Small Stage Theatre in December

2021 finds its end with a nice mix of shows...many of which are alternatives to more traditional holiday fare. A few of which have already opened. (Next Act’s current show is a great deal of fun.) Here’s a look at some of what’s coming-up.

Playwright Rick Bingen presents a staged reading of his new play Steal the Theatre
Dec. 2 and 5. Bingen directs a talented cast in the story of a London pub, Shakespeare-themed libations, and time travel – a recipe for an unprecedented adventure for a lost and forlorn Olivia.” The reading takes place at Sunstone Studios on 127 E. Wells St. For more information, visit Sunstone online.

Veteran Milwaukee theatre talent Karl Miller is working on a production of the 1963 Broadway musical She Loves Me. Set in a Hungarian perfume shop in the 1930s, a couple of shop clerks try to track down the identity of those who have been sending them love letters. The show runs Dec. 2 - 19 at the Sunset’s Furlan Auditorium on 700 Wall St in Elm Grove. For more information, visit Sunset online.

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Sadly, the 1998 death of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard continues to be painfully topical over a quarter century after the brutal murder occurred. This month First Stage presents a staging of the dramatic exploration of the murder and the small town in which it took place. The Laramie Project is directed by Elyse Edelman. It runs Dec. 3 - 12 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center on 325 West Walnut St.

The Ring Theatre Company presents a retelling of O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi just in time for the holidays. The production is set in 1945 in a small radio station in Milwaukee as WWII ends amidst Christmas carols and vintage jingles for local businesses. The show runs Dec. 16 - 23 at Sunstone Studios on 127 E. Wells St. For more information, visit Sunstone online.

The third show to open-up at Sunstone this month might be the one show I'm looking forward to more than any of the rest of them. It's an R-rated late-night holiday comedy called. Who's Holiday!  The 2017 comedy stars Samantha Sostarich as Cindy Lou Who all grown-up and living in a trailer park. It's a one-woman show. Sostarich has fun comic energy that should fill the intimate stage quite well for a late night show. The show runs Dec. 17th, 18th and 23rd. All shows are at 10 pm. For more information, visit Sunstone online.