Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photos by North Shore Camera Club If you are looking for political correctness, you will be forgiven for not venturing out to see Citadel Theatre’s new production of Nell Benjamin’s The Explorers Club. If, on the other hand, your goal for the evening is to have […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; technical issues are currently preventing me from uploading photos, but I will do so as soon as I can. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to start reviews lately. See, the thing is that I have been fortunate enough to sign myself up for a spate of […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photos by Evan Hanover Step into the space at Theatre Wit for Kokandy Theatre’s production of Grand Hotel and you are transported somewhere elegant. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Beautiful architecture and twin balconies overlook a sparse but stylish hotel lobby. A pianist plays on a white […]
By Joe De Rosa Last Saturday, I took my thirteen-year-old son to see Ghosts of War and Letters Home, two plays produced by the Griffin Theatre company in rotating repertory at the Den Theatre. I know taking a middle-school boy to a pair of shows that aren’t exactly young adult theater might seem like kind […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Society member; photos by Michael Brosilow I’m not sure that I have ever before seen a play in which the act of oral sex was portrayed onstage not once, but twice, and almost a third time. I am sure that I’ve never seen one in which these acts […]
Reviewed by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photos by Liz Lauren Seated next to me during intermission of the opening night of Marriott Lincolnshire’s 75th anniversary production of Oklahoma, a man (presumably another critic) wondered aloud about how well this show fits into the current era. It is, after all, a show in […]
Review by Bradley Laas What do Scientology, Jonestown, and SoulCycle all have in common? They extort the weak with a false sense of belonging. They create an artificial community of seemingly loving citizens. But these communities are backed by something much darker. Scientology provides salvation (for those who can afford it) but encourages tattle-taling, shunning, […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member I find it difficult to review shows that are essentially song cycles—collections of songs without plot or characters. Too often, the songs end up blending together and not really saying a whole lot. This is decidedly not the case with Dominican University’s Songs For a New World, […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photos by Maria Burnham/Ghostlight Ensemble Oscar Wilde’s sarcastic wit and scathing social commentary is world famous, so it should come as no great surprise to discover that, in his play An Ideal Husband, we can find much that fits in the modern world. Despite being over 120 […]
Review by Karen Topham, American Theatre Critics Association member; photos by Joe Mazza, Brave Lux Incest and pedophilia have to be two of the most taboo subjects in western culture, and no one would think that they are funny, but humor probably is the only way one can discuss such things. In any case, both […]