theater

What It Means When Your Role Is Cut During Previews

With Jordan Dean’s Skipper excised from “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” starring Scarlett Johansson, Backstage digs into the contractual ramifications of that choice for the actor.

'Working on A Special Day' Not so Special

The Play Company and Por Piedad Teatro’s stage version of the 1977 Oscar-nominated film “A Special Day,” starring Sophia Loren and Marco Mastroianni, is just an acting exercise.

'Minsk, 2011: A Reply to Kathy Acker' Paints a Damning Portrait

Belarus Free Theatre paints a devastating portrait of a city scarred by a totalitarian regime in “Minsk, 2011: A Reply to Kathy Acker,” an electrifying Under the Radar entry.

'Seagull (Thinking of you)' Flooded With Theatrical Imagination

Writer-director Tina Satter’s impressive “Seagull (Thinking of you),” in P.S. 122’s Coil Festival, is a distilled contemporary homage to the emotional chaos that informs Chekhov.

'Midsummer [a play with songs]' Is Too Meta for Its Own Good

David Greig’s “Midsummer [a play with songs],” from Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre, wastes impressive theatrical resources on two losers slouching toward an uncertain relationship.

Autobiographical 'Chapter Two' Still Charms Nearly 40 Years On

Shrewd direction, a timeless look, and detailed performances boost Laguna Playhouse’s production of Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two” while downplaying character clichés and zingy quips.

‘The Fig Leaves Are Falling’ and There’s Nothing Underneath

It’s hard to fathom what adapter-director Ben West, of UnsungMusicalsCo., is up to in this drastically revised version of the 1969 Broadway flop “The Fig Leaves Are Falling.”

Equity Changes Audition Sign-Up Procedure During NYC Building Renovations

Due to ongoing construction at the Actors’ Equity building in New York, sign-up lines for Equity principal auditions move inside the Times Square Visitor Center for the winter months.

Several Performances Excepted, This Is No ‘Picnic’

William Inge’s 1953 Pulitzer Prize–winning “Picnic” requires careful orchestration, but it’s not getting it in director Sam Gold’s tin-eared take for Roundabout Theatre Company.

Intimate 'Airswimming' Is Heartfelt and Endearing

Charlotte Jones’ tricky 1997 two-character play, “Airswimming,” at the Irish Repertory Theatre, is a small but sparkling gem that gleams with charm, anger, comedy, and sadness.