Palm Beach Dramaworks’ Fences offers ample power, pathos

Palm Beach Dramaworks’ Fences offers ample power, pathos

Photo by Samantha Mighdoll Rose (Karen Stephens) confronts her husband, Troy (Lester Purry) in Palm Beach Dramaworks’ riveting production of August Wilson’s Fences.  By AARON KRAUSE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Toward the end of Palm Beach Dramaworks’ breath-stealing, intense and all-together riveting production of August Wilson’s masterpiece, Fences, fierce thunder claps...

Read more
Director learns from actors while staging complex classic ‘A Raisin in the Sun’

Director learns from actors while staging complex classic ‘A Raisin in the Sun’

(Ryan Arnst Photography/Courtesy) Walter Lee Younger (Jovon Jacobs) is in obvious agony. Jacobs plays a suffering, flawed offspring in New City Players’ powerful production of A Raisin in the Sun.   By AARON KRAUSE FT. LAUDERDALE — The prospect of directing A Raisin in the Sun thrilled Mary Elizabeth Gundlach....

Read more
‘Race’ is vital, engrossing theater at Main Street Players

‘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...

Read more
A sunny ‘Annie’ at The Wick

A sunny ‘Annie’ at The Wick

  Photo by Amy Pasqantonio Sandy leaps up to his new best friend, Annie (Peyton Ella) in The Wick Theatre’s wonderful production of the beloved musical. By AARON KRAUSE BOCA RATON, Fla. — A director mounting an evergreen such as Annie doesn’t have to dig deep to unearth modern relevance. After all,...

Read more
World premiere of stage version of Dracula is hardly what you’d expect  

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...

Read more
New City Players offers touching ‘Constellations’

New City Players offers touching ‘Constellations’

Photo by Ryan Arnst Marianne (Jessica Schulte) and Roland (Jordon Armstrong) share a moment in New City Players’ production of Constellations. By AARON KRAUSE FT. LAUDERDALE — Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. Or perhaps, at the same time, Hillary Clinton bested her Republican challenger in the popular vote...

Read more
GableStage’s riveting ‘I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard’ is a hit

GableStage’s riveting ‘I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard’ is a hit

  (Photo by George Schiavone) David (Tom Aulino) seems more interested in his booze than his daughter, Ella, in GableStage’s production of I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard. CORAL GABLES, Fla.  — Our desire for affirmation that others value us is sometimes as strong as our hydration needs on...

Read more
New universally-relevant McKeever play receives strong world premiere

New universally-relevant McKeever play receives strong world premiere

(Photo by George Wentzler) Mr. Parker (Michael McKeever) and Justin (Samuel Maya) enjoy a playful moment in the world premiere production of Mr. Parker. WILTON MANORS, Fla. — You don’t have to be gay to find resonance in Mr. Parker, a funny, touching play receiving its world premiere at Island...

Read more
Powerfully-staged ‘Equus’ at PBD proves terribly timely

Powerfully-staged ‘Equus’ at PBD proves terribly timely

(Photo by Samantha Mighdoll) Alan Strang (Steven Maier) has a disturbing obsession with horses in Peter Shaffer’s Equus. WEST PALM BEACH — In the wake of recent school shootings, some undoubtedly and understandably harbor emotions too raw to ponder psychological motivations behind heinous crimes. Yet, theater has a responsibility to...

Read more
An emotionally-potent ‘Next to Normal’ shines in South Florida co-production

An emotionally-potent ‘Next to Normal’ shines in South Florida co-production

Photo by Fernando Barron II (From left) Christopher Alvarez as Gabe, Sabrina Lynn Gore as Diana and Johnbarry Green appear in Infinite Abyss Productions and Measure for Measure’s staging of Next to Normal WILTON MANORS, Fla. — A current South Florida co-production of the Pulitzer-Prize-winning musical Next to Normal is...

Read more