Stephen Berenson

Latest Articles

Trinity’s delicately balanced Merchant of Venice

The light and the dark
The Merchant of Venice gives modern audiences a lot to think and talk about — including, we can forget, a surprising amount of comedy. But the main concern is it being such a head-shaking case study of the era's anti-Semitism.
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | February 15, 2012

Trinity Rep's uplifting It's A Wonderful Life

The road taken
Who says you can't have it both ways? Trinity Repertory Company is presenting the sentimental movie classic It's a Wonderful Life as "A Live Radio Play" (through January 2) and they've managed to make it an absorbing — and theatrical — experience.
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | December 15, 2010

Trinity's rollicking Absurd Person Singular

All about Eves
Very strange. It's as though British playwright Alan Ayckbourn had come to Trinity Rep, studied its veteran acting company, laughed heartily at the amusing talent on display, then went home and wrote Absurd Person Singular for six of the actors.
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | October 27, 2010

Play by Play: March 5, 2010

Theater listings, March 5, 2010
Boston's weekly theater listings
By JEFFREY GANTZ | March 03, 2010

Play by play, February 26, 2010

Theater listings, week of February 26, 2010
Boston's weekly theater listings
By JEFFREY GANTZ | February 24, 2010

Play by play: February 19, 2010

Theatre listings, week of February 19, 2010
Boston's weekly theater schedule
By JEFFREY GANTZ | February 17, 2010

Play by play: February 12, 2010

Theater listings, February 12, 2010
Boston's weekly theater schedule
By JEFFREY GANTZ | February 09, 2010

Play by play: February 5, 2010

Plays from A to Z
Boston's weekly theater listings
By JEFFREY GANTZ | February 03, 2010

Play by Play: January 29, 2010

Theater listings, January 29, 2010
Boston's weekly theater schedule
By JEFFREY GANTZ | January 27, 2010

Play by play: October 9, 2009

Theater listings
Boston's weekly theater schedule
By JEFFREY GANTZ | October 07, 2009

Play by Play: October 2, 2009

Plays from A to Z
Boston's weekly theater schedule
By JEFFREY GANTZ | September 30, 2009

Play by Play: September 25, 2009

Plays from A to Z
Boston's weekly theater schedule
By JEFFREY GANTZ | September 22, 2009

Play by play: September 18, 2009

Plays from A to Z
Boston's weekly theater schedule
By JEFFREY GANTZ | September 17, 2009

Play by play: September 11, 2009

Boston's weekly theater schedule
By JEFFREY GANTZ | September 09, 2009

Play by play: September 4, 2009

Plays from A to Z
Boston's weekly theater guide
By JEFFREY GANTZ | September 02, 2009

Cry me a river

The Dreams of Antigone; In the Continuum; Show Boat
It would seem that Sophocles has been hanging around for 2500 years waiting to be improved — and the makeover artists have been numerous.
By CAROLYN CLAY | October 01, 2008

Just another Night

The songs are the draw in Trinity’s Paris
Paris by Night , the musical play — as opposed to a straight musical, if you’ll pardon the expression — is a pleasant enough excursion.
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | May 07, 2008

Learning curves

SpeakEasy’s The History Boys; Trinity’s Paris by Night
From Mr. Chips to Miss Jean Brodie, charismatic teachers have been the stuff of drama.
By CAROLYN CLAY | May 08, 2008

Love stories

Columbus gets to the heart of Paris by Night
“Maybe straight America — or American musical theater — is not ready for it yet. But the music rocks.”
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | April 30, 2008

Stark contrasts

Trinity Rep’s All the King’s Men is a masterpiece
The 20th anniversary production of Trinity Repertory Company’s All the King’s Men is remarkable, not simply a skillful reprise but a re-envisioning.
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | September 25, 2007

September songs

Invincible Summer ; The Fantasticks ; I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda
“Try to remember the kind of September/When life was slow and oh, so mellow,” sings El Gallo at the top of The Fantasticks .
By CAROLYN CLAY | April 10, 2007