“The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic.”
Shelton Connecticut’s Center Stage Theatre presents a laugh-out-loud funny production of The Play The Goes Wrong directed by Betsy Kelso. With an Inception-like depth, The Play That Goes Wrong is a play within a play where the cast and crew’s ‘who dun it’ becomes a ‘who’s doing what’ as the lights and sound glitch, the set falls apart, and roles are confused. This production is a picture of Murphy’s Law where everything that could possibly go wrong absolutely did.
Read More“A doctor could make a million dollars if he could figure out a way to bring a boy into the world without a trigger finger.” Hartford Stage gives new life to Arthur Miller’s All My Sons directed by Melia Bensussen. With rivaling themes of ‘for love or for wealth’, ‘man versus machine,’ and ‘God versus man’ with a sprinkle of star dust, this iteration of Miller’s work compellingly unravels the tightly woven fabric of familial duty and asserts that a responsibility to the broader family—to the connection of humanity is just as important, if not more so.
Read MoreThe borrowed lives of American immigrants are honored in the visually stunning and remarkably layered story that is Sanctuary City. TheaterWorks Hartford, in partnership with Long Wharf Theatre, presents Sanctuary City, written by Martyna Majok and directed by Jacob G. Padrón and Pedro Bermúdez.
Set in Newark, New Jersey on the heels of 9/11, this production plays on the non-linear nature of memory, exposing excerpts of two intertwined lives in a fragmented back-and-forth as they recall defining moments of their connection. As Dreamers with an acute awareness of the disconnect that exists between them and the country they call home, B and G are tasked with the impossible—planning for their respective futures in a place that is provisional at best, without the security of belonging.
Read MoreThe delicate coating of truths outlined in Origin, Director Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner, Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste, gives life to the notion that “race is not where the line is drawn.” Wilkerson’s work weaves together the atrocities imposed on Jews at the hand of Nazi Germany, the plight of India’s Dalit, and the lives of descendants of Africa in America in a way that we’ve never seen done before. DuVernay gives visual life to these truths that we’ve all known, in a way that will be branded in our hearts and minds forever.
Read MoreRepresentation matters in all things and we all want choices—chief among those options is the desire to choose who and where we call home. Hartford Stage transforms into a house on a journey to becoming a home for the characters of The Hot Wing King. This play, written by Katori Hall and directed by Christopher D. Betts explores themes of Black masculinity, love, identity and home in a heart-warming and comical production that ushers audiences through every emotion from frustration to joy. Hall asks us to set down our ideals and beliefs of what home and love should look like to see the humanity in a twice-marginalized group of people. If you focus enough on the heart of the characters, you might be able to find yourself in their shoes.
Read MoreLong Wharf Theatre transforms New Haven’s Canal Dock Boat House for their run of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge, directed by James Dean Palmer. What we see is a classic tale of hope and betrayal unfolding against the collaborative backdrop of set design and nature. The brilliance of the production is heightened by the choice of venue, and theater goers are in for an incredible experience all around.
Read MoreOne man’s trash is another man’s mongo. Lindsay Joelle’s The Garbologists, set in the streets of New York, brings us through the grime of the other circle of life—the lifespan of a person’s stuff by way of that cycle’s end. This play champions themes of grief, invisibility, and the value of the discarded; from the people that society doesn’t have the eyes to see, to the things that make them luminous. Theaterworks Hartford’s intimate playhouse sets the stage for the unboxing of truths for sanitation workers across the nation as told by Danny and Marlowe.
Read MoreSimona’s Search is a deep dive into the languages of trauma that inspires us to take a more thorough look at how the pains of our past might be showing up in our present, and against our future. Playwright Martín Zimmerman’s words are the foundation for a beautifully layered production, under the direction of Melia Bensussen, set in the passage of time itself—by way of the lifespan of a memory. Hartford Stage’s theater transforms into what looks like a very simple set, compounded by time-moving projections, to bring us the captivating exposition of Simona’s Search—a story open-ended enough for each audience member to plug themselves into it, walking a mile in Simona’s shoes, or that of her father. This production successfully brings theatergoers into the fold.
Read MoreDirector Kelly O’ Donnell steers West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park’s production of Kate Hamill’s Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson- APT. 2B into success. This hilarious and brilliantly cast show pokes fun at the age old rivalry between Britain and America while quipping through the rigmarole of a day in the life of a deductive consultant or professional hypothesizer. Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson APT. 2B takes on the beloved dynamic of Holmes and Watson’s adventures, but set in today, and also London during a post-Covid spring 2021.Director Kelly O’ Donnell steers West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park’s production of Kate Hamill’s Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson- APT. 2B into success. This hilarious and brilliantly cast show pokes fun at the age old rivalry between Britain and America while quipping through the rigmarole of a day in the life of a deductive consultant or professional hypothesizer. Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson APT. 2B takes on the beloved dynamic of Holmes and Watson’s adventures, but set in today, and also London during a post-Covid spring 2021.
Read MoreThe vintage of Italy meets the vintage of history in Ferrari. The story of Enzo Ferrari unfolds under the direction of Michael Mann and takes audiences behind the scenes of the glory of what the Ferrari brand has been, by way of what it has suffered.
Read MoreThis is what dreams are made of— toy soldiers battling mice, dancing snowflakes, a land of sweets, and a Pas De Deux with a sugar plum fairy. The tradition of The Nutcracker Ballet meets Stamford, Connecticut’s gorgeous Palace Theatre. Under the direction of Brett Raphael, the Connecticut Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker adds another beautifully executed iteration in observance of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s timeless tale. This production brings to life the enchantment of Christmas, the joy of the theater, and the beauty of ballet.
Read MoreEven the season of perpetual hope is no match for war torn families, as we see in New England Ballet Theatre’s poignant presentation of The Fantastic Toyshop at the Theater of Performing Arts in Hartford. Director and choreographer Rachael Gnatowski skillfully unravels the dichotomy between the wonders of a magical toyshop and the somber reality of war-torn families during the Christmas season.
Read MoreHertfordshire descends upon Hartford in this rendition of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice put on by The Hartford Stage. The Regency receives a breathtaking reimagining in this production, fusing the old-world charm of a 1700s parlor with the vibrant Spanish-style decor of this "radical adaptation." Director Tatyana-Marie Carlo’s vision is a theatrical delight as she fortifies Austen’s place among the greats, confirming that the relevance of Pride and Prejudice goes beyond the propriety of the era in which it was first penned— it transcends tradition.
Read MoreHope is a waking dream, but every light casts a shadow. The New England ballet Theatre’s production of The Red Shoes at the Aetna Theatre at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art narrates a tale of ambition and obsession, as a ballerina grapples with the shadows that follow her relentless pursuit to replace the fallen Étoile, all while being consumed by her irresistible craving for a sinister pair of blood-red ballet shoes. Gnatowski's vision astoundingly captures the tragic essence of desire and sacrifice, making The Red Shoes a remarkable success that delves into the depths of the human psyche and artistic devotion.
Read MoreWho needs enemies when you have a group of friends like that of Charlie and Myra Brock? Neil Simon’s “Rumors,” directed by Rob Esposito, shakes up Shelton, Connecticut's Center Stage Theatre. This uproarious production delves into the chaos and intrigue of an anniversary dinner party that quickly spirals out of control. In a world where the lives of the upper-class are examined through a lens of comedy, "Rumors" successfully reveals the double-edged nature of close friendships, where your nearest allies can become your fiercest foes.
Read MoreThe shadows have received a reputation as an undesirable place to be. We want only what the light touches. It’s only in those moments when we stand toe to toe with an enemy, a fear, or the uncertainties of life and big brother’s shadow envelopes us, stepping up to take on all that we can’t, that the shadows signify peace and rest. What happens when Big Brother goes where you can’t follow? What happens when Big Brother’s shadow is no more?
Read MoreThe things we love change and the way we love them inevitably changes too— whether it’s our family structures or the lead of a production we hold dear, there’s room to let in the new.
Read MoreThe story of Jesus is a tale-as-old-as-time and it’s easy to lose the message of the cross and to relegate it to religion and or historical politics. The 12, ultimately refocuses that crucifixion story in a way that reminds us all what the purpose of the sacrifice was from the start —us.
Read MoreThe classics became classics at a time long before we had a say in what we liked. Much of what circulates in the literary world was forced on us in high school classrooms before the themes could take proper root in our lives— that includes the works of Jane Austen.
Read MoreRepresentation of Hispanic and Latine culture in the arts is a labor of love, according to Caraballo, one that she and the rest of the team gladly take on. Viva Broadway asks questions that can only be answered by time and progress. Among those questions are, what can the stories of Hispanic and Latine culture add to the culture of theater that Hispanic and Latine people can’t deliver themselves?
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