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Mari Blake

The Bathroom Attendant

August 23, 2026

If Kelly can pare away the exposition, substantially tighten the second act, eliminate the extraneous political rhetoric, deepen the comedy through character rather than topical jokes, and give Marcus a more restrained and genuinely dangerous presence, "The Bathroom Attendant" could become considerably more than the intriguing but somewhat slipshod thriller it currently is. The ingredients are there: a perfectly matched cast, resourceful staging, a vivid setting and a playwright willing to look directly at the ugly underside of American life. What is needed now is not a new play so much as a more disciplined version of the very good one already struggling to emerge. [more]

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

July 4, 2025

A famous line from the John Ford film "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is spoken by the newspaper reporter character, Maxwell Scott, near the end of the film, after hearing the true story about the death of Liberty Valance. When asked if he will print the facts, Scott replies: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” These words do not appear in the original story by Dorothy M. Johnson nor the stage version by Jethro Compton. Still, they form the central theme of both. Compton’s play, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," directed by Thomas R. Gordon, is a beautifully realized revival of the 2022 production with most of the original cast. It is a classic story of the Old West presented by a solid ensemble. If you enjoy a good story, well-told, see this one. [more]