This week’s spotlight…
“Paranormal Activity” at the August Wilson Theatre
Broadway
If you like a good scare, you’ll like this theatrical extension of the cinematic horror franchise.…
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“Les Misérables” at Hudson Valley Shakespeare
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsThe masterstroke of stagecraft in Hudson Valley Shakespeare's "Les Misérables" isn't one of the many elegant gestures to its new open-air theater's scenic mountain setting…
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"King Lear" at Hudson Valley Shakespeare
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsIt's clear from the first moments that Hudson Valley Shakespeare's "King Lear" will take maximum advantage of its gorgeous new open-air theater's glorious hilltop setting…
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“The Bathroom Attendant” at 124 Bank Street Theater
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsThink of Tom Kelly’s crime drama like a great John Patrick Shanley play you somehow missed…
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"Disruption" at Pershing Square Signature Center
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsIt’s hard to imagine a drama that speaks more to our AI-driven world than “Disruption”…
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"The Vessel" at 59E59 Theaters
Beyond Broadway
3.5 out of 5 starsBrendan George’s intriguing new play “The Vessel” takes its name from the Hudson Yards attraction that gained notoriety after a series of suicides…
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“Broad Strokes” at the Lucille Lortel Theatre
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsHaving survived a stroke at age 30, Cat Cohen now makes light of her medical story with a darkly humorous one-woman show…
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“A Winter’s Tale” at Delacorte Theater
Beyond Broadway
3.5 out of 5 starsStories about irrational tyrants obsessively pursuing grievances have extra resonance lately, which benefits the Shakespeare in the Park production of the problematic "A Winter's Tale”….
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“An American Daughter” at Pershing Square Signature Center
Beyond Broadway
2.5 out of 5 starsWendy Wasserstein’s 1996 drama is rarely presented, which alone would seemingly make this production a must-see. But it’s a play marred by too many themes and storylines…
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The 300 Word Commentary: Savoring the joys of summer stock
A visit to the New London Barn Playhouse serves as a reminder of a great theatrical tradition…
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"Escape to Margaritaville" at New London Barn Playhouse
Beyond Broadway
3.5 out of 5 starsCan we start filling in the slots for City Center’s 2036-37 “Encores” season? If so, “Escape to Margaritaville” could certainly be a contender by then…
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“Hungry Women” at SoHo Playhouse
Beyond Broadway
2 out of 5 starsHow would history -- or rather, herstory -- unfold in a world without men? So imagines Melissa Maney in “Hungry Women,” her playful but sophomoric work…
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"The Pass" at La MaMa
Beyond Broadway
1.5 out of 5 starsGiven the “Heated Rivalry” craze and the recent World Cup fervor, the homoerotic soccer drama “The Pass” should be a huge hit. But John Donnelly’s excruciatingly monotonous play just doesn’t work…
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"The Whoopi Monologues" at Lincoln Center Theater
Beyond Broadway
4 out of 5 starsTo celebrate the EGOT-winning legend, “The Whoopi Monologues” brings together five of the greatest Black actresses working today to revisit Goldberg’s breakthrough 1984 one-woman show…
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"Pepper Slit" at the East Village Basement
Beyond Broadway
1.5 out of 5 starsMeet Pepper Slit, a gawky doyenne who favors clownish makeup and delights in oddball reminiscing. But Chloe Troast’s intimate, interactive show is marred by both a pointless freneticism and bloated quality…
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Bryan Safi's "Are You Mad At Me??" at HERE Arts Center
Beyond Broadway
3. out of 5 starsBlending stand-up comedy and cabaret, Bryan Safi’s solo show “Are You Mad At Me??” showcases the comic’s quick wit and penchant for bursting into song…
What we do
The 100 Word Review delivers exactly that: sharp, digestible critiques of theater and other cultural events, all in 100 words or less. (Because honestly, who has time to read more?) Plus, look for 200 word Q&As with theater pros, 300 word commentaries on the theater scene and occasional other news and features.