Although there is peril in describing the current attention devoted to English novelist Jane Austen as a mania, that seems like an almost unavoidable conclusion. From the popularity of Jane Austen Regency Balls, Jane Austen Festivals in the UK and the U.S., not to mention a plethora of film and television projects in addition to the literature itself, the author’s fanbase is arguably second only to The Bard in the 21st Century. The fact that 2025 is the 250th anniversary of Ms. Austen’s birth has only added fuel to the fire of that attention.
Theatre
“What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in the immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come … ”
― Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
Review: River and Rail Theatre Co. — A Feast of Performances in Ijames ‘Moon Man Walk’
There is nothing in the dramatist’s rulebook that says a play can’t be simple and complex at the same time. Those are certainly the traits of James Ijames’ Moon Man Walk, which opened last weekend for a three-week run at River & Rail Theatre Company.
Review: TKD’s ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’: A Battle of Wits
When life feels hard, comedy can be a balm to the soul and even a force for change. That’s what Neil Simon’s 1993 play, ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’, now in a production at Theatre Knoxville Downtown, reminds us of.
‘The Business of Smiles’ Follows Knoxville Children’s Theatre to New Site
BY HAYLEY WILSON I sat down with Knoxville Children’s Theatre Executive Director Sien Moon…
Review: Knoxville Theatre Club’s ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ a Force of Nature
Director JP Schuffman and Knoxville Theatre Club brings us an absolutely stunning production of Southern playwright Tennessee Williams’s 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning Cat on a Hot Tin Roof that attests to the tenacity of the human spirit in the face of futility, death, and anguish: “there’s nothing more determined than a cat on a hot tin roof.”
Renascent Productions and First Take Co.’s ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’: Love, Sex, and Funny Business
By Hayley Wilson
‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ ran for three performances at the Clayton Center for the Arts on Maryville College campus. However, its short run was no indicator of its appeal: opening night was a full house, and the laughter that filled the auditorium was palpable. This production had a little something for everyone, because at its heart, I Love You is about our desire for human connection—and the many opportunities we have to thwart or complicate that desire for connection.
Review: National Tour of ‘Les Misérables’ — Showstopping Relevance in the 21st Century
A current National Tour of ‘Les Misérables’ is making an 8-performance stop in Knoxville through August 3 at the Tennessee Theatre. Read the review.
A Glimpse Ahead: 2025-26 Knoxville Music and Theatre Season
Waiting anxiously in the wings for its entrance cue, the 2025-26 season of theatre and…
Review: ‘Harvey’ at TKD — Chasing the White Rabbit
Maybe some of you have that one friend that no one else seems to understand. No matter how many introductions you make to a variety of different people, your other friends just don’t seem to “get” this person. That’s the case with poor Elwood P. Dowd and his dear friend that no one seems to see. Director Jill Stapleton Bergeron introduces us to this unlucky friend in TKD’s production of Mary Chase’s 1953 play Harvey that keeps both actors and audiences on their toes and at their wit’s end.
Review: Theatre Roulette at TKD’s ‘Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind’
BY HAYLEY WILSON If you thought the process of memorizing lines for an entire…
