BROADWAY & ME QUICKIES

The Play: Angry Alan; a sly satire about one middle-aged white guy’s descent into the most toxic and self-pitying parts of the manosphere  Written by: Penelope Skinner, created with Dan Mackay        Directed by: Sam Gold One good thing: John Krasinski puts his nice-guy image to good use in an awards-worthy performance that mines the show’s many comedic moments, almost creates empathy for a man who considers himself a loser and then just as effectively unleashes the resentful rage that can come when such men see themselves as victims of society  One not-so-great thing: I suppose there’s the danger that some viewers may not get the satire and walk away feeling “seen” but this is a really smart and entertaining show so my only real complaint is why the New York Times which makes almost every other show it reviews a “Critics Pick” somehow chose not to do so for this one    

The Play: Call Me Izzy; a one-person show about a rural woman who tries to use her gift as a naturally-talented poet to escape her life as a longtime battered wife Written by: Jamie Wax        Directed by: Sarna Lapine One good thing: Jean Smart, who’s won all kinds of awards for her TV work especially in the HBO series “Hacks”, makes an equally praiseworthy return to the New York stage for the first time in 25 years One not-so-great thing:  The play seems somewhat gratuitous since it offers no fresh insights about domestic abuse and its ending is particularly unsatisfying    

The Play : The Imaginary Invalid, a trimmed-down version of the 17th century French farce about a hypochondriac whose obsession with his health blinds him to all the machinations that are going on around him Written by: Moliere      Adapted by: Jeffrey Hatcher        Directed by: Jesse Berger One good thing: The cast includes some of the funniest theatrical clowns in the business, including Mark-Linn Baker, Arnie Burton and Stephanie Styles One not-so-great thing: The pacing is sluggish, which can be the kiss of death for a farce      

The Play: Bowl EP, a surrealistic fantasia about two skateboarders who skate, get high, spin raps and fall in love while wrestling with society’s ideas about who they should be Written and Directed by: Nazareth Hassan         One good thing: Transforming the entire theater into a skating bowl is impressive One not-so-great thing: A different director might have been more helpful to the playwright, providing fresh eyes that could have made the staging less clunky and fresh ears that could have helped modulate a pivotal monologue that is so long and so loud that it’s hard to appreciate all that's being said.