The Great Conjurer...

is a new play adapted from the art and life of Franz Kafka by Christine Simpson. I saw the staged reading of it, presented by Fluid Motion Theater and Film, Inc. at the ArcLight Theatre on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Elegant design and direction by Kevin Bartlett.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect. By half-time, I thought, if this is representative of young theater in NYC, then it is a vibrant, exciting, new scene, indeed. Very well-written, the play reminded me of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George.

I was surprised by the homoerotic sequence, not that there was anything wrong with it...

Sue Jean Kim delivered an impressive, mature performance, displaying a wide range compared to her turn as the hilarious Korean student in this past spring's production of Julia Cho's play BFE at Playwrights Horizons.

I'm a bit confused by the program, so I'm not sure who played Franz, but he was quite winning as the tortured writer in love. Emily McNamara was appealing and funny as his exasperated love interest.

Mr. Sachs, (Tony's dad) who was sitting next to me, turned to me right after it was over and said, "Hey, that was pretty good!" with a big grin. I answered, "It was very good!"

For more info, please visit...
www.fluid-motion.org