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Review: Seared by Theresa Rebeck (Austin Playhouse)

Funny, tense, fast-moving and sharply written, Seared is a thoroughly entertaining delight. The performances are outstanding, the direction is expert, and the fact that they're cooking onstage adds a multisensory layer of fun. Don't miss it. It runs through June 28th at Austin Playhouse.

Review: Wakey, Wakey by Will Eno (Hyde Park Theatre)

It's one thing to entertain an audience. It's something else to mesmerize them, to transport them into a quasi-mystical state. Will Eno's script was the perfect complement to the gently bold performance of the great Ken Webster. And Rebecca Robinson, as always, was irresistible. This run is over, but if we're all very pushy we can make them bring it back again in the future.

Review: Take Care of My Friend by Kathleen Fletcher (The Filigree Theatre)

If you have tears, prepare to shed them. This is theater at its most naked, its most vulnerable, and its most honest. Playwright and star Kathleen Fletcher is the Virgil guiding us through her personal hell of mental illness. The sights and sounds are brutal, nightmarish. But the humor, charm, warmth and courage that have allowed her to survive are also our own port in the storm. Fletcher and her electrifying cast, including the always outstanding Rachel West (a Zahir Company member, to our great pride), ensure that there are laughs and joy along with the sorrow. Through April 25th at Hyde Park Theatre.