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By chance more than wit, in the past seven days I have contrived to see Hamlet twice. The first was the filmed version of the play staged by the National Theatre in London in 2015, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. And a … Continue reading
Category Archives: Reviews
What power a children’s movie can have! C.S. Lewis has remarked upon how, by writing for younger people, you can say so much more. And Pixar has fully grasped the notion. Every Toy Story movie goes further, building more upon … Continue reading
You know it’s a really great work of art when it’s gemlike — full of angles to analyze. And Passion, a late Stephen Sondheim musical, is packed with meanings and facets. I took in the magnificent production at the Signature … Continue reading
We happened to find ourselves with a free day in New York City last week, and of course we invested our time wisely! The first stop was the Morgan Library, where the manuscripts of J.R.R. Tolkien are on view through … Continue reading
Really. REALLY. Trust me on this. particularly since this film, ‘Can you ever forgive me?’, is based on a ‘True story’ – and too many writers will see too many bits of themselves in the truth of the story being told. … Continue reading
(Warning—post contains mention of sexual assault) Last Monday, I attended a viewing of the filmed recording of the UK National Theatre’s 2011 production of Frankenstein. One reason this staging of the play is so well known is because the two … Continue reading
Yesterday with a handful of young colleagues, I visited the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. This flagship spot-for-the-hip was launched in Capitol Hill, an old neighborhood of Seattle within spitting distance of downtown and a lot more interesting. Installed in a venerable … Continue reading
Free theater is a more ancient tradition than paying for the show. The plays of Aeschylus and Euripides were staged by rich Athenians, as an offering to Dionysus and Apollo and for the glory of the polis. It was more … Continue reading
I went to see King Lear, another one of the thrilling broadcasts of London drama, that one may occasionally catch in the US. They are always thrilling, and give us Yanks a chance to affordably see productions that you could … Continue reading
[This review of Nell Irvin Painter’s The History of White People originally appeared in the Cascadia Subduction Zone in 2011. Since I recently posted about her new book, Old in Art School, I wanted to share my praise of her … Continue reading