That's right, the new Noh Play Nue. Try saying that three times fast!

Noh Plays are an ancient form of Japanese theater that has been around since the 1400s. Like other dramatic art forms from centuries ago, Noh theater was practiced by male actors who wore theater masks to portray different characters: brave warriors, pious monks, beautiful maidens, frightening ghosts, and mysterious monsters.

The New National Theater in Tokyo recently premiered a new adaptation of Zeami Motokiyo's play, titled Nue. This reworking of a Japanese classic begins with traditional Noh elements, including a mythical creature that appears as a woman but is actually a monkey-badger-tiger-snake monster. (How awesome is that?) However, in the second part of the play takes place at an airport in Vietnam. The story integrates contemporary characters, mingling with the mystical forces of the past.

Read more about Nue at Japan Times Online.

I've read the play. I've watched the Henry Fonda version. I've watched the Jack Lemmon version of Twelve Angry Men from the 1990s.

Each time I experience Reginald Rose's sweltering, claustrophobia-inducing drama, I waffle. Sometimes I think the 19 year old defendant is obviously guilty. Other times I side with the compassionate Juror #8, the man who convinces the rest that there is reasonable doubt. Of course it is the intentional ambiguity that makes Twelve Angry Jurors (that's the gender neutral title) such a compelling piece of dramatic literature.

Study the "evidence" the play and decide for yourself.

American theater-goers must feel the same way, because the play will be returning to Manhattan, fresh from its spring production at the Long Wharf Theatre in Connecticut. Although the mother and son character argue and yell, much of this drama's power stems from the shy, quiet character Laura.

Learn more about the characters from The Glass Menagerie.

My favorite show to watch on Independence Day is Meredith Wilson's The Music Man. Yes, I know it doesn't have much to do with our nation's independence -- in fact it's about a singing con-artist. However, because of the fireworks, the picnics, and the Mainstreet U.S.A. setting, the film has become a 4th of July tradition for me and my family.

I was just reading about Broadway Junior's version of The Music Man Jr., and while I was visiting their website, I discovered a wonderful resource for drama teachers and theater students. At Broadway Junior's "Audition Central," visitors can read character profiles and short scenes in order to prepare for auditions. Their kid friendly musicals range from Annie to Willy Wonka Junior, and "Audition Central" gives young performers all the insight they need to land a leading role. Good idea, Broadway Junior!