Posts by Martin Jones Westlin
Look Elsewhere for the Climax in Diversionary’s Very Poor ‘Thrill Me’
It’s the little things — like a person’s penchant for the law, a person’s sexual persuasion, even a person’s middle name — that make big characters. With Diversionary Theatre’s ‘Thrill Me,’ not only aren’t there any characters; there’s barely a play.
Read MoreNew Village Arts’ Excellent ‘Mockingbird’: Out of the Mouths of Babes
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a landmark novel, film and play on race relations as the national disgrace they once were. If you go to New Village Arts’ excellent entry, you’ll see why.
Read MoreJohn Logan Impersonates David Mamet in SD Rep’s Excellent ‘Red’
In terms of its intent, fine art is about as subjective an enterprise as you’ll find. Famed abstract expressionist Mark Rothko will have none of that, and that’s one thing that makes San Diego Repertory Theatre’s ‘Red’ so good.
Read MoreIntrepid’s ‘All My Sons’ works in spite of itself
Except for its unremarkable dialogue and superficial setting, ‘All My Sons’ has a lot going for it–and we’re not being facetious. The script isn’t vintage Arthur Miller, but some ensemble culture and actorial skill make this Intrepid Shakespeare Company entry better than it might have been.
Read MorePast is prologue in Lamb’s’ very good ‘Quilters’
You took your chances in the mid-19th century as you settled the American West, where pestilence and pain undeniably held sway. Lamb’s Players Theatre’s ‘Quilters’ is a vivid reminder of the era’s survivors, namely a family of pioneer women whose central artifact was bigger than all of them.
Read More‘Cats’ Is an OK Musical, and SDMT Gives It a Great Staging
‘Cats,’ a seven-time 1983 Tony winner, leaves something to be desired amid its extraction from another medium. But popular demand for spectacle made it what it is — and the current San Diego Musical Theatre staging is an excellent case in point.
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