Herbert Paine - Page 12

In what has been her ongoing commitment to present David Mamet's works with fidelity to his themes and rhythms, director Virginia Olivieri has delivered a compelling and explosive version of OLEANNA, featuring solid performances by Rachel Brumfield and Peter Cunniff. OLEANNA runs through November 17th at Desert Stages Theatre, located inside Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Director Karla Koskinen's sensitive direction gives breadth and depth to THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, featuring a standout performance by Greg Nussen as the central character. The Phoenix Theatre Company's current production runs through November 10th.

Thanks to strong performances and technically proficient staging, Marco Ramirez's THE ROYALE, while neither raging nor bullish, manages to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. The play runs through October 20th at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.

Theatre Artists Studio presents Deirdre Kinahan's cathartic play, RATHMINES ROAD through October 20th ~ directed by Judy Rollings and featuring a searing performance by Larah Pawlowski as a woman whose long-suppressed memory of one night's ordeal is unlocked during an evening of explosive confrontations.

Under the direction of Childsplay's Artistic Director, Dwayne Hartford, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE is as powerful and poignant in its emotional punch as its first showing in 2014. Featuring stellar moving portrayals by Katie McFadzen, David Dickinson, Kyle Sorrell, Debra K. Stevens, and Ricky Araiza,the show is a family must-see. Runs on Saturdays and Sundays through October 13th at the Herberger Theater Center's Stage West in Phoenix.

iTheatre Collaborative presents Anna Ziegler's ACTUALLY. He Said. She Said. And The Quest For Truth. This is the scenario that is center stage in iTheatre Collaborative's stirring production of the play, tautly directed by Rosemary Close and featuring bristling performances by Elizabeth Broeder and Rapheal Hamilton. Runs through September 21st in the The Kax Stage at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.

Arizona Broadway THeatre's production of XANADU, directed and choreographed by Courtney Laine Self, is a friendly and joyful reminder that the human experience is rendered comprehensible through art. Otherwise, a campy show with flashes of fine performances. Runs through September 29th.

If you believe that things happen for a reason, that redemption is possible, and that perhaps lives that are torn apart can be made whole again, then this BRIGHT STAR is the one to follow. Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's BRIGHT STAR, directed by Tim Dietlein, runs through October 5th at the Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert, AZ.

In all respects, The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of KINKY BOOTS, directed by Pasha Yamotahari and featuring a bravura performance by Darius Harper as Lola, is DAZZLING! A must-see! Runs through October 13th in TPTC's Mainstage Theatre.

Director Cheryl Schaar does a yeoman's job in interpreting Todd Kreidler's intention in the stage adaptation of GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER ~ assembling an outstanding cast, and creating a well-paced and engaging production at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre, running through September 28th.

Debra Rich Gettleman has an incisive perspective on the human condition. In her latest work, she has translated her observations about the discordance and dilemmas of contemporary social behavior into a series of clever vignettes, all compiled into an evening of chuckle-filled entertainment entitled alliteratively, RESISTING IRRELEVANCY: A QUIRKY COLLECTION OF QUICK COMEDIES. The show runs through September 1st at The Studio in Scottsdale, AZ.

Bess Wohl's SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS ~ Stray Cat Theatre's current production, brilliantly conceived, sensitively directed, and superbly performed ~ runs through August 24th in the Studio Theatre at Tempe Center for the Arts.

Arizona Regional Theatre presents PARADE, directed by Phillip Fazio and featuring Seth Tucker as Leo Frank. Jason Robert Brown's music and lyrics and Alfred Uhry's book deliver a play of consequence and conscience. Directed by Phillip Fazio and featuring Seth Tucker as Leo Frank. The musical runs thru August 18th in the 3rd Street Theater at the Phoenix Center for the Arts.

As the one on the run as a nun, Khadijah Rolle is the class act around which SISTER ACT revolves. (The musical, based on the popular 1992 film featuring Whoopi Goldberg, is Arizona Broadway Theatre's current production, directed by Stephen Casey.) Full of verve with a powerhouse voice to match, Rolle brings a more balanced and less flamboyant interpretation to her role than audiences may be used to...and it's just right.

Director/choreographer Cambrian James is at it again, at the steering wheel, putting the pedal to the metal and serving up a high-spirited edition of the children's classic, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG ~ featuring a parade of exceptional talents and supported by the always reliable musical direction of Lincoln Wright and Tia Hawkes's amazingly variegated and finely tailored costumes. Runs through August 17th at Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert, AZ.

When Valley Youth Theatre's remarkably talented cast ~ led by the incomparable duo of 19-year old phenom Kate Brink as daughter Ellie and VYT alum Sarah Ambrose as her mom Katherine ~ takes to the stage in DISNEY'S FREAKY FRIDAY, the audience becomes immersed in the other magic that has consistently been associated with the work of Producing Artistic Director Bobb Cooper. The show runs through June 30th at the Herberger Theater Center's Center Stage in Phoenix.

Theatre Artists Studio presents NEW SUMMER SHORTS, showcasing the imagination and talents of The Studio's band of performing artists. The ten-minute creations offer entertaining and usually provocative insights into the human condition. This year's eight selections ~ an amalgam of wit, satire, and drama ~ do not disappoint.

The mad headiness of Gerard Alessandrini's SPAMILTON abounds on the stage of The Phoenix Theatre Company's Hormel Theatre as a cast of dynamos, accompanied by the amazing Curtis Reynolds on piano, tears through the author's imaginative, crisp, and uproarious lyrics. Runs through August 11th.

in the current staging of THE ADDAMS FAMILY at Arizona Broadway Theatre, director Danny Gorman has conjured up a production with style and panache that more than satisfies. It excels in tickling the funny bone and drawing breaths of delight. It is, in all aspects, sensational ~ funny and fanciful and heartwarming ~ featuring a cast that gives depth and dimension to their iconic characters. Standout performances by Brad York, Renee Kathleen Koher, Jasmine Bassham, and Lynzee Foreman.

Black Theatre Troupe's SINGLE BLACK FEMALE carries a righteous kick in the consciousness that merits theatregoers' attention. Strong turns by Melvina Jones-Leslie and Cynnita Agent in David Hemphill-directed hit. Runs through June 9th at the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center in Phoenix.