REVIEW: “Brighton Beach Memoirs” at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts
by Paula Kaplan-Reiss I love the work of Neil Simon. In the 1970s and 1980s, his plays were ubiquitous on Broadway. 1983 saw the beginning…
REVIEW: 14th Annual 10×10 New Play Festival at Barrington Stage Company
by Paula Kaplan-Reiss The beauty of ten ten-minute plays is the variety of stories and genres capturing the audience’s attention, the chance to see the…
Favorites of 2024: Paula Kaplan-Reiss
When I think back to the stand-out theater of this year, three shows come to mind. Two plays are familiar; one is brand new. Centuries,…
REVIEW: “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at the Sharon Playhouse
by Paula Kaplan-Reiss As a child, Sunday mornings meant rushing to the Sunday newspaper to read the brightly colored, always amusing comics, highlighted by the…
REVIEW: “Next to Normal” at Barrington Stage
by Paula Kaplan-Reiss “Who’s crazy, the husband or wife…the one who can’t cope, or maybe the one who’ll still hope?” sings Dan in Next to…
REVIEW: “Forgiveness” at Barrington Stage Company
by Paula Kaplan-Reiss As a theater critic I am aware that an entire audience watching the same show can result in an audience-size number of…
REVIEW: “All Shook Up” at the Mac-Haydn Theatre
by Paula Kaplan-Reiss I have never been inspired by Elvis Presley nor attracted to his music. However, the outstanding cast of the Mac-Haydn Theatre shakes…
REVIEW: “Pipe Dream” at the Berkshire Theatre Festival
by Paula Kaplan-Reiss We are all familiar with the iconic musicals of Rodgers & Hammerstein. We have seen them on the stage and screen, and…