‘Our Class’ Confronts And Challenges Revisionist History

June 19, 2025June 19, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of Arlekin Players’ ‘Our Class’. Photos by Irina Danilova

‘Our Class’ – Written by Tadeusz Słobodzianek. Adapted by Norman Allen. Directed by Igor Golyak. Staged by Arlekin at the Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, through June 22.

By Shelley A. Sackett

No one can take his audience on an emotional and artistic roller coaster like Igor Golyak, founder and artistic director of Arlekin Players Theatre & Zero Gravity (Zero-G) Theater Lab. With “Our Class,” in production through June 23 at the Calderwood Pavilion, he introduces us to characters we initially relate to and bond with, spins an artistically ingenious cocoon, and then tells a tale that rips our heart to shreds and leaves us too overwhelmed to even speak.

College Light Opera Company Delivers a Delightful “Pirates of Penzance”

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Harrison Gilberti and cast in College Light Opera Company’s “The Pirates of Penzance”

“The Pirates of Penzance”. Written by W. S. Gilbert. Composed by Arthur Sullivan. Directed by James Mills. Musical Director Alex Gutierrez. Presented by College Light Opera Company (CLOC), Highfield Theatre, 58 Highfield Drive, Falmouth through June 21.

By Michele Markarian

If you’re looking to escape for a few hours with some lighthearted, humorous entertainment with a large dose of talent, do yourself a favor and head over to Highfield Theatre to see College Light Opera Company’s Pirates of Penzance. The enthusiasm of the college-aged cast, the brevity of James Mills’ direction, and the excellent orchestra under Alex Gutierrez make this production a joy to witness.

‘Beautiful’ at Reagle – Still Queen of the Jukebox Musicals

June 17, 2025June 19, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ at Reagle Music Theatre

‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ – Book by Douglas McGrath. Words and Music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. Directed and Choreographed by Deanna Dys; Music Director and Conductor Mindy Cimini; Scenic Design by Derek McLane; Costume Design by Alejo Vietti; Lighting Design by Franklin Meissner, Jr.; Sound Design by Sebastian Nixon; Costume Coordinator by Ellie De Lucia. Presented by Reagle Music Theatre at 617 Lexington St., Waltham through June 22^nd.

By Mike Hoban

There’s a reason that Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is such a popular choice for regional theaters: With a score that ranks with any Gershwin or Cole Porter collection of songs within a Broadway show, it’s nearly impossible to top musically. King launched her career as a singer in 1971 with her breakthrough album, Tapestry (with hits “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late”, “I Feel the Earth Move,” and a ton more), which is impressive enough, but Beautiful begins with her career as a teenaged songwriter, and the hits she penned with then-husband Gerry Goffin could easily fill a 1960’s jukebox by themselves. But it’s not just the music. What elevates Beautiful above most “jukebox” musicals is that the book has actual depth, even if some of the story elements are fictionalized.

Theatre@First’s ‘The Tempest’ Brews Its Charm

June 15, 2025June 15, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

‘The Tempest’ – William Shakespeare. Directed by Elizabeth Hunter. Stage Management by Lex Bryan. Movement Direction by Daniel Abraham. Costume Design by Carolyn Jones. Hair and Makeup Design by Jeanné Callinan. Theatre@First’s, ‘The Tempest’ runs from June 6th – June 22nd, with rain dates on June 27th – June 29th, at Nathan Tuft’s Park at Powderhouse Circle, 850 Broadway, Somerville, MA, 02144.

By Charlotte Snow

Shakespeare in the park is a time-honored tradition among English Lit nerds, parents dragging teenagers to see “something cultured,” and theatre-makers alike. The factors that stop audiences dead in their tracks from going to are 1.) it’s Shakespeare and 2.) there’s always a chance that it could be BAD Shakespeare. (We all have some idea, or flashback, as to how bad BAD Shakespeare can truly be.) Thankfully for all, Theatre@First’s fails to disappoint and their production of ‘The Tempest’ casts a spell over its audience. 

‘Bull in a China Shop’ Brings A Powerhouse Feminist to Life

June 15, 2025June 15, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of Treehouse Collective’s ‘Bull in a China Shop’. Photos: Brian Higgins

‘Bull in a China Shop.’ Written by Bryna Turner. Directed by Lisa Tierney. Stage Manager – Nicole O’Keefe; Lighting Designer – Dan Clawson; Set Designer – Britt Ambruson; Sound Designer/Sound and Light Op – Dannie Smith. Presented by The Tree House Collective at Abbott Memorial Theatre at Hovey Players, 9 Spring St., Waltham through June 29.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Mary Emma Woolley may be the least-known important historical figure you’ve never heard of. A radical feminist, education reformer and suffragette, she served as president of Mount Holyoke College from 1900 to 1937. She also lived a fairly openly lesbian life and shared a life-long partnership with Jeannette Marks, her former student and a firebrand academic revolutionary and writer.

Gloucester Stage Breathes Fresh Life into A Beloved Classic, ‘The Glass Menagerie’

June 11, 2025June 11, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Liza Giangrande, Patrick O’Konis in Gloucester Stage company’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’
Photos by: Shawn Henry

‘The Glass Menagerie.’ Written by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Doug Lockwood. Scenic Design by Jenna McFarland Lord; Costume Design by Nia Safarr Banks; Lighting Design by Amanda Fallon; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Presented by Gloucester Stage at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, through June 28.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Tennessee Williams’ classic autobiographical story of a struggling family, The Glass Menagerie, is no stranger to Broadway and community theater stages. It premiered in Chicago in 1944, where it was championed by several Midwest critics, and moved to Broadway in 1945. Subsequent Broadway productions were mounted in 1965, 1975, 1983, 1994, and 2005, with the likes of Jessica Tandy, Julie Harris, and Jessica Lange playing matriarch Amanda Wingfield. The 2013 revival transferred to Broadway from the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA. Known as a staple in college and community theaters’ repertoire since its 1944 début, the play and its straightforward staging is a reliable crowd pleaser and audience draw.

Trinity Rep’s ‘Blues For an Alabama Sky’ Could Use Some More Sky, but Its Blues Are Full Of Heart

June 9, 2025June 9, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of Trinity Rep’s ‘Blues For an Alabama Sky’. Photos by Mark Turek

Blues for an Alabama Sky – Written by Pearl Cleage; Directed by Jackie Davis; Scenic Designer Michael McGarty; Costume Designer Amber Volmer; Lighting Designer Erica Maholmes; Sound Designer Larry D. Fowler, Jr; Fight Choreographer Mark Rose; Vocal Coach Rebecca Gibel; Stage Manager Kelsey Emry; and Megan Dilworth as Delia; Taavon Gamnbe as Guy; Cloteal L. Horne as Angel; Dereks Thomas as Sam; Quinn West as Leland (“Alabama”) . Presented by Trinity Repertory Theatre, Providence, RI through

By C.J. Williams

What type of world is it in which a storm can blow through and leave nothing changed? You might say magical realism, Alice-in-Wonderland, or someone’s dreamscape – but Blues for an Alabama Sky is set in hard-as-nails Harlem during Prohibition, and while the storm of the plot in a well-structured play ought to leave the characters comedically or tragically changed, it doesn’t. Thankfully, the audience still gets to experience a few high points: humor and horror.

Quirky, Funny and Flaky — NSMT’s ‘Waitress’ Is Feel-Good Summer Fare

June 9, 2025June 9, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Christine Dwyer (Jenna) and Brandi Chavonne Massey (Becky) in WAITRESS at North Shore Music Photo©Paul Lyden

‘Waitress.’ Written by Jessie Nelson. Music and Lyrics by Sara Bareilles. Based on the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly. Directed by Kevin P. Hill. Music Direction by Milton Granger; Choreography by Ashley Chasteen; Scenic and Lighting Design by Jack Mehler; Costume Design by Rebecca Glick; Sound Design by Alex Berg. Presented by North Shore Music Theatre, 54 Dunham Rd, Beverly, MA through June 15.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Who doesn’t love a thick slice of pie, especially in the summer when fresh fillings are ripe and especially sweet? “Sugar, butter, flour” is the mantra chanted like a lullaby throughout Waitress, the wonderfully staged musical now playing at North Shore Music Theatre. Although pie takes center stage throughout the almost two-and-a-half-hour performance (with one intermission), Waitress is no simple, indulgent, or sentimental high. Meaty themes like domestic abuse, infidelity, empowerment, motherhood, and self-fulfillment are the secret ingredients that keep the show rolling and the audience from lapsing into a sugar coma.

Central Square Theater Presents A Winning “Mrs. Warren’s Profession”

June 3, 2025June 3, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Melinda Lopez, Luz Lopez in Warren’s Profession’ at Central Square. Photos by: Nile Scott Studios

“Mrs. Warren’s Profession”, by George Bernard Shaw. Directed by Eric Tucker, Bedlam. Presented by Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, through June 29.

By Michele Markarian

A conference room table with leather chairs and a light fixture suspended above, bearing a ticker and dominating the traverse stage of Central Square Theater wasn’t what I expected when I walked in to see Central Square’s production of Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Yet it aptly set the tone for this timeless play about conventionality, morality, and a woman’s right to earn a living.

Charming, Engaging, and Clever — A.R.T.’s Musical ‘Two Strangers’ Has It All!

June 2, 2025June 2, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts in A.R.T.’s ‘Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)’.
Photos: Joel Zayac

‘Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).’ Written by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan. Directed and Choreographed by Tim Jackson. Scenic and Costume Design by Soutra Gilmour; Lighting Design by Jack Knowles; Sound Design by Tony Gayle and Cody Spencer; Orchestrations by Lux Pyramid; Music Direction by Jeffrey Campos. Presented by A.R.T.’s Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge through June 29.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), in its American debut at the American Repertory Theatre,is the perfect antidote to our bleak, cold spring. This sunny, upbeat two-hander musical romantic comedy is as beguiling as it is impeccably acted, directed and produced. In short, it is a full-blown fabulous evening of musical theater at its finest.