Reviewing the Drama: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Ballet, Movies, and TV Reviews

The winners of the 88th Academy Awards have been announced. Herein, the full list of winners. (Winners are notated with an asterisk and bold typeface.) Best Picture The Big Short Bridge of Spies Brooklyn Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian The Revenant Room Spotlight * Yes! What a fabulous choice! This is everything a Best Picture should be: well-crafted, substantive, fantastic cast, and with something to say about our society. Excellent.   Best Actor in a Leading Role Bryan Cranston, Trumbo Matt Damon, The Martian Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant * Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl Y'all, I love Leo. It was all but a foregone conclusion that he was (FINALLY) going to win, and so the smart, thoughtful, passionate actor took the opportunity to craft a speech ahead of time. He not only spoke nicely about the professional achievement, but wove his work as an actor seamlessly into his work as an activist. Perfect speech for the best...

Winners for the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced. Winners are notated with bold typeface and an asterisk. Film Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Beasts of No Nation The Big Short Spotlight * Straight Outta Compton Trumbo  Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Bryan Cranston, Trumbo Johnny Depp, Black Mass Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant * Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl   Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Cate Blanchett, Carol Brie Larson, Room* Helen Mirren, Woman in Gold Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn Sarah Silverman, I Smile Back    Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Christian Bale, The Big Short Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation* Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies Michael Shannon, 99 Homes Jacob Tremblay, Room    Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Ro...

There's been Network . All the President's Men. The Newsroom . Last year's Nightcrawler . All look at the state of the fourth estate. They have different takes, but they make us confront what we expect of journalism. Tom McCarthy 's Spotlight  follows in that tradition, and it makes a powerful impact. Spotlight  (written by McCarthy and Josh Singer ) tells the true story of the Boston Globe reporters who broke the Boston church sex scandal in 2002. The four-reporter team made up the paper's Spotlight division, a vertical dedicated to long-form investigative journalism. There's the self-described player–coach, Walter "Robby" Robinson (Michael Keaton), and his three tenacious team members, Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James). The Globe  had covered pieces of the alleged sex scandal before, but when the new editor, Marty Baron ( Liev Schreiber ), arrives, he makes it a Spotlight pie...

Lupita Nyong'o to Star in Eclipsed Off-Broadway Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o ( 12 Years a Slave ) will star in the New York premiere of Eclipsed , written by Zimbabwean-American playwright and actress, Danai Guirra . The production was just added to the Public's season, and is set to run September 29 through November 8. Directed by Liesl Tommy , Eclipsed takes place during the Liberian Civil War, and focuses on the wives of rebel officers and the community they form. This will mark Nyong'o's New York stage debut. Spotlight on Spotlight Check out the trail for the new movie, Spotlight . The film follows Boston Globe reporters as they break the story of the Catholic church child abuse/sex scandal. The trailer makes it look like the film is paced like a thriller (reminiscent of Aaron Sorkin's approach to The Social Network , but without his trademark snappy dialogue), and boasts an impressive cast: Michael Keaton ( Birdman ); Mark Ruffalo ( Th...