Our LA Critic on East West Players' eerie play

Mysterious Skin-the less revealed about this eerie plot the better . . .

Review of LA's latest Reprise musical by Evan Henerson

Jason Alexander &Stephanie J. Block in They're Singing Our Song

They're Playing Our Song-Visuals, ear candy songs, and the dual star wattage of Jason Alexander and Stephanie J. Block. All in all, this Reprise production is a song with a pretty sweet sound . . .

Julia Furay reports on the New York Music Festival

New York Music Festival 2010 Overview and Review Sampler-- First review: Anthony Rapp's solo memoir, Without You

Review of A.R. Gurney and the Flea's new world premiere

Office Hours- Written expecially for the Flea's resident actors, the play has the usual A. R. Gurney blend of humor and serious concerns-- in this case the dumbing down of the educational system that gained force in the early '70s

A Rave for The Pitman Painters

The Pitmen Painters - Lee Hall has written what, even this early in the season, has all the earmarks of being the best new play of the Broadway season .

The Ghost-Writer reviewed by our Philadelphia critic

Ghost-Writer- the seventh world premiere of a Michael Hollinger play at the Arden, introduces a vintage world to their Arcadia stage

Brief Encounter journes from Scren to stage

Brief Encounter- By using the sophisticated stagecraft available to contemporary directors, Emma Rice has created a hybrid of live drama with black and white filmic details and music that takes us into the inner landscape of two lovers hidebound by the social structure of the late 30s. . . .

Early Frayn farce reviewed

Alphabetical Order- Michael Frayn's 1975 farce is set in a provincial newspaper library that's organized by principles of filing that would make Dewey tremble in his grave.. . .

Shirley Jackson's novel as a musical at Yale Rep

Connecticut Review by Lauren Yarger

We Have Always Lived in the Castle-the musical adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel combines riveting performances with a haunting score and lyrics to create a creepy and sad atmosphere that draws us in and repels us at the same time. . . .

Daniel Beaty's solo Off Broadway, reviewed by Megan Finnegan

Through the Night-universal humor and moments of music and stylized rhyme make us see why Daniel Beaty's solo play has already had three previous productions

New Jersey revival of Hairspray by Simon Saltzman

Harspray-.This Papermill Playhouse revival lifts us up higher than could any beehive hairdo .

Chekhov miscellany adapted by Michael Frayn

The Sneeze-The sound of the balalaika add to the pleasure of seeing eight early short stories and plays by Anton Chekhov, artfully adapted by Michael Frayn, and delightfully presented by the Pearl Theatre Company,

New Jersey World Premiere Review

New Jersey

Character Assassins- This can be summed up with a line from the script as a temper tantrum in eighty-two minutes, though on the night of its world premiere it actually ran 105 minutes. So who is telling the truth, the critic or the playwright?.

New-soon-to-Tour Les Miz reviews by our London critic

London

Les Miserables- A new production directed by Trevor Nunn, celebrating this show's twenty five years as the world's most popular musical

Publish Post

Deirdre Donovan on downtown Chekhov revival

Uncle Vanya-The Boomerang Company does Uncle Vanya off-off-Broadway

Our London critic on Coward revival

London

Design for Living- The Old Vic has given Noaël Coward's play a stylish revival with design and performances to die for

Our London critic on Michael Gambon's Krapp

London

Krapp's Last Tape-Michael Gambon takes on Beckett's Krapp .

The Great Game: Afghaniston by our DC reviewer

DC

The Great Game: Afghanistan- this marathon of plays about Afghanistan in Dc, on its way to other parts of the US, including the Public Theater in New York.

Simon Saltzman's Prequel for Brief Encounter at Studio 54

From Screen to Stage, Sung and Unsung - a ruminations on film adaptations prompted by soon to officially open Brief Encounter

Review of Sarah Ruhl's Orlando at Classic Stage

Orlando-Mirror, mirror on the wall, what's the most beautiful production currently in town? The season is young, but Sarah Ruhl's adaptation of Virginia Woolf's 1928 century spanning pseudo-biographical novel certainly deserves top honors

Evan Henerson likes South Coast Rep's Misalliance

California

Misalliance- At South Coast Repertory, director Martin Benson is helming a glorious, if longish revival of Shaw's play. . .

The Divine Sister review

The Divine Sister-Charles Busch's sendup of Hollywood's Nun flicks has more hilarious zingers than a rosary has beads

The Little Foxex at New York Theatre Workshop

The Little Foxes- Whether you're energized or enraged by Ivo Van Hove's stylized production, you won't be bored . . .

Elizabeth Ahlford on Trans-Euro Express

Trans-Euro Express-the U. S. premiere of Gary Duggan's contribution to the Irish Arts Festival galvanizes the Irish Arts Center with an ear-busting rock soundtrack, pulsating multi-media projections and four committed actors . . .

Laura Hitchcock on Ruined at the Geffen Playhouse

California

Ruined- Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize Winning play at the Geffen Playhouse.

All's Well well done according to Curtainup's Simon Saltzman

New Jersey

All's Well That Ends Well- As directed by Stephen Fried Shakespeare's problem play is unexpectedly effective and even striking.

Curtainup's Lizzie Loveridge reviews stage adaptation of Mamet's House of Bames

London

House of Games-Richard Bean's stage adaptation of David Mamet's thriller movie about con tricksters is not as unpredictable in its outcomes as the original film. . . .

Broadway's Love Affair With the Oldest Profession by Simon Saltzman

Cherry Jones in Mrs. Warren's Profession

Broadway's Love Affair with The Oldest Profession.-a retrospective inspired as Cherry Jones stars as G.B. Shaw's notorious Madam, KItty Warren . . .

Wanderlust reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge

London

Wanderlust-Nick Payne's play explores old love versus new love in which one couple will thrive whereas the other will struggle. . . .

Simon Saltzman reviews Aurelia's Oratorio

New Jersey

Aurélia's Oratorio- a rather strange but also blissfully brief theatrical encounter that incorporates both traditional circus skills with those more inclined to be loopy now at the McCarter Theater. . . .

Gregory Wilson reviews latest new-fangled Macbeth--

TheBcam/MacBeth-undeniably ambitious, highly professional, and occasionally powerful -- also erratically paced and often frustrating . . .

Amanda Cooper's rave for A Bright New Boise

A Bright New Boise- Samuel D Hunter could have easily taken a preachy approach to his characters who lead less than ideal lives, but he doesn't.

Irish Play Fesitval's Exit/Entrance reviewed by Paulanne Simmons

Exit/ Entrance - Aidan Mathews end to beginning two acts are flavored with challenging similarities and recurrent themes linking one play to the other

Nance'Oneil reviewed by Paulanne Simmons

Nance O'Neil- the characters in the drama that surround Lizzie Borden are not much different from the rest of humanity, but minus the hatchet. . .

Review: World Premierie of Bottom of the World

Bottom of the World-Given the issues explored Lucy Thurber's new play is not light, escape fare. But it's about life and life is complicated. . . .

The Sensational Josephine Baker reviewed by Paulanne Simmons

The Sensational Josephine Baker- a one-woman show that takes a heartfelt look at a woman who captured the heart of many people whom she touched both personally and professionally . . .

Glass Menagerie review by Laura Hitchcock

California

The Glass Menagerie-Gordon Edelstein's production of Tennessee Williams' classic opens the Mark Taper season with NY cast intact

Me, Myself & I

Me, Myself & I-Albee at 80 retains his sense of humor-- and, in fact, aims mostly for laughs

Bedlam review at Curtainup/London

Bedlam- The Globe's presentation of their first play by a woman author, Nell Leyshon, looks at the treatment of the mentally ill in the mid 18th century within the setting of the famous London asylum . . .

Deathtrap revival reviewed

London

Deathtrap-There are more twists to Ira Levin's plot than dead ends in Hampton Court�s famous maze but for my money this mystery revival doesn't hang together . . .

underneathmybed

underneathmybed- a splendidly staged surreal yet real family drama that suffers from the novice playwright's tendency to try to do too much. . .

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Relish reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge at Curtainup-London

Relish-James Graham's new play about the life of what they have called Britain's first celebrity chef. . . .

Cankerblossom Review Posted at Curtainup/Philadelphia

Cankerblossom-conceived and created by Pig Iron Theatre Company for Philadelphia Live Arts . . .reviewed by Kathryn Osenlund

No Wake Review

Berkshires

No Wake - William Donnelly's enjoyable and moving new play made its debut over the Labor Day weekend and will return for a month during leaf peeping season. . .

Clybourne Park posted at Curtainup/London

Clybourne Park- Although specifically American, Bruce Norris's play can also be related to in England as we have seen the gentrification or upward mobility of once deprived areas and also the whole scale taking over of inner city areas by immigrant communities.. . .

It Must Be Him

It Must Be Him-An experience that's like watching a third-rate community theater, only we don't have the pleasure of seeing a relative or neighbor on the stage. . . .

Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods

New Jersey

Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods- Socio-political theater doesn't get more conspicuously embraced than it does in Tammy Ryan's new play, a co-production between Premiere Stages and Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey . . .

Merry Wifes of Windsor Revisits the Globe

London

The Merry Wives of Windsor Revisits the Globe- the successful 2008 production returns to the scene of its initial triumph before going on tour. . .