Shapiro on Theater

A reporter eavesdrops on the give-and-take in the writers’ room during prep for the stage spoof 1812 Productions has produced over the holidays for the past 14 years.

Philadelphia-area theaters are offering a variety of fare, mostly bright and meant for families, and keeping with the spirit of the season.

At People’s Light, a first for the U.S.: tech that times captions to live action and stage delivery that might vary slightly from performance to performance.

Arden Theatre Company’s “Gem of the Ocean” and Theatre Horizon’s “The Color Purple” took home the most Barrymore Awards.

Philadelphia Fringe Festival opens Sept. 5 and runs for 18 days with 158 different shows: theater, dance, music, circus, film and visual art, plus digital.

August Wilson’s drama has received 11 nominations for this year’s awards for excellence in professional theater, which were announced Monday.

The production is loosely based on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” It’s the magic, and the tumbling, the flying, and the daredevils, that make the experience.

Two septuagenarians who have lost their spouses are looking to fill out their lives with … well, they’re not exactly sure.

Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” runs July 10 through Aug. 4 as part of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.

The play, set in West Chester, Pennsylvania, nimbly toggles back and forth in time to show the history in the foreground of the characters’ lives.

Christopher Durang’s one-act play, produced by the Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium, brings its own laughs as it dallies with taboos.

Quintessence Theatre Group’s bam-bam production whizzes by, even though it’s a very full two acts. There’s music and slapstick and more, through June 30.

Luzerne County's "cash for kids" scandal inspires a musical at the Lantern Theater.

The play offers characters who deliver their own points of view about being moms — ideas that illuminate the subject, then let you think for yourself.

This evocative play about a child of war features a complex story and a fine cast.