The latest BBC rendition of an Agatha Christie classic , 1936’s The ABC Murders, has just dropped onto Amazon Prime. Now we forward-thinking Americans can add our two cents to the European reaction over Sarah Phelps’ treatment of the Mistress of Mystery. (I believe the words “Burn the witch and her laptop!” have been uttered in … Continue reading GAD = GORY AND DARK: Sarah Phelps Takes On the Establishment
Plays
THEATRICAL OCTET, PART FOUR: Strangers in a Strange Land
I went to New York this summer under the apprehension that the theatre world was in a bit of trouble. Tourism has been down in the Big Apple for several years now, and the high box office numbers point not to full houses and a play in every house but to exhorbitant ticket prices at … Continue reading THEATRICAL OCTET, PART FOUR: Strangers in a Strange Land
THEATRICAL OCTET, PART THREE: Social Upheaval on Broad
We view art through a lens that includes social context. It’s the reason you can see a movie or a painting or a play multiple times and have different reactions. As I explained yesterday, two classics became problem plays in light of the raucous atmosphere that has been generated over the past year and a … Continue reading THEATRICAL OCTET, PART THREE: Social Upheaval on Broad
THEATRICAL OCTET, PART TWO: Reconstructing the Classics
I consider myself lucky to be in New York when Bartlett Sher has directed a musical. His determination to tackle the great classics of musical theatre with the same loving care he puts into opera has proven a boon to audiences. I only saw South Pacific on tour, but I caught the original cast on … Continue reading THEATRICAL OCTET, PART TWO: Reconstructing the Classics
THEATRICAL OCTET, PART ONE: Save the Children
Yes, thank you, I had a very nice trip to New York. We even had a weekend of glorious weather, with no humidity, cool breezes and (relatively) fresh air. And thanks again for understanding my desire to not sit in front of the laptop every night, putting words together to describe my feelings about the … Continue reading THEATRICAL OCTET, PART ONE: Save the Children
ON MY THIRD READ OF CHRISTIE, THE BOOK I BOUGHT FOR ME: Three Blind Mice
When I began my Adventures with Agatha at the tender age of eleven and a half, I was pretty much flying blind. I had been led to And Then There Were None by the machinations of a brilliant babysitter, but after that I was on my own. There was no internet to look Christie up … Continue reading ON MY THIRD READ OF CHRISTIE, THE BOOK I BOUGHT FOR ME: Three Blind Mice
BRIGHT STARS AND SECOND CHANCES
We go to a musical to be uplifted, stirred emotionally, and, most trickily, to embrace characters in situations where the only way their story can be satisfactorily told is to have their words augmented, even replaced, by song and dance. And we hope that this will all be accomplished with brilliant performances, stylish design, and … Continue reading BRIGHT STARS AND SECOND CHANCES
DEFENDING THE HOLLOW
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas Today, I’m going to attempt something I (*koff koff*) never do: I’m going to try and change people’s minds. To do that, I will assume that if you are here, you have already read The Hollow and have formed an opinion. … Continue reading DEFENDING THE HOLLOW
WHERE OCCUPATION MEETS OBSESSION: The Mystery Project Continues
In a previous post, I confessed (as we mystery lovers tend to do) that every year I force my drama students to submit to honoring my passion for classic mysteries by engaging them to come up with an original mystery play of their own. It’s a complex and difficult project, and many tears are shed … Continue reading WHERE OCCUPATION MEETS OBSESSION: The Mystery Project Continues
ACRIMONY! Agatha and Adaptations
This April theme to which All the Tuesday Night Bloggers Aspire is An Admirable Act. I Attribute it to the Allure of Alliteration. Anyway, As Bev’s Adorable Artwork Alludes, in April, Anything Goes . . . just as long as it begins with the letter A. You can imagine, knowing me as you do, my … Continue reading ACRIMONY! Agatha and Adaptations
Ah Sweet Mystery! 