Tag Archives: Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Dec 09

A Jumbled Jukebox Experience: “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash”

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Photo by Meg Moore/megpix.com.

Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Created by Richard Maltby, Jr., Conceived by William Meade
Adapted from the larger-cast Broadway production by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Jason Edwards
Co-direction: Karen Oster and Correy West
Choreography: Correy West
Cast: Patrick Dinnsen, Nathan Yates Douglass, Jenna Fawcett, Andrew Frace, Celeste Vandermillen

November 26-December 14, 2025
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Lowell Memorial Auditorium
50 E Merrimack St.
Lowell, MA 01852

Review by Craig Idlebrook

Content advisory: Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash is suitable for teenage and adult audiences. This musical celebrates the iconic Johnny Cash, featuring details of Johnny’s career, covering topics such as substance abuse, firearms, violence and murder.

Much has changed in the fifty-six years since Cash first recorded A Boy Named Sue. Some may feel that “A Boy Named Sue” is sexist and outdated, and this is certainly a reasonable view. However, just as it did in 1969, the song invites more than one interpretation. Please read here for some additional thoughts:  Further Reflection on A Boy Named Sue

LOWELL, Mass. — It is never a good sign for a biographical staging when the person you came to the play with leans over in the second act and asks, “Which one of those guys is Johnny Cash?”

It may be a testament to the music of Cash and the skillful performance of the small cast that this question only arose in the second act. Too often, we were swept up by the sweet harmonies and Americana-before-it-was-Americana sound on stage.

That’s just the rub. Was this a play or a concert? The title seems to disclose that the performance is intended solely to be the “music of Johnny Cash”, but the action on stage had just enough theater to be confusing. There is brief dialogue, some pantomime, and some direct musical-like interaction to provide a few breadcrumbs into the life and times of Johnny Cash, but not enough to follow the trail to lead to the full picture of his complicated and rich biography.  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 →

Oct 08

The Subjectiveness of Sanity: “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe”

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Photo by Meg Moore/megpix.com; Kathryn Van Meter as Trudy.

Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Written by Jane Wagner
Directed by Courtney Sale
Featuring Kathryn Van Meter

October 2-20, 2024
Nancy L. Donahue Theatre at Liberty Hall
50 E. Merrimack St.
Lowell, MA

Online Playbill

Run Time: approx. 2 hours 25 minutes including one 15-minute intermission

Please note the following content advisories: Adult Language, Death by Suicide, Suicide Ideation, Drug Use, Sexual Violence

Review by Craig Idlebrook

LOWELL, Mass. — There is a tightrope act-feel to a one-person show, as audiences can become painfully aware there is nowhere for the performer to hide, or even catch a breath. Flubbed lines, low energy, or a lack of connection to the source material can lead to a long night for both actor and audience.

Luckily for the audience of Merrimack Repertory Theater’s The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, Kathryn Van Meter (Trudy) deftly dodges all potential pitfalls of a solo performer. She works hand-in-hand within the exquisite source material provided by playwright Jane Wagner for us to see the interconnectedness between an off-kilter woman living on the streets and the universe. Continue reading →

Jun 14

Finding Songs in Sorrow: “Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie”

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Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Devised by David M. Lutken with Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell, and Andy Teirstein
Directed by Nick Corley and Sherry Lutken
Music direction by David M. Lutken
Featuring Darcie Deaville, Maggie Hollinbeck, David M. Lutken, Andy Tierstein

June 8 – 22, 2022
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Merrimack Ales,
92 Bolt Street
Lowell, MA 01852
The Playbill

2 hours with intermission

Review by Craig Idlebrook

LOWELL, Mass. — In the 21st century, the folk singer can easily be a target of ridicule, an archetype in American music which is somehow prone to both over-earnestness and affectation. However, the folk singer had more earnest origins. Folk music, as most know it, was made up of storytelling songs passed down and performed by families and groups of people, and it was the folk singer’s job to find and share these songs. Continue reading →

Mar 02

Writing for the Moms the World Ignored: “Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End”

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Karen MacDonald. My parents have that end table. Photo by Megpix/Meghan Moore

Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End
Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre
By Allison Engel and Margaret Engel
Based on the life and works of Erma Bombeck
Directed by Terry Berliner
Original music by Brett Macias
Filmmaker: Kathy Wittman
Featuring Karen MacDonald

FEB 24-MAR 13, 2022
Simultaneously Live and Streaming
Hall/Lowell Memorial Auditorium
50 East Merrimack Street
Lowell, MA 01852
MRT on Facebook 

Approximate run time: 80 minutes, no intermission

Review by Kitty Drexel

Lowell, Mass. — Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End is a serviceable, inoffensive one-woman show about humorist Erma Bombeck. Folks who remember Bombeck will enjoy the show. 

People who enjoy the work of Karen MacDonald will also enjoy the show. MacDonald is delightful. Thanks to her work with director Terry Berliner, MacDonald dominates the stage like she lives there. Continue reading →

Dec 29

You Don’t Have to Understand Your Queer Family to Love Your Queer Family: “The Rise and Fall of Holly Fudge”

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Rehearsal for “The Rise and Fall of Holly Fudge.” Photo by Meghan Moore/Megpix

Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre
By Trista Baldwin
Directed by Courtney Sale
Cast: Kristian Espiritu, Karen MacDonald, Eliza Simpson, Milicent Wright

Now – January 4, 2022
Video on Demand via Mandolin.com
MRT Playbill 
MRT on Facebook

Age Recommendation: 14 and older. Some adult content/language.

Review by Kitty Drexel

Video-On-Demand — The copious productions of The Christmas Carol that come around every year are for mainstream Christmas celebrators. The Rise and Fall of Holly Fudge is a Christmas production for the rest of us. It’s intersectionality feminist. It passes the Bechdel Test. It’s under two hours, and you can drink rum-nog the entire time from your own home. Cheers! 

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house… Carol (New England darling Karen MacDonald) was stirring because her daughter Holly (Kristian Espiritu) was finally coming home to Brockton, Mass.! This year Holly is bringing her special friend Jordan (Eliza Martin Simpson). Worlds, politics, and identities collide when Holly reveals to Carol that Jordan is more than just her Jewish, progressive liberal friend from Portland.

Milicent Wright plays the online Zumba cueing, comestible baking, excellent listener and BFF neighbor Chris. I would take Zumba class with Chris/Millicent any day. She seems fun.  Continue reading →

Oct 13

Let’s do some living/Before we die: “Wild Horses”

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Leenya Rideout and Rafael Molina during filming at Unitas Community Center, Lowell. Photo: Kathy Wittman

Presented by Merrimack Theatre Company 
By Allison Gregory
Directed by Courtney Sale
Featuring Actor Leenya Rideout
Music by Rafael Molina
Film by Kathy Wittman
Costume Design by Lee Viliesis

COVID PROTOCOLS: Vaccination or negative test result required. Masks also required for both indoor and outdoor locations. See the full details here

Video-On-Demand Dates: Oct. 4-17, 2021
50 East Merrimack Street
Lowell, MA 01852
MRT on Facebook

CONTENT WARNING: Wild Horses contains adult language and content. Recommended for ages 16 and older. Mentions of child abuse and descriptions of animal abuse. 

Run Time: 90 minutes with no intermission

Review by Kitty Drexel

Streaming — Wild Horses, streaming now on MRT.org, is a prime example of great theatre that translates well to both in-person and online viewing. MRT’s recording reveals solo-performer Leenya Rideout as a skilled storyteller capable of spinning nuance with a single gesture. One can practically feel the electric energy rippling off of her captured performance. 

Rideout is good in the video. She’d be better live. This is a streamed performance that’ll make you regret you didn’t see it in person.  Continue reading →

Aug 20

14 Greater-Boston Theatres Announce Proof of Vaccination and Mask Requirements

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Article by Kitty Drexel

  • Proof of vaccination or a Negative COVID-19 test is required
  • Masks must be worn
  • New survey results show majority of arts goers support these measures
  • Bindle, a digital vaccine record app, is free. http://www.joinbindle.com/people

BOSTON — Fourteen theatre companies in the Greater Boston area will require proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test for all artists, staff members, and audiences as live, indoor performances resume for the 2021/2022 season, said a press release dated August 19. Masks are also required. 

The list of participating theatres is below.

The press release said that these policies begin immediately and remain valid through October 31. Policies are per CDC guidelines and will be reevaluated as COVID-19 pandemic evolves. 

“Proof of vaccination may include showing either a vaccination card, a photo of the card, or a digital vaccine record (through an app such as Bindle at www.joinbindle.com/people),” said the press release. Audience members without proof of vaccination will be required to show proof of a recent negative COVID test before entering.

Individual theatres will list specific protocols and guidelines on their websites. At this time, New England Theatre Geek has received protocol updates from the Huntington Theatre Company, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and Central Square Theater in addition to the joint press release from the fourteen theatres. 

The New England Theatre Geek eagerly awaits updates from other New England performing institutions. “We are reluctant to attend or review indoor performances by organizations that do not enact similar protocols and safety measures,” said Queen Geek Kitty Drexel. 

“Our primary mission is to support our theatre community. We cannot do that if organizations aren’t first taking the necessary steps to protect their staff, crew and casts. Audience members can’t make informed decisions if they aren’t assured the community’s health is a priority.”  

The June 2021 results of the ArtsBoston Audience Outlook Monitor survey said that 73% of audiences plan to resume indoor performances by Sept 2021. Audience Outlook Monitor is a longitudinal survey to keep tabs on arts attendees thoughts, concerns and intentions as the pandemic and the state’s reopening guidelines evolve, said ArtsBoston.com.

The 14 theatre joint press release said that the most recent round of Audience Outlook Monitor survey data (collected August 9 – 13, 202) found that 80% of respondents indicated that proof of vaccination would make them more likely to attend indoor events. 50% said that proof of vaccination or negative COVID test is a prerequisite for their attendance. 98% of respondents reported being fully vaccinated or planning to do so. 

Theatres in New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago have established similar policies requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test and mask wearing.

It is good practice to stay home if experiencing COVID symptoms on the day of the performance. Common symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell. 

PARTICIPATING THEATRES:
Actors’ Shakespeare Project*
American Repertory Theater (ART)
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre*
Central Square Theater*
The Front Porch Arts Collective
The Gamm Theatre*
Gloucester Stage Company*
Greater Boston Stage Company*
The Huntington Theatre Company 
Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse*
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Moonbox Productions
SpeakEasy Stage Company*
Wellesley Repertory Theatre*
 *Member of New England Area Theaters (NEAT), an association of midsize theatres

May 31

Good for Them: “A Woman of the World”

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Denise Cormier in MRT’s A Woman of the World. Photo: Kathy Wittman.

Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Written by Rebecca Gilman
Directed by Courtney Sale
Featuring Denise Cormier

May 15-30, 2021
Video on Demand
Lowell, MA 01852
MRT on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

“Yes, she was a genius but nothing really happened to her. She never left her house!” – Mary Loomis Todd on Emily Dickinson in A Woman of the World

STREAMING — The summary on the MRT website for A Woman of the World buries the lede. It focuses on her ties to poet Emily Dickinson as a way to lure audience members with Protestant leanings. The summary fails to emphasize famous New Englander Mabel Loomis Todd’s more modern fleshly proclivities: she was into open-marriages centuries before it was cool and took great pleasure in sex.  Continue reading →

Apr 30

Love is Everyone: “Until the Flood”

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Maiesha McQueen in Until the Flood. Photo: Kathy Wittman

Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre 
By Dael Orlandersmith
Directed by Timothy Douglas
Original music by Lindsay Jones
Film by Kathy Wittman
Performed with excellence by Maiesha McQueen

April 17 to May 2, 2021
Via video-on-demand only
TICKETS
MRT on Facebook

MRT’s Content Alert: Based on real events, Until the Flood includes references to racism, bigotry, prejudice, and off-stage violence. The play contains strong adult content/language, including racial slurs. Recommended for ages 16 and older.

Critique by Kitty Drexel

STREAMING — The US police keep killing Black people. On Wednesday, April 28 a Collin County, Texas medical examiner ruled Marvin Scott III’s death a homicide. That was last night. Ma’Khia Bryant was killed by police on April 22. Derek Chauvin was convicted of killing George Floyd on April 20. Nearly a year after the murder took place. Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Aleah Jenkins, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown: I could go on and on. It’s no wonder that human rights lawyers from around the world have called for an investigation of the international criminal court into the systematic murder of Black people in the US. 

Until the Flood is a one-woman show about the stories we tell with our lives. On August 9, 2014 Darren Wilson, a white police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an African American teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. In response to the murder, Dael Orlandersmith interviewed Black and white people, compiled their stories and created this play. We are witness to a spectrum of views. Each monologue takes the viewer closer to Michael Brown and the events that formed the Black Lives Movement. Continue reading →