Review: In ‘Love in Hate Nation,’ the Revolution Will Not Be Scrutinized

I was told by a former producer type in the building who seems to know such things there was, as a general rule, a real reluctance in theater back then (maybe still) to do a commercial run of an off-Broadway revue that was dependent on a specific person being in the cast (in that case, Joe Iconis himself was integral). It certainly limits ability to have more than the one production if the revue became a hit - so hard to maximize the project's financial upside when finding investors. He said he's pretty sure Joe Iconis lives in our complex. (meaning our building complex; "complex" was not a Jen Tepper blacklist reference, LOL). I've seen him on the block, but it feels like everyone's been on this block. And since "Little Shop" opened down the street, it's become starry as all get out here.

It just does seem that the theater is behind the rest of the country on human rights, though. There was a "Big City" article on the Rockettes last year, who in effect got by for decades on a need for the look being the same for all the Rockettes, for example. (even for people who report things to Equity; they essentially feel: go prove it was because of that). So much in live theater employment and use of talent is so subjective, no objective standards, not based on who's most qualified but who's right subjectively for the look onstage or whatever - that producers like Jen and the Viertels just feel Human Rights rules are for other people, not theater. Maybe the correction is drastic the last few years, though, with a non-Asian Tuptim getting "yellowface" screamed while she performs like seems to be a reaction as if the actress cast herself.) I don't know why Jen and the Viertels think smear campaigns are OK on social media, but they do. And here since 2017, ugly social media stuff is now being used even on their critics. It was only Viertel and Tepper shows until June 2019, then others caught onto this odious tactic, like the Hugh Jackman show at the bGarden and the Dave Chappelle show this summer. They clearly feel human rights laws like retaliation, or even just plain decency to human beings, just don't apply and it seems to be knee jerk. These liberals jumped on the Trump bandwagon.

Just a thought related to that: Maybe that's an advance that's not talked about enough, that we've made in this inclusion era for theater; Now millennial white non-disabled female producers can oppress artists just like the rich older white producers do. It's something.

Uh oh, it feels like Jen Tepper has brought her patented brand of "destroy the human being's character rather than address the content" shilling (which she lends out to her boss' brother at Encores every single show since 2017 when there's not a rave) to my beloved favorite NJ theater - the only one which says it's near the train and IS actually near the train. (Paper Mill also is near distance-wise from the Millburn station, but it's easy to get lost on that walk unless a crowd is walking with you, which they always are AFTER the show, though. NJ Rep in Long Branch and George Street in New Brunswick also do such great work, but they're only a walk from the train for in-shape under 40s; plan on a cab but go enjoy.) But why is this great theater having this producer's hate tactics associated with it? She even tried to aim it at the Tonys show for a small faux pas, but luckily the gifted Joe Icnois took the high road while the producers wallowed in social media mud. Took great scouting talent for Jen Tepper to supposedly discover Joe Iconis after everyone else had been cheering this gifted artist, and with his group already having a Times mega-rave in hand from 2008!

I forgot to mention the McCarter, always win a par with NYC, but always needs leaving from NYC way early: The Princeton station is right there, even I can walk it without getting ,lost. But the cutely-named "Dinky" Train from Princeton Junction to Princeton usually does not wait if your train from NYC runs late, though. (Apparently, other things go on at Princeton University besides first-class theater. The producer who guided "Hadestown" so carefully was there for years and her successors never let it falter. But if you're early, once you've toured the college once, there's nothing to do but walk around the nice bodega and eat.).

@Katie Two things: 1. A straight, white, cis man wrote the show. Every word and note. Perhaps a collaborator? 2. Tootsie is closing. It was a flop.