Primary Trust - Theaterworks Hartford

The 2024 Pulitzer-Prize winning play, Primary Trust, is receiving a highly satisfying production at Theaterworks Hartford, running through May 11.   The show is a deep-dive into an individual’s personal trauma and how it has affected his employment, relationships, self-confidence, and interactions with the world.  The strength of playwright Eboni Booth’s work is its realism and pacing.  Information and reveals unfold at steady, incremental pace.  Unlike many plays I’ve seen, Primary Trust does not unload a character’s background story and emotional framework at its climax.

Ricardo Chavira, Justin Weaks, and Hilary Ward in Primary Trust.  Photo by Mike Marques.

The play begins with Kenneth (Justin Ward) breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience, giving background to his life and town à la the opening moments of the show Our Town.  His life in the small urban area is unassuming and follows the same daily routine for the past 20 years – work at the second-hand bookstore and then retire for Happy Hour at Wally’s, a old-style tiki-themed restaurant with his best friend, “Bert (Samuel Stricklen).”  They share stories, laugh, drink mai tais, and thoroughly enjoy each other’s company.  When the owner of the bookstore, where Kenneth works, suddenly announces he is selling, his world is thrown for a loop.  While he manages to quickly find employment at a local bank, the future is no longer predictable or secure.

 

This leads to a chain of events that includes a budding friendship with a Wally’s server, Corrina (Hilary Ward), an impactful connection with his new boss Sam (Ricardo Chavira) and, most importantly, his transformative relationship with Bert.  As the play concludes, Kenneth is a different person, with his life moving forward in a positive direction.  The pain and internal doubts remain, to some degree, but his continued changes and on-going development bode well for his future.

Justin Weaks and Samuel Sticklen in Primary Trust.  Photo by Mike Marques.

Ms. Booth has crafted a work that is skillfully layered, mixing audience directed monologues with the banalities of everyday life.  Each scene effectively builds on the play’s previous moments, slowly building a credible portrayal of an individual overcoming person demons and hardships.

 

Director Jennifer Chang capably mixes the various dramatic elements of the production into a rewarding whole.  She proficiently incorporates Set Designer Nicholas Ponting’s varied moveable set pieces to keep the show flowing with nary a pause.  Ms. Chang adeptly moves the action along, whether comedic or more penetrating in nature.

 

Much of the success of Primary Trust is due to the actor Justin Weaks.  He is on-stage for just about the entire 90+ minutes of the play and is able to command the audience’s attention with his sincerity, vulnerability, and emotional conflicts.  Samuel Stricklen’s Bert, expressively provides a counter-balance to that of Kenneth.  He is relaxed, confident, and well-balanced.  Ricardo Chavira, playing multiple roles but, primarily the banker Sam, injects a dose of comic relief into the production as does Hilary Ward in her multiple restaurant server roles.  Her principal portrayal, that of Corrina, is handsomely rendered, especially in her one-on-one interactions with Kenneth.

 

Primary Trust, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through May 11.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Operation Mincemeat - Broadway

I have been a fan of the musical Operation Mincemeat ever since I heard the original cast recording almost two years ago.  However, I had some trepidation before seeing the show once it opened on Broadway.  Fortunately, any concerns were short-lived.  Operation Mincemeat is wild, manic, and exhaustively inventive.  The show is the brainchild of the comedy troupe SpitLip and members David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts wrote the book, music, and lyrics.  The quartet takes their inspiration from such thoroughly British sources as Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Benny Hill, and the theatrical productions of The 39 Steps and The Play That Goes Wrong.

 

The plot is based on the real-life ploy by the British army to deceive the German forces into thinking the Allies would invade Sardina instead of Sicily during a critical moment in World War II.  How?  Simple.  Fake a crash landing of a British fighter jet with a corpse holding fake invasion plans and hope the papers find their way to the head of German command.  Spoiler Alert - it works.

 

The five-person cast, embodying multiple characters, utilizing minimal sets (Ben Stones) and a brisk story-telling modus operandi, blazes a path of comedic hijinks and ingenious theatrical gimmicks.  Robert Hastie is resourceful and extremely creative in his directing prowess.  He adeptly manages the numerous quick character turnarounds and shows a skillfulness with handling the physical and verbal comedy.  The phone sequence outside the Spanish Coroner’s Office is a gem of mayhem and laughs.  Choreographer Jenny Arnold contributes upbeat numbers that add a dash of splash to the production.

 

The score is tuneful, funny and, at times, touching.  The character Hester Leggat’s (Jak Malone) song, “Dear Bill,” a fictional love letter she dictates to be included with the dead man’s personnel effects, leaves nary a dry eye in the house.  Conversely, the aptly named “Glitzy Finale” pulls out all the stops for, well, a glitzy sendoff.

 

The cast, which plays with swapping gender roles, is zany and altogether amusing.  Still, while jocularity reigns supreme, their primary portrayals are well-grounded as they push the story forward.   Three members of SpitLip are also in the musical - David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts.  The aforementioned Jak Malone and Claire-Marie Hall, round out the superb cast.

 

With all the accolades, there is one glaring issue with Operation Mincemeat – Mike Walker’s Sound Design.  When the full cast sings, the lyrics are almost indecipherable due to the mix between the vocals and band.   In addition, besides Ms. Hall, the other performers don’t come across as trained singers.  All of this is demonstrably obvious in the Act II opening number “Uber Mensch,” which is loud and just about incoherent.

 

Operation Mincemeat, extended through February 2026, playing at the Golden Theater on Broadway.

Good Night, and Good Luck - Broadway

George Clooney’s return to live theater is a triumph.  In Good Night, and Good Luck, the Hollywood star proves his mettle on the Broadway stage where he portrays the legendary newscaster Edward R. Murrow.  The show, based on the movie of the same name, centers on his reportage, and ultimate take-down, of the junior Senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, whose anti-Communist crusade brought a dark period to the country.  Clooney and Grant Heslov wrote the screenplay for the film and have adapted it for the stage.  It is a no-nonsense, fast-moving production that is enlivened by Scott Pask’s highly detailed, large-scale Scenic Design of the CBS television studios.  Daniel Kluger’s well-calibrated, ambient Lighting Design and David Bengali’s superb projections contribute to the realism of the show.

 

With Clooney in the lead, the producers have been able to surround him with seasoned actors and a cast size that accurately depicts how the news is debated, gathered, and finally presented to the American people.  Clooney, who has the look, cadence, and mannerisms of Murrow (including his constant smoking), brings a deliberate and intense focus to the role.  It’s not flashy, but his passion and forcefulness shine bright.  While his name is above the title, he unselfishly subsumes himself within the dynamics of the show.

 

Director David Cromer assuredly helms the production, weaving in all the characters, with their hurriedness and assorted assignments.  The Winter Garden stage is a large space, but by compartmentalizing, the director makes the events flow effortlessly and keeps the focus on the weightiness of the story.  He deftly incorporates the video projections where they become a central, but not overpowering feature, of the show.  Cromer also utilizes a unique device for scene changes - a jazz combo with the sounds of the day, led by the smooth-sounding Georgia Herrs, in a recording studio, above the stage.

 

In addition to George Clooney, other notable actors among the cast are Glenn Fleshler as the affable, principled Fred Friendly, Murrow’s producer (the role Clooney played in the film); Clark Gregg as Murrow’s friend and fellow broadcaster, the troubled Don Hollenbeck; and Paul Gross as the questioning, but steadfast supporter, CBS President William F. Paley.

 

From the very first moments of the show, when Edward R. Murrow is at a podium in front of the curtain, delivering a low-key, yet passionate speech, the similarities to today’s political world are, sadly, striking.  Everything the newsman fought against – the untruths, unjust persecutions, contempt for the law of the land – are repeating themselves over 70 years later.  The show, which uses McCarthy’s own words to indict himself, demonstrates what a free, unencumbered press can accomplish. 

 

Good Night, and Good Luck, playing at the Winter Garden Theater through June 8, 2025.

Agnes of God - Westport Community Theatre

The psychologically intense, Agnes of God, is receiving a superb production at the Westport Community Theatre.  Under Director Tom Holehan’s assured guidance, the three-character play is a penetrating examination of faith, spirituality, and their intersection with science.  In some sense, the production can also be viewed as a cryptic murder mystery.

The plot appears simple and straightforward – Agnes, a novice nun has given birth in her room and possibly killed and hidden the child.  However, she has no memory of the event.  Before going to trial, a court-appointed psychologist is retained to examine the young girl, much to the disapproval of the Mother Superior.  What transpires are multiple therapeutic sessions to possibly determine the real series of events behind the incident.  In between, Dr. Livingston and the head of the convent butt heads until some finality comes to the proceedings.

Priscilla Squiers in Agnes of God at the Westport Community Theatre.

Playwright John Pielmeier has crafted a show that is packed with thoughtful arguments, moral debates, and plenty of twists.  His characters are confident in their motivations, yet still exhibit flawed behaviors, which also humanizes them. 

 

Priscilla Squiers imbues Dr. Martha Livingston with a convincing, naturalistic approach to her work.  She is appropriately soft-spoken, even motherly, and direct with Agnes.  However, when necessary, the actress has no problem demonstrating combativeness with the Mother Superior.  Lucy Babbitt displays a practiced versatility as the domineering Mother Superior.  She demonstrates a roller-coaster of emotions and attitudes in her ideological battles and philosophical debates.  The actress adeptly invokes sympathy as well as anger as the layers of her professional and personal life are slowly, sometimes abruptly peeled apart.  Céline Montaudy’s performance as Agnes is almost childlike.  While not as nuanced as her other cast members, she convincingly conveys a young woman who is confused and in torment.

 

The cast of Agnes of God at the Westport Community Theatre.

Holehan makes good use of Al Kulcsar’s minimalist set and Jeff Klein’s unassuming, ambient lighting design.  The Director adroitly paces the show, starting slowly and patiently building up its intensity.

 

Agnes of God, playing at the Westport Community Theatre through April 12.  Click here for dates, times and ticket information.

Theatre People - Westport Country Playhouse

Thank goodness for Olga! In Paul Slade Smith’s agreeable comedy Theatre People, the actress Erin Noel Grennan embodies the character of Olga, a no-nonsense, slightly irritable maid working in a Newport Mansion, circa 1948.  She delivers the show's funniest lines, with well-timed bon mots and snarky retorts.  

The cast of Theatre People at Westport Country Playhouse.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Theatre People, adapted from Ferenc Molnár’s work, Play at the Castle, is part farce, part straightaway comedy.  Two down-on-their-luck playwrights, Arthur Sanders (played by the always enjoyable Michael McCormick), and his wife Charlotte (portrayed with mirthful glee by Isabel Keating), have escorted Oliver (Rodolfo Soto), a lovesick author, to a coastal manor for a secret rendezvous with his lady love.  His soon-to-be-published book, based on his affection for actress Margot Bell (Mia Pinero), has been transformed by the Sanders into a stage show.  All that needs to be done is for Oliver to sign his book contract.   Unfortunately, the best-laid plans come to a screeching halt when Margot’s hanky-panky with rakish baritone Victor Pratt (Michael McCorry Rose) is overheard from the thin hotel room walls.  Chaos ensues as Oliver, his love life now in ruins, wants to shred his novel and the Sanders’ would-be success suddenly evaporates.  Olga’s intrusions and snappy comebacks don’t help matters.  What can be done to save the day?  A little bit of mayhem, chaos, and general frivolity on the way to a happy ending for all.

 

Isabel Keating and Michael McCormick of Theatre People at Westport Country Playhouse.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Paul Slade Smith has devised an amusing scenario, with doors slamming, characters running about, and a bit of misdirection to fuel the plot.  Being an actor himself, the playwright knowingly injects the busyness and backstage patter within the making of a play into Theatre People’s storyline, which propels the show forward. 

Erin Noel Grennan and Isabel Keating of Theatre People at Westport Country Playhouse.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

 

With flawless timing, Director Mark Shanahan keeps the tempo swift and the hijinks nonstop.  Whether cast members are individually on stage or in a cluster, he nimbly guides the show with a solid rhythmic pace.  Shanahan also knows when to highlight Olga’s unique brand of humor to liven up the show. 

 

The cast is game for the physicality and shenanigans Shanahan can throw at them.  Isabel Keating brings a screwball-ish comedy sensibility to her role.  She gesticulates madly through her portrayal, arms flailing as she prowls the stage.  Michael McCormick, grandly grumpish, is the perfect yin to her yang.  Rodolfo Soto, Mia Pinero, and Michael McCorry Rose provide ample support in their featured roles.

 

Mia Pinero and Michael McCorry Rose of Theatre People at Westport Country Playhouse.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

James J. Fenton’s set design of a Newport mansion bedroom is sumptuously furnished.  Its multiple doorways are strategically placed for the on-stage mischievousness.  The stage is suitably aglow with Alyssandra Docherty’s well-appointed Lighting Design.  Annie J. Le’s Costume Designs are both stylish and luxuriant for the late 1940’s.

 

Theatre People, playing at the Westport Country Playhouse through April 12.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Laughs in Spanish - Hartford Stage

The latest offering at Hartford Stage, Laughs in Spanish, is an agreeable, breezy story with enough amusing plot twists to keep audiences satiated during its 90-minute, intermission-less run.  The high spirits, though, by Playwright Alexis Scheer, is primarily window-dressing for her exploration of the mother-daughter relationship and cultural ruminations.

María Victoria Martínez and Luis Vega in Laughs in Spanish.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Mariana (Stephanie Machado), a young woman runs an art gallery in Miami and is readying for the Art Basel art show.  Upon arriving at work, she discovers all the paintings have been stolen.  Her intern, Carolina (María Victoria Martínez), an artist in her own right, is clueless about what could have happened.  Her boyfriend, Juan (Luis Vega), a police officer, is equally ignorant of how the perpetrators could have absconded with the artworks.  To complicate matters, Mariana’s mother Estrella (Maggie Bofill), a famous actress, has suddenly arrived in town, looking to pursue her own agenda.  Her new assistant, Jenny (Olivia Hebert), also just happens to be a college acquaintance of Mariana.  Or is it more than that?

 

Olivia Hebert and Stephanie Machado in Laughs in Spanish.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The hijinks Ms. Scheer infuses into Laughs in Spanish are used to great effect as commentary on harmonizing life within two cultures and how language is varied when communicating in each world.  Marina, a latine, seeks to balance her heritage within a realm where she is not an insider.  For example, she, and other characters, to great comic effect, modulate their voice – being more Anglo - when answering the phone.  The playwright nimbly layers the aforementioned with the tenuous relationships mothers can have with their daughters.  Ms. Scheer adeptly augments the conflicts by having Marina’s mother be a hugely successful celebrity who wants nothing more than to have her child be equally well-off.  While the machinations of the play work well, there are moments that seem forced, such as the intimate exchange between Marina and Jenny.  Estrella’s monologue near the show’s conclusion comes across as overly long.

The Director Lisa Portes paces the show at a brisk tempo, only coming up short during Estrella’s performance art piece.  She succeeds in creating a troupe of actor/actresses that mesh well together.  She effectively integrates Scenic Designer Brian Sidney Bembridge’s three distinct sets into the flow of the play.

 

Maggie Bofill in Laughs in Spanish.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The cast is uniformly wonderful.  Some of the characters are underwritten - Carolina (María Victoria Martínez), Juan (Luis Vega), and Jenny (Olivia Hebert) – but the performers are able to imbue their roles with enough personality to gloss over character shortcomings.  The focus is on Stephanie Machado as Mariana and Maggie Bofill as Estrella.  Each enlivens the stage individually and together, giving their roles a combination of sparkle and gravitas.

Laughs in Spanish, playing at Hartford Stage through March 30.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Irish… And How They Got That Way - Playhouse on Park

The Irish… And How They Got That Way is a musical revue that combines snippets of Irish history with an assortment of Irish-centered songs performed by a multi-talented cast of six.  The music includes folksongs, ballads, comedic numbers, and tunes written by Broadway legend George M. Cohan.  Interspersed between the musical interludes are recitations, stories, facts and figures about the Irish – the good, the bad, and the ugly.  The show, written by the Pulitzer Prize winning author, Frank McCourt, delves into the bitterness, joy, anger, and sadness of the Irish experience, both at home and abroad.

 

The cast of The Irish… And How They Got That Way.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

The show, at two and one-half hours (with intermission), would have been more satisfying at a shorter length.  Sometimes the pacing by Director Danielle Paccione drags when the material focuses heavily on such sorrowful topics as with Act I’s lengthy scenes on the 1840 potato famine.  While the stories and historical facts associated with this epoch of shortages and deprivations are eye-opening, as well as appalling, they bring a too somber tone to the production.

 

The material and song selections in Act II are more lively and, as with the first segment of the show, still tinged with sentimentality, humor, and a raucous merriment.

 

The cast of The Irish… And How They Got That Way.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

The production shines when the set, designed by Omid Akbari and reminiscent of a classic Irish pub, is turned over to the three actresses – Victoria Chaieb, Elleon Dobias, and Katrien van Riel – and three actors – Joe Boover, Josh Karam, and Jack Murphy.  They all play, beautifully, a variety of musical instruments that you would find at a local Irish pub, from guitar, to piano, fiddle, recorder and a number of traditional Irish instruments.  Ms. Paccione has molded an ensemble that works well together and clearly enjoys each other’s company as they recount, play music, and even perform a jig here and there. 

 

Members of the cast of The Irish… And How They Got That Way.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

The Irish… And How They Got That Way, playing at Playhouse on Park through March 30.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.