Chloe Lang

The New York Musical Festival presents a wide variety of new musicals in the form of readings, concerts, and full-scale productions. While previously scheduled to be the latter, Saturday afternoon audiences were treated to an intimate reading of Ladyship by Laura and Linda Good due to an illness in the cast. This gave me a unique opportunity as a critic to truly focus on the script and lyrics.

It's a time of change for the women of The Bachelor Girls-and that means swing dancing, ditching their corsets, and learning to be an independent woman in 1920s London. The Bachelor Girls was a part of the fourth annual She NYC Arts Festival, which strives to provide women writers, composers, and directors with resources to jump-start their careers in the theater industry. At the beginning of the show, we are introduced to Cecily, Gertie, and Molly, three best friends about to set off on their own. In the typical 'I am' song fashion, the three girls confide in the audience their hopes and dreams-getting married, becoming a typist, and dancing, respectfully. However, as the show progresses, the women face trials that school did not prepare them for, but fear not: they had 'The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Everything,' which guides them through the rest of the story. The characters followed typical tropes, and the story was predictable, yet charming. The girls' lives are told through catchy songs, excellent choreography, and endearing relationships.

Kate Brennan's The Shoebox transports audiences back in time to high school and early adolescence. This is a time that many adults would consider simple, yet, as revealed through the plights of Brennan's characters, the viewer is reminded how complicated and tumultuous it felt in the moment. The Shoebox is part of the fourth annual She NYC Arts Summer Theater Festival at The Connelly Theater, which strives to provide women writers, composers, and directors with resources to jump-start their careers in the theater industry.

Megan Monaghan Rivas' Three Musketeers: 1941 is an evocative, thought-provoking new work that is imperative in today's political climate. The commissioned world premiere of this play promises an evening of strength, empowerment, and emotion. Three Musketeers: 1941 is a part of Project Y Theatre's fourth annual four-week long Women in Theatre Festival, celebrating new plays and innovative performances by diverse female artists.