“Penelope” Plays an Emotional Waiting Game

February 10, 2026February 11, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Marissa Licata, Dan-Rodriguez, Aimee Doherty and Kett-Lee in Lyric Stage’s ‘Penelope’

“Penelope”. Music, lyrics and arrangements by Alex Bechtel. Book by Alex Bechtel, Grace McLean, Eva Steinmetz. Directed by Courtney O’Connor. Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, through March 1.

By Michele Markarian

Odysseus is a popular figure these days. In 2018, he appeared in Madeline Miller’s novel “Circe” as a virile and manipulative broken warrior. There was Kate Hamill’s “Odyssey” that premiered at A.R.T. last year. There’s an upcoming film version, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matt Damon, scheduled for release this July. “Penelope”, written by Alex Bechtel, is a one-woman cabaret depicting a waiting, sometimes patiently, sometimes not, wife of Odysseus, whose loyalty and love is played adoringly by Aimee Doherty.

CST’s Stunning ‘The Moderate’ Unleashes the Internet’s Good, Bad and Ugliest

February 10, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Nael Nacer in CST’s ‘The Moderate’. Photos: Nile Scott Studios.

‘The Moderate’ — written by Ken Urban. Direction and Multimedia Design by Jared Mezzocchi. Scenic Design by Sibyl Wickersheimer; Lighting Design by Kevin Fulton; Sound Design by Christian Frederickson; Assistant Projections Design by Emery Frost. A Catalyst Collaborative@MIT Production presented by Central Square Theater, 450 Mass. Ave, Cambridge through March 1.

By Shelley A. Sackett

The Moderate is not for everyone.

Kudos to Central Square Theater for its excellent job of warning that the play contains mature themes, including images, video, and audio depictions of violence, nudity, and racism. Its Content Transparency Statement goes even further, stating, “Central Square Theater cares about the well-being of our audience. We are committed to sharing information about stage effects, sensory experiences, and topics people may find distressing in advance of attending our productions.” The theater recommends that audience members be older than 17. (See full program here).

ASP Brings Modern and Relevant ‘Little Women’ to Watertown

February 9, 2026February 9, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Kaila Pelton-Flavin, Olivia Fenton, Sarah Newhouse, Aislinn Brophy, and Chloe McFarlane in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s *Little Women*. Photos by Benjamin Rose Photography.

Little Women by Kate Hamill; Directed by Shana Gozansky; Set Design by Jenna MacFarland Lord; Scenic Design by Danielle Ibrahim; Costume Design by Zoe Sundra; Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan; Sound Design by Julian Crocamo; Intimacy Direction by Liv Dumaine; Stage Managed by Dominique D. Burford. Produced by Actors’ Shakespeare Project (ASP) at the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. Runs through March 1, 2026.

By Julie-Anne Whitney

It takes courage to adapt such a widely beloved novel as Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Playwright Kate Hamill’s bold theatrical reimaginings of classic literature have, themselves, become hugely popular amongst regional theater companies. Hamill has been named one of the most produced playwrights in America every season since 2017, and Boston theater companies have been producing her plays for years (i.e., The Odyssey, Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson, Emma, Dracula, Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility). Hamill’s unique skill is taking a well-known story, maintaining its core themes, and then turning it on its head by presenting the story through a decidedly contemporary and/or feminist lens and offering a fresh, unexpected perspective of characters we know and love.

MRT’s ‘Kevin Kling: Unraveled’ Lifts the Spirit

February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Kevin Kling in MRT’s ‘Kevin Kling: Unraveled’

‘Kevin Kling: Unraveled’ − Written and performed by Kevin Kling; Music by Robertson Witmer; Directed by Steven Dietz; Scenic Design by David M. Barber; Costume Design by Peggy McKowen. Produced by Merrimack Repertory Theatre in partnership with the Contemporary American Theater Festival at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre in Liberty Hall at 50 E. Merrimack St. in Lowell through February 8^th

By Mike Hoban

On its surface, Kevin Kling: Unraveled is a one-person show centered on how one man deals not only with his own physical disabilities but also with the perceptions of others. But Kling − and his show − are not defined by his disability. He is first and foremost a gifted storyteller whose performance is more likely to remind one of Jean Shepherd (the narrator of the holiday classic A Christmas Story) than comic Josh Blue (whose cerebral palsy serves as a launching pad for his jokes).

The Hive Theatre Company’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Buzzes with Eccentricity

February 1, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of Hive Theatre Company’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”

‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ Music and lyrics by William Finn. Book by Rachel Sheinkin. Directed by Margaret McFadden. Music Directed by John Eldridge. Stage Management from Kayla Copping. Scenic Design by Kevin Deane Parker. Sound Design by Geoffrey Edwards. Lighting Design by Narissa “Nars” Kelliher. Costume Design by Samantha Wolfrum. The Hive Theatre Company’s ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ runs from January 22nd to February 1st at 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116.

By Charlotte Snow

It’s not every day that Boston is treated to a new theatre company…it seems like every month. However, it has been many years since a Boston theatre has focused on engaging a rather underrepresented demographic: teens and young adults. This is The Hive Theatre Company’s inaugural season, centered around “Competition, Community, and Coming of Age,” opening with The Wolves and now closing out with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

ArtsEmerson’s ‘Noli Timere’ is Thoroughly Thrilling

January 30, 2026January 30, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Noli Timere − Conceived and Directed by Rebecca Lazier; Choreography by Rebecca Lazier in collaboration with the performers; Net sculpture by Janet Echelman; Music composed and performed by Jorane; Lighting Design by Leigh Ann Vardy; Costume Design by Mary Jo Mecca. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, MA. Runs through February 1, 2026.

ArtsEmerson’s Noli Timere is a deeply moving exploration of trust and connection through the fusion of art, music, circus, and dance. Over the course of one thoroughly thrilling hour, eight performers take you on a gravity-defying emotional journey through a large-scale fiber art sculpture suspended 25 feet above the stage.

Theater Mirror’s Kilian Melloy Interviews The Huntington’s “We Had a World” Director Keira Fromm

January 26, 2026February 3, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Chicago-based director Keira Fromm is no stranger to the work of playwright Joshua Harmon, author of Bad Jews, Significant Other, Admissions, and Prayer for the French Republic. Fromm is also a no stranger to premiering memorable work, having directed everything from Tanya Barfields’ lesbian romance Bright Half Life for About Face Theatre and David Auburn’s The Columnist at American Blues Theater to Halley Feiffer’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City for Route 66 Theatre Company, all in their Chicago premieres, not to mention the U.S. premiere of British playwright Debbie Tucker Green’s harrowing hang for Chicago’s Remy Bumppo Theatre Company.

Yorick Ensemble’s ‘The Great Pistachio’ is a Modern Absurdist Gem

January 25, 2026January 26, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Ellen Keith and Tim Lawton in Yorick Ensemble’s ‘The Great Pistachio’

By Julie-Anne Whitney

The Great Pistachio (Boston premiere), by Nicholas Cummings; Direction, Scenic, Costume, and Prop Design by Rachel Hall; Lighting Design by Michael Jay; Fight Choreography by Sydney T. Grant; Puppet Design by Em Sheeran; Stage Managed by Ben Cantor-Adams. Produced by Yorick Ensemble at the BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre in Boston, MA. Runs through February 1, 2026.

If you’re looking for a good laugh – and a reason to keep going despite all the madness out there – head over to the BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre and catch The Great Pistachio, a new absurdist comedy about the pain of isolation, finding meaning in connection, and appreciating the importance of laughter and play in a dark and desperate world.

Deadword Theater Company’s “No Exit” Leaves Little to be Desired

January 22, 2026February 5, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

‘No Exit’ by Jean-Paul Sarte. Directed by Charlie Lunardi. Stage Management from Jack Henry Yeatman. Scenic Design by Jayoung Hong. Sound Design by Z Toto. Lighting Design by Alyssa Gonzalez. Prop Design by Melinda Kalanzis. Costume Design by Gaby Obando. Deadword Theatre Company’s ‘No Exit’ runs from January 20th – 21st and January 27th – 28th at the Rockwell Theatre, 225 Elm Street, Somerville MA 02114.

By Charlotte Snow

“Hell is other people,” Garcin cries to heaven and earth in Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. Even if you disagree with the statement, Deadword Theatre Company offers a strong argument to sway any nonbelievers that humans are designed to be fundamentally disconnected from each other. Every itch, every fidget, every unnerving little gesture is felt throughout this production’s run time, and it’s perfectly agonizing − in the best possible way. 

‘Library Lion’ Is As Much a Delight for Grownups as It Is For Kids

January 20, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of Adam Theater’s ‘Library Lion’ at BCA Calderwood Pavilion January 10-25
Photos by Nile Scott Studios

‘Library Lion’ — Adapted from the book “Library Lion” by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Directed by Ran Bechor. Book and Lyrics by Eli Bejaoui; Music by Yoni Rechter and Roy Friedman; Songs composed by Yoni Rechter; Puppet Design & Build by Jim Henson Creature Shop. Scenic Design by Cameron Anderson; Costume Design by Ula Shebchuv; Lighting Design by Daniel H. Jentzen; Sound Design by Irene Wang. Presented by Adam Theater at The Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston through Jan. 25.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Last Sunday, I was probably the only adult at the noon performance of Library Lion unaccompanied by kids and/or grandkids. For 70 uninterrupted minutes, I was treated to an uplifting, high-quality production of one of the most delightful musical shows I’ve seen in a while. Plus, I had the dual luxuries of watching a room full of youngsters and eavesdropping on their comments without having to be “in charge” of any of them.