McReele [B]

I know some of my friends hated this show, but I kind of liked it. It's a parable about modern politics, modern media, and pathological liars (is there a phrase to describe those you lie effectively by causing themselves to believe the lies). There's lots to think about here.

Both Anthony Mackie as McReele and his PR flack played by Michael O'Keefe (the secondary lead, and probably a stand in for the author) were quite good in their parts. But the two stellar performances were provided by minor characters Opal and the Senator/father, played by Portia and Henry Strozier. Portia had a wonderful scene where for a full five minutes of conversation, her only line was "uh-huh", repeated as needed; and yet she made an eloquent statement with her drastically different intonations of this one word.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot [A]

This is a fascinating show. The concept, a trial of Judas Iscariot, is intellectually interesting, and it's well enough implemented to be emotionally engaging. Add to this an excellent cast (both major parts and minor parts are extremely well done), and you have a real winner. It is more than a little heavy on religious history; some may find that off-putting.

After Ashley [A]

This is a very nicely done show about truth, subjective reality, and growing up (oh yeah, also sex, drugs, and videotape). It's extremely well cast. Each actor seems to be just right for the part, but three stand out as even more right: Miles (from Murphy Brown), Igby (from Igby Goes Down), and Dana Eskelson. My only complaint is that it could have been edited a little bit - cut out a few minutes in the second act.

I have one more note, but it's a spoiler, so I'll add it as a comment for those who wish to read it.

On the Mountain [C]

If I give this show a C, it's probably a pretty bad show, because I really like Christopher Shinn's work; but this one just doesn't cut it.... yet. It feels unfinished to me. He has a germ of an idea, and he expands it to make it interesting, but it just doesn't seem to go anywhere. It's not really a slice of life, and yet it doesn't really have a point. He seems to have just thrown some good ideas into a play with no cohesion.