This review aired on KBAQ January 26, 2015

THEATER WORKS “SHIFTING GEARS” NOT READY FOR PRODUCTION

”SHIFTING GEARS”

Theater Works, Peoria Center for the Performing Arts

Peoria, AZ

It’s nice that Theater Works offers an occasional world premiere play.  But if a playwright is willing to present a new work at Theater Works, the play is probably not the best and that’s the fate of “Shifting Gears” that’s continues through February 1.

Written by local author Richard Warren, “Shifting Gears” is littered with every tired cliché character situation imaginable and the predictable dialogue is unimaginative and dull.  There’s not an original thought in the boring script … Continue Reading

This review aired on KBAQ January 19, 2015

WHO CARES ABOUT BORING “2 PIANOS 4 HANDS” AT PHOENIX THEATRE

”2 PIANOS 4 HANDS”

Phoenix Theatre

Phoenix, AZ

We all know kids who are pressured by their parents to start studying and playing the piano at a very early age.  We know this imposed fate is an enormous challenge to anyone trapped in such a situation and we know that focus in these cases excludes just about everything else from that child’s life.

But is that piano fate worthy of a play about two friends who can’t escape it?  That is the premise of Canadian playwrights Ted … Continue Reading

This review aired on KBAQ January 12, 2015

NEARLY NAKED THEATRE’S ZANY “DEBBIE DOES DALLAS” IS ADULT JOKE FEST

“DEBBIE DOES DALLAS”

Nearly Naked Theatre, The Hardes Theatre at Phoenix Theatre

Phoenix, AZ

The wacky “Debbie Does Dallas” is set somewhere in a middle American small town and in this unsophisticated and backward burg, high school cheerleader Debbie Benton has a simple aspiration.  She wants to be a Texas Cowgirl Cheerleader.  Achieving her simplistic dream creates a laugh riot stage musical version of the popular film adapted by Ericka Schmidt with bad but zany musical parodies by Andrew Sherman.

The writers wisely aim low using every … Continue Reading

Theater Review – January 5, 2015

IDIOTIC “MURDER FOR TWO” IS THE WORST PLAY ATC’S EVER PRESENTED

”MURDER FOR TWO”

Arizona Theatre Company, Center Stage, Herberger Theater Center

Phoenix, AZ

The predictably idiotic and nonsensically silly “Murder for Two” is remarkably unfunny and is one of the worst plays Arizona Theatre Company has ever presented.  What is so strange, is that this blandly uninteresting murder mystery spoof features two excellent farceurs playing all 14 characters but the pair are given such mundane, badly rehashed, and blantantly boring material that the 90 minute play seems to drag on for an eternity.  Audiences will quickly lose track … Continue Reading