Shaking the Tree Theatre

★★★★★Brittany Burger

What a charming space! I went and saw The Glass Menagerie here after reading the play a couple of nights prior. I was inspired to get into Tennessee William’s work after a visit to Mississippi. The play was very true to the original piece and the actors breathed so much life into it. It felt like reading the play created a stencil in my mind, but seeing it live colored it in in unexpected ways. There is not a bad seat in this theater. It’s an intimate space. The set and props were impressive as was the box office space. It was very funky and whimsical with a little curiosity shop and mini art gallery to browse in while waiting for the theater to open. They have a lovely offering of refreshments with several spaces to enjoy them including a cozy courtyard when the weather is nice.

★★★★H

Dancing on the Sabbath has some truly moving and beautifully staged moments—especially in the second half, which finally brings the story to life. But getting there is rough. The first half drags under the weight of a long, repetitive prayer sequence that doesn’t seem to build or reveal much. It ends up stalling the momentum and testing the audience’s patience. Tightening that section would make a huge difference; there’s a great show buried under the slow pacing. Also, for wheelchair users, sightlines in the smaller rooms are limited since the windows are pretty high. With some serious trimming, this could go from frustrating to five-star.

★★JB

This is a review of one particular show not the theater as a whole: I just saw The Brother and The Bird and it made me want to run out of the theater half way through it was that bad. They have the audience sit at a very long rectangular dinner table instead of traditional seating so you have to constantly twist your neck to see what's going on around you. The play involved a stream of consciousness gone awry. The entire play involved only two actors and virtually no plot. There's only so much smoke and mirrors you can deploy (half the play is back-lit and silhouetted behind cloth walls. At a certain point a play has to have substance (i.e. dialogue, character arc, proper motivations, a plot, a resolution) to keep the audiences attention and this play had very little. There is no dialogue at all - its basically one hour long monologue. The space is beautiful but I think Shaking The Tree tries a little too hard to be different and it ends up losing the audience. Great actors, however. Sammy Rios was very good.

★★★★★Jesse O'Brien

I went with my Theatre Class. I saw Forbidden Fruit. This is the most amazing play I have ever seen in my entire life. I felt every emotion there was to feel. Folks were split up into groups of 6. They rotated clockwise for a different experience in each room. I don't even have words to speak. It was that good.

★★★★★Jan Kaplan

Saw Passion Play Part 3 last night at Shaking the Tree. Our first time there. The performance was extraordinary. The company consisted of extremely talented actors both individually and as an ensemble. The breadth of emotion was broad throughout the show. I don't cry often but I was moved to tears several times and found myself literally stunned and breathless at the ending. The theater itself was very comfortable and all seats had perfect views. We will go back there again.