The Unqualified Theater Critic – Shining City at Quotidian Theatre Company

I will freely admit that this is a bit of a first for The Unqualified One. I have never aspired to be a theater critic, despite my long-time association with the dramatic arts. Nonetheless, I saw a play last night which reminded me of the reasons behind my relationship with the stage, and inspired strong feelings about what I saw. So while I may not bring you the thoroughly indoctrinated (and similarly informed) critical perspective of The New York Times’ Ben Brantley, and I lack the gravelly mellifluousness of NPR’s Bob Mondello, here are my thoughts on Conor McPherson’s “Shining City” as directed by Jack Sbarbori and staged by the Quotidian Theatre Company.

Ah, the sights and smells. Walking into Bethesda’s The Writer’s Center brought back a flood of memories regarding my high school drama days. The minimally decorated set, smell of sawdust, the institutionally white walls of the center that charitably call to mind a 1960s-era library, all reminded me that theater can be at its best when it is desperate and a bit hungry. Quotidian is a small theater company that specializes in naturalistic and impressionist drama. The Tony-nominated “Shining City”, while supernaturally tinged, is a rumination on secrecy and guilt that works best at its barest and most human.