by Charles Kruger “Dream of the Red Chamber,” written by Cao Xueqin in the mid-18th century is generally considered to be China’s greatest classical work of fiction. No Chinese education would be complete without making its acquaintance. Set in dynastic China the richly tapestried narrative tells the love story of Bao Yu and Dai Yu while […]
by Charles Kruger I really wanted to enjoy the much heralded “King Charles III” by Mike Bartlett, an unquestionably brilliant playwright of great international repute. The play won the London Critic’s Circle Award for Best New Play, and was nominated for no fewer than six Olivier Awards, four Drama Desk awards and five Tonys. It […]
by Charles Kruger Responding to the great romantic masterpieces of the likes of Verdi and Wagner, opera composers, like their literary contemporaries, turned from romance to realism, creating the movement called “opera verismo” — true-to-life opera stories, with music that emphasized character and realism. By modern standards, the masterpieces of “opera verismo” (think of Carmen or […]
by Charles Kruger Experienced theatre lovers know that great theatre requires a great community, of audience and performer alike. Great scripts, fine acting, skilled direction, and a first rate production team can accomplish great things, but true theatrical miracles grow out of a community of players and a loyal audience who love them. With their current […]
by Christine Okon Do you know who Lin Bo is? . . . Does he even exist? Does it matter? “Caught” purports to be a presentation by Chinese artist Lin Bo who endured years in a horrible Chinese prison for a single dissident work. The “importance” of the experience is enhanced by the pop-up […]
by Mark Johnson You’d be hard pressed to find a musical more aggressively political than Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s “Assassins.” With its razor-sharp and unflinching look at the corruption of American values, the show would be unbelievably obnoxious if it weren’t so dazzlingly brilliant in its execution. But dazzling and brilliant it is, and the show […]
by Christine Okon Why does anyone fight? To protect themselves, to hurt others, to win, to survive? The answers are not simple. “The Wholehearted,” at Z Space until September 10, reveals this complexity in a gut wrenching and intense hour of one woman’s journey to reintegrate the pieces of a self shattered by the betrayal […]
