After Miss Julie marks my second Patrick Marber play and the second Patrick Marber show that I viewed in a theater with under 100 seats, and in this regard the Strawdog Theater Company has done justice to what should be an intimate production.
Continue reading “After Miss Julie — Strawdog Theater Company (9/28/15)”
Art. Law. Religion. The Yankees. The Cubs. Banana pudding (mentioned, but not actually seen on stage).
Disgraced fits in a set of plays in which intelligent, successful people sit together and bate each other on topics like race and religion and justice and order, and eventually underlying prejudices and tensions emerge. At its best, this motif leaves the audience in a state of self-reflection that can last for days (Clybourne Park and God of Carnage are two of the best). Disgraced fits somewhere lower on the spectrum despite a promising start. Amir (Bernard White), a renounced Muslim, explains to his wife why he is not offended by people stereotyping him at the supermarket. In a powerful anecdote, Amir explains how his mother spat in his face for flirting with a Jewish girl. Now Amir is hoping to become a partner in a law firm showcasing Jewish names on its letterhead.
The most memorable aspect of Funnyman is the back-story that inspired it – which is not a condemnation of this new play at the Northlight. The play itself is a fascinating exploration of the paradoxes of comedians, but the context presented in the play’s program is a case of fact shining brighter than fiction.
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