Terry Morgan

The current production of Desire Under The Elms at A Noise Within, a time bomb of repressed passion and naked avarice under Dámaso Rodriguez's sure direction, reminds us why it's a classic.

Theatre managers love to put solo shows on their stages because they're very cost effective. When they don't work, however, the blame generally only has one target. Charlayne Woodard's new piece at the Douglas, The Night Watcher, is pleasant and generally amusing, but as an evening of theatre it feels thin.

Hermetically Sealed, benefits from nuanced performances and detailed direction, and the writing is generally smart and acerbic. However, the main premise isn't believable, and, as the play goes on, it only becomes more unbelievable and overwrought.

The life and achievements of Marie Curie are certainly worthy subject matter for a play: her position as a pioneer in an otherwise male-dominated scientific establishment and her discovery of radium are full of theatrical possibility. Unfortunately Alan Alda's take on the story, Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie, only casts a dim glow where the illumination should be brilliant.

Here’s something I learned this week: during World War II, Ireland remained neutral. Of course, saying you’re neutral and actually being neutral are two different things, and that psychological dichotomy underlies most of the tension in Frank McGuinness’ Dolly West’s Kitchen.

A Noise Within succeeding in its goal of building its own theatre in Pasadena is such an impressive achievement. Unfortunately, their first show in the new space, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, is a bit disappointing. It's not bad, and a couple of the performances are deft, but it rarely shows us what A Noise Within is truly capable of when the company is on its game.

The current production is a speculative piece about how things might have been if Britain had been occupied by Germany during WWII, and under Casey Stangl's expert direction it offers the outstanding ensemble many chances to shine in this compelling show.

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.