Performing Arts

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's production of "Love's Labour's Lost" on the Boston Common in 2016. (Courtesy Andrew Brilliant)

What To Know Before Seeing Shakespeare's 'Cymbeline' On The Boston Common

Shakespeare wrote “Cymbeline” later in his career -- around 1610. Often categorized as a "tragicomedy," the plot follows through a string of forbidden love, mistaken identities, betrayals, and false deaths.

The ARTery

Jul 16, 2019

Ben Levi Ross, Aaron Lazar, Christiane Noll and Maggie McKenna in "Dear Evan Hansen." (Courtesy Matthew Murphy)

'Dear Evan Hansen' Streams A Painful Picture Of Adolescence In The Internet Age

The scenic and production designs make for a movable, mutating feast of Facebook feeds and tangled tweets that is mesmerizing to look at, yet it is on the human scale...

The ARTery

Jul 15, 2019

Titus Kaphar's "Seeing Through Time 2" is part of MASS MoCA's "Suffering from Realness" exhibit. (Courtesy of the artist/Reginald and Aliya Brown)

10 Artsy Spots To Visit In The Berkshires This Summer Where Yesterday Meets Today

Eats, arts, hikes and other things to do in Western Mass.

The ARTery

Jul 10, 2019

Faye Dunaway as Katharine Hepburn in "Tea at Five." (Courtesy Nile Scott Studios)

In 'Tea At Five,' Faye Dunaway As Katharine Hepburn Crystallizes These Hollywood Icons' Legacies

It’s been decades since Faye Dunaway has performed on stage. And it’s fitting that the Oscar winner would return for Matthew Lombardo’s “Tea at Five.”

The ARTery

Jul 2, 2019

Rebecca Kopycinski as Reagan Esther Myer. (Courtesy of the artist)

'Is Your Thotbot Glitched?' You Might Already Be In Rebecca Kopycinski's Dystopian Extravaganza

The show is a culmination of an artistic body of work bridging Rebecca Kopycinski's interests in filmmaking, music and live performance.

The ARTery

Jun 26, 2019

Sophorl Ngin (left) and the cast of the Nora Theatre Company's "Cloud 9" at Central Square Theater. (Courtesy Nile Scott Studios)

From Gender Bending Roles To Fun Feminists, Nora Theatre Company's 'Cloud 9' Has What It Takes

Caryl Churchill's play seems as fresh as it was in 1979 says critic at large Ed Siegel. Bask in the glow of “Cloud 9.” It’s about 2 ½ hours, but...

The ARTery

Jun 25, 2019

A theater at the Boston Center for the Arts. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

IRNE's End Brings Disconnect Between Theater Professionals And Critics To A Boiling Point

Theater on stage has dramatically diversified in Boston over the last decade, but many in the theater world don't feel the critics who shape the public conversation about their work...

The ARTery

Jun 24, 2019

Boston Project playwrights Laura Neill and MJ Halberstadt outside rehearsal at the Calderwood Pavilion on the BCA Plaza in the South End. (Courtesy Paul Fox)

'The Boston Project' Supports Local Playwrights Writing About Boston Issues

Each year since 2016, SpeakEasy Stage selects two playwrights to spend a year developing new scripts. SpeakEasy provides the playwrights with resources like a team of actors, directors, and dramaturgs...

The ARTery

Jun 21, 2019

Sarah Shin in Greater Boston Stage Company and Front Porch Arts Collective's co-production of "The Three Musketeers."

A Classic Reframed: A Diverse Cast Infuses 'The Three Musketeers' With Profound Humor

Humor is an existential characteristic of what it means to be human. It's a means of catharsis and builds resilience. We often combat sorrow and grief or express love with...

The ARTery

Jun 18, 2019

The auditorium of The Strand Theatre, Boston. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

The Strand Theatre In Uphams Corner Could Enter A New Era

The city of Boston would like to see the Strand become a warm beating heart at the center of Dorchester again. But since 2004, the theater has not attracted an...

The ARTery

04:27Jun 13, 2019

The performers of "Hot Water Over Raised Fists." (Courtesy Stefanie Belnavis/The Diahann Project)

'Hot Water Over Raised Fists' Evokes The Betrayal Of Flint And Standing Rock Through Dance

The fight to safeguard such a basic need spurred dancer and choreographer Jenny Oliver into action.

The ARTery

Jun 10, 2019

Some of Boston's large theater spaces along Washington Street downtown. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

After 23 Years, Longstanding IRNE Awards Disbands

After 23 years of existence, the Independent Reviewers of New England will disband, marking an unexpected end to a longstanding reviewing body and its annual awards in Greater Boston’s theater...

The ARTery

Jun 5, 2019

Nael Nacer and Marianna Bassham in "Constellations" at Central Square Theater. (Courtesy of A.R. Sinclair/Central Square Theater)

Boston's Arts Sector Attracts More Visitors Than Sports Games, Report Says

Over the course of a year, the arts and culture sector in the Greater Boston area ushers in 21 million attendees to events.

The ARTery

Jun 4, 2019

Eddie Shields and J'royce Jata in SpeakEasy Stage's production of "The View UpStairs." (Courtesy Nile Scott Studio)

At SpeakEasy, An Intersection Of Modern And '70s Gay Culture

"The View UpStairs" is a musical celebrating the history of gay liberation, but also emphasizes the human need for connection.

The ARTery

Jun 4, 2019

The cast of the film "Magic Mike." (Courtesy)

'Magic Mike The Musical' Won't Be Opening At The Colonial This Fall

In a statement released Thursday, the theater said the producers "don’t feel the musical is ready for production."

The ARTery

May 23, 2019

The Massachusetts State House. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

State Legislators Could Provide More Arts Funding, But With Eyebrow-Raising Restrictions

At stake is whether the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) can use state money for travel costs and continue to provide grants for individual artists -- longtime recipients of the agency's...

The ARTery

May 22, 2019

The stage on the Boston Common. (Courtesy Commonwealth Shakespeare Company)

The 14 Productions To See This Summer In The Boston Area

Among this vacation-season offerings are a fantastical plunge into gay history, race- and gender-bending takes on classics, Spanish tragedy with a flamenco twist, the six wives of Henry VIII re-imagined...

The ARTery

May 22, 2019

Victoria Byrd as Ericka and Ireon Roach as Paulina in SpeakEasy Stage's "School Girls." (Courtesy Maggie Hall Photography)

How Jocelyn Bioh Created A Play About Both Teen Bullying And Colorism

For the girls in “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play,” living with the specters of colorism and racism is an inescapable reality.

The ARTery

May 15, 2019

Carl Hsu and Micheline Wu with the cast of the Lyric Stage's "Pacific Overtures." (Courtesy Mark S. Howard)

Lyric Stage Brings Finesse And Warmth To A Small-Scale 'Pacific Overtures'

The pleasing if cautionary staging, which licks any hint of dryness from the material, is director Spiro Veloudos’ 10th Sondheim outing in 20 years.

The ARTery

May 14, 2019

A performance of "See You Yesterday." (Courtesy Jacqueline Lessac/Global Arts Corps)

These Cambodian Performers Are Using The Circus Arts To Heal Intergenerational Trauma

For a group of Cambodian performers whose elders survived the Khmer Rouge conflict, the past was shrouded in silence. To shatter that reticence, they developed theater piece “See You Yesterday."

The ARTery

May 14, 2019

On Point

What To Know Before Seeing Shakespeare's 'Cymbeline' On The Boston Common

'Dear Evan Hansen' Streams A Painful Picture Of Adolescence In The Internet Age

10 Artsy Spots To Visit In The Berkshires This Summer Where Yesterday Meets Today

In 'Tea At Five,' Faye Dunaway As Katharine Hepburn Crystallizes These Hollywood Icons' Legacies

'Is Your Thotbot Glitched?' You Might Already Be In Rebecca Kopycinski's Dystopian Extravaganza

From Gender Bending Roles To Fun Feminists, Nora Theatre Company's 'Cloud 9' Has What It Takes

IRNE's End Brings Disconnect Between Theater Professionals And Critics To A Boiling Point

'The Boston Project' Supports Local Playwrights Writing About Boston Issues

A Classic Reframed: A Diverse Cast Infuses 'The Three Musketeers' With Profound Humor

The Strand Theatre In Uphams Corner Could Enter A New Era

'Hot Water Over Raised Fists' Evokes The Betrayal Of Flint And Standing Rock Through Dance

After 23 Years, Longstanding IRNE Awards Disbands

Boston's Arts Sector Attracts More Visitors Than Sports Games, Report Says

At SpeakEasy, An Intersection Of Modern And '70s Gay Culture

'Magic Mike The Musical' Won't Be Opening At The Colonial This Fall

State Legislators Could Provide More Arts Funding, But With Eyebrow-Raising Restrictions

The 14 Productions To See This Summer In The Boston Area

How Jocelyn Bioh Created A Play About Both Teen Bullying And Colorism

Lyric Stage Brings Finesse And Warmth To A Small-Scale 'Pacific Overtures'

These Cambodian Performers Are Using The Circus Arts To Heal Intergenerational Trauma