388 stories from Theatre Criticsm
By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI. " A small but energetic theater company, Off the Wall Theatre, has produced a memorable production of one of Tennessee Williams' later works, Small Craft Warnin…
By ROY BERKO Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (books and lyrics) developed the creative Shrek: The Musical from DreamWorks Animation's film and William Steig's book of the sam…
By ALAN SMASON SAN FRANCISCO " Anyone who has ever seen a Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney film knows that the ills of the world can be transformed by putting on a show, raising needed revenue…
By HERBERT SIMPSON Despite already having knocked people out in splendidly acted versions, this important and enormously appealing play seems to be moving to "National Treasure" status in ev…
By ROY BERKO Susan Hill, author of the book "The Woman in Black," the source of the play of the same name now being staged at the Cleveland Play House (CPH), relates: "The Suffolk coast. Win…
By ROY BERKO God, or a facsimile thereof, in the form of Mike Polk Jr., who in his other life is a local comedian and Fox 8 personality, is appearing on the Beck Center for the Arts stage, i…
By HERBERT SIMPSONÂ I wondered how the old love-rock musical would play these days for an audience of younger folk unfamiliar with Hippie rebellion, flower children, 60s rock music, and a…
By JACK LYONS Ambition supposedly killed Caesar, according to Brutus. However, it also became a two-edged sword that cut both ways. Literature is bursting with characters who are infected wi…
By AARON KRAUSE EAST HADDAM, Conn. " Goodspeed Musicals' impressive production of Lionel Bart's Oliver! isn't shrouded in darkness and dismay. But, make no mistake: This mounting is unlike t…
By LOU HARRY A tip of the (ice) cap to Portland, Oregon's Artists Repertory Theatre, which has given E.M Lewis' epic play "Magellanica" a worthy production, even if its cracks show. Set prim…
By HARRY DUKE Musicals are the bread and butter of community theatre. They're usually crowd pleasers and, with their large casts, can bank on a crowd of family and friends to fill a good por…
By AARON KRAUSE PALO ALTO, Calif. " Award-winning Bay Area playwright and composer Min Kahng thought his discovery several years ago was "fascinating" and "unique." It would be "fun and inte…
By HARRY DUKE It's 1648 and the splendiferous Taj Mahal awaits its opening. Humayun and Babur, the two lowliest members of Emperor Shah Jahan's royal guards, are assigned the lowliest duty a…
