November

Photo/David Hume Kennerly

The one nice thing about blogging theater is that I don't have to wait until the press embargo lifts to warn you all about certain shows, such as this piece of "happy horseshit," the occasionally funny but completely pointless David Mamet comedy, November. Without anything to talk about beyond the basic bashing of the theatrical-stand-in-for-Bush ("Why do they all hate me?" "Because you have fucked up every single thing you've touched."), Mamet relies heavily on an exaggerated circumstance -- President Charles Smith sets out to extort $200M from the National Association of Turkey By-Products Manufacturers by threatening to pardon all the turkeys -- for a plot, and then piles on absurdities through a series of one-sided phone calls that turn away from actual human interaction and into The Nathan Lane Show. Funny, perhaps, but you don't need Joe Mantello or David Mamet for that.

[Read on]

Here We Go Again!

Aaron won our little showdown, coming from behind for a final tally of 265! Way to go, Mr. Riccio.

I'm sure I speak for all three of us when I say how much fun it has been to blog the race in 2007 and how exciting it has been to see a wide variety of theatre this past year.

All three of us are ready to have another go at it and race in 2008. We want to keep the blog essentially as it is - focused on our concise posts about shows and free of advertising - but we think there might be room for some changes. For instance, you'll soon see a box in the sidebar where each of us will spotlight some recommendations. And you might be seeing an irregular feature or two during the year.

We do wonder why we get more email than we get comments. It's a mystery, considering how many thousands of readers come here in a week, Who's reading us nearly every morning in San Diego? I look at the blog stats, and I see you! Hi!

Once again, the rules of the race are as David laid them down this time last year.
It has to be blogged (promptly) to count.
A show can only count once in the calendar year. (Damn. That includes Passing Strange doesn't it!)
Concerts don't count. (But Kiki & Herb do!)

And we're off!

Aaron's End of Year Wrap-Up

Go ahead. Tell me what I missed. (I know, I know, August.)

Patrick's Year-End Review

1 The Year's Fifteen Best
2 Twenty-Five Outstanding Performances
3 Twelve Fresh Faces

David's BEST/WORST of 2007!!

CLICK HERE!

Runt Of The Litter

photo: Joan Marcus

Bo Eason's career, as defensive back for the Oilers, was overshadowed by his brother Tony's more celebrated success as starting quarterback for the Patriots. Bo's solo show (now at 37 Arts following a successful run downtown a few years ago) changes their names and adds some fictional events, but it seems essentially to be a monologue written from the blood and sweat of his real-life struggles in his brother's shadow. The play's greatest strength is its inside-the-helmet view of the experience of playing pro football: the most fascinating segment has Eason suiting up for a game and changing before our eyes from a doggedly determined but physically improbable pro hopeful to a steel-edged NFL gladiator. He becames grandiose, elevating football to a mythic level and taking pleasure in the uniform's implicit permission to let him play out naked animal aggression. In other words, it's a sensationally honest moment. Eason is the narrator of this story more than he is an actor, and he's been directed to do a lot of business to sell it on stage. Once in a while that proves to be overly indicating, because his writing is strong enough and he's an inviting and confident enough personality to do the job with less.