Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)

Annie Baker, the 33-year old multi award winning author of THE ALIENS, now in production at Dobama, is considered by many theatre and literary critics to be one of the freshest and most talented dramatists of this decade.  Baker, whose style mirrors that of Anton Chekov, one of the leaders of 20th century modernism, writes realistic characters who emerge in lines that …more…

Former Clevelander, Lynda Lavin, professional stage manager extraordinaire

Roy Berko

(Member—Cleveland Critics Circle, American Theatre Critics Association)

When most young theatre geeks think of what they want to do in the world of entertainment, they picture themselves on stage before adoring fans.  Not Lynda Lavin. The Mayfield High School class of ’71 grad, who attended Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State, decided while working as a high school student at Musicarnival, the legendary …more…

Roy Berko

Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle

PHOTOGRAPH 51 is a bio-drama based on the life of Rosalind Franklin, a British biophysicist and crystallographer.  Many think she should have been a Noble prize-recipient, but her standoffish personality, perfectionism, and some seemingly unethical actions by others, as well as the possibility of gender discrimination against her, got in the way.

Franklin, who was born into an affluent and influential British Jewish …more…

YENTL disappoints at Cleveland Play House

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)

“YENTL,” the play now in production at the Cleveland Play House, is based on Isaac Bashevis Singer’s short story, “YENTL, THE YESHIVA BOY.”

The play had a short Broadway run in 1975, but the story is best known to the general public because of the film version, which was written, produced and directed by and starred Barbara …more…

“MENOPAUSE, THE MUSICAL” heats up the Hanna Theatre!

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)

As the audience was streaming out of the Hanna Theatre, many stopped at the merchandise table in the lobby to purchase t-shirts.  Those garments told the tale of the production.  The pink colored attire was emblazoned with such phrases as: “I’m Still Hot, It Just Comes in Flashes,” “All About Me,” “Cranky, Crabby, Hard to …more…

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association & Cleveland Critics Circle)

What is it like to live much of your life perceiving that you have been born in the wrong body and then going through the process to correct this mistake of birth?  That’s the major issue exposed by Christine Howey in her one-woman, self-acted and self-written play, EXACT CHANGE, now on stage at Cleveland Public Theatre.

To understand Richard Howey’s dilemma (that …more…

Dance-terrific ‘CHICAGO’ jazzes up the Palace

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)

A touring company of the multi-award winning musical ‘CHICAGO,’ is now appearing at the Palace Theatre in PlayhouseSquare.

‘CHICAGO,’ the John Kander (music), Fred Ebb (lyrics and book) and Bob Fosse (book) show, is set in the razzle-dazzle decadent era of the 1920s, when “gangstas” and corruption ran wild.  It centers on a Windy City story of Roxie …more…