Put a Little Drama in your Life
KPBS AIRDATE: August 9, 2002 Boy, do we need Arthur Miller. Long regarded as America's greatest living playwright, he reminds us repeatedly who we are, what we've done and how we could be. His plays deal with morality and social responsibility, and though they may go in and out of popularity, they will never really go out of style. Miller has been having a resurgence Read More →
Published in Gay and Lesbian Times August 8, 2002 "An artist is a magician," says Irish writer James Joyce (in the semi-factional "Travesties" (currently at North Coast Repertory Theatre). That metaphor is enacted in Irish playwright Brian Friel's "Faith Healer." The 1979 drama concerns the travels and travails of 'The Amazing Francis Hardy,' the titular healer, whose 'performance' is part gift, part con, and whose Read More →
Published in Gay and Lesbian Times August 8, 2002 You gotta love Oscar Wilde -- his influence pops up in the most amazing places. No fewer than four San Diego productions feature characters named Gwendolyn and Cecily: (from "The Importance of Being Earnest." The most surprising of all is Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple, presented by San Diego Black Ensemble Theatre. Although they play a Read More →
KPBS AIRDATE: August 2, 2002 First, the Great War rumbles under our seats. And then we catch sight of him…the rumpled old man sitting huddled in a chair, reminiscing. His stream of consciousness is steady but unreliable. It's 1974, but he's back in Zurich, 1917, a time of upheaval -- social, political and artistic rebellion. A lot of the foment was centered in Switzerland, Read More →
KPBS AIRDATE: July 26, 2002 I took my 9 year-old niece to see "The Secret Garden" at La Jolla Stage Company. I thought it was an ideal choice, since she's almost exactly the same age as the beloved, strong-willed heroine, Mary Lennox. Katy savored the proximity of the actors in the cozy but nicely expanded storefront space. She thought the show was very dark, and a Read More →
Published in Gay and Lesbian Times July 25, 2002 A rumpled old man sits huddled in a chair, reminiscing. His stream of consciousness is steady but unreliable. It's 1974, but he's back in Zurich, 1917. We feel the Great War, piercing our ears and rumbling under our seats. Its aftermath was a time of upheaval and rebellion, in social-political and artistic domains. And a lot of the foment was Read More →
“San Diego is a hotbed of theater. Every year, I see 200-250 productions. This is fertile ground for new work. In addition to the prodigious local talent, theatermakers from around the country come here to premiere their latest creations. San Diego sends more shows to Broadway than nearly any other city in the U.S.”
-Pat Launer