Tony Frankel

THE MONSTERS HAVE NOTES Two kaiju flatten a city, then stick around to argue Godzilla generally has better things to do after destroying a city than discuss the cultural implications. KAIJU, a world-premiere play by Dan Caffrey, starts with the destruction and then asks its gigantic monsters to talk about it. That premise alone should…

IF THIS TREE COULD TALK Anne Gee Byrd listens for a voice from the past in Mike Kenny’s lyrical world premiere Trees talk to each other. Really. Scientists have discovered that beneath our feet, trees use vast underground networks to communicate and share resources. But what if a tree decided to strike up a conversation…

HANG ON TO YOUR SEATS Gallows humor meets murder and mystery in Martin McDonagh’s wicked comedy I saw this play on Broadway and it rocked my world! Fun, intrigue, mystery and some jolts that only Martin McDonagh can provide. So I’m particularly excited that Long Beach Playhouse is bringing McDonagh’s Hangmen to its intimate Studio…

AGING GRACELESSLY A superb cast can’t keep David Lindsay-Abaire’s dark comedy from showing its age in a production that never finds its pulse There’s a very good reason Kimberly Akimbo became a better musical than it is a play. David Lindsay-Abaire’s original dark comedy, now revived by Theatre Palisades at the Odyssey Theatre, has a…