Terry Morgan

What do Driving Miss Daisy playwright Alfred Uhry and famed Southern short story writer Eudora Welty have in common? Uhry (with Robert Waldman) composed a musical from Welty’s “The Robber Bridegroom,” resulting in a 1975 show that formed the professional debuts of both Kevin Kline and Patti LuPone.

In Bob Dylan's song, "Absolutely Sweet Marie," there's a lyric that reads: "to live outside the law you must be honest." Along the lines of that seemingly incongruous bit of wisdom runs my own thought on arty or avant-garde theatre — just being clever isn't enough. You have to demonstrate excellent quality and above all, be interesting.

Can a play with an abrasive and unsympathetic lead character succeed and be compelling for an audience? In the case of Kristina Poe’s new play, Love Sick, the answer is yes. Despite the psychotically self-righteous protagonist, the show is full of abundant dark comedy, and the world premiere production by the Elephant Theatre Company benefits from a terrific cast.

In today's burgeoning plutocracy, where in the words of a Midnight Oil song "the rich get richer [and] the poor get the picture," selfishness has become a cardinal virtue. Not only do the ends not care about justifying the means, but finders are most definitely keepers and the losers are cordially invited to shut up about it.

It’s fair to say that when Edward Albee won a Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for his play Seascape, it was considered topical, intellectual and engaging. It’s also fair to say that it hasn’t aged well, and now seems quaint, a relic of its era.

Theatre Banshee deserves a great deal of credit for taking a risk on a black comedy as dark and difficult as Enda Walsh's The Walworth Farce. It's a loud, confrontational, complicated play, more symbolic than realistic. It requires the audience to sit up and pay attention, to keep up with its tangle of tales and personas and tragedy.

The new play at the Theatre@Boston Court, Steve Yockey's Heavier Than…, is a retelling of the old Greek myth of the minotaur in his labyrinth, but this time from the creature's point of view. It's a professionally done show with a strong cast and a distinctive look, but the play lacks ambition. It's enjoyable while it's going on, but not particularly memorable upon leaving the theatre--a solid base hit, but no home-run.

It shouldn't be a surprise that a new show by Evidence Room is excellent, considering the group's history. For more than a decade the troupe has been one of the most well-respected companies in Los Angeles, winning awards and garnering nominations by the score. Regardless of all this, I was surprised and delighted at how fantastic their new show, the West Coast premiere of Margo Veil, is.

Rogue Artists Ensemble has developed a reputation for wildly creative shows using multimedia, puppets and whatever theatre tools will help to realize their particular visions. The group’s current production, D Is For Dog, retains the striking design elements the Rogues are known for but has pared down the amount.

Marco Ramirez's Broadsword: A Heavy Metal Play, now playing at the Black Dahlia Theatre is funny and well acted with an intriguing plot, and I think most audience members will enjoy it--but I don't think it's reached its full potential yet.