Sunday, July 15, 2007

Theater at its Best: The Front Page at Williamstown Theater Festival

What better way to top a day of hiking than good theater? To see GREAT theater, as in The Front Page at the Williamstown Theater Festival!

Being an ex-journalist, I found this portrayal of a bygone journalistic era of jaded writers, crooked pols and opportunistic editors to ring true. The action takes place in a press room in Chicago in the 1920s.

Variety calls this play an unaccomplished production, with an uneven ensemble. I couldn't disagree more. The cast was spectacular, with some key parts played by well-known actors -- Wayne Knight (Newman on "Seinfeld") as Sheriff Hartman and Richard Kind ("Spin City" and "Mad about You") as Walter Burns were particularly memorable.

The character Hildy Johnson, who just can't seem to put his girl ahead of his work at The Examiner, really makes you think about your priorities in life. Is getting the scoop of your life worth losing your true love? Fortunately, Hildy makes the right decision in the end and all ends well (or almost, but I won't give away the ending).

I'd urge you to get out to the Berkshires and see this play, but unfortunately, its last production was today.

No comments: