The New York Times, Big Vision on Infectious

Though it has more than a few reservations about the script and direction (it is, after all, what one would call a mixed review), The New York Times weighs in on Infectious Opportunity, ultimately giving lead actress Jessi Gotta a whole lotta love:

"Jessi Gotta [is] the best reason to see this drama about a high-flying screenwriter and the appalling secret he hides. … The script gives the best moments to Ms. Gotta, and she makes the most of them. … This story of a writer has several good moments, made all the better when his psyche steps onstage."

We also got a great deal of love from Big Vision Empty Wallet not once, but twice, with both write-ups from two different writers each giving the show an "A."

Anyway, the run's been going quite well, if I do say so myself. Big houses, overall positive reviews, and overall positive responses from audience members.

In short, yeah, I'm happy with how the run is going and want more people to come see what we've done.

We've got two performances left – this Friday at 2pm and this Saturday at 10:15pm – so you have until Thursday afternoon and Friday night respectively to buy your tickets.

Ready to make out with you in the lobby,

James "The Professional Face of Nosedive" Comtois

Photos by Daryl Lathon.

The Little One and Yours Truly in the NY Times

Jason Zinoman has written an article in the New York Times about the emergence of horror-based theatre in all its varied forms, which features Yours Truly nattering about horror films and The Little One throughout. You can also read my homies Qui Nguyen and Clay McLeod Chapman talk about their different angles for showing—or not showing—violence and the macabre for the stage.

Putting the scawwy back in scary,

James "Stage Monster" Comtois

Isaac Butler's Open Letter to the Times

Well, I'm slowly digesting the delicious feast that my cousin Vance and his girlfriend Laura prepared for our family and deciding to stop my holiday hiatus to point out Mr. Isaac Butler throwing down the gauntlet before the New York Times and specifically Charles Isherwood in his open letter here.

Isaac writes:

"Isherwood is a vacuous and uninteresting writer. He prefers being clever to being incisive, and venerating himself as a writer over looking at the work he has been tasked to see. And his "think pieces" at the Times- one of which is represented by this column- are usually stuff that has less thought behind it than the average post to be found on the Internet on various theatrical blog sites. Isherwood's idea of serious commentary is to criticize Cherry Jones for being miscast, say that the Coast of Utopia is dull, or talk about how great it is not to go to the theatre."

Read the whole thing here.

Do I have a lot to add? No, not really. Isaac's pretty much said it all. Although I'm not particularly worked up over this as some...

(at this late in the game, I'm about as disinterested in the Times as the Times is in me; that's not so much sour grapes as it is realizing that my ability to continue to stage work and having said work get seen, reviewed and discussed has nothing to do with the Newspaper of Record.)

...I've been repeatedly underwhelmed with Mr. Isherwood's assessments, insights and writing abilities. In other words, I've always thought he was (is) a subpar reviewer and a subpar arbiter of taste and art.

Anyway, I figured you should check out Isaac's post.

You may resume the rest of your holiday feasting.

Already checking for leftovers,

James "Lil' Piggy" Comtois