The Lieutenant of Inishmore [B+]

Warning: Although this is a comedy (DARK comedy, though) it is quite filled with gore. Lots of disquieting scenes about violence and torture, and the theatre finds it necessary (quite correctly) to put up a sign informing us that no animals were hurt during the performance of this show.

It's very funny. I really wanted to dislike this show. It's much more violent than I view myself as liking. But,.... It's very funny. No great thematic design here, just a fine evening's entertainment. ...if you can get past the blood, gore, and gun shots.

Rabbit Hole [B+]

I really liked this one. It's a difficult show, though. It's about a family who, eight months ago, lost a young son who ran out into the street and was hit by a car. Yet, it's not your typical heart-strings tragedy. It's a rather matter of fact look at how the family is trying to cope with their loss, and how they are trying to craft a future for themselves without forgetting the past. The actors are, without exception, excellent. Tyne Daly and Cynthia Nixon get most of the press, because they are the name actors, but John Slattery is every bit as good as is newcomer John Gallagher Jr. Even Mary Catherine Garrison is very good in her peripheral part.

Abigail's Party [C]

This one just didn't work for me. The reviewers ranges from OK+ to very good, but I didn't like it. Nothing was particularly wrong with the acting, I just found the whole experience banal and annoying. I left at intermission.

From my reading, after the fact, there's apparently some deep meaning to be gotten from the show if you're willing and able to do the work. Guess, on the night of the show, I was either unwilling or unable.

The Seven [B]

This is an excellent Hip-Hop version of the classic Greek tragedy "Seven Against Thebes". It is well done and quite accessible. The accessible part is a bit surprising to me since often either Greek tragedy or Hip-Hop are not so accessible (to me).

Midsummer Night's Dream [B+]

You can't see this one - it was a two night run at my friend's school, but it was a very nice production. The sheer number of people in the show made for some weaker performances, but by and large the acting was excellent. The sets and costumes, as usual for this school, were very good.