Theater Reviews

'Santaland Diaries' Spirited, Campy Christmas Romp
In "Santaland Diaries," at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox through Dec. 30, the mawkish sentimentality of commercial Christmas has been replaced by the story of a Macy's elf dealing with the reality of working retail at this time of year. It's a very different kind of holiday show, with both the "feel of time gone by with
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'Asher Lev' a Heartfelt Struggle Between Faith & Art
PITTSFIELD, Mass. What an amazing amount of wisdom and insight has been packed into the 90-minute play "My Name is Asher Lev" about a young Jewish painter growing up in a very orthodox household. This play is about being an orthodox Jewish boy, but it could be about any child being talented in a non-nurturing home. Anyone can relate
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BTF Comedy 'In the Mood' Serves Up Frothy Fun
"In the Mood" had its world premiere on the Fitzpatrick Main Stage of the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge and it is a funny, winning evening of frothy comedy and farce. It also propels Kathleen Clark out of the "emerging playwright" ghetto where she has been consigned for the past 25 years. In terms of wit and
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There's Merriment on the Moors in 'Hound of Baskervilles'
LENOX, Mass. — When a critic sees a show, the next day they write a review that either lauds or excoriates the performance. But there are days when even the most persnickety pundit just wants to have fun. People are very much like that, too. After a tough day at work, or struggling with a home project, there comes a time to unwind and if
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'Sylvia,' About a Dog, Unleashes Howls of Laughter
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Years before Edward Albee wrote a play about a man falling passionately in love with a goat named Sylvia, A.R. "Pete" Gurney wrote his comedy "Sylvia." It is the first offering of the season on the Berkshire Theatre Group's Fitzgerald Main Stage. In this 1995 comic masterpiece, Gurney wrote about
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Shakespeare's 'Romeo & Juliet' an Odd Mix of Old and New
LENOX, Mass. — Some familiar stories can be made new though theatrical innovations. Especially those written by the masters of the form: Shakespeare, Ibsen and Chekhov. This summer you will find one of the most innovative "Romeo and Juliet's" in years at Shakespeare & Company. Much of it is quite wonderful. But it also derails
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Randy Harrison Rocks Berkshires In The Who's 'Tommy'
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Sunday night there was a miracle — in more ways than one — on South Street. The Who's "Tommy" is the first production of the newly minted Berkshire Theatre Group and it was more than good, or great. It was heart-thumpingly fantastic. By the time the classic story of Peter Townshend's deaf, dumb
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Review: 'Moonchildren' at the Berkshire Theatre Festival
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — It seems impossible that eight college students living together could be desperately lonely and unfulfilled. Yet in 1965-66 when the play "Moonchildren" is set, Michael Weller chooses such a group of nerdy and naive students to populate the rundown communal student apartment in his first successful play.
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'Streetcar' Opens Williamstown Theatre Season With a Bang
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Forget every other version of "A Streetcar Named Desire" you have ever seen. This opening production of the Tennessee Williams classic will make your jaw drop. But if you don't go with a completely open mind, you might start comparing it with other "Streetcars" you have seen, and that would be a
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A Family of Strangers Rules in 'The Memory of Water'
LENOX, Mass. If it wasn't so funny, I would have cringed watching this play about three sisters preparing to attend the funeral of their recently deceased mother. "The Memory of Water" at Shakespeare & Company relates how the sisters have reunited for her service. In the play, they have taken up residence in her old bedroom,
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