Sullivan Rep presents ‘Steel Pier’ – Book by David Thompson. Music & Lyrics by John Kander and Frank Ebb. Conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, and David Thompson. Direction & Choreography by Daniel Sullivan. Musical Direction by J. Kathleen Castellanos. Lighting Design by Erik Fox. Props Design by Rick Grenier. Costume Design by DW. Hair/Makeup Design by Cara Guappone. Projection Design by Jacob Sherburne. Sound Design by Paul Roach.

By Linda Chin

Less known – and less produced – than Cabaret, Chicago, and other Kander & Ebb Broadway classics, Steel Pier proves to be the perfect choice for Sullivan Rep’s dazzling debut in the Greater Boston theater ecosystem. The new Newton-based company has also selected a perfect location – the American Legion Nonantum Post 440 – host to countless family celebrations and community events since receiving its charter in 1952 – for staging this show-within-a-show about the dance marathon craze that swept the nation post-WWI. Part staged performance and part genuine endurance contest, couples would dance/walk for 45 minutes of each hour, take a 15-minute break to eat/nap, and rinse and repeat for as many hours, days, and weeks as it took until there was one couple left standing to claim the cash prize. These events were held across the country, peaking during the Depression era in the ‘30s. Sullivan Rep’s founder and artistic director, Daniel Sullivan (also in his 30s and a talented actor, singer, and dancer himself), directs and choreographs a cast of nearly 30 other triple threats from the Greater Boston area.

Read more “A Stunning ‘Steel Pier’ Marks Sullivan Rep’s Dazzling Debut”

‘John Proctor Is the Villain’ — Written by Kimberly Belflower. Directed by Margot Bordelon. Scenic Design by Kristen Robinson; Costume Design by Zöe Sundra; Lighting Design by Aja M. Jackson; Sound Design by Sinan Reflik Zafar. Presented by The Huntington at Performing at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, through March 10, 2024.

By Shelley A. Sackett

In 1692, a witchcraft panic in Salem, Massachusetts, led to the conviction and execution of 19 innocent people (14 women and five men) for a crime that not only was never committed but that never happened in the first place.

A mixture of irrational fear, unchecked religious and patriarchal power, and a persecuting mentality led to the emergence of witch hunts and subsequent witch trials.

Arthur Miller fictionalized and immortalized this historical event in 1953 with The Crucible, a mainstay of most high school English Literature curricula. He intended it as an allegory for and indictment of the rabid McCarthyism of the 1950s, when the U. S. government blithely persecuted citizens accused of being communists based, often, on nothing more than innuendo and hearsay.

Read more “The Huntington’s Must-See ‘John Proctor Is the Villain’ Conjures Pure Theatrical Magic”

My Mother Had Two Faces makes its Boston debut at The Rockwell at 255 Elm Street in Somerville, MA on Sunday, March 3rd at 2:00pm. Coming off a successful world premiere in Los Angeles, Boston is the second stop on the production’s tour before heading Off-Broadway for The United Solo Festival on March 14^th and then onto the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. The play is written and performed by local theater artist Karin Trachtenberg and directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson. For information and tickets, go to: https://www.therockwell.org/calendar/my-mother-had-two-faces-all-ages/

Read more “Theater Mirror interviews Karin Trachtenberg, Whose ‘My Mother Had Two Faces’ Makes its Boston Debut at The Rockwell”

“Machine Learning”, by Francisco Mendoza. Directed by Gabriel Vega Weissman. Presented by Central Square Theater in partnership with Teatro Chelsea, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, through February 25. 

by Michele Markarian 

Arnold is a nursing application created by a young brainiac, Jorge (Armando Rivera), to keep an eye on his alcoholic and cancer-ridden father, Gabriel (the excellent Jorge Alberto Rubio). Named for Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom Jorge had seen as a young boy in “The Terminator,” Arnold’s job is to care for, with the cure being the end goal, Gabriel. But Gabriel is a bit of a problem, as he likes alcohol and doesn’t seem to fear death. For Jorge, whose relationship with Gabriel is fraught with tension, keeping Gabriel alive is key to resolving the issues that rumble between them. Through a series of flashbacks between Gabriel and young Jorge (Xavier Rosario), we learn about Gabriel’s macho expectations for his son, his cruelty, his irresponsibility, and his fondness for alcohol, with the occasional moments of protectiveness thrown in.   

Read more “Central Square’s “Machine Learning” Weaves Humanity and AI”

Somerville – Food Tank will present a pair of workshop performances of Little Peasants, an“immersive theatrical journey behind the closed doors of a food workers’ union organizing campaign” at The Burren on February 7^th and 21^st. A one-act iteration of Little Peasants was previously featured at SXSW in March of 2023 and received critical acclaim. Theater Mirror spoke with playwright Bernard Pollack and director Dori A. Robinson during rehearsals last week to learn more about the production.

Read more “Theater Mirror Interviews Director Dori Robinson and Playwright of Coffee Shop Labor Dramedy ‘Little Peasants’”