Email Author Ronald Mangravite

2003 Stories by Ronald Mangravite

• Post-War Parting

  published December 25, 2003

  Uh oh. When I learn that a screenwriter has just written a play, I usually look for a place to hide. Many, no, most successful writers fall... More >>

• My Very Old Havana

  published December 11, 2003

  Change is a funny thing. Some of it is dramatic, embodied in single moments -- a wedding, a birth, a terrorist attack. But a whole lot of change... More >>

• Tomorrow Never Dies

  published December 4, 2003

  The holidays are upon us, and with them comes the annual choice of whether to surrender to or resist their cheery traditions. Clearly intent on... More >>

• Sibling Disharmony

  published November 27, 2003

  The past is prologue," goes the old saying, but for much of the theater, ancient and modern, the past isn't even past. Many plays have been... More >>

• Bat Boy:

  published November 13, 2003

  Music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe. Presented through November 23. Call 305-751-0562. More >>

• Death Takes

  published November 6, 2003

  Life certainly has its daily struggles, but these tend to distract from the really big issues that sooner or later we all must face: Why are we... More >>

• Shrink Rapt

  published October 30, 2003

  Having your share of woes in the dating wars? Consider yourself lucky you're not one of the characters in Beyond Therapy, the scathing... More >>

• Top Goat

  published October 23, 2003

  Whew! Be careful what you wish for. If you have seen as many bland South Florida shows as I have, you may start hoping to find something really... More >>

• Lost in Space

  published October 16, 2003

  The Actors Playhouse has a serious personality conflict. The Coral Gables company is known as a purveyor of cheerful lightweight entertainment... More >>

• Loooong Day's Journey

  published October 9, 2003

  Talk about counterprogramming. South Florida playgoers tired of lightweight modern plays and musicals can find some heavy -- really heavy -- drama... More >>

• Wan West

  published October 2, 2003

  You wouldn't think it nowadays, but there was a time -- not so long ago -- when Sam Shepard was the king of American theater. His vision of... More >>

• Voices of War

  published September 25, 2003

  War may be hell, but we humans love to hear stories about it. Think back on the history of theater, of movies, of literature. The war story is... More >>

• Reality Theater

  published September 18, 2003

  One of the lamentable aspects of modern American life is the absence of political discourse in public life. "Never talk about politics or... More >>

• Teach Me Tonight

  published September 11, 2003

  Local theater fans have often griped about the state of the stage here in South Florida, and readers of this column will recognize me as one of... More >>

• Lip Service

  published September 4, 2003

  What a difference two years can make. It has been that long (that short, really) since the Sol Theatre of Fort Lauderdale made its debut with a... More >>

• Get Naked

  published August 21, 2003

  One of the intriguing aspects of the South Florida stage scene is the "branding" of the many resident companies here. Instead of cherry-picking... More >>

• A Half-Life in the Theater

  published August 7, 2003

  Having breakfast with theatrical producer Jay H. Harris is like taking a quick trip to Broadway. We are noshing at Lester's, a retro diner in Fort... More >>

• The Modern Bard

  published July 31, 2003

  If plays were drinks, the New Theatre's Twelfth Night or As You Will would certainly be a New Age smoothie. Rafael de Acha and company have... More >>

• Yea Pride

  published July 10, 2003

  Part of the trick of producing plays is not only deciding what to stage but when. Some shows work better in the fall than the summer, some are... More >>

• Iago, You Bastard

  published July 3, 2003

  One thing you have to say about the New Theatre: It's not afraid to take on gigantic plays. Rafael De Acha's troupe has assayed such monsters... More >>

• Play Musty for Me

  published June 26, 2003

  In South Florida, summer shows, like summer clothes, tend toward lightweight informality. So it's not surprising that the Stage Door Theatre in... More >>

• And Now, Let the Heat Begin

  published June 19, 2003

  Never mind the calendar; summer arrives in South Florida when City Theatre rolls out its annual festival of short plays, "Summer Shorts... More >>

• Rough Trade

  published June 12, 2003

  Of all the stage companies in South Florida, the Edge Theatre is perhaps the best-named. Jim Tommaney's ragtag outfit has survived for many years... More >>

• No Cloning Around!

  published June 5, 2003

  What does it take to succeed on Broadway these days? Nobody has the exact answer to that question, but many think they do. One long-standing... More >>

• The Nuanced Road Taken

  published May 29, 2003

  Sometimes a few wrong turns can balance themselves out. That seems to be the happy circumstance with Palm Beach Dramaworks' vivid revival of South... More >>