BWW Reviews: Strong Ensemble Makes the Most of Philadelphia Theatre Company's SEMINAR

Theresa Rebeck's (Pulitzer Prize nominee and creator of NBC's Smash) Seminar follows four aspiring novelists in Manhattan who form a weekly writing seminar under the fallible guidance of a renowned and callous literary expert. Sharing chapters from a few hours' work or several years' worth of painstaking effort leads to brutal critiques and new revelations. Vulnerabilities are exposed, loyalties shift and plots are afoot - the creative process has never been so fictitiously juicy.

Philadelphia Theatre Company's production of Seminar features a wonderful ensemble cast including Philadelphia favorites Geneviéve Perrier as the tenacious and stereotypically female novelist Kate and Luigi Sottile as the well-connected and almost-published writer Douglas. They are joined by Broadway regular Rufus Collins as the unorthodox literary professor, Leonard.

With a solid cast and a well-executed set design (Kevin Rigdon), this production had lots going for it. Unfortunately, the play lacks the promised humorous repartee and quick wit. Shock value, petty drama and an abundance of abstract academic references do not a good plot make.

Performances of Seminar by the Philadelphia Theatre Company run through April 14. For tickets and more information, visit www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.

Photo credit: Mark Garvin