Lauren Yarger - Page 5

Actor Steven Epp and Director Christopher Bayes who teamed up for A Doctor in Spite of Himself and The Servant of Two Masters at Yale Rep join forces again for Dario Fo's bizarre political farce Accidental Death of an Anarchist - and count on Epp to interject a whole lot about the modern US economic and political situation.

Apparently quite a few (more than 250,000 have seen the Michael Wilson adaptation getting its 16th run at Hartford Stage). This year's annual holiday tradition gets a bit of an update, all supervised by Wilson and directed by Maxwell Williams, that includes redesigned costumes; enhanced flying effects and choreography for the ghostly apparitions; the introduction of additional characters; and the latest in lighting design technology.

With the success of THE 39 STEPS, a spoof of the Alfred Hitchcock film, it is no surprise that other similar shows would find their way onto the stage. Playhouse on the Park in west Hartford is hosting a run of one wannabe, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES.

The customers are grown up versions of children from holiday classics. Bringing them together here is the brainchild of Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero, who expertly directs a three-actor team: Carroll as the bartender and Harry Bouvy and Christine Pedi, who bring to life male and female characters in shorts by seven different playwrights.

It's the age-old story: young D'Artagnan (Will Haden) arrives in Paris looking for adventure and to pursue his father's place as one of the king's special guard. He is befriended by The Three Musketeers, Athos (Thomas Brazzle), Porthos (Anthony J. Goes) and Aramis (James Jelkin) and soon finds himself in the middle of swashbuckling swordfights, treason and romance.

Publisher Richard Sherman (David Conaway) is left on his own at their Gramercy Park apartment when his wife, Helen (Emma O'Donnell) and son, Ricky (Carson Waldron) leave for to the summer at the beach....

The conflict of two perspectives on ownership: the "western imperative to own everything: meets the "Eastern acceptance of owning nothing.

Dale Hodges and Raymond McAnally reprise roles as etiquette expert Mrs. Mannerly and her 9-going-on-10-year-old student in Jeffrey Hatcher's brisk and funny memoir play opening the 2013-2014 season at TheaterWorks, Hartford.

This revival is a sweet romance made delightful by Nolte's portrayal of Tony Esposito and a strong performance from Mamie Parris as his love interest, Rosabella.

Marisa Desa as Olympia (lower left), Briana Maia as Lydia (right) and Olivia Saccomanno as Thyona (rear). Photo: Gerry Goodstein.

A lighthearted musical romp through relationships gets a nice production as Off-Broadway's longest running music revue, I LOVE YOU YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE, comes to Ivoryton Playhouse.

As directed by Mark Rucker and fueled by a strong performance by Sarah Sokolovic as Stella and a fascinating characterization by Rene Augusen that takes Blanche utra deep, this production ends up being more of a study of the relationship between the sisters. Stanley, despite the display of his very finely chiseled abs and physique several times, seems to have fallen off this streetcar.

Director Darko Tresnjak focuses on the darkness of evil and the psychological depths of the pit it offers to anyone choosing to follow it. It's dark -- literally.

Just who was unfaithful first: Man or Woman? If that's a burning philosophical question you can't wait to have answered, then Marivaux' 18th century play LA DISPUTE, opening Hartford Stage's 50th anniversary season, is just the ticket for you.

This new tour makes the second of four stops in Hartford, at the Bushnell, one of the production's producers.

Director Rob Ruggiero brilliantly focuses on the domestic tension between Sarah and her long-time, live-in boyfriend and fellow foreign correspondent, James (Tim Altmeyer), giving the play depth beyond its obvious question about the ethics of journalists being voyeurs on the sidelines of tragedies.

Music Director Kim Aliczi puts together a selection of more than 30 musical numbers from members of the great American Songbook like Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Irving Berlin with medleys featuring tunes from one composer or themes, like songs about trains.

Director Lawrence Thelen proves himself up to the challenge, however, with the casting of terrific nonEquity actress Sheniqua Denise Trotman from Huntsville, AL. Her 'I'm Not Going' puts focus on the emotional pain felt by the character and is a powerhouse exploration of the lyrics. In between all that belting. Kudos.

t's one of those old musicals with a few memorable tunes and a ridiculous plot that would find it difficult to stand on a modern stage otherwise, but solid performances anchored by Blackhurst make Goodspeed's production an enjoyable romp through turn-of-the-century New York. Goodspeed announced a week's extension to the run before it even had begun.

In a break from playing Eric Beale on the CBS television series "NCIS: Los Angeles," Barrett Foa is spending part of his summer charming audiences and a certain librarian as The Music Man, which wraps up CT Repertory Theatre's Nutmeg Series on the UConn campus.