A Pair of Current Happenings

There are a pair of shows that opened last week that I meant to mention earlier here on the blog. They both sound cool so I thought I’d give ‘em a little shout-out:

• The Main(e) Play: This is the latest from playwright Chad Beckim (‘nami, Lights Rise on Grace) and the rest of the crew at Partial Comfort Productions (Nelson, …a matter of choice), about a pair of brothers who come to blows during a Thanksgiving holiday visit. Chad is a wonderfully talented writer who specializes in what he calls “bare-knuckle theater.” If you’ve seen anything by him or Partial Comfort, you’ll know what he means. Michael Gladis (from TV’s Mad Men) and Alexander Alioto star. The play runs at Theater Row’s Lion Theatre until February 9th.
• The Ted Haggard Monologues: This is a new solo show written and performed by Michael Yates Crowley in which he portrays nine different characters in an hour-long fictionalization of the Ted Haggard gay sex scandal. Talk about topical. Talk about chutzpah! But it seems Crowley has what takes to pull this off, as evidenced by my buddy Martin Denton’s glowing review. For me, Martin’s word is golden, so I have no doubt this show is worth checking out. It runs until February 9th at Collective Unconscious.