Utopia is easily the most anticipated new reality series of the fall season. As a multi-day series, Fox was gambling on this non-competition based show and they gave it three episodes during the premiere week. The premise is somewhat simple: a group of 14 Utopians arrive in a secluded land and are given limited funds […]
The Soulpepper Academy is one of the most consistent breeding grounds for up and coming theatre artists in the country. Albert Schultz’s proven eye for talent and an excellent combination of training and mentorship throughout the 2-year program has resulted in a slew of promising players class after class. The program keeps expanding (there are […]
So, it turns out there is a window of opportunity to make a sequel to a popular ‘R’ rated movie. Based on the abysmal performance of the latest Sin City, that window is a little less than 10 years. I’d like to tell you that, by being one of the few that held out hope […]
Resident Artist Paula Wing writes program notes for almost all Soulpepper productions. I always read them but I usually forget them the moment I finish. Her notes on A Tender Thing, however, are not quickly forgettable but rather remarkably personal and lovely. She talks about the power of hearing familiar words in a new context […]
When I first became aware of the concept behind the first Purge film, I was intrigued. I believed that the idea of a free-for-all crime night would serve well for a horror or action film. At least, that was before I learned that the entire picture was going to be confined inside one house. While […]
Caryl Churchill is one of my favorite female playwrights to read. I find her work almost unmanageable onstage because of her feminist tilt and unforgiveable agenda. With that lens, I attended Bad Habit Production’s Top Girls, Churchill’s most iconic and arguably best work, featuring a strong ensemble of Boston’s top female actresses. While the play’s […]
One word can accurately sum up my thoughts during the Graceland finale, and now, after digesting the finale: why?! Another acceptable word is: what? Major spoilers ahead. The root of a lot of problems with the finale (and the season overall) can be found in this interview with Jeff Eastin, the executive producer. Two things […]
New Repertory Theatre presented a Special Encore Extension of their hit production of Imagining Madoff. I couldn’t imagine myself not seeing it for the first time, the second time around. Written by Deborah Margolin, the play explores the intensely intimate (but fictional) encounter between Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff and fictitious Jewish Solomon Galkin. The result is […]