Alison O'Donnell


MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING!: Idle Hands launches ‘Idle Shakes’ with interdisciplinary Much Ado 

Shakespeare is in the air, and that’s just one reason to check out the Idle Hands Theater Collective! They are currently launching ‘Idle Shakes,’ its inaugural Shakespeare series that’s kicking off with a vibrant, fast-paced, interdisciplinary production of Much Ado About Nothing. This spirited production introduces a fresh model for Shakespeare, one powered by collaboration […]

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MEASURE FOR MEASURE: What Would You Wouldn’t Do?

“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). This is the core theme behind William Shakespeare’s darkest comedy, Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare’s most exciting, underperformed and underappreciated plays, currently presented by Burbage Theatre Co. Although it’s often dismissed as a “problem play,” it contains some of the most compelling drama and bawdy […]

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SHREK THE MUSICAL: That’ll Do, Donkey, That’ll Do!

Shrek the Musical is a hilarious and heartwarming adventure celebrating friendship, love, and the beauty of being uniquely yourself. Featuring a lively score by Jeanine Tesori, with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, this spectacle full of heart, humor, and show-stopping musical numbers is presented by The Community Players, adeptly directed by Marianne Lonati, who […]

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PRIMARY TRUST: A Quiet Triumph Of Tenderness And Hope

Trinity Repertory Company’s production of Primary Trust, Eboni Booth’s 2023 Pulitzer Prize–winning play, is a comedy regarding the courage to begin again. The most widely run production today, this heartwarming story about one man’s leap of faith and the friends he makes along the way is an exquisite portrait of loneliness, connection, and revamping a […]

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PRIVATE LIVES: What Goes on Beneath The Surface

At The Arctic Playhouse, where the proximity of actors to audience is personal, Noël Coward’s cheeky wit and havoc seemingly places you right into the conspiracy. Private Lives has been called one of the most sophisticated, entertaining plays ever written. Divorced couple Elyot and Amanda, now honeymooning with their new spouses, have a chance meeting […]

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THE COMEUPPANCE: Surreal Impact Of National Tragedies On A Generation

From the boundary-pushing, Tony Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins comes this electrifying comedy meditation on impermanence, nostalgia, and isolation. Directed by Don Mays, The Comeuppance starts innocently enough as five former classmates from a Catholic academy gather on the eve of their 20-year high school reunion. Fueled by cocktails and weed, they reminisce at a suburban porch pre-party […]

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CLYDE’S: It’s Sandwich Heaven! Welcome to Hell.

Burbage Theatre Co premieres Lynn Nottage’s two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Clyde’s, directed by Burbage’s founding artistic director, Jeff Church. A truck stop sandwich shop offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Even as the shop’s callous owner tries to keep them down, the staff members learn to reclaim their lives, find purpose, […]

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THE WINTER’S TALE: An Enchanting Shakespearean Tragicomedy

BY ALISON O’DONNELL ON FEBRUARY 20, 2026 Trinity Rep tells us their staging of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is a freewheeling blend of comedy and tragedy, a journey through jealousy, redemption, and second chances. In a fit of unfounded jealousy, King Leontes accuses his wife, Hermione, of infidelity, leading to heart-wrenching consequences. Sixteen years […]

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THE WINTER WOLF: Things Only Truly Become Perfect in Memory

With the waning of winter, there’s no better way to close out the season at Attleboro Community Theatre (ACT) than with The Winter Wolf by Joseph Zettelmaier, directed by Douglas Greene. “It’s Christmas night in young Cora’s house. She’s visited by her beloved grandfather, a man of high spirits despite his failing health. As the […]

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THE MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940: (Nope, not a musical!)

In true comedic (not exactly musical) style, a cadre of eccentric Broadway devotees gather under the premise of discussing a new play. Everyone, including the producer, writers, director, financial backer, and the actors are ready to “put on a show.” It’s murder and mayhem in this whodunnit. Could it be the maid? The butler? Perhaps […]

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