Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9 is one of my favorite plays. It’s deep and complex, but also problematic (for reasons which will be explained more below). The first half is set in roughly 1880 in British colonial Africa. The act centers on Clive and his family, including his young son Edward (played by a female actor), …
Tag: Feminist Drama
Steel Magnolias, by Robert Harling–28 May 2017
Following a group of women headquartered in a beauty salon in Louisiana, Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias has much in common with the stereotypical Lifetime movie. But that being said, it’s really quite excellent, and MT Pockets put on an outstanding production, directed by Seret Cole, with amazing performances by all of the cast members. The …
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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 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 …
Phillip Zapkin 