Performing Arts
August Wilson's 'Gem of the Ocean' holds vestiges of the past, but lacks tension
Presented by Actors' Shakespeare Project, the show follows Citizen Barlow who has recently arrived in post-emancipation Pittsburgh in seek of salvation. He meets the over 200-year-old Aunt Ester, who sends...
Angkor Dance Troupe's 'Swan Lake,' the Khmer way
Tchaikovsky's ballet is reimagined with an original score and Robam Kenor classical Cambodian dance at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, April 8-26. In this ending, the white swan's story trades Western tragedy...
'The Wash' reclaims the forgotten fight of Black washerwomen
The Front Porch Arts Collective will perform staged readings of Kelundra Smith's new play. It draws on the 1881 Atlanta Washerwomen's Strike, one of the first major labor actions led...
Actress Patrice Jean-Baptiste shines in 'Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous'
At Lyric Stage, the actress plays an aging artist wrestling with her own anxieties, insecurities and the decisions she’s made — good and bad — about her work. Theater critic...
'Lifted' explores plagiarism, family inheritance and healing
The seventh installment in the Ufot Family Cycle follows Toyoima Ufot, who is accused of plagiarizing her deceased father's work. "This is the play that I think is actively trying...
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A guide to Greater Boston's spring classical music concerts
From Castle of Our Skins' sound portraits to Boston Lyric Opera's delightful sounding "Daughter of the Regiment," WBUR critic Lloyd Schwartz shares the performances he's particularly eager to hear —...
After the BSO's decision, a critic reviews Andris Nelsons' dismissal and tenure
The news of Nelsons contract coming to an end was seismic in the classical music world. While WBUR art critic Lloyd Schwartz wasn’t shocked by the decision, the way it's...
11 theater productions to see this spring
This season, local theaters are offering a collection of stories that highlight important historical figures, reimagine old tales with new vigor, and highlight the importance of starting over after a...
'Stereophonic' needs more music
Stereophonic puts you inside a '70s California studio where a five-person rock band records, fights and flirts. The brilliant set and songs shine, but the three-hour drama leaves you craving...
13 dance performances to attend this spring
From the Boston Ballet's whimsical Shakespearean production to KAIROS Dance Theater's work set to cellist Dave Eggar's music, WBUR arts contributor Shira Laucharoen shares 13 dance events that urge us...
'The Antiquities' grapples with technology’s power
The threat of humanity’s extinction anchors SpeakEasy Stage Company’s thought-provoking production, writes theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair. At the center of the play is a museum of Late Human Antiquities, which...
BSO ends maestro Andris Nelsons' contract
The Boston Symphony Orchestra's CEO Chad Smith and Board of Trustees said it was "not aligned on future vision" with Nelsons in a statement emailed to WBUR.
This Newton native has made her mark on Broadway
Theater producer Candy Gold has made her mark on the theater world, including with "Stereophonic," the most Tony Award-nominated show in history. Ahead of the show's Boston run, she reflects...
A tale of roses and thorns in 'We Had A World' at the Huntington
The autobiographical play by Joshua Harmon tells the complicated story of his cultured, alcoholic grandmother. She asked Harmon to write the play, and not to hold back. Critic Jacquinn Sinclair...
A new play centers a queer Cambodian American teen in Lowell
At Merrimack Repertory Theatre, the world premiere of playwright Vichet Chum’s “Kween" follows a teenage, queer, spoken-word artist whose father was deported. “I'm interested in is showing all the parts...
'The Moderate' makes the invisible work of content moderators sharply visible
The play at Central Square Theater focuses on the people who monitor the darkest parts of the internet, and the toll it takes on their lives. Critic Jacquinn Sinclair writes...
Two classic stories about longing are reimagined for local stages
Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s production of “Little Women” deeply considers the identity and future of Jo March. At Lyric Stage Boston, the one-woman show "Penelope" details Odysseus’ wife's yearning as she...
Dance and sculpture defy gravity in ‘Noli Timere’
Sculptor Janet Echelman returns to Boston with a bold, innovative collaboration with choreographer Rebecca Lazier and composer Jorane. Noli Timere runs from Jan. 29 through Feb. 1 at the Emerson...
SpeakEasy's 'Job' is a chilling technology thriller
In Max Wolf Friedlich's barbed play, a woman is angling to get her job back at a tech company after a video of her having a breakdown went viral. Whether...
10 dance events to attend this winter
From Drum Tao's Taiko drums and acrobatics to a complex performance from Les Ballets Africains, WBUR arts contributor Shira Laucharoen shares 10 dance events that bring international cultures to the...