This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on May 21, 2026. From left: Amanda Karr (Eleanor) and Noah Wagner (Henry) in "The Lion in Winter" at Long Beach Playhouse. Photo by Mike Hardy. If you think your family is a piece of work, wait until you experience the dysfunctional royal household in “The Lion in Winter” in Long Beach Playhouse’s stellar production. Featuring a king, queen, three princes and a mistress holed up in a F

Henri Lubatti (King Berenger) in "Exit the King" at A Noise Within (Photo by Craig Schwartz) A play called “Exit the King” seems perfect now when democratic values and personal freedoms are under threat by a president who seems to have monarchical ambitions. Eugène Ionesco’s 1962 play, currently on stage at A Noise Within, does skewer tyrannical behavior, but also makes clear that the tyrant is each of us. Translated from the French by Donald Watson and directed by Michael Mi

Ann Noble (Richard) in "Richard III" at A Noise Within (Photo by Craig Schwartz) A Noise Within theatre company has a knack for making old plays seem new. William Shakespeare’s historical tragedy “Richard III” is no exception, not least due to casting Ann Noble in the title role. Her performance as the ruthlessly manipulative would-be king is riveting, heightening our emotional investment in this gruesome tale of royalty behaving badly. Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos with a

Foreground, from left: Kasey Mahaffy (Henshall) and Trisha Miller (Dolly) with ensemble cast of "One Man, Two Guvnors" at A Noise Within...

From left: David Nevell (Carney) and Kasey Mahaffy (Alfie) in "A Man of No Importance" at A Noise Within (Photo by Craig Schwartz)...

Jeanne Syquia (Jane) in A Noise Within's "Jane Eyre" (Photo by Craig Schwartz) Whether or not you are a fan of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847...

From left: Julanne Chidi Hill (Lady Macbeth) and Kamal Bolden (Macbeth) in A Noise Within's "Macbeth" (Photo by Craig Schwartz) Imagine...

With its haunting sets, vivid costuming and energetic performances, A Noise Within’s (ANW) annual production of “A Christmas Carol”...

The title of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Piano Lesson” – one of his cycle of plays on African American life in the 20th...

“The Skin of Our Teeth”—continuing through Sept. 29—is a weird play excellently executed by A Noise Within (ANW) with compelling acting...

Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s musical dark-comedy “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” has continued to enthrall...

Lydia R. Diamond’s adaptation “The Bluest Eye”—deftly dramatizing Toni Morrison’s novel of the same name—is gracing Pasadena’s A Noise...

Lauren Gunderson’s 2018 play “The Book of Will”—continuing at Pasadena’s A Noise Within (ANW) through June 4—dramatizes how William...

William Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” is hilariously convoluted, but so much depends on how today’s audience understands...

“Bah humbug”—a phrase long associated with anti-Christmas spirit—stems from Charles Dickens’ classic 1843 novel, “A Christmas Carol.”...

Review of A Noise Within's Animal Farm by Anita W. Harris for LA Theatrix

Review of "Metamorphoses" at A Noise Within by Anita W. Harris for LA Theatrix