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Ian Thal

Recommended by Ian Thal

  • Where We Belong by Madeline Sayet
    23 Apr. 2024
    “ Sayet, with equal parts humor and horror, describes the tension between loving a classic work (in this case, Shakespeare) while at the same time being an outsider to the culture that produced and even shapes its identity around it. Though it's a tension felt by many artists and scholars from many backgrounds, Sayet's perspective as an artist working within the Mohegan nation's project of language reclamation, and in light of the Mohegans' centuries-long history with both England and English-speakers, makes for a powerful, and intellectually-challenging, story. My review in Washington City Paper: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/683288/a-mohegan-shakespeare-scholar-in-london-madeline-sayets-where-we-belong/ ”
  • Pico by Ron Pullins
    10 Apr. 2024
    “ Loopy, philosophical, and hilarious. Pico provides ample opportunity for actors, directors, and designers to use their imagination. I am proud to have been the first to play the role of Pico and to create puppets and masks for the original production. ”
  • Re: Oblivion by Seamus Sullivan
    5 Apr. 2024
    “ Imagine a job so banal, that one reacts with neither horror nor madness when an eldritch abomination appears in the supply closet. ”
  • IMPRESSIONS OF PARIS by Nora Louise Syran
    3 Mar. 2024
    “ In "Impressions of Paris" Syran explores the world of French Impressionist painting through the career of Suzanne Valadon. Syran is not content to present the lives and aesthetic debates of her colleagues, but situates them in the relationship between their counter-cultural movement and the world of commerce and respectability: Where they showed, and where they wished to be seen; The hiring of models; the laundresses and seamstresses that made and cleaned the costumes; and the barriers of sexism and classism. It's a world richly recreated in words, song, images, and shadows. ”
  • Communal Table by Jenny Lyn Bader
    30 Jan. 2024
    “ From the tilt of Earth's axis to the opening and closing of financial markets in different time zones, to subtle changes in the food and beverage industry, Jenny Lyn Bader brings a the world (and at least one other planet) to the coffeehouse where three very different personalities find themselves awkwardly shoulder-to-shoulder at the communal table. As the banter skips from one subject to another, the imagination is stimulated as a vast universe of metaphors, analogies, and non-sequiturs become possible. This short comedy is delightfully intricate as the gear-work of an orrery. ”
  • King of the Yees by Lauren Yee
    28 Jan. 2024
    “ Lauren Yee starts "King of the Yees" with a metatheatrical framing device of an actor playing playwright Lauren Yee, and an actor playing an actor playing playwright Lauren Yee sharing the stage, and continues a satirical "hero's journey" as the playwright-avatar-protagonist explores both the mythology of San Francisco's Chinatown, and the political and economic realities of the community and its role in city, and state politics. Yee's writing is weird, smart, and hilarious. I reviewed Signature Theatre's 2023 production for Washington City Paper: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/631821/king-of-the-yees-a-comic-heros-journey-through-san-franciscos-chinatown/ ”
  • Hazardous Materials by Beth Kander
    28 Jan. 2024
    “ An affecting story about a pair of lonely neighbors, while we witness their friendship develop, all that accumulates and is left behind is to be misinterpreted sixty years later by the pair of lonely county investigators assigned to the scene. Objects can be hoarded, even as their meaning is lost, and so Kander cleverly leaves some mysteries unsolved. I reviewed Perisphere Theater's 2023 production of Hazardous Materials for Washington City Paper: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/636380/solving-the-mystery-isnt-the-point-in-hazardous-materials/ ”
  • A Delicate Ship by Anna Ziegler
    26 Jan. 2024
    “ Friction arises when a life-long best friend Nate meets Sarah's new lover, Sam. It’s a relatable situation for many: A day or night balanced on one of the vertices of a triangle of love and jealousy. What marks Ziegler’s play is that she gives all three of these characters equal dramatic weight and gives insight into their hearts and minds. Even when behaving badly, they are understandable. Most importantly though, Ziegler's characters are interesting, whether reminiscing about family and childhood, or discussing art and ideas. I reviewed a 2023 production for Washington City Paper: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/646851/4615-theater-company-sails-off-on-its-final-voyage-in-a-delicate-ship/ ”
  • They're In There by John Busser
    12 Jan. 2024
    “ A psychological horror story about the anxiety of apartment living, where your neighbors can hear one's every word, and the building may be infested, leads into body horror. ”
  • Not Getting Old by Rachel Feeny-Williams
    26 Oct. 2023
    “ Some older folk deride young people these days; Some are simply confused; but Edna has chosen to become a young person in the days of social media, online dating, streaming music and the latest fashions, but is she really anymore more confused than those who are experiencing the life of a twenty-five year-old the first time around? ”

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