Author Archives: Bill Hirschman

Maltz rakes in the moolah

Virtually every theater company in South Florida has been struggling in the current economy, but the Maltz Jupiter Theatre is celebrating a welcome financial boost reflecting what its administration hopes is increasing long-term support. Its eighth annual gala, ‘A Night …

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Florida Stage season set with audience participation encouraged

Two works that received a full reading at Florida Stage’s 1st Stage New Play Festival this month attracted such a strong reaction from audiences that the works are being fast-forwarded into the 2011-2012 season lineup as world premieres. Before the …

Posted in Articles | Leave a comment

Sex sells

As with A Round-Heeled Woman at GableStage, now Mosaic Theatre has a super-sized hit with The Irish Curse and has increased performances to keep up with the big audience demand (or insert your own pun). The show has added Sunday …

Posted in StageBill | Leave a comment

“Dinner with Friends” shines a glaring light on relationship facades at Dramaworks

Dread festers just underneath the confident facade of Gabe and Karen’s picture book life. The couple may not even know why, but they are treating the disintegrating marriage of their best friends Tom and Beth like a virulent disease. On …

Posted in Performances | Leave a comment

Caldwell’s “Next Fall” examines love and religion in powerful production

Ever since Next Fall became an off-Broadway hit in 2009, audiences have debated whether the comedy-drama is about the travails of gay life or the challenges of religious faith in the 21st Century or the improbable coexistence of the two …

Posted in Performances | Leave a comment

Jolson lives again at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre

The world premiere of Jolson at the Winter Garden at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre Thursday was exactly what you’d expect: a well-produced songbook revue jammed with familiar crowd-pleasing tunes and featuring a bravura turn by Mike Burstyn as the self-styled …

Posted in Performances | Leave a comment

Michael Hall returns to Caldwell to helm “Next Fall”

Extensive travelling, photography, and writing books: Michael Hall’s non-retirement as head of the Caldwell Theatre has been full and satisfying since he turned over the reins to Clive Cholerton in May 2009. Although he never ruled out directing again, serendipity …

Posted in StageBill | Leave a comment

Young actress’s breakout performance highlights shattering “Eclipsed”

The physically and emotionally ravaged Liberian women in Eclipsed are reminiscent of raw wounds with still-forming scabs. When fresh outrages rip them away, harrowing agonies bleed out in a torrent of scathing emotion. Dania Gurira’s script and The Women’s Theatre …

Posted in Performances | Leave a comment

Even with flaws, Promethean’s new play of Cuban sisters is compelling and hilarious

  A Bearded Lover turns on the revelation of secret after secret ‘ secrets that three sisters keep from each other, other secrets that playwright Juan C. Sanchez keeps from the audience and parcels out over two hours. The secrets …

Posted in Performances | Leave a comment

Actor goes from Zero to 70 in Mostel play

Not since George C. Scott has an actor impersonated righteous outrage with the skill and intensity that Jim Brochu brings to Zero Mostel’s paint-blistering jeremiad against colleagues naming names during the 1950s in Zero Hour. Brochu’s railing against the betrayal …

Posted in Performances | Leave a comment