Pat Launer on San Diego Theater
Reviews of “The Whipping Man,“ “King John,” “The Hot l
By Pat Launer, SDNN
May 20, 2010
FOR
THURSDAY, 5/20
Uncivil
War
THE
PLAY: “The Whipping Man,” a drama by Matthew Lopez, at the Old Globe
Three men on a precipice.
The world has changed, the life they’ve known is behind them, and their next
step is momentous.
Yesterday,
Simon and John were slaves. Now they’re free men. And the battered, badly
wounded soldier who just staggered into the manor house they’re occupying was
their master, his father the owner of the estate.
Caleb
DeLeon was a captain in the Confederate Army. The War
nearly killed him – in more ways than one. Now Simon, the older, more temperate
ex-slave, determines that Caleb’s gangrenous leg has to come off.
The
gut-wrenching amputation that ensues in Matthew Lopez’ 2006 drama, “The
Whipping Man,” is both real and symbolic. Relationships and family ties have
also been severed. Each of these hapless men has to make do without, has to go
on in an irrevocably altered state.
The
fascinating framing device Lopez has chosen for his Civil War story is making Caleb’s
well-heeled Richmond family Jewish (there were 10,000 Jews in the Confederate
army, and in the Southern big cities, 80% of Jewish families owned slaves).
This family’s slaves, like those brought up in Christian homes, have adopted
the faith of their owners. And Passover, a holiday all about the emergence from
slavery to freedom, happens to have fallen just one day after Lee’s surrender
at Appomattox.
Although
the DeLeon manor house has been ransacked and nearly
demolished, Simon is determined to hold a Seder, to observe the holiday as he
has nearly every year of his life. In the midst of the plans, President Lincoln
is assassinated. As Simon scrambles to accumulate the ceremonial needs of the
Seder (hard tack stands in for matzo, whiskey for wine and collard greens as bitter herbs),
the solemnity of the ‘service’ compels John and Caleb to uncover the secrets
they’re harboring.
John
recalls his many visits to The Whipping Man – the ‘outsourced’ punisher of
errant urban slaves. Caleb is forced to confront his own painful past. Only
Simon, we come to see, has a genuine sense of morality; the other two are
desiccated men. But none of them will be able to put his life back together.
Lopez
has created a harrowing, moving, personal story of the toll of war, and how the
residue of slavery, as we see so clearly today, cannot be easily wiped away.
“The
Whipping Man” has been produced in
The
issues raised in his drama are searing, painful and disarmingly relevant. The
performances are uniformly potent and convincing. Charlie Robinson makes Simon
wise and compassionate, the most sympathetic of the three. He remains
even-tempered almost throughout, but he gets to show a flash of rage and
resentment at the end. His is the most affecting dramatic arc. Avery Glymph’s John is restless, reckless and tormented. But it’s
Mark Sullivan who faces the most daunting challenge; Caleb is the least deep
and defined character. Sullivan’s performance is solid and believable, but we
crave further insight into the man and how he’s changed by the night’s
revelations.
Director
Giovanna Sardelli (who directed “Taking Flight” at
the San Diego Repertory Theatre in 2007) keeps the action intense and intimate.
Designer Robert Mark Morgan (an SDSU MFA alumnus who won a Patté Award for “The
Kentucky Cycle” in 1998) has created the remains of a manor house, with cracked,
rain-soaked windows suspended from above. The lighting (Lap Chi Chu) is aptly
dim, with candles and lanterns keeping the action in eerie shadow. The sound
(Jill BC Du Boff) features the endless drip of April
rain and the periodic crack of thunder that sounds disturbingly like gunfire.
The costumes (Denitsa D. Bliznakova)
are suitably ragged.
This
is a single story ripped from our collective past, inventively linking the
slavery of blacks and Jews, and taking wonderful advantage of the coincidences of
timing (
THE LOCATION: the Old Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre,
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $29-$62.
Tuesday-Wednesday at 7 p.m., Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m.,
Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., through June 13
Bottom
Line: BEST BET
NEWS
AND VIEWS:
… GLEEful:
If you’re a fan of the Fox TV show,
“Glee” (and who isn’t? – Gleeks unite!), you can catch the cast in the concert tour
at the Gibson Amphitheatre in
…
Yes, he Cannes: Tijuana actor/film director Giancarlo Ruiz won a Patté Award for his stellar performance in “Kiss
of the Spider Woman” in 2004, and was the riveting center of The Theatre Inc.’s
production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 2008. Now he’s indulging his
filmmaking skills, with a 17-minute short, “St. Jacques,” which is being shown at the Cannes Film
Festival’s Short Film Corner this month. Ruiz’s 15th short film, in
Spanish with English subtitles, is a love story on the theme of death. It’s a
coup, of course, to be accepted at
TAGS: Pat Launer, SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, ion theatre, The Whipping Man review, Matthew Lopez, Old Globe Theatre, Playwright-in-Residence, Fox TV, Glee, Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Will Schuester Sue Sylvester, Jane Lynch, Giancarlo Ruiz, Cannes Film Festival, Short Film, St. Jacques, Patté Award, Kiss of the Spider Woman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Gibson Amphitheatre, St. Jacques
PAT’S
PICKS: BEST BETS FOR THE WEEK
• “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil War drama, excellently performed
The
Old Globe, through 6/13
v “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” – poignant, funny and wonderfully acted
ion theatre, through 6/1
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Footloose” – footloose and fancy free;
high energy, fine singing and dancing
Welk
Resorts Theatre, through 6/27
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Golda’s
Balcony”
– inspiring story, tour de force
performance
The Old Globe Theatre, through 5/30
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “All in the Timing” – smart and
hilarious
ion theatre, through, 5/29
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Gam3rs” – LOL funny
ion theatre, through 6/5
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
Pat
Launer is the SDNN theater critic. She can be
reached at
To read any of her prior reviews, type ‘Pat
Launer,’ and the name of the play of interest, in the SDNN Search box. Or, access her
present and past reviews from the Arts & Entertainment pull-down on the
SDNN homepage.
FOR
THURSDAY, 5/20
THE
PLAY: “King John,” a rarely-seen Shakespeare history, presented by the fledgling
Intrepid Shakespeare Company
You’ve probably never seen it. The last time “The
Life and Death of King John” was produced in
The plot centers on the reign of King John of
England (ruled 1199-1216,) son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine
(immortalized in later, more popular plays: “The Lion in Winter” and “Becket”).
The story concerns how political policy can be driven by family dynamics. The
weak, power-mad, pathetically dependent King John relies too heavily on the
opinions and advice of his mother and Richard Falconbridge, the bastard son of
the prior king, John’s brother, Richard I (AKA Geoffrey Plantagenet or Richard
the Lionheart). The Bastard (as he’s referred to in
the play) has a claim to the throne, as does Richard I’s
younger son, Arthur. Arthur’s mother, Constance, has sought help and support
from King Phillip of
With “King John,” the third time’s a charm for the
recently formed Intrepid Shakespeare Company. Preceded by “Macbeth” and “The
Taming of the Shrew” this production is their strongest by far. The ensemble
features several notable performances, particularly
Co-directors Sean Cox and Christy Yael, co-founders
of Intrepid, re-set the play in modern times, which underscores the
power-mongering and back-room deal-making, the dysfunctional family dynamics
and the importance of “commodity” in the political arena.
In Shakespeare’s fascinating, underrated play, it’s
all about relationship. The audience’s loyalties, like those of the English
subjects, are constantly shifting. The political becomes personal. Most
memorable in the text are the searing duets -- between John and Arthur, the
Bastard and his brother, the two mothers, the Cardinal and the Dauphin, John
and the Bastard; all heighten the intensity of the drama. Interestingly,
Shakespeare never mentions King John’s true place in history: though he was
demonized as the main villain in the Robin Hood tales, it was he who (coerced
by his barons) granted and sealed the Magna Carta in
1215, which paved the way for the American Constitution.
It’s not only historical reality that makes this
show worth seeing. There’s some wonderfully full-bodied language, and except for
occasional excesses of speed and histrionics, it’s admirably handled by the
large cast of 14, most of whom also appear in “The
Taming of the Shrew” on alternate nights. The set design (Vince Sneedon) is minimal but efficient, and the scene changes
are handled with alacrity. The modern costumes (Beth Merriman) are effective.
Most important, this is an exciting story, very well told.
THE LOCATION: Intrepid Theatre Company at The Theatre,
Inc.,
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$10-$25. Runs in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew,” Thursday-Saturday at
8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m., Saturday-Sunday at 2 p.m. at 7 p.m., through June 6
Bottom
Line: BEST BET
NOTE: Read review of
Intrepid Theatre’s alternating play, “The
Taming of the Shrew,” here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
NEWS
AND VIEWS:
…
Granted: Five local groups have been blessed by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company snagged a $15,000
Access to Artistic Excellence grant, which will support the fall production of
David Henry Hwang’s “Yellow Face,” including Mo’olelo’s
signature and impressive outreach and education activities. Lamb’s Players Theatre was awarded
$10,000 for a joint program with Hispanic Arts Theatre, to address the dropout
issue among Latino students. The Old
Globe Theatre received $15,000 for its Student Access to the Arts program.
Ten thousand dollars were given to UC
San Diego to support the continued publication and distribution of the
international academic journal, Theatre Forum. And the Playwrights Project earned an $18,000 Learning
in Arts Award for an education program targeting under-served middle and high
school students.
… Onstage Love: Lyric
Opera
TAGS: Pat Launer, SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, King John review, Shakespeare, Intrepid Shakespeare Company, Lyric Opera San Diego, Love Letters, A.R. Gurney, J. Sherwood Montgomery, Kandis Chappell, Lyric Opera Summer Academy, National Endowment for the Arts, Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company, Old Globe, Lamb’s Players Theater, Yellow Face, David Henry Hwang, Hispanic Arts Theatre, Playwrights Project, UC San Diego, Theatre Forum, Learning in Arts Award
PAT’S PICKS: BEST BETS FOR THE WEEK
v “King John” – rarely seen Shakespeare
history, very well done
Intrepid
Theatre Company, in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew,” through 6/6
v “The
Whipping Man” – searing Civil War drama, excellently performed
The
Old Globe, through 6/13
Read
review here: xxx
v “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” – poignant, funny and wonderfully acted
ion theatre, through 6/1
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Footloose” – footloose and fancy free;
high energy, fine singing and dancing
Welk
Resorts Theatre, through 6/27
Read
Review here:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Golda’s
Balcony”
– inspiring story, tour de force
performance
The Old Globe Theatre, through 5/30
Read Review here:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “All in the Timing” – smart and
hilarious
ion theatre, through, 5/29
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Gam3rs” – LOL funny
ion theatre, through 6/5
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
Pat
Launer is the SDNN theater critic. She can be
reached at
To read any of her prior reviews, type ‘Pat
Launer,’ and the name of the play of interest, in the SDNN Search box. Or, access her
present and past reviews from the Arts & Entertainment pull-down on the
SDNN homepage.
FOR
FRIDAY, 5/21
THE
PLAY: “The Hot l
The sign out front used to say ‘Hotel Baltimore,’
but like everything else in this seedy, rundown place, it needs fixing. Now
it’s too late. The once-stately hotel, now pretty much a flophouse, is slated
for demolition, and all its eccentric residents are being evicted. That’s about
it for plot. Playwright Lanford Wilson, considered to
be one of the founders of the Off Off
Broadway theater movement, went on after this 1973 production to win a Pulitzer
Prize (1980, “Talley’s Folly,” recently seen at North Coast Repertory Theatre).
The premiere production of “The Hot l Baltimore” ran for more than 1600
performances, and garnered the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for
Best American Play of 1972–73, the John Gassner
Playwriting Award, an Obie Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award.
It’s just the kind of play long-time
The performances are variable in quality, but the standouts are the three
prostitutes: Jennie Olson as the wide-eyed, hyperverbal, train-obsessed young
one; Devlin, very funny as the oldest, most jaded – and foul-mouthed; and Anne
Sermon as the busiest prostitute, though she’s still naïve about the pimps who
run her life. Her costumes (Sheila Rosen) are also the best; you gotta love that all-animal-print getup! Jo-Darlene Reardon
is charming as the elderly, quietly resigned Millie; and Sandy Hotchkiss
Gullans is a hoot as Mrs. Bellotti, who marches in
and out repeatedly, talking to herself (since no one else will listen) about
her poor alcoholic son, Horse, who’s been thrown out of the place and she’s
left to move all his stuff with no assistance from her husband who just had a
leg amputated due to diabetes, etc. etc. etc.
Everyone has a gripe and a story to tell, though
most aren’t attended to. It’s sometimes hard to maintain audience attention,
too. But the play is a paean to a time gone by, of elegant old hotels, of
railroad travel, of a sense of community and family among the unwanted
fringe-dwellers of society in a single room occupancy dwelling. It’s a
slow-paced slice of life, a mix of human tragedy and comedy. The style itself
is a tad outdated, but as a piece of history – both American and dramatic – you
might find it amusing and/or enlightening.
THE LOCATION: The Sullivan Players, at Swedenborg Hall,
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $xxx.
Friday-Saturday at 7:00 p.m., Sunday 5/30 at 2 p.m., through June 30
NEWS
AND VIEWS
… Adam Lambert Update: San Diegans
won’t be a bit surprised. Our local darling, abfab
performer Adam Lambert, last year’s
runner up for the “American Idol”
crown, has outsold the first-place Idol, Kris Allen in new album sales.
Lambert’s has sold twice as well – 615,000 vs. Allen’s 296,000. Go, Adam!
… Cleaning House at the Rep: The San Diego Repertory Theatre is spiffing up for its 35th anniversary season –
and the public is invited to help. Join staff and volunteers as they patch,
paint and beautify the theater’s backstage areas for three days of Big Clean
Up. Food will be provided, and if you work for at least four hours, you’ll get
tickets to the REP’s new season. June 15-17, 8 a.m.-9
p.m., RSVP to secure a timeslot: 4artsandculture@gmail.com
… Remember Swifties?: Do you remember the old word game derived from the
intrepid young hero of juvenile literature? Here’s an example: “I know who turned off the lights,” Tom
hinted darkly. Ohhhh, NOW you remember! Well, Tom
Swift, the inventor and adventurer, is back, to celebrate his first appearance
in 1910. The Tom Swift Centennial
will be held at UC San Diego, with
an exhibit of artwork, books and other Swift treasures in the Geisel Library.
There will also be a few special events. At noon on June 14, there will be a
live radio drama re-enactment of “Tom Swift and his Air Ship.” On July 16 at 4
p.m., it will be a live radio-drama re-enactment of “Tom Swift and the Visitor
from Planet X.” Actors from the local oral reading company, Write Out Loud,
will perform, along with
TAGS: Pat Launer,
SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, ion theatre, The Hot l Baltimore
review, Lanford Wilson, Sullivan Players, Adam
Lambert, American Idol, Kris Allen, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Tom Swift
Centennial, UC San Diego,
PAT’S PICKS: BEST
BETS FOR THE WEEK
v “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil
War drama, excellently performed
The
Old Globe, through 6/13
Read
Review here: xxxx
v “King John” – rarely seen Shakespeare
history, very well done
Intrepid
Theatre Company, in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew,” through 6/6
Read
Review here: xxxx
v “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” – poignant, funny and wonderfully acted
ion theatre, through 6/1
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Footloose” – footloose and fancy free; high
energy, fine singing and dancing
Welk
Resorts Theatre, through 6/27
Read
Review here:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Golda’s
Balcony”
– inspiring story, tour de force
performance
The Old Globe Theatre, through 5/30
Read Review here:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “All in the Timing” – smart and
hilarious
ion theatre, through, 5/29
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Gam3rs” – LOL funny
ion theatre, through 6/5
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
Pat
Launer is the SDNN theater critic. She can be
reached at
To read any of her prior reviews, type ‘Pat Launer,’
and the name of the play of interest, in the SDNN Search box. Or, access her
present and past reviews from the Arts & Entertainment pull-down on the
SDNN homepage.
FOR FRIDAY, 5/21
THE
PLAY: “Inner Views: Asian American Voices”
What’s on the mind of Asian Americans? The San
Diego Asian American Repertory wanted to know – in brief. So they held their
first annual 10-minute new play showcase. Writers from all over the country
submitted manuscripts, ranging in length from 5 to 15 minutes. Some were local,
some not. A couple of submitters were high profile, nationally known: Velina Hasu Houston and Naomi Iizuka,
head of the UCS
The concise evening is a mixed bag. All of the playlets present intriguing characters and situations, but
not all are able to create a satisfying scenario in the short time allotted.
Just as the drama (or comedy) picks up a little steam, it comes to an abrupt
end.
The most captivating, stimulating and unpredictable
play is the last of the evening; it’s Iizuka’s “This
Girl I Used to Know,” ably directed by Andy Lowe. It’s filled with magic and
mystery and myth. An upwardly mobile college freshman (Rosalie Celestial) wants
the things her roommate (Arohi Sharma) can magically
provide, including a boyfriend (Brian Burke). Then she wants – and gets – the
power to cast spells and grant wishes herself. But the sharing and taking get
out of hand, and it doesn’t end well for the acquisitive Jai. A fascinating, quirky piece.
Also inventive is “Ballistic,” by local writer
Thelma Virata de Castro. Centering on a carton of
sports equipment, this play deals with “men and their balls,” in the literal
and figurative sense. As directed by Peter James Cirino,
Gina Ma is funny, sarcastic and thoroughly engaging in expounding her comical
treatise. “I’m a Type A man,” she exclaims, “trapped
in a Filipino woman’s body.”
“Urashima Taro,”
Francesca Sanders’ absorbing piece about the Japanese internment during World
War II, features engaging performances by Rosalie Celestial and the adorable,
talented Shaun Tuazon.
Perhaps the most thematically provocative play,
“Mister Los Angeles,” concerns the ‘Madame Butterfly’ syndrome of white men
obsessed with Asian women, focusing on one creepy serial Asian dater (Clifford
Wright) and his latest conquest (Judy Ho) who comes back to give him a giant
piece of her mind.
The subjects range widely, from ruthless
professional competition (“Ratings Magnet” by Kitty Felde)
to plagiarism (“Verbatim” by Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfar), homosexuality (“The Visit” by Eric Loo and “The Bar Scene,” by Arian Chadwich
Saund), to the relationship of sex and food (“The
Sensuous Gourmet and the Szechuan Peppercorn” by Lucy Wang).
It’s a stimulating kickoff to SD
THE LOCATION: SD
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $5-$10.
Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., through 5/22
NEWS AND VIEWS
…
Going Native: The La
Jolla Playhouse and San Diego State
University will once again host Native
Voices at the Autry, the playwright’s retreat and Festival of New Plays. Native Voices at the Autry,
celebrating its 10th anniversary season, is the only Equity theater
company in the
…
Taking Back the Tony: The overseers of the Tony Awards, a joint venture of the
Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, have just announced that they’re withdrawing the 2010 Tony nomination
given to the costume design work for the Broadway revival of “Ragtime.”
Apparently, the designs were considered to be predominantly the same as those
used in the original 1998 production. Theater and film designer Santo Loquasto
created the costumes for both productions; the determination was made after the
May 4. Look for more on the 64th annual Tony Awards right here. The
airdate is Sunday, June 13.
TAGS: Pat Launer,
SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, ion theatre, Inner Views review, Asian
American Repertory Theatre, Asian American Voices, Naomi Iizuka,
Velina Hasu Houston, Native
Voices at the Autry, Festival of New Plays, Seema Sueko, Stephen Metcalfe,
PAT’S PICKS: BEST
BETS FOR THE WEEK
v “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil
War drama, excellently performed
The
Old Globe, through 6/13
Read
Review here: xxxx
v “King John” – rarely seen Shakespeare
history, very well done
Intrepid
Theatre Company, in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew,” through 6/6
Read
Review here: xxxx
v “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” – poignant, funny and wonderfully acted
ion theatre, through 6/1
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Footloose” – footloose and fancy free;
high energy, fine singing and dancing
Welk
Resorts Theatre, through 6/27
Read
Review here:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Golda’s
Balcony”
– inspiring story, tour de force
performance
The Old Globe Theatre, through 5/30
Read Review here:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “All in the Timing” – smart and
hilarious
ion theatre, through, 5/29
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Gam3rs” – LOL funny
ion theatre, through 6/5
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
Pat
Launer is the SDNN theater critic. She can be
reached at
To read any of her prior reviews, type ‘Pat
Launer,’ and the name of the play of interest, in the SDNN Search box. Or, access her present
and past reviews from the Arts & Entertainment pull-down on the SDNN
homepage.