Young Performers Challenge Labels With Energy and Charm
The vigorous energy and talent shared by the cast members in ‘Label-less’ mitigate its fundamental earnestness and flashes of banality.
By ELYSA GARDNER
||Culture
ELYSA GARDNER
New York, New York
Elysa Gardner is Contributor for the Sun.
Ms. Gardner has written about theater and music for The New York Times, The Village Voice, Town and Country, Time Out New York, Entertainment Weekly and other publications. She is a board member of the Drama Desk and has served on the jury for the Pulitzer Prize for drama twice, most recently as chair.
Latest Articles
A Timely Revival of a Bold Blacklist-Era Drama
Anna D. Shapiro’s revival of Eric Bentley’s 1972 play ‘Are You Now or Have You Ever Been’ raises relevant questions, irrespective of political orientation.
By ELYSA GARDNER
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‘Romeo & Juliet’ Ignites Central Park
The Public Theater’s latest take on Shakespeare’s tragedy emphasizes the emotional extremes of teenage romance more than any production I can remember.
By ELYSA GARDNER
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Tony Awards Go Pink, but Musicals Fade to Gray
‘Liberation,’ ‘Death of a Salesman,’ John Lithgow, and Lesley Manville triumphed at theater’s equivalent of the Oscars — but where was the singing spark?
By ELYSA GARDNER
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‘All My Sons’ Interpretation Offers More Silliness Than Sagacity
‘A Woman Among Women’ fails to fully deliver on its premise to be a ‘counterpoint’ to Arthur Miller’s 1947 classic.
By ELYSA GARDNER
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‘Girl, Interrupted’ Portrays Mental Illness in the 1960s With Tender Mercy and Melody
The Public Theater musical raises questions about psychiatric care and women’s rights that it doesn’t always satisfactorily answer.
By ELYSA GARDNER
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‘Jerome’ Poignantly Highlights Schemers and Dreamers in the American West
A new play set in the Arizona backcountry confirms John J. Caswell, Jr, is emerging as one of contemporary theater’s most compelling voices.
By ELYSA GARDNER
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Predicting the 79th Tony Awards
Our critic forecasts who’ll win Broadway’s biggest prizes tonight in a season that saw top plays and a likely musical winner that’s a throwback to theater’s golden age.
By ELYSA GARDNER
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Four Californian Teenage Girls Come of Age With Music, Charm and Chance
There is a refreshing absence of microaggression or triggering references in Eisa Davis’s tuneful ‘||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :||.’
By ELYSA GARDNER
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‘Heated Rivalry’ Is a Playful Musical Parody of the Hit Hockey TV Series
A cast of Broadway veterans ensures the show’s emphasis is on having a good time.
By ELYSA GARDNER
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Jean Genet’s ‘Maids’ Are Now Vaping and in Thrall to TikTok
The 1947 play gets a very modern update that reinforces the dangers of seeking success and happiness through superficial and artificial means.
By ELYSA GARDNER
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Fathers Crave Forgiveness Amid Culture Clashes in ‘Indian Princesses’
Eliana Theologides Rodriguez makes a commendable playwrighting debut, suffusing her work with warmth and positive wisdom.
By ELYSA GARDNER
||Culture