The House of Blue Leaves

Profile Theatre
May 17 - June 15, 2008

Review by Followspot:

Magnificent, tour-de-force performance from Ted Roisum. Trisha Todd disappears without a trace into her odius character. A lively supporting cast completes a fantastic ensemble. By turns hilarious, sweet, arresting, poignant. The only problem is the whiplash-inducing changes in tone. Not the fault of director Alder, blame the early, untested Guare.

Landscape of the Body

Profile Theatre
March 5- April 6, 2008

Review by Followspot:

What will it take to get directors to stop blocking for proscenium when working in a thrust? Play the angles - the sides count! Alder, Bruno, Herman are fantastic, but the show lags when they are offstage. Props matter - if the body doesn't look like a body, it's not a body.

Bosoms and Neglect

Profile Theatre
January 28 - February 3, 2008

Review by peanutduck

Love your bosoms but neglect seeing this portrait of two monotonously self-obsessed WASPs who share both an analyst and orgasmic love of literature. To complete your knowledge of Guare’s wordplay and imagery, read the script, but skip to the ending where Scooper tries to kill off his suicidal songstress mother.

A Few Stout Individuals

Profile Theatre
January 16 - February 17, 2008

Review by The Mad Hatter

Searching for the right stimulus. Tragic farce covering a lot of ground. Actors characterizations very strong but there was an evident lack of listening to each other and trouble finding the rhythm. Second act much stronger in comparison. Tobias mesmerizing. David Bodin hilarious. Grace Hsu enchanting. Kenneth Dembo’s monologue powerful.


***I was supposed to review A Few Stout Individuals the night before. I arrived 7 minutes late and Profile theatre wouldn't let me in. They have a no late arrivals policy. I think this is great and I wish that more theatres would institute this policy. It keeps things on schedule and allows for an uninterrupted experience. -TMH

Bullfinch's Mythology

Profile Theatre
November 15-18, 2007

November 18, 2007
Posted by Anton Ego

Intriguing reading of one of Guare's weaker plays. Imaginatively directed by Kathleen Worley. A-list cast led by Paul Angelo, Deirdre Atkinson and Stephan Henry strong is expected, but the real revelation is "Tall" Matt Haynes, stepping outside his usual "boyish" character and showing both ruggedness and the inner asshole. Kudos.

Six Degrees of Separation

Profile Theatre
October 10 - November 11, 2007

October 14, 2007
Posted by Followspot

Erratic direction slows down, confuses Guare’s smash success. Production feels uncertain and tone deaf. None of the three lead characters is convincingly of their world. Many of the actors play the roles we know them for, yet how that fits into THIS particular play is less than clear. Incomplete vision.

Uncommon Women and Others

Profile Theatre
Posted by Frenchglen May 25, 2007; closes June 17, 2007.

Exceptional cast executes Wasserstein’s first play in fine form. Act one gets us going even if stakes relatively low to start. Act two finds the brass tacks hidden beneath nascent 1970’s feminism. How have they changed? Landrum, Overman, Soden anchor what must have been a story ahead of its time.

The Sisters Rosensweig

Profile Theatre
Posted by Followspot March 24, 2007; closes April 22, 2007

Well-crafted, polished production; comforting sheen of tradition reflecting the hard lessons of happiness and fulfillment. Compassionate, maturely drawn – and often very funny – performances from uniformly generous ensemble keenly composed – especially Barbara Kerr’s genuinely complex Sara; Shelly Lipkin’s disarming Mervyn. Attractive, elaborate technical elements. Definitely different Wasserstein than earlier in season.

The Heidi Chronicles

Profile Theatre
Posted by Frenchglen January 13, 2007; closes February 11, 2007

Solid performance of 80’s period piece. Nonstop parade of witty zingers and buzz of upper echelon East Coast name dropping at times limit seriousness of Wasserstein’s underlying subjects. Several touching moments and conundrums effectively rendered. Time travel elements not always clear. Music and story create pronounced “Big Chill” nostalgia effect.

An American Daughter

Profile Theatre
October 19, 2006; closes November 12, 2006

Production strains under this C-SPAN script that’s not only pedantic, but frustratingly baffling, given title character’s inaction, ultimate withdrawal from fight for dream job over seemingly small potatoes. What’s underneath acquiescence potentially more interesting than circumstances if not buried in bland, self-concerned beltway burbling only public-policy wonks would deem dramatic.

Redwood Curtain

Profile Theatre Project
April 13, 2006; closes May 14, 2006

Labyrinthine redwood forests — snapping twigs, wrong turns, distant echoes — were perfect metaphor for Wilson’s lost-and-lonely story. What didn’t work for me? Direction. Instead of stretching its legs to better know dramatic terrain of sylvan psyche, evidently well-equipped cast seemed consigned to paved-path loop. Redwood backdrop was splendid work of art.

Burn This

Profile Theatre Project
January 7, 2006; closes February 12, 2006

A daring story filled with open wounds, leading to examination of emotional scars facing life after death. Respectable performance begins with scratching at scabs, but swelling subsides early in second act, yielding doses of healing perspicuity. Even so, somewhat disheartening to see skilled actors playing typecast roles. Worthy design elements.

Talley & Son

Profile Theatre Project
October 30, 2005; closes October 30, 2005

Sought truthful family confrontation exposing core vulnerability; found only scattered moments among unwoven pieces of a play. I saw actors acting, some with more pretense than their characters — none bound (by blood or circumstance) to another. Keep it real; secure pivot-point, redraw arc. Impressively detailed scene design by Glenn Gauer.

Talley's Folly

Profile Theatre Project
October 19, 2005; closes October 30, 2005

Deirdre Atkinson demonstrated considerable potential; I want to see more of her. Otherwise, several problems with this production, beginning with wrestling of musty “Pulitzer-Prize” script. Baring souls of unlikely lovers has to be among actors’ biggest challenges: chemistry, authenticity and simplicity are key. Didn’t want to believe; therefore didn’t care.

It’s Only A Play

Profile Theatre Project
April 15, 2005

Don Alder neatly directs dream cast in snappy peep at Broadway company awaiting opening-night reviews. Running gag is true: “Good, solid theatre.” Flew well, though maybe could float more lightly; nevertheless, enjoyable work all around with production elements to match, including Jeff Seats’ attractive set; Emilie Broughton’s stylish wardrobe. Recommended.

The Lisbon Traviata

Profile Theatre Project
January 21, 2005

Four gay men transpose love, relationships, fidelity against metaphor of opera. Sturdy individual performances came close to heart of matter; overall production fell a little flat, lingered a tad behind the beat. Likewise, production elements’ obviously worthy attempt lacked full vibrato. After opening night, more relaxed performances may just sing.

The Stendhal Syndrome

Profile Theatre Project
October 16, 2004

Two one-acts all about being caught up in the orgasmic and cathartic power of the arts lacked libido. Too-safe, too-real direction ultimately paled this skilled, well-balanced, often funny cast, making characters that seem to simply go through mechanical motions. Redundant epilogue reinforced irony. Nothing to hate; just hard to love.