Plucky, abused orphans. English-language literature is full of 'em: Dickens' lads Oliver Twist and David Copperfield; Canada's Anne Shirley; America's optimistic Annie; prehistoric Europe's Ayl; contemporary Britain's Harry Potter. One 177-year-old orphan still going strong is Jane Eyre.

The premise is simple enough. A group of five women are getting together to celebrate a bride-to-be. Their activity of choice is a paint night, where they'll all be guided through the created replication of a particular painting. Along the way, they’ll drink, gossip, and expel their deepest, darkest secrets. This isn't to imply that things here aren’t funny – they frequently are. It’s just that Paint Night's comedy feels more like light seasoning in a rather heavy stew. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

As faithful theatre-goers have proved their devotion to Church Basement Ladies (and its many offspring) since 2007, the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse has resurrected it for the third time. At Thursday's preview night, I saw everything they had made, and behold – it was very good. Yea, those lutefisk-loving Lutherans on the lowest level of the Lord's House have returned.

Reviews by Rochelle Arnold, Jeff Ashcraft, Patricia Baugh-Riechers, Audra Beals, Pamela Briggs, Dee Canfield, Madeline Dudziak, Kim Eastland, Emily Heninger, Heather Herkelman, Paula Jolly, Victoria Navarro, Roger Pavey Jr., Alexander Richardson, Mark Ruebling, Mike Schulz, Joy Thompson, Oz Torres, Brent Tubbs, Jill Pearson Walsh, and Thom White.

Spaceworms, now playing at the St. Ambrose University Studio Theatre, is Haus of Ruckus’s latest foray into exotic locales, obscure pop culture references, and puppetry. Directed by T. Green, the Haus’s newest is a delight for those obsessed with sci-fi pop culture and unfamiliar with the oeuvre of the company.

You're invisible to the characters; there's no interaction between performers and audience, and no talking between spectators. But you can prowl and eavesdrop at will. Everyone witnesses the happenings differently.

Director Rebecca Casad and musical director Christine Rogers have wrangled a large, impressive cast, crew, and staff into an energetic singing, dancing, overall good time.

Let it be known: I’m not a true crime kind of gal. As such, the opening night of Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story at the Black Box Theatre was perhaps the most unsettling theatrical experience I’ve had in recent memory. I couldn’t quite get past the fact this was a true story. While it has certainly been dramatized – and as a musical, for Pete’s sake! – I found this somber tale quite disturbing.

It’s February, so love must be in the air – or at least affection. The Playcrafters Barn Theatre's first production of 2024, director Jake Ladd's Harvey, is a hoot, and a hearty helping of classic comedy.

It’s actually difficult to know where to begin. What started as a fairly straightforward tale about rescuing a crustacean from an upscale restaurant tank evolved into an existentialist crisis for almost every character as they collectively grappled with their current realities. While that sounds potentially deeper than you’re perhaps expecting, please note that Haus of Ruckus' Punk Rock Lobster is a comedy, and never takes itself too seriously.

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