‘The Last Christmas’ at New City Players may make you feel less alone
By AARON KRAUSE It is nearly midnight on a pitch-black Christmas Eve. Everybody is sound asleep, and it’s deathly quiet. Suddenly you feel lonely and dreadful. But then a soft yet reassuring voice from the radio fills the vast space and instantly puts you at ease. Such a scene may...
Modern version of ‘The Fantasticks’ soars at Island City Stage
Photo by Matthew Tippins Kevin Hincapie and Jonny Lee played lovers in Island City Stage’s production of an LGBTQ rewrite of The Fantasticks. By AARON KRAUSE Whether it’s between a man and a woman, two men, two women, two robots, or two animals, love is love. A modern version...
Theatre Lab’s ‘The Last Yiddish Speaker’ is haunting
Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography Chava (Patti Gardner) and Sarah (Gemma Berg) enjoy an easy rapport in The Last Yiddish Speaker.” Looking on is Sarah’s father, Paul (Stephen Schnetzer). By AARON KRAUSE Forget ghosts and goblins. Deborah Zoe Laufer’s frightening and moving drama, The Last Yiddish Speaker, centers on...
PPTOPA’s ‘Putting it Together’ is engaging
Photo by Ron Pollack Erica Gouldthorpe and Elijah Pearson-Martinez play young characters in love in Putting it Together. By AARON KRAUSE With skill, elegance, and humor, Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts (PPTOPA) is paying tribute to late musical theater great Stephen Sondheim by staging the engaging musical...
Upcoming short play festival aims to invest in South Florida playwrights
New City Players (NCP) will feature top works by South Florida playwrights in an upcoming event titled Short Plays: Lauder Made. NCP has scheduled the festival for 8 p.m. Sept. 27 and 28, as well as 3 p.m. on the 28th. The venue will be the theatrical space at...
Island City Stage’s ‘Die, Mommie, Die’ offers laughs aplenty
Photo by Matthew Tippins Tony Parker (Clay Cartland) tries to calm Edith Sussman (Susanna Ninomiya) in Island City Stage’s production of Die, Mommie, Die! By AARON KRAUSE While summer camp is over for kids, a different kind of camp is in session for adults at Island City Stage (ICS)....
‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ opens Loxen’s season
By AARON KRAUSE If South Florida’s Loxen Entertainment, Inc. does its job well during the nonprofit company’s season-opening show, the actors will seem inept. Indeed, appearing incompetent is the goal for the season opener…and no, that’s not a misprint. “The whole show needs to look like a disaster,...
New City Players presents a sizzling ‘Streetcar’
Photo by Morgan Sophia Stella (Casey Sacco, left), and Blanche (Elizabeth Price) act out a scene from New City Players’ production of A Streetcar Named Desire. By AARON KRAUSE “Bigger isn’t better.” So go the lyrics to a Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart song from the musical “Barnum.” At...
‘Skintight’ sizzles at Island City Stage
Photo by Matthew Tippins Elliot Isaac (Steve Schroko) and Trey (Jeff Brackett) admire each other in Island City Stage’s production of “Skintight,” by Joshua Harmon. By AARON KRAUSE You may not agree with Elliot Isaac’s belief about beauty. “Hot is everything,” he tells his adult daughter, referring to...
PBD tries, and succeeds, in its re-mounting of touching drama, ‘Trying’
Photo by Tim Stepien Judge Francis Biddle (Dennis Creaghan) and his secretary, Sarah Schorr (Kelly McCready) struggle to get along early on in Joanna McClelland Glass’s historical drama, Trying. By AARON KRAUSE If you look closely at the program for Palm Beach Dramaworks’ (PBD) polished and poignant production of...