Author Archives

University administrator and teacher by day, theater and arts critic by night.

DF Reviews Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Philadelphia Theatre Company)

Ken Ludwig’s comic take on Sherlock Holmes gets a dazzling visual production, though suspense is in short supply.

It could hardly be a more difficult time to open a comedy – even one as popular as This Is the Week […]

Sometimes, a moment can bring into focus something I’ve idly pondered for months. In this case, that thing is Showtime’s hit serial, […]

New idea for a Ticket / Philadelphia Magazine column — snippet reviews of New York shows, along with links to longer reviews (also […]

In December 1980, the Met’s telecast of its first production of Berg’s Lulu went ahead, despite a last-minute crisis – the cancellation […]

In the 1980s, America collectively fell head over heels in love with Dr. Ruth Westheimer. And why wouldn’t we? The diminutive German-born […]

It’s an odd thing about holiday season musicals. On one hand, they’re often very successful – at least between November and January […]

I grew up in Miller Time – by which I mean the era when Arthur Miller’s preeminence as the American playwright was […]

In my crankier moods, I think “one-person play” is an oxymoron. I’ve seen plenty, and some have been delightful – The Belle […]

Lights Rise on Grace by Chad Beckim arrives at Azuka as part of the National New Play Network’s ambitious Rolling World Premiere […]