The Valley Center Stage production of Treasure Island, adapted by Scarlett Jonas, is a new version of the familiar story, one that sheds a lot of the detail in the original young adult oriented novel, replacing it with humor and fun geared toward younger audiences in a play that is something the whole family can enjoy. Presented by a cast of scallawags and storytellers that understand Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel as well as the audience to which they are performing, and a creative team that recognizes the space they’re in and makes it feel bigger than it is, while keeping it intimate at the same time, Treasure Island is a play that has a little something for everyone.

The Bremerton Community Theatre production of Spider’s Web does very well with this unique play from Agatha Christie’s catalog of murder mysteries. Heavier on the humor than a lot of Christie’s work, the cast that Jeffrey Bassett has assembled delivers the Christie twists and turns in a play that is more fun that suspenseful, a play with a crime that seems straightforward and is anything but, and with a scenic design that takes the blueprint for the genre and elevates it to a higher level of excellence, Spider’s Web is different kind of Agatha Christie murder mystery, and one that is worth taking in.

Though Blues for an Alabama Sky is set in 1930s Harlem, it sure feels topical with its themes of economic struggle, women’s reproductive rights, and differing attitudes toward human sexuality. Valerie Curtis-Newton always finds a way to present important works that amplify black voices amid these experiences using exquisite designs and by casting brilliant actors to tell stories that matter. Blues for an Alabama Sky is the latest example of a piece that matters to all of us in a time of up upheaval in our country, a play that is so wonderfully produced and presented, it can’t help but make an impact. Let’s hope that its message spreads beyond the walls of the theatre.

Crave, produced by Intiman Theatre, should probably have a disclaimer attached to it. It’s most definitely not for the faint of heart, and not designed for all audiences. If you’re the kind of theatre goer that wants a nicely packaged story, that makes sense emotionally and doesn’t require a lot of thought or discussion, Crave will not be your cup of tea. But if you like to be challenged, especially emotionally, by a play that asks you to check your analytical mind at the door and let its words and artistic elements flow over and through you, then Crave may just be what your looking for. It’s a challenging play from a unique playwright, but where this piece excels is in its production and presentation, it’s just a beautifully told piece of performance art.

No Exit tells the story of three individuals stuck inside a hell that is represented by a windowless room and a locked door, trapped there with nothing but each other and the revelation that they have to live together as each others’ mirrors and decide between keeping up a charade hoping to make it easier or be honest about their lives, take responsibility for their actions, and learn to deal with each other in that context for eternity. Performed by a cast of four that bring this allegory to life in a thought provoking way, the Olympia Little Theatre version of No Exit will leave you contemplating your own actions, and how your self-validation is guided by others’ perceptions or your own, which mirror is the most important to be seen through.

Adaptations of popular musicals are a dime a dozen, but every once in a while one comes along that feels brand new, that feels like a fresh telling that surprises even those that are familiar with the characters and their story. Such is the co-production of The Last Five Years, from the 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT Contemporary Theatre. This is a show that is so well performed that it will reach into your soul and bring out the happiest and most hopeful of joys and the most heartbreaking and agonizing of despairs, all while making you appreciate experiencing actors reaching new heights in the mastery of their craft.

Xanadu is a musical that understands its intent, and leans into it, that being to exist as self-deprecating and fun, to laugh at itself, and bring the audience into its humor while presenting it all with a soundtrack that is reminiscent of the film on which it was based, as critically panned as it was. Aside from an awkward bit of stagecraft, the TMP production of Xanadu, directed by Jon Douglas Rake and featuring Emma DeLoye and Jesse Geray, is just about everything you’d hope for out of a show that puts entertainment value above all. Don’t expect Xanadu to change the world, but you can bank on the two hours spent at the theatre taking it in to be a lively and amusing time.

Miss Nelson is Missing, the first in-house production from the Admiral Theatre’s Theatre for Young Audiences program, is a humorous and entertaining show suitable for the whole family, aimed at younger audiences, but designed and performed in a way so that it can be appreciated and enjoyed by older folks as well. Cast with actors and vocalists familiar to Kitsap County audiences, Miss Nelson shows us what can be accomplished when a team comes together in a historic venue to produce a fun and entertaining piece of musical theatre. I, for one, would love to see the Admiral make a habit out of this.

Alice By Heart is a lesser known derivative of the Alice in Wonderland canon, but with catchy songs and an emotional and human story, it’s one that when it’s seen it’s not soon forgotten. The latest production of Alice By Heart just closed at South Kitsap High School, but to consider it a high school production doesn’t give it nearly enough credit. The overall quality of the production, from the scenic design to the lighting and sound, music and choreography, are all on par with anything that is on community theatre stages in the region, while the performances from this cast, and especially leads Shelby Skinner and Tyson Wolfe, have a quality and a maturity well beyond their years. And while the production has closed, keep an eye out for more from this group, both at the high school and community levels in the next few years, and down the line on much larger stages.

Covenant is a multi-layered story that asks us to consider what we really know about each other, the secrets that folks keep versus those that we think they’re keeping, and the mistakes we make between that two that lead to gossip and innuendo, and inform our attitudes toward them. The play also asks us to consider our faith, and how we can reconcile that with the behavior of others amid those preconceived notions based on the secrets we assume they are keeping. The ArtsWest production is a beautifully designed and produced piece of theatre from a creative team and cast under the direction of Nicholas Japaul Bernard that immerses the audience in the hard life of 1930s Georgia where this folksy, gothic, and suspenseful tale takes place that mixes secrecy, superstition, gossip, and heartbreak.

Second Samuel is a play that presents a time that has passed and yet it feels so current as we, once again, deal with racial injustice while at the same time witness entire groups of people struggling to deal with a changing world, judging people on their physical characteristics and not their character. Perhaps the world would be a better place if we all took a lesson from the play’s character B Flat, and looked at life, and people, a little more simply. And while a play like this stands pretty well on its own, this particular production, under the direction of Keith Dahlgren, and featuring a stellar performance from Ian Wight and a phenomenal ensemble, soars.

With Constellations, Theatre33 proves that sometimes the best theatre can be found in the smallest places. Magnificently designed, soulfully acted, and just superbly put together, Constellations, a story of love and perseverance, asks us to consider the choices we make, or don’t make, and what impact each have on our lives, and how with an infinite number of outcomes that our lives and relationships could have, that the path and time on which we find ourselves is precisely the one we need to be on.

The Centerstage Theatre production of Miss Holmes is the tale of two shows. On the one hand, it’s a well performed Sherlock Holmes origin story, with an undercurrent of female empowerment, told by a superb cast that handles their roles with pace and suspense, presenting the right amount of twists and turns that keep the audience engaged and guessing right up until the end. On the other hand, the play is the victim of a choppy script that stops that flow right in its tracks by requiring too many scene and set changes, and causes Miss Holmes to run long and feel longer. When looking at whether Miss Holmes is something worth seeing despite the length of it, though, I’ll stand by my opinion that yes, getting through those gaps in momentum is well worth what is waiting in between them.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I came into Harlequin Production’s Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson: Apt 2B, having seen other Holmes mysteries with female versions of the lead characters, but this is something different, something more, and something very unique. The play is a smartly written, irreverent, murder mystery, quickly paced, and extremely funny, presented by a cast of four actors who know how not just to make an audience laugh, but to deliver a mystery that twists and turns its way through a serpentine of obstacles that keep the group, and the audience, guessing until the very end, resulting in what can only be described as the most fun theatre has to offer.

Lewis and Tolkien, a play about an imaginary meeting between two of the great fantasy authors and good friends, after a long separation, is one of friendship, reconciliation, and hope. It’s a wonderfully crafted piece from playwright Dean Batali and presented marvelously by a cast led by two leads who embody the scribes expertly. And while the production design seems simple enough, there is a level of detail in all of its aspects, especially in the actors’ presentations that show the amount of attention Director Karen Lund and her team has put into making each audience member feel like they are in the same room with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, making this a truly captivating play.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is known for a few things, notably it’s account of a neurodivergent teenager living with his single father and learning how to break out of his shell, building his confidence to realize that, contrary to what he’s come to believe, he can do or be anything. The play is also known for its unique, avant garde storytelling, which includes a creative scenic design and the use of lights, sound, and projections to present this play within a play. Tacoma Little Theatre, always up for presenting shows in unique ways, has taken what is good about The Curious Incident, and made it even better, with a design that takes full advantage of the tools at TLT’s disposal, and a cast that understands the emotional energy that the show requires, and has the talent to deliver it. The result of this combination is first-rate version of The Curious Incident, with an emotional tide that ebbs and flows, but leaves the audience feeling that, at the end of the day, it could really be true that anything is possible. And these days, that’s a good thing to hear.

It’s rare that a theatre can put up a show and successfully present it as the formula for producing in a particular genre, but that’s exactly what Director Adam Immerwahr and Village Theatre have done with their version of the Hitchcock classic Dial “M” for Murder. It’s a textbook suspenseful thriller, with all of the ingredients, from a strong story with it’s fair share of twists and turns, quick pacing, and enough tension to keep its audiences sitting on the edge of their seats and guessing until the very end. Adam’s talented creative team supports an exceptional cast in the telling of this whodunit that needs to be on everyone’s theatre calendar this season.

Macbeth, the dark and sometimes gruesome tragedy from Shakespeare, is a play that has the potential to be larger than life. The Saltfire Theatre production of this classic is a good one, and with a scenic design that captures the intended tone and mood of the piece, and a cast that is strong, energetic, and emotional, it is limited only by the space in which it’s being presented . I’d love to see this group present this play in a more traditional space, where they’d have the elbow room to spread out a bit and create more flow, but given the alternative, it would be a shame to think that there would be anything preventing anyone from seeing this version of Macbeth.

A View From the Bridge is a hard hitting emotional drama filled with tension and turmoil, a story that seems strangely applicable to our current political and social climate. The play tackles a lot of issues that we all can do well to contemplate, and thanks to spectacular performances from Morgan Peeler and Adam Nyhoff, audiences will leave with plenty to think about, and plenty to enjoy along the way. It’s not an easy play to watch, but some of the best art is at times difficult and challenging, and this production from Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts is indeed some of the best art currently on stage in the area.

Curtain Up! is the story of five women with distinctly different personalities thrown together in an unlikely situation, one forcing them to work together in order to save a theatre recently willed to them in equal shares. It’s funny and farcical, but it’s also emotional and heartfelt, running the emotional gamut from anger and sadness to love and forgiveness, with the humor and heart perfectly balanced. Directed by Trina Williamson and with a cast led by Sarah Conte-Bacolini in a breakout performance, Curtain Up! is easily Jewel Box’s best show of the season.