Shira Hecht

Leisure

Critical Voices

Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

By March 15, 2007

Leisure

Gray Matters? More like gay matters

Gray Matters is like its star, Heather Graham—bubbly, nice to look at, but a bit lacking in depth and substance. It’s the story of a young single professional in Manhattan, named Gray, only in this hackneyed plot the twist is that Gray falls for her brother’s girl.

By March 15, 2007

Leisure

Critical Voices: !!!, Myth Takes, Warp

With eight members and an emphasis on rhythm and danceability, !!! (conventionally pronounced “chk-chk-chk”) have sometimes lacked focus. While the band provides the perfect sound track to running really fast or freaking out, the human touch is often lost in the conglomeration of sounds. With Myth Takes !!! realize that those exclamation points can refer to emotion, not just excitement.

By March 1, 2007

Leisure

Antigone is a tragedy

I’m going to do what Jean Anouillh’s Antigone should have done and get right to the point. This is a bad play, mediocrely acted. The set and costumes are pretty.

By February 1, 2007

Leisure

Critical Voices: Of Montreal, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, Polyvinyl

Far be it from me to speculate on Kevin Barnes’ emotional state, but after listening to the latest Of Montreal release, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, I’d have to say he got burned, badly.

By January 25, 2007

Leisure

The story behind Zoo Story

It is January 11th, roughly two weeks before opening night on Nomadic Theater’s production of Zoo Story. It’s down to the nitty-gritty now: the specifics of the noise a dog makes and how, exactly, the newspaper should be shoved under a bench.

By January 18, 2007

Leisure

A Menagerie of talent

Tennessee William’s The Glass Menagerie is a play about growing up, faded dreams, hope, hurt and life. Mask and Bauble’s workshop production, which runs through Sunday, captures the intimacy of this personal story in a beautifully acted, well thought-out production. It does not attempt to be flashy or overly clever. The play is, instead, quiet and controlled, full of detail and nuance.

By November 30, 2006

Leisure

Eurydice gets wet

When you walk into the Devine Theater in the Davis Performing Arts Center this week, the first thing you notice is the river in front of the stage. From the 12-foot scaffolding to the huge blue sheets that provide the backdrop, it is clear that this is a major production.

By November 9, 2006

Leisure

Mask and Bauble give it an Earnest try

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a play that consistently resists any attempt to add seriousness or gravity to the production. Mask and Bauble’s lively and entertaining production, running through Sunday, falters when it tries to imbue this terminally frivolous play with pathos and drama.

By November 2, 2006