As many of you know, I’m not a big Shakespeare fan. Lesser known, but equally true: not a fan of horror movies. So why am I recommending Midnite, a mash-up of both genres? It’s a hoot, that’s all, spoofing itself all over MSU’s Arena stage as well as its lobby-lounge. 

Reina Hardy and Rory Leahy’s script takes the edge off the “horror” with humor — and luckily is based on one of the few Shakespeare plays I have seen a few times and sort of understand: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. (If you do NOT know the plot, the QR code for the program also incudes a convenient summary.) Midnite is a good script for schools because of its creative possibilities and number of roles (16).

Rob Roznowski (and/or Roman Castevet? that name is on the printed program, but Roznowski is on the online program and website) has directed this romp with imaginative staging that starts out in the lobby. There are chairs and benches set up to create a “college office” setting where student horror film director “Quillian” (Allysha Ghenciu) does not get concessions from her advisor, and social awkwardness is anticipated.

Then we audience members are herded into the forest of Arden — the magically appointed Arena stage — complete with flora and spooky square-column sculptures (scenic design Shea Snow.) We are introduced to the cast and crew of the not-quite-written-yet horror movie and begin the challenge of figuring out who loves whom in their assorted unrequited ways. 

Another creative and effective device is keeping the second audience row clear, opening up more acting space for characters to give each other the run-around, both literally and figuratively. The show ends back in the lobby for a viewing of the “finished film project.” (So don’t get too comfy; you have to be ready to exit the Arena, en masse, with the rest of the audience.)

There are a ton of horror movie references, many of which probably flew under my radar. The Gollum-ish “Whisper” (Matt Durland) was somehow both scary and cute. Dramatic lighting, including black-light effects added to the spookiness levels. (Lighting design Harmony Lindstrom), The costumes (El Stucker) were campy and colorful with glamorous “drag fairies” and the adjustable scary/not-scary-enough dreaded “Death Donkey” (Alexa Kalyvas) . 

I hope the entire cast of last season’s Midsummer Night’s Dream at LCC makes a point to see this wild mashup. It’s a must-see for all horror-movie and/or Shakespeare fans — and lots of fun even for the rest of us. 

Midnight runs through October 18. Tickets are at the Farm-Lane end box office of the MSU Auditorium building (and at https://theatre.msu.edu/2026-2027-season/) then you go downstairs to the Arena Stage lobby.

The One Good Thing or Are Ya Patrick Swayze? is a a two-man tour de force now playing at Williamston Theatre. It showcases two talented, new-to-Williamston actors, Conner Allston as Tommy and Cody Robison as Jamie. Their brotherly conflict/camaraderie and their lilting Irish accents are impressive. 

I don’t know why it’s set in Enniskeel, Ireland. Playwright Joe Bravaco is an American — and the relationships/experiences feel universal. Bravaco’s bio states that he is “...drawn to ordinary people facing extraordinary moments. My plays explore the relationships that shape us and the choices that define us, leaving audiences not only entertained, but seeing themselves—and one another—with greater understanding.”

We meet the two brothers outside their small cottage above the Irish sea. Jennifer Maiseloff’s picturesque set features side windows the stage-right audience can actually see into when Tommy enters the cottage. Julia Garlotte’s sound gives us haunting Irish melodies as well as the pounding surf and a very authentic assortment  of baby cries. 

Soon Jamie reveals that he is dead, an “almost ghost,” as he puts it. Tommy is not convinced. Through memories, and life events they shine a light on the value of grief, forgiveness and brotherly love. 

The play is entertaining, thought-provoking and sometimes funny. (Don’t ask me to explain the Patrick Swayze game/connection.) 
I did find it a bit tricky to keep all the non-seen characters straight as they came up in conversation. Two were represented by Tommy's portraits: their mother — and also stepmother, I think? I’m not sure if Prop Designer and Scenic Dressing Head Michelle Raymond was responsible for the paintings, but they were excellent.

The show itself  is a portrait of brotherhood, loss, forgiveness, redemption. The “one good thing” seems to be the upside of grief. The online show description says, “With humor, pathos, and a touch of the supernatural, the play asks what we carry, what we bury, and what, if anything, we’re brave enough to leave behind.” 

The One Good Thing or Are Ya Patrick Swayze? continues through October 25. Remember, Williamston now has Thursday matinees at 2pm as well as the usual Sunday matinees. Tickets at https://www.williamstontheatre.org

​Mauritius? What does THAT mean…? It's an obscure but apt title for a twisted who-can-you-trust mystery presented by Ixion Ensemble.

Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean and the source of two of the most valuable collectable stamps in the world. (That’s a real thing. Google it.) Estranged half-sisters Jackie and Mary discover these stamps in a collection while sorting through their deceased mother’s belongings. Jackie wants to cash in, while Mary resists for sentimental reasons. Three questionable high-stakes collectors enter the equation and low-jinks ensue.

Shrouded in strategic suspense, Theresa Rebeck's thriller is often comedic but hides dark histories of the characters as they negotiate ownership claims along with values and alliances. The stamps are more valuable because they are flawed — not unlike these characters.

Director Miranda Sue Hartmann has guided a fascinating cast on this circuitous philatelic journey. Rose Porter is the first to win our hearts with her sympathetic portrayal of Jackie who needs the cash. Vahlarée Aidan Kakela plays Mary, her complicated, passionately sentimental sister who stakes her claim to the collection in no uncertain terms.

The underworld of stamp authentication and potential millions of dollars was brought to us by the three men in the cast:  Logan Natvig, the uncooperative authority discerning the genuine from the fake; Samuel Johnson, the charming interlocutor with questionable alliances; Greg Pratt as the high-$takes collector who brought his own style of menace and a suitcase of cash.

Note that Mauritius has a little “adult language” and some violence (thanks to fight choreographer Brett Eckhart) and has only two more spell-binding performances to go at Stage One (Sycamore Creek Eastwood) on Lake Lansing Road across from McAlister’s Deli. The driveway to the back parking lot and audience entrance is on the east side of the building with the fun mural.

Tickets at https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/ixion-ensemble/6aa5cfcc8566f6adb30d2a4e  or at the door, general seating. 7 pm Friday/Saturday October 9-10.