Sam Shepard’s True West tells the story of two brothers, Austin, an educated and semi-successful screenwriter struggling to write a love story, and Lee, a robber who drifts through the desert Southwest and effortlessly makes up a movie storyline he lacks the skill and knowledge to write. These brothers clash over everything from their relative …
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Pericles, Prince of Tyre, by William Shakespeare and George Wilkins–17 Mar. 2017
Shakespeare’s (and Wilkin’s) Pericles, Prince of Tyre is one of my favorite plays, but it doesn’t get performed that often, so it was an absolute treat to see the play not only done, but done fantastically well by West Virginia University’s Theatre Department. The production, directed by Cornel Gabara, was well acted, visually stunning, and …
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Silly Soup, by Carol Korty–13 Mar. 2017
My disclaimer is that I normally don't go to children's theatre, so I don't have much of a reference for reviewing Carol Korty's Silly Soup, performed by MT Pockets. I suppose the performance quality of this production was probably pretty standard for a children's theatre performance, so I won't really discuss the performances. Instead, I'd …
The Trojan Women, by Euripides (adapted by Gwendolyn MacEwen)–6 Dec. 2016
Euripides’ The Trojan Women is widely regarded as one of the greatest anti-war plays of all time, and it seems unfortunately timely today. With wars raging in the Middle East, and with the largest refugee crisis since WWII is Syria, Euripides’ lamentation reaches across the millennia to admonish us to this day. This transhistorical element …
Continue reading The Trojan Women, by Euripides (adapted by Gwendolyn MacEwen)–6 Dec. 2016
How I Learned to Drive, by Paula Vogel–14 Nov. 2016
Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive is a tough play because it takes on the unsettling subject of childhood sexual abuse. Despite the difficult subject matter, the Red Masquers—a theatre group at Duquesne University—gave an excellent performance, directed by Justin Sines, with really strong acting throughout. The protagonist and primary narrator of How I …
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The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare–9 Oct. 2016
This is the fourth, maybe fifth show I’ve seen the Rustic Mechanicals perform, and this is the first one I would say was really good. My major critique of the Mechanicals has been the tendency to painfully overact, but with this cast and for this show, they (largely) resisted that tendency. For the first time …
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Race, by David Mamet–30 Sept. 2016
David Mamet’s Race seems to be a play carefully crafted to make every audience member uncomfortable—whites, African Americans, Hispanics, men, women. No one is spared in Mamet’s play. The play centers on the law firm of Jack and Henry, who end up (not entirely by choice) defending the wealthy, white Charles after he is accused …
Sordid Lives, by Del Shores–23 Sept. 2016
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and Del Shores’ Sordid Lives goes big—big hair, big personalities, big problems, and big laughs. The MT Pockets production of this black comedy about white trash brought a bit of Texas to the West Virginia stage. The play revolves around the funeral for Peggy Ingram, an elderly woman …
Stella & Lou, by Bruce Graham–21 Aug. 2016
When you have a good script and very good actors, community theatre can produce some really special moments. And that’s precisely what happened at MT Pocket’s production of Bruce Graham’s Stella & Lou, directed by Vickie Trickett. With a funny, heart-breaking story, and three wonderful performers, the production was a treat. Stella & Lou focuses …
Romeo & Juliet, by William Shakespeare–17 July 2016
As everyone knows, Romeo & Juliet is the greatest love story ever told. Officially. Of course, the reality of the play is slightly less romantic and more teen suicide-y, but such is life. Or death, in Romeo and Juliet’s case. One of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Romeo & Juliet tells the story of two young …
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Phillip Zapkin 