Ben Brantley starts off his article with a shocking image: a woman falling off the Niagara in a barrel. What a great eye-catching sentence.  His review of Queen of the Mist was subtly critical, which is basically a well-disguised and scholarly formulated review. After reading his review of the show, I am not repulse but I am disinterested from watching this production.

Brantley carefully does not tread on dangerous grounds and slowly picks at the flesh of the play. The introduction of the context developed quickly. Brantley writes, “ so this hapless little man, who turns out to be Leon Czolgosz, goes off and assassinates President William McKinley.” His writing style is fun, vibrant, and easy to follow.

The caliber of his vocabulary impressed me and I believe he may be using a well-balanced mixture of words that hold lots of meaning but are more politically correct that other phrases.

Right after he puts the production down, he pulls it back up saying “there’s more than whimsical homage afoot in this perversely witty encounter between Anna Edson Taylor and Leon Czolgosz.”

I found it hilarious how Brantley utilizes this phrase: “It would be a pleasure to report that “Queen of the Mist” seems poised to become the popular hit” followed by a “but while it features some beautiful music)” He pretends that he really appreciate the work that he’s watched for tonight, but he manages to bash the production in a unnoticeable fashion.

Brantley’s character description is thorough and concise. They depict the basic functions of the characters and he effectively communicates what is lacking and what members of the cast accomplish.