Ellen Keith and Tim Lawton in Yorick Ensemble’s ‘The Great Pistachio’
By Julie-Anne Whitney
The Great Pistachio(Boston premiere), by Nicholas Cummings; Direction, Scenic, Costume, and Prop Design by Rachel Hall; Lighting Design by Michael Jay; Fight Choreography by Sydney T. Grant; Puppet Design by Em Sheeran; Stage Managed by Ben Cantor-Adams. Produced by Yorick Ensemble at the BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre in Boston, MA. Runs through February 1, 2026.
If you’re looking for a good laugh – and a reason to keep going despite all the madness out there – head over to the BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre and catch The Great Pistachio, a new absurdist comedy about the pain of isolation, finding meaning in connection, and appreciating the importance of laughter and play in a dark and desperate world.
‘No Exit’ by Jean-Paul Sarte. Directed by Charlie Lunardi. Stage Management from Jack Henry Yeatman. Scenic Design by Jayoung Hong. Sound Design by Z Toto. Lighting Design by Alyssa Gonzalez. Prop Design by Melinda Kalanzis. Costume Design by Gaby Obando. Deadword Theatre Company’s ‘No Exit’ runs from January 20th – 21st and January 27th – 28th at the Rockwell Theatre, 225 Elm Street, Somerville MA 02114.
By Charlotte Snow
“Hell is other people,” Garcin cries to heaven and earth in Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. Even if you disagree with the statement, Deadword Theatre Company offers a strong argument to sway any nonbelievers that humans are designed to be fundamentally disconnected from each other. Every itch, every fidget, every unnerving little gesture is felt throughout this production’s run time, and it’s perfectly agonizing − in the best possible way.
No Exit follows a triad of protagonists: Garcin, the disgraced journalist, Estelle, the vain socialite, and Inez, the antagonizing post-office clerk. Led by a mysterious nameless Valet, each of them is dumped into a small room featuring only sofas, no beds, no mirrors, and − of course – no exit. As they attempt to expose each other’s wrongdoings and personality flaws, they quickly come to realize that they are in Hell and meant to serve as each other’s torturers.
Jean-Paul Sartre’s macabre masterpiece was met with praise and celebration when it first debuted in 1944. His ability to weave in his classic existentialist ideas with high-concept drama was as unique as it was successful. The concept of the greatest evil imaginable being the wrong deeds of other humans hit especially hard during the final stretches of World War II. I can only imagine that in his home country, this piece felt especially biting due to France being occupied by the Nazis for four years. Since its inception, No Exit has continued to be a staple of community and regional theater seasons due to its universality and inventiveness.
As the audience enters the Rockwell theatre, they are greeted by Jayoung Hong’s slick set design, which menacingly merges the sensibilities of the Second Empire with modern monochromatism as moody jazz music eerily plays in the distance. Z Toto’s sound design, Alyssa Gonzalez’s lighting design, Gaby Obando’s costumes, and Melinda Kalanzis’ prop design beautifully meld together to create the unspoken secret 5th character of the play, Hell. The atmosphere is inviting but not kind, not quite cramped but certainly not cozy, and timeless in the sense that nothing is particularly old, new, or modern.
Directing a play where none of the central characters leave the stage is no small task, but Charlie Lunardi boldly rises to the occasion. Each move the characters take feels fully motivated, and while there are moments of stillness, there’s never a sense of unintentional stagnation. Moments of comedy, sorrow, lust, and rage follow each other in quick succession, highlighting the circumstances of unrest. The play describes itself as a lifetime without being able to blink, and while this uncomfortable tension often arises, there are a few too many moments where that “unable to blink” energy drops, lags, or meanders. Most of the play is pedal to the metal; however, when the characters really get after each other, the energy of the audience leaning forward in their seats was palpable and electric.
This play lives and dies on the cast’s chemistry. While there were slight moments when they did not fully connect with each other, the trio achieved the play’s objectives: three opposite characters who push and pull each other away. Landon Butler as Garcin shines when he is at his most venomous and insecure, no longer hiding behind a thinly veiled mask of nicety. Grace Lenore as Estelle and Sandy Clancy as Inez truly inhabited their characters and their many qualms and struggles with ease. Frank Schuth, as Valet, plays a small part but is a devilishly comedic, stoic juxtaposition to these three characters, who are slowly losing themselves to their own minds.
While there are a few bumps in the show, and I personally yearn for a No Exit with a more contemporary setting, this production is a hellishly good time. Deadword Theatre Company is a group I follow closely, and I am delighted to say that this is their strongest theatrical offering to date. Due to the short runtime and limited seating in the Rockwell, I encourage you to sprint, not run, to get your tickets – or else there will be Hell to pay. For more information and tickets, go to: https://therockwell.org/
Cast of Adam Theater’s ‘Library Lion’ at BCA Calderwood Pavilion January 10-25 Photos by Nile Scott Studios
‘Library Lion’ — Adapted from the book “Library Lion” by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Directed by Ran Bechor. Book and Lyrics by Eli Bejaoui; Music by Yoni Rechter and Roy Friedman; Songs composed by Yoni Rechter; Puppet Design & Build by Jim Henson Creature Shop. Scenic Design by Cameron Anderson; Costume Design by Ula Shebchuv; Lighting Design by Daniel H. Jentzen; Sound Design by Irene Wang. Presented by Adam Theater at The Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston through Jan. 25.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Last Sunday, I was probably the only adult at the noon performance of Library Lion unaccompanied by kids and/or grandkids. For 70 uninterrupted minutes, I was treated to an uplifting, high-quality production of one of the most delightful musical shows I’ve seen in a while. Plus, I had the dual luxuries of watching a room full of youngsters and eavesdropping on their comments without having to be “in charge” of any of them.
Josephine Moshiri Elwood and Dennis Trainor Jr. in Speakeasy Stage’s ‘JOB’ Photos by Benjamin Rose Photography
‘Job’ — Written by Max Wolf Friedlich. Directed by Marianna Bassham. Scenic Design by Peyton Tavares; Lighting Design by Amanda E. Fallon; Sound Design by Lee Schuna; Costume Design by E. Rosser. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Co., Calderwood Pavilion, Boston, through Feb. 7.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Playwright Max Wolf Friedlich wastes no time establishing the life-or-death stakes in his two-person thriller, Job. The lights come up in media res. A woman holds a gun pointed directly at a man’s head. Jane (Josephine Moshiri Elwood) is shaking, enraged and desperate. Lloyd (Dennis Trainor, Jr.), clearly shaken, holds a clipboard and a pen. “Let’s just talk this through,” Lloyd entreats, right before the first of many, many abrupt blackouts, flashes and eerie sounds.
Garrett McNally and Donovan Louis Bazemore in ‘Wonder’ at the A.R.T. Photos by Hawver and Hall
“Wonder”. Book by Sarah Ruhl. Music and Lyrics by A Great Big World (Ian Axel and Chad King). Directed by Taibi Magar. Presented by American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, through February 8.
By Michele Markarian
“I like ice cream, outer space and video games,” Auggie (Garrett McNally), a typical seventh grader, tells us at the beginning of “Wonder”. Auggie, however, has a facial difference that sets him apart from other kids, making him a target of bullying and ostracization. For years, his mother, Isabel (Alison Luff), has been homeschooling him, but now she fears he has more to learn than what she can teach him. To counter this, Isabel has enrolled Auggie in middle school, much to his dismay. While his oversized space helmet and invisible friend Moonboy (Nathan Salstone) keep him feeling safe at home, they won’t serve Auggie well at school. Auggie’s sister Via (Kaylin Hedges) is also on edge. As the sibling of someone whose facial differences account for a lot of his parents’ attention, Via doesn’t always get her fair share; the fact that her best friend Miranda (Paravi) isn’t speaking to her for unknown reasons doesn’t help. Miranda, as it turns out, is having a hard time dealing with her parents’ divorce. As one of Auggie’s teachers, Mr. Browne (Raymond J. Lee) likes to say, “Be kind, for everyone is fighting an invisible battle.”
Cristhian Mancinas-García, Bradley Belanger, Brooks Reeves, and Parker Jennings in Apollinaire Theatre Company’s “Is This a Room.”
‘Is This a Room” — Written by Tina Satter. Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques. Concept and Original Direction by Tina Satter. Presented by Apollinaire Theatre Company, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea, through Jan. 18.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Whatever you do, do not under any circumstances listen to any of the excellent podcasts and interviews with Reality Winner, the subject of Apollinaire’s gripping Is This a Room, until after you’ve seen the play — and see it you must.
For 70 minutes, the verbatim transcript of an F.B.I. interview of a 25-year-old woman suspected of violating the Espionage Act is the most unlikely script in this thrilling mystery that packs a wallop and imbues a by-the-books encounter with emotional and psychological depth and humanity.
Nathan Salstone, Garrett McNally, and members of the cast of ‘Wonder’ at the A.R.T. Photos by Hawver and Hall
‘Wonder’ — Book by Sarah Ruhl. Music and lyrics by A Great Big World (Ian Axel and Chad King). Directed by Taibi Magar. Choreographed by Katie Spelman. Music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo. Presented by American Repertory Theater at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, through Feb. 8.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Middle school is widely recognized as one of life’s toughest crucibles, a time of major physical, emotional and social change. A petri dish of hormonal upheaval, intense social pressures and increased academic demands, it has all the ingredients for an emotive perfect storm.
Now imagine navigating these turbulent waters as a boy with facial differences facing transition from homeschooling to private school, where he will, for the first time, have to mix with other kids, and that perfect storm suddenly lurks as a tsunami of epic proportions.
This is the premise of Wonder, the new coming-of-age musical drama débuting at American Repertory Theater. Based on R.J. Palacio’s best-selling 2012 young adult novel, Sarah Ruhl’s play tells the story of Auggie Pullman, a boy born with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that interferes with the development of facial features.
Midwinter Revels: A Scandinavian Story for Christmas Photos by Paul Buckley
By Michele Markarian
“A Scandinavian Story for Christmas”. Inspired by Gregory Maguire’s “Matchless”, Written by Debra Wise and Patrick Sawonson. Dramaturg, Nicole Galland. Directed by Debra Wise. Music Direction by Elijah Botkin. Choreography by Tom Roby. Presented by Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, through December 28.
I have to admit, I have not been fully committed to the holiday spirit this year. With so much turmoil in the world, it’s hard to focus on merriment, feasting, and gift-giving, but I was intrigued by the Swedish theme of this year’s Revels and decided to check it out. The rich hues of the theatre were warm and inviting, matching the warm and genial manner of the Master of Ceremonies, David Coffin. As the cast entered through the mezzanine, voices harmonizing over the traditional Nu Ar Det Jul Igen (“Now It Is Christmas Again”), I could feel my attitude begin to thaw.
Kathryn McKellar, Will Lyman in CSC’s ;Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol‘. Photos by Nile Scott Studios
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol − Adaptation by Steve Wargo with Musical Arrangements by Dianne Adams McDowell; Directed by Steven Maler; Musical Direction by Dan Rodriguez; Scenic Design by Scott Bradley; Choreography by John Lam; Lighting Design by Jessica Elliot and Eric Southern III; Sound Design by David Remedios; Costumes by Fabian Fidel Aguilar. Presented by Commonwealth Shakespeare Company at Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Tremont St., Boston, through December 23.
By Mike Hoban
I’ve been a huge fan of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol ever since I was a young boy, although I must confess that my deep appreciation didn’t come from reading the novella. Instead, it was the delightful cartoon musical Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol that first captured my heart and imagination. Featuring a musical score by legendary Broadway composer Jule Styne (Gypsy, Funny Girl, and dozens more), the animated production entertainingly conveyed the story’s central message of redemption and learning to care for others in a way that even an eight-year-old could understand. From there, I graduated to the iconic 1951 Alastair Sim film, and each holiday season try to incorporate one or both into my holiday-themed viewing to rekindle some of that nostalgic Christmas spirit.
Caleb Levin, Odin Vega, Lyla Randall in ‘Fun Home’ at the Huntington. Photos by Marc J Franklin
‘Fun Home’ — Music by Jeanine Tesori. Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron. Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. Directed by Logan Ellis. At the Huntington Theatre, Huntington Ave., Boston through Dec. 14.
By Shelley A. Sackett
In less capable hands, the multiple Tony Award-winning Fun Home, at the Huntington through Dec. 14, could have been a disaster. Adapted from Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel memoir, the storyline follows a family’s journey through sexual orientation, gender roles, suicide, emotional abuse, grief, loss, and lesbian Bechdel’s complicated relationship with her tightly closeted father. To boot, the title refers to the family funeral parlor, where her father worked and she and her siblings played.
Doesn’t sound like the raw material for one of the year’s outstanding Boston area productions? Think again.
