Shannon McLoud is a lifelong theater geek. She has been involved in the arts in Rhode Island for almost 20 years, first as an actor, and then finding her way to director and playwright. When Shannon isn't enjoying a show, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their son.
I haven’t read Frances Hodgson Burnett’s story The Secret Garden since I was a child. The tale of the beauty of the garden has stayed with me, as it stays with almost everyone who reads it as “It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine.” In their second summer offering, Epic Theatre […]
When I was pregnant with my son, I read an article that suggested I read at night out loud to him. Being a bibliophile, I had quite a few options. Would it be my go-to favorite, The Velveteen Rabbit, or Peter Pan (a strong contender seeing that the nursery theme was Peter Pan). However, I […]
It’s a beautiful spring day as I climb the stairs at the Courthouse Center for the Arts, where I can clearly hear “Seasons of Love” spilling down from the performance space. Upon entering I find a group hard at work, but not a group of adults — this is a group of teens and younger […]
There are few things that make me happier than young people taking on the responsibility and vision of putting on a theatrical production. Stories need to be told; in these times of school budget cuts, creative outlets need to be there, and there needs to be something for kids to go to and enjoy. Academy Players […]
I have to admit that as I drove over to Academy’s new space (same location, updated space), I knew next to nothing about Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which was part of the appeal in going. Looking through my social media feed, it felt that I was indeed the last person on Earth to know […]
As a proud lifelong Rhode Islander, there are traditions that are really ingrained in me. It’s a bubbla, not a water fountain; coffee milk is the only milk worth its salt and Christmastime means A Christmas Carol at Trinity Rep. I have seen this show at Trinity countless times. In fact A Christmas Carol was […]
Lenny Schwartz is known for writing new plays, his terrific sense of humor and his love of comic books. He has skillfully combined these into his newest work, DITKO, now playing at RISE in Woonsocket. This is Schwartz’s return to his popular bio-plays, having previously delved into the worlds of Charles Schultz, Lucille Ball and Bill Finger, […]
AR Gurney’s play, Sylvia, has been around for just about as long as I’ve been a self-proclaimed theater geek. And I’ve never read or watched the play. What took me so long? Well I’ll first admit (and please don’t go reporting me to ASPCA), I’m not really a dog person. Don’t get me wrong — […]
When you picture high school, generally a barrage of John Hughes movies come flooding in: cheerleading, football games, debate club, prom, pep rallies. And when I made the switch from teaching middle school to high school, those events were the ones I expected to see. So imagine my surprise when during the second week of school we […]
Like many Rhode Islanders, I first saw Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive 20 years ago at Trinity Rep. How fitting it is, then, to celebrate this groundbreaking production with The Wilbury Theatre Group, a theater known for producing provocative and thought-provoking theater. Let’s begin with the set. Walking in, Monica Shinn’s set welcomes you […]