Arlekin Players Theatre — Attraction in Needham

I am not new to Arlekin, but I saw their Needham studio for the first time today. It is cozy and warm, with a nice layout of seating and scene. Several really good things I noticed: There was full house at the show but at the same time the ventilation was sufficient. Amazing job with sound and scene lighting - compliments to the engineer(s). If I had to find something less than perfect about the studio, it would be the fact that it is on the second floor, and the stairway leading to it is a bit steep. However they will outgrow this studio fairly quickly I am sure.

I would also review the Arlekin's Fairy Tale Zolushka. This is what my 4-year old granddaughter Bella said after the performance. From all the heroes she liked Fairy the most. When asked if she liked Cinderella, she replied: "Not really, because she was not exactly what a Cinderella should be". She also said she hated Stepmother that much that she did not even want to have a picture with her after the performance! This tells me the actress did a really good job! Overall she did like the performance and the fact she was seating on the first raw with the other kids To add to my granddaughter review I would also give a high score to the King! Great...

Extremely satisfied with the Arlekin Players Theatre and the quality performances that are clearly Broadway bound! I have attended several family oriented shows and each time I have felt a sense of reassurance and homecoming as I watch the actors bring to life issues of family, love, caring, commitment and time passing. There is clearly leaping energy of professional adults and young actors that enrich the lives of our community through the magic of performing arts. Magic and something inherently theatrical about the actors on stage and the space in which they interact earnestly to capture the audience with grand storytelling. Theater space is very well utilized between changing scenes, thereby creating a sense of intimacy/personal connection as performers deliver their dialogue and movements directly to the audience in a way that encourages kinesthetic empathy. This theater has a powerful effect that is clearly enjoyed by a diversified audience; I can still hear the little children’s excitement and happy giggles during the beautiful Cinderella production! Thank you to the behind-the- scenes crew: costumes, scenic construction & props, and...

As a Chekhov lover, I had a very mixed reaction to "Chekhov/OS," too complex to detail here. Pros: beautiful performances by the actors; the stark white background was visually stunning and liberating; other visuals engaging and interesting during the portions of the play being enacted; Baryshnikov speaking Chekhov's words in Russian was deeply moving. Cons: while the game show/interactive format was clearly the point of this exercise, I soon found it silly and distracting from concentrating on Chekhov and the actors; the constant presence of the banal "Chat" by members of the virtual audience was horribly annoying, like having to listen to people in a live audience constantly whispering to each other. There were many intriguing approaches to a "virtual theatre" interpretation of Chekhov, which would have appealed more to this Chekhov lover if they had focused on one play, or perhaps a "mash-up" of several plays. But leave the game show hostess and gimmicks and the virtual audience...