The Asolo presents a strong production of Peter Shaffer’s Equus.   By Kay Kipling   If Peter Shaffer’s Equus has perhaps less dramatic impact today than it did 30-plus years ago when it first arrived on stage, that may be due to changing times in the field of psychiatry, or the playwright’s occasional tendency [...]

  Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s The Hot Mikado could use a little warming up.   By Kay Kipling     Sometimes a theatrical production is so close to being a success you find yourself sitting in the audience, nudging it along. “Come on, just do this,” you’re saying in your head, or “almost there, just [...]

  The Golden Apple’s Funny Girl gives actress Catherine Randazzo a star turn.   By Kay Kipling   When it comes to musical bios, Funny Girl, both on Broadway and on the silver screen, may have been a bigger hit than it deserved to be. That’s not just because this retelling of entertainer Fanny Brice’s [...]

  VLT’s Stage II production of The Pillowman visits some very dark places.   By Kay Kipling   Those familiar with playwright Martin McDonagh’s work (The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, etc.) will not be shocked or surprised by the content of his play The Pillowman, now showing at Venice Little Theatre’s [...]

  Asolo Repertory Theatre announces its 50th anniversary season.   By Kay Kipling   There are still several shows left in the Asolo Rep’s current season, but it’s time to plan ahead for an expanded season for next year in several venues at the Asolo/Ringling complex.   Producing artistic director Michael Donald Edwards announced the [...]

  FST’s Underneath the Lintel is far from underwhelming.   By Kay Kipling   You might not expect a one-man show about a librarian who finds in his return slot a very, very overdue book—113 years overdue—to be an intriguing piece of theater. But thanks to playwright Glen Berger’s way of unfolding a tale, and [...]

  The Sarasota Opera begins a new season with a triumphant production of Rigoletto.   By Kay Kipling   By now the euphoria of the Sarasota Opera’s grand re-opening night gala, after months of renovation on the building, has started to wear off a little (although those entering the Opera House for performances will probably [...]

The Manatee Players take on a challenge with the world premiere, Best Seller!   By Kay Kipling   The idea of a community theater staging a brand-new musical is one that can cause a critic (and, obviously, the theater itself) some trepidation. So it was with a sigh of relief that I watched the Manatee [...]