Still a 'Shear' Treasure
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Theater critic Peter Marks, writing along with other Post critics about how much or little influence they have on audiences [Style, July 1], took a gratuitous shot at the Kennedy Center's long-running production of "Shear Madness."
I first saw this play about 20 years ago. Since then, whenever I am faced with a slate of mediocre shows in town, I have always taken my out-of-town guests to see it. Since it's kept politically and locally current, the guests usually can't rave enough about it. But for me, its quality is always dependent on the cast.
His comment that "no amount of critical dismissal has dislodged it from its Kennedy Center perch" leads me to believe that Mr. Marks missed the weekend performances last Christmas and New Year's Day. (I had different guests for each weekend, and the prices for tickets to the National Theatre were prohibitive.)
As a native New Yorker, I grew up with Broadway, going back to Ethel Merman in "Annie, Get Your Gun" and "Gypsy" and the days of Judy Garland at the Palace. I can't remember any show at which the patrons stood on their seats to applaud, as we all did for the cast of "Shear Madness" on those two weekends -- that is, if we could stop laughing. It deserves to have a permanent spot.
NATALIE ARONSOHN
North Bethesda
