska. The younger, Austin (De Silva) was invited there to look after the house while he is working on a screenplay. The older, Lee (Domingo) has arrived unannounced. Though they are brothers, they are radically different.

            Lee is a drifter. He is a petty thief. He is a wise ass who is constantly putting down his brother, both with words and in actual physical confrontations. Justin is an Ivy League graduate with a family and is a successful screenwriter, who is there to work on his love story. But the conflict and chaos between the two is a constant source of friction.

The slow-moving exposition at the play’s beginning is a bit tedious as the brother’s differences are revealed. But it gets more and more complex and interesting. And when the producer, who is encouraging Austin with his screenplay arrives, he becomes more interested in Lee’s story, and Austin is asked to put aside his own work to develop a screenplay of Lee’s story.

Austin finds his brother’s story uninteresting but works on it for a while. What does a brother owe his brother? Whose dreams are more important? Which story is art, and does it make a difference if it sells? In a way, the stories can be viewed as the old west versus the new west. And amidst this sibling rivalry, Shepard gives us elements of dark humor that keeps us off guard while we are laughing. It is riveting.

The story is a timeless one and Director Mei Ann Teo has done a superb job bringing it to the People’s Light Stage!

“True West” by Sam Shepard at People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, PA 19355, 610-644-3500,  peopleslight.org   Thru August 27, 2023

Say the name Boca to young people and they probably won’t know what you’re talking about. However, most seniors recognize it as the shortened version of Boca Raton, a city in South Florida where many go, first for a winter getaway, and later, to retire in active adult communities. The play, “Boca,” by Jessica Provenz, provides us with a glimpse of what life is like for such a group behind the gates of the “idyllic” Boca Oasis Retirement Community.

            Five actors portray the 11 characters in a series of 12 quick-paced vignettes. The weather is always a perfect 75 degrees. They are safe within the gates of the community, where they have many friends though the men do gripe about the missing packets of Stevia and about a valet who takes too long to deliver the cars. And while they are kept busy with Zoom meetings, pickle ball, and dating, they also grapple with hardships- loss of friends and partners, failed marriage, poor health, erectile dysfunction, missed opportunities, and impending death.

            They have gone through the challenges of life. They’ve taken jobs they didn’t like. They’ve married spouses they also didn’t like. One was left by her husband for a woman who worked at Cheesecake Factory. But in spite of what can sound like a depressing play, it is not. They talk about the 45-year itch. They dismiss the medical advice of one of them because they say he is not a doctor- he is a podiatrist. It is smart play, and it is funny- very funny.

            Most of the discussions are between the women about the men. Can they drive at night? Do they wipe the toilet seat? But they are also dealing with the fact that the women outnumber men by 3 to 1and that they must keep an eye out for any woman who is dying so they can grab the man, as soon as he becomes available.  At one point, there is a daring attempt to escape the monotony of their lives with a “Thelma and Louise”- like car ride.

I can go on and on with the dozens of little stories that kept me laughing all through the 80-minute piece presented expertly by director Tony Braithewaite with five talented veteran Philadelphia actors. There is one reflective monologue by one of the men that lacked the humor and the texture of the rest of the show, but it was only a few minutes long. With all the very serious theater around today, it was a pleasure to watch such a joyous play.  I don’t know if young people will enjoy it as much as I did, but I am telling all my friends about it. It’s a must-see piece for everyone over 65!

“Boca” by Jessica Provenz at Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Avenue., Ambler, PA 19002, 215-654-0200,   act2.org    Extended thru September 3, 2023

Lettie is a young woman in her early 30’s who has recently been released from prison after serving seven years for using and dealing drugs. She lives in a halfway house and plans to find work as a welder after she completes an internship. She is also hoping to reunite with her children who are teenagers.

River, now 17, and Layla, now 14, have been raised by Lettie’s half-sister, Carla and Carla’s husband, Frank. They have raised the children as their own in a very structured, traditional Christian household.

            The play, written by Boo Killebrew quickly escalates into a series of conflicts between the different characters and within the characters themselves. Will Lettie stay clean or backslide into the addiction that plagued her since childhood? Will she succeed in completing the internship that can eventually provide her with work and a steady income? Will she be welcomed into Carla and Frank’s life with her children as she seeks to regain custody? And will the children even want a relationship with their mother?

            Added to the mix is Minny, a “sister” parolee and intern who was incarcerated for twenty years after murdering her husband. Her repeated attempts to mentor Lettie often lead to frustration and dissension. But eventually they bond and play a meaningful role in each other’s lives.  

            Lettie’s dream of reclaiming her children and building a life quickly dissolves as reality sets in. River is angry and rejects the possibility of having any kind of relationship with his mother. He is old enough to remember being abandoned by a mother whose addiction superseded attending to his basic needs.

            At first, Layla is more forgiving and open to a connection with Lettie. She visits her secretly and shares her dreams with her mother. However, in time, her eagerness subsides as she witnesses her mother’s lack of coping skills as she struggles and greets failure with bitterness and rage. One minute we are on her side- the next, we are not so sure.

            There is a fragility in each character as they wrestle with their own demons and the curveballs thrown at them by the others. Killebrew has woven a complex tapestry that draws us in and keeps us engaged as the play flows seamlessly from one scene to the next. The perfectly designed set helps facilitate that flow.

            Will there be a happy ending? Will they find their dreams? That will be for you to decide.

“Lettie” by Boo Killebrew at People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, PA 19355, 610-644-3500, peopleslight.org   Thru July 13, 2023

In my junior year in college, I took a class in Shakespeare. I was a history major and only familiar with the few plays I read in high school, with a Cliff’s Notes by my side to help me understand what was going on. Fast forward a half century later and I find that Shakespearian English is once again, a foreign language.

Four centuries after his death, Shakespeare’s plays are still regularly performed around the world. This month, there are three productions of “Twelfth Night” on Philadelphia stages.  I saw an innovative production at the Wilma Theater.

            This is not your average Shakespeare. To begin with, though still called Ilyria, the setting is a dock by the ocean that could easily be New Jersey. The actors wear contemporary clothes-  T-shirts and shorts. Furthermore, the play is neither one of the historical or tragic plays, but rather a romantic comedy, turned into a bit of a farce by the Wilma, with the grief aspects of the play toned down.

            It begins when Viola survives a shipwreck off the coast of Ilyria, where she believes her twin brother, Sebastian has gone down with the ship.  She disguises herself as a young man, to get employment with Duke Orsino. He is trying to court Olivia, who has recently lost her brother, and she is not interested in the Duke. She is, however, interested in Viola because she thinks Viola is a man. Everyone is trying to find romance. And then, there is the music. After all, as the great bard says through his character, Orsino, “if music be the food of love, play on.”

            Eventually, Viola’s twin appears (he didn’t drown) and the confusion and the love triangles expand. There are so many supporting characters who try to encourage and discourage the possible romantic entanglements. In one subplot, they ridicule and embarrass Malvolio, the ill-tempered steward of Olivia, who thinks he has a chance to win her.

            It is easy to lose track of what is happening.  At the intermission, I talked with others in the audience. I learned that they too were having difficulty following the plot and the dialogue.

That said, there were many visual treats for us to enjoy. One was the fascinating way MK Tuomanen portrays both twins at the start of the play, with an amazing costume by designer Ivania Stack. And while there is an overabundance of physical comedy, the staging of an orgy in the kiddie pool, was hysterical!

            In the program, director Yury Urnov asks of the play “How do we explore its depths without drowning in it?” He has opted to make it a broad comedy that is often silly without giving us those depths of the yearning for love. While it works at times, it is not enough to sustain the 2 ½ hour play on the Wilma stage.

            Theaters are trying to make Shakespeare accessible to modern audiences, reminding us that his themes are still relevant today. In that vein I would love to see a production done in contemporary English.

“Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St.,  Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-546-7824  wilmatheater.org    Thru June 25, 2023