A Look Back at the Top-Rated Performances in the 2013 Humana Festival

Every year, theatregoers flock to Louisville, Kentucky for the Humana Festival of New American Plays. This festival brings to light new and innovative voices in the theatre world by opening up a space to preview new shows before they hit the big stages of cities like New York, L.A., and Chicago. This year, with new Artistic Director Les Waters at the helm, many of the plays have received impressive critical reviews. Here's a look at some of the top-rated performances so far.

Gnit

This play is a playful modern-day adaptation (or "mis-adaptation") of the highly regarded but rarely staged epic poem "Peer Gynt," which was originally written by the legendary Norwegian poet and playwright Henrik Ibsen. The contemporary version, written by celebrated writer Will Eno, takes its audience on a rollicking and somewhat offbeat journey through themes of humanity, love, and laziness. This is a critically acclaimed play, which the New York Times has called "superbly directed," and "a surprisingly crowd-pleasing (if still strange) work."

O Guru Guru Guru, or Why I Don't Want to Go to Yoga Class With You

Written by Mallery Avidon, this play is described as "a disarming look at the precarious process of becoming yourself."
The show takes aim at the corporate culture behind our current North American obsession with Yoga, and examines the dark side of our thirst for the spiritual secrets of far-off lands. Critics have called this play "charming, entertaining, and creative," as well as plain old "cheeky fun."

Appropriate

This production, which the New York Times has called "highly entertaining and provocative," is a complex family drama that explores themes of racism, emotional repression, and family rivalries. The script, written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, is said to be sharp and funny, while the acting has been called "terrific."

The Delling Shore

This dark comedy has received a warm welcome from audiences and critics alike. Written by Sam Marks, whom Louisville's own WFPL radio has called "savagely funny," this production tells the story of a disastrous reunion between two aging novelists. The play tells a complex tale of failure, frustration, loss, and redemption.

Cry Old Kingdom

Although this play did not review as well as some of the others, it is a new work from first-time professional writer Jeff Augustin, which has been called a "promising debut."

The play takes its audience to Haiti back in 1964, and tells a highly political story of three people who are struggling to get the most out of life under a repressive government regime. Seeing this play could be a chance to see the work of one of the America's top up-and-coming playwrights before he achieves critical success.

Many of the plays from previous Humana Festivals have gone on to win Pulitzer prizes and be adapted to television and film. Who knows which of this year's shows will see this type of success? With a ticket to one of this festival's plays, you might end up seeing one of America's next great plays, or even the first stages of a new Hollywood blockbuster.