Kaija Saariaho’s Masterpiece Exposes Infection of School Massacre by Mary Lou Herlihy Students’ heads jerk backward in unison—a most horrifying moment, brilliantly staged. A sickening event we all recognize from Columbine, Virginia Tech, Oikos, Sandy Hook, Umpqua, Parkland and too many others . . . Screaming instruments haunt Kaija Saariaho’s orchestral score, imbuing the…
Naomi Iizuka Sounds the Alarm in Beautiful New Poetic Drama by Mary Lou Herlihy Naomi Iizuka’s “Garuda’s Wing” takes us to Borneo, teaming with ghosts, orchids, and orangutans. She beckons us to stop long enough to see the unique beauty of the land—and the devastating results of ongoing ecological warfare. Original, humorous, mysterious. Stand out…
John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Play Remains Relevant by Mary Lou Herlihy Before the play begins, I chat with the woman next to me. She shares a painful story about her local church where accusations of sexual improprieties resulted in the removal of two priests. In both cases, she believed them to be innocent….
Strong, Weiner, Sarnak’s New Musical Faces Mighty Challenges by Mary Lou Herlihy & Barry David Horwitz “Galileo” bursts onto the stage like a grand gold-wrapped gift with a big expensive bow, promising a spectacle of cosmic proportions. This production—BIG, LOUD, COLORFUL—sparkles with glittering maps of the universe, raucous songs and dances, stunning projected images,…