The Gay No More Telethon - reviewed by LEONARD JACOBS

The title tells you all you need to know about this lighthearted, occasionally clever musical.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

One Seat in the Shade - reviewed by LEONARD JACOBS

Being a gay couple for 27 years is something to be proud of; it can also evoke a need for change. In John Reoli's clunky, sweet-natured play, one couple learns the hard way what's best for t…

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

See How Beautiful I Am: The Return of Jackie Susann - reviewed by LEONARD JACOBS

For a little more than 60 breathless minutes, Debora Weston holds the audience in the palm of her fist as "Valley of the Dolls" novelist Jacqueline Susann.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Scratch - reviewed by LEONARD JACOBS

Scratch "Scratch," Aimee Gonzalez's plodding adaptation of "Medea," off your list.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Noir: A Shot and a Chaser - reviewed by A.J. MELL

Perhaps it's time to put the beautiful losers and femmes fatale on ice for a while, so we can one day look at them with fresh eyes.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Gargoyle Garden - reviewed by ADAM R. PERLMAN

Perhaps a man's reach should exceed his grasp...but not a musical theatre writer's. At some point, a writer has to know the limits of his talent - or else you wind up with something like "Ga…

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Symphony Pastorale and Fugue Series - reviewed by RONNI REICH

In each of these one acts, the characters are relatable, the packaging snazzy and accessible, and the performers flawless. It's a likely favorite. But some will wonder - this writer included…

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Traffic Jam - reviewed by MARK PEIKERT

Sometimes creating your own role can work wonders for a career, but playwright and lead actor Jennifer Bogush hasn't done herself any favors.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

But for the Grace... - reviewed by HARRY FORBES

This well-intentioned look at poverty has been culled from the testimony of food-bank clients but doesn't quite tug at the heartstrings or conscience as expected.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Johnny Law, Courtroom Crusader - reviewed by ADAM R. PERLMAN

This ridiculous, self-aggrandizing spiel from a trial lawyer would be over quicker in a bar - and accompanied by a beer.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

The Johnny - reviewed by GWEN OREL

This musical that wonders what happens to the golden-boy high school athlete after he's bested by the nerdy guy drags the audience through two hours of tedium.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Eagle Squadron Go! - reviewed by MARC MILLER

Two hours is way too long to sustain what is essentially Carol Burnett-style sketch comedy.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

The Boy in the Basement - reviewed by RONNI REICH

Old romance novels and the not-quite-romance of MTV's "Next" and "The Real World" come together for a glorious lampooning in Katharine Heller's "The Boy in the Basement."

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

The Fabulous Kane Sisters in Box Office Poison - reviewed by LEONARD JACOBS

This is a phenomenal takeoff on mystery films, backstage comedies, and gay camp, including delicious one-liners.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Choose Your Own Play - reviewed by LEONARD JACOBS

Long-form improv is notoriously hard to do, as it's usually predicated on being funny, thinking fast, and sustaining it all for a whole evening.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Big Thick Rod - reviewed by ANDY PROPST

Playwright Stanton Wood works in a simultaneously fantastic and Shavian mode in "Big Thick Rod," a thought-provoking but never completely satisfying comedy about love, sex, and big business.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

On Insomnia and Midnight - reviewed by MARK PEIKERT

Anyone who thinks talking about sex is never dull should head down to the SoHo Playhouse and catch a performance of David Johnstone's translation of Edgar Chías' excruciatingly tediou…

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Hot Cripple - Reviewed by TOM PENKETH

In "Hot Cripple," Hogan Gorman details how, in one tragic moment, she lost everything.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

George the Fourth - Reviewed by MARK PEIKERT

Michael T. Middleton's new play George the Fourth feels like a fifth-rate version of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Lucasville: The Untold Story of a Prison Uprising - Reviewed by RONNI REICH

Both dramatically and socially compelling, the 1993 Lucasville prison uprising is an ideal subject for activist drama.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Too Much Memory - Reviewed by GWEN OREL

Keith Reddin was one of the hottest playwrights of the 1990s, and it's a treat to find a world premiere play of his at the Fringe.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Operation Adelmo reviewed by HARRY FORBES

If there's a prize for performing under intolerable circumstances, Adelmo Guidarelli, a good legit baritone, gets it.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Gem! A Truly Outrageous Parody! Reviewed by PAUL MENARD

Amanda Allen giddily goofs on a beloved cartoon TV show.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Blanche Survives Katrina in a FEMA Trailer Named Desire reviewed by DAVID SHEWARD

Mark Sam Rosenthal evokes Tennessee Williams' faded Southern belle in a loving tribute and searing political cartoon.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Behold, the Bowery! reviewed by DAVID A. ROSENBERG

Bowery is an uneasy alliance of music and drama, with the latter taking precedence.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑