NOISES OFF! packs huge laughs into a small space
PROVO — Noises Off! is one of my favorite scripts from one of my favorite genres. This classic show by Michael Frayn is a textbook example of farces in general,…
UVU’s THE IMAGINARY INVALID is an evening well spent
OREM — It never ceases to amaze me that Molière’s plays are still ridiculously funny, even after being translated from four-hundred year-old French. And when I say “funny,” I don’t…
CLYBOURNE PARK sublimely discusses a half century of changes and tension
SALT LAKE CITY — It is a shame that Clybourne Park play doesn’t take place in Utah. The 3-hour flight to Chicago seems like it could be too large a…
DOCTOR U provides the right prescription for laughs
SALT LAKE CITY – I tend to have mixed feelings about the Off Broadway Theater (OBT). They produce melodrama-type productions spoofing pop culture, much in the vein of another popular…
SEE HOW THEY RUN is worth a look
LINDON – I have a special place in my heart for little community theaters. There is something elemental that arises when the space can hold less than one hundred people,…
A FLEA IN HER EAR: a fascinating farce
SALT LAKE CITY – Chuck Jones, the animator behind the golden era of Warner Brothers cartoons, said, “Comedy is unusual people in real situations; farce is real people in unusual…
Script, set, and old ladies are strengths in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE
CENTERVILLE — Arsenic and Old Lace is one of those classic shows that has witty and crisp dialogue, a funny and outrageous plot, and can get the audience rooting for…
Lead actress and designers create a beautiful A PHILADELPHIA STORY
SALT LAKE CITY — I sat happily through the production of A Philadelphia Story, at the Pioneer Theater Company, making notes to later compose my review. I didn’t have to…
THE 39 STEPS leads to an adventure in laughs
WEST VALLEY CITY — Start with one arena stage, two straight backed chairs, three old fashioned steamer trunks, and four extremely versatile actors. Toss in a foley artist and a…
Orem Hale’s LEND ME A TENOR took some warming up
OREM — I love a good farce. With mistaken identities, slamming doors, running back and forth, and just a dash of innuendo, Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor is a…