Review: "An Enemy of the People"

Old play with modern relevance questions the sanctity of majority rule in light of unpopular truths.

It's brother (Boyd Gaines) against brother (Richard Thomas) in MTC's “An Enemy of the People.”

If you've never quite seen the appeal of Henrik Ibsen, that shouldn't keep you from trying "An Enemy of the People," his 1882 drama that's made more palatable to modern audiences by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and now onstage at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

The story follows a Norwegian scientist who discovers that the town's baths, its main source of income, are poisonous. In his quest to spread the word, he runs up against political powers with counterintuitive interests — and truth-telling becomes a task that threatens not only his reputation, but his family and friends as well.

Read the full review here. It runs in print in Metro tomorrow — free! — throughout NYC.

First Impressions: "Grace"

1. This was my view of "Grace" last night:

At first I was distracted and frustrated, but then I started wondering how often this tall, curly-haired girl blocking someone's view is ... me.

2. That sense of frustration wasn't helped by the fact that six — six! — phones rang during the performance last night, and that was just within my hearing range in the orchestra.

3. The plot of this "black comedy" boils down to a modern-day "Phantom of the Opera" in which Raoul is a murderous zealot and the phantom haunts a suburban condo complex in Central Florida. And Christine has straight hair, unlike certain people sitting in front of me.

(Don't worry, the points above are not spoilers. You learn them in the first two minutes.)

4. It also took me about an hour to realize the stage was rotating the entire time. I insist this be rendered gratuitous UNLESS the cast and crew spend at least one hour a week reenacting the march from "Les Miserables."

5. There's no intermission and only three women's bathroom stalls, so I suggest arriving in advance and "just trying" even if you're not sure you have to go. You can thank me later.

"Grace" deals with the concept of faith — not just when things are going good, but also (and especially) when things are going as bad as humanly possible (a la the parable of Job).

It opens tonight, Oct. 4, on Broadway. Check out www.metro.us/wellplayed for the full review tomorrow night. [Edit: Here it is!]