Dara Homer

What happens to the characters in a play when they’re not on stage? Do they continue to exist in a narrative limbo outside of time? Does the paradox of characters without stories parallel how we struggle to find meaning in life’s entrances and exits?

STC’s Macbeth highlights brutal pairs: war and domestic life, grief and humor, brief words and permanent consequences. While the setting could feel unassuming—indeed, audiences must make their way through the parking lot of a Home Depot when arriving via metro—it also shows how extravagant it is to create a theatre space from scratch. This over-the-top, hollowed-out aesthetic fits the world of the play, where titles and status belie a fear of impermanence. Combined with raw, vulnerable performances, this is a powerful take on the timeless tragedy.

At the Wedding is a comedy with tragedy sprinkled in like celebratory confetti that proves difficult to clean up once dispersed. It tries to squeeze in a lot of different ideas, tones, and resonances into barely over an hour. Not all of it lands, but there are seriously funny moments mixed in with the ones that fall flat–and in a story about messy resilience, the unevenness sometimes works.

Superheroes are larger than life, and so is the family at the heart of Jenny Rachel Weiner’s new play, The Chameleon. The story revolves around a series of wrenching decisions for actor Riz, as she’s poised to start filming her breakout role at age 39 in a new superhero franchise.

Fun Home made history by opening the door for a more queer future for musical theatre—and Studio Theatre’s production presents every character’s humanity and each meticulously crafted beat with intensity and grace.

The Jungle focuses on the experiences of a community of migrants in a real encampment in Calais and was inspired by the playwrights’ work at the actual camp. From its rich design to its phenomenal ensemble company, The Jungle is a wrenching, one-of-a-kind performance that shouldn’t be missed.

Inspired by the true story of the founder and director of the National Negro Opera Company, The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson packs untold history, outstanding vocal talent, and intensity fit for its title into a short 70 minutes.

The Color Purple is a musical about survival, resilience, and healing. With direction by Timothy Douglas and music direction by Mark G. Meadows, Signature Theatre takes the show’s life-affirming heartbeat to a joyful fever pitch with a beautifully executed production propelled by a truly exceptional cast.

Science is everything and everywhere in The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful and Her Dog!, a bubbly musical for children at The Keegan Theatre that takes audiences on a pillow-fort spaceship journey. With a book and lyrics by Lauren Gunderson and music by Bree Lowdermilk, this show packs a punch of educational material and hummable melodies.

The Merchant of Venice is traditionally categorized as a comedy, but the character of Shylock anchors one of Shakespeare’s most maddening tragic arcs. Here, Shylock is played by the magnificent John Douglas Thompson, whose powerful interpretations of the character's frank yet contorted appeals for justice make this production unmissable.

The story of Cinderella has been told and retold around the world countless times, from its probable origins in Egypt to the Brothers Grimm version to dozens of film and TV renditions. Synetic Theater’s adaptation transcends boundaries of age and language by presenting a wordless version of the classic story designed to charm children and adults.

Dorrance Dance notes on their website that “tap dance is a subversive form.” The radical delight, playfulness, and palpable trust between the members of the Dorrance Dance company feels beautifully subversive in another holiday season of covid anxiety, distancing, and skepticism. What better time, then, for Dorrance Dance to share tap dancing with the next generation and celebrate its legacy of resilience and joy in the face of adversity.

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall was lined with lawn chairs and picnic blankets, and the surrounding lawns were packed with thousands of people eagerly awaiting a performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. These outdoor theatergoers were gathered to see a free one-night-only concert production of the Tony-winning musical Come From Away, a work that invites us to process unthinkable tragedy through storytelling and song.

The Kennedy Center's Performances for Young Audiences season is back, and it kicked off with a world premiere adaptation of the young adult fantasy classic A Wind in the Door. The whirlwind performance brings the novel's unique blend of sci-fi and whimsical poetry to life.

If Theatre Tulsa weren’t already a wellspring of stellar live performances, I would consider encouraging them to go into the movie business.

Midnight at The Never Get begins as a cabaret act that transforms into a love story and concludes as a meditation on the way we grieve our past selves. The entire show takes place in a 1960s nightclub where things are not quite as they seem: the star of the act, singer Trevor Copeland (Sam Bolen, who also co-conceived the show), has died, and he's chosen to spend his afterlife inside a cabaret of songs and stories. We are the audience to Trevor's memories as he takes us on a journey through a chapter of his past in which he performed in a nightclub routine with the love of his life, songwriter Arthur Brightman (Christian Douglas).

Traditionalists might lament the transition of an ancient art form to the medium of a glowing rectangle. However, we all must come to terms with the fact that this is theatre in the age of covid-19, whether we long for the buzz of packed houses or not. The Orbit Initiative has stretched the boundaries of what it means to create truly equitable productions, and in doing so, they have provided a potential solution to the paradox of performing live while socially-distanced.

If you've seen American family dramas, you've already seen arguments erupt around the dinner table, secrets whispered in dark corners, and pontification from oblivious patriarchs - but in August: Osage County, playwright Tracy Letts makes a bid for the most grand and outrageous possible rendering of these tropes. How wonderful then for Tulsa audiences that his play is set just a few miles from home, near Pawhuska, OK: while it takes a few scenes to become acquainted with the prickly Weston family, we can't help but be immediately understanding of their plains-induced malaise.

It's rare to discover a new play that's so topical yet unexpected that any complete description of its merits might spoil the experience for future audiences. The Nostalgia Will Eat Itself, by native Tulsan John Fisher, doesn't just provide suspense, but also a healthy dose of self-awareness, humor, understated insight, and humility.

Clothes can be incredibly evocative, especially for women, and the play Love, Loss, and What I Wore explores this idea with great playfulness and depth. The production at World Stage Theatre Company that closed this past weekend was a testament to the female capacity to overcome adversity and the ability of an ensemble cast to inspire a sense of sisterhood on stage.