John Patrick Hayden in MRT’s ‘Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’. Photos by Photo: Mikki Schaffner
‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’by David Catlin. Directed by Brian Isaac Phillips. Scenic Design by Sam Reno. Costume Design by Rainy Edwards, Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg, Projection Design by Robert Carleton Simmel, Sound Design by Zack Bennett. Produced by the Merrimack Repertory Theater in partnership with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre at Liberty Hall, 50 E. Merrimack St., Lowell, through November 24.
By Mike Hoban
If you’re heading to Merrimack Rep hoping for a post-Halloween fright fest (as if the election results weren’t horrifying enough) based on the Boris Karloff Frankenstein films, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. But if you’re looking for a high-quality theatrical production that eschews special effects and makeup in favor of a staging that brings psychological and emotional terror to the stage, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein delivers brilliantly.
Paul Melendy and Debra Wise in Greater Boston Stage Company’s‘Dinner for One’
‘Dinner for One’ – Written by Christina Baldwin, Sun Mee Chomet, and Jim Lichtscheidl. Weylin Symes (Director); Katy Monthei (Scenic Designer); Jeff Adelberg (Lighting Designer); Deirdre Gerrard (Costume Designer); David Remedios (Sound Design); Tim Goss (Music Director). Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company through November 17, 2024.
The Greater Boston Stage Company has opened its 2024-2025 season with a new look, renovating its historic theater (originally built in 1917) including new seats, re-configuring its seating area to create a more intimate feel, and eliminating the poorly conceived all-gender restrooms (much to the relief of its older patrons, one imagines). But it’s the addition of comic powerhouse Paul Melendy to the company’s stable of talent that has given the theater its biggest boost in recent years. While that assessment may be a bit hyperbolic, there’s no underestimating the impact his performances have had on the company since Boston theater emerged from the pandemic in 2021. Since then, he’s appeared in a half-dozen (mostly comic) productions at GBSC, including the brilliant one-man show “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which earned him the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Solo Performance in 2022.
The cast of Trinity Rep’s ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Photos by Mark Turek
Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Welcome to the bigger and better 48th Annual “A Christmas Carol” by Trinity Rep Company, which, due to renovations, has moved on down two streets in Providence, RI, to a larger theater, Providence Performing Arts Center. This venue allows everything on a much grander scale, including sets, special effects, and audience capacity. However, performances have been limited this year due to a National touring show that has already been booked at PPAC. Director Tatyana-Marie Carlo takes the helm of the show and overcomes them with her expert direction and adaptation of the script this year. She uses twelve adults and twelve children (two alternating casts of children) in her presentation. Carlo infuses them with the insight and energy to tackle these roles. He presents a very satisfying interpretation of this well-known show to help audiences capture the spirit of Christmas.
Karen MacDonald and Gordon Clapp in SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Pru Payne. Photo: Nile Scott Studios
“Pru Payne”— Written by Steven Drukman. Directed by Paul Daugneault. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage at Boston Center for the Arts, Calderwood Pavillion, 539 Tremont St., Boston, through Nov. 16.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Karen MacDonald, recently introduced as “the empress of Boston,” adds another gem to her tiara with her portrayal of Prudence Payne, a Dorothy Parker-esque reviewer whose sharp wit, acid tongue and encyclopedic familiarity with minutiae of all things cultural have earned her many awards. We are introduced to her as she and her son, Thomas (De’Lon Grant) sit in the Brook Hollow clinic anteroom, awaiting a consultation with a doctor. The television is blaring pablum. Pru regally grabs the remote, waves it like a magic wand. She tries to turn the television set off, but can’t. She retakes her seat, slumping in confused defeat. Thomas reminds her that there are other people in the room who may want to continue watching. “Re. Member,” Pru says, enunciating each letter as if it were a syllable unto itself.
Cast of ‘Amadeus’ at the Gamm Theatre. Photos by Cat Laine
Reviewed by Tony Annicone
GAMM Theatre’s second show of their 40th season is “Amadeus” written by Peter Shaffer in 1979. It is loosely based on the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, later adapted into a movie in 1984. “Amadeus” was inspired by “Mozart and Salieri,” a short play by Aleksandr Pushkin, which was later adapted into an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov under the same name. “Amadeus” tells the story of Salieri, an established yet second-rate composer in the eighteenth century who has given himself to God in hopes of achieving greatness. When musical genius Mozart arrives at the Austrian court with brilliance and bathroom humor, Salieri sets out to destroy the upstart who has fouled his dreams. Salieri rejects God and vows to do everything in his power to destroy Mozart. Director Tony Estrella casts this show splendidly, giving his cast keen insight into their characters, which the audience rewards with a spontaneous standing ovation.
“Nassim” — Written by Nassim Soleimanpour. Directed by Omar Elerian. A new guest performer for every show. Presented by The Huntington through October 27.
By Shelley A. Sackett
“White Rabbit, Red Rabbit,” Iranian Nassim Soleimanpour’s absurdist adventure, which sits on the boundary of comedy and drama and burst into London’s West End in 20212, changed my opinion about audience participation in theater. Not a big fan of the genre, I left the 2016 performance at New York City’s Westside Theatre a convert.
Bill Mootos as Howard Beale in Umbrella Arts’ ‘Network’. Photos by Jim Sabitus
‘Network’ – Based on the screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky. Adapted for the Stage by Lee Hall. Directed by Ashley Kelly Tata. Scenic Designer, Afsoon Pajoufar; Lighting & Projections Designer, Seif Allah Salotto-Cristobal; Audio Designer, Aubrey Dube; Costume Designer, Nancy Leary. Presented by Umbrella Arts Center, Main Stage Theater40 Stow St, Concord, MA, through November 3
by Mike Hoban
It’s always a challenge to bring an iconic movie to the stage, even more so when its signature line, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” is one of the most recognizable in film history (#19 on the list of America’s Greatest Movie Quotes according to the American Film Institute). It’s also a lot of pressure to put on an actor, but as the network news anchor turned crazed prophet Howard Beale, Bill Mootos delivers, and he does so without mimicking the brilliantly maniacal performance of Peter Finch (who played Beale in the film). Instead, his portrayal of Beale is more of a world-weary “grand old man of the news” gone mad, and it works beautifully – without losing any of the intensity of the character.
Renata Eastlick and Madeline Maby in ‘Ms Holmes and Ms Watson-Apt-2B’ at Trinity Rep. Photo by Mark Turek
Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Trinity Rep’s second show of their 61st season is the Rhode Island premiere of “Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson-Apt-2B” by Kate Hamill. She lampoons the famed fictional character of Detective Sherlock Holmes, and his befuddled sidekick Doctor Watson and cheerfully desecrates Arthur Conan Doyle’s original characters and time frame with gender and time setting adjustments.
This show is set during the post-pandemic in the spring of 2021 with Ms. Watson, a wayward American traveling around Europe, arriving in England. She rents a room from the kindly Mrs. Hudson and ends up with a bitter roommate, Ms. Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is a police consultant whose deductions make up for a frenetic personality. She decides her new roommate has run away from her past as a doctor, so Holmes turns Watson into the role of her sidekick, who accompanies her to solve multiple violent crimes that all seem to lead to a notorious villain. Along the way they develop a close friendship as they humorously solve many cases along the way. Hamill combines many of Conan Doyle’s storylines into her script, creating wild and crazy hijinks, adventures, and mysterious events.
Two other performers play multiple roles in the show, one as the kindly landlady, Mrs. Hudson, and the seductive Irene Adler, the other as the sweet Inspector Lestrade, and a Texas billionaire, Mr. Monk, with a shady past. The revolving situations thrown their way keep the audience entertained and laughing merrily all night long. Director Laura Kepley chose four strong performers for these roles and elicited comic moments of hilarity from each of them and a poignant revelation in Act 2. She supplies them with clever shtick with an undercover of mysterious elements thrown into the mix. The enthusiastic audience revels in the engaging mystery-solving with humor thrown into the mix. This splendid cast receives a spontaneous standing ovation at the close of this wonderfully directed show.
Keply is aided in her task by scenic designer Collette Pollard, costume designer Shahrzad Mazaheri, Dawn Chiang lighting designer and Sartje Pickett sound designer who all do their jobs marvelously. The stage manager’s and her crew’s expertise in changing the set pieces from many locations is excellently rendered.
Leading the cast in these two iconic roles now played by women in this show are Renata Eastlick as Sherlock Holmes and Madeline Maby as Joan Watson. As Holmes, Eastlick runs the gamut of emotions from sulky brooder to inquisitive roommate to excellent crime solver. The rapid delivery of her lines, listening to classical music, and mystery-solving are astounding. Holmes is also a sloppy housekeeper and lives by the motto not to use outside help of the internet, but seemingly doesn’t have empathy until Watson shows her the way. Renata gives a tour de force performance in this role as the by-the-book detective finally learns how to become a friend to someone at long last. The outstanding sword-fighting choreography by Mark Rose is marvelous to behold.
Maby also delivers a terrific portrayal of the world-weary doctor Watson, who has been overwhelmed by the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Trying as hard as she can to escape her past as a doctor, Holmes keeps demanding her help at every turn to try to bring her back to life by solving all these crimes and curing her of her worries and fears. Madeleine shines in this role with her frightened expressions, and funny exclamation of “What the frig” when Holmes surprises her constantly, but she also delivers the goods in a heartfelt explanation of what upset her and upended her life in America. That was how upset she was with the burnout and trauma that Watson felt in the medical field. They have great chemistry together as the leads in this show.
Angela Brazil delivers an amazing performance as she transforms into all these diverse characters, ranging from a kindly older Scottish woman delivering funny one-liners all night long to a Cockney supposedly grieving widow with a secret to hide to a sexy vamp, femme fatale that will stop at nothing to achieve her goals and entrances everyone she comes into contact with. Jeff Church is another marvelous performer who plays multiple roles. His characters include Inspector Lestrade, who is warm and understanding and then turns on a dime as the overbearing billionaire hiding many sexual secrets from his senate career in Texas. His entrance in this role will leave you rolling the aisles with laughter. Jeff also plays a role that will leave you stunned. He also narrates some of the show. Some of these portrayals need to be seen to be believed. Needless to say, the audience enjoys the madcap adventures all night long from the extremely well-written, acted, and directed script. So, if you need to escape from the trials and tribulations of the outside world, be sure to catch “Ms Holmes and Ms Watson-Apt-2B” and it will certainly brighten up your night. For tickets, go to trinityrep.com or call the box office before this run is completely sold out.
MS HOLMES AND MS WATSON-APT-2B (3 October to 17 November)
Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI
Cast of ‘Leopoldstadt’ at the Huntington. Photos by Liza Voll Photography
‘Leopoldstadt’ – Play by Tom Stoppard. Directed by Carey Perloff. Scenic Design by Ken MacDonald; Costume design by Alex Jaeger; Original Music and Sound Design by Jane Shaw; Lighting Design by Robert Wierzel; Projection Design by Yuki Izumihara.Presented by The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company at the Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., Boston, through Oct. 13.
By Mike Hoban
As members of any marginalized group trying to integrate into an established community can tell you from firsthand experience, assimilation doesn’t necessarily mean acceptance. The sad truth is that all too often, money, education, physical attributes, or achievement cannot overcome the deep-rooted prejudices of those who cling to the privilege of their skin color, religion, or nationality. Just ask the Obamas.
Sarah Morin, Jenny S. Lee and Aimee Doherty in CST‘s ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’
Central Square Theater presents THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. Adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tale. Written by Steven Canny and John Nicholson. Directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner. Scenic & Properties Design by Julia Wonkka. Costume Design by Leslie Held. Lighting Design by John R. Malinowski. Sound Design by David Bryan Jackson. At Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, through October 6, 2024.
Starting and ending at Baker Street, London, and largely set in Devonshire, England circa 1889, this spoof of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic The Hound of the Baskervilles tells the following tale: Super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes and trusty sidekick Dr. James Watson are summoned to investigate the unusual and unnatural death of Sir Charles Baskerville, whose corpse was discovered on the ground surrounded by giant paw prints. The actors and audience members journey together to the mansion and moors to answer the following three questions and unlock the mystery: What frightened Sir Charles Baskerville to death? Is the family the target of a robbery or an ancient curse? Is Charles’ young heir Henry being stalked by a human murderer or a supernatural hound?
