Jacksonville’s is presenting a revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s acclaimed 1959 play “.” The final two performances will be Saturday April 5th at 6:00 PM and Sunday April 6th at 3 PM. All shows are at the Stage Aurora Performance Hall, inside the Gateway Town Center at 5188 Norwood Avenue. For additional information, see stageaurora.org; for tickets, call (904) 765-7372 or see www.ticketleap.com. At the turn of the century in 2000, the 300 critics who made up the  voted for the 25 most significant American plays of the past century. “A Raisin in the Sun” was #7 on the list and …

Theatre magic will be on stage at Jacksonville’s  until April 27, with its superb production of the musical,  We urge you to get your tickets quickly as this is going to be a blockbuster hit as soon as the word gets out. The musical has an interesting history. It began as ‘s 1982  winning book, and was followed by a 1985 film adaptation by .  played the role of Sofia and received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. With Ms. Winfrey’s assistance and ten million dollars it was adapted as a stage musical that opened in 2005. It is …

“” opened Tuesday night at the  in downtown Jacksonville and will continue through Sunday March 23. For tickets, call (904) 442-2929 or visit artistseriesjax.org.  is like a travel bureau for North Florida theatre-goers. Last month, we took a two-hour trip to England and France during the era of the First World War with “.” This week our trip is to Memphis, Tennessee during the 1950s, where thanks to great music and outstanding singing and dancing, we experience the birth of Rock and Roll. The plot is loosely based on the life and career of , who in the early 1950s …

Players by the Sea in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, presents ‘s  and  Winning play, “” on stage through March 29, 2014. For reservations and information call (904) 249-0289 or visit playersbythesea.org. This is the long overdue North Florida premiere of this controversial play and will probably be the only opportunity you will have to see it in this area. In the times right after “Angels” won all the 1993 awards (which, in addition to the Pulitzer, included four Tonys, one for Best Play), it was so controversial that picket lines were created in some cities that dared stage it. The play …

Stanton Troupe 3929 and The Multicultural Club presented “,” for three performances during March 13 – 15 at . While Stanton is nationally renowned for academic excellence, many theatre fans in the Jacksonville area know the school also has a fine theatre program that consistently produces and stages interesting and exciting events throughout the school year. was a very successful 2001 movie that as adapted into a stage musical by Pulitzer-prize winner , with music by . The musical debuted on Broadway in 2008, where it ran for twelve months. A road show version made a brief stop in Jacksonville …

The  opened John Logan’s “,” winner of six 2010 Tony Awards, including Best Play. It will be on stage through March 29, 2014 at 716 Ocean Boulevard in Atlantic Beach, Florida. Call (904) 249-7177 or visit abettheatre.com for reservations. The play is about abstract impressionist painter . Now, you may not be familiar with him or the play and may be wondering about the relevance of a drama about a man who died over forty years ago and whose work is not as widely known as, for example, that of . Well, let us pique your interest. In 2007 Rothko’s …

St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre opened the month of March with a bang with its revival production of ‘s “.” Henley is best known for her Pulitzer Prize winning play, “,” a play written in 1978 that is still widely done by community theatres all over the country. Ms. Henley has written almost twenty plays, with the first six set in the South. She is also a successful screenwriter, and was the author of the film adaptations for the plays mentioned above. This show was done in the Jacksonville area in 1985 at River City Playhouse. The cast included , , …

The  group opened a two-weekend run of the satirical comedy “” on February 28, which will run through March 8 at The , 955 North Liberty Street, in downtown Jacksonville. This one-hour/one-act play, which debuted in 2002 at a , was written by  and , two young actresses, who also played the two characters of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Having seen it, we have concluded that there are three groups of theatre goers who will enjoy this bit of tomfoolery (described by Director  as a “Bromance”) the most: fans of Saturday Night Live skits, fans of TV comedy sitcoms, …

 presents Frank Gilroy’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning “,” on stage at 2032 San Marco Boulevard until March 8, 2014. Call 904-396-4425 or visit theatrejax.com for information and reservations. This is a glowing and superbly acted revival of one of the best-written plays of all those which have been honored with a Tony. It beat out’s “” which gives you an idea of how well it was regarded. The play is set in 1946 and takes place over an extended weekend. Timmy Cleary has just returned home, safe and sound, after a wartime Army tour of duty. In the …