CST’s ‘Breaking the Code’ Is Not To Be Missed

April 5, 2026April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Matthew Beagan and Eddie Shields in Central Square’s ‘Breaking the Code’
Photos by Nile Scott Studios

Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitemore; directed by Scott Edmiston, scenic design by Janie E. Howland, lighting design by Karen Perlow, costume design by Chloe Moore, sound design by Aubrey Dube, projections design by SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal, props design by Julia Wonkka, dialect coach Danny Bryck, stage manager Charles Waite Clay. Presented by Central Square Theater at 450 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA, through April 26, 2026.

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Many of us have heard the name Alan Turing, but few know much more about him than what he is most known for: breaking the Nazi Enigma code, which helped bring an end to WWII. Known as the father of computer science, Alan Turing was a pioneering English mathematician and cryptographer. In 1936, at just 24 years old, he developed the Universal Turing Machine, which would later lead to the creation of the first modern computer. During the Second World War, he worked as a codebreaker for the British government, creating a machine that could decode the German military’s encrypted transmissions, which likely saved millions of lives. In 1950, he published a paper that asked, “Can machines think?” which became the foundation for artificial intelligence.

Lyric Stage’s “…Shamelessly Gorgeous” Puts Black Women Center Stage

March 27, 2026April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Patrice Jean-Baptiste in Lyric Stage’s ‘Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous’

Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous by Pearl Cleage; Directed by Jacqui Parker, Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland, Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl, Lighting Design by Karen Perlow, Sound Design by Aubrey Dube, Props by Julia Wonkka, Stage Managed by Nerys Powell. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston at 140 Clarendon Street in Boston, MA, through April 12, 2026.

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Aging is not usually perceived as an enjoyable part of life–particularly for women. As women age, they are wrongly seen as less interesting and appealing, less sexy and beautiful, and less useful and valuable. This is especially true for actors, singers, and dancers–professions that all but require women to remain young and beautiful, even falsely so, in order to stay successful.

SpeakEasy’s ‘The Antiquities’ Warns of Future Dangers of A.I.

March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Cast of SpeakEasy’s The Antiquities. Photos: Benjamin Rose Photography

The Antiquities (New England premiere) by Jordan Harrison. Directed by Alex Lonati; Scenic Design by Christoper & Justin Swader; Lighting Design by Amanda E. Fallon; Costume Design by Lila B. West; Sound Design by Anna Drummond; Props Coordination by Julia Wonkka; Intimacy Choreography by Shira Helena Gitlin; Fight Choreography by Margaret Clark; Dialect Coaching by Rebecca Schneebaum; Stage Managed by Elizabeth Yvette Ramirez. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company at the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA in Boston, MA, through March 28, 2026.

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Imagine a world where humans have created electronic beings that mimic our thoughts and behavior. In the not-so-distant future, these artificial beings will be so good at doing what we’ve programmed them to do that they’ll do it better, faster, and more efficiently than we can. This “artificial intelligence” will be used to ravage the planet of its natural resources. It will be used as a weapon of war and will cause mass destruction.

Not so hard to imagine, is it?

ASP Brings Modern and Relevant ‘Little Women’ to Watertown

February 9, 2026April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Kaila Pelton-Flavin, Olivia Fenton, Sarah Newhouse, Aislinn Brophy, and Chloe McFarlane in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s *Little Women*. Photos by Benjamin Rose Photography.

Little Women by Kate Hamill; Directed by Shana Gozansky; Set Design by Jenna MacFarland Lord; Scenic Design by Danielle Ibrahim; Costume Design by Zoe Sundra; Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan; Sound Design by Julian Crocamo; Intimacy Direction by Liv Dumaine; Stage Managed by Dominique D. Burford. Produced by Actors’ Shakespeare Project (ASP) at the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. Runs through March 1, 2026.

By Julie-Anne Whitney

It takes courage to adapt such a widely beloved novel as Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Playwright Kate Hamill’s bold theatrical reimaginings of classic literature have, themselves, become hugely popular amongst regional theater companies. Hamill has been named one of the most produced playwrights in America every season since 2017, and Boston theater companies have been producing her plays for years (i.e., The Odyssey, Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson, Emma, Dracula, Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility). Hamill’s unique skill is taking a well-known story, maintaining its core themes, and then turning it on its head by presenting the story through a decidedly contemporary and/or feminist lens and offering a fresh, unexpected perspective of characters we know and love.

ArtsEmerson’s ‘Noli Timere’ is Thoroughly Thrilling

January 30, 2026April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Noli Timere − Conceived and Directed by Rebecca Lazier; Choreography by Rebecca Lazier in collaboration with the performers; Net sculpture by Janet Echelman; Music composed and performed by Jorane; Lighting Design by Leigh Ann Vardy; Costume Design by Mary Jo Mecca. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, MA. Runs through February 1, 2026.

ArtsEmerson’s Noli Timere is a deeply moving exploration of trust and connection through the fusion of art, music, circus, and dance. Over the course of one thoroughly thrilling hour, eight performers take you on a gravity-defying emotional journey through a large-scale fiber art sculpture suspended 25 feet above the stage.

Yorick Ensemble’s ‘The Great Pistachio’ is a Modern Absurdist Gem

January 25, 2026April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

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.

CST’s ‘Summer, 1976’: A Thoughtful Retrospective On a Friendship Found and Lost

November 9, 2025April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Laura Latreille, Lee Mikeska Gardner in CST’s ‘Summer, 1976′. Photos by Nile Scott Studios

‘Summer, 1976’ − Written by David Auburn; Directed by Paula Plum; Assistant directed by Ulrika Brand; Scenic Design by Kristin Leoffler; Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan; Costume Design by Sydney Hovasse; Prop Design by Lauren Corcuera; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube; Projection Design by Justin LaHue; Stage Managed by Charles Waite Clay. Presented by Central Square Theater (CST) at 450 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA, through November 30, 2025.

Julie-Anne Whitney

We’ve all had friendships that have petered out, some naturally and others painfully. Most of us have had moments of looking back, of longing for what was, of mourning what might have been.

In David Auburn’s Summer, 1976, two women, Diana (Lee Mikeska Gardner) and Alice (Laura Latreille), narrate their own – and each other’s – stories in a thoughtful retrospective about an unlikely friendship that fades over time. Auburn’s memory play traverses nearly 30 years of the women’s lives, from their time in Columbus when they were “forced” into friendship through their young daughters, to an unexpected meeting in Manhattan 27 years later. The play follows Diana and Alice as they recall the challenges, surprises, gifts, and pains of a friendship they both needed but failed to maintain.

The Hive Theatre Company Takes Chances with Early-Career Artists: “Young People Are Worth It”

October 28, 2025April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Margaret McFadden, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Hive

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Theater Mirror reviewer Julie-Anne Whitney sat down with Margaret McFadden, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Boston’s newest theater company, The Hive, to discuss their inaugural season, the importance of creating opportunities for early-career artists, and the value of theatrical experiences for young people.

Celebrating its inaugural season with Sarah Delappe’s The Wolves (Oct 2025) and William Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Jan 2026), The Hive produces contemporary theater that engages teen and young adult audiences with the intention of showing young people “how theater can relate to their lives and help them make sense of their place in the world.”

Manual Cinema Brings Playful Puppetry to Wheelock Family Theatre with ‘Leonardo!’

October 12, 2025April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Leonardo!’ at Wheelock Family Theatre

Leonardo! A Wonderful Show about a Terrible Monster, based on the books by Mo Willems; directed and adapted by Sarah Fornace and Drew Dir; 2D paper puppet and prop design by Drew Dir; music, lyrics, and sound design by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; hand and rod puppet design by Lizi Breit; costume and wig design by Mieka Van der Ploeg; lighting design by Trey Brazeal with Nick Chamernik; dramaturgy by Megan Alrutz; stage managed by Maydi Díaz; created by Manual Cinema; presented by Wheelock Family Theatre in Boston, MA through October 19, 2025.

by Julie-Anne Whitney

Manual Cinema is a Chicago-based performance collective that specializes in cinematic shadow puppetry. For Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster, presented by Wheelock Family Theatre, the troupe transforms two books by beloved children’s author Mo Willems into a unique live-action cinematic experience.

ArtsEmerson’s ‘Hang Time’ is a Searingly Powerful Call to Action

October 10, 2025April 10, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Cast of ArtsEmerson’s ‘Hang Time’. Photos by Maria Baranova

Hang Time, written and directed by Zora Howard; scenic design by Neal Wilkinson; movement direction by Charlie Oates; stunt direction by Rick Sordelet; lighting design by Reza Behjat; sound design by Megan Culley; costume design by Dominique Fawn Hill; produced by The Flea; presented by ArtsEmerson at the Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre/Paramount Center in Boston, MA through October 12, 2025.

by Julie-Anne Whitney

From the moment you walk into ArtsEmerson’s Black Box Theatre, you are confronted with an awful scene: three Black men hanging in mid-air. The image is provocative and shocking. You are no longer just an audience member; you have become a witness.