A moving, scary ‘A Christmas Carol’ is streaming
Photo by Chris Whitaker Ebenezer Scrooge (Jefferson Mays) looks as though he’s freefalling in a streaming version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. By AARON KRAUSE At times, one of the newest adaptations of A Christmas Carol sounds and looks more like...
‘Gifts’ focuses on the power of story during dark moments
Photo courtesy of Irish Repertory Theatre (From left) Marty Rea, as Tom, Sean McGinley as Larry, and Marie Mullen as Rose. By AARON KRAUSE What are some “gifts” that you’ve brought to dark, anxiety-inducing times, places, or situations? Perhaps you smiled brightly while visiting a lonely, scared person forced...
Powerful ‘American Son’ prevails at Zoetic Stage
Photo by Justin Namon A struggle breaks out between a father and a police officer in the riveting drama, American Son. Here, the officer, Paul Larkin (Ryan Didato) tries to restrain the dad, Scott Connor (Clive Cholerton). Flanking the strugglers are Scott’s ex, Kendra Ellis-Connor (Karen Stephens) and Lt. John...
A shattering ‘Streetcar’ at Palm Beach Dramaworks
Photo by Samantha Mighdoll Stanley Kowalski (Danny Gavigan) pleads with his wife, Stella (Annie Grier) to forgive him in Palm Beach Dramaworks’ stellar production of A Streetcar Named Desire. By AARON KRAUSE WEST PALM BEACH — Brutal reality shatters sensitivity, fragility and illusion with the force of a monster...
‘Wiesenthal’ is a winner at GableStage
Photo by George Schiavone Simon Wiesenthal (David Kwiat) takes some time to reflect in the one-character play, Wiesenthal. By AARON KRAUSE CORAL GABLES — An admirable quality of one-person plays is their ability to establish an especially intimate connection between the audience and the character. Such a bond can...
MNM’s ‘Man of La Mancha’ delves into material’s darkness
Courtesy of Jacek Photo Don Quixote (Michael McKenzie) and Sancho (Mark Kirschenbaum) stand and sit tall and proud in MNM’s production of Man of La Mancha. By AARON KRAUSE WEST PALM BEACH — This isn’t how your grandparents experienced Man of La Mancha. No, the nonprofit, professional MNM...
Documentary play about doomed flight is upsetting, yet empowering
Photo by Michael Brosilow Actors portraying crew members of United Flight 232 demonstrate what went wrong with the doomed aircraft. By AARON KRAUSE MIAMI — In the deeply unsettling, tragic, yet heartwarming, even life-affirming documentary play United Flight 232, plane crash survivor Clif Marshall speaks about the ordeal...
‘Race’ is vital, engrossing theater at Main Street Players
(Photo by Dennis Lyzniak) Attorney Jack Lawson (Christopher Dreeson) is animated while making a point. Listening are his client, Charles Strickland (Brian McCormack), law assistant Susan (Trittney Huzzie) and law partner Henry Brown (Keith Oliver). By AARON KRAUSE MIAMI LAKES – In Main Street Players’ riveting, unmissable mounting...
‘Indecent’ entertains and exercises minds at GableStage
(Photo by George Schiavone) Yekel (David Kwiat) deals harshly with his daughter, Rivkele (Hannah Benitez), while her mother (Irene Adjan) tries to restrain her husband. By AARON KRAUSE CORAL GABLES, Fla. — “They say America is free? What do you know here is free?” The above line is from Paula...
World premiere of stage version of Dracula is hardly what you’d expect
Photo by Justin Namon Count Dracula (Carlos Orizondo) is about to severely wound Lucy (Isabella Lopez) in the world premiere production of Michael McKeever’s Dracula, a Zoetic Stage production. By AARON KRAUSE MIAMI, Fla. — Up is down and right is wrong. It’s a phrase that could describe today’s...