Nancy Grossman - Page 24

Bad Habit Productions is about to drop the final curtain after ten years of delivering award-winning theater, but they are not taking the easy way out. Director Dawn M. Simmons and an ensemble of eight actors make sense of Tom Stoppard's 1968 comedy whodunnit, THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, even as they squeeze very bit of theatrical nonsense from this old chestnut. The troupe plays well together and looks like they're taking their roles seriously, despite their characters saying and doing ridiculous things.

Before Senator Elizabeth Warren, another Elizabeth spoke out, despite being warned and threatened with commitment to an insane asylum. Bridge Repertory Theater, in a co-production with Playhouse Creatures, presents Emily Mann's MRS. PACKARD, a drama inspired by true events, chronicling one woman's fight for the right to freely express her opinion, even if it differed from that of her husband. Under the direction of Emily Ranii, a cast of eighteen actors, lead by Olivia D'Ambrosio, Joseph Rodriguez, and Steven Barkhimer, stages a vivid and compelling interpretation of Mann's play.

FINISH LINE, a documentary play about the 2013 Boston Marathon, focuses on the people whose lives were impacted by the bombings, allowing their voices to be heard on the stage of the Boch Center Shubert Theatre. The world premiere production features a dozen actors who represent survivors, runners, doctors, rescuers, and media. Co-creators Joey Frangieh and Lisa Rafferty have taken great care to frame the play as a love letter to the Boston Marathon, the City of Boston, and her people.

Flat Earth Theatre presents the New England premiere of Lauren Gunderson's SILENT SKY, a historical drama about a trio of women astronomers who charted the heavens at the Harvard Observatory at the turn of the 20th century. Their work was vital, but they were not seen as equals in the workplace and their sacrifices were many as they struggled to break the glass ceiling.

Nora Theatre Company presents Madeleine George's PRECIOUS LITTLE, raising many big questions. A research linguist tries to preserve a dying language, even as she faces a crucial decision about her unborn child. Three actresses play eight characters, most of whom are women, and one very smart gorilla.

SpeakEasy Stage Company began 2017 with the irreverent puppet show HAND TO GOD, but treads a decidedly more respectful path with the New England premiere of playwright Heidi Schreck's GRAND CONCOURSE. The questions she raises about faith and forgiveness may be as thorny as the issues considered in H to G, but there's very little sex, no violence, and none of the dysfunctional characters requires an exorcism.

Playwright Sarah Ruhl's STAGE KISS is a rom-com that turns the world on with its smiles, laughs, and an abundance of kisses. Director Courtney O'Connor helps an ensemble cast of seven slide easily in and out of the world of the play and the play-within-a-play, and the chemistry between Celeste Oliva and Alexander Platt makes sparks fly.

Zeitgeist Stage Company joins the ranks of prescient Boston theater companies with Ike Holter's EXIT STRATEGY, a play about the impending closing of a failing inner-city Chicago school, how it impacts the faculty and students, and the measures they take to fight back.

Belfast native playwright Leo McGann and Director Adam Kassim have crafted a ready-for-prime-time taut, suspenseful drama about memories and guilt decades after the Troubles in Ireland. The cast is anchored by Boston theater pros Barlow Adamson and Maureen Keiller, along with an eager quartet of Boston University acting students. THE HONEY TRAP has universal appeal as it follows the journey of a troubled man.

ArtsEmerson presents the Druid Theatre Company production of Martin McDonagh's THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, directed by Tony Award-winner Garry Hynes and featuring Tony Award-winner Marie Mullen. Rounding out the stellar cast are Aisling O' Sullivan, Marty Rea, and Aaron Monaghan. This is a powerful piece of theater that should not be missed.

DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP invokes gender-bending, magical realism, and a real-life war hero, but has trouble staying afloat when the narrative jumps back and forth between two centuries. A pair of good performances in the roles of well-drawn characters aren't enough to keep this ship on course.

BRECHT ON BRECHT is the second in New Rep's series of Prophetic Portraits, following Johnny Lee Davenport's acclaimed portrayal in last month's THURGOOD. Brecht's art focuses on his experiences in Berlin, his flight from Nazism, and his life as an expatriate in America, where he faced accusation by the House Un-American Activities Committee. The 90-minute show is a revue of words and music, arranged by George Tabori, with direction by Jim Petosa and music direction by Matthew Stern.

Roundabout Theatre Company's North American tour of its award-winning CABARET revival is a stunning production that stands out in high relief to the theatrics playing in our nation's capital. Fifty years after the pre-Broadway Kander and Ebb musical tried out in Boston, the show still packs a punch. Randy Harrison is mesmerizing as the Emcee, eschewing any references to the powerhouse pair of actors who preceded him in the role.

Ronan Noone is both an alumnus and adjunct assistant professor of the M.F.A. Playwriting Program at Boston University. He has written a revision of his play THE ATHEIST, reimagining the satirical comedy with a female protagonist. At Boston Playwrights' Theatre, Georgia Lyman gives a robust, multi-dimensional performance as the crooked tabloid journalist who looks all too familiar in today's media landscape.

Character-driven Alan Ayckbourn play is a complex sequence of branching storylines, leading to numerous endings, with multiple characters played by two actors. Olivia D'Ambrosio directs fine performances by Sarah Elizabeth Bedard and Jade Ziane at the Nora Theatre Company at Central Square Theater.

With nine Tony Award nominations under its belt, SOMETHING ROTTEN! closed on Broadway on January 1, 2017, and barely took a breather before hitting the road with three of its principal players reprising their roles. Director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw brings Rob McClure, Adam Pascal, and Josh Grisetti on the National Tour that launches in Boston at the Opera House.

WINTER PANTO 2017: THE PRINCESS & THE PEA is served with a generous portion of political satire. What better villains than orange-haired Queen Clump and her alt-right hand man Stompundstammer? The best jokes go over their heads, but definitely bring the kids to this loosey-goosey fantasy world of fun and frolic.

Edward Albee's 1962 barn-burner at the Lyric Stage Company is an emotional conflagration that rages and consumes everyone in its path. Director Scott Edmiston adheres to the playwright's strict blueprint, but takes full advantage of the singular qualities of his quartet of actors - Steven Barkhimer, Paula Plum, Dan Whelton, and Erica Spyres. Definitely do not miss this one.

Huntington Theatre Company's staging of a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic drama, directed by Melia Bensussen, belongs to Andrea Syglowski and her formidable interpretation of Nora. James Noone's scenic design deserves kudos.

Johnny Lee Davenport and Director Benny Sato Ambush collaborate for a powerful production of George Stevens, Jr.'s THURGOOD in its area premiere at New Repertory Theatre in Watertown. Together, they create a humanized portrait of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, that is at once relatable and larger-than-life. It is also a reminder that one man can make a difference if he is determined and perseveres.