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...]
Slow Burn’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ is powerful, exuberant
When Alanis Morissette sang, “All I really want is some patience / A way to calm the angry voice,” she couldn’t have known that voice would echo three decades later in a musical of the same name — Jagged Little Pill, now running at Slow Burn Theatre through June 28. Under the direction of Slow Burn’s co-founder and director, Patrick Fitzwater, Jagged Little Pill closes out … [Read more...]
FAU Theatre Lab rebrands new-play festival, looks for national impact
By Ilana Jael Rothman It’s hard to think of a more appropriate opening image for Theatre Lab’s Second Annual Owl New Play Festival than a contemporary playwright hard at work on a new script. No, Joanna Castle Miller, the playwright in question, isn’t actually polishing up the pages of her new play Inferna with only a few minutes to curtain — but, doing double duty as … [Read more...]
South Florida theater titan Lou Tyrrell dies at 75
The South Florida theater community is in mourning after the passing of Louis Tyrrell, founding director of the Theatre Lab at Florida Atlantic University. Tyrrell died Friday, April 10, after a brief and sudden illness. He was 75. Tyrrell’s theater roots in Florida run deep. In 1974, he became the founding director of Florida Stage, a position he held for 24 years until … [Read more...]
Dramaworks’s ‘Crucible’ is timely once again
By Erik Kvarnberg Originally written during the time of McCarthyism, Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible (1953) turns a mirror onto the masses with a story about the Salem Witch Trials. “Producing this play now is more timely than when it first premiered in the 1950s,” said William Hayes, who is directing the show for Palm Beach Dramaworks during its current run through … [Read more...]
Palm Beach Dramaworks previews 2026-27 season
By Erik Kvarnberg Palm Beach Dramaworks’ 2026-27 season will feature plays for audiences seeking world premieres, modern classics, and absurdism, including works by Harold Pinter and a celebrated musical. The West Palm Beach-based company will announce the last two productions of the 2026-27 season later this year. The season opens with the world premiere of Alejando … [Read more...]
Theatre Lab wants you to meet Joanna Castle Miller and her autobiographical trilogy
By Erik Kvarnberg FAU Theatre Lab wants everyone possible to get to know playwright, actor, and stand-up comic Joanna Castle Miller, and this starts with Conversa. Conversa is an autobiographical play written and performed by Castle Miller, directed by FAU Theatre Lab’s Producing Artistic Director Matt Stabile, and accompanied by live music from Theatre Lab veteran Paul … [Read more...]