Category — Critic’s Corner

Not too often can I honestly say something has moved me in such a way that I will live my life differently.  This was how I felt as I walked out of the Barrow Street Theater after viewing Yvonne Latty’s “In Conflict.”  Going in, I was expecting just an average play out on by Temple University student actors.  I was pleasantly surprised to have been proven wrong.  I didn’t have any “conflicts” with this hard-hitting off-Broadway production.

From the minute the play began, it was evident that these students weren’t average actors.  Each one had a unique originality and talent for the character being depicted.  In other words, when Yvonne Latty found these students, she assembled the perfect group.  Emotion and passion rushed through the stage with each delivery of the accounts of the Iraq War.  During the talkback after the performance, I was shocked to learn that the actors’ only means of preparing for their roles were listening to vocal recordings of the actual veterans.  I found it amazing that they could portray these men and women so realistically without actually meeting them.  The actors even had a few surprises offering the audience a tasty treat to nibble on during the performance.  Although, all of the actors showed obvious talent, one actor had a profound effect on me in particular.  Damon Williams’ portrayals of Jamel and Herold were simply amazing and left me asking the question, “Where else will I see this rising star in the future?”  As evident as it was, casting wasn’t the only success off Broadway production. [Read more →]

“Irena’s Vow” is an original play with a controversial theme and a grim tone.  The main character and protagonist of the play Irena, played by Tovah Feldshuh, does a spectacular job of both narrating and acting out her plight during the Holocaust.  Irena, already witnessing so much death as a young woman, makes a promise to herself to protect the lives of thirteen Jewish refugees.  She has the responsibility of preserving these lives as well as her own in the midst of the bloodiest slaughtering in world history.  Irena is mostly seen avoiding Strumbannfuher Rokita, played by John Stanisci, throughout the play, being that he could easily be mistaken for Adolf Hitler’s clone.  Although this personality was obvious because of his stereotypical Nazi upbringing, Stanisci could have done a better job bringing the character to life truly becoming the crazed lunatic Rokita was in real life.  Irena develops an odd relationship with the other main character of the play, Major Rugemer, played by Thomas Ryan.  Proud of his rank in the German military, Rugemer wouldn’t be caught dead helping the “Jew vermin” escape to freedom.  Ryan portrays the lonely, grief-stricken general to perfection depicting both the crazed Nazi side as well as a sensitive one.  The love-hate relationship between Irena and Major Rugemer proves to become very interesting as the course of the play develops raising many eyebrows. [Read more →]

Irena’s Vow is the compelling true story of a young woman who survived the horrors of Nazi Germany. The heroine of the story Irena Gut, is just a young girl when she has to suffer through the ordeal of the Hitler’s reign. The play blends comedy with a very grave and solemn topic to effectively relay a story that is both gripping and exciting. The story is enhanced by the set and the performance of the main character but, it is hindered by the performances of others. [Read more →]

As I descended to the BPAC theatre I was anticipating a great show. I loved the script of Irena’s Vow and I was anxious to see how the actors would bring it to life. The audience of the play was mostly students of Baruch College, and elderly people. I am wondering if this is because the middle aged generation are not interested in the Holocaust, or they just do not have time to attend performances like the elderly people do.
It is interesting how Irena goes from playing an old woman in her 70’s to playing a young woman around 20. She does this by first having her hair up in a bun, and then letting it loose. I might have thought that the director would want to have two different actors play her. However, Tova Feldshuh, who plays Irena, makes both parts seem plausible. [Read more →]

www.in70mm.com

There was much excitement about the reappearance of the classic musical, “South Pacific”. One may wonder why a show from so long ago would be popular in this day and age. Young and old flocked to Lincoln Center to watch this show. More than just the catchy tunes must be attracting viewers to the show sixty years later.
The scenery designed for the musical displayed skillful craftsmanship. This skill was portrayed in the scene with the captivating blue waves with islands in the distance, which created a realistic impression. The props and costumes could have used a little more oomph. The way the actors coordinate the changing of the scenes without the aid of a curtain is unique.
The musical depicts natives who have been living on islands in the South Pacific with no intruders for hundreds of years. Suddenly they find white naval officers, seabies, marines, and nurses living among them. The military men are restless because the fighting has not yet begun. [Read more →]