Fornés’s ‘Mud’ Dares to Show Us the Brutality Beneath Poverty

Fornés’s ‘Mud’ Dares to Show Us the Brutality Beneath Poverty

  Photo by Nat Ordonez Juan Gamero and Calia Katz in Latine Theater Lab’s inaugural production of Maria Irene Fornes’s powerful play, Mud. By AARON KRAUSE Launching a new theater company with a live production can be frightening. But Latine Theater Lab founding artistic director Alex Gonzalez shows courage by...

Read more
Aging, memory, art collide in Pigs Do Fly’s ‘Painting Churches’

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...

Read more
‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ heats things up in South Florida co-production

‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ heats things up in South Florida co-production

Photo courtesy of Empire Stage Tension exists between Williamson (Matthew Schenk) and Levene (Michael H. Small) in a South Florida co-production of David Mamet’s powerful play Glengarry Glen Ross.    By AARON KRAUSE If Matthew Schenk’s eyes grew any wider and icier, they might unleash daggers. I mean that as...

Read more
These ‘Steel Magnolias’ will win you over at Empire Stage

These ‘Steel Magnolias’ will win you over at Empire Stage

Photo courtesy of Art Buzz Theatrics and Florida Theatrical Events Shelby (Alexandra Van Hasselt, front) and Clairee (Elissa D. Solomon) laugh during an upbeat scene from a South Florida co-production of the Robert Harling comedy-drama, Steel Magnolias.   By AARON KRAUSE In the script for his funny and moving 1980’s-set...

Read more
‘Falsettos’ feels vital in South Florida co-production

‘Falsettos’ feels vital in South Florida co-production

Photo by Amy Mahon Jason (Jackson Goddard) insists to his mother, Trina (Seana Nicol) that he will not see a psychiatrist.    By AARON KRAUSE Sometimes, even adults must grow up before they can properly help the children in their life mature. That is one of the timely takeaway messages...

Read more
An impressive South Florida co-production offers a peek into ‘Sordid Lives’

An impressive South Florida co-production offers a peek into ‘Sordid Lives’

Photo courtesy of ArtBuzz Theatrics and Empire Stage The women of Sordid Lives are eccentric yet well-meaning.    By AARON KRAUSE In a scene from the hilarious and moving hit play, Sordid Lives, a small-town Texas therapist in 1998 tries to “dehomosexualize” a gay male transvestite. The scene, which may...

Read more
‘Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks’ charms, touches at ArtBuzz Theatrics

‘Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks’ charms, touches at ArtBuzz Theatrics

Photo by Amy Mahon Lily Harrison (Lory Reyes) is clearly not pleased as Michael Minetti (Larry Buzzeo) is comically over-the-top.    By AARON KRAUSE Since its Los Angeles premiere and Broadway opening, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks has undergone translations into 14 languages and traversed the globe with productions...

Read more
Controversial ‘Bent’ is a cautionary play for our times

Controversial ‘Bent’ is a cautionary play for our times

  Warning: This play contains brief nudity, disturbing images, and subject matter. Photo by Preston Bircher Max (Matthew Salas) tries to get a point across to Rudy (Ben Shaevitz) in a co-production of the historical play, “Bent.”   By AARON KRAUSE If Martin Sherman’s moving and disturbing, at times implausible...

Read more
‘Educating Asher’ is an emotionally-satisfying new play

‘Educating Asher’ is an emotionally-satisfying new play

Photo by Carol Kassie The ghost of Elliot Weiss (Murphy Hayes) tries to express himself but Asher (Eytan Deray) is having none of it.    By AARON KRAUSE If you were blessed with an Elliott Weiss in your life, Educating Asher, a heartfelt and humorous new play, will touch you...

Read more
‘Helen on Wheels’ is a fun, meaningful ride at Pigs Do Fly Productions

‘Helen on Wheels’ is a fun, meaningful ride at Pigs Do Fly Productions

Photo by Carol Kassie Helen Wheeler (Beverly Blanchette) and Elmer (Michael Gioia) share a moment in Pigs Do Fly Productions’ mounting of Helen on Wheels.     By AARON KRAUSE Few among us can resist feisty, foul-mouthed septuagenarians such as Helen Wheeler. We find them funny because, well, we do...

Read more