From the opening alarm bell signifying an institutional lockdown, Gina Montet’s Dangerous Instruments, now playing at Palm Beach Dramaworks, foreshadows the all-too-familiar inevitability of gun violence in America. Told as a gripping case study of a young, mentally troubled boy and his mother’s battle to save him from being dismissed by an inadequate social services system, … [Read more...]
‘Two of Us on the Run’: Teen girls size up US in world premiere play
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the minds of 16-year-old girls? That is the exploration that Scottish playwright turned Florida resident Steve McMahon takes us on in his play Two of Us on the Run, receiving its world premiere at Florida Atlantic University’s Theatre Lab beginning Saturday. The play, a free-form road trip for a pair of teenage runaways, dubbed simply … [Read more...]
Brilliant ‘Lauren Fein’ at Dramaworks deserves widest possible stage
Even if the world premiere play’s title, The Cancellation of Lauren Fein, did not give away the fate of its central character, there is an inevitability to the metaphorical noose relentlessly tightening around her neck. Justice may not be well-served by the escalating accusations against the renowned genetic biology professor, but theatrical impact certainly is. For more … [Read more...]
‘Cancellation of Lauren Fein’ brings culture wars to Dramaworks in world premiere play
Cancel culture, the effort to hold prominent individuals accountable for perceived verbal slights or deeds, has become increasingly prevalent in contemporary life. So perhaps it was inevitable that the phenomenon would make the leap from the headlines to the stage, as it does in The Cancellation of Lauren Fein, premiering at Palm Beach Dramaworks beginning this Friday, Feb. … [Read more...]
FAU Theatre Lab takes on dark side of childbirth in ‘Overactive Letdown’
The birth and care of a newborn baby is usually depicted in plays and movies as a blessed event. But Miami-based playwright Gina Montet knows that is not always the case. So, after researching the subject and having children of her own, she wrote Overactive Letdown, a look at the dark side of childbirth. An audience favorite at the 2020 New Play Festival of Florida Atlantic … [Read more...]
Dramaworks to give ‘Domestic Animals’ its first audience encounter
Palm Beach Dramaworks has been serving up thought-provoking productions of classic plays for 17 seasons, but it also understands the importance of developing new works for the theater. So it created the Dramaworkshop, a program of staged readings, workshops and bare-bones productions, searching for material for its mainstage, plays that can vie side-by-side with Albee, Williams … [Read more...]