Paula Faber News

If there was an award for Rhode Island's current busiest man in show business, one of the nominees would absolutely have to be 2nd Story Theatre's Ed Shea. The company's Artistic Director is currently performing in the Downstage production of Freud's Last Session. Last night, in the Upstage space, he made an appearance and gave the curtain speech for Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, which he directed. During his visit upstairs, Shea spoke about summer stock theaters and how they once dotted the landscape in these parts. No longer as much of a presence as they once were, they featured a certain kind of theater experience, something lighter, more whimsical and fun than the weighty, thought-provoking works seen throughout the winter months. That sense of offering something entertaining and fun permeates his entire production of Christie's play, a perfect summertime treat of mystery and murder, tempered with the right amount of wit and whimsy.

"Family is conflict and it's something that we all relate to," according to Bill Cosby, who has made a very long career out of finding the humor in family conflicts. His television shows and standup routines probably never had anything quite like the family conflicts found in Nicky Silver's play The Lyons, now playing at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren. Even though the drama and conflict is ratcheted pretty high in this production, there are still many moments every audience member can and will relate to, whether they want to admit it or not.

THE LYONS by Nicky Silver will be directed by Mark Peckham at DownStage at 2nd Story Theatre, running January 16 - February 9, 2014.

A recent converstion with a friend included the topic of just how much theater there is right now in Rhode Island. There's no denying that theater lovers have many excellent choices, with many plays and musicals of almost every kind. One of the many great aspects of this phenomenon is the fact that even with so much theater happening, there are so many talented performers in this area that the product is not watered down or less enjoyable just because there is so much of it.Take 2nd Story Theatre, for example. They have not one, not two, but three shows opening and running during November. The first one to open, the second show of the DownStage season, is a perfect example of how even with so many shows running, audiences can still see a fantastic ensemble of actors working together perfectly.

Typically, summer theater is a place for big, bright, fluffy musicals. Most summer stock theater companies fill their seasons with bright, cheerful musical theater extravaganzas, which is not a bad thing, not at all. Musicals can be a perfect lighter, summertime entertainment. On the other hand, it's also nice that some theaters provide an alternative to the typical summer theatrical fare. One such theater is 2nd Story Theatre in Warren, which is offering a unique pairing of shows. 2nd Story's 'Murder in Rep,' features not one but two murder mystery plays. But like any good murder mystery, there's a twist. The first show is Mousetrap, an Agatha Christie mystery which is also the longest running play in history. The second show, The Murder Room, is actually a spoof of thrillers just like the one it's sharing the stage with.

2nd Story Theatre's summer of murder, mystery, and mayhem continues with productions of Agatha Christie's legendary whodunit, The Mousetrap, performed in rep with Jack Sharkey's killer comedy, The Murder Room from July 5 through September 1, 2013.

Spot-on delivery and even pacing are essential to a successful production of Neil Simon's complex material, and 2nd Story Theatre's cast, under the direction of Mark Peckham, is entirely up to the task.

2nd Story Theatre presents Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers, a nostalgic nod to family, love and hope, tonight, now playing through December 16, 2012. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the show below.

Warren's 2nd Story Theatre finishes its summer 2012 season with a modern-day fairy tale, SABRINA FAIR.

2nd Story's summer season wraps up with Samuel Taylor's sort-of Cinderella story, Sabrina Fair. In "Sabrina Fair", Samuel Taylor's sort-of-Cinderella story, a playboy becomes interested in the daughter of his family's chauffeur. But would his more serious brother be a better match? Performances run August 15 through September 2, 2012. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

Ed Shea directly a terrific production of Tracy Letts' comic tragedy

Gina Gionfriddo's biting social commentary, based here in Rhode Island, plays at 2nd Story through February 20th

Gina Gionfriddo's biting social commentary, based here in Rhode Island, plays at 2nd Story through February 20th

Louise was trying to get a glimpse of the King as he passed in a parade when a loose knot and gravity conspired to drop her undergarments to the ground.

Comic Potential is Alan Ayckbourn's take on television of the future where actors are not actors at all, but machines. Given the success of James Cameron's Avatar, Ayckbourn might be on to something.

Kaufman and Hart's charming drawing room comedy plays at the Warren, RI theater through August 2nd

Kaufman and Hart's charming drawing room comedy plays at the Warren, RI theater through August 2nd

Directed by Ed Shea, this family drama by William Inge is a slice of life, with subtext a la mode

Director Ed Shea keeps the authors' light touch on heavy issues in this comedy that plays at the Warren, RI theater through February 15th

David Lindsay-Abaire's madcap comedy plays at the Warren, RI theater through June 8th