Island City Stage’s ‘At the Wedding’ Is Sharp, Funny, and Deeply Human”
Photo by Matthew Tippins Victor (Steven Guez) and Eli (Timothy Mark Davis) try to keep a wedding cake upright in Island City Stage’s triumphant production of At the Wedding. By AARON KRAUSE Want a neat, perfect wedding? You won’t find one in Bryna Turner’s funny, energizing, and emotionally sharp comedy,...
Fierstein’s ‘Torch Song’ Still Sings — and Simmers
Ma (Lourelene Snedeker), Arnold Beckoff (Alex Martinez) and David (Jackson Goddard) in an upbeat scene from Plays of Wilton’s powerful production of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song. By AARON KRAUSE “There’s still a stain on the sidewalk,” teenage David tells Ed in Harvey Fierstein’s classic, complex, and relevant play, Torch...
New City Players’ Confederates: A Fierce, Funny Look at Slavery’s Lingering Shadows
Photo by Kevin Ondarza Sara (Nai Fairweather) is unafraid of battle in Dominique Morisseau’s powerful play Confederates. By AARON KRAUSE Slavery’s chains still bind in unexpected ways, and Dominique Morisseau’s bold, nuanced dramedy Confederates urges us to unshackle ourselves—and one another—from their lingering grip. New City Players’ (NCP) riveting professional...
“Boca Stage’s ‘Dry Powder’ Offers a Timely, Sharp Critique of Capitalism’s Costs
Photo by Amy Pasquantonio (From left) Wayne LeGette as Rick, Autumn Kioti Horne as Jenny, Christopher Dreeson as Jeff, and Michael Scott Ross as Seth. By AARON KRAUSE When GableStage mounted a fine production of Sarah Burgess’s brutally honest play Dry Powder in 2017, it felt like a serious...
Aging, memory, art collide in Pigs Do Fly’s ‘Painting Churches’
Photo by Carol Kassie Mags (Ana Marie Calise), Gardner (William Mahone) and Fanny (Laura Turnbull) in Pigs Do Fly Productions’ staging of Tina Howe’s poetic play Painting Churches. By AARON KRAUSE Like an eager child, a septuagenarian gazes in wonder at a paper airplane in Pigs Do Fly...
‘two of us on the run’ begins its journey at Theatre Lab in Boca Raton
Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography J (Kimmie Harvey) and C (Abbie Fricke) appear in a scene from the world premiere production of two of us on the run at Theatre Lab. By AARON KRAUSE Steve McMahon’s promising new play, two of us on the run, is like a map...
Island City Stage’s ‘A Delicate Balance’ is great theater
f Photo by Matthew Tippins Although they are touching each other, you sense tension between Agnes (Patti Gardner) and Tobias (Tom Wahl) in Island City Stage’s first-rate production of Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, A Delicate Balance. By AARON KRAUSE Unless you have been hiding in a...
Palm Beach Dramaworks’ remount of ‘The Dresser’ is stirring entertainment
Photo by Curtis Brown Colin McPhillamy, as Sir (front) and Bill Hayes as Norman (back, left) lead the cast of Palm Beach Dramaworks’ remount of ‘The Dresser’ By AARON KRAUSE In Ronald Harwood’s touching 1980 backstage drama, The Dresser, the familiar and perhaps unfamiliar merge to form a humorous,...
PBD: Get lost in award-winning ‘Lost in Yonkers’
By AARON KRAUSE When you hear the name Neil Simon, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is comedy. Indeed, the late great playwright’s early work is most notable for, among other things, snappy one-liners. But Simon’s talent extends beyond his ability to make people laugh. This is...
‘Daniel’s Husband’ delivers again in South Florida co-production
Photo courtesy The Foundry Mitchell (Ryan Didato) and Daniel (Robert Koutras) admire each other in “Daniel’s Husband” at The Foundry in Wilton Manors. By AARON KRAUSE A misleading synopsis of Michael McKeever’s heart-shattering, tight, well-crafted drama, Daniel’s Husband, appears in the program for a current potent professional co-production. The...