Author: Stuart Brown

The CT Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women presents Celebrate!, a monthlong, statewide celebration of women in theater. The CT Women in Theater Awards kicks off the celebration with a VIP Reception for honorees and awards ceremony Monday, March 3 at A.C.T (A Contemporary Theater) of Connecticut in Ridgefield. In addition, readings of four one-act plays will be presented for the Women Playwrights Festival in three different locations. Mischief at the Mermaid Tavern by Zeb Appel Hollywood and Thine by Kimberly Hill 30 Days by Betsy Maguire U-Got Credit by Kate McLeod Jacqueline Hubbard and Carol Ziske direct.… read more

Thomaston’s Landmark Community Youth Theatre recently made history as the youngest ensemble ever selected to perform at the AACT YouthFest. The 19-member cast will present excerpts from “Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr.” at the expanded 2025 festival June 22-24 at the Des Moines Playhouse in Iowa — and the group is seeking donations so all of its performers can attend. LCT Youth was selected as one of only seven youth theater companies nationwide. The students will participate in a festival redesigned to offer enhanced performance opportunities and programming for young artists. Performances will be evaluated in an open forum, providing… read more

The Square One Theatre Company, Stratford’s resident full-time producing theatre since 1990, will close its doors in 2025. Making the announcement Artistic Director Tom Holehan cited the recent passing of his husband and Square One General Manager Richard Pheneger as the primary reason for closing at this time. The Square One Theatre Company was founded in 1990 by Holehan, a longtime Stratford resident and Executive Producer Barbara Cairney of Milford. Employed by the Stratford Library, Holehan had begun a theatre program of staged theatre readings there in 1985. With Cairney and Pheneger, they recognized an opportunity to create a new… read more

If skiing or iceskating, sledding or snowman building aren’t on your list of requirements for winter activities, then please consider joining me at an indoor event that rocks my personal world, one where blazing excitement reigns supreme. For the nineteenth year, Goodspeed Musicals is once again bringing new and innovative musical theater to the stage, this year for the weekend of Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19. Due to renovations at Goodspeed in East Haddam, the Festival of New Musicals will be held at The Terris Theatre just down the street in the charming town of Chester. Over the… read more

Do you own an ugly sweater or at least one that has been judged as barely wearable in public? If so, you are clad appropriately for Playhouse on Park’s northeast coast premiere of the current clever dancing and singing offering “The Ugly X-mas Sweater Musical.” Until Sunday, December 22, the singing and dancing will continue at the corporate office of the American Regalia Uniforms Company. Michelle Jennings’s head of Human Resources Cheryl is upset, anxious, disturbed, angry, frustrated, out-of-control and panicked that her beloved company may close its doors forever. Knitted tightly together by Dan Knechtges and Megan Larche Dominick,… read more

Have you hauled out the holly yet? Theaters in Connecticut already have or will soon be doing so. No matter what your age or what your preferences are for holiday entertainment – funny, serious, or sentimental – there is something for you and your family. Are you a fan of A Christmas Story? If watching the classic movie that seems to be a nonstop spool on cable is a must, you will be delighted with the musical version now at Goodspeed in East Haddam, through Sunday, December 29. I saw the original production on Broadway and fell in love with… read more

For a young teenage heartthrob, look no further than singer/songwriter Paul Anka who is still, at the tender age of 83, just as swoon worthy as he was as a confident lad with big dreams. He admits he was “pretty precocious, a pretty aggressive kid. I think my parents knew they had an unusual child.” He honed his big charismatic personality as he worked the crowds at his father’s Canadian restaurant, the Locanda, helping out in the kitchen and kibitzing with the politicians, businessmen and journalists who frequented it. At the age of 15, he set his sights on Los… read more

“Falcon Girls,” is a semi-autobiographical play by Hilary Bettis. This production is also a World Premiere that was further developed by Yale Repertory Theatre. Falcon, Colorado is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. For those unfamiliar with this rural area, it contains numerous horse ranches and small farms. Many of its people still carry the mentality of the “Wild West.” Everyone seems to own a pick-up truck, a gun, and likes to go hunting. However, many will agree that no matter where you live, it’s mostly the women who like to care for horses and other animals. It… read more

Rebecca Kemper Goodheart has been a director, actor, and teacher specializing in Shakespeare and Voice for over 25 years. She is a designated Linklater Voice teacher who has directed over 30 professional and 50 educational productions. Currently serving as the Producing Director of Elm Shakespeare Company in New Haven, CT, she has worked with a dozen Shakespeare theaters around the world, and is a proud lifetime member of the Shakespeare Theater Association who chaired the global 2016 Celebration of Shakespeare’s Legacy. Other leadership positions have included Director of Training at SF Shakespeare Festival, Producing Artistic Director for Maryland Shakespeare Festival… read more

After reviewing the Legacy Theatre’s recent production of “The Great American Mousical,” I was inspired to read the novel for young readers published in 2006 that inspired the musical version. The novel for young readers was written by Julie Andrews Edwards and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. The black and white illustrations throughout the pages were drawn by Tony Walton. The book is part of The Julie Andrews Collection. The Legacy Theatre production was directed in Branford, CT by the iconic Dame Julie Andrews. From the book jacket: “In this loving spoof of life in the theater, we join a… read more