John McDaid

FENCES at Trinity Rep: Crisp production of the August Wilson classic

Twelfth Night is possibly Shakespeare's most brilliant comedy, packed with ribald wordplay, mistaken identities, and revenge, tied up in a tangled web of unrequited love. The slick, energetic production at the Gamm Theatre gets every bit of it. This is a dazzling show, stuffed with talent in every role, and staged with panache. It is Shakespeare made accessible, and it is deliciously funny. Not to be missed.

CTC'S ANNUAL 24-HOUR PLAY FESTIVAL DAZZLES AGAIN at Contemporary Theater Company. Written, produced, and performed in a day. Amazing.

The breathtaking production of Paula Vogel's Indecent at the Wilbury tackles this challenge head on, and the result is one of the most powerful theatrical experiences of the season. Top line: Go see this show before it closes on Dec. 23.

Burbage mounts captivating RI premiere of Barnes' intense slice-of-life comedy

As written—and as typically performed—Sam Shepard's 1980 dark comedy True West can feel like it skates around some of the troubling issues lurking beneath America's self image. Its vision of a dichotomous West of freedom and constraint, open range and suburb, can seem a naive gloss over questions of dislocated Native American nations and the slave labor which drove the engine of nineteenth-century progress. Not so with the keenly visualized, expertly directed, and authentically acted production at Brown/Trinity MFA. This is a brilliant take on this classic that everyone should see. Even if you don't think you like Shepard. Seriously.

Outstanding performances light up the stage in this twisty futuristic tale.

Shakespeare, late in his career, braided many of his preoccupations—love, the machinations of court, magic, low comedy, visual spectacle, theatre itself—into what may be his culminant work, 'The Tempest.' The Colonial Theatre production in Wilcox Park, Westerly, ticks all these boxes, offering a spectacular evening that will surprise and delight even long-time fans of the Bard's last solo play.

What did our critic think of THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR at Contemporary Theater Company?

Arthur Miller's 1964 drama explores how fascism paralyzed even those who considered resistance; this production at the Head Trick Theatre strips the play to its bones, focuses on the characters, and delivers a visceral punch.

Wilbury's world-premiere production of GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART, GOODNIGHT is a feast for the senses and a pointed modern feminist take on the work of Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi.

Wilbury mounts Teddy Lytle's trenchant, stylish (mostly) one-man show with music about addiction and recovery

What did our critic think of THE OLDEST PROFESSION at Burbage Theatre Company?

What did our critic think of WE'RE GONNA DIE at Wilbury Theatre Group?

What did our critic think of FAITH HEALER at Gamm Theatre?

What did our critic think of JAGGED LITTLE PILL at Providence Performing Arts Center?

Rose Weaver has impeccable credentials: a highly respected actress, singer, and writer, whose star turn as Aunt Ester in last season's 'Gem of the Ocean' at Trinity was transcendent. Alas, the world premiere of her new play, 'Silhouette of a Silhouette' at the Wilbury aims high, but never quite soars.

The production by Brown/Trinity MFA brings this post-apocalyptic nightmare to vivid life with memorable performances and jaw-dropping visual style that make this show a must-see.

Explore the Colorado River in this taut, compelling — and darkly funny — production at the Contemporary Theater Company.

Over its 70-year history, Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' has been staged in many venues, but Colonial Theatre's current production offers a most congenial outdoor setting in Westerly's Wilcox Park. Combine that with stellar performances all around and deft, assured directorial choices, and you have a compelling evening worthy of the material.