DOCTOR STRANGE may have mystical superpowers, but still can be felled by one small act: a lame First Act. Hollywood producers are wrong when they tell screenwriters that the lead must be likable. No, not necessary. However, they must be relatable, the audience must be able to empathize. True, Dr. Stephen Strange is a flawed character, but without any explanation why he should be forgiven for acting like such an arrogant prick. He just is. But wait, isn't IRON MAN a insufferab

"The audience will not undergo anything the protagonist does not undergo. For the journey is the same, and the audience members understand themselves to be the protagonist—as, indeed, for the length of the evening they are, for the drama is their dream, put forward by their representative, the dramatist; and we know in our dreams each character stands for the dreamer." So proclaims David Mamet in his book, Theater, and, on this occasion, I agree with the dogmatic/problematic