Word: bial
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Director Henry Bial takes a weak and slightly cliched script and turns it into a engaging play. He transforms the dilapidated basement of Cabot into a convincing inner-city bus stop with the addition of cinder blocks and a graffiti-covered public telephone. The small space works to his advantage because it intensifies the actors' claustrophobia. Bial's blocking follows through on this theme--Joey and Murph circle each other as they chant their song and gradually encircle the Indian after stealing his picture...
...stem from Horovitz's script. Horovitz has the characters screaming just a little too much. Additionally, Horovitz uses weak devices which burden the plot. At one point, Murph inexplicably leaves the stage so that Gupta and Joey can have their big scene. His departure destroys the closed-in atmosphere Bial successfully builds...
Granted, the issues in Fool for Love do not lend themselves to easy dramatization. But Cabranes-Grant has failed to present the sort of realistic atmosphere that Shepard's script demands. Bial, on the other hand, buoyed by impressive acting, invigorates Horovitz's imperfect script...
...Bial finds the right blend of moralizing and merriment in the last one-act, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss. Here the various citizen Whos take turns telling the tale, and both Bial and the cast skillfully intersperse the traditional storyline about the primacy of Christmas cheer with some inspired character choices. Lithgow expertly mimics the accent and demeanor of Jimmy Stewart, and Rainey's Robin [Leach] Who provides a humorous urbanity. Kanter's [Nazi] Doktor Who is splendidly drawn. "Und he whipped him und beat him," she exclaims, practically drooling in her excitement over the Grinch...
...Grinch Stole Christmas provides a perfect cap to the evening's entertainment, combining innovation and humor with a healthy little moral. Although Bial's execution is not perfect throughout these three one-acts, one cannot fault his Christmas vision...