New Reviews: Poetry & Drama

James Baldwin's three-act play focuses on the power of religion to shield people from the perils outside church walls, as dramatized by an African American family. The cast are quirky, protective, gossipy, dogmatic, and spirited. Dion Graham begins the production as Baldwin, clearly and confidently sharing the importance of this story. A chorale then swells--warm, collective,... Read More

A full cast from L.A. Theatre Works performs this short play about Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, voiced by André Sogliuzzo, and his invention of the wireless telegraph. The use of antique Morse code and radio equipment gives a period ambiance to the production, though the dialogue often sounds more modern. The format of an old radio show features Marconi's daughter,... Read More

By the waning months of WWI, English troops remained dug in 100 yards from the enemy. Waiting. In this superb audio adaptation of this 1928 classic drama, the naturalistic dialogue is what will draw the listener into the trenches--it's that realistic and affecting. The production features a cast of top-tier English character actors. Matthew Wolf finds the gentle humor in... Read More

Multitalented playwright/director/actor Colman Domingo gathered an internationally acclaimed cast to hit this spirited blend of social satire, love, responsibility, and grief out of the park. When an out-of-work actor (a superb Domingo) returns home to face the heartbreak of burying his late mother, he receives all kinds of advice--from his wild best friend (an energetic Alex... Read More

When a white actor is accidentally cast as the lead in his play that strongly protests casting white actors in Asian American roles, Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, portrayed by a droll Daniel Dae Kim, has a hard decision to make: Come clean or cover it up. As this production unfolds fast-paced scenes of phone calls, monologues, memories, and kitchen-table... Read More