THE LAST FIVE YEARS

Presented by Upright Theatre Co.
Runs through 9/18/2021

The last play that my wife, Alice, and I saw in a theatre was “Come From Away,” a musical dealing with the aftermath of the horrific events of 9/11. That was in March of 2020 before the world closed down because of the pandemic. This last Saturday, September 11, we got to go into a theatre for the first time since then, sit with a crowd of masked playgoers, and experience another musical- “The Last Five Years.” I mention this coincidence because these two productions are linked, for myself, not only by this historical date, but by the quality of production. “Come From Away” shows the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of tragedy. “The Last Five Years,” wonderfully presented by Upright Theatre Co., shows two people ...

PROPRIOCEPTION

Presented by Rover Dramawerks
Runs through 9/18/2021

This performance was a very special occasion, and I was very pleased to have been asked to review The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) New PlayFest world premiere production of Proprioception by Marilyn Millstone. Rover Dramawerks was one of six community theatres chosen from across the country selected for full productions of one the six scripts selected from 280 that were submitted. This is quite an honor for Rover and Carol Rice, the Artistic Director and director of Proprioception. Everyone involved should be quite proud.

I’m guessing everyone contemplating attending this play will at some point, probably early on, Google the meaning of “proprioception”. That’s after they figure out how to say it. The playwright defined it as “how our bodies move through the world. The body’s ‘sixth ...