Tag Archives: 2025

Apr 20

A Springtime Treat for the Senses and Soul: “Crowns”

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Cast photo by Chelcy Garrett.

Presented by Moonbox Productions
Community Partner: Rosie’s Place
By Regina Taylor
Adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry
Directed by Regine Vital
Associate Directed by Davron Monroe
Music Directed by David Coleman
Music Accompaniment by David Freeman Coleman (keyboard) and Brandon Mayes (drums)
Costume Design by E Rosser
Set Design by Baron E. Pugh
Featuring: Cortlandt Barret, Janelle Grace, Kaedon Gray, Lovely Hoffman, Mirrorajah, Cheryl D. Singleton, Mildred E. Walker

April 11th – May 4th
Arrow Street Arts
2 Arrow St., Cambridge, MA 02138.
Tickets here

Article by Maegan Bergeron-Clearwood

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — After a long, dark winter, Crowns is a musical manifestation of springtime, bursting with color, decadence, and jubilation. Regina Taylor’s musical is adapted from Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry’s photography/oral history book of the same name, and it’s been a staple of the American regional theatre scene for over two decades. Although this musical celebration of African American womanhood is in many ways timeless, Moonbox Production’s staging, directed by Regine Vital, is impeccably here-and-now, coming across as a breath of sweet, fresh air in this dire political moment.

Crowns is largely structured like a church worship service, but it is bookended by Yoruban ritual. The first sounds we hear come from Man/Elegba’s (the only male character, played by Kaedon Gray) staff during the processional prologue, a heartbeat that echoes through the play and draws a clear connection between Black church culture and African tradition. Crowns proceeds with a scant narrative: Yolanda (Mirrorajah), a young, hardened teen, is sent from Brooklyn to the South after her brother is killed. There, her grandmother (Mildred E. Walker) welcomes her into a community of Church Ladies, who regale Yolanda with stories about their most sacred, royal accessory: hats. Continue reading →

Apr 09

Being Polite is the American Way of Lying: “Her Portmanteau”

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In Photo: Lorraine Victoria Kanyike, Patrice Jean-Baptiste Photo by: Maggie Hall Photography

Presented by Central Square Theater with the Front Porch Arts Collective
By Mfoniso Udofia
Directed by Tasia A. Jones
Dramaturgy by Elijah Estolano Punzal
Original music and sound design by Eduardo M Ramirez
Dialect coaching by Bibi Mama
Featuring Patrice Jean-Baptiste, Jade A Guerra, Lorraine Victoria Kanyike

March 27 – April 20, 2025
Central Square Theater
450 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

Online playbill

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Central Square Theater and The Front Porch Arts Collective present the fourth play in Boston’s Ufot Family Cycle, Her Portmanteau by Mfoniso Udofia. Many elements recommend this play, including great acting and moving storytelling. Additionally, while it is part of the Ufot Cycle, it stands alone as a tribute to a Massachusetts family trying to love each other despite intergenerational trauma, betrayal, and culture shock. 

In Her Portmanteau, the American Ufot family reconnects with the Nigerian Ekpoyong family. Adiaha Ufot (Lorraine Victoria Kanyike) welcomes half-sister Iniabasi Ekpeyong (Jade A Guerra) to her New York apartment. It is winter, and Iniabasi has neither the coat nor footwear for the frigid weather. Adiaga offers Iniabasi a sweater and woollen socks, but Iniabasi refuses them. Iniabasi had to wait over an hour at JFK Airport. She was supposed to land in Boston. Their mother, Abasiama (Patrice Jean-Baptiste), was supposed to pick Iniabasi up so they could stay at the family house in Worcester. No one looks like their photos. Iniabasi doesn’t know why things have changed or who to trust.  Continue reading →

Apr 04

Not your average Karen’s brave play about disability: “It’s A Motherf**king Pleasure”

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The Cast; Photo Credit: Alex Brenner.

Presented by ArtsEmerson 
FlawBored from UK
Director/dramaturg – Josh Roche
Created by Samuel Brewer, Aarian Mehrabani, and Chloe Palmer

April 2 – 13, 2025
Emerson Paramount Center 
Jackie Liebergott Black Box 
Boston, MA

Recommended for Ages 16+
Content warning: Strong Language, Ableism, Graphic Spoken Descriptions of Injury
Running Time: 60-ish minutes, no intermission

BOSTON — Sitting in the audience for FlawBored’s It’s A Motherf**king Pleasure in Emerson’s Jackie Liebergott Black Box, I felt unhindered joy watching the cast members Samuel Brewer, Aarian Mehrabani, and Chloe Palmer toss disability anxiety back into the faces of theoretical ableds whose anal accessibility pedantry makes our lives more work than it already is. My friends, it truly was a motherfucking pleasure.  Continue reading →

Mar 31

When the Wheels Come Off: “The Play That Goes Wrong”

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The cast. Photo via Greater Boston Stage Company.

Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company
Written by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer
Director – Tyler Rosati
Original Scenic Design – Peter Colao
Scenic Design – Danielle Ibrahim
Lighting Design – Katie Whittemore
Costume Design – E. Rosser
Sound Design – James Cannon
Properties Master – David Allen Prescott
Intimacy/Violence Design – Samantha Richert
Production Stage – Manager Meghan Ward
Fight Captain – Sarah Morin

March 28 – April 19, 2025
Greater Boston Stage Company
395 Main Street
Stoneham, MA 02180

Critique by Craig Idlebrook

2 hours with a brief intermission

Some comic violence. May be too intense for young viewers.

STONEHAM, Mass. — Regular theatergoers quickly understand that live performance is a tightrope act, and the mind can wander to what can go wrong during lulls on stage. That may be why theatrical disasters are such fertile ground for stage comedy. To pull off such a play requires mastering the (sometimes nominal) source material and then acting at acting badly. Things can quickly get complicated, making the farce on stage sometimes something of a miracle to pull off.

The cast of the Greater Boston Stage Company’s The Play That Goes Wrong largely succeeds in this difficult task, creating chaos on stage that set the audience howling with laughter. The script provides a target-rich environment for comedy, and the energetic and committed cast capitalize on most of the opportunities provided. Continue reading →

Mar 31

An Invitation to Sacred Vulnerability: “Night Side Songs”

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Jonathan Raviv and Brooke Ishibashi in “Night Side Songs” at Under the Radar’s “Under Construction.” Photo: Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall

Presented by American Repertory Theater in association with Philadelphia Theatre Company
Words and music by Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour
Directed by Taibi Magar
Music Direction and Piano Arrangements by Alex Bechtel
Featuring: Jordan Dobson, Robi Hager, Brooke Ishibashi, Johathan Raviv, Mary Testa

March 27 – April 20
At the Cambridge Masonic Temple from March 27 – April 6
At Hibernian Hall, April 8 – 20
Tickets and information here

Content Advisory: This production contains descriptions of cancer treatments as well as discussions of grief, loss of a parent, and terminal illness. Recommended for ages 15+.

Review by Maegan Bergeron-Clearwood

CAMBRIDGE, Mass — Night Side Songs is not a religious story, but it is the closest I have ever come to having a spiritual experience in the theatre.

This production by the Lazour brothers, aptly described by the A.R.T. as a “communal music-theater experience,” is simultaneously concerned with the benign materiality and ineffable transcendence of human existence. In one moment, central character Yasmine (Brooke Ishibashi) discusses her love of Velveeta mac-and-cheese; in another, she contemplates the unfathomable smallness of existence – two distinct but equally holy experiences. Continue reading →

Mar 30

Critical Work, but Missing Voices: “Climate Crisis Cabaret: The Warm Up”

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“Meadowlark,” Photo: Kristina Lauer / Artwork: Maggie Cooley

Presented with support from Arrow Street Arts and the Puffin Foundation
Directed by Debra Wise and David Keohane
Organizing Committee: Debra Wise, Joyce Van Dyke, Bill Marx, Mary Curtin, Deobrah Forston, David Keohane, Robert Lauer, Ellen Ryan

Featuring: John Kuntz, Eliza Fichter, David Keohane, Antje Duvekot, Regie Gibson, Bill Marx, Phillis Ewen, Zoe Halperin, Rhiannon Jenkins, Seth Glier, Debra Wise, The Red Rebel Brigade, Dr. Robert Lauer, Dr. Rose Abramoff, Dr. Johanna Ray Vollhardt, Dr. Nathan Phillips, Isaijah Shadrach, Zev Imani

Lobby Street Fair participants: Extinction Rebellion, Scientist Rebellion, 350 Mass, Beyond Plastic, Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station, Stop Private Jet Expansion, All In Energy, Deborah Forston, Anne Loyer, Rick Dorff, Skip Schiel, Extinction Rebellion Art Working Group, Sara Peattie with The Puppeteers Cooperative

March 24 – 25, 2025
Arrow Street Arts
2 Arrow St., Cambridge, MA 02138.
Information here

Review by Maegan Bergeron-Clearwood

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — As MC John Kuntz observes in his opening remarks, the American artistic community has been shamefully timid in its response to the topic of climate catastrophe, and Climate Crisis Cabaret: The Warm Up strives to fill this gap from a Boston-specific standpoint. Over the course of two hours, local artists and activists explore a full spectrum of responses to the issue at hand, from grief and despair to hope and resilience. The production is an admirable and necessary call to action, a reminder of the critical need for art in desperate political times. Continue reading →

Mar 27

Chaos & Dark Secrets in “The Addams Family musical”

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Big League Productions, Inc. production presented at The Boch Centre Wang Theatre
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Directed and choreographed by Antoinette Dipietropolo
Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

U.S. Tour Website

March 21 – 23, 2025
Boch Centre Wang Theatre
270 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116

2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission
Virtual Playbill

Review by Helen Ganley

BOSTON — Dr. Frankenstein huddles in his laboratory, taking pieces of a life once passed and intricately stitching them together. He huddles in the dark, throws the switch, and braces for the spark, birthing a new life out of what once passed. Some audiences might see a banner for The Addams Family and think it’s a musical adaption of the 2022 miniseries Wednesday. However, the creature Dr. Frankenstein is adapting isn’t from 2022 at all, but rather the iconic 1964 TV show that predated it. The Boch Center Wang Theatre’s national tour production of The Addams Family breathes life into the familiar classic with entrancing sets, a lively undead ensemble, and catchy songs you just can’t help but snap your fingers to. Continue reading →

Mar 27

Half-Baked Shakespeare: THE COMEDY OF HAMLET (A PREQUEL)

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Presented by Reduced Shakespeare Company
Written and Directed by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor
Backdrop Design: Tim Holstag
Costume Design: Freya Marcelius
Sound Design: Matthew Cowell and Zack Moore
Stage Manager: Elaine Randolph
Original Circus Music Composed by Peter Bufano; performed by Cirkestra
Starring Geoffrey Barnes, Doug Harvey, and Austin Tichenor

March 12 – 30, 2025
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
50 E Merrimack St
Lowell, MA 01852

Virtual playbill 

Critique by Craig Idlebrook

90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission

Some works on stage and film can grip you in the first moments and never let go. Shakespeare’s script for The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is one such play. It is gripping even though a lot of nothing happens throughout most of it because of the titular character’s indecision. It is largely a pensive mood study, and the characters often dither to Seinfeldian levels.

Other works of stage and film can provide wall-to-wall action and frenetic energy and never capture your attention. This is the case with the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s production of The Comedy of Hamlet (a Prequel) playing at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre. It tries to add too many crowd-pleasing comedic elements but ends up feeling like a smoothie you keep tinkering with until the final taste is indistinguishable. Continue reading →

Mar 05

BPT Spring Plays in Repertory: “The Fig Tree, and The Phoenix, and The Desire to be Reborn” & “The Recursion of a Moth”

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Presented by Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
949 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Parking & Directions

The Fig Tree, and The Phoenix, and The Desire to be Reborn 
February 20 – March 9 on the Snodgrass Stage
By Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens
Directed by Nikta Sabouri
Original Music and Sound Designer: Arshan Gailus
Digital playbill 

The Recursion of a Moth 
February 27 – March 9 on the Snodgrass Stage
By Brandon Zang
Directed by Katie Brook
Digital playbill 

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — This Spring, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents two new plays as part of its repertory season: Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens’ The Fig Tree, and The Phoenix, and The Desire to be Reborn and Brandon Zang’s The Recursion of a Moth. Fig adapts an Iranian/Zoroastrian creation myth into a fantasy parable. Moth explains time recursion (a physics term for time looping back in itself… I think.) via an expanded family social experiment.  Both trace love across oceans of time.  Continue reading →

Mar 03

Convention is a Trap: “A Man of No Importance”

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Eddie Shields (center) and the company of “A Man of No Importance.” Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Presented by SpeakEasy Stage
Book by Terrance McNally 
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Based on the film “A Man of No Importance”
Directed by Paul Daigneault
Music directed by Paul S Katz
Choreographed by Ilyse Robbins

Feb. 21 – March 22, 2025
Stanford Calderwood Pavilion
Boston Center for the Arts
539 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116

Content warning: Themes of homophobia and some strong language. Recommended for Ages 12+.

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — Ahrens, Flaherty, and McNally’s A Man of No Importance is based on the film (1994, directed by Suri Krishnamma. Starring Albert Finney.) of the same name which is a play on words based on the Oscar Wilde comedy A Woman of No Importance. Both tackle social status, ethics, and to a lesser degree, gender roles. The musical, like the play, features a central character holding a deep, dark secret that sparks community shame when it is exposed. Fortunately, both the musical and the play have happy endings.

A Man of No Importance opens with lines from Oscar Wilde’s “The Harlot’s House.” The reader, Alfie Byrne (Eddie Shields), is an unmarried bus conductor who loves theatre and poetry on his bus in 1960s Dublin. While dodging his boss Carson (Joe LaRocca), Alfie tells his bus riders this year he will direct the St. Imelda Players community theatre production of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé. It’s a biblical story about St. John the Baptist, Alfie tells them. He conveniently leaves out the salacious parts because, he says, art can’t be salacious.  Continue reading →