New Reviews: Poetry & Drama

Allen Ginsberg was one of the important poets of the last century, and any opportunity to survey his substantial oeuvre is welcome. Narrator Greg D. Barnett is strong on the meaning and emotional content of the poems. Mispronunciations will take some listeners out of the poems, many of which are distinctly embedded in the political and spiritual events of Ginsberg's time. Other... Read More

Hugo Armstrong and Joanne Whalley lead an exceptional cast of L.A. Theatre Works regulars in this story of a dysfunctional family bravely attempting not to be dysfunctional. The play's conversational dialogue reveals a tense reunion that is gathered around a brilliant, overbearing patriarch (Armstrong) who is dying from late-stage Parkinson's disease and is about to receive a... Read More

In this penetrating audio adaptation of Ken Narasaki's 2008 play, an 80-year-old WWII veteran suffers a stroke and lies in bed unable to speak. Showcasing a fine cast of Japanese American voice actors, the story shifts seamlessly from the man's memories of the battlefield to a desolate, wind-beaten internment camp where, years earlier, two teens, portrayed by John Miyasaki and... Read More

A talented cast of voice actors, including playwright Barrie Kreinik, dazzle in this audio original. The play tells the story of Eva Le Gallienne, a queer actor and director who founded a repertory theater in New York City in the 1920s. Her work revolutionized theater, but she struggled to keep her creation going during the Depression. She also had trouble balancing her... Read More

Tayi Tibble's strong New Zealand accent may get in the way of clear comprehension of these poems for some listeners, at least until their ears have a chance to adjust. The sprinkling of Maori words adds to the atmosphere of the collection. The works focus--not always literally--on the poet's experiences making her way between her Maori culture and that of the European-descended... Read More

Leila Mottley, poet laureate of Oakland, California, delivers her poetry collection with unabashed energy. She addresses the cultural nuances of womanhood, Blackness, love, and futurism. Her narration is vibrant, rhythmic, clear, and straightforward. There are dramatic moments--for example, her use of repetition in the final poem when she says the word "resurrect" repeatedly as... Read More