This week, WGBH News' Arts Editor Jared Bowen takes you to the best theater in Boston and beyond.
“The Wolves,” presented by Lyric Stage Company through Feb. 3.
A 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama is just getting warmed up at Lyric Stage Company. “The Wolves” centers around a girl’s indoor soccer team as they prepare for a big game. From the practice field, author Sarah DeLappe crafts a series of nuanced and moving portraits of adolescent girls navigating their ever-changing lives.
“The Wolves races with glee over the boundary lines of theater,” says Jared. “Unconventional both in telling and tales, it unfolds as fresh, inviting and eye-opening.”
“The End of TV,” presented by ArtsEmerson through Jan. 27.
The Chicago-based performance collective Manual Cinema returns to ArtsEmerson with their latest production, “The End of TV.” Through a unique blend of live-action silhouettes, projected puppetry, and television pop culture, “The End of TV” tells the story of two people struggling to survive and find meaning amongst a barrage of commercial imagery. Set in an unnamed city in the Rust Belt, the narrative is driven by commercial audio and a live five-piece orchestra.
“I watched,” says Jared, “mouth nearly agape, as the heights of emotion were conveyed through the essence of storytelling: Image and song. Although it’s all far more ingenious than that.”
“A Doll’s House, Part 2,” presented by Huntington Theatre Company through Feb. 3.
Nora’s back at the Huntington Theatre! After slamming the door on her marriage, Nora Helmer [Mary Beth Fisher] returns home 15 years later to finalize her divorce, but not before her estranged family airs their grievances about her sudden departure. The spiritual successor to Henrik Isben’s landmark play, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” is directed by Les Waters and written by Tony Award nominee Lucas Hnath.
"Nora’s back,” says Jared, “and even the 21st century may not be ready for her.”
“Miss You Like Hell,” co-produced by Company One Theatre and the American Repertory Theater at OBERON through Jan. 27.
A new collaboration between Company One Theatre and the American Repertory Theater explores a mother and daughter’s fight to reconnect and stay together. In the new musical “Miss You Like Hell,” 16-year-old Olivia is unexpectedly visited by her estranged mother Beatriz, who offers to take her on a road trip. Looming over the journey is Beatriz’s status as an undocumented immigrant, meaning the two may be separated once again. Summer L. Williams directs this musical with a book by Pulitzer-prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes and music and lyrics by Erin McKeown.
“On the road,” says Jared, “Erin McKeown’s music is high octane fuel.”
What theater are you most excited for this season? Tell Jared about it on Facebook or Twitter!
