Looking Back

It's hard to believe that a year has passed since I began these reviews. What strikes me most looking back on the list of plays I have covered is how transitory theater is. Of the 76 plays that I have reviewed, only ten of them are still running -- Anything Goes, Bluebird, The Book of Mormon, Catch Me If You Can, Death Takes a Holiday, Freud's Last Session, Master Class, Olive and the Bitter Herbs, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and War Horse. One is reopening (Other Desert Cities) and another is yet to open in New York (Chinglish.) The second thing that strikes me is how many frogs you have to kiss to find a prince. There were only 21 shows that I could enthusiastically recommend -- Anything Goes, Benefactors, Black Tie, Blood from a Stone;  The Book of Mormon, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Catch Me If You Can, Chinglish, Death Takes a Holiday, Divine Sister, 4000 Miles, Freud's Last Session, Gatz, Good People, The Motherf**ker with a Hat, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, No Child..., The Normal Heart, School for Lies, Unnatural Acts and War Horse. If I were a ballplayer, my batting average would be .276. Not horrible, but not impressive either. Am I discouraged? A little. Will I give up? Not likely. As the new theater season approaches, I am filled with unwarranted optimism that the year ahead will a better one. Stay tuned.