T. Charles Erickson News

Long Wharf Theatre, in association with the McCarter Theater Center, presents the 15TH anniversary production of Crowns, written and directed by Regina Taylor.

Dancing at Lughnasa is being performed at Two River Theater through May 13. The 1992 Tony Award winning play is written by Brian Friel and directed by Jessica Stone. This is theatre at its very best with stirring dialogue, the finest staging, and a remarkable cast. You will be swept away by this humorous and heartwarming production about the joys and struggles of family life.

Two River Theater (Artistic Director John Dias, Managing Director Michael Hurst) presents Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel, directed by Jessica Stone. The press opening is Friday, April 20 at 7pm and performances will continue through Sunday, May 14 in Two River's Rechnitz Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ.  Tickets are available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org.

As previously announced, Be More Chill, the original musical with music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and a book by Joe Tracz will have its New York premiere production this summer. Get ready for the show by watching these videos from the world premiere production at Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ in 2015

Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjakand Managing Director Michael Stotts present the world premiere of The Age of Innocence.

George Street Playhouse (GSP) is now presenting Trying by Joanna McClelland Glass through April 8. Directed by Jim Jack, the show stars Philip Goodwin and Carly Zien. This is a two-hander like no other. Exquisitely written, creatively staged, and with superb acting, Trying makes a lasting impression. It is an outstanding, moving play that brings together history and humanity.

Internationally known Francis Biddle, Chief Judge of the Nuremberg trials, opponent of the Japanese internment camps during World War II, and Attorney General under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is 81 years old, elegant, sharply cantankerous, and trying to put his life in order. When a young, new secretary is hired, the two struggle to communicate but come to understand how two strangers at very different places in their lives can unexpectedly and forever influence each other. Based on playwright Joanna McClelland Glass' real-life experience as Biddle's secretary. 

Internationally known Francis Biddle, Chief Judge of the Nuremberg trials, opponent of the Japanese internment camps during World War II, and Attorney General under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is 81 years old, elegant, sharply cantankerous, and trying to put his life in order. When a young, new secretary is hired, the two struggle to communicate but come to understand how two strangers at very different places in their lives can unexpectedly and forever influence each other. Based on playwright Joanna McClelland Glass' real-life experience as Biddle's secretary. 

According to AMERICAN THEATRE magazine, Dominique Morisseau's SKELETON CREW is the third most-widely produced play of the 2017-2018 season at regional theaters nationwide. Huntington Theatre Company stages the timely final chapter of the playwright's Detroit trilogy, a powerful drama about the hardships suffered in the Motor City after the 2008 economic recession. Directed with care and great attention to detail by Megan Sandberg-Zakian, the family of workers at an auto plant try to stand their ground against the inevitable while maintaining their dignity and their connections to one another. Outstanding performances by Patricia R. Floyd, Jonathan Louis Dent, Toccarra Cash, and Maurice Emmanuel Parent.

Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the Ars Nova production of the Obie Award winning play Small Mouth Sounds, written by Bess Wohl and directed by Tony nominee  Rachel Chavkin (Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812). In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six wildy dissimilar runaways from city life embark on a week-long silent retreat. Guided by an unseen guru and pledging a vow of silence, these strangers confront internal demons both profound and absurd. Both contemplative and funny, Small Mouth Sounds is a cleverly conceived and sharp observation of the pursuit of wellness and the achingly human need to connect.  Small Mouth Sounds will preview on March 13 and opens on March 14, 2018. The show will run for 24 performances through April 1, 2018 at Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (480 S. Broad Street). Tickets are on sale starting at $25 at philatheatreco.org, at the box-office, or by calling 215-985-0420.

Long Wharf Theatre, under the direction of Managing Director Joshua Borenstein, presents Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, directed by Brendon Fox.

Lots of comedy highlights top March picks for Connecticut theater.

Two River Theater (TRT) continues their successful 2017/2018 season with the enthralling world premiere of 'The Bridge of San Luis Rey' by Thornton Wilder. Expertly directed by Ken Rus Schmoll, this timeless story has been artfully adapted for the stage by David Greenspan who also stars in the production accompanied by a stellar cast.

"The story you are about to witness is one of romance, tragedy, primal murder and the urge for revenge." These words, spoken by the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot open Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, the latest production at Hartford Stage (in collaboration with the McCarter Theatre Center), and set the scene for what is soon to be a fast-paced and extremely entertaining evening of theatre. The play, newly adapted by Ken Ludwig (LEND ME A TENOR, CRAZY FOR YOU, MOON OVER BUFFALO) at the request of the Agatha Christie estate, takes the story from Christie's bestselling 1934 novel and breathes new life into the tale of an unlikely group of strangers on the lavish Orient Express and the murder that shines the spotlight on each of them.

BAD DATES remount at Huntington Theatre Company reunites Director Jessica Stone and actor Haneefah Wood who worked together in HTC's VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE (2015). Put aside any qualms you may have about one-person plays because Theresa Rebeck has conjured up a character with a multitude of sparkly facets and Wood is luminous while bringing her to life. Performances have been extended to March 3rd.

Before a performance of the play America is Hard to See, audience members have the opportunity to wander across a canvas map of Miracle Village. What appears as a gridded crisscrossing of rural living quarters is home to a community of men - sex offenders - who are finding a way to move forward. Travis Russ, artistic director at Life Jacket Theatre Company, calls this Southern Florida community one of many "little dots" on a map, where real people have stories to tell. In his case, Russ decided that the stories within Miracle Village should be told onstage. In a phone interview with BroadwayWorld, Russ discussed bringing the residents' true stories to the theatre.

The Huntington Theatre Company has extended the run of Bad Dates. This irresistible comedy featuring Haneefah Wood (Cassandra in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Huntington and Blanche in Fox TV's "Grease Live!"), is written by Theresa Rebeck (creator of NBC's "Smash" and the Elliot Norton and IRNE Award-winning play Mauritius, produced at the Huntington in 2006), and directed by Jessica Stone (director of Ripcord and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Huntington).

American Hero is now being performed at George Street Playhouse (GSP) through February 25. The play features meticulous direction by the Playhouse's Artistic Director, David Saint and has a splendid cast. This is drama at it's finest. See it!

The music-infused play AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE from Life Jacket Theatre Company will have its opening performance tonight, Friday, February 2nd. From Life Jacket artistic director Travis Russ and songwriter Priscilla Holbrook, the production will run through February 24th at HERE (145 6th Avenue). Get a first look at the production ahead of opening!

Captain Rob Wellman's perfect life starts to unravel when a fellow veteran seeking justice shows up threatening to expose a hidden past. From the author of last season's American Son, this probing drama shines a light on how America honors its veterans, the corrupting effect of awards and commendations, and questions what it truly means to be a hero. American Hero joins American Son and a yet-to-be titled new work to create a trilogy of plays that explore American injustice. American Hero is the recipient of the Steinberg Award Citation from the American Theatre Critics Association.