★★★☆☆ Three new one-act plays by Neil LaBute find men and women grappling with contemporary and historical issues
Off-Broadway
LaBute New Theater Festival: A Sharp Playwright Assumes a Gentler Style
★★★☆☆ A trio of new plays presents a Hitler apologist, a bad date, and one self-absorbed heart-breaker
Maestro: Toscanini Conducts Beautiful Music Again
★★★★☆ Eve Wolf’s newest look at a supernal artist, with six musicians added to lend their proficient all
On Blueberry Hill: Unlikely Bedfellows, in Crime and Forgiveness
★★★★☆ From Ireland, a tale of two (very different) tortured souls, and towering performances
Under the Radar: Minor Character, [50/50] old school animation
★★★★ Chekhov’s ubiquitous Vanya gets shaken and stirred
★★ Women endure emotional torture for the sake of friendship
Blue Ridge: A Tedious Journey Through Underdeveloped Territory
★★☆☆☆ Even the typically combustible Marin Ireland can’t strike many sparks from a sparsely dramatized story
Under the Radar: Hear Word! Naija Women Talk True, Frankenstein
★★★★ A Nigerian all-female troupe proclaim their independence
★★ The Manual Cinema group takes on Shelley
The Girl with the Alkaline Eyes: Guys and a Dancing Doll of Futuristic Design
★★★☆☆ The “Be More Chill” choreographer delivers a new dance drama with a vintage story and a modern score
The Girl with the Alkaline Eyes: An Off-Center Gaze at the Future
★★★☆☆ Director/choreographer Chase Brock and scenarist/composer Eric Dietz ponder robots robotically
Swingin’ With the Season: Michael Feinstein’s Wide Holiday Greetings
★★★★★ The top-drawer cabaret entertainer stretches the Christmas/Chanukah song boundaries