In Company One’s ‘The Meeting Tree,’ Family Legacy Confronts Memory To Reshape The Future

August 8, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Sarah Elizabeth Bedard and Anjie Parker in Company One’s ‘The Meeting Tree’.
Photos by Annielly-Camargo

‘The Meeting Tree’ — Written by B. Elle Borders. Directed by Summer L. Williams. Dramaturgy by afrikah selah and Ilana M. Brownstein. Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Costume Design by Amanda Mujica; Lighting Design by Elmer Martinez; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Presented by Company One Theatre in partnership with Front Porch Arts Collective and the City of Boston’s Office of Arts and Culture. At Strand Theatre, Boston through Aug. 9. All tickets are pay-what-you-want.

By Shelley A. Sackett

B. Elle Borders’ The Meeting Tree (her first play) is a bold and effective new work that portrays the story of six generations of women and their interconnected lives as a backdrop for her exploration of bigger ticket issues. For 75 intermission-less minutes, she keeps the audience engrossed with her skillful storytelling that combines a tale of complex, emotionally deep characters with thought-provoking questions that prompt reflection about family history, the legacy of slavery in the United States, and the power of personal connection to overcome history.

In polarized times, Borders seems to ask, is redemption and healing possible? And if it is, at what price?

Ogunquit Playhouse’s ‘High Society’ is “De-Lovely”

August 6, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Robyn Hurder and Max Clayton in Ogunquit Playhouse’s ‘High Society’. Photos by Nile Scott Studios

Choreography by Jeffry Denman; Music supervision and orchestrations by Greg Jarrett; Music Direction by Nicholas Connors; Scenic Design by Alexander Dodge; Costume Design by Tracy Christensen; Lighting Design by Richard Latta; Sound Design by Haley Parcher; and wig, hair, and makeup design by Roxanne De Luna.

By Mike Hoban

The Ogunquit Playhouse once again makes a sparkling case for being New England’s premier summer theater with a bubbly, champagne-fueled re-imagining of the 1956 film, High Society. Powered by a Cole Porter score, Broadway performers (including multiple Tony Award nominees), and a terrific supporting cast, High Society is the very essence of summer theater – a rollicking good time that delivers a ton of laughs along with its superbly executed song-and-dance numbers.

CSC’s ‘As You Like It’ Breathes Fresh Air into the Bard’s Timeless Tale

August 5, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Cast of CSC’s ‘As You Like It’. Photos by Nile Scott Studios

‘As You Like It’ — Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Steven Maler. Scenic Design by Riw Rakkulchon; Costume Design by Miranda Giurleo; Lighting Design by Eric Southern; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Presented by Commonwealth Shakespeare Production on Boston Common through August 10.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Boston is a garden of many earthly delights, but none more eagerly awaited and appreciated than Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Free Shakespeare on the Common that, for 29 years, has invited people to lay down a blanket, bring a picnic dinner, and enjoy top-notch theater on Boston Common under a starry crescent-mooned sky.

Hub Theatre’s ‘The Understudy’ Searches For Its Light

July 27, 2025April 8, 2026 Charlotte SnowLeave a comment

Kevin Paquette, Lauren Elias, and Cristhian Mancias-Garcia in Hub Theatre’s ‘*The Understudy’*

‘The Understudy’ — Written by Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Paula Plum. Scenic Design by Peyton Tavares. Projections Design by Justin Lahue. Sound Design by Gage Baker. Lighting Design by Emily Bearce. Costume Design by Kara McGuinness. Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston at Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston, through August 2.

By Charlotte Snow

There is no harder play to write than one with three persons. It’s tough to balance roles, hard to envision blocking properly, and there’s a reason the adage of ‘three is a crowd’ exists. However, when a script manages to juggle three-person scenes properly, they end up being some of the best in the theatrical canon (think Glass Menagerie, Red Light Winter, This is Our Youth, Proof, Agnes of God, The Flick, Angels in America, the list goes on). Do I believe Theresa Rebeck’s ‘The Understudy’ deserves to join that list? Not quite. However, the Hub Theatre Company must be commended for the incredible effort in making the case. 

Harbor Stage’s Darkly Brilliant ‘Death of a Salesman’ is Not Your Typical Summer Fare

July 23, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

William Zielinski and Stacy Fischer in Harbor Stage Company’s ‘Death of a Salesman’
Photos by Joe Kenehan

‘Death of a Salesman’ – Written by Arthur Miller. Directed by Robert Kroft; Scenic Design by Justin Lahue; Lighting Design by John Malinnowski; Projection Design by Justin Lahue and Katherine Wittman. Presented by Harbor Stage Company, 15 Kendrick St., Wellfleet, through August 2.

By Mike Hoban

One of the driving forces behind the 1960s counterculture movement was the realization that the metrics used to measure success in American life were fundamentally flawed – that the American Dream was, for many, bullshit. Expecting to be rewarded for loyalty to a company, believing that money could buy happiness, trusting that fidelity and mutual respect were inherent in a marriage, and buying into the myth that America was the moral compass for the world were all wonderful ideals, but ones that often failed to meet the unforgiving test of reality. There are few works that better exemplify that school of thought than Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, now being given a darkly brilliant staging by the Harbor Stage Company in Wellfleet.

A Peek Behind The Backstage Curtain in Hub Theatre Co.’s Funny, Poignant ‘The Understudy’

July 21, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

‘The Understudy’ — written by Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Paula Plum. Scenic Design by Peyton Tavares; Projections Design by Justin Lahue; Sound Design by Gage Baker; Lighting Design by Emily Bearce. Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston at Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston, through August 2.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Playwright Theresa Rebeck’s smart, funny, snarky The Understudy takes us straight into the belly of the beast known as “Broadway Theater.” (Rebeck also penned the smash TV series, “Smash.”) Set backstage during an understudy rehearsal for The Castle, a fictitious long-lost play by Franz Kafka, the three-hander starts with a five-screen surround projection of close-ups of a Clint Eastwood-esque guy’s stubbled face. He mugs and does a macho muscled vamp, screaming “Get in the truck!” menacingly. Eventually, the film’s title (“Trucknado”) blazes across the screen as a booming voice warns, “Stay low or drive high.”

Short Take: A Sumptuous and Satisfying ‘Evita’ At Reagle Music Theatre

July 16, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Isabella Bria Lopez, Ryan Mardesich in Reagle Music Theatre’s ‘Evita’

‘Evita’ – Lyrics by Tim Rice. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Bertone. Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Scenic Design by Cameron McEachern. Lighting and Production Design by Baron Pugh. Costume and Wig Design by Ellie De Lucia. Sound Design by Sebastian Nixon. Presented by Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston at the Robinson Theater, 617 Lexington St., Waltham, through July 20th.

By Linda Chin

The Tony Award-winning musical/rock opera Evita by rock stars Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice tells the inspiring story of Eva Perón, née Maria Eva Duarte, who escaped her poverty-stricken rural village (where she wasn’t educated past grade six) at age 15, moved to Buenos Aires to pursue a career as an actress, and became First Lady of Argentina at age 27. With dynamic duo Rachel Bertone (Director & Choreographer) and Dan Rodriguez (Music Director) at the helm, a period and picture-perfect unit set designed by Cameron McEachern (and evocative lighting design by Baron Pugh), and the powerful voice of Isabella Bria Lopez in the titular role, audiences attending Evita at Reagle Music Theater can expect a sumptuous and satisfying experience.

NSMT’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Couldn’t Be More Enjoyable

July 10, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Ethan Carlson, Sean Bell, Bridget Delaney, and E. Mani Cadet in “The Wizard of Oz” at North Shore Music Theatre thru July 20, 2025. Photos by Paul Lyden

‘The Wizard of Oz’ — Written by L. Frank Baum. Directed by Robert W. Schneider. Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg; Background Music by Herbert Stothart. Presented by North Shore Music Theatre, 54 Dunham Road, Beverly through July 20.

By Shelley A. Sackett

North Shore Music Theatre continues its streak of winners with The Wizard of Oz, a spectacular extravaganza of a show that has everything going for it — top-notch talent, a stunning set, spot-on direction, clear and understandable sound, clever costumes and lighting, marvelous choreography, and a bang-up live orchestra.

Two Unlikely Buddies Talk Trash in Gloucester Stage’s Clever Comedy, ‘The Garbologists’

July 10, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Paul Melendy and Thomika Marie Bridwell in Gloucester Stage Company’s “The Garbologists.”
Photos by Shawn G. Henry

‘The Garbologists’ — Written by Lindsay Joelle. Directed by Rebecca Bradshaw. Presented by Gloucester Stage Company at 267 East Main St., Gloucester, through July 26.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Rebecca Bradshaw, Producing Artistic Director of Gloucester Stage Company and director of its first-rate The Garbologists, couldn’t have timed it better. With Republic Services sanitation workers in the second week of their strike, garbage is on everyone’s mind as bags pile up on the North Shore and throughout Greater Boston.

Witch Hunt Theatre’s ‘BUG’ Infests the Mind with Horrific Delight

July 3, 2025April 8, 2026 Charlotte SnowLeave a comment

Chloe Kolbenheyer, Lucas Connor in Witch Hunt Theatre’s ‘BUG’

‘Bug’ – Written by Tracy Letts. Directed by Taylor Stark. Starring and creative contributions from: Ty Hendrix, Chloe Kolbenheyer, Lucas Connor, Jack Essner, and Jen Platt. Witch Hunt Theatre’s ‘Bug’ ran from June 26th – June 29th.

By Charlotte Snow

One of the many reasons I never liked watching sports is that the act of being a spectator always makes me want to play rather than be cooped up, sitting in the bleachers. Conversely, I develop the same urge when I watch live theatre – with the difference being that I’m reasonably good at theatre and I would get dismembered if I attempted any sport. So you can imagine how amped up I felt watching Witch Hunt Theatre’s immersive and site-specific production of Tracy Letts’ Bug. 