Nicole Knudsen (she/her)

How do you leave trauma in the past? How do you find closure for yourself? What do you do when a talking dinosaur suddenly appears in your apartment? These are the hard-hitting questions that Dinosaurs dares to ask. I love stories that tackle heavy subjects with a sense of humor, and this show is exactly that.... full review

“There are no heroes in this story.” We are told this in the opening moments of the play, and it remains true until the end. The Men Who Drew the Universe is not interested in the mythical versions of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but rather the real, flawed people behind the fictional heroes we all know and love. And that is precisely why it soars. Excelsior!... full review

Wedding Party asks an intriguing question: if a friendship ends badly, what makes it worth trying to save? The show’s lead character, Ximena, grapples with that concept through her complicated relationship with four former friends. And along the way, she learns when to mend a relationship, and when a bridge is better left burned.... full review

Club Clown is a bold, beautiful jolt of silliness and joy. And a reminder that sometimes, you just need to dance it out.... full review

Something Spooky delivers exactly what it promises: true tales of the strange and frightening, delivered with a healthy dose of humor and heart. One moment you’ll be laughing, the next you’ll be jumping out of your seat!... full review

Not everything is as it appears in Tom Ryan’s campaign headquarters. I don’t want to ruin the reveal, so I won’t say more than that. But it is the first of many delightful surprises that make Vote for Tom Ryan: One Last Time a sharp, heartfelt comedy.... full review

Mark Vigeant is masterfully silly in Out There. And yet for all the tomfoolery (so much!), the emotional core behind the character’s Very Bad Decisions (so many!) is surprising poignant.... full review

I saw this show last year, and was just as delighted by it on a second viewing. Paris’ reckoning with the public vs. private versions of himself is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.... full review

I find myself thinking about a quote from The Princess Bride: “Death cannot stop true love.” If Westley had been speaking about platonic rather than romantic love, this show fully embodies that sentiment with a ton of heart and humor. Goodbye. Hello. is a heartfelt exploration about the kind of friendship that transcends lifetimes. Or at least, one lifetime.... full review

The task of bringing someone else into the inner workings of your mind is difficult enough. Painting an honest picture of your lowest moments is even harder. Darkly funny and deeply vulnerable, Beth Wants the D succeeds at both.... full review