Satchmo at the Waldorf,” by Terry Teachout, is a well-meaning play in want of a meaning. That is, it seems to have serious and interesting...
Stage
History repeating
When “The Crucible” made its debut on Broadway in 1953, playwright Arthur Miller was clear about the play’s intent. The dramatization of the Salem witch...
The season for stage
There’s a good chance the weather outside will be frightful this holiday season, but even if it isn’t, why venture out into the cold when...
Flash forward
Comedian Cameron Esposito’s stand-up ascendancy began in earnest after a debut set on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” in 2013, where guest Jay...
Second act
When Kathleen Cavalaro took over as the Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s interim executive director in the fall of 2014, the theater was in trouble. In debt,...
New classics
Portsmouth’s Pontine Theatre has been bringing puppetry and toy theater to audiences for 38 years. Those are ancient, universal art forms, according to M. Marguerite...
Beauty and bite
When he’s directing a show, Todd Hunter says the question he gets asked most often is, “Who’s the sympathetic character?” It’s a question that hasn’t...
Mind’s eye
The Garrison Players in Rollinsford want audiences to do a little work for their Halloween thrills this year. The theater is staging live performances of...
The puzzle in the play
The Seacoast Rep offers a new look at Tennessee Williams’ classic “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” When actor and playwright David Roby was named...
Family trees
The inspiration for “Life After Life” came to dancer Wendy Quinn in a dream. “There was a fragment of a set, with cloth billowing up...
Special delivery
In the land of Continentia, the setting for Dorks in Dungeon’s mash-up of fantasy role-playing games and live improv comedy, there are few jobs more...
Evolving experiments
The Seacoast’s dance scene has had its ups and downs in the last few decades. But a number of local artists are working to revive...
Making connections
When it’s time to hit the town and see a show, there are plenty of options — check out a new band, visit a local...
In pursuit
In January 2014, Sasheer Zamata joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” halfway through its 39th season. Her addition was a long time coming for...
Some enchanted island
There is no better American song than Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Some Enchanted Evening.” It is a song that feels like exactly what it says. You...
The new guy
comedian Trevor Noah comes to Portsmouth Beginning a new job is stressful for anyone. Will my new coworkers like me? Can I get up to...
Shake and bake
This summer has been relatively mild so far, but Lady Luck Burlesque is getting a little hot under the collar. They Portsmouth-based burlesque troupe will...
Belly up
As Portsmouth finds its way onto top-vacation-spot lists in glossy magazines and travel websites, and as new development projects rise up next to historic homes,...
All in the family
When Crystal Lisbon was hired at Hackmatack Playhouse in 1997, it changed the course of her life. Working at the Berwick, Maine theater convinced Lisbon...
War wounds
In the annals of matrimony, few pages are more dog-eared and annotated than those on Ernest Hemingway, whose four marriages — and numerous flirtations and...
Play on
When Dan Beaulieu directed a production of “Twelfth Night” at the University of New Hampshire 10 years ago as part of his senior project, he...
Summer on stage
When the weather is at its peak, so are Seacoast theaters. Each year, local stages pack their summer seasons with captivating plays and bombastic musicals,...
Nonsense and sensibility
In “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Roald Dahl wrote, “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” By that standard, Lewis...
Room for growth
Miles Burns has been teaching youth and teen theater classes at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre for years, but it wasn’t until this year that he...
Pushing limits
When Todd Hunter directed his first play 17 years ago — “Merry-Go-Round” at The Players’ Ring — he might have thrown a prop, or maybe...
