By Ilana Jael After spending the first half of my October haunted by review deadlines following an impromptu double feature of Carrie and Hedda Gabler, maybe I shouldn’t have been terribly surprised to see that my next theatrical encounter would likely center yet another unhinged antiheroine. Though Alejandro Rodriguez’s Alba would technically be the world premiere of a … [Read more...]
Shakespeare troupe mounts a sublime ‘Hedda Gabler’
By Ilana Jael If your first reaction to the prospect of seeing a play called Hedda Gabler is to think “Wait, who’s Hedda Gabler?” — well, then you and the protagonist of this 1891 masterpiece by Henrik Ibsen may have something in common. Furthermore, if I had started this review with an introductory sentence explaining that the play is called Hedda Gabler because the … [Read more...]
FAU Theatre does right by gore girl ‘Carrie’
By Ilana Jael If you’re looking to kick off your Halloween season early this year with some horror-inspired theatregoing, then you need look no further than Carrie: The Musical. In case you didn’t guess it from the title, yes, the show is an adaptation of that Carrie — Stephen King’s 1974 horror novel about an isolated teenage girl who uses telekinetic powers to take bloody … [Read more...]
FAU Theatre Lab’s ‘Baker Street Beginnings’ adds compelling new chapter to Sherlock saga
By Ilana Jael As fitting as it would be to start off this review with all the suspense of a detective tale, evaluating the plentiful evidence I amassed in investigating the theatrical “case” of Baker Street Beginnings doesn’t actually demand that I solve much of a mystery. So I guess I’ll kick things off instead by offering a fairly straightforward verdict to any … [Read more...]
Lake Worth Playhouse receives transformational $1M gift
The story of the Lake Worth Playhouse took an unexpected twist this summer with an anonymous $1 million gift — a transformational donation that will help ensure the theater’s next act. With the gift, the Playhouse now has a permanent endowment — a dependable stream of annual funding to fuel its artistic vision, protect its historic building and grow educational programs for … [Read more...]
New company devoted to adventurous theater to debut in Jupiter
By Ilana Jael Even in South Florida’s lively theater scene, it’s not every day that audience members have the chance to bear witness to the birth of a brand-new company. This year, though, sufficiently adventurous theater-goers will have just such an opportunity as Sticking Place Theatre Collective celebrates its inaugural season, starting with the opening of their debut … [Read more...]
Standout performances enliven ‘Little Women’ at FAU Festival Rep
By Ilana Jael Though it’s been a long time since I’ve revisited Louisa May Alcott’s best-selling novel Little Women, I have fond enough memories of the book and its various adaptations to be one of many modern women with a soft spot for this particular classic. As a teenager, I even performed in a straight play adaptation of Little Women, so my interest was piqued right … [Read more...]
Shakespeare Festival’s ‘Falstaff’ an engaging look at the Bard’s roguish knight
By Ilana Jael As a 21st-century theater critic working without a time machine, it certainly isn’t every day that I get to cover the world premiere of a William Shakespeare play. No, the Bard isn’t back from beyond the grave, but Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival is breaking new ground with its biggest production this year, which features a brand-new script constructed by its … [Read more...]
Entracte’s scrappy ‘Cats’ transcends its source material
By Ilana Jael Rothman It definitely isn’t every day that I come across a production so distinctive that it serves to completely upend my initial reaction to a certain show — and, of all shows, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is one I would’ve judged to be among the least likely to inspire such a 180. Following my first theatrical encounter with the show via the long-running … [Read more...]
FAU’S Festival Rep starts off summer with well-presented Christie whodunit
By Ilana Jael Rothman It’s hard to imagine any fans of Agatha Christie being disappointed by The Hollow, a 1951 play by the iconic author that proves it stands the test of time in Florida Atlantic University’s Festival Repertory Theatre production. Described in the program’s director’s note as a “good old-fashioned murder mystery,” the piece succeeds unquestionably in … [Read more...]