Stage Write

American Lives Theatre (ALT) closes its strong season with Predictor at the Phoenix Theatre. On the surface, it’s the story of one woman’s fight, but underneath that, the heart of the play lies in the friendship, determination, generational legacy, and so much more that help drive Meg Crane. In the 1960s she invented the home pregnancy test. This is her story and it should’ve been told decades ago. I’m so grateful to playwright Jennifer Blackmer and ALT for sharing it with us now.   The show moves fast with quick scene changes and wheels on every desk and chair that makes up the set. There is an incredible crew of individuals, from the set designer to director Bridget Haight that make this whirlwind piece possible. The supporting six cast members flip between their many roles in a matter of seconds. A lab worker, roommate, mother, coworker, the list goes on and this hard-working cast keeps pace! Brittany Magee takes on the role of Crane. She is passionate and infuses the performanc...

In a society that thrills at the mention of an Ebola outbreak or questions of vaccinations, few subjects could feel timelier than the story of Typhoid Mary. The infamous Irish cook became famous at the turn of the century for unknowingly spreading Typhoid fever in the homes where she worked as a cook. The Phoenix Theatre’s Playwright-in-Residence Tom Horan’s own “Typhoid Mary” is currently hosting its world premiere at the theatre.   The cast is made up of only three individuals, but each one packs a punch. Lauren Briggeman plays the title character, Mary Mallon. She wowed audiences in last year’s Acting Up Production of Hamlet as the female lead. Though this role is very different, she brings the same feisty passion to the stage. Jolene Mentink Moffatt brought levity to the production with her friendly demeanor, but there was an icy sarcastic edge beneath the surface that I loved. As a female doctor during that time she conveys the difficulty of her position in the male...