The 43rd Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville

BWW Review: EVERYBODY BLACK at Actors Theatre Of Louisville

Everybody Black is a play. On a stage. But it actually comes off like a series of television programs that one might come across channel surfing in a fit of insomnia; a fever dream of sorts in which the sleepless viewer has mysteriously slipped into a different world than they remember.

BWW Review: HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF at Actors Theatre Of Louisville

There is nothing more infuriating than attempting several times to solve the same problem over and over again. Trying different methods and seeking advice from assorted perspectives might help lighten the burden but yields satisfying conclusions and closure. What about when it's in our culture? Where smiles are demanded of girls, hugs are forced upon children, a sexual assault prompts finger pointing at everything including what was worn by the victim, yet the assailant walks away with a slap on the wrist. How do you fix this culture? How do you solve this systemic problem? How to Defend yourself, the most recent installment at the 43rd annual Humana Festival of New American Plays asks these questions while acknowledging hard realities.

BWW Review: THE THIN PLACE at Actors Theatre Of Louisville

As soon as I saw Lucas Hnath's name on the docket for this current season's Humana Festival, I knew immediately which show I most wanted to see. The fact that there was a supernatural aspect to it was an added bonus. I'm happy to report that I don't feel that my anticipation was wasted.

BWW Review: THE CORPSE WASHER at Actors Theatre Of Louisville

A young man is raised with the expectation that he will follow in his father's footsteps, working in the trade and carrying on an important tradition, but instead, he wants to follow his own path and become an artist. It is a classic coming-of-age narrative of a generational and cultural shift that is common enough in Western literature. By finding the same conflict in an Iraqi family, Sinan Antoon's The Corpse Washer shows just how universal fundamental storytelling forms can be.

BWW Review: WE'VE COME TO BELIEVE at Actors Theatre Of Louisville

I keep finding that theatre, even revivals of classic plays, is more often than not, about the moment. Whatever side of the aisle you find yourself, we all seem to agree that America is as divided as it has ever been, and each side has taken to viewing the other with collective disbelief. 'How can they THINK that?' has become a daily reaction.