The Bricks never fail to leave their audience examining and reconsidering the events in their…read moreproductions long after leaving the theater. So it was this weekend when we saw their production of "Blackbird" by David Harrower. With one act, one set, and two players throughout most of the play, Blackbird begins as a young woman comes to a late middle-aged man's workplace to confront him about their past relationship. We immediately see his discomfort and resistance, and through halting and intense dialog eventually find the nature of the beginning of their relationship, she at a per-pubescent 12 years and he a 40 year old neighbor. When she asks, "Did you abuse me?" the word "abuse" is nearly stifled as though it were someone else's descriptive, not hers. This is how the play unfolds with accusations met with explanations trying to disentangle what their lives were then and have become now. The set complements the messages, with the company's rules and policy tacked to a bulletin board, lockers to hold personal belongings, and garbage and used empty containers all around. It makes for a great metaphor for society's laws and taboos, the places where you hide away our personal "belongings," and the garbage and used, empty containers we produce and become. The garbage is everywhere and is slung both literally and metaphorically during the production. As Ray, Mark Snowden leaves us suspending our judgement, holding our breath, horrified at times, and wishing to be sympathetic at times. Ultimately, as new missing pieces are revealed, we are left not trusting whether there has been any real change in him. Una, played by Jocelyn Fitz-Gibbon, dusts every corner of the subject. What happens if a young person discovering their sexuality is not surrounded by responsible, emotionally mature adults? A child perceiving abuse as love and adventure, the revelation and perspective gained with age, and the questions and wonder about the nature of that relationship come out in painful, uncomfortable scenes. Una amazes and confounds us fluctuating between a spurned and jealous ex-lover and an abused and cautious past victim. Harrower illustrates the psychological damage of abuse in developmental stages of life, and the challenges to the victim's relationships with family, friends, and lovers. I cannot reveal the role of the other player in the show, spoilers. But all three gave breathtaking and breath-holding performances. The scene can and has happened everywhere, quietly or publicly, making the "anywhere" location of the show appropriate as we examine why these codes and taboos are in place and what happens in our lives and futures when they are broken. Thank you, Bricks, for another searching and thoughtful experience in theatre.

It's about time I wrote about the awesome Bricks Theatre! Last Friday I went to the show of…read more"That's What She Said" located at the Brink. I have gone to about 6 of their shows, and leave amazed at the performances every time! Each "That's What She Said" show have a theme to them. This last one was "Lie". There were 9 women who wrote personal stories about what they thought of when they heard the word Lie. Each woman had their own story. I'm continually amazed of the courage these women have by talking about situations that make them very vulnerable. You can connect with a part of each of their stories. It's a night full of laughter and tears. Amazing! The only downfall is that usually the Brink has a performance or something going on in the bar area, therefore it can be a little distracting with the background noise of that.

I had a wonderful experience at Broom Street Theater. This is a small local theater that puts on…read morepredominantly independent shows. The exterior of the building is bright and colorful, while the interior was very dark. The theater is very intimate- 2 rows of seats on 3 sides of the stage- something I think added to the show that I saw. The particular show that I saw was a play with B Movie/Horror themes- and it was so much fun! Tickets were $22 if you purchased online ahead of time, and were pay what you can at the door. I chose to purchase mine online to reserve my spot- the night I attended the show was sold out. They did do a pass of baskets to help support the theater and had a tip jar of sorts for the actors at the door to keep the place going. I look forward to coming back for another show in the future- it was a blast!

I've passed by this place daily and finally got the chance to catch a show and see what the inside…read morelooks like. I love the colorful exterior of the building and upon entering it was pretty dark and if you're like me, you'll be surprised as to how small and intimate the stage and seating are. I was expecting to walk into a big theatre and loved the smaller space. There's no bad seat in the house. The shows are very reasonably priced and they have two bathrooms inside. I watched the Delicious Classic - Sprung show and it was hilarious! Great actors, space, and vibe at this local theatre. I'll definitely be back to catch some more shows this summer.

My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed the shows put on by this this theater company. An…read moreincredible value for the pittance they charge for the price of admission.

Caught "Little Shop of Horrors" at Verona High School last night, and was very happy we did!!…read more Initially I was reluctant to attend because I did not have good memories of the movie made years ago. But, I LOVED this live version! Great singing and acting, plus lots of toe tapping and laughing made for a A+ night out. My favorite Singers were the Audreys: Audrey (1) and Audrey 2. They were so different, yet both so incredibly talented! The entire cast, orchestra and production staff did an exception job! Special kudos to the puppeteer that made Audrey 2 really come alive. She really got a workout. It may not be great for small children as there is little profanity and finger jestures. Adults will definitely enjoy this musical!

Attended performance of "Singin in the Rain" last night. Probably the best community theater effort…read moreI have ever seen [and I have see dozens]..Outstanding talent,great costumes,memorable songs complete with falling water on stage !! There are shows tonight and tomm to still take advantage of.. Price is very reasonable,$10 for seniors and students,$15 for all others..Highly recommend!

Very entertaining musical theater. Tix are affordable, around $2-$3 and sometimes free. Great…read moreintroduction to live theater for elementary and middle school kids. Classic fairy tales often with twists and always with lots of laughs. I highly recommend Playtime Productions.

If you believe that any play performed by children must be good, then PP is fine. But in my…read moreexperience, PP productions is really for the performers, not for the audience. They pick plays of questionable merit with an unclear target audience and market it without guidance, so they end up with 2-4 year olds watching an 80 minute performance with most of the vocabulary over their heads and a muddled story with no clear separation of right and wrong. Princess and the Pea is the latest example. Good performance, awful play. Unless you are related to one of the performers, I would think twice about attending a performance.

I can't wait for another show! Excellent acting, and fun audience! A little hidden Stoughton gem I…read moredidn't know had been hiding in plain sight this entire time. There's also many ways to be involved if you're interested in well. But, if you're here for the show as I was, you won't regret it!

This is one of my favorite local theatres. While the do tend to have a lot of Norwegian shows, they…read morealso try to have a few more well known shows yearly as well. They did Fiddler on the Roof, Titanic, and more and each show is so well done, with great crew, musicians and performers. Well worth it to take the time and see one of their shows.

The theater is showing its age, but I've seen some wonderful shows here over the years. University…read moreTheater in Vilas Hall offers basic stadium seating. The sight lines are generally good and I've never had a problem hearing the dialog. The prices are great value, given the quality of the performances.

This is a great place for dance classes. My 10 year old niece has taken classes for several years…read morenow. She has been in many of the shows and takes so much pride in her dance. They put on wonderful productions like The Nut Cracker and A Christmas Carol. They offer many options for classes such as tap, jazz, singing lesions, etc.....

Though expensive, this is a good place to expose your child to the arts. Whether it is music,…read moredance or theater, you can find it here. The location is amazing (though they are moving-booo). Still, I think this is a great place to bring your child if performing arts is your child's interest.