Monday, April 10, 2006

Theatre critic's dichotomy

Standard theatre critic's dichotomy - if you don't like the pointless bloodshed of The Lieutenant of Inishmore then you must therefore be a philistine who only enjoys unchallenging, "old-fashioned" fare.

Charles Isherwood demonstrates:
Theatergoers with a taste for things traditional - imposing, naturalistic sets; pretty period costumes; tidy narratives with a surprise twist or two - can take comfort in "Tryst," a suspense drama of a distinctly old-fashioned stamp that opened last night at the Promenade Theater. No bloody bodies are dismembered and no cats are harmed in the course of this new play by Karoline Leach, making it a safe option for the "Inishmore"-skittish crowds.