John James DeWitt

BWW Reviews: An Enchanting Evening With THE BOYS NEXT DOOR
April 30, 2013

Tom Griffin's 'THE BOYS NEXT DOOR' is a tricky scriptits subject matter is a group home in the Boston area housing four mentally-challenged adult men; Arnold, Norman, Lucien and Barry. They have a caretaker, Jack, who lives offsite, and the play progresses through a series of vignettes illustrating the challenges of their everyday lives. As depressing as that may sound, the script has many comic moments, and it's a tightrope to balance the humor with the pathos. It was made into a mildly effective television movie in 1996 featuring Nathan Lane, Courtney B. Vance and Mare Winningham. I say 'mildly effective' because the play has an extra layer of difficulty in that the humor is generated by the plight of its charactersthe audience laughs at the behavior and reactions of these damaged men, and without careful direction and acting skill, there could be guilt and self-loathing in the laughter rather than charm and warmth. The TV version fell victim to this, but STAGEright Theatre Company presents a beautiful rendering of the show under the direction of Jay D. Irwin.

BWW Reviews: DOUBLE INDEMNITY at ACT - Almost There

November 20, 2011

Being a fan of film-noir, I was delighted to have the opportunity to review "Double Indemnity," the final show of A Contemporary Theatre's 2011 season. Adapted from James M. Cain's 1936 novella, it's basically the same framework as his 1934 novel "The Postman Always Rings Twice." If you're unfamiliar with the storyline, I shan't spoil the fun.

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BWW Reviews: HAIRSPRAY at Seattle Musical Theatre - A Fabulous Cast Deserving to be Seen
November 14, 2011

The Broadway smash musical adaptation of John Waters' 1988 film, "Hairspray," has settled in for a four-week run at Seattle Musical Theatre. With book by Mark O'Donnell and legendary comedy writer Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, it has all the ingredients to be a toe-tapping, finger-snapping success.

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BWW Reviews: ANNIE GET YOUR GUN at VILLAGE THEATRE
November 14, 2011

Issaquah's Village Theatre has chosen the tuneful favorite "Annie Get Your Gun" for its holiday season show, with original book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields and music by the venerable Irving Berlin. Peter Stone's 1999 Broadway revival gently updated the script for modern audiences, removing most of the politically incorrect elements of 1946, and this is the version currently in residence on the Village Mainstage.

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BWW Reviews: DOUBLE INDEMNITY at ACT - Almost There
November 2, 2011

Being a fan of film-noir, I was delighted to have the opportunity to review "Double Indemnity," the final show of A Contemporary Theatre's 2011 season. Adapted from James M. Cain's 1936 novella, it's basically the same framework as his 1934 novel "The Postman Always Rings Twice." If you're unfamiliar with the storyline, I shan't spoil the fun.

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