Tim Dunleavy
DC Theater Arts
Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Past articles by Tim:
Review: ‘Time Stands Still’ at Bristol Riverside Theatre
Time Stands Still, Donald Margulies’ fascinating drama at Bristol Riverside Theatre, seems at first as if it’s going to be a deep meditation on war and politics. But Margulies’ characters, as it turns out, aren’t greatly concerned with those big issues. What matters most to them are personal issues – and what matters to the … → Read More
Review: ‘The Humans’ at the Walnut Street Theatre
The Blakes are not your ordinary dysfunctional family. As they gather for Thanksgiving dinner in an unfamiliar locale, everything seem fine, if a little off-kilter; they engage in their favorite holiday traditions, including singing an Irish drinking song together. They’re not above needling each other, but they are, above all, supportive of each other. Yet … → Read More
Review: ‘Passing Strange’ at The Wilma Theater
“Life is a mistake that only art can correct.” That’s not a line you’d expect to hear at a rock and roll show, is it? But Passing Strange isn’t your typical rock show, or musical, or biography. It examines the intersection of life and art, inspiration and creation, not to mention race and class. And while … → Read More
Review: ‘Morning’s at Seven’ at People’s Light
Morning’s at Seven fits the definition of “quaint.” With its elderly characters and its winsome setting – a Midwestern town in the 1930s, where everybody knows each other’s problems a little too well – Paul Osborn’s genial 1939 comedy is practically a Norman Rockwell painting come to life. But look closer at those houses onstage … → Read More
Review: ‘Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG Playhouse Christmas Show’ at Bucks County Playhouse
How many versions of A Christmas Carol have you seen? Probably too many to count. But I can guarantee you’ve never seen one that mentions Doylestown, Lambertville and Peddler’s Village before. They all get shout-outs in Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG Playhouse Christmas Show, this year’s Yuletide offering at Bucks County Playhouse. Yes, it’s an adaptation of … → Read More
Review: ‘My Fair Lady’ at Quintessence Theatre
Quintessence Theatre has built a strong reputation as a home for classic drama. But now they’ve dived into the American Musical Theatre canon in a big way by staging one of the most popular and cherished musicals of all time. And fittingly, it’s My Fair Lady – a show with a storied classical heritage, as … → Read More
Review: ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’ at The Media Theatre
“Tale as old as time”? If you’re the parent of a young child who has watched a certain Disney animated film on video over and over and over, it might seem that way. But when you take that child – or if you just go on your own – to the Media Theatre’s beguiling new … → Read More
Review: The Philadelphia Orchestra Gives a Haydn Masterpiece a Local Premiere
The programming of music by Haydn is unusual for The Philadelphia Orchestra. The choice is even more surprising coming from conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who is more associated with modern compositions by composers like Mahler, Bruckner and Stravinsky. Yet Nézet-Séguin chose Haydn’s The Seasons to fill the entire program in his concerts of November 16, 17 … → Read More
Review: ‘Rasheeda Speaking’ at Allens Lane Theater
The setting is ordinary – an office with two desks side by side. The desks are covered with plants, knickknacks, and piles of paperwork. The sort of thing we see every day in corporate America. But this ordinary office is also a battleground in a struggle over office politics and racial politics. And that’s ordinary … → Read More
Review: ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ at Arden Theatre Company
The list began after her first attempt. A list of everything brilliant about the world. Everything worth fighting for. If I were to make a list of every brilliant thing about the world, audience participation would not make the list. When I go to the theater, I prefer actors to do all the acting and … → Read More
Review: ‘The Fantasticks’ at The Eagle Theatre
What’s not to like about The Fantasticks? It’s always been a modest, gentle show that goes down easy. The Eagle Theatre’s new production adds a few new wrinkles, putting its own stamp on this venerable musical without getting in the way of what’s made it work so well for over half a century. The original … → Read More
Review: ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ at Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3
Is seeing a Christmas show in November too early for you? When I went to see this show during the first week of November, I couldn’t help thinking of the scene in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving where Sally protests that she’s not ready for Thanksgiving yet because “I haven’t even finished eating all of my … → Read More
Review: ‘Blood Wedding’ at the Wilma Theater
The Wilma Theater’s Blood Wedding sets out to overpower you – and it succeeds. From its first moments, when the 11-member ensemble assembles on a long, bare, black platform, stares directly into the audience, and begins dancing aggressively – pounding the floor rhythmically, in bare feet, in martial style – one feels that these people are … → Read More
Review: ‘Red Herring’ at Act II Playhouse
Red Herring is a parody of the tough film noir mysteries of the forties and fifties. But playwright Michael Hollinger has more on his mind than mere nostalgia: his play is also a romance, a spy thriller, and a sharp satire of the anti-Communist hysteria of the fifties. (That title, you see, has two meanings … → Read More
Review: ‘Wrestling Jerusalem’ at Philadelphia Theatre Company
It’s been said that one of the problems with politics these days is that people talk but don’t listen. Opposing political sides state their positions, but too many speak just to their supporters and don’t remain open to outside ideas. Well, Aaron Davidman listens. He’s an American Jew who has spent a lot of time … → Read More
Review: ‘A Night with Janis Joplin’ at McCarter Theatre Center
Janis Joplin was a true original. But as the musical/tribute concert A Night with Janis Joplin proves, she didn’t just come out of nowhere. Joplin became a top star during the psychedelic rock era of the late 1960s. But her roots were in the blues, and it was her mixture of old and new styles that … → Read More
Review: ‘2.5 Minute Ride’ at Theatre Horizon
There’s a lot going on in Lisa Kron’s life. There’s her brother’s upcoming marriage, a ceremony that’s being held at a Jewish community center with “a wonderful design out of a 1972 James Bond movie.” There’s her family’s annual trip to Cedar Point, the Ohio amusement park famous for having over a dozen roller coasters. … → Read More
Review: ‘The Swallowing Dark’ at Inis Nua Theatre Company
“Your status has expired.” For Canaan Muponda, these are the most fearsome words imaginable. A refugee from Zimbabwe, Canaan has spent the last five years living in Liverpool with his young son. Now, in order to avoid deportation back to Africa, he has to prove to Martha Sullivan, a government caseworker, that staying in Britain … → Read More
Review: ‘Next to Normal’ at Resident Theatre Company
Next to Normal isn’t your standard Broadway musical. But this offbeat Pulitzer Prize-winner, now receiving a solid production at West Chester’s Resident Theatre Company, shines a light on a condition that, unexpectedly, turns out to be a perfect fit for a musical drama. Its central character, Diana, suffers from bipolar disorder – she’s a model … → Read More
Review: ‘Godspell’ at Villanova Theatre
Godspell has always been a show filled with spirit. Ever since its New York debut in 1971, it’s been a vehicle for a lot more than a religious message. Its loose structure – John-Michael Tebelak’s book recounts of Jesus’ life and teachings through a modern lens – allows for lots of improvisation and invention. Villanova … → Read More