Kathryn Bigelow’s Chilling ‘A House of Dynamite’ Is a Frightening Warning

Kathryn Bigelow’s Chilling ‘A House of Dynamite’ Is a Frightening Warning

By Alex McPherson A bleak and palm-sweating look at just how profoundly screwed we all are, director Kathryn Bigelow’s “A House of Dynamite” refuses to... Details
Union Avenue Opera’s One-Act Fest Finds Big Truths in Small Forms

Union Avenue Opera’s One-Act Fest Finds Big Truths in Small Forms

By CB Adams Union Avenue Opera’s inaugural One-Act Festival is intimate in scale and ambitious in reach, a chamber-sized gesture that embraces the big questions... Details
Mendacity meets the mundane in Stray Dog’s razor-sharp ‘The Minutes’

Mendacity meets the mundane in Stray Dog’s razor-sharp ‘The Minutes’

By Lynn Venhaus “A hundred years from now, will anyone care?” And that line, asked by a small-town council member, is a double-edged sword in... Details
Benny Safdie Swings and Misses in ‘The Smashing Machine’

Benny Safdie Swings and Misses in ‘The Smashing Machine’

By Alex McPherson Plenty of punches are thrown but few connect in Benny Safdie’s solo directorial debut “The Smashing Machine,” an awards-hungry drama that sacrifices... Details
Feel the Joy of Making Music in Stages St. Louis’ Affectionate ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’

Feel the Joy of Making Music in Stages St. Louis’ Affectionate ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’

By Lynn Venhaus How legendary singer-songwriter Carole King found her voice is chronicled in the crowd-pleasing “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” a remarkable life story... Details
June Squibb And Erin Kellyman Excel In Scarlett Johansson’s Shaky Feature Debut ‘Eleanor the Great’

June Squibb And Erin Kellyman Excel In Scarlett Johansson’s Shaky Feature Debut ‘Eleanor the Great’

By Alex McPherson Even a top form June Squibb can’t quite save director Scarlett Johansson’s “Eleanor the Great,” a dramedy that can’t reconcile its disparate... Details
Performers Dig Deep in Affecting, Heartfelt Work in NJT ‘The Wanderers’

Performers Dig Deep in Affecting, Heartfelt Work in NJT ‘The Wanderers’

By Lynn Venhaus What is the cost of truth? And how will you pay for your own truth if it’s at the expense of another... Details
Sports Horror Film ‘Him’ Is a Half-Hearted Tackle

Sports Horror Film ‘Him’ Is a Half-Hearted Tackle

By Alex McPherson Alternately goofy and self-serious, director Justin Tipping’s “HIM” fumbles intriguing ideas and crash lands into a barren field of mediocrity. Executive produced... Details
SATE’s Homage ‘Classic Adventure Movie’ Celebrates Childhood

SATE’s Homage ‘Classic Adventure Movie’ Celebrates Childhood

By Lynn Venhaus Hey, you guys!!! Do you remember growing up? Did you ever act out a fantasy adventure with your pals? Did you watch... Details
The Black Rep’s ‘Raisin’ Is A Soulful, Expressive Musical That Defines a Moment in American Life

The Black Rep’s ‘Raisin’ Is A Soulful, Expressive Musical That Defines a Moment in American Life

By Lynn VenhausWhat happens to a dream deferred?Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?Or fester like a sore—And then run? Does it stink like... Details