‘Broken Bone Bathtub’ strips not only the performer, but also the veneer of theatricality, and achieves something more honest and human than expected.
Author: Jeff Messer
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Theater review: ‘Sylvia’ by Flat Rock Playhouse
The magical combo of wistful nostalgia mixed with a hint of the comically absurd makes this show is a charmer, whether the viewer is a dog lover or not.
Theater review: ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ and ‘The Zoo Story’ by The Sublime Theater
This pairing of one acts from the post-World War II era of what was known as absurdist theater were often presented together to create a full evening.
Theater review: ‘Bop And Evey’ at HART
The show is a lean, tension-filled piece that gives both actors a chance to run the emotional gamut.
Best of Asheville Comedy
Asheville’s thriving comedy scene remains active with local artists while also attracting major touring acts.
Theater review: ‘Sanders Family Christmas’ at SART
‘Sanders Family Christmas’ is the sequel to the bluegrass gospel musical ‘Smoke on the Mountain.’ It runs through Sunday, Dec. 23, on the campus of Mars Hill University.
The Bernstein Family returns to The Magnetic Theatre
The show has garnered something of a cult following and the late night showings are legendary for being even more raucous than their early-evening counterparts.
Theater review: ‘The Man in the Bright Nightgown’ at 35below
Michael Lilly is fearless in this role. He isn’t afraid to wear the emotions on his sleeve, whether he is making snide comments on the insincerity of the minister’s words in his father’s funeral service, or on the verge of emotionally melting down.
Theater review: ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ at Flat Rock Playhouse
There are quick change costume gags and a wry wit about the show that feels akin to something out of Monty Python.
Theater review: Thriller double feature at Hendersonville Community Theater
Both shows are decidedly darker and edgier than one would expect from HCT, and the theater company deserve credit for going out on a limb.
Theater review: ‘Frost/Nixon’ at N.C. Stage Company
As Nixon, veteran actor Michael MacCauley may not look like the former president, but so flawlessly inhabits the essence of Nixon that you are transfixed by his every word and gesture.
Theater review: ‘Five Women Wearing the Same Dress’ at 35below
There’s a nimbleness to the writing that propels the play. It is the sort of script seasoned performers crave and can elevate.
Theater review: ‘In A Clearing’ at The Magnetic Theatre
The characters and plot in general make us think that this could all be happening in the next town over from the Cohen Brothers movie Fargo.
Theater review: ‘Talking With…’ by Attic Salt Theatre
Director Marci Bernstein takes the audience on 11 unrelated journeys in monologues by a who’s who of local talent. Each scene is its own story, and each actress holds the stage alone for those scenes.
Theater review: ‘Some Things You Should Know…’ at The Magnetic Theatre
The play was written by Larry Larson and Levi Lee nearly 40 years ago. Of course, the Cold War era of the early 1980s informs the anxiety of the world being left a smoldering heap with few surviving. And it still works well today.
Theater review: ‘Oliver!’ at Parkway Playhouse
As the titular Oliver, Faith Creech is exuberance and charm wrapped in a skilled young actor. She shines the minute she takes the stage.
Theater review: ‘Eleemosynary’ by Different Strokes
The play is told in confessional moments, directed at the audience. These give way to flashbacks that fill in gaps. The conclusion will leave the audience a little teary-eyed but also enriched
SART announces a new season and future plans
SART’s summer season is a full slate of diverse shows, kicking off with the raucous comedy ‘Don’t Dress For Dinner’ (May 31 – June 17).
Theater review: ‘Doll’ at The Magnetic Theatre
Created by Asheville-based playwright Brenda Lunsford Lilly, the production is a sly 1960s homage to Henrik Ibsen’s notable play, A Doll’s House. The show remains onstage through Saturday, May 5.
Theater review: ‘Failure, A Love Story’ by Asheville Creative Arts
The experience of Failure is one that transports the audience, and will cause more than a few lumps in the throat as viewers are show something akin to a Sam Shepard play adapted by Wes Anderson.
Theater review: ‘Luna Gale’ at The Magnetic Theatre
A meth-addicted couple have taken their sick baby to the hospital where Child Protective Services take custody of the endangered child. This sparks a spiral of conflicts that propels the play forward along an often harrowing path.