A Bright New Boise
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co.
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“Faith is a consolation for an unhappy existence” in Samuel D. Hunter’s play about low-wage employees at a craft-store franchise, said Washingtonian. Though the religion theme “feels a little overplayed,” this is an otherwise “extraordinarily thoughtful” look at the average American’s search for meaning.
Don Giovanni
San Francisco Opera
(415) 864-3330
A “cunning new staging” of Mozart’s opera brings out both the drama of the story and the vanity of its lecherous protagonist, said the Contra Costa, Calif., Times. Nearly two dozen mirrors are used “ingeniously” on the otherwise spare stage, while baritone Lucas Meachem sets the standard for the vocal performances, which prove “almost uniformly superb.”
OVERWEIGHT, unimportant: MISSHAPE
Trap Door Theatre
Chicago
(773) 384-0494
The title tells you that “fitting on some Broadway marquee was never a priority” for this previously unproduced Werner Schwab play, said the Chicago Tribune. Likewise, it won’t be a surprise if the rape and cannibalism in this bold satire limit its audience. That’s too bad: It’s an intriguing meditation on social class, and it includes some “astoundingly good” performances.
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How will the new Repayment Assistance Plan for student loans work?the explainer The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will replace existing income-driven repayment plans
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In the Spotlight Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been at odds with US forces
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Music reviews: Ethel Cain, Amaarae, and The Black KeysFeature "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You," "Black Star," and "No Rain, No Flowers"
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If/Thenfeature Tony-winning Idina Menzel “looks and sounds sensational” in a role tailored to her talents.
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Rocky
feature It’s a wonder that this Rocky ever reaches the top of the steps.
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Love and Information
feature Leave it to Caryl Churchill to create a play that “so ingeniously mirrors our age of the splintered attention span.”
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The Bridges of Madison County
feature Jason Robert Brown’s “richly melodic” score is “one of Broadway’s best in the last decade.”
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Outside Mullingar
feature John Patrick Shanley’s “charmer of a play” isn’t for cynics.
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The Night Alive
feature Conor McPherson “has a singular gift for making the ordinary glow with an extra dimension.”
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No Man’s Land
feature The futility of all conversation has been, paradoxically, the subject of “some of the best dialogue ever written.”
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The Commons of Pensacola
feature Stage and screen actress Amanda Peet's playwriting debut is a “witty and affecting” domestic drama.