News Ticker

Shelley Mitchell

Machinal

July 5, 2025

"Machinal" makes use of all of these Expressionistic techniques. However, the current production has added tap dancing, practical foley and heightened movement created by choreographer Hilligoss in all of the scenes which both drowns out much of the dialogue and becomes very distracting. Obviously it  is meant to emphasize the mechanical aspects of modern life but it also works as a sledge hammer repeatedly  hitting the audience over the head with what is perfectly clear in the text itself. It is as though the director and choreographer do not trust the audience to get the message of the play. [more]

Talking with Angels: Budapest, 1943

March 11, 2025

So much of "Talking with Angels" is taken up by the rantings of these otherworldly emenations, which are filled increasingly by cryptic, impenetrable spoutings referencing religious imagery, that the play loses all momentum.  Even though these Angels are the eponymous subjects, the really dramatic stretch of the play begins with Gitta’s plan to save not only her Jewish intimates, but scores of Jewish women after these Friday kaffeeklatsch idylls are suddenly interrupted as the Nazis bomb and then enter Budapest with frightening speed. [more]