Pinnacle’s “Lion” Roars Into Life

Pinnacle’s “The Lion in Winter” is a well-oiled machine full of good acting, good comedy, and an endearing zeal. It deserves a large and diverse audience. It is impossible to say what the historical Henry and Eleanor would think of their portrayal, but it’s obvious that “The Lion in Winter” is an enduring classic that can still present fresh material for a group of actors. Continue reading

Wasatch Theatre Company presents Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two”

Chapter Two is inspired by Simon’s own second marriage, after the death of his first wife, and the grief he still felt for her. “Doesn’t sound like a comedy,” you say? And you would be right. It’s not the subject that’s comedic, it’s the writing of it. In fact, most Neil Simon plays I’ve seen are basically depression and angst wrapped in wit, which isn’t a bad thing. I will admit I’m wary of “auto-biographical” pieces. Usually the author finds them much more interesting than the rest of us. But Simon obviously loved his second wife very much because in Jennie Malone, he wrote a character that was surprisingly interesting. Continue reading

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