While finding some excuse to enclose characters in a small space and then letting them duke it out isn’t totally new theatrical territory, there is a lot that is refreshingly original about Borrowed, a new play by The Broadway Factor’s Jim Kierstead currently making its world premiere at Miami Ironside’s House Of Games. 

‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ could easily be subtitled Neil Simon’s Family in Crisis. But the esteemed playwright didn’t do that. Instead, he crafted a stellar autobiographical drama that melds whimsy with pathos, anger and, ultimately, forgiveness. He takes the time to develop the characters and spotlight their ability to deal with adversity without ripping apart the family bond.

Between my lack of much prior knowledge about the Miami Acting Company and the fact that I found myself at a school auditorium rather than any more conventional theatre venue when I showed up to attend their current production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from their rendition of the 2005 musical. 

As of last weekend, under the radar West Palm Beach theatre group Bob Carter’s Actor’s Workshop and Repertory Company is officially making its post-pandemic return with a compelling production of A Kid Like Jake, a thought-provoking play by Daniel Pearle that first premiered in 2013 and has only become more relevant as issues surrounding gender identity have found a place at our cultural forefront.

First produced in 1984 and written by pioneering queer playwright Charles Ludlam, this witty script is specifically designed for only two actors despite the fact that it features four principal characters—and that’s before you count any of their werewolf, vampire, or mummy alter egos!