THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

Presented by Lakeside Community Theatre
Runs through 3/23/2019

Playwright Oscar Wilde is best known for his ability to make every single line of dialogue he writes clever enough to cross-stitch onto a pillow. His play, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (my personal favorite), succeeds beautifully at doing just that. And as an extreme fan of the play, I jumped at the chance to see Lakeside Community Theatre’s production!

Due to a convoluted case of mistaken identity – one that Shakespeare himself would be proud to have penned – two sets of couples fall in and out and back into love, over the course of the play. Ostentatious Algernon and reserved Jack both take on the non-existent persona of Earnest Worthing to go on anonymous adventures and make their significant others (Cecily and Gwendolen, respectively) fall in love with them. ...

MAMMA MIA!

Presented by Granbury Theatre Company
Runs through 3/24/2019

MAMMA MIA! is a jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. The title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia" and tells the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. This entertaining tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise.

On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The magic of ABBA's timeless songs propels this delightful tale of love, laughter and friendship.

MAMMA MIA! begins with 20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (played perfectly by Mikki ...

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN

Presented by Artisan Center Theater
Runs through 3/30/2019

Though Annie Get Your Gun initially opened on Broadway in 1946, it’s every bit enjoyable and relatable today as it was 70+ years ago. Enjoying several revivals (including the 1999 version starring Bernadette Peters) and many national tours, this show is re-discovered with each new generation. Artisan Center Theater brought the story of this remarkable firebrand of a markswoman to life- with all the glamor of show business in tow, too.

Mary Ridenour is the reason I walked away from Annie Get Your Gun being totally blown away. Words like brilliant, phenomenal, and astounding seem like inadequate descriptions for her performance, but she was all three and then some. Ridenour had a tenacious energy that captured both the free spirit, the sisterly affection, and ...

FOOL FOR LOVE

Presented by The Classics Theatre Project
Runs through 3/30/2019

There are times when a show finishes and I lean to my wife and say, “Wow! This is why I love live theatre! This is what theatre is all about!” The Classics Theatre Project’s (TCTP) production of Sam Shepard’s emotionally brutal and timeless play “Fool For Love” was one of those times. TCTP has given us a brilliantly directed cast, leading us with passion, violence and humor through a story where love, pain and emptiness are forever linked.

Sam Shepard’s play premiered in 1983 and was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist for that year, takes place in a seedy motel room on the edge of the Mojave Desert. Shepard’s time placement is present day but the relationship between the two main characters could happen during any day and any time. ...

ROBERT FULGHUM’S ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN

Presented by Greater Cleburne Carnegie Players
Runs through 3/31/2019

Based on Robert Fulghum’s best-selling books, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten takes a funny and heart-warming look at what is philosophical about everyday life. Each vignette features a colorful array of characters, and celebrates our very existence, from the whimsy and innocence of childhood; to the wisdom of old age.

I had never heard of the stories of Robert Fulghum prior to seeing this production. I was unsure of what to expect. Was it going to be a musical with adults portraying children? Was it going to be one cohesive story? I had no idea going in that I was going to be given an opportunity to think on the things that exemplify human nature and give insight to some of the most touching and thought-provoking ...

FOXFIRE

Presented by Theatre Three
Runs through 4/7/2019

If you’ve ever wondered how to dress a hog, make moonshine, or use plants to clear up a rash, The Foxfire Books would be your reference. The 12-book series of Appalachian-style manuals came out in the 1970s and preserved the lore and simple living of Blue Ridge Mountain folk. Surprising best sellers at the time, they’re still selling today.

The 1980 play Foxfire, by Susan Cooper and Hume Cronyn, resonates for a modern audience much as the books did and still do. A meditation on the compulsion to cling to tradition the way foxfire (the bioluminescent fungus also called fairy fire or will-o-the-wisp) feeds on rotting wood, Foxfire is being staged at Theatre Three, and on opening night, the audience basked in its glow.

It would be hard to find any fault with ...