Erin Shelton

Playhouse on the Square is proud to present the world premiere production of All Saints in the Old Colony. After emigrating to South Boston from Ireland, Kiernan's family fell apart following the birth of his baby sister. Kiernan sacrificed his own life to raise his three younger brothers and give them a shot at a life outside the Old Colony projects, yet somehow, the brothers are not all that grateful.

Probably the best (of the few) productions of TITUS ANDRONICUS was the 1999 film directed by Julie Taymor. Anthony Hopkins, donning his apron from SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, was a witty choice as 'Titus,' and Jessica Lange, years before jumping with abandon into the excesses of AMERICAN HORROR STORY, was a stunning 'Tamora, Queen of the Goths.' The visuals, typically 'Taymor,' were imaginative and impressive. Yet, by the film's conclusion, one thing was obvious about Shakespeare's TITUS (wildly popular in its day, but largely dismissed by modern audiences): The Bard jettisoned poetry for gore and special effects. That is also the direction that John Maness and his eager group of actors has taken New Moon Theatre Company's latest production at Theatre Works.

A 2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist fresh from off-Broadway, the regional premiere of Rapture, Blister, Burn, by Gina Gionfriddoushers into the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis and runs April 3 - 19, 2105.

While watching the Next Stage production of Gina Gionfriddo's RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN at Theatre Memphis, I was reminded of John Van Druten's screenplay for the 1943 Warner Brothers film OLD ACQUAINTANCE. It was one of those 'women pictures' which provided thespic opportunities for the likes of actresses like Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins, who, in fact, were the lead players in this particular film. In their youth, the two women had been friends, but as their paths parted in life, the Davis character, brittle and alone, became a critically acclaimed (if financially challenged) author, while the Hopkins character, finally penning a bestseller (trash that it is, it rakes in the 'big bucks'), jealously desires what Davis has. I couldn't help thinking, if Gionfriddo's RAPTURE had fallen into the hands of a director like Vincent Sherman, I could see Davis as the 'Catherine Croll' character, who, despite national recognition and an evidently fulfilling career, begins to have doubts about her life choices. (If you've ever seen the famous car scene in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's ALL ABOUT EVE, also starring Davis, you'll hear the character of stage actress 'Margo Channing' lament what a woman gives up when she devotes herself entirely to a career: I wonder if this very scene influenced Ms. Gionfriddo in her characterizations.) The other character, 'Gwen,' would obviously have been given over to Hopkins, who would have shone as the once promising woman who jettisoned her own burgeoning promise to marry 'Don Harper,' who once had been Catherine's intended (George Brent, anyone?).

?A 2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist fresh from off-Broadway, the regional premiere of Rapture, Blister, Burn, by Gina Gionfriddo ushers into the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis and runs tonight, April 3 - 19, 2105.

?A 2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist fresh from off-Broadway, the regional premiere of Rapture, Blister, Burn, by Gina Gionfriddo ushers into the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis and runs April 3 - 19, 2105.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Circuit Playhouse's production of Mark St. Germain's BEST OF ENEMIES - a civics lesson or an evening at the theatre. As I settled into my seat and gazed at the essentially bare set (a few platforms and chairs), I listened to bits and snatches of speeches and recollections by the likes of Barry Goldwater, Lyndon Johnson, Martin Luther King, and 'ordinary' people affected by the changes wrought by Civil Rights legislation and, in particular, the desegregation of schools. While waiting for the play to begin, I recalled just having seen MARY POPPINS last weekend at Playhouse on the Square; I thought of 'Just a Spoonful of Sugar' making the medicine go down - and considered Playhouse's crowd-pleasing musical version of John Waters' HAIRSPRAY, which drew theatre-hungry crowds just a few weeks ago. Waters, I thought, had the right idea: The seriousness of racial injustice was made delightfully palatable by the sweetness and humor of the songs in that show. I dreaded what was to follow. However, like the main characters of the play I was about to see, I had my own misconceptions, for BEST OF ENEMIES held many surprises for me - and all of them good.

The Circuit Playhouse to debut the regional premiere of The Best of Enemies from August 22-September 24th.

5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche runs July 5 - July 28 as part of the POTS@TheWorks series at TheatreWorks, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. The Pay What You Can performance is Thursday, July 11 at 8pm. TheatreWorks is located at 2085 Monroe Ave. For more information or to make reservations, please call 901-726-4656 or purchase tickets online at playhouseonthesquare.org.

A playground scuffle between two boys brings their parents together for a friendly meeting to deal with the incident. The evening begins with all on their best behavior but tensions mount, the liquor flows, and fuses blow as the couples pick apart each other's marriages, and their own, with enough name-calling and chaos to suggest they have more in common with their children than they might suspect. 2009 Tony Award Winner for Best Play.

A playground scuffle between two boys brings their parents together for a friendly meeting to deal with the incident. The evening begins with all on their best behavior but tensions mount, the liquor flows, and fuses blow as the couples pick apart each other's marriages, and their own, with enough name-calling and chaos to suggest they have more in common with their children than they might suspect. 2009 Tony Award Winner for Best Play.

A playground scuffle between two boys brings their parents together for a friendly meeting to deal with the incident. The evening begins with all on their best behavior but tensions mount, the liquor flows, and fuses blow as the couples pick apart each other's marriages, and their own, with enough name-calling and chaos to suggest they have more in common with their children than they might suspect. 2009 Tony Award Winner for Best Play.