by Barbara Waldinger Imagine a production of Macbeth without the witches. No “When shall we three meet again?” No “Double, double toil and trouble: Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.” No cauldron for that matter; no murderers to kill Banquo or Macduff’s family—only blood magically spurting from their chests. These are…
by Macey Levin When you go to see Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar at the (which you should,) brace yourself for a compelling story, intense When you go to see Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar at the Chester Theatre Company (which you should,) brace yourself for a compelling story, intense disagreements, profound emotions, terrific acting…
by Roseann Cane I was just shy of 15 when Hair opened off-Broadway and began to cause a stir in 1967, a pivotal time in American culture. When a significantly revised version of the show opened on Broadway in 1968, it rapidly permeated the culture it reflected. It’s impossible to…
by Gail M. Burns The original London production of The Mousetrap, which opened in 1952, is STILL running; and there are endless amateur stagings every year all around the world. But if you’ve managed never to see it, this production at The Theater Barn is your opportunity to enjoy a…
by Barbara Waldinger The local go-to venue for big, splashy summer musicals is usually Chatham’s Mac-Haydn Theatre. The tiny stage is characteristically populated with dozens of talented young singers/dancers/actors, energetic and beautifully costumed.  However, the latest production, Mamma Mia!, despite showcasing all the usual ingredients, is largely a disappointment. Part…
by Macey Levin There’s a nostalgic diversion receiving its world premiere at Berkshire Theatre Group’s Fitzpatrick Main Stage in Stockbridge, MA. Coming Back Like a Song! By Lee Kalcheim is a play about Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen and Jimmy Van Heusen, three giant composers on the Broadway and Hollywood stages…
by Roseann Cane “Fruitful introversion is possible only when there is also a relation to the outside.”  –C.G. Jung The world premiere of The Sound Inside at the Williamstown Theatre Festival invites us to witness something not often seen on stage: the portrayal of two profoundly introverted people who struggle…
by Macey Levin Martin O’Reilly is divorced, his son won’t speak to him, he’s probably going to be fired from a job he doesn’t like at a Catholic religious supplies warehouse, he has no prospects for another job, he has no money and he owns a huge white elephant of…
