If you think the Cincinnati Playhouse is just a place to see good mainstream theater, you need to re-examine your attitude. It’s also garden where inventive new plays are launched. Last season’s The History of Invulnerability (about Superman’s comic book creator) just won a national prize as one of the best new plays of 2010. And the current production of Carson Kreitzer’s Behind the Eye seems to be a good candidate to pull in more national recognition
The Shelterhouse show, a true story about a fashion model who became a World War II photojournalist, is a remarkably theatrical script that pulls out all the stops in terms of grabbing an audience’s attention with unexpected moments and a dazzling cast. Sarah Agnew’s portrait of the remarkable Lee Miller is memorable, and the supporting cast of four multiply themselves into at least a dozen quirky historical figures who were intimates of the American ex pat — including Pablo Picasso and avant garde photographer Man Ray. This might be the best play (among many excellent productions) onstage at the Playhouse this season.
Behind the Eye, presented by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, continues through May 1. Go here to read Rick Pender's full review.
