"The Wolves," an entertaining and provocative Pulitzer-finalist play that is "not really about soccer," explores life and death on the "planet of teenage girls." It's playing for two weeks at Arizona Repertory Theatre. Read more»

A beautifully mounted, intelligently directed, energetically acted production of "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare's beloved social and romantic comedy of mistaken identities and gender-bending, has opened for a three-week run at Arizona Repertory Theatre. Not as "goth" as it's billed, the show is nonetheless smart and vigorous. Read more»

His plots, characters and turns of phrase are familiar to everyone. But many of Shakespeare's plays were not published during his lifetime, and might have been lost forever if not for a rare edition published in the years after his death. One of those historic volumes, a 1623 First Folio, is on display in Tucson. Read more» 1

Neil Simon is usually easy money for a theatre troupe. But in the case of Arizona Repertory Theatre’s “Barefoot in the Park,” the world of the early 1960s feels more like an off-kilter alternate reality than a fond memory. If the pre-Beatles Camelot culture represented here is to be believed, were we really so vapid and narrow-minded? Read more»

The UA’s “A Little Night Music” should satisfy stalwart Steven Sondheim fans, who can be highly opinionated about his works. It is also a serviceable introduction for anyone not already familiar with America’s greatest living musical theatre composer. Read more»

Director Brent Gibbs brings his A game to this adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic “Frankenstein.” The show’s vibrant bells and whistles fortunately overshadow the weaknesses of its text and create a showcase for the UA’s faculty and student talent, both on stage and behind the scenes. Read more»

The University of Arizona production of “Boeing, Boeing” demonstrates how significantly our values and perceptions have shifted in 50 years, as well as how timeless good physical comedy is. Read more»

“Love Song,” the latest University of Arizona theatre production, is one wacky work. The protagonist, Beane, is a soft-focus character and has only a passing relationship with reality. His sister, Joan, is a hard-edged career woman, who fires people for crying. Read more»

By thrusting the imagined children’s society of Sesame Street into adult situations, “Avenue Q” creates a place where platitudes are perverted by harsh realities. The Broadway production in 2004 took home Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Original Score. Read more»

The play's taboo subject matter – child molestation by a trusted uncle – is loathsome. Its words and subtext place big demands of its lead actor and actress. Fortunately, director Brent Gibbs has found a cast up to the challenges. Read more»

The musical “Bat Boy” is a comedy mash-up/homage encompassing sci-fi horror films, Broadway musicals, rural rednecks and Greek mythology that is both awkward and exuberant. In the end, boffo performances tip the balance from totally weird to, well, at least strangely interesting. Read more»

ART’s production of “Julius Caesar” gets the job done well enough, telling Shakespeare’s version of the historical power struggle in ancient Rome, but it won’t blow your mind. Read more» 1

This University of Arizona production examining the aftermath of war is well done, thought provoking and deeply emotional. Read more»

Approaching the holiday season, we should be aware of the dangers of acute cuteness, when, like an overdose of treacle in an ill-equipped lifestyle, twee kiddie culture overwhelms our adult sensibilities. Fortunately, this presentation is more a showcase for the program’s up-and-coming talent with nary a hint of the upcoming Christmas onslaught. Read more» 1

It’s autumn and a new crop of students are starting their turn in the UA’s theatre program. And here we face a fundamental question - which is more important: the students’ learning experience or the audiences’ entertainment? Read more»