Culture Corner: Review of Conversations in Tusculum

The country you love and the values it represents are being destroyed by a misguided leader. You can continue to live in relative comfort by not involving yourself, or you can take action to save the democracy you love. Set outside of Rome in the villas and hillsides of Tusculum, Richard Nelson continues his revelatory exploration of history with a new play that chronicles those entangled in Julius Caesar’s world of manipulation and power.

First of all, check out the awesome view from my seat, which vibrated because the theater is on top of the 6 train. Super relaxing. Then, a big shout out to me right in the very beginning when they mentioned a character from Utica. Holla! The cast was absolutely fantastic and I think that it is a testament to the talent of the actors that the production could be staged simply with no big sets and minimal props. I was surprised to see that Aidan Quinn is giving Brian Dennehy a run for the title of "the biggest man in the cast" - and he might be winning.

Overall, the play was good and I am glad that I went, but I didn't love it.

Celebrity Sighting: Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Outside the theater, smoking a cigarette and drinking something cold from Starbucks. I wasn't sure if it was him or not, but I read that he is directing a different play at the Public Theater so I think it had to be him. Let's just say he was dressed very casually so I thought he might be a vagrant. Oops.