Review: MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT is a timely historical drama at Penguin Rep
by Bruce Apar - May 29, 2026
Ms. Babb doesn’t hit a single false note as legendary singer and civil rights icon Marian Anderson. She is a commanding presence on stage, effusing class and an iron will. The only cavil I have with her singing voice is we don’t get to hear nearly enough of it, but what we do hear is heavenly. ...
Review: THE 39 STEPS IS A DELIGHTFUL ROMP AT ELMWOOD PLAYHOUSE
by Bruce Apar - May 22, 2026
What did our critic think of THE 39 STEPS IS A DELIGHTFUL ROMP AT ELMWOOD PLAYHOUSE at Elmwood?So pronounced is the raucous, madcap flavor of the show – consciously channeling the vaudevillian humor of early 20th Century English music halls, a setting that bookends the play – that the plot itsel...
Review: 'MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT' at Penguin Rep
by Peter Danish - May 20, 2026
At a moment in American life when conversations about race, exclusion, immigration, and human dignity once again dominate the national discourse, Penguin Rep Theatre could scarcely have chosen a more resonant production than 'My Lord, What an Evening.' ...
Review: THE FATHER AT TOWN PLAYERS OF NEW CANAAN
by Pia Haas - April 27, 2026
The Father is a critically acclaimed play by French writer Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton. It has been staged internationally, and adapted into a successful film. The play premiered in London’s West End in October 2015 and opened on Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in March 2...
Review: THE BOOK OF WILL Fills the Bill at Elmwood Playhouse
by Bruce Apar - March 18, 2026
Ms. Gunderson’s ingenious play, directed by Lisa Spielman with her usual standard of excellence, is a marvelous creation, a paean not only to the Bard of Avon but a celebration of the magical potion, the curative powers, of live theater and, yea, of storytelling itself....
Review: PERFECT ARRANGEMENT Is Perfectly Enjoyable at Elmwood Playhouse
by Bruce Apar - January 20, 2026
Both author Topher Payne and director Paul Russo offset the seemingly dark and heavy-handed state of affairs at the state department with effective, tongue-in-cheek deftness. The seriousness of the subject matter is no less impactful when filtered through light moments laced with wit that is deliver...
Review: JEEVES AND WOOSTER IN PERFECT NONSENSE at Schoolhouse Theater
by Bruce Apar - December 11, 2025
Those dramatis personae (ha!) and more are animated to a fare thee well by only two – count ‘em – two actors, Mr. Guy and Mr. Lang, who bring to their poly-personality assignments proficient physical suppleness and chameleon-like chops. I started to keep track of how many characters they essay...