When a theater company opens the season with an experimental take on a Shakespearean work, it’s a calculated gamble. In a digitally saturated world that provides a three-minute video version, SparkNotes study guide, and Wikipedia synopsis for every play in The Bard’s canon, there’s no guarantee audiences will care enough to see a three-hour run […]
Theater Review
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Theater review: Bread and Water’s ‘Dionysus in ’17’
Perhaps the less you know going into a performance of Bread and Water Theatre’s “Dionysus in ’17,” the better. Written and staged by the company’s artistic director, J.R. Teeter, it should at least be said that the performance art-driven play is a modern update of “The Bacchae,” by the Greek tragedian Euripides, filtered through The […]
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Theater review: WallByrd’s ‘Macbeth’
It takes all of five minutes for a fight to break out. As the lights dim in the grand Lyric Theatre, a bass-driven rock song blares and cast members in dystopian military garb rush the stage. A battle ensues, and only the strong survive. Such a violent beginning for WallByrd’s latest show, “Macbeth,” establishes two […]
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Theater review: Screen Plays’ ‘The Entertainer’
Three and a half hours is a long time, depending on the context. It’s longer than any of “The Lord of the Rings” films, a baseball game, and most middle school relationships. It’s especially long for a play. Screen Plays, a local community theater group that produces “Hollywood’s Golden Age on Stage,” is currently performing […]
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Theater review: ‘The Belle of Amherst’ at Cobblestone
A reunion for the cast and creative team, Emily Dickinson is brought to life in “The Belle of Amherst”
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Theater review: Blackfriars’ ‘Death of a Salesman’
In an increasingly digital world of likes, shares, and clicks, it might be hard to see how a mid-century play about a traveling salesman could possibly be relevant. Blackfriars Theatre is currently staging Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” and the final production of its 2016-17 season shows why this poignant tale remains pertinent for […]
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Theater review: ‘Titanic the Musical’ at CenterStage
The RMS Titanic, at the time the greatest ship that had ever set out across the Atlantic, collided with an iceberg on April 15, 1912. Within two hours and 40 minutes, the ocean liner sank and more than 1,500 people lost their lives in icy waters. If this feels like a spoiler, it is — […]
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Theater review: ‘Other Than Honorable’ at Geva
Every 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. In addition to that statistic, the Department of Justice estimates that there are more than 320,000 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States. In 2015, only 32 percent of sexual assault cases were reported, which means the already staggering numbers are actually […]
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Theater review: WallByrd’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
A societal farce written in 1895 might seem like a dusty, dull choice for a younger theater company’s season. But it aligns perfectly for Wallbyrd Theatre Co., whose mission is “Based in classics. Infused with art.” The company’s seasons often draw from Artistic Director Virginia Monte’s love of classics and extensive design experience, spicing up […]
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Theater review: Geva’s ‘Private Lives’
Noรซl Coward penned his hit play “Private Lives” in less than a week, yet more than 80 years later the show remains a crowd-pleaser in theatrical seasons around the world. Through April 16, Geva Theatre Center is staging “Private Lives” on its Wilson Stage. Coward — who also wrote “Hay Fever” and “Blithe Spirit” — […]
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Theater review: ‘Wicked’ at the Auditorium
It’s rare to meet a musical theater lover who hasn’t seen “Wicked.” It’s the ninth longest-running musical in history, and for good reason
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Theater review: ‘Hands on a Hardbody’ at Blackfriars
The penultimate production of Blackfriars Theatre’s 2016-17 season is an interesting one. “Hands on a Hardbody” is a 2012 musical co-written by Trey Anastasio of Phish and Amanda Green. Any traces of Anastasio’s killer guitar chops and jam band intuition have vanished, and in their place is a collection of enjoyable but predominantly generic pop-rock […]
