By John Heilpern 10/22/01 12:00am

The Original George and Martha Come to the Great White Way

Notes toward enjoying August Strindberg’s grotesque tragicomedy or marital blood sport, Dance of Death, starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren as Edgar and Alice in perfect, abusive harmony:

You won’t want to miss these two great actors at the top of their game, that’s for sure. But my surprise in seeing the renowned play for Read More

By John Heilpern 3/26/01 12:00am

A New Design for Living, but Noël Coward Gets Killed

The buzz word in Noël Coward’s 1932 Design for Living , the word he noticeably uses many times, is

“gay.” “Frightfully” and “dreadfully” do not count; they are the Cowardesque

equivalent to punctuation. He was, of course, using “gay” in its frothy,

old-fashioned sense-happy, light-hearted, having or inducing high spirits.

Gaiety is all, and all Read More