"Iphigenia and Other Daughters" by Theatre Unbound at Gremlin Theatre

Playwright Ellen McLaughlin's play Iphigenia and Other Daughters, an adaptation of several ancient Greek plays about the tragic lives of the children of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, premiered in the mid-'90s. But looking at the production history, there's been a spike in productions in the last few years, mostly at colleges. Perhaps we've recently become more hungry for these stories of women who take revenge on those who've wronged them. Theatre Unbound is bringing us the regional premiere of this modern retelling of an ancient women's story. In just a brisk 75 minutes, thanks to strong performances from the mostly female cast, we really get to know and empathize with these women.

Fringe Festival 2016: "Restless Beat: A BIG DRUM Musical"

Day: 4

Show: 20

Title: Restless Beat: A BIG DRUM Musical

Category: Musical

By: Twiggle T Productions

Written by: Tracey Cramer-Kelly

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: A musical about taiko drummers and the rivalry between two groups, featuring taiko drumming

Highlights: I love taiko drumming (see also Mu Daiko), and I love musicals. Combining the two is a new concept, and sounds like great idea. The drumming part of this show is stronger than the musical part; the story is a bit cliche (two characters that hate each other end up liking each other, a drummer leaves the big powerful group to play with the noble underdogs, a domestic abuse storyline that doesn't really go anywhere). But the drumming is great, with that powerful taiko feel, the songs (written/arranged by Brett Diethert) are well suited to the emotions at each point in the story (an angry song, a flirty song, a celebratory song), and the cast (Benjamin Mayo, Brynn Berryhill, Christopher Hager, Kezia Germ, Sam Aanestad) does a nice job navigating the the transition from drumming to scenes and staying consistent throughout.