It’s a Topsy-Turvy Planet in The Huntington’s ‘We Had A World’

February 23, 2026April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Amy Resnick, Will Conard in Huntington’s ‘We Had A World’. Photos by Annielly Camargo

‘We Had A World’ — Written by Joshua Harmon. Directed by Keira Fromm. Scenic Design by Courtney O’Neill; Costume Design by Izumi Inaba; Lighting Design by Tyler Micoleau; Sound Design and Original Music by Melanie Chen Cole, Presented by The Huntington at Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston through March 15.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Joshua Harmon covers a lot of ground in the arresting We Had A World. On its surface, the 100-minute one-act play is a deeply personal disinterment and examination of the complicated dyad relationships among his grandmother (Nana/Renee), his mother (Ellen), and Josh, Harmon’s autobiographical self. Equal parts loving requiem and vicious vendetta, the playwright fleshes out these complicated characters, channeling the emotional messiness and magnificence of a family where acrimony, blame, selfishness, and self-destruction share the stage with humor, love, gratitude, generosity, self-sacrifice and honesty. Spanning 1988-2018, the story is told in a nonlinear fashion, a patchwork quilt of episodes where each square is one person’s version of the same event. As the colors and patterns shift, so do our impressions of the three characters.

CST’s Stunning ‘The Moderate’ Unleashes the Internet’s Good, Bad and Ugliest

February 10, 2026April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Nael Nacer in CST’s ‘The Moderate’. Photos: Nile Scott Studios.

‘The Moderate’ — written by Ken Urban. Direction and Multimedia Design by Jared Mezzocchi. Scenic Design by Sibyl Wickersheimer; Lighting Design by Kevin Fulton; Sound Design by Christian Frederickson; Assistant Projections Design by Emery Frost. A Catalyst Collaborative@MIT Production presented by Central Square Theater, 450 Mass. Ave, Cambridge through March 1.

By Shelley A. Sackett

The Moderate is not for everyone.

Kudos to Central Square Theater for its excellent job of warning that the play contains mature themes, including images, video, and audio depictions of violence, nudity, and racism. Its Content Transparency Statement goes even further, stating, “Central Square Theater cares about the well-being of our audience. We are committed to sharing information about stage effects, sensory experiences, and topics people may find distressing in advance of attending our productions.” The theater recommends that audience members be older than 17. (See full program here).

ASP Brings Modern and Relevant ‘Little Women’ to Watertown

February 9, 2026April 8, 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.

MRT’s ‘Kevin Kling: Unraveled’ Lifts the Spirit

February 4, 2026April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Kevin Kling in MRT’s ‘Kevin Kling: Unraveled’

‘Kevin Kling: Unraveled’ − Written and performed by Kevin Kling; Music by Robertson Witmer; Directed by Steven Dietz; Scenic Design by David M. Barber; Costume Design by Peggy McKowen. Produced by Merrimack Repertory Theatre in partnership with the Contemporary American Theater Festival at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre in Liberty Hall at 50 E. Merrimack St. in Lowell through February 8^th

By Mike Hoban

On its surface, Kevin Kling: Unraveled is a one-person show centered on how one man deals not only with his own physical disabilities but also with the perceptions of others. But Kling − and his show − are not defined by his disability. He is first and foremost a gifted storyteller whose performance is more likely to remind one of Jean Shepherd (the narrator of the holiday classic A Christmas Story) than comic Josh Blue (whose cerebral palsy serves as a launching pad for his jokes).

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

January 25, 2026April 8, 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.

Deadword Theater Company’s “No Exit” Leaves Little to be Desired

January 22, 2026April 8, 2026 Charlotte SnowLeave a comment

‘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. 

A Therapy Session Becomes a Cat-and-Mouse Thriller in SpeakEasy’s ‘Job’

January 19, 2026April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

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.

Adam Theater’s “Library Lion” Roars Triumphantly

January 18, 2026April 8, 2026 Charlotte Snow2 Comments

Cast of Adam Theater’s ‘Library Lion’ at BCA Calderwood Pavilion January 10-25
Photos by Nile Scott Studios

‘Library Lion’ – Based on the book by Michelle Knudsen. Book and Lyrics by Eli Bejaoui. Music by Yoni Rechter and Roy Friedman. Song Composition by Yoni Rechter. Directed by Ran Bechor. Stage Management from Kendyl Trott. Puppet Design and Build by Jim Henson Creature Shop. Puppet and Movement Direction by Kate Brehm. Scenic Design by Cameron Anderson. Lighting Design by Daniel H. Jentzen. Adam Theater’s ‘Library Lion’ runs from January 10th to January 25th at the Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116.

By Charlotte Snow

If you ask any working theatre professional, “When did you first fall in love with theatre?” Many will answer “as a child,” having either seen or been in a Theatre for Young Audiences play. TYA may, in fact, be the invisible backbone responsible for (and continues to) uplift theater culture. At its worst, theatre for young audiences panders to kids and is insufferable to adults. At its best, it strengthens the bond between kids and adults while delivering a positive message along with a spoonful of whimsy. I’m happy to report that Adam Theater’s Library Lion falls into the latter category.

Apollinaire’s Thriller ‘Is This a Room’ Asks, ‘Who Is The Real Patriot in Today’s Murky World?’

December 30, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

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.

CSC’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Stirs Christmas Spirit with Victorian Song

December 14, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

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.