Recommended by Claudia Haas

  • Fable
    29 Feb. 2020
    What a pleasure it is to have June have her say. After seeing many productions of Gypsy, I always wanted more of June. What happened to the breadwinner of many years? DeVita does a stellar job of giving us June Havoc/Havick and the contentious relationship she had with Gypsy/Louise. Her fight for her say in how her life is portrayed resonates. We know the fable. DeVita gives us new perspective. A theatre would do well to stage this as a companion piece to Gypsy (using the same cast!). A talkback after would finally be illuminating.
  • Band-Aid
    26 Feb. 2020
    It is unusual to find a play about writing that doesn’t include crumpled pieces of paper thrown around and typewriters (computers) thrown out windows. Gacinski finds the passion in creating, the reality of predators (producers and yes, other writers), and the dream of creating something that resonates. Gacinski gives us lyrical poetry, a man searching for love in many aspects, and a setting ripe for art. Italy meets France meets USA and the collision breaks people. There are some clever, satirical references to theatre that are accurate. But you never stop hoping for the play that leaves you breathless.
  • A Sunday
    26 Feb. 2020
    Family secrets, half truths - they are not always born out of shame. Some of them just contain too much pain. Koppen does a lovely job introducing us to a fairly, close-knit family - foibles and all. At the height of what should be a joyous celebration, there is a knock at the door. And without any extraneous dialogue, you know that the celebration abruptly turned into mourning. The play turns a light on a family as we witness their world turn upside down. And you care.
  • Asking For It
    25 Feb. 2020
    A shrewd, little tale of culpability on a crime where you are the victim. Clever, with a lot of truths to be found here. Don’t limit this for a Me, Too program. Produce it widely.
  • Another Way Home
    25 Feb. 2020
    This play took my breath away. Ziegler hits all the hot spots of family: pride, embarrassment, legacy, fear, and yes, love. Parenthood is unpredictable as is life. Ziegler drives this home in a play that manages disappointment with compassion and a special brand of love that only happens with awareness and acceptance. The play tackles the intricacies of the workings of a family with humor and a knowing eye.
  • Heroes, Legends, Brothers
    24 Feb. 2020
    ‘I was already dead but in that moment...” so immediate, honest and concise. Last moments, last time for honesty, and last time for appreciation. A fresh look at friendship between two males - a scenario not often addressed. Hageman has her pulse on teens and it quickens the heart.
  • About a Ghoul
    24 Feb. 2020
    Everything in this play gives you happy surprises. It’s a charming, heartfelt story for young people. It’s also slyly clever, witty and gives young audiences a strong young female protagonist who takes charge. The adventure into the land of the ghouls is filled with theatrical possibilities that brought me into another world and another time. The theme of friendship resonates throughout. Hansen has a knack for bringing us into new lands that show us our worlds are based on a common humanity. (Aside: If I was still acting, I would love to be Horse.)
  • Songbird
    22 Feb. 2020
    So many layers of me, too, child abuse, and silence. Silence as protection, silence as a weapon. Quick moving, honest, and searing, there is a lot to be uncovered here. A song can be more honest than a confession. A song heightens a reality. A song can tell a truth. A song heightens reality. And one must choose the words of a song carefully. A poignant look at coping when your world is shattered.
  • True Blue
    21 Feb. 2020
    Maybe dyeing your hair blue is the only sane reaction to what happens as you start to understand life. Mavromatis’s characters spar and crackle and delight. What starts out as a maybe bizarre decision by a 39 year-old-man to turn his hair blue evolves into something else. What if you’re halfway through life and know that where you are and what you're doing could be construed as nonsense? What does depression look like at 39? A take on the tolls of corporate America and its price on the spirit.
  • Le Petit Bateau
    20 Feb. 2020
    I am a sucker for two people in a lifeboat. Two men escaping the French revolution? Mon Dieu! How far will you go for your beliefs? Is art a deciding point? When is life a deterrent? Both silly and possibly tragic as life can be, the ending makes you wonder. About life. And art. And life.

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