theater

'Happy Face Sad Face' Comes Up Blank

R.J. Colleary’s “Happy Face Sad Face,” at the Elephant Lillian Theatre, never gets past its underlying gimmick of telling one story two ways: as a comedy and as a drama.

‘Bethany’ Aims to Represent America

America Ferrera dominates the stage in Laura Marks’ “Bethany,” a dark comedy of social commentary at Women’s Project Theater that poses intriguing questions but never quite convinces.

Poignant 'Driving Miss Daisy' Well Worth the Trek to Sierra Madre

“Driving Miss Daisy,” Alfred Uhry’s 1988 Pulitzer Prize–winning drama, is getting a first-rate production at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, skillfully directed by Christian Lebano.

'Boeing-Boeing' Doesn't Fly High Enough

La Mirada Theatre’s slickly professional staging of the 2008 revival version of Marc Camoletti’s “Boeing-Boeing” is sexy, fluffy, and frantic but also silly and patently illogical.

'The Suit' Casts an Unintended Chill

A misogynistic premise makes “The Suit,” Peter Brook’s otherwise well-crafted adaptation of a South African short story, at BAM, into a discordant theatrical experience.

A Winning 'Yeomen of the Guard' Comes to City Center

The singing in the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ “The Yeomen of the Guard,” at New York City Center, may be its greatest asset, but there is also plenty of charm and humor.

Lithgow Makes 'The Magistrate' a Blissfully Silly Romp

John Lithgow combines naturalism and farce in “The Magistrate,” Arthur Wing Pinero’s rarely performed 1884 comedy, the latest NT Live broadcast from London’s National Theatre.

John Schiappa Digs Deeper in 'The Other Place' on Broadway

Schiappa chatted with Backstage about how he prepared to tackle the play a second time – after a 2011 Off-Broadway run at MCC Theater – and what he loves about new writing voices onstage.

There’s a Lot of Yelling but Little Drama in ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’

Rob Ashford’s awkward, unmodulated direction and the miscasting of Scarlett Johansson sink this revival of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize–winning “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

‘Freud’s Last Session’ Is More Scholarly Debate Than Sparring Match

Despite Judd Hirsch’s turn in the title role of Mark St. Germain’s “Freud’s Last Session,” getting its L.A. premiere at the Broad Stage, the hit Off-Broadway play feels locked down.