Part of what has allowed A Midsummer Night's Dream to endure for more than four hundred years is its flexibility. Every generation discovers new ways to tell the story, finding fresh perspectives within Shakespeare's timeless exploration of love, desire, jealousy, and imagination. Marcela Lorca's production rises above most others because it understands that innovation does not require abandoning tradition. By building upon a foundation of exceptional textual understanding, imaginative design, memorable performances, and joyful physical comedy, Oregon Shakespeare Festival has created a Midsummer that feels both familiar and entirely new. For audiences encountering the play for the first time and for those, like myself, who have spent years revisiting it, this production offers a reminder that even the stories we think we know best can still surprise us.

More than twenty years after the events it depicts, Come From Away remains one of the most uplifting experiences in contemporary musical theatre. Its success is not rooted in sentimentality, but in its belief that compassion matters. Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s production captures that spirit beautifully. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, people are capable of remarkable kindness, and that those acts, no matter how small they may seem, can ripple outward in ways we may never fully understand. In a time when stories of division often dominate the conversation, Come From Away offers something increasingly valuable: hope.

Through thoughtful direction, excellent design work, and a collection of strong performances, this production reminds us why A Raisin in the Sun remains one of the most important plays ever written. It is not simply a story about one family in Chicago. It is a story about all those who continue to dream of something better, even when the odds seem stacked against them, and about the courage required to keep moving forward when the world would prefer that you stay exactly where you are.

With You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World, what begins as an intimate family story evolves into something much larger. It becomes a meditation on life, death, acceptance, legacy, and humanity’s responsibility to the world it inhabits. Yet despite those expansive themes, the production never loses sight of the individuals at its center. Funny, moving, thought-provoking, and deeply human, You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World demonstrates exactly what makes Keiko Green such a distinctive playwright. She finds profound truths in ordinary people and then uses the unique tools of the theatre to expand those truths into something universal. In this excellent Oregon Shakespeare Festival production, Keiko’s remarkable script receives a staging that embraces both its humanity and its theatrical imagination, delivering an evening that lingers long after the final curtain.

Village Theatre’s commitment to developing new musicals has given audiences the opportunity to experience countless new works over the years, and We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up: The Hymon and Parfunkel Musical stands as another strong example of that mission in action. Funny, inventive, musically accomplished, and unexpectedly touching, the production delivers far more than a simple spoof. Beneath the fake documentaries, fabricated histories, news reports, and wonderfully ridiculous songs lies a heartfelt story about friendship, collaboration, and the bonds that survive even when everything else seems determined to pull people apart. Much like the fictional duo at its center, the show succeeds because of the strength of the partnership behind it, and audiences are the beneficiaries of that collaboration.

This world premiere has now closed, but a review can still be a flare sent up over the horizon. If any version of Chicken Tinders ever lands anywhere near you, you need to go. There is something genuinely special about a Seattle-grown musical arriving with this much original voice and this much Broadway flair, and it deserves every future stage it can find.

Miss Holmes is a mystery full of clever deductions, sharp humor, twists and turns and a triumphant message: when the world won’t protect women, women protect each other. And PACP delivers that message well.

PNB is lucky to have Jessica Lang in its corner, and vice versa. Her work is thoughtful and rich, made more so by the depth of the relationship between the choreographer and the company. Though PNB is losing some of its leading lights to retirement after this season, this show leaves you eager to see more when the next begins.

Drunken Owl Theatre continues to bring some of the most unique evenings of performance art to the stage in the region. Their latest, I Protest, proves that not every piece approaches protest from the same angle. Instead, the evening recognizes that resistance can take many forms. It can be political, personal, artistic, cultural, or simply an act of refusing to look away. Through music, poetry, and theatre, Drunken Owl Theatre creates a space where artists can respond to the world around them in real time, sharing ideas that are often still evolving and inviting audiences into that process. In an arts landscape where opportunities for new work can be difficult to find, that mission feels increasingly important. I Protest may not offer answers to the issues it raises, but it succeeds in encouraging conversation, reflection, and engagement. Sometimes, especially in uncertain times, that may be protest enough.

“She Loves Me” is a heartwarming, unexpectedly funny, romantic enemies to lover’s classic tale. Centerstage’s production will transport to you to the days when things were just simpler and far more enjoyable. The cast is immensely talented and hilarious, the crew and design teams’ dedication prevail in its quality and the visual, auditory and emotional experiences are a testament to a job well done by all. Tell everyone you know, “She Loves Me” is an overall fragrant success I’d gladly purchase time and time again.

To learn history, within art, while celebrating the accomplishments of women and women of color and all minorities entrenched in culture is imperative to the legacies we now have the opportunity to create and continue to leave. The sets, the lyrics, the talent, the dedication and the impact of “Aviatrix” the world premiere musical at Seattle Public Theater, left me wanting only for an encore performance, a soundtrack to sing along to and a yearning to create something spectacular. Sometimes, all it takes is a spark!

Kitsap Forest Theater’s Frozen brings a wonderful balance between spectacle and sincerity. Yes, the familiar songs, choreography, costumes, and visual flourishes are all here, but what ultimately makes this production work is the emotional honesty at its center. Through strong performances from its leads, energetic ensemble work, impressive visual design, and the unique atmosphere of the forest setting itself, this production delivers a version of Frozen that feels heartfelt rather than manufactured. For families, Disney fans, or anyone simply looking for an enjoyable afternoon of live theatre in one of the region’s most unique venues, this production is well worth the trip into the woods.

Drama Dock Theatre Company’s production of Anthropology works because it buys in to the play’s humanity. Beneath the conversations about artificial intelligence, data modeling, and digital reconstruction lies a story about grief, loneliness, forgiveness, and the desperate human desire to hold onto the people we love. Lauren Gunderson ultimately frames the play’s central truth through one simple but devastating idea repeated throughout the production: “People are unreplicable.” This cast and creative team understands that truth completely, delivering a production that is emotionally intelligent, technically impressive, and deeply affecting. By the end, Anthropology leaves the audience not thinking about technology, but thinking about the fragile, irreplaceable humanity that technology can imitate, but never truly replace.

A Man of No Importance never treats its themes as abstract concepts. The story may deal with repression, identity, religion, and acceptance, but it always remains rooted in human relationships and emotional honesty. SecondStory Repertory’s production recognizes that balance and allows the quieter moments to carry just as much importance as the larger musical sequences. By the time Alfie reaches Welcome to the World, his emotional journey feels fully earned, and the show’s final moments land with considerable impact. In a world where people are still too often made to feel invisible or ashamed for simply being themselves, this musical remains remarkably relevant, and this production serves as a heartfelt reminder that there is tremendous power in simply allowing people to love who they love.

Bremerton Community Theatre’s production of Old Ringers understands exactly what kind of experience this play is meant to provide, embracing both the sharp humor and the warmth underneath it, carefully walking the balance between humor and heart and delivering on both. The result is an easygoing and frequently funny evening of theatre that reminds audiences that stories about aging are not simply about decline, but about connection, resilience, friendship, and the continued desire to be seen, valued, and loved.

Few playwrights understood comedic structure and dialogue quite like Neil Simon, and Taproot Theatre’s production serves as an excellent reminder of why his work continues to resonate. Karen Lund and the cast she has assembled find both the humor and emotional authenticity within the material, creating a production filled with laughter while never losing sight of the quieter realities beneath the jokes. It is a charming, sharply performed evening of theatre that celebrates both the absurd frustrations and enduring joys of relationships.

Annie Baker’s play The Aliens isn't just a quiet examination of loneliness, connection, and masculinity, but the care with which this production approaches those themes. Directors Benjamin McFadden and Lindsay Welliver have assembled a deeply committed cast and design team, who together create a piece that feels intimate, compassionate, and painfully honest about the emotional isolation so many men experience. That honesty extends beyond the stage through White Rabbits Inc, the producing organization behind the show, which donates 100% of its profits to causes connected to the themes of its productions. In the case of The Aliens, proceeds support the Face It Foundation and its work surrounding men’s mental health, making this production not only an affecting night of theatre, but one with a tangible purpose beyond the final blackout.

What makes Love/Sick resonate is not that it presents idealized romance, but that it acknowledges how messy, frustrating, and imperfect relationships often are. People say the wrong things, misunderstand each other, cling too tightly, or fail to communicate entirely, yet beneath all of that remains a desire for connection that feels deeply human. By the end of the evening, as the production draws its emotional threads together, the cumulative effect becomes clearer. Even the scenes that may not fully succeed theatrically still contribute to the larger emotional mosaic Cariani is building. Olympia Little Theatre’s production may fluctuate in consistency, but at its best it captures something honest about modern relationships, and that honesty is what lingers after the final scene.

With Jesus Christ Superstar, The Fifth has created a perfect show about someone perceived to be perfect while reminding us of his and our own humanity. Humanity that’s shown not only in subject matter, but the carefully crafted details, the diversity on stage to be seen and celebrated, for a timeless story to be reimagined and remind us that even our biggest enemies give us our biggest blessings. Whether that is in our art, career, religion, relationships or morals.  Politics absolutely belongs to/in the arts, and I can’t thank the Fifth Avenue Theatre enough for concocting one of the most meaningful and beautiful pieces of art I have ever borne witness to. May I and my peers continue to create art even remotely close to this professional level but most importantly art with a message to ensure, like Jesus of Nazareth, other minorities and religions don’t get washed away and erased. Don’t walk, don’t run, teleport to see “Jesus Christ Superstar” at The Fifth Avenue Theatre before it closes, I hope you feel as inspired by at is as I did!

Woodinville Repertory Theatre’s current production is an exploration of what we owe our loved ones, our neighbors, and ourselves. Their Native Gardens features direction that makes use of a unique performance space, actors unafraid to dive into the messier aspects of life, and high-caliber production design, all of which adds up to an in-depth interrogation of how what we owe one another changes based on historical context, socio-political realities, heritage, and the universal desire to belong.