Krapp 39 really should be unbearable. Who's up for an 80 minute solo show about some frustrated actor dude's pre-midlife crisis, written and performed by that very same soi-disant artiste? But Michael Laurence's play, which won the award for Outstanding Solo Show at the 2008 Fringe Festival, is a work of brave and vulnerable beauty that succeeds despite its seemingly off-putting subject matter. That Laurence somehow coaxes the audience to care about and even identify with a floundering New York theater actor speaks volumes about his warmth and charm—which is doubly impressive considering he usually gets cast as the homeless drifter. more ›