by Jeannie Marlin Woods Undoubtedly, William Shakespeare is one of the most intriguing figures in history and literature. Our fascination is due, in part, to the paucity of verifiable information on the life of the world’s greatest playwright. Even fewer facts are known about his wife, Anne Hathaway. So, SHAKESPEARE’S…

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, August, 2001 It is only fair for me to confess that I am a Plaidhead. This marks the 8th production of Forever Plaid that I have seen. Don’t ask me why I get such a kick out of this silly and harmless little entertainment, but I do,…

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, July, 2001 What a delightful show! I cannot think of a happier way to spend the evening than up at Oldcastle in the company of Trudi Possey as Agnes and Richard Howe as Michael as they sprint through Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s 1966 musical…

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, March 2000 “Lysistrata” is always a fun show. This seems pretty remarkable since it was first performed in 411 B.C.E., but when you consider that its subject is sex, it all becomes perfectly clear. Sex is wonderful and awful, but most of all it is…

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, August, 1999 What a gosh-darned silly show this is! In case you haven’t heard “Off The Hook” – playing at Oldcastle through September 4th – is a wacky broad farce, broadly directed by Russell Kaplan. Authors Allen Lewis Rickman and Karl Tiedemann claim they “started…

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, June, 1999 It is a crime that the WTF can sell-out with a nothing-burger like “Factory Girls” and Oldcastle can fill barely half the house for their season opener “Later Life” by A. R. Gurney. Oldcastle is offering a considerably better show for the money,…

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, September, 1998 When I was an aspiring teenage playwright, there were very few female playwrights for me to use as role models. In fact, there was only one – Lillian Hellman (1905-1984). Naturally, I was interested in who this one pioneer was and what she…

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, August, 1998 Oldcastle has another Ayckbourn hit on its hands. Their production of Ayckbourn’s 1991 comedy “Taking Steps” is a flawless gem. Oldcastle has made a lucky find in Sir Alan Ayckbourn, one of the modern theatre’s most prolific and consistently funny playwrights. Armed with…