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Lauren Smart

Lauren Smart Lauren Smart is a freelance journalist based in Dallas. She has covered the arts for magazines and newspapers throughout Texas, New York and South Carolina. She holds a master's in arts journalism from Syracuse University and bachelor degrees in journalism and creative writing from Southern Methodist University. An arts advocate and walking theater encyclopedia, she can usually be found poring over new plays or writing in a local coffee shop.




MOST POPULAR ARTICLES


BWW Interviews: Val Kilmer Chats about his New Show CITIZEN TWAIN
BWW Interviews: Val Kilmer Chats about his New Show CITIZEN TWAIN
April 16, 2013

As Kilmer gains momentum with Citizen Twain, he has plans to turn it into a film that focuses both on Twain and on Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science.

BWW Reviews: DTC, Trinity Rep Bring KING LEAR to Wyly Theatre
BWW Reviews: DTC, Trinity Rep Bring KING LEAR to Wyly Theatre
January 29, 2013

Throughout the four-year Shakespeare cycle, Kevin Moriarty has consistently mined Shakespeare's great works for themes more recognizable to modern audiences.

BWW Reviews: THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE Plumbs Violent Depths
BWW Reviews: THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE Plumbs Violent Depths
November 20, 2012

Centered on the middle-aged Irish woman Maureen Folan, this tale of claustrophobic crazy is a brutal two-hour story of hopelessness. But worth every second.

DYTE ZOMBIE FOLLIES Opens This weekend, 10/20
DYTE ZOMBIE FOLLIES Opens This weekend, 10/20
October 19, 2012

With just two performances on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 2 and 8 p.m., the Courtyard Theatre will be haunted with rhythm.

BWW Reviews: FREUD'S LAST SESSION Ignites Conversation at Theatre Three
BWW Reviews: FREUD'S LAST SESSION Ignites Conversation at Theatre Three
September 25, 2012

In FREUD'S LAST SESSION, Mark St. Germain imagines that in the final weeks of his life, the eponymous psychoanalyst summons Lewis to explain "why a man of your intellect, one who shared my convictions, could suddenly abandon truth and embrace an insidious lie."

BWW Reviews: Second City Does Dallas Laden with Zingers
BWW Reviews: Second City Does Dallas Laden with Zingers
September 12, 2012

Things you should know about me before we begin: I work at Klyde Warren Park (you know, the deck park over Woodall Rogers Freeway); I just willingly moved back to Dallas from New York City; I am in my 20's.

BWW Reviews: Theatre Arlington Produces Electrifying RENT
BWW Reviews: Theatre Arlington Produces Electrifying RENT
September 8, 2012

The show's messages: "No Day But Today" and "Measure Your Life in Love" resound in this production.

BWW Reviews: CHICAGO Fizzles at Winspear Opera House
BWW Reviews: CHICAGO Fizzles at Winspear Opera House
August 20, 2012

Scattered across our media-soaked world, celebrity criminals have been a mainstay of modern journalism for decades. Casey Anthony meet Roxie Hart.

BWW Reviews: Decadent Indecency Lives On in PRESENT LAUGHTER at Theatre Three
BWW Reviews: Decadent Indecency Lives On in PRESENT LAUGHTER at Theatre Three
August 7, 2012

In Noel Coward's delightful comedy PRESENT LAUGHTER, now onstage at Theatre Three, there are women behind every door and secrets poured out with every sip of brandy. But there's something delicious about rich people with crisp British accents acting naughty.

BWW Reviews: SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE Lacks Direction, But the Songs are Pretty
BWW Reviews: SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE Lacks Direction, But the Songs are Pretty
July 26, 2012

"Stand by Me" may be one of the most frequently recorded songs of the 20th century, but when Akron Watson's silky voice glides into the first phrase near the end of SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, he found my aural pleasure spot.

BWW Reviews: Rhythmic Circus Produced Toe-Tapping Beats at Bass Hall
BWW Reviews: Rhythmic Circus Produced Toe-Tapping Beats at Bass Hall
July 16, 2012

When they start tapping, the feet of the four tappers stamp, stomp and dig with an energy so infectious the Bass Hall audience of mostly families at July 13's show hooted and hollered.

BWW Reviews: Cathy Rigby still magical in PETER PAN
BWW Reviews: Cathy Rigby still magical in PETER PAN
July 12, 2012

The story of PETER PAN has always demanded a great deal of imagination, but it seems the production currently onstage at Fair Park Music Hall could use an extra sprinkle of pixie dust.

BWW Reviews: Shakespeare Takes to the Streets in THE BOMB-ITTY OF ERRORS
BWW Reviews: Shakespeare Takes to the Streets in THE BOMB-ITTY OF ERRORS
July 9, 2012

Will the real Dromio please stand up?

BWW Reviews: Theatre Too Stages Intimate AVENUE Q
BWW Reviews: Theatre Too Stages Intimate AVENUE Q
July 3, 2012

Even puppets are awkward in their intimate moments. Through July 29, audiences sit just a few feet from AVENUE Q residents when they're making whoopee in Theatre Too - the compact basement space of Theatre Three.

THE BOMB-ITTY OF ERRORS Brings a Booty-Shakin' Party to Dallas
THE BOMB-ITTY OF ERRORS Brings a Booty-Shakin' Party to Dallas
July 2, 2012

Steve Walters and Heath Gage are not gangsters - not even close. And the bits of rap they "busted out" for me at the Pearl Cup the afternoon before "The Bomb-itty of Errors" dress rehearsal would most aptly be described as "nerdcore."

BWW Reviews: RAGTIME, LAUGHTER IN THE STARS Deliver Show-Stopping Performances
BWW Reviews: RAGTIME, LAUGHTER IN THE STARS Deliver Show-Stopping Performances
June 29, 2012

Sometimes in the theater, actors astound you or moments leave you breathless. This weekend only, if you're willing to make the drive to Plano, there are two shows at two different theaters with particularly beautiful moments.

BWW Reviews: BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON Romps Through American History
BWW Reviews: BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON Romps Through American History
June 22, 2012

BLOODY BLOODY ANGRY JACKSON, which embarks on a Wild West romp through our country's sordid past, makes its regional premiere at Theatre Three, now through July 7.

BWW Reviews: Shakespeare Dallas Presents a Sumptuous, Musical TWELFTH NIGHT
BWW Reviews: Shakespeare Dallas Presents a Sumptuous, Musical TWELFTH NIGHT
June 17, 2012

Originally penned as a celebration of the final day of the Christmas holiday, this production of TWELFTH NIGHT captures the mirth and music originally associated with this play.

BWW Reviews: JERSEY BOYS Spans Generations with Energetic Music
BWW Reviews: JERSEY BOYS Spans Generations with Energetic Music
June 16, 2012

With every element of a well-made musical, JERSEY BOYS might just be the best of the past decade's jukebox musical trend.

Summer Stages: BWW Picks for Summer Theatre - Dallas!
Summer Stages: BWW Picks for Summer Theatre - Dallas!
June 15, 2012

It's summer in Texas. That means it's time to fight sweltering temperatures with pool parties, ice water and air-conditioning. But in Dallas summer also means Broadway visits Fair Park and the Arts District (dare we call it, the Great Dusty Way?). And the Bard returns to his East Dallas home, Samuell Grand Park.






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