Although the renowned 20th-century poet W. H. Auden dismissed The Taming of the Shrew as “the only play of Shakespeare’s that is a complete failure,” Laura Lapidus proves there is still plenty of life in the old comedy with To Have and To Hold, her contemporary reimagining that explores sisterhood, romantic love and the difficult business of coming into one’s own. Smartly directed by Zoë Adams and featuring a top-notch ensemble, this 85-minute romp through modern romance is both deliciously entertaining and unexpectedly poignant.
Marcel on the Train
The Marcel Marceau that most people, or at least most theater aficionados, know was one of the world’s greatest mimes. As Bip, a lovable, quirky, charming clown, he regaled audiences with a worn top hat from which protruded a floppy red flower. Marceau’s vulnerable and self-effacing persona, though, was but a thin veil obscuring his heroism during World War II, as recounted in Marshall Pailet and Ethan Slater’s Marcel on the Train.
Becoming Eve
Any family rift can be gut-wrenching under the best of circumstances. But imagine the agony that ensues when one extricates oneself from a family and society whose unshakable beliefs are reinforced by centuries of tradition. Playwright Emil Weinstein’s Becoming Eve, based on Abby Chava Stein’s memoir, and directed by Tyne Rafaeli, expertly conveys this angst—and Chava’s conundrum.




