"Lettice and Lovage" at Theatre in the Round

The play Lettice and Lovage by British playwright Peter Shaffer was basically written as a showcase for Dame Maggie Smith, and she fittingly won a Tony for it in 1990. It's a very funny and very British play and has two great roles for women over 50, and a real live cat on stage, all great things. The one challenging thing is that it's a three-act two-intermission play, a rarity these days, but as long as you're aware going into it that you'll be sitting in the theater for three and a half hours or more, it's a lot of fun. Theatre in the Round is staging it in their 73rd season, dedicating the production to #TCTheater actor Maggie Bearmon Pistner who starred in their 2001 production and passed away in 2023. They've cast a couple of great actors as this buddy comedy duo, so take a nap or have a coffee before the show, get up to get a snack at intermission, and settle in for an entertaining evening (or afternoon if you're a morning person like me). Lettice and Lovage continues through April 27.

"Lincoln's Children" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at the Crane Theater Studio

'Tis the season for political plays. First, the inspiring story of Texas governor Ann Richards, reminding us that the government works for us and we need to hold them accountable. Next, Fortune's Fool Theatre's world premiere production of Lincoln's Children, historical fiction about arguably our greatest president (but not without flaws), reminding us that we need to be constantly vigilant in the ongoing fight for justice and equality that Lincoln (and countless others) gave his life for. It's a well-written play (that would be a great 90-minute-no-intermission show, if not for the intermission) that ties history to the present, well executed by Fortune's Fool in the intimate space of the Crane studio theater. They've only got a handful of performances left, so get your tickets soon (because "intimate space" means sellouts!).

"The Lady With A Lap Dog" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at Open Eye Figure Theatre

Attention lovers of small, intimate, beautiful new musicals! Fortune's Fool Theatre is presenting just such a piece at Open Eye Figure Theatre for two short weekends only, of which this is the final one. Unfortunately it opened on the same weekend as about a dozen other #TCTheater shows and I was unable to catch it until a few nights ago, and now just two performances remain. But if you hurry, there's still time to see The Lady with a Lap Dog. Based on one of Chekhov's best known short stories, with just a three-person cast and a three-piece orchestra and about 80 minutes long, it's a lovely little piece and shouldn't be missed by anyone who loves new (and locally created) musicals.

"Arcadia" by The Chameleon Theatre Circle at the Ames Center

22 years, 5 months, and 5 days ago, I was a math major studying abroad in Salzburg, traveling around Europe during the winter break. While in London, my friend suggested we go see this play called Arcadia (she was a fan of the playwright Tom Stoppard because of his play Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead, which was made into a movie in 1990). We did, and I immediately and absolutely fell in love with it, so much so that the next day I bought the script from a bookstore (to date the only script that I own). I've only seen it twice since then - once at my alma mater a few years after I graduated, and once at Theatre in the Round 14 years ago. I re-read the play a few months ago in anticipation of Chameleon Theatre Circle's production this month, and was once again entranced by Stoppard's brilliantly clever mix of math, landscaping, poetry, romance, academics, and comedy. Last night, I was thrilled to watch it come alive before me in Chameleon's excellent production with a really wonderful cast, elegant design, and clear direction. It's quite a treat to revisit a play I fell in love with 22 years ago, and discover I love it even more now.