Dan Ruth

"Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight. Take me to..." Sorry, I'm supposed to be reviewing. Take me to go see "Disco Therapy!" Liza Dealey-Thomason is a gift, and she is ready to take you out of your darkness. Dealey-Thomason might not be a licensed therapist, but she's certainly an alchemist, turning her pain and a profound darkness into utter sheer joy that she does not keep to herself, but shares with her audience in this karaoke blast of a show, where not only did I leave feeling human and... full review

"Fomo" Is New York City writer-actor Frankie Lee's infuriating and often very humorous autobiographical tale of what happens when we allow other people to control our mind, spirituality, sexuality and body. Armed with a very truthful script and a towering height, Frankie Lee soars high above the collateral damage brought about by his former Mormon religion, eventually coming back to himself, whilst stridently attempting to clean up the wreckage along the way. Lee the performer is a physical comed... full review

Veronica Osorio bares her soul in one of the most human and compassionate shows I've ever seen. This is her postpartum story, which takes place in her apartment at 4am where motherhood, confusion, delirium and sheer beauty flicker with life in the still and the quiet of her new life. Bebé Bebé will humble, fascinate and hug you, as you witness a mother saying goodbye to her former self. Osorio is a joy and I'm beyond grateful that I was able to witness what men will never experience. Bebé Bebé wi... full review

Not sure why I ever thought to myself that I didn't like magic shows. After seeing "I Am Not a Spy," I realized I love magic shows, and Katrina Kroetch brings it all, in this fun and satisfying blend of performance art and stage magic. I want to see it again because I want Ms. Kroetch to show me how I can turn twine into pearls. Then there's the matter of that ring...this show will keep you on your toes and leave you befuddled at some of the tricks Kroetch has up her sleeve.... full review

Get in line to cheer and applaud Yelyna De Leon as she looks to remove herself from the Hollywood "Chola" stereotypes of filmdom, while battling Hollywood racism, xenophobia, and infuriating, old-fashioned toxic masculinity. Therapy may not cure everything, but it's front and center in award-winning Josefina Lopez's latest one-woman play, where Xochi Sanchez (De Leon) deals with a court-ordered therapy session-turned personal revelation. With an awesome soundtrack of original hip-hop and rap, Ho... full review

Albie Selznick's "Letter from David" is the perfect example of why we need storytelling. Mr. Selznick is a true artist who has scaled walls that many of us consistently only dream about. Selznick, a clown, magician and mime by trade, wants desperately to meet his hero, David Bowie, and what follows is a true popcorn story. If you're even remotely a fan of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and all things "Thin White Duke," you're in for one hell of a treat. "Letter from David" is equal parts fascinating, infuria... full review

Few can tell a story with more bravura hilarity and theatre moxie than Pam Levin, and "Sperm Assassination: The Survivors" is no exception. With guns a-blazing, Pam Levin is in charge of her future, damn it. Or is she? A celebration of choice, family, and a whole lot of handy wipes, this show is as identifiable, and relatable as it is charming, honest. Come experience this thoroughly modern take on family planning and all of the the hurdles that some of us will never have to jump over. ... full review

Someone give this woman a decent job! Sam Ditto has had a lot of jobs, and none of them are getting her where she wants to be. Wrapped in her self-penned autobiographical and very clever script, she sends us on a roller coaster ride of American mediocrity, where Ditto remarkably continues to rise above, despite obstacles and pit-falls of bulls*t nowhere-fast emplovment disasters. "I Quit" is a lot of fun. set to all-original music and well-crafted and well-thought-out projection imagery and hilar... full review

"The Seven Year Bitch" is a blonde bombshell of a show. With a powerful and sultry belt, (and I mean both of a voice and from her martini, which she miraculously never drops or spills), Shayna Bezozo's performance is an exercise in characterization, controlled physical comedy, and powerhouse vocals and stage presence. This shows proves that "shtick" is only a bad word when you can't pull it off, and Bezozo not only pulls it off, she brings it to its knees. For a cabaret show, the ending of this ... full review

Kudos to Mike Hadge and this hilarious and testosterone-laden musical podcast! With an outstanding all-female cast, "Strong Stoic Straitz" has all the answers to the world's problems, and these bros are here to prove it. Featuring an all-original score by Hadge, this show is bro-centric, bro-tastic and this cast's voices blend and melt like buttah, but wait, bro, don't say that like Barbra Streisand, because that would be Woke.... full review