Brendan Gonzales Boston Archives

Brendan Gonzales Boston

No Good Things Dwell in the Flesh

September 13, 2023

Everyone loves a good immigrant story, from The Godfather on down. 'No Good Things Dwell in the Flesh" doesn't reach that high, but it succeeds in what it tries to do, which is to be an accurate portrayal of a specific experience. Agata (played by reliable veteran Kellie Overbey) is an aging Russian tailor with a shop in Queens who wants to retire. She's 64 years old and hasn't had a vacation in 12 years. She'd like to give the shop to her young assistant Janice (Carmen Zilles). Janice is interested but also boy crazy and generally doesn't have good judgment. [more]

Crumbs from the Table of Joy

March 14, 2023

While this first New York revival of the 1995 "Crumbs from the Table of Joy" does not reach the heights of Nottage’s later Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, "Ruined" and "Sweat," it proves to be a very charming and competent look at growing up Black in Brooklyn during the McCarthy Era. Under the direction of Colette Robert, the fine cast holds our interest with this domestic comedy drama. Always engrossing, the play demonstrates Nottage’s ability to write about race, social change and economic deprivation in an engaging manner. Nottage proves to have been a very accomplished playwright from the outset of her career. [more]