The African-American Shakespeare Company version of Julius Caesar was effective, in part because the love of the original language seemed palpable.

This show is hugely effective, in part because Matt R. Harrington and Kimiye Corwin deliver flawless performances. Moreover, the richly appointed set, costuming, and music interspersed between what passes for individual acts take this play to a whole new level.

The centerpiece is an impressive performance by David Strathairn; one that anchors the production with much needed levity, and sly charm. He's a bit aloof we're led to believe - "Bloomsday"? It's also the first show I've seen to reference Canadian Tire.

This extended duration provided the cast with time to ripen into these roles – making the the work like a perfectly ripe fruit, bursting the skin at this week’s opening for audience delectation.

This flicker of intelligence ended in act II, which proffered a steady drumbeat of bad dinosaur rock. Suffice to say if you’ve had enough of the '70s, you’ll cringe at Toy Story 3.

By the time slacker Bradley is crawling, semi-chasing Vince through the house in an attempt to recover his prosthetic leg, the family is in full blown exorcism mode. The rain falls harder. Cleansing is underway.

There's a neat trick involving puppets at the beginning of the show, which repeats at the end under a striking moon lit evening sky. Once again, there's no shortage of creativity on Addison.

Gloria McDonald and Sara Luna lead a superb cast of four that capture the just the right tone of comic desperation without ever lapsing into annoying caricature.

Exquisite costumes, imaginative lighting, and video artistry evidence the incredible work poured into this production. Particularly compelling were the set designs, which were dominated by architectural components.

The staging is right out of Architectural Digest. Minimalist, with soaring frosted glass flanking an austere hardwood stage, the juxtaposition against sun-soaked scenes in Israel alongside the Sea of Galilee, make for striking visuals, imagined and otherwise.