Timing is everything. The Boston University College of Fine Arts showcased some astounding talent in their recent production of Assassins by musical genius Stephen Sondheim. Concluding their year-long “Keyword: Violence” festival, the CFA program explores America’s famous (and not so famous) assassins through their stories and motives, but, more importantly, the show offers a compelling […]
Michel Tremblay has mommy issues. The more of his work that I see, the more I recognize the loving but fraught tension that drives young writers to write about their mothers. In the beautiful, hopeful and inventive For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, Tremblay recreates his mother in exuberant, true, and positive detail. In […]
If you were to do a search of the most commonly used phrases on this website, one of the top hits would undoubtedly be “mixed bag”. I use the term constantly, mostly because I insist that a review include at least one criticism and one compliment for every production. But, really, most things lean to […]
I’m very fond of Encore Entertainment. Their heartfelt production of The Laramie Project was sweetly affecting, and their theatrical concert Song in the Key of Stephen was chock full of fantastic performers, clever song choice and thoughtful production. Their latest effort, the comic two hander Wrong for Each Other, however, was a far cry from […]
Why Shakespeare in Action not only mounted The Diary of Anne Frank last year but is RE-mounting it now at the Al Green Theatre through March 24th is beyond me. It’s an excellent production of a well-constructed play presenting a profound true story, but they’re a Shakespeare company presenting a Holocaust play- it just feels […]
SpeakEasy Stage assembled an amazing 2011-2012 season; kudos to Paul Daigneault, Producing Artistic Director, and the rest of the SpeakEasy crew. The highlight of their season for me was their current production of Next to Normal, a show that swept Broadway by storm a few years ago and continues to reverberate through the theatre […]
I appreciate when theatre companies aren’t afraid to tackle the tough topics. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing two brash and honest plays by Heart & Dagger Productions. Beyond the Light is a new play by theatre “jack-all-trades” Joey C. Pelletier. His venture into playwriting is rewarding for both the company and the […]
Can you believe that I’ve never seen West Side Story? Yeah, neither can I. I am a professed Romeo and Juliet fan and a sucker for faux-macho choreo, so I knew I couldn’t miss Turtle Lane Playhouse’s newest production of the ground-breaking American musical by Arthur Laurents and Leonard Bernstein (with some lyric help […]