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Jules Feiffer

ON THE TOWN WITH CHIP DEFFAA AT “THE PEOPLE VERSUS LENNY BRUCE”

May 14, 2026

The production I witnessed felt unwieldy, unfocused, and under-rehearsed—more like a workshop of a work-in-progress than something wise producers would want reviewers to see. And that’s a pity, because there were some very good actors on that stage, and some moments—but not enough moments--that really worked as theater. With proper pruning, reshaping, and rewriting, “The People Versus Lenny Bruce” could be really interesting. I hope they’ll do the needed work. But the play has a long way to go. [more]

The Apple Tree

October 10, 2017

Part of the problem is the lack of innovation in Ray Roderick’s staging in this show which calls out for invention and clever handling of sets and props. Devin Vogel’s colorless stage design (making use mainly of a ladder in the first and third stories) and Hope Salvan’s equally colorless costumes for most of the show (pale grey and blue tee-shirts and jeans for the first one-act) do not help bring any atmosphere to the three separate stories which span the time scheme from Biblical days up to the present. All three stories are narrated or introduced by The Balladeer who also plays the Snake in the first story. While such songs as the catchy “Forbidden Fruit,” the lovely “What Makes Me Love Him?,” the sultry “I’ve Got What You Want,” and the folk-rock ballad, “You Are Not Real” still impress, the musical staging is lacking in showmanship and pizzazz. [more]