★★★★★ The first U.S. regional production reframes Matthew López’s Olivier & Tony-winner as an intimate epic
From Boston: Our Daughters Like Pillars Offers Family Friction, Northeast of Osage County
★★★☆☆ A long, smartly-written dysfunctional-family drama that feels somewhat longer than necessary
A Strange Loop: The I’s Have It in a Remarkable Musical Achievement
★★★★☆ A one-of-a-kind musical creator unravels the very strands of human identity
The Skin of Our Teeth: We Will Survive
★★★★★ Thornton Wilder’s epic, and epically funny, American classic is reborn in a brilliant new staging
Funny Girl: Fanny Is Funny But ‘Funny’ Is Flat
★★☆☆☆ Beanie Feldstein gives us a different take on the long-ago legend, but the rest is the same old fast shuffle
Take Me Out: A Solid Three-Bagger
★★★★☆ An entertaining revival of Richard Greenberg’s award winner about baseball and identity sacrifices some edge
The Woman in Black: A Satisfying Victorian Creepshow
★★★☆☆ Susan Hill’s cozy ghost story gets a cozy mounting in a cozy pub
From Massachusetts: Ayodele Casel Chasing Magic (And Catching It)
★★★★☆ A gifted dancer-choreographer taps into mood and meaning with a stunning troupe of artists
From Massachusetts: Sister Sorry, Regrets Only
★★☆☆☆ Sorry to say, an intriguing true story is fictionalized into something less than intriguing
From Boston: The Tempest, A Perfect Storm and a Perfect John Douglas Thompson
★★★★★ Shakespeare’s all-powerful sorcerer Prospero, driven near-mad, learns the power of redemption on Boston Common