Every week, I compose listings on the week's new plays for Metromix NY. I'm often disappointed by the titles that playwrights choose for their work, so I'm reviewing their titles now. Not the shows (I haven't seen them yet) just the titles. To read about the content of each show, click through its link to my listings on Metromix NY.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIG GAY DANCE PARTY
Generally, you see this sort of overelaborate, comically titillating title at festival shows, especially the Fringe. I admire & commend the impulse to stand out, to communicate the show's tone, and to describe precisely what it delivers―it's the sort of audience consideration that most playwrights ignore (and thus this column!). Maybe one's trying a little too hard, but damn it, it does sound like fun!
THE PIED PIPERS OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE
Now this is a great title: memorable, descriptive, and specific to the show. “Pied Pipers” has a touch of whimsy & makes you wonder who the pipers are. “Lower East Side” has a specific set of attributes―a cool balance of classic NYC ethnicity & 21st-century gentrification―that suggest a rich backdrop. It's even free verse pentameter!
SECRETS OF THE TRADE
What sort of trade? It could be plumbing or prostitution, a swap of athletes or stocks. This title doesn't quite tell you enough to be tempting, but the promise of secrets are always good.
WIFE TO JAMES WHELAN
A clunky one, with no syncopation. The odd grammatical structure guides the attention away from the named character to an unnamed one & to the status of the marriage itself. It's trying to be clever but not quite succeeding.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIG GAY DANCE PARTY
Generally, you see this sort of overelaborate, comically titillating title at festival shows, especially the Fringe. I admire & commend the impulse to stand out, to communicate the show's tone, and to describe precisely what it delivers―it's the sort of audience consideration that most playwrights ignore (and thus this column!). Maybe one's trying a little too hard, but damn it, it does sound like fun!
THE PIED PIPERS OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE
Now this is a great title: memorable, descriptive, and specific to the show. “Pied Pipers” has a touch of whimsy & makes you wonder who the pipers are. “Lower East Side” has a specific set of attributes―a cool balance of classic NYC ethnicity & 21st-century gentrification―that suggest a rich backdrop. It's even free verse pentameter!
SECRETS OF THE TRADE
What sort of trade? It could be plumbing or prostitution, a swap of athletes or stocks. This title doesn't quite tell you enough to be tempting, but the promise of secrets are always good.
WIFE TO JAMES WHELAN
A clunky one, with no syncopation. The odd grammatical structure guides the attention away from the named character to an unnamed one & to the status of the marriage itself. It's trying to be clever but not quite succeeding.
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