STAGE LIFE by Martin Tackel Strives to Tackle Life Behind the Curtain at the Lion Theater

STAGE LIFE is an ambitious and intelligent gambit for gaining a glimpse into the lives of playwright, actors, producers, directors, etc., whose roles in the theater are masked behind their productions.  While often insightfully razor-sharp to the angsts and misgivings that congeal into a theatrical performance, it was oftentimes clotted by its own cleverness.  As Oscar Wilde said, "I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single of what I'm saying."  Wilde was one of many famous playwrights whose witticism were often quoted.  Some of the other great playwrights quoted were Thornton Wilder, Tennessee Willliams and William Shakespeare.  The play contended live theater is the consummate art form with wizened wit.  Thorton Wilder expressed it best "I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms.  The most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being."  The One Act 90 minute play packed a lot of punch in what felt like a sparring match with multiple rounds.  Some of the jabs connected with more impact than others. The acting classed led by Sanford Meisner (Broadway veteran Stuart Zagnit) was an entertaining insight into what transpires and what's required of an actor.  Meisner's method shared Konstantin Stanislavsky's goal for the actor see the world through the eyes of the character they're portraying.  The 6 actors in their time played many parts.  "In the Throes" adapted from a story by Dorothy Parker about writer's block missed the mark.  "The Critics" landed a resounding whack parodying the pompousness of critics.  "Memorial to a Bad Man" was an exercise in melodrama for which Stanislavsky was heard shouting from his grave "I don't believe you!"  STAGE LIFE was a broad stretch into the vast canvas of a thespian society; a magnified microcosm of life.  I choose to praise the outweighed fragmented scenes that succeed rather than knock the play with its flaws.  Martin Tackel's creative adaption was clipped paced & entertaining.   Tennessee William's writing was pushed by the negative. "The apparent failure of a play sends me back to my typewriter that night before the reviews."  This pompous critic left feeling contrite and humbled by the workings of STAGE LIFE.