THIS SHOW BUGS ME A Southern Gothic that hints at something deeper but never quite gets there For all its promise, Cockroaches, the 2024 Del Shores Foundation Best Play winner by Emma Schill…
FIDDLER, DEVIL, AND A DEAL GONE WRONG Beautifully realized, with narration and music in sync—The Soldier’s Tale is devilishly surprising, if a bit abrupt at the finish Igor Stravinsky co…
FINDING YOUR SONG Debbie Allen’s revival honors Wilson’s depth with a richly realized production The Barrymore Theatre’s revival of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, dire…
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SHOW CAN’T GO ON Spotlight on Safety: Why Stage Managers Are Getting Certified Live performances are entirely unpredictable. While stage managers constantly prepare f…
TRAUMA, TRUTH, AND THE STORIES WE SELL A taut psychological thriller that cuts deep and lingers “Look at this place. Just how rich did our trauma make you?” Of all the devastating zinger…
ICE, LOVE, AND LOOP PEDALS A technically dazzling two-hander that charms with ingenuity Coachella Valley Repertory closes its season with the inventive two-hander Ernest Shackleton Loves Me,…
CRITICISM VS CONFESSION When analysis starts to look like refusal Editor’s note: Jesse Green was reassigned from his role as chief theatre critic at The New York Times in 2025 and now serv…
FENCED IN AND LASHING OUT A powerful touring revival of August Wilson’s enduring drama The Old Globe Theatre is presenting August Wilson’s 1987 drama Fences, part of his cycle of plays a…
I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE A high-energy 80s mixtape that actually leaves you wanting more For The Record has built a reputation on remixing cinematic nostalgia into immersive, high-octane theatri…
A GEM FINDS ITS VOICE A charming, rarely staged Orff opera gets a smart, scrappy revival Did you know that composer Carl Orff wrote more than Carmina Burana? It’s true. While most audience…
Visual identity is one of the most powerful tools in theatre and film. Before a character speaks a single line, audiences begin forming impressions based on appearance, styling, and visual c…
THE COST OF LOOKING BACK With a soaring first act, I’m willing to pay the price for a second that can’t quite keep up Arthur Miller’s The Price has always been a talky, introspective p…
THE MATH DOESN’T ADD UP A starry revival that struggles to convince All the action in the Broadway revival of David Auburn’s Proof takes place on the porch of Robert and Catherine’s ho…
BROADWAY GOES POLITICAL A starry virtual event blends music, activism, and marquee names If you’re going to tune into a political fundraiser, it might as well come with a Broadway-caliber …
PRIVILEGE, PRESSURE, AND GROWING UP A timely coming-of-age story about identity, class, and consequence Even in troubled times, California is still seen by many as the land of opportunity—…
THREE LOVES, ONE ROAD A gritty, intriguing country-western musical with more implied than explained COMPOSER-LYRICIST/GUITARIST/PROTAGONISTA musician with three younger ladies to romance,two…
A LITTLE SIN, A LOT OF GIN A fizzy Noël Coward comedy where anticipation —and alcohol—do the heavy lifting There is a particular kind of overupholstered, well-mannered, and suffocating …
MASTER PRODUCTION During the last half-hour of the exquisitely produced “Master Harold”…and the boys, the Geffen Playhouse becomes theatre as a temple: a transcendental, spiritual, em…
A HUNGER THAT DOESN’T QUITE NAME ITSELF A sharp new play still discovering its center Lewis Carroll understood that eating is never just eating. When Alice stands before the small cake and…
COMEDY TONIGHT— AND PLENTY OF IT A zippy, low-budget romp that lands big laughs When in ancient Rome,do as the ancient Romans—and moderns—would do:enjoy the kind of humor that never fe…
SMALL MUSICAL, BIG HEART An intimate Irish story about courage, community, and the quiet power of living truthfully There’s a certain kind of musical that doesn’t announce itself with sp…
As a professional in the field of stage lighting, I firmly believe that the most important core value of theater stage lighting is to empower dramatic storytelling. Stage lighting should not…
KAFKA IN AMERICA— AND LOST AT SEA Striking visuals adrift in an overlong adaptation Who isn’t familiar with Franz Kafka (1883–1924), the tormented Czech writer? Or The Metamorphosis, K…
MIX, MATCH, AND MAKE IT UP An intergenerational troupe turns audience ideas into live musical theater Here’s a special recipe for success and entertainment. It’s all in the mixing and bl…
THE LAST FOOL A master’s final shrug lands with surprising weight Verdi was seventy-nine when Falstaff premiered at La Scala in 1893. He had not written a comic opera since Un giorno di re…