Central Square Theater — Attraction in Cambridge

I saw the production of The Crucible here on September 17, 2019, and was confused. Was the director trying to be funny? The characters, particularly Reverand Hale, dressed in a costume circa 1950, ala Book of Mormon, tried hard to get laughs. The female characters, on the other hand, depicted their characters seriously and wore traditional puritan attire. Character changes were awkward, with Betty the bewitched child abruptly turning into adult Elizabeth Proctor with no costume change and hair tumbling over, distracting the actor. She lacked any of the passion for her husband John Proctor, which is a central part of her character in the play. Abigail was convincing, as was John. They had some good chemistry. Several actors stood posed on stage when not in the scene, which I found distracting. Once they started chanting and screaming, which completely overwhelmed the action in the scene. It was also unclear whether the actors were in character when they came around to the audience to shake our hands at the start of the play. Maybe they could introduce themselves in character? Otherwise it feels like dinner theater where the actors serve you dinner and chat you up before they perform. One said to me "thank you for coming," while shaking my hand and looking very serious. I replied "thank you for acting." Too many gimics for me. Good acting is enough, when there's...

Absolutey fantastic shows in an intimate space. From the actors, to the staff, to the fans, you can tell how much everyone truly loves the theater and community it builds. The shows here are far better than the big theaters downtown where unless you sit orchestra, you cannot see the emotion, professionalism, and talent of the cast and crew. My fiance and I have been to 5 shows now and cannot wait for the next one. Buy a ticket, support your community, and enjoy the show.. you will not be...

Small theater (a bit under 200 seats). Casts are professional, emphasizing local/regional talent, with few marquee names. Plays tend to be somewhat challenging in form or content, but not severely experimental (partnership with MIT means that a fair number of plays in the last couple of seasons have featured science or scientists). Offers student discounts. Very convenient public transit access via MBTA Red Line to Central Square (about 1...