Miss Witherspoon [B]

I like this show. Yes, it got mediocre reviews, but I still like it.

The biggest reviewer complaint was that it had a cop out ending, and I agree. But, the biting first 75 minutes make it worth putting up with the banal last 15. How often do you get a show that for 75 minutes makes you laugh, and poses interesting philosophical questions about the modern world, religion, and Rex Harrison. How can you not like a show that asks the whether you'd have the nerve to tell Jesus that his hat was ugly?

I give it a B (rather than an A) because of that annoying final 15 minutes, and because the performances are only so-so. But, do go see it if an intellectually challenging comedy is your cup of tea.

Also, the set is fabulous. It actually takes part in the theme of the play, and if you get there early (like I did) you may well find yourself contemplating the set and, amazingly, getting a vision of one of the main points of the play.

p.s. You should be aware that I really like Christopher Durang (the author). His plays tend to be weird and quirky, and I really like weird and quirky.

The Gentleman Dancing Master [B]

I'm puzzled about my reaction to this show. It's quite funny, very well done, and (strangely) germane to today's world. I don't know how a 17th century author wrote such a modern play. Even so, it didn't 'knock my socks off', so it gets a B and no better. That being said, a B is really a pretty good grade, and it was a very pleasant theatrical exprience. Despite it being "only a B", I'd strongly recommend this show to anybody at all interested in theatre.

The Road to Bountiful [B+]

I found this show quite moving - kind of a slice of American life with an emotional zinger thrown in. Very enjoyable; you should see it if you can.

Absurd Person Singular [C+]

This one is fun to watch, but just feels like a mildly amusing time-waster.

Celebration and The Room [B+]

Here we have two quite intriguing one-act plays; one very amusing, one very serious and upsetting, and both VERY thought provoking.

Letting Go of God [B+]

This one woman show is 40% theatre and 60% philosophy. But, nonetheless, it is good theatre… and good philosophy, too. Julia Sweeney recites the entertaining tale of how a couple of Mormon missionaries provided the catalyst for her 3 year investigation into the nature of God. And, how this journey took a good little Catholic girl and led her to some inescapable conclusions about God.

She entertains us with humor (and occasional pathos) while she taunts us with facts and challenges us to discover where (and possibly if) those facts fit into our own lives.

It only gets a B+ because I thought it dragged, ever so slightly, in a few spots; and more so because the theatre was quite uncomfortable (peculiar chairs and an almost flat floor).