Posts by Martin Jones Westlin
Samantha Ginn Shines in NVA’s OK ‘Sylvia’
Samantha Ginn can do no wrong in ‘Sylvia,’ the latest entry from Carlsbad’s New Village Arts, and her castmates come up awfully strong as well. This is a pretty funny show that nevertheless tends to falter in lockstep with playwright A.R. Gurney.
Read MoreUneven Subtext Can’t Sink Cygnet’s Good ‘The Whale’
Charlie was always big, but not like this. Life has fueled his colossal eating disorder — and playwright Samuel D. Hunter gives us plenty of explanation (despite some very faulty subtext) in Cygnet Theatre Company’s good ‘The Whale.’
Read MoreWeakish Premise Hobbles Well-Mounted ‘Lesson 443’
The father-daughter connection can be as roily as any other in the family, especially when the daughter’s a teen and is frightened to death of her own ethnicity. MOXIE Theatre’s ‘Lesson 443’ is a well-mounted piece to that effect, but the premise weakens against the solid understories.
Read MoreNorth Coast’s Latest Entry Is Necessarily Funny
Farce is a major driver within the theatrical literature, and for better or worse, it’s been that way for centuries. North Coast Repertory Theatre is mounting yet another one, called ‘Unnecessary Farce’ — and its culture of ensemble makes a decided argument in the genre’s favor.
Read Moreion’s ‘Kin’ Works Amid Cast’s and Writer’s Due Diligence
Forget whatever you’ve heard about the fabled six degrees of separation. ion theatre company’s good ‘Kin,’ behind a colossally enthused academy cast, illustrates that we’re all a lot closer under the skin than we think.
Read MoreDiversionary’s Good ‘Bathwater’: The A’s, E’s, I’s, O’s and U’s Have It
Playwright Christopher Durang has hauled out the big guns in ‘Baby with the Bathwater,’ his ode to lousy parenting and lousy parents. In this very good Diversionary Theatre entry, Helen and John Dingleberry never knew what hit ’em.
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