Some things are such crowd-pleasers, they bear repeating. Even within the packed realm of Christmas-time theater, that holds true for Kinetic Theatre’s finely tuned, atmospheric production of “A Sherlock Carol.” Introduced last year at the Stephen Foster Memorial, the show this season travels from Oakland to Carnegie Stage, and, if anything, gains in connectivity between cast and audience in the intimate space.
If there is such a thing as the “best hangman,” then it stands to reason that there is a second best.
Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy, “Hangmen,” is based loosely on the well-chronicled life of Albert Pierrepoint, the English hangman who executed hundreds of people, including 200 wartime criminals.
Kinetic Theatre, with producing artistic director Andrew Paul at the helm, will stage the play’s Pittsburgh premiere, opening August 7, 2025, at Carnegie Stage.
This review has been updated with new production photographs. By BOB HOOVER Many plays have been written to showcase a particular actor. British playwright Christopher Hampton drew on an obscure 1941 Hungarian novel by Sandor Marai to write a vehicle for Jeremy… Read More ›
By SHARON EBERSON Sherlock Holmes is the gift that keeps on giving to David Whalen and Andrew Paul, with another package about to be unwrapped for fans of both the timeless fictional detective and Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic. A Sherlock… Read More ›
By SHARON EBERSON Brace yourself for Oleanna. The David Mamet drama is not a pleasant diversion on a hot summer’s day, nor is it meant to be. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and provocateur aims to challenge beliefs we may hold to… Read More ›
By BOB HOOVER Calling his current season “A Pair of Deuces,” Kinetic Theatre’s producing director Andrew Paul presents a double dose of David Mamet – A Life in The Theatre (1977) and Oleanna (!992). The earlier play reveals Mamet searching to find his style of aphoristic dialogue, pausing… Read More ›
Andrew Paul’s Kinetic Theatre returns to Pittsburgh with a mini-Mamet Festival, plus a holiday show that marks the return of David Whalen as Sherlock Holmes. Whalen, who recently completed a rep company marathon of the Shakespeare History Plays at the… Read More ›
By SHARON EBERSON The alchemy of Every Brilliant Thing is a wonder that apparently works with just one consistent ingredient. Marcus Weiss is the lone actor, guide, soothing presence and often everything everywhere all at once. He leads the audience… Read More ›
Previews begin on May 25th By SHARON EBERSON Mental health is no joke, so a comedy about depression might seem like a contradiction. Not so, says Marcus Weiss, the performer at the center of the play Every Brilliant Thing, which… Read More ›
By Sharon Eberson The highest praise for a comedy that strives to honor the French master Moliere is that it pummels hypocrisy and is as thought-provoking as it is laugh-inducing. Simon Bradbury’s The Illustrious Invalid accomplishes all of the above…. Read More ›
