Peter Tolan’s Pillow Talk is a fun little comedy that explores the contours of sexuality and anxiety in modern US culture. The play spends one night with Aaron (Sean Marko) and Doug (Mack Kale Jr.) as they share a bed on the first night of their cross-country road trip. While both men are heterosexual, their …
Tag: American Drama
Over Before It Began, by Travis Teffner–21 May 2016
The MAC produced the opening run of Travis Teffner’s Over Before It Began, which unfortunately seems more like a decision based on the close working relationship between Teffner, David Beach (who directed), and the MAC, than a reflection of the quality of the play itself. The acting was fine, but the play itself is plagued …
Continue reading Over Before It Began, by Travis Teffner–21 May 2016
Walter Cronkite is Dead, by Joe Calarco–1 May 2016
The MAC production of Joe Calarco’s Walter Cronkite is Dead was spectacular. The acting was superb, and the play shifted deftly between laugh out loud funny (and I rarely laugh in the theatre) and deep sadness. Directed by David Beach, the show was great. The play is about two women, Margaret (Cindy Ulrich) and Patty …
Continue reading Walter Cronkite is Dead, by Joe Calarco–1 May 2016
Hijacked Lives, by Donald Fidler–31 Jan. 2016
was fortunate to see Donald Fidler’s Hijacked Lives in its premier performance, directed by David Beach. Although billed as part of a two-show evening of Existential Theatre, I wouldn’t have called this an existentialist play. Whether it is existential or not, however, the show is intriguing, engaging, witty, and fun. The story begins with a …
Continue reading Hijacked Lives, by Donald Fidler–31 Jan. 2016
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, by Stephen Adly Guirgis–5 Dec. 2015
WVU Lab Theatre presented Stephen Adly Guirgis’ play The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, directed by Brittany McGonegal, which stages an imagined trial in Purgatory to remit Judas Iscariot’s eternal damnation and allow him forgiveness for betraying Jesus. For me, it is a play of two halves. The first half was a theological comedy, which …
Continue reading The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, by Stephen Adly Guirgis–5 Dec. 2015
Stupid Fucking Bird, by Aaron Posner–5 Dec. 2015
As someone who studies adaptation, I was excited to see a production of Aaron Posner’s Stupid Fucking Bird, which reworks Chekhov’s The Seagull. Posner’s play regularly draws attention to itself as an adaptation, specifically in the Russian dramatic tradition, and attempts to metatheatrically engage spectators in issues of narrative construction, expectations, and generic norms. In …
Continue reading Stupid Fucking Bird, by Aaron Posner–5 Dec. 2015
The Clean House, by Sarah Ruhl–8 Oct. 2015
have really enjoyed all of the Sarah Ruhl plays I’ve seen, read, and taught, but this was my first encounter with her play The Clean House. I wasn’t much sold on the first act, but after the interval the show really picked up and I saw the kind of dramaturgical skill that has always impressed …
A Steady Rain, by Keith Huff–23 Aug. 2015
The play, 'A Steady Rain', directed by David Beach, received high praise for its remarkable performances, specifically from Sean Marko (Denny) and Travis Teffner (Joey), who mesmerizingly portrayed two Chicago police officers. Marko and Teffner brilliantly navigated complex narratives, transitioning between modes whilst their characters battled internal struggles. The minimalistic setting and effective lighting accentuated the actors' performances, solidifying the production's success.
The Agony and the Ecstacy of Steve Jobs, by Mike Daisy–7 June 2015
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs is a theatre play that goes beyond glorifying Steve Jobs and delves into the impact of technology on our daily lives and its human consequence in manufacturing industries, reflecting on poor working conditions at Chinese factories. The nine-actor rendition at the MT Pockets Theatre portrayed these themes effectively using monologues. Standout performances from Travis Teffner and Shenendoah Thompson highlighted the intensity of the subject matter.
Phillip Zapkin 