Jared Reynolds

If the success of a comedy may be judged by the laughter, then based on the laughter at the Sherman Playhouse, 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor' is a great success!

At the end of the day, the cast is what made God of Carnage so successful and funny, and praise should be given towards the whole cast for their performances and to Terry Sagedy, who brought it all together.

A typical pitfall of talking plays is that the modern audience may struggle to focus if there is no action to go along with the talking, but a smart production can find ways to keep an audience engaged. And CTAW’s production of The Gin Game was very smart indeed. The moments of levity between the tension more than makes up for the lack of spectacle of modern-day theater.

The variety of conflicts and the hyper-stylized character tropes employed in Sordid Lives is why it works as a comedy and, under the direction of Duane Campbell, the Connecticut Theatre Company’s production of Sordid Lives honored that and delivered a raucous evening at the theater.

If I had a nickel for every time that I’ve reviewed the same show, I’d have 2 nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but I’m surprised that it took so long in my reviewing history to happen. It shouldn’t be a surprise, however, that in both cases, they are to review Christmas productions. For the first time since 2021, I’ve been treated with attending TheatreWorks New Milford’s production of Matt Austin’s, What the Dickens. Can we officially call this a Christmas Classic?

Cozy, cute, and full of Christmas cheer. That’s what you get with Miracle on 34th Street. That was abound and aplenty at the Connecticut Theatre Company’s production of the motion picture classic! CTC’s production of Miracle on 34th Street kept the joy of the season at the heart of this production, right where it belongs.

Holiday traditions are sweet, but sometimes the stress of the holidays outweighs the joys. That's where Wreck the Halls comes in: It points out the pain of the holidays and is committed to making you laugh. And this raucous production of Wreck the Halls had the audience rolling!

Celebrate this Holiday Season at Brookfield Theatre with 'She Loves Me,' an intimate and touching show featuring music by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof) and book by Joe Masteroff (Cabaret).

FineLine Theatre Arts, a performing arts studio in New Milford CT, produces a quarterly, one-weekend-only series called “Classics in Performance”. These all-volunteer cast and crew productions directly benefit FineLine Theatre Arts' annual student scholarship funds.

It never gets old. A farce about someone pursuing a great achievement, only to have that achievement at risk due to a misunderstanding, before introducing a doppelganger that just heightens the absurdity (and hilarity) until somebody figures out what's going on and wraps everything up in a neat little bowl? It'll get me in a seat every time.

Theater is vulnerability. You might see am actors on the stage think about their talent, their confidence, or their dedication, but all of that stems from vulnerability. You could of be the best actor in the world, but if you can't allow yourself to be vulnerable on the stage, the you'll always hold yourself back. Nothing was held back in Brookfield Theatre of the Arts‘ production of M. Butterfy by David Henry Hwang.

One man’s trash is another man's treasure. The grass is always greener on the other side. These phrases are all about perspective. Perspective can vary wildly from person to person and you cannot glimpse the whole story by only hearing one side. That is the premise of Brian Friel's Faith Healer, which is running at the Sherman Players.

How do you know when an audience has bought into your performance? The answer depends greatly on the type of show you’re producing: In the case of the jukebox musical, Escape to Margaritaville, maybe you find the entire audience singing the call-and-response before you tell them to!

The Sherman Players are proud to present, Faith Healer, by Brian Friel. A beautifully written play told in four monologues, Friel explores the fallibility of memory and the complex interplay of love, loyalty, loss, and despair.

It’s always a big deal to have a worldwide premiere. To be able to take a piece of art that you have spent many years on- in this case, 8 years- and finally be able to present it to the world in an official capacity is such a satisfying experience; and one that keeps theater alive!

Whenever a theater decides to do The Producers, there is always a mix of joy, curiosity, and anticipation that wells up within me. There is a level of spectacle to any Mel Brooks story that can be a challenge to any theater who isn't prepared. The Connecticut Theatre Company was, in fact, prepared.

Theater is progress. Theater is always moving forward. Always innovating. Always creating something new. New Works are the lifeblood of the Theatre. Whenever a new play is given a World Premiere, it should be celebrated. TheatreWorks presented the world premiere of Upstate to great success.