Review

'Orange Flower Water' Is Inadequately Realized

The Creative Collection’s production of Craig Wright’s “Orange Flower Water,” which depicts the shattering effect of adultery on families, is diminished by a few weak performances.

Antaeus Company's 'Mrs. Warren’s Profession' Carefully Avoids Stereotypes

At the Antaeus Company George Bernard Shaw’s controversial classic “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” gets a new lease on life by focusing on how little has changed in the last 120 years.

'Lunch Lady Courage' Puts Brecht Inside an L.A. Public High School

In Cornerstone Theater Company’s “Lunch Lady Courage,” a cast of high school students, community members, and professional actors addresses social issues in this Brecht adaptation.

Funny and Mean, 'The Sister' Is Also a Bit Gloomy

Expertly staged and compellingly acted, “The Sister,” Eric John Meyer’s bleak yet funny fantasia of a play from Dutch Kills, investigates the cruelties of familial relationships.

'I Know What Boys Want' Raises Timely Questions

Penny Jackson’s provocative “I Know What Boys Want,” from Ego Actus, spurs a dialogue about the dangers of the Internet; led by a fiery Sara Hogrefe, the young cast impresses.

The Enigmatic, Resonant Terrors of ‘Upstream Color’

Shane Carruth, the filmmaker behind the enigmatic puzzler “Primer,” returns with a sophomore effort starring Carruth and Amy Seimetz that is more emotional and even more accomplished.

'Three Trees' Considers the Transformative Power of Art

Presented by Pan Asian Rep and intelligently directed by Ernest Abuba, this exquisitely acted play about Alberto Giacometti is entrancing despite Alvin Eng’s heavy-handed script.

‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ Proves to Be Filled With Deadwood

Torturous father-son relationships involving Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper drag on for two-and-a-half hours of overly emphatic filmmaking and forced storytelling.

Delicate Acting, Drifting Lives in ‘Renoir’

A transcendent glimpse at how aging Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir passed his creative muse to his filmmaker son Jean Renoir presents masterly examples of character-based acting.

‘Mental’ Provides a Healthy Dose of Charming Weirdness

P.J. Hogan’s raunchy comedy is as much a welcome reminder of Toni Collette’s talent as it is a call to arms for weirdoes.