september | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: Secrets and transformation in The Huntington’s funny and meditative ‘Purpose’

Posted on 2 Hours Ago by The Sleepless Critic

A famous preacher father, an overstepping mother, a son earnestly and blindly searching for approval while the other son and narrator just wants to be left alone while a dinner is veering off the rails.

A photo may be worth a thousand words but this family portrait doesn’t nearly tell half the story in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Purpose.

Directed insightfully by Josiah Davis, The Huntington continues Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Pulitzer prize-winning dramedy Purpose live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, October 11. This elaborately-staged and multifaceted production contains some adult themes and runs approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

The cast of Purpose; directed by Josiah Davis; photo by Marc J Franklin
Purpose
September 10 – October 11, 2026

A glowing red light, reminiscent of a theatre ghost light, stands alone center stage as a crucial safelight in a photographer’s dark room. Here we meet Omari K. Chancellor as narrator and introspective Nazareth “Scootie” Jasper, a talented nature photographer who reflects on a tumultuous weekend visit with his famous and dysfunctional family in Chicago. Nazareth is most at home in his dark room and utilizes a wide array of photographs to share this increasingly eye opening story.

Omari K. Chancellor in Purpose; directed by Josiah Davis; photo by Marc J Franklin
Purpose
September 10 – October 11, 2026

Enhanced by Marika Kent’s rippling lighting, scenic designer Se Hyun Oh unveils the inside of the Jasper family’s functional modern luxury dual level home boasting high ceilings and a variety of textures and surfaces including finely-detailed bronze, wood, and stained glass door trim. It is so impressive that a collective gasp can be heard in the audience at first glance. Framed photos of impactful leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. hang on the wall and the finer details such as fingerprints on the door give the house a genuine authenticity.

Omari K. Chancellor, MarHadoo Effeh in Purpose; directed by Josiah Davis; photo by Marc J Franklin
Purpose
September 10 – October 11, 2026

Chancellor proves to be an engaging and humorous storyteller as Naz who believes his peace lies in nature and his family can be a sensory overload. However, Ugo Chukwu as Naz’s troubled brother, Solomon Jr. has been released from prison and Naz is joining his family to welcome his brother home.

Ugo Chukwu, Omari K. Chancellor in Purpose; directed by Josiah Davis; photo by Marc J Franklin
Purpose
September 10 – October 11, 2026

Shy and contemplative, Naz became close with Kalyne Ashley Coleman as lively and outspoken Aziza Houston during the pandemic and share an easygoing rapport. When Naz arrives at his family home and Aziza stops by, everyone has questions, especially from Phyllis Yvonne Stickney as Naz’s strong and inquisitive mother, Claudine…and this evening has not even gotten started yet.

A hint…the tinkling silverware is deafening at dinner.

Omari K. Chancellor, Kalyne Ashley Coleman in Purpose; directed by Josiah Davis; photo by Marc J Franklin
Purpose
September 10 – October 11, 2026

Ezra Knight brings gravitas and charisma as famous orator and preacher Solomon Jasper displaying a complicated dynamic with Ugo Chukwu as earnest Solomon Jr. Chuckwu depicts a distinct sensitivity behind the outlandish ideas of yearning Solomon Jr., a man stumbling with a quiet desperation for approval any way he can find it. Knight MarHadoo Effeh stings as Solomon Jr.’s wife Morgan who is pretty much at the end of her rapidly fraying rope and Stickney’s Claudine is trying to make dinner a joyous occasion any way she knows how.

Ezra Knight in Purpose; directed by Josiah Davis; photo by Marc J Franklin
Purpose
September 10 – October 11, 2026

The cast boasts sharp and fluent comic timing, especially from Coleman as New Yorker Aziza. She is an amusing scene stealer brimming with charm and a lively personality while drawing keen observations. Not only standing out as the sole outside observer at the Jasper family home, but Coleman’s Aziza dazzles with multicolor hair and rambunctious clothing embellished by bright neon accents, just a glimpse of Celeste Jennings’s vibrant costume design.

This production is best enjoyed as each new plot development unfolds and the plot thickens many times over during the production. While it has its humorous moments, it also meditates and philosophizes about life, faith, humanity and why things happen the way they do and what might have been explored in a memorable scene between Chancellor and Knight.

Ezra Knight, Omari K. Chancellor in Purpose; directed by Josiah Davis; photo by Marc J Franklin
Purpose
September 10 – October 11, 2026

Purpose tackles many issues while unraveling family secrets but it is mainly about a transforming family and the ways they are all losing direction in their lives…and how beekeeping fits in with its own story to tell.

The Huntington continues Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Purpose live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, October 11. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: War and Sacrifice in theatre KAPOW’s stunning ‘Iphanalis in Aulis’

Posted on 5 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

The war cannot end unless it begins.

A prophecy, an atrocious act and a man blinded by victory. Stakes and superstitions run high in the Great Trojan War on an exceptional beach…at an unfathomable cost.

Elemental is Theatre KAPOW’s current season’s theme. Their 19^th season returns to basics and explores the power of nature in four distinct productions.

With Matthew Cahoon’s perceptive direction and stunning scenic design as well as Lorraine Chapman’s captivating choreography, theatre KAPOW presented Euripides’s Iphigenia in Aulis which ran for one weekend only from September 18 through 20 live and in person on the BNH Stage in Concord, New Hampshire. Trans adapted by Ann Washburn tying in classic and contemporary elements, this musically-inspired production ran approximately 100 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for Theatre Kapow’s upcoming productions.

The cast of theatre KAPOW’s Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides/Anne Washburn, September 18 – 20 at the BNH Stage in Concord, NH. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

A luminous full moon and a rippling setting sun are just a couple of Cahoon’s striking projections intensified by Tavya Young’s innovative lighting illuminating Aulis’s sandy shores. Strategically-placed clothing is inventively transformed and shadows of the sea and sail come alive inside pristine parasols. Symbolic wooden posts scatter along this beach under a rich sky.

From halo braids to iridescent, flowing and draped Greek-inspired gowns and faithful panoply and sandals to symbolic and translucent veils to colorful and trendier styles, costumer Barbara Holbrook balances these classic and contemporary visuals flawlessly. Samantha Griffin as Iphigenia is a particular vision while Greek chorus Samantha Autumn, Tracy Hickey and Olivia Krick stylishly turn heads without seeming stilted or out of place.

Samantha Autumn, Alex Picard, Olivia Krick and Tracy Hickey in theatre KAPOW’s Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides/Anne Washburn, September 18 – 20 at the BNH Stage in Concord, NH. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

As peaceful as this setting may sound, Euripides’s classic is anything but peaceful as Peter Josephson as Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, wanders onto the beach. Josephson has a gift for bringing depth and sympathy to complex and polarizing characters and he makes it easy to sympathize with Agamemnon’s lament. The goddess Artemis demands Agamemnon sacrifice his favorite daughter to ensure victory in a war that has not yet started.

Alex Picard and Peter Josephson in theatre KAPOW’s Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides/Anne Washburn, September 18 – 20 at the BNH Stage in Concord, NH. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

Barefoot, distressed and lost in thought, Josephson chooses his words carefully while expressing his inner turmoil. He turns to Alex Picard as Agamemnon’s brother and King of Sparta Menelaus for reassurance, but what Picard’s Menelaus returns is far different from what he is expecting.

Even if you know the story of Iphigenia in Aulis, this intense adaptation reveals new perspectives and much more.

Rachel Chapin Longo and Peter Josephson theatre KAPOW’s Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides/Anne Washburn, September 18 – 20 at the BNH Stage in Concord, NH. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

Led by Josephson, Iphigenia in Aulis boasts a skilled and discerning cast as some members take on multiple roles during the production. Picard and Josephson share gripping chemistry as palpable tension and sibling rivalry take hold, leveling each other in deep seated resentment. Trusting, warm, wise and practical, Rachael Chapin Longo holds her own with Josephson and delivers a courageous and powerful performance as Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae. However, Samantha Griffin shines as Agamemnon’s favorite daughter who is not to be underestimated.

Adding context, meaning and atmosphere to this production is a trio of acoustic Greek folk musicians who narrate, participate and articulate a number of perspectives and observations through stirring original music by composer Jake Hudgins. Along with guitar and harmonica tinged rhythms, they muse, “Let this not come to me or my children’s children” and “Water flowing…an excellent daughter…let the winds blow.”

Alex Picard, Tracy Hickey, Olivia Krick and Samatha Griffin as the Chorus in theatre KAPOW’s Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides/Anne Washburn, September 18 – 20 at the BNH Stage in Concord, NH. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

Having never witnessed this classic Greek mythical tale, Iphigenia in Aulis explores a great deal in its tense 100 minute timeframe. It does share moments of dark and clever humor while tackling war, cowardice, sacrifice, jealousy, ambition, obsession, betrayal, honor, and loyalty in a profound exploration of family and country where truth and integrity are so difficult to find.

Samantha Griffin, Samantha Autumn, Olivia Krick, Alex Picard, Tracy Hickey and Rachael Chapin Longo in theatre KAPOW’s Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides/Anne Washburn, September 18 – 20 at the BNH Stage in Concord, NH. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

Theatre KAPOW particularly excels at bringing something new to classic works and Anne Washburn’s final play Iphigenia in Aulis is an ideal work for Theatre KAPOW, delivering a unique and multilayered journey with a number of unpredictable twists and turns right down to its final shocking seconds.

Theatre KAPOW presented Euripides’s Iphigenia in Aulis which ran for one weekend only from September 18 through 20 live and in person at the BNH Stage in Concord, New Hampshire. Click here for more information and for further details on Theatre Kapow’s upcoming productions.

REVIEW: Kindness stirs in North Shore Music Theatre’s uplifting ‘Come from Away’

Posted on 13 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

It’s the furthest place from Disneyland.

In a small town where everyone knows everyone, a melting pot of 7,000 strangers from around the world make an impact on these unsuspecting residents on September 11, 2001, one of the most harrowing days in U.S. history. Abandoning all their self interests and in the middle of a Gander strike, Gander, Newfoundland put everything aside to find out what they can do to help.

Fueled by Kevin P. Hill’s inspired direction and intricate choreography with Dr. Michael McBride’s affecting music direction, Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre continues the extraordinary folk-rock musical, Come from Away live and in person at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly Massachusetts through Sunday, September 27. Based on a true story, this semi-interactive theater-in-the-round musical runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

The cast of “Come From Away” at Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre from September 16 -September 27, 2026. Photo © Paul Lyden

Come from Away first took the stage as the result of a student workshop in Ontario, Canada in 2013 before finding its way to Broadway in 2017 to win a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical.

This inspiring musical finished its run in Gander, Newfoundland on September 13 days after observing the 25^th anniversary of 9/11 before North Shore Music Theatre’s Come from Away made its timely stage debut on Wednesday, September 16 continuing through Sunday, September 27.

I wasn’t aware of what happened in Newfoundland 25 years ago on September 11 until seeing this production and haven’t witnessed this degree of kindness in a musical since The Huntington’s The Band’s Visit which is also based on a true story. What a revelation.

A group of distinct and strategically-placed chairs form the basis of Jack Mehler’s creative scenic design as the colorful and atmospheric lighting transforms the tiered stage from a crowded plane to a coffee shop to an impromptu celebration. Ryan Marsh’s intense sound design excels, especially during sudden and pivotal moments. From business suits to cultural and traditional attire to flannels to the vibrant Sou’wester, costumer Rebecca Glick distinctively dresses each individual, but brings an entirely new significance to their attire when characters find themselves in someone else’s shoes.

Compelling from its first scene, Come from Away is rich in tone delivering a balanced mix of warmth and urgency. It contains a variety of captivating Celtic-tinged drum, acoustic and fiddle-laden rhythms steeped in enchanting, contemplative, intricate and multilayered harmony. From hopeful to suspenseful to uplifting and everywhere in between, Come from Away boasts a strong collaborative cast who work wonderfully off each other sharing testimonies while articulating a number of resonating emotions looking back on that fateful day.

Based on real life individuals including rookie reporter Janis Moser to trailblazing airline pilot Beverley Bass, each cast member skillfully navigates more than one character with an authenticity and quiet resonance as thousands of strangers from all over the world face an unknown future stranded in a mysterious land.

Laurel Harris as Beverley in “Come From Away” at Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre from September 16 -September 27, 2026. Photo © Paul Lyden

Matthew Bryan Feld and Susan Oliver share a sweet camaraderie, especially during the reflective number Stop the World. Laurel Harris delivers a memorable and exhilarating rendition of Me and the Sky and Carla Wood is lovely and sympathetic for an earnest rendition of I Am Here. Kevin T. Hannah’s consoling vibrato rises with the cast for a moving Prayer and Welcome to the Rock’s pulsing and infectious rhythms may stay with you long after the musical ends.

Carla Woods (Hannah) and Mary Callanan (Beulah) in “Come From Away” at Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre from September 16 -September 27, 2026. Photo © Paul Lyden

Come from Away is not without moments of shock, distress and uncertainty, but holds many more moments of warmth, encouragement and humor delivered in rich harmony that could very well spark a renewed faith in humanity.

Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre continues the extraordinary folk-rock musical, Come from Away live and in person at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 27. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Path of a trailblazing woman in Central Square Theater’s fascinating ‘Eleanor’

Posted on 15 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

Many stories start with love but this one opens with betrayal.

Mark St. Germain’s Eleanor plants one foot inside the past and the other experiencing today’s world from the Rose Garden’s lush greenery in Hyde Park, New York where President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt are buried. Donning a classic stylish blue gown, hat and pearls by costumer Rachel Padula-Shufelt, Paula Plum delightfully embodies Eleanor Roosevelt who is more than ready to share her side of the story many years later.

Thoughtfully directed by Bryn Boice, Central Square Theater continues Mark St. Germain’s Eleanor live and in person at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts extended through Sunday, October 11. This enlightening one-woman production boasts valuable captions and runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Paula Plum in Central Square Theater’s ‘Eleanor’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Enhanced by Mackenzie Adamick’s serene sound design and light designer Karen Perlow’s warm and inviting tones, set and projection designer Justin LaHue recreates Hyde Park’s stately and peaceful Rose Garden on a tiered set which includes a birdbath and park bench utilized during the production. Dynamic projections enliven tall green hedges from sweatshops to vintage New York to ocean waves to a comprehensive and illuminated family tree.

The role of a First Lady is undoubtedly an uphill battle, especially a traveling one. Hub Theatre Company explored the distinctive plight of America’s First Ladies in their short play 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies. Eleanor Roosevelt was both a traveling and trailblazing First Lady who faced a wealth of challenges and stood up for her beliefs in the face of many forms of adversity.

Exuding determination, humility, humor and insecurity, Paula Plum remarkably engages the audience exacting Eleanor’s distinct mannerisms as well as her wisdom, quips, insights, anecdotes and recollections while tying in observations of today. Plum’s Eleanor is endearing, charismatic and funny while candidly sharing minor details such as her favorite song to stirring revelations about her past. It is a detailed and deeply personal account diving into her hardships growing up, criticisms throughout her life and her lack of self esteem and loneliness suspecting Franklin Roosevelt may not be what she expected.

Delving into domestic and political squabbles, the issues of the day, family dynamics, revelations, love, motherhood and much more, Plum seamlessly navigates Eleanor as well as other roles Eleanor recalls along the way including frank and cigar smoking Roosevelt secretary and New Yorker Louie Howe and Franklin Roosevelt’s opinionated mother with finesse and without distraction. For example, never flummoxed and ever the professional, Plum, upon encountering boisterous rhythms just outside the theatre during the performance and without missing a cue, cleverly adlibbed whimsically as Eleanor, “Don’t you love the beat?”

Without being preachy or overtly political, Eleanor is a fascinating, educational, inspiring and enriching biographical memory play helmed by Paula Plum’s tremendous performance as Eleanor. While Eleanor knows she has passed away, Plum breathes new life into Eleanor’s indomitable spirit and somehow this First Lady is here again.

Central Square Theater continues Mark St. Germain’s Eleanor live and in person at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts extended through Sunday, October 11. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Fandom takes an all-consuming turn in Samantha Hurley’s dark comedy ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’

Posted on 28 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

This is not your average teenage crush.

A wild-eyed teenager is determined to make her dreams come true…even if he is under duress.

With zany direction by Sydney T. Grant, Yorick Ensemble continues Samantha Hurley’s dark comedy, ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’ live and in person through Saturday, September 13 at Hovey Players in the D’Angio Building in Waltham, Massachusetts. This semi-interactive fringe production is not limited to the stage, contains some mature language and humor and runs approximately two hours with an intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Demi DiCarlo in Yorick Ensemble’s ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’

Set in 2004 in secluded South Dakota, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire infuses online fandom and Y2K pop hits into a dark coming-of-age comedy with hints of Misery for beginners and a whisper of Carrie. However without the gore, not quite a horror movie and never really takes itself too seriously.

Alexa Erb’s illustrative scenic and props design produces a brightly colored bedroom with traces of Shelby’s various obsessions including a princess petal bed canapé, flowered walls covered in Tobey Maguire photos, gleeful frog printed bed sheets, Barbie dolls and a curious chart of Tobey’s whereabouts. Josh Telepman keeps up the show’s seemingly cheerful façade in jungle prints, fanciful pink layered ensembles with lace gloves and a fanciful wedding dress.

Crossing a soft smile with a seemingly vacant stare, Demi DiCarlo impresses and is occasionally sympathetic as intense Shelby who may be calculating but not diabolical, at least according to her trusty issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. She quips, “I’m not bad. I’m romantic.” However, her anxious smile, madcap reactions and unsettling actions hint at something more just underneath the surface.

Demi DiCarlo in Yorick Ensemble’s ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’ Photo by Josh Telepman

Socially awkward and an only child, Shelby spends her days after school in a basement bedroom as President and founder of the Tobey Maguire Fan Club communicating to members through a handheld camera disassociating and fantasizing about actor Tobey Maguire. Secluded from the rest of the house, her basement bedroom almost seems like she was sent there to be ignored except when her nagging mother needs something.

Learning the facts of life through Cosmo, fairy tales and all things Tobey Maguire, delusional Shelby has deduced that the only solution to her isolation and loneliness is to capture and marry Tobey Maguire at the ripe age of 14.

To make matters more absurd, teenage Shelby does (seemingly impossibly) capture Tobey Maguire and has him chained in the basement. Where is security or his entourage? It is also hard to imagine Tobey Maguire afraid of a 14 year old, but the Tobey in front of her is not the Tobey she imagines. Sam Hackett is quite fittingly not a Tobey Maguire doppelganger portraying far from that sparkling example of optimism and well meaning persona amplified in Spiderman’s No Way Home. Never meet your heroes, right?

Alison Butts and Demi DiCarlo in Yorick Ensemble’s ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’ Photo by Josh Telepman

As Shelby’s illusions shatter, things really start to get out of hand.

Alison Butts does double time portraying various roles that move the plot along from the voice of Shelby’s mom to a kooky real estate agent.

With flashes of Y2K nostalgia, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire has its moments of intriguing self-aware humor, a wealth of pop culture references and a special appearance which will not be revealed here. It would do better without its share of superfluous and raunchy gags that do not advance the plot and would benefit spending more time fleshing out what makes Hackett’s egotistical, complaining, irascible and drug-addled Tobey tick.

Alison Butts in Yorick Ensemble’s ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’ Photo by Josh Telepman

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire is a cautionary tale of obsession, loneliness, isolation, trauma and infamy which, like Shelby, loses itself a bit along the way. As someone who has loved something teetering beyond reason, this outlandish tale stretches the imagination to conceive a dark comedy of what happens when fantasy and reality collide.

Demi DiCarlo and Alison Butts in Yorick Ensemble’s ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’ Photo by Josh Telepman

Yorick Ensemble continues Samantha Hurley’s dark comedy, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire live and in person through Saturday, September 12 at Hovey Players in the D’Angio Building in Waltham, Massachusetts. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Kindness and the little things in SpeakEasy Stage’s dramedy ‘Primary Trust’

Posted on October 8, 2025 by The Sleepless Critic

Kenneth’s visits to Wally’s Tiki Bar mean much more to him than just the two-for-one Mai Tais.

Quietly profound and inviting, Primary Trust is a unconventional journey about a lonely townie named Kenneth, performed with humble charm and simmering yearning by David J. Castillo, whose outlook on life is about to be shaken.

Arthur Gomez and David Castillo in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Primary Trust’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

With multilayered direction by Dawn M. Simmons, SpeakEasy Stage continues Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer prize-winning dramedy Primary Trust live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, October 11. This intriguing production runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

What I love most about Eboni Booth’s sharp and rapid fire script is that it is upbeat and funny while evoking a wide spectrum of emotions within its snappy dialogue. Anna Drummond’s urgent sound design keeps the pace of Booth’s charged and lively script as it veers from one quick witted scenario to the next. This small cast is more than up for the challenge enhancing the unique and often changing essence of this production.

David Castillo Luis Negrón and Arthur Gomez in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Primary Trust’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

A show without set changes, Shelley’s Barish’s compelling scenic design holds small town charm divided into sections including an island-inspired Tiki Bar with colorful leis and hale illuminated by Christmas lights as part of Karen Perlow’s soft atmospheric lighting, a stack of oversized books with bookcases, a large bank sign with a large wad of cash and a cozy park bench with lamppost.

Set in the cheery small town of Cranberry, New York (with a population of 15,000) and a hint of Our Town familiarity, Castillo as Kenneth lives a life of simplicity and certainty spending his days with Arthur Gomez as Kenneth’s encouraging and supportive only friend Bert. In glasses, jeans and a cardigan, Gomez delivers unassuming charisma and infuses warmth, optimism and enthusiasm into Bert’s candid and charming demeanor. However, there is a lot more to wise Bert than keeping Kenneth company. Sharing an endearing camaraderie and insightful dialogue, Gomez’s Bert is a source of security for Kenneth who is carrying a lot more than a lonely life on his shoulders.

One would think connection might come naturally in a small town, but not for Kenneth. With a nervous laugh, at times jittery demeanor, and a vast imagination, Castillo is excellent as Kenneth who confides in the audience and you can’t help but feel protective and a friend to him as he shares his setbacks and challenges while shyly appreciating the little things in life.

David Castillo and Janelle Grace in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Primary Trust’ Phot by Benjamin Rose Photography

Janelle Grace and Luis Negrón nimbly capture multiple roles during the production ranging from local townie to significant figures driving Kenneth’s story. Luis Negrón transforms into each role so impressively, it may take a moment to catch on while Grace demonstrates amazing and occasionally frenzied comic timing stepping into each role.

Whether Kenneth is sharing a moment of understanding with Negrón or a joyful chance moment with Grace, Primary Trust demonstrates humanity and compassion in each authentic moment.

Primary Trust holds a few important twists and turns best experienced as the story unfolds. Boasting an inherent depth, it has delightfully amusing moments that help smooth over the heavier elements and dark humor in Booth’s perceptive script without diminishing their significance. Make no mistake Primary Trust will make you laugh as often as you might be moved.

David Castillo as Kenneth in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Primary Trust’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

SpeakEasy Stage continues Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer prize-winning dramedy Primary Trust live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, October 11. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Wild antics and bonding in Greater Boston Stage Company’s lighthearted ‘Featherbaby’

Posted on September 28, 2025 by The Sleepless Critic

Who knew a unique tale about a puzzle loving couple and a foul mouthed exotic parrot would not only be mischievously funny but also tug at the heartstrings?

Get to know Featherbaby.

With lively direction by Weylin Symes, Greater Boston Stage Company continues the co-world premiere of David Templeton’s comedy, Featherbaby live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 28. This amusing production contains some explicit language and runs approximately one hour and 40 minutes with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Liv Dumaine, Paul Melendy and Gabriel Graetz in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Featherbaby’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

It was easy for me to see the appeal of Featherbaby, especially since my first pet was a parakeet and we shared an unbreakable bond. While my parakeet lived for 10 years, a yellow naped Amazon parrot like Featherbaby lives 20 to 30 years in the wild and up to 80 years in Angie’s cozy apartment living off what Melendy’s Featherbaby refers to as treats or “num-nums.” It also shows a parrot can enjoy a rich and extended life with love and many adventures that may exceed the parrot’s owner given the parrot’s long life expectancy.

Set designer Katy Monthei cleverly depicts Featherbaby’s two kingdoms dividing the stage between Angie’s furnished apartment including a colorful carpet and the greenery of the Amazon Rainforest with Featherbaby’s perch center stage as a hot pink wicker throne. Puzzle pieces and images of pop culture references are subtly scattered on this richly detailed set’s surface illuminated by Matt Cost’s cheerful and multicolored neon lit imagery. Mackenzie Adamick’s pop and rock-inspired sound design lends to some of this comedy’s most hilarious moments.

Paul Melendy in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Featherbaby’ by Nile Scott Studios

I did not know much about the story going into this comedy and found myself enjoying its significant twists and turns as they unfolded and I’m sure you will too. Liv Dumaine offers a certain mysterious air as Featherbaby’s puzzle-loving intellectual and somewhat flighty pet parent, Angie. Coy and curious, Angie shares some sweetly scholarly chemistry with Gabriel Graetz as level headed and inquisitive yet sensitive Mason and is a doting pet parent to Paul Melendy as vain and attention-craving Featherbaby. However, Featherbaby and Mason have a more adversarial relationship and it is quite the sight to see.

Paul Melendy in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Featherbaby’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Symes seems to leave plenty of room for improvisation as Paul Melendy as Featherbaby impressively spreads his wings. Plumes “burst” in Melendy’s textured and shiny suit coat enhanced by a vibrant yellow silk shirt and tie and an orange feather creatively designed by Deirdre Gerrard. Melendy has a gift for facial features and exacting this bird’s mannerisms is believable and wonderfully comical. In a role that could be anticipated as over the top or grating, Melendy is intense and vocal, but also offers a nuanced performance which includes precise mannerisms of this complicated and intense parrot through exacting darting eyes, head bobbing, weaving, pacing, swaying, veiled aggression and in the gentle lean for a head rub. Seemingly part stand up, improvisation and storyteller, narrator Melendy proves engaging, charming, charismatic and endearing as Featherbaby while occasionally being more than a bit naughty sharing Featherbaby’s history, insecurities and an unexpected new journey.

Gabriel Graetz, Paul Melendy and Liv Dumaine in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Featherbaby’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

As much as this quirky comedy is funny and lighthearted, it also boasts its share of stirring moments among this trio who all share appealing chemistry. You’ll laugh and at times be unexpectedly moved. In a life divided between the feathered and the unfeathered in Featherbaby’s terms, Featherbaby delivers a few profound life lessons along the way which is quite a feat coming from a bird.

Greater Boston Stage Company continues the co-world premiere of David Templeton’s comedy, Featherbaby live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 28. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Gloucester Stage Company’s ‘Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson – Apt 2B’ a puzzling comedy

Posted on September 27, 2025 by The Sleepless Critic

Sherlock has always had its passing comical moments.

Though considered a mystery-crime drama, Sherlock Holmes has delved into quirky territory featuring an eccentric lead in Sherlock Homes and his various idiosyncrasies. Holmes is a deductive and egocentric genius who considers emotion irrelevant and crosses paths with Dr. Watson who is reasonable, but also carries emotional weight in various situations. They are both brilliant in their own way and together, a force to be reckoned with.

Gloucester Stage Company’s production of Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B, by playwright Kate Hamill in Gloucester, MA. The production is directed by Rebecca Bradshaw, and stars Erin O’Sullivan and Ms. Sherlock Holmes; Breezy Leigh as Dr. Joan Watson; Stephen Shore as Inspector Lestrade, Elliot Monk, and Others; and Grace Experience as Irene Adler, Mrs. Hudson, and Others. © 2025 Shawn G. Henry • 978-590-4869 GSC-250903-Holmes+Watson_351

Directed by Rebecca Bradshaw, Gloucester Stage Company continues Kate Hamill’s comedic murder mystery spoof Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson – Apt 2b live and in person at Gloucester Stage Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts through Saturday, September 27. This wild production features adult humor and is a lengthy two hours and 15 minutes with a 15 minute intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Based on numerous stories and four novels by Sir Author Conan Doyle, the legend of Sherlock Holmes has been adapted many times which includes satire and parodies, but this classic tale tends to be at its best through its thrilling, haunting and suspenseful moments as the mystery unfolds. That is when I think Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson – Apt 2B is also at its best.

Set in London in the spring of 2021, Stephen Shore performs multiple roles including a chilling Narrator. As Shore’s face illuminates in an eerie glow while Shore’s charismatic and elegant vocals start to reveal the tale, I was excited for what was in store. Shore is a talented and charismatic presence standing out in this production.

However, even with its scattered suspenseful moments, this production is mostly a quirky pop cultured peppered comedy where freelance detective Sherlock meets Dr. Watson in the contemporary world to solve a mystery.

Kristin Loeffler’s sliding set boasts that classic Sherlock fireplace with twin bookcases, skeleton and wooden doors illuminated by Deb Sullivan’s evocative and ghastly red lighting as well as Julian Crocamo’s ticking and classical sound design.

I appreciated the dynamic between Breezy Leigh as excitable and frank New Yorker Ms. Watson who seems firmly planted in the contemporary world while aside from new age meditation and vaping, Eryn O’Sullivan’s Sherlock seems in every other way from the past rebuffing technology and relying solely on the mind and the written word for everything. O’Sullivan brings an over the top cryptically calm detachment, frequent disdain and pretension while Dr. Watson is so excitable and squeamish, it became difficult to believe that Ms. Watson was ever a level headed doctor.

The production delivers major characters from the classic Sherlock novels featuring some enviable costume selections by Chelsea Kerl, especially displayed in Grace Experience’s red velvet suit and fabulous bejeweled shoes. Portraying multiple roles, Grace Experience zings from a peculiar cockney-accented housekeeper to a bold and clever seductress while having a great time in each swift transformation.

However, I still longed for more thrills and less clutter. Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson Apt. 2b feature a murder mystery, but comedy is king in this production and among so many comedic distractions, it became difficult to get invested in the mystery. While it has some self aware humor and creative silliness in a certain train scene, it seems to meander too often without striking a real balance between humor and suspense. As a fan of Kate Hamill’s great work most recently in The Odyssey and Austen’s Emma, I was just longing for something more.

Gloucester Stage Company continues Kate Hamill’s comedic murder mystery Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson – Apt 2b live and in person at Gloucester Stage Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts through Saturday, September 27. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: An exhilarating journey awaits as American Repertory Theater presents ‘The 7 Fingers: Passengers’

Posted on September 14, 2025 by The Sleepless Critic

Some moments will bring joy to your heart and others will launch your heart in your throat. Prepare to be amazed by the 7 Fingers.

The Montreal-based 7 Fingers contemporary circus troupe was founded in 2002, but this is the first time I witnessed their distinctive artistry as they trace a cohesive connection about travel to life and time within the perpetual motion of a train. We are all passengers on this transformative journey as tales, rhythms, and creativity unites onstage.

Members of the Passengers company in performance. Credit: Grace Gershenfeld

Eloquently written, directed and choreographed by Shana Carroll, American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) continues The 7 Fingers: Passengers live and in person at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts through Friday, September 26. This thrilling production runs 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Amanda Orozco, of the Passengers company, in performance. Credit: Grace Gershenfeld.

Whether it’s to escape, to return home, to make a new start or to navigate back to a familiar place, everyone travels with hope and expectation for what the future holds. However, this production is about the motivation and journey and not necessarily the destination. Through leaps, bounds, acrobatics, and always with creative and audacious flair, the 7 Fingers depict a group of agile and graceful travelers that maneuver to compelling original music from piano-infused lullabies to soulful beats to guitar-infused tango and echoing fiddle folk rhythms memorably composed by Colin Gagné with lyrics by Shana Carroll. Far from a silent performance, Passengers unveils this insightful journey in poetry, song and the spoken word through storytelling while sharing reflections, dreams, and aspirations as Johnny Ranger’s dynamic projection, Colin Gagné with Jérôme Guilleaume’s absorbing sound design and Éric Champoux’s vivid lighting are as animated and lively as the performers onstage.

Suitcases, textured chairs, gliding luggage carts and a split flap departure board are just a portion of Ana Cappelluto’s rolling scenic design enhanced by Johnny Ranger’s surreal projections ranging from lush watercolor illustrations to layered cinematic landscapes that enhance the production’s consistent motion while allowing the dazzling feats to take center stage.

Composed of Victor Crépin, Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo, Isabella Diaz, Marie-Christine Fournier, Téo Le Baut, Amanda Orozeco, Michael Patterson, Basile Pucek, Santiago Rivera and Méliejade Tremblay-Bouchard, the 7 Fingers show off their various talents with agility, power and ease demonstrating feats that range from playful, elegant, and mischievous to daring, intense and suspenseful. In Camille Thibault-Bédard’s loose, freeing and flowing casual and classic outdoor apparel, they also bring to light the amount of sheer trust, connection, and chemistry involved in every carry, leap, toss, and intimate climb with no net between the members of this international circus troupe. The athletic beauty, the durability, grace and precision in each movement and stroke is spellbinding whether dangling in mid-air in aerial silk, flying across the stage or grounded within a comedic piece. While I preferred the more daring stunts, each piece brought a dynamic range of emotions within its gripping 90 minutes including heartbreak, longing, loss and liberating joy. Within all its thrilling components, playfulness and wonder, the 7 Fingers also offers resonating depth and thought- provoking nuances about life and the magnitude of time in each inquisitive lyric, comic scenario, and precise step.

Grab a ticket to this amusing and exhilarating journey you won’t soon forget.

Passengers Production Photo Members of the cast of Passengers in performance. Photo: Lucille Audoineau-Maire

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) continues The 7 Fingers: Passengers live and in person at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts through Friday, September 26. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Wild high jinks take shape in Central Square Theater’s spooky madcap spoof ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’

Posted on October 2, 2024 by The Sleepless Critic

Expect anything and everything to happen as things go bump in the night in this version of The Hound of the Baskervilles.

A striking lass, peculiar locals, a mustachioed stranger, a hobby horse, a stubborn stagehand, wacky beards and hefty accents are all part of this treacherous journey through the moor in Central Square Theater’s spooky and madcap spoof, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Steven Canny and John Nicholson continuing live and in person at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts through Sunday, October 6. Wildly directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner and very loosely based on Doyle’s legendary tale, this zany and semi-interactive production runs two hours and 15 minutes including an intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Sarah Morin, Jenny S. Lee, and Aimee Doherty in Central Square Theater’s ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ Photo by Maggie Hall

The Hound of the Baskervilles is no stranger to adaptations. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1903 classic Sherlock Holmes crime novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles has been adapted into dozen of films and TV shows including a 1978 British parody film starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. The actual tale is a chilling and puzzling foray into a mysterious crime and is considered one of Doyle’s best novels.

Haunting, comical and spontaneous is this mystery spoof that mixes the classic with the contemporary while still loosely sharing Doyle’s legendary tale as it veers into several comedic detours along the way.

Sarah Morin and Aimee Doherty in Central Square Theatre’s ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ Photo by Maggie Hall

A full moon, distant howling and a single illuminated ghost light kick off the foreboding and eerie demeanor of Central Square Theater’s Hound of the Baskervilles as David Bryan Jackson’s dynamic sound design along with John R. Malinowski’s spooky lighting navigate the haunting, humorous, and spontaneous elements of this swiftly shifting production that is not limited to the stage.

While generally not a big fan of spoofs, this self aware trio takes improvisation, physical humor, and even miming to new heights led by the ever impressive Aimee Doherty as herself, Holmes and others, especially during a zany expedition through Act II. It is at times mind boggling to think how this jocular trio manages to keep track of which comedic detour they are addressing from moment to moment (never mind the accents!) changing identities, and what is real and what is all in disguise, but it seems all in good fun with a considerable dose of goofy silliness.

Sarah Morin and Jenny S. Lee in Central Square Theater’s ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ Photo by Maggie Hall

Costume designer Leslie Held delivers Sherlock sleuthing at its Edwardian finest complete with Harris Tweed deerstalker caps, wool gray and mustard colored coats, paisley ties, and top hats mixed with some surprisingly whimsical selections as well. The production also swings from vintage into the contemporary in remarkable self aware fashion. Spoofing deductions about deducing is Doherty as Holmes who must solve the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville. Did he die of a heart attack or were there darker forces at work? Doherty’s comic timing is particularly sharp during a train sequence in which Doherty portrays a repetitive train conductor. Jenny S. Lee is more than game as admiring and a bit dim Watson, Sherlock’s sidekick. It is amusing to watch Doherty playfully tease Lee as Watson from time to time as they both attempt to solve this ‘jigsaw’ puzzle of a case. Lee is a fun sidekick, has engaging chemistry with Doherty, and stands as a firm Robin to Sherlock’s Batman.

Jenny S. Lee and Aimee Doherty in Central Square Theater’s ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ Photo by Maggie Hall

Sarah Morin more than has her work cut out for her as not only Canadian Sir Henry Baskerville, but all in the family line not including the zany characters that Doherty and Lee meet along the way. Trying to unravel this mystery and keep up with all the split second dress changes is a feat in itself.

Sarah Morin and Jenny S. Lee in Central Square Theatre’s The Hound of the Baskervilles Maggie Hall

However, the greatest feat of all might be how the show manages to remain on course. After all, The Hound of the Baskervilles is essentially a murder mystery and Holmes and Watson have a crime to solve.

Central Square Theater’s presents spooky madcap spoof, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Steven Canny and John Nicholson live and in person at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts through Sunday, October 6. Wildly directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner and very loosely based on Doyle’s legendary tale, this zany and semi-interactive production runs two hours and 15 minutes including an intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.