Category Archives: Drama

Mar 15

The World Is Too Big Not to Be a Little Magical: “You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!”

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Michael Tow, Anjie Parker – Photo by Annielly Camargo

Presented by Company One
Produced in partnership with Boston Public Library
A new play by Keiko Green
Directed by Shawn LaCount
Dramaturgy by Jessie Baxter

Mar 6 – Mar 28, 2026
Boston Public Library
Central Library in Copley Square
700 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Digital Playbill

All tickets are Pay-What-You-Want ($0 minimum)

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — Before the show opens, a Company One lobby posterboard asks audience members of You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World what song they’d like to hear at the end of the world. I’d hear my spouse playing David Bowie karaoke on the ukulele while my loved ones welcome me home. That’d be nice. At the end, I hope there’s enough magic left for everyone to hear their heart’s desire. 

It’s the end of the world as he knows it, and it hurts like Hell. Greg (Michael Tow) receives a terminal cancer diagnosis (and weird dream visitations from Greta Thunberg (Anjie Parker)), he finally understands his true purpose and races to save Mother Earth as our climate catastrophe looms. Meanwhile, his wife, Viv (Jade Guerra), tries to hold it all together, but really just wants to stop time and hide under the covers with her husband. And through it all, our emcee and their child, M (Kai Clifton, who dazzles in another leading role), charts their own path while Dad is dying, life is a drag, and the world keeps spinning. Ensemble members Parker, Alex Alexander and Nicholas Papayoanou play multiple supporting characters Continue reading →

Mar 12

A Relationship Is A Series of Negotiations: “Stereophonic”

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Tour presented by ATG Entertainment
Written by David Adjmi
Original music by Will Butler
Directed by Daniel Aukin 
Featuring: Jack Barrett, Claire DeJean, Steven Lee Johnson, Emilie Kouatchou, Cornelius McMoyler, Denver Milord, Christopher Mowod

Now – March 15, 2026
Emerson Colonial Theatre
106 Boylston St
Boston, 02116
Link to a Bostix Deal

Article by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — The official summary for Stereophonic says it mines “the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a music studio in 1976.” An up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself on the cusp of superstardom. Internal and external pressures could “spark their breakup… or their breakthrough.” Written by David Adjmi, directed by Daniel Aukin, and featuring original music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, Stereophonic shows its audience the creativity, drugs, and drama of writing and recording a stellar, best-selling folk rock album, a la Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.

Stereophonic is just one of many works inspired by the saga of Fleetwood Mac and Rumours. Daisy Jones & the Six, the best-selling novel and the Amazon T.V. show, and an episode of Agatha All Along are others. Stereophonic earned 13 Tony nominations and won five awards in 2024. Its cast album rocks and stands on its own as great entertainment (whether you enjoy Fleetwood Mac or not). The touring production is a solid theatre that represents well the artistic creative process, massive egos, and the heartbreak of losing a family through interpersonal drama.  Continue reading →

Mar 11

There Were Always Bad Things Happening in Navestead: “Like Flies”

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Photo by Noli French – French’s Fotos

Presented by Portland Stage
By Maggie Kearnan
Directed by Sally Wood
Featuring: Cynthia Barnett, DeAnna S. Wright, Catherine Buxton, Luz Lopez, Carina Higgins, Jordan Hurley, Kelly Chick

March 4 – March 22, 2026
Wed, Mar 04, 7:30pm* 
Sat, Mar 14, 8:00pm*
Thu, Mar 19, 2:00pm*
(*On sale 12pm until show time, day of show, in person only)
Portland Stage theater
25A Forest Ave 
Portland, ME 04101

Article by Kitty Drexel

RUN TIME approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

PORTLAND, ME — Playwright Maggie Kearnan made a splash at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Nov. 2024 with her political satire, How to Not Save the World with Mr. Bezos. If you enjoyed that as much as we did, you’ll be tickled pink to know her latest creation, Like Flies, is playing at Maine’s quaint Portland Stage through March 22. Even better, it features a cast heavy with local actors. 

In the fictional town of Navestead (a place not dissimilar to historical Portland, ME), a new midwife has moved in down the road from the morgue. Edna (Cynthia Barnett) has come because she’d heard tell of mothers dying in childbirth. Edna’s move has upset the locals, including the resident midwife, Meg (DeAnna S Wright). After she saves a pregnant mother and her unborn baby, Edna and Meg form a courteous tag team. The women now come to them both for healing.  Continue reading →

Feb 16

Here There Be Dragonnes: “The Moderate”

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Celeste Oliva and Nael Nacer in The Moderate. Photo: Nile Scott Studios.

Presented by Central Square Theater
A Catalyst Collaborative@MIT Production
By Ken Urban
Directed by Jared Mezzocchi

February 5 – March 1, 2026
Central Square Theater
450 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

Strobe and flashing lighting effects are used in this production.

Using the Motion Picture Association rating system, this production lands between R and NC-17 ratings for sexual content, violence, and mature themes including political terrorism and child abuse. 

Article by Kitty Drexel

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Let’s begin with the end. In an interview with Playwright Ken Urban and Director and Multimedia Designer Jared Mezzocchi, I asked the duo what they hoped audiences would take away from their production of The Moderate (now playing at Central Square Theater). Urban said the play is a human story about a man struggling with his past. In doing so, he helps someone in the present. This is possible through Frank’s interactions online

Mezzocchi said he hopes audiences consider how their own internet use could be harmful and instead take a moment to reflect and look within themselves to find hope. 

Hold on to Mezzocchi’s message of hope. You’ll need it.  Continue reading →

Jan 20

The Invisible Work of Holding It Together in “Job”

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Credit: Benjamin Rose Photography

Presented by Speakeasy Stage Company
By Max Wolf Friedrich
Directed by Marianna Bassham

Jan 16 – Feb 7, 2026
Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts
539 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Helen Ganley

Approximate run time: 1 hour 20 minutes with no intermission.

This production contains strong language, gun use, and discussions of trauma, violence, and abuse. Distressing sounds are used and were ethically sourced. Strobing effects and red and green flashing lights are also used.

BOSTON — “Everyone needs therapy.” As a 24-year-old woman living in Boston, it’s a phrase you hear tossed around constantly. It might be invoked while unpacking a friend’s toxic ex, a coworker’s strained family dynamics, or a roommate’s own internal battles. The phrase carries an easy confidence that there is a place for these stories to go, a person trained to receive them, and a clean separation between the one who speaks and the one who listens.

Job unsettles that assumption. Its patient is a content moderator, professionally tasked with absorbing the internet’s most disturbing images so others don’t have to encounter them. If therapy depends on the idea that pain can be transferred without consequence, Job asks what happens when both people in the room are already doing that work for a living. What begins as a therapeutic exchange becomes a hall of mirrors, where emotional labor reflects endlessly back on itself. Continue reading →

Jan 14

A Dream Without a Plan Is Just A Wish: “The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)”

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Yetunde Felix-Ukwu and Victoria Omoregie. Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography.

Presented by Company One, a co-production with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
By Nia Akilah Robinson
Directed by Mina Morita
Dramaturgy by Sonia Fernandez

Jan 9 – Jan 31, 2026
The Modern Theatre at Suffolk University
525 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111

Critique by Kitty Drexel

Approximate run time: 1 hour 30 minutes with no intermission.
Seating is general admission.
This play includes strong language and the use of flashing lights.

BOSTON — For theatre folks, nothing puts current events into perspective like a play. America feels like it’s on fire, but it always has been. The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar), now running at Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre through Jan. 31, shows us how to find joy with our loved ones during our darkest moments; times and practices may change, but people do not; and, we may not get the closure we want, we get the closure we get. If you need a short break from the news to redirect your intentions, check out Company One’s Pay-What-You-Want tickets.  Continue reading →

Dec 24

An Opportunity to Tell the Truth or, Your Silence Will Not Protect You: “Is This A Room”

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The cast. Photo via Apollinaire Theatre Company.

Presented by Apollinaire Theatre Company
By Tina Satter
Based on the original FBI Verbatim transcript is HERE.  
Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques
Scenic & Sound Design: Joseph Lark-Riley
Lighting Design: Danielle Fauteux Jacques
Stage Manager: Kaleb Perez-Albuerne
Assistant Stage Managers: Miguel Dominguez, Laura Hubbard
Featuring: Parker Jennings, Brooks Reeves, Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia, Bradley Belanger

Dec. 12, 2025-Jan. 11, 2026
Chelsea Theatre Works
189 Winnisimmet Street
Chelsea, MA 02150

Is This A Room on The Culture Show Podcast 

FBI Verbatim transcript is HERE.  

Approximately 75 minutes with no intermission. 

Content warning: Flashes of light, high tension, The Fed

Article by Kitty Drexel

“I sincerely apologize and take full responsibility for my actions. In particular, I want to apologize to my family.”  – Reality Winner to Chief U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall at her federal trial in Augusta, GA in 2017.

CHELSEA, Mass. — On June 3, 2017, Reality Winner, a linguist contractor for the National Security Agency, was questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Augusta, Georgia, regarding her part in the leak of a classified document to The Intercept. Their conversation was recorded in accordance with FBI protocol. The leaked document was a classified report about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 

On August 23 of that year, Winner was convicted and sentenced to five years and three months in a federal prison under the Espionage Act of 1917. At the time, it was the longest federal prison sentence ever imposed for classified leaks to the news media.  Continue reading →

Dec 16

He’s a Bollocks, but He’s Our Bollocks: “An Irish Christmas”

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Photos by Nile Scott Studios. This cast & crew photo would make an excellent holiday card.

A New England Premiere!
Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company
By Matthew Keenan
Directed by Weylin Symes
Dialect coaching by Lee Nishri-Howitt 
Featuring Alex Deroo, Alex M. Jacobs, Chris Kandra, Julia Hertzberg, Alex Leondedis, Ross MacDonald, Paul Valley, Richard Snee, and Robert Walsh
With rotating walk-on appearances by Eleanor Colleran, Phoebe Jacobs, Gilda Fitzpatrick, and Anya Flores
Musicians: Lindsay Straw with rotating collaborators: fiddlers Cara Frankowicz and Clare Fraser, and accordionist Dan Accardi.

December 5-21, 2025
GBSC Main Stage
395 Main Street
Stoneham, MA 02180
Online playbill

Critique by Kitty Drexel

Advisory: Colorful language and discussions of death.

STONEHAM, Mass. — ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the pub/ Some regulars (Ross MacDonald and Paul Valley) were drinking despite the grievances of its Scroogey schlub (a stern Robert Walsh who gives the role of David hidden depths). The bar and toilets were stocked by tender Bartek (a stalwart Alex Deroo) with care/While rosy-cheeked Frank (Richard Snee) hoped that sobriety would ne’er be there. Simon (Alex Leondedis) and Anna (Julia Hertzberg) bundled up in their coats/Had sincere glad tidings stuck in their throats. While all dreamed of gifts from ole Saint Nick/David chased them off by being a dick. With the arrival of Michael (Alex M Jacobs), blood brother and friend/David looked up from his accounting book and brought the jolliness to an end.

 “Now, Simon, Now Michael! Now, Frank and Jim! Now, Julia! Now, Bartek! Get away with that din!” The owner chased them out the bar/He chased them all out. 

So David was left to suffer alone for eternity/We’ve no doubt.    Continue reading →

Nov 23

Wrestling with empathy through documentary theatre: “SpaceBridge”

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The ensemble. Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk.

Presented by ArtsEmerson
Produced by Visual Echo & Irina Kruzhilina
Conceived and directed by Irina Kruzhilina
Written by Irina Kruzhilina and Clark Young
Cinematography by Aleksei Postnikov
Featuring Ellen Lauren, Alisa Shaverdova, Anastasia Skorobogach, Anna Skorobogach, Arina Skorobogach, Artem Skorobogach, Leon Ladia, Lily Borzenko, Mark Savin, Mars Markelov, Sasha Boikova, Sonia Tsatskina, Adele Nigrini, Alexis Edel, Drake Malave, Henry MacDowell, Isaac Stinson, Maisie Pickar, Nate Hatter, Sabine Gutenberg, Silas MacLean and Zora Graves

November 21 – 23, 2025
559 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
Emerson Paramount Center
Tickets here 

Review by Maegan Clearwood

Recommended for ages 12+

BOSTON — If you’ve seen documentary theatre before, then nothing in SpaceBridge will surprise you: live movement is interspersed with statistics, news reports, and recorded interviews, split into chapters and stitched together with a framing device. The multimedia production elements are flashy and sophisticated, as one would expect from a piece spearheaded by Irina Kruzhilina, who, among other credits, co-founded the MFA program of the New School and is a resident artist at LaMaMa. 

But the true power of SpaceBridge comes from the storytellers themselves: 11 young Russian refugees, children of antiwar activists currently living in New York City shelters while seeking political asylum. With their eight American friends, they present the output of an intensive workshop program, telling story after story of fear, grief, compassion, and hope.  Continue reading →

Nov 10

Yearning for Connection Across Memory: “Summer, 1976”

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Laura Latreille, Lee Mikeska Gardner; Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Presented by Central Square Theater
By David Auburn
Directed by Paula Plum
Featuring: Lee Mikeska Gardner, Laura Latreille

November 6 – 30th, 2025
Central Square Theater
450 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

Critique by Maegan Bergeron-Clearwood

CAMBRIDGE, Mass — Summer, 1976 is an intimate play. It is literally small, with a cast of two, a runtime of just 90 minutes, and a cozy little set that brings the actors practically nose-to-nose with the audience. But more interestingly, it is a story about yearning: two women stumble headfirst into an unexpected friendship, underestimating how hungry they are for deep, heart-opening vulnerability. They also underestimate how terrifying that kind of connection can be.

David Auburn’s play transports us to Ohio during the American bicentennial. Offstage, the women’s liberation movement is in full swing. Onstage, at Central Square Theatre, we could be anywhere, anytime. The set (Kristin Loeffler) features two brightly colored dollhouse-like facades to indicate where different scenes take place, but nothing onstage screams 1970s, and the costumes (Sydney Hovasse) allude to a bit of hippy inspiration without throwing the audience back in time. Continue reading →