On this day of
giving thanks, I am grateful for some of the wonderful theatre companies in New
York City that keep going in spite of the difficulties of this day and age.
I am grateful
for Gingold Theatrical Group, which has managed not only to keep its Project Shaw
reading series going in lean times, but to continue to produce excellent fully
staged work as well. This fall's production of Caesar and Cleopatra brought an epic to life on a shoe-string
budget. We need more work like that: dedicated, daring, and filled with
enthusiasm.
Though I didn't
get out there as much as I would have liked to this year, I'm grateful that Irish Repertory Theatre is still with us, too. Their production of Sean O'Casey's
trilogy of Dublin plays was not to be missed, and I particularly loved Juno and the Paycock. They'll soon be
opening one of my favorite under-produced plays, London Assurance by Dion Boucicault. Thank you yet again, Irish
Rep!
Theatre in the
parks is always hit-or-miss, which is why I'm particularly grateful to New York Classical Theatre for consistently providing quality outdoor theatre for the
masses. This summer's production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest was a delight. I hope what they
have to offer us next summer will likewise entertain and provide food for
thought.
Finally, I'm
grateful to Urban Stages for bringing new work to life and being one of the few
New York theatres left to take unsolicited scripts. It's a pity we don't have
more theatres in this city with the type of open-door policy that has helped
Urban Stages discover truly new voices.
