(Somerville, MA/NYC) Occasionally the New England Theatre Geek is invited to review plays. Theatre Communications Group (TCG) provides gratis paperback copies to NETG in exchange for objective reviews. The opinions stated here are not shared by TCG and are the author’s own. Continue reading
Ode to Joy
Craig Lucas
Theatre Communications Group (TCG)
New York, NY (2016)
$14.95
Review by Kitty Drexel
(NY, NY) I cannot take seriously any play that describes its lead female role as “intimidatingly bright” in its character description. It’s the kind of description that communicates to any intelligent reader that the the playwright has no business writing “strong female characters.” I read the rest, but my heart wasn’t in it. Continue reading
© T Charles Erickson Photography; Russell Harvard and cast.
Presented by the Huntington Theatre Co.
Directed and written by Craig Lucas
Through June 26, 2016
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA
Boston, MA
Huntington on Facebook
Review by Kitty Drexel
This is a bilingual production; the text is expressed in English and ASL through interpreters. My heartfelt thanks to the crew of the Huntington for respecting the limitations of the hearing community.
(Boston, MA) Bad things happen to people. They just do. Religious pessimists might believe that the Powers That Be punish sinners but even good people experience tragedy. Piety provides no exemption. Bad things happen because they do. If we could understand why, maybe we could prevent them from happening. Continue reading
presented by New Repertory Theatre
songs by Stephen Sondheim
conceived and developed by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene
directed and choreographed by Ilyse Robbins
musical direction by David McGrory
Arsenal Center for the Arts
in the Charles Mosesian Theater
Watertown, MA
January 6th – January 27th, 2013
New Repertory Theatre Facebook Page
Review by Craig Idlebrook
(Watertown) As a songwriter, Stephen Sondheim is better than you. He just is.
He mastered the art of straightforward musicals with West Side Story and he’s been toying with us ever since. After figuring out what sappy audiences want in a love song, he’s been not giving it to them, choosing instead to dwell in the tensions and the ambiguities of our romantic natures in lovely, sonic dissonance. Continue reading
John Kuntz as Uncle Vanya, Marissa Rae Roberts at Elena, Photos: Danielle Fauteux Jacques.
Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekov, Apollinaire Theatre Company, Chelsea Theatre Works, 12/29/11-1/22/12, http://www.apollinairetheatre.com/index.html. Live gun fire in close proximity (blank gun)
Reviewed by Becca Kidwell
(Chelsea, MA) It’s like being at your family’s holiday party, except for the relief that it’s not your family. Words fly and passions rise as the audience travels from room to room glancing at the private moments of Vanya’s family. Youth and beauty contrast with the harsh realities of country living as love and hope are thrown about bouncing from wall to wall. Continue reading
