Comments (0) Most Overrated Theater Company - 2000
American Conservatory Theater
OK, OK, we greatly admired The Invention of Love, and The Threepenny Opera, while uneven, had some commendable features, but what was Two Pianos, Four Hands doing at ACT? (Maybe the company meant it as a light sorbet to cleanse the palate between The Invention of Love and The House of Mirth. It tasted more like a cheap, sticky gumdrop.) And don't even get us started on Wrong Mountain. Artistic Director Carey Perloff seems more interested in the intellect than in passion -- Invention had both, but it was an exception -- and in drama, you neglect passion at your (actually, the audience's) peril. The ACT MFA productions, which can be a mixed bag, actually display a greater love of acting and theater, and a bigger sense of risk and exploration, than anything on the main stage -- and at much lower ticket prices. Here's hoping Carey can learn something from the MFA program.
