Thinking Cap Theatre is back in action at the eclectic Mad Arts Gallery with an equally eclectic exploration of The Importance Of Being Oscar. This play was written and first performed by Irish actor Micheál Mac Liammóir as a one-man show in 1960, with the title being an allusion to one of the best-known works of literary icon Oscar Wilde.

Here, though, the piece has been reimagined by the directorial vision of Nicole Stodard to become a three-actor endeavor. While it’s up to them all to help channel Oscar’s spirit, it’s Ronnie Larsen who’s mostly tasked with portraying the man himself, as well as a few other key figures. He is joined onstage by Bree-Anna Obst and Travon Pierre, each of who play multitudes of characters from Wilde’s life as well as those that appear in reenactments of his work. 

Palm Beach Dramaworks’ season has started up with a production of 4,000 Miles, a play by Amy Herzog that first premiered off-Broadway in 2011 and became a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize. And though the script itself may have its fair share of both bright moments and baffling pitfalls, this production has a notable advantage of having two incredible performances at its center. One of those is that of rising star Gabriell Salgado as Leo, a lost young man who has found himself washing up at the NYC apartment of his grandmother Vera, who is played by accomplished stage veteran Patricia Connolly, the other obvious standout. 

They may say that misery loves company; but, company or no, I can imagine it would be quite hard to come away from Empire Stage’s current production of Misery anything but satisfied. Based on the Stephen King classic, this spooky play is a perfect fit for the Halloween season, providing the requisite horror-style thrills but ultimately making a more lasting impact due to the chillingly believable nature of key antagonist Annie Wilkes. 

The Wick Theatre marks the opening of its ninth season with an admirable rendition of Milk and Honey, a 1961 musical that’s significant for a variety of reasons.

In this show, his first effort for Broadway, then-28-year-old composer/lyricist Jerry Herman struck theatrical gold with a tale of six lonely American widows on a visit to Israel, all bearing high hopes of meeting new husbands. 

I’m gonna make this short and sweet.

Theatre is filled with plays and musicals that ask important questions, give voice to underrepresented experiences, and challenge us to think outside ourselves… but sometimes we just need to laugh so hard we pee a little. That’s what the college division of New World School of the Arts gives us with their season opener – a farce that keeps you on the edge of your seat as this large ensemble cast descends into self-induced madness.

Mlima’s Tale is a ghost story.

A haunting, crafted by the two-time Pulitzer winning Lynn Nottage, about the underground international ivory market as she leads us, step by step down the winding staircase that is this unsavory world.

Mlima’s Tale is a ghost story, wherein the ghost that haunts these characters is made up from the repercussions of their actions. 

“Fun Home” at the Lake Worth Playhouse, directed by Sabrina Lynn Gore and exhibited on Oct. 9 , passed the Bechdel test. The Bechdel test, created by Alison Bechdel, MacArthur “genius” grant winning cartoonist, states that a work of fiction must have two women who talk to each other about something besides a man.

TOPDOG/UNDERDOG by Suzan-Lori Parks is not an easy play…  

Let me say that again – TOPDOG/UNDERDOG by Suzan-Lori Parks is not an easy play. Because of that simple fact, I’ll be blunt and honest as I promised myself I would be for every  article and every review; I went in with neutral to low expectations when I went to see this  currently very popular play in the year of its 20th anniversary… and I am more than happy to say that I was pleasantly, excitedly surprised.  

Written By Christine Dolen

Originally published on artburstmiami.com

The 20th-anniversary production of “Topdog/Underdog” begins previews on Broadway Sept. 27, with an opening set for Oct. 20. TV and movie actors – Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – will play brothers Lincoln and Booth in the revival directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon.

Still, you don’t need to travel nearly that far to see a production of the searing, Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Suzan-Lori Parks.