Maytag Virgin playbill Audrey Cefaly’s Maytag Virgin isn’t the type of play I would normally be really excited about seeing, since it was billed as a romantic comedy, which isn’t my genre of choice. But in the Next Stage production, directed by Jason Zanitsch, I wanted to come out and support Mike Waldhier and Elizabeth …
Tag: Romance
Rupert Holmes’ Curtains—11 July 2026
Playbill for Curtains I’m not a big musicals person, though as I have seen (and performed in) more of them over recent years I have warmed up to them somewhat. But generally, I prefer straight theatre. That out of the way, I went to see State College Community Theatre’s production of Curtains (book by Rupert …
Romeo & Juliet: Defy the Stars—10 Jun 2026
Romeo & Juliet: Defy the Stars poster As part of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Tempest Productions performed Romeo & Juliet: Defy the Stars, a version of the Shakespeare play adapted by Cynthia Mazzant, founder and co-artistic director of Tempest. Most of the original Shakespearean language is there—though some is cut, often to …
Stefanie Austin and Kari Williamson’s Death by Chocolate—5 Feb. 2026
Death by Chocolate poster Sock & Buskin Theatre Company’s 2026 Valentine’s Day murder mystery party was Stefanie Austin and Kari Williamson’s Death by Chocolate, which I saw as part of the dress rehearsal mock audience. This type of semi-scripted performance is difficult to do, especially with a smaller audience, since so much of the show …
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The Winter’s Tale, by William Shakespeare–27 Mar. 2019
Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is one of his oddest plays. It’s essentially divided between two halves, the one set in the court of Sicily and the other in the pastoral idyll of Bohemia. The first half is a psychological portrait of paranoia, violence, and oppressive patriarchy, and the second half blends rustic charm with redemptive …
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Pericles, Prince of Tyre, by William Shakespeare and George Wilkins–17 Mar. 2017
Shakespeare’s (and Wilkin’s) Pericles, Prince of Tyre is one of my favorite plays, but it doesn’t get performed that often, so it was an absolute treat to see the play not only done, but done fantastically well by West Virginia University’s Theatre Department. The production, directed by Cornel Gabara, was well acted, visually stunning, and …
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Phillip Zapkin 