Addison McKissack

NEXT TO NORMAL at the Wimberley Players is a delightful dive into the Goodman family as the mother Diana deals with Bipolar Depression, Natalie, the daughter, crumples under the weight of school and college applications, and the stalwart father Dan tries to hold his family together.

Dora is working a dead end job serving crappy coffee, got rejected from the school of her dreams, and has the power to save the world in PANDORA: LIFE OUTSIDE THE BOX at Tilt Performance Company. This show is fun for the all family while packing some important lessons on love, inclusion and believing in yourself in its hour and thirty minute run time.

It's rare that I see a production that leaves me speechless like Texas State's production of ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD. This show is so conceptual and cerebral that it is an experience that you won't often find in the theatre. In short, director Allison Price has put together a truly singular theatre going experience with ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD at Texas State University.

When I think of PICNIC by William Inge, I think of the charming nature of classic, small town Americana, and PICNIC at the Wimberley Players delivered that charm in spades.

ANN at Zach Theatre is, simply put, the perfect production. It is immensely fitting that this show about the governor of Texas is being told literal minutes away from the state capitol. It's so fitting that I can't imagine this show being performed anywhere other than Texas just on the sheer amount of call outs and jokes about Texan culture.

INTO THE WOODS has always been one of my favorite musicals, I take any chance that I can to see it. So I was extremely excited to be able to see The EmilyAnn Theatre's production of the Sondheim classic, quite literally in the woods. In short, this is a very earnest production. It was done well despite some technical issues on the sound side.

The Wimberley Players' production of David Auburn's PROOF was thoroughly enjoyable despite its pacing issues.

The first time I encountered THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde I was a junior in high school. I understood that this was a fantastic play, but I didn't understand how the witty dialogue could be the uproarious comedy that my theater teacher promised me it was. That is, until I saw Texas State University's production of the "trivial comedy for serious people", which would make Wilde himself proud.

THE COLD BREW COLLECTION is a collection of five short plays written by Payton Russell. Russell is a freshman at Texas State University, and if this collection is any indication, we can expect to see even more fantastic work from her within her time at Texas State.

The Penfold Theatre Company's production of CRIME AND PUNISHEMENT -- adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus from the novel of the same name by Dostoevsky -- was a tense night at the theatre that was unlike anything I have ever experienced.

Texas State University's production of WHAT WE SCREAM UNDERWATER WHEN NO ONE CAN HEAR US by Caitlin Turnage deals with sexuality and religion in a way that is incredibly truthful and joy to behold.

George and Charlotte Hay want to make it big. Their theatre troupe is failing, their marriage is on the rocks, the troupe's ingenue is pregnant and their big break is coming at the most inopportune time. Leave it to Ken Ludwig's fast-paced farce, MOON OVER BUFFALO at The Wimberley Players to emphasize just how crazy life can get in a family of actors.

Following the decaying marriage of Gabriela and Benito, REFERENCES TO SALVADOR DALI MAKE ME HOT by Jose Rivera at Texas State University gives a fantastical look into themes of marriage, sex and war.  While the script leaves something to be desired, director Alex Rodriguez put together a show that cuts right to the heart of the crumbling marriage.