"Shear Madness" - by Paul Pörtner - Greater Boston Stage Company (Stoneham, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of Paul Pörtner's "SHEAR MADNESS" now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. through October 11, 2026. Photo Credit Niles Scott Studios)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
"She reads the Bible to reminisce.”
- ("Tony") / Paul Pörtner
Greater Boston Stage Company
Presents Paul Pörtner's Hilarious
"SHEAR MADNESS"
Written by Paul Pörtner
Co-Directors - Liv Dumaine and Tyler Rosati+
Cast Includes: Cheryl L. McMahon* as “Mrs. Shubert,” Mark Linehan* as “Eddie,” Ceit Zweil* as “Barbara,” Tyler Rosati as “Tony,” Joseph Marrella* as “Nick,” Alex Leondedis as “Mikey.”
Additional Creative Team:
Producing Artistic Director - Weylin Symes; Scenic Builder - Misfit Toys Theatrical, LLC; Lighting Design - Matthew Brian Cost; Costume Design - E. Rosser; Sound Design - Adam Smith; Properties Design - Emily Allinson; Director Of Production - Meghan Ward; Production Stage Manager - Marsha Smith*; Assistant Production Manager - Kit Verweij; Production Assistant - E.D. Fitzgerald; Scenic Charge - Kate Bell.
*Member of Actor’s Equity Association
+Young Company Alum
Performances:
September 25, 2026 through October 11, 2026
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY, 395 Main Street Stoneham, MA. 02180
TICKETS:
Box Office Hours: Mondays – Fridays, noon to 6pm Box Office # 781-279-2200 boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
Greater Boston Stage Company (GBSC) in Stoneham kicks off its 2026-2027 Season with murder and mayhem in a hairstyling salon in the hysterically funny comedy-whodunit "SHEAR MADNESS."
A well-known record-breaking comedy smash, GBSC offers up this mercilessly silly production that lampoons everything locally, globally and socially in a two-hour, side-splitting, hair-cutting event.
Co-directed for GBSC by Liv Dumaine and Tyler Rosati, "SHEAR MADNESS" will have many folks helping to solve a murder mystery while leaving the theatre pondering an even bigger mystery (we’ll get to that later).
During the comical course of the investigation, the audience must watch carefully as the action unfolds - they will be responsible for spotting the clues, questioning the suspects, and ultimately help reveal the clandestine killer(s?).
The list of suspects includes the arrogant and aristocratic regular salon customer Mrs. Shubert (Cheryl L. McMahon), a crass, coarse local antique dealer Eddie (Mark Linehan), along with fun competitive hair stylists boisterous Barbara (Ceit Zweil) and flamboyantly theatrical Tony (Tyler Rosati).
While you know one of these characters has ruthlessly committed homicide, the actors make the two hours spent with them so much fun you find yourself not even caring about that teeny-tiny character flaw.
Investigating the case are local policemen, the crusty lead detective Nick (Joseph Marrella) and his (annoyingly) enthusiastic young assistant Mikey (Alex Leondedis).
All the actors involved in the GBSC show bring their “A” game to a “B-” murder mystery featuring “A+” comedy.
The amusing perpetrators – (ahem) performers - proficiently play into the eccentricities of their respective characters, which aids in keeping the audience guessing as to the actual motivation(s) behind the killing.
(Photo: Joseph Marrella as “Nick” in a scene from Paul Pörtner's "SHEAR MADNESS" now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. through October 11, 2026. Photo Credit Niles Scott Studios)
"SHEAR MADNESS" by Paul Pörtner was voted "Best Comedy of the Year" seven times by the Boston Globe and recipient of the title "Best Play of the Year" by both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Enquirer.
The two-act play received the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America and was inducted into the Comedy Hall of Fame, the first play ever to receive that accolade.
Because "SHEAR MADNESS" is an interactive whodunit play, it became one of the longest-running nonmusical plays in the world, opening in Boston at the Charles Playhouse Stage II in 1980.
A second production, at the (once and future) John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., opened in 1987.
A third production opened in 2015 at the New World Stages Off-Broadway theatre in New York City.
(Photo: Cheryl L. McMahon as “Mrs. Shubert” with Tyler Rosati as “Tony” in a scene from Paul Pörtner's "SHEAR MADNESS" now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. through October 11, 2026. Photo Credit Niles Scott Studios)
The flagship Boston production is sometimes described as the longest-running or second-longest-running non-musical play in the world, although there are some non-musical plays which have run for longer.
In 2020 the Boston cast of "SHEAR MADNESS" celebrated its 40th Anniversary (the show's 12,580th performance) at The Charles Playhouse Stage II just before the Boston production (and the world) closed in March, 2020.
The success of the Boston show inspired many subsequent productions across the U.S. "SHEAR MADNESS" has been translated into 28 foreign languages, playing worldwide in a host of far-off cities and towns including Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Tel Aviv, Melbourne, Johannesburg, Seoul, Shanghai and, of course, Stoneham.
With the cleverly constructed Pörtner script, the show is set in whatever community the producing company resides, allowing for lampooning of that community.
Solving the mystery can be just as much fun as the comedy itself.
Every outcome at the end of each performance changes, which is a main reason why many audiences return repeatedly to the scene of the crime.
(Photo: Mark Linehan as “Eddie” in a scene from Paul Pörtner's "SHEAR MADNESS" now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. through October 11, 2026. Photo Credit Niles Scott Studios)
The GBSC set design of the "SHEAR MADNESS" hair salon is impeccably detailed, fully functional and immerses the audience into the location of the fictitious Stoneham salon.
With the humor coming as fast as each clue revelation, there are also numerous local references made which even non-Stoneham residents will get and enjoy.
The story structure is deceptively clever with many contingencies accounted for by the author (presumably through years of trial and discovery) with updated references that GBSC directors Dumaine and Rosati have also wisely infused.
Amid the show's first act, the salon's (unseen) landlady, Isabel Czerny, living above the salon, is murdered.
During the show's second act, audience members will participate in the action by questioning the suspects in an attempt to solve the crime.
In addition to the localized humor, much of the comical dialogue provided by the actors tends to revolve around topical references to current events.
(Photo: Alex Leondedis as “Mikey” having his hair cut by Tyler Rosati as “Tony” with Ceit Zweil as “Barbara” blowing a bubble in a scene from Paul Pörtner's "SHEAR MADNESS" now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. through October 11, 2026. Photo Credit Niles Scott Studios)
The ending of "SHEAR MADNESS" is different every night as audience members hear clues, question the characters, and then vote on who they think is guilty of the crime.
Whatever suspect the audience votes to be (or not to be) the killer(s) dictates the hardly-Shakespearean outcome that follows.
Yet, no matter which murderer (murderess?) is revealed, one mystery will still remain as audiences exit the theatre (See? I told you we’d get back to this)….“Grand Funk? Dear God, why?” (See the show and you’ll know what I mean).
The Greater Boston Stage Company production of "SHEAR MADNESS" continues in Stoneham, MA. until October 11, 2026 and, with so much cutting edge comedy, it should be a felony to miss.
Coming up next at Greater Boston Stage Company will be “BLACKHOLLOW” a gothic descent into horror and possession written and directed by Weylin Symes, running from October 23rd through November 8th, 2026.
For tickets and more information, contact the GBSC Box Office at # 781-279-2200 or at boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org
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Approximately 2 hours with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
Step inside one of America’s most bustling hair salons, where the gossip is juicy, the laughs are nonstop, and someone just got MURDERED!
"SHEAR MADNESS" is the record-breaking comedy smash that has kept audiences roaring for decades.
This wildly interactive whodunit puts YOU in the hot seat.
Spot the clues, question the suspects and help crack the case.
Walk-ins welcome!
No two performances are ever the same.
With razor-sharp improvisation, laugh-out-loud comedy and outrageous characters, the action shifts nightly based on the audience’s sleuthing skills.
Will you catch the killer, or let the culprit slip away by a hair?
Winner of multiple “Best Comedy of the Year” awards from the The Boston Globe and honored by the Mystery Writers of America, Paul Pörtner's"SHEAR MADNESS" is the ultimate night out, full of twists, turns and big laughs.
ABOUT GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY
GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY(GBSC) brings vibrant professional theatre and dramatic education beyond the boundaries of Boston, featuring world and regional premieres alongside fresh interpretations of familiar work. Within this setting, GBSC uniquely fosters the artists of tomorrow by providing ongoing performance and employment opportunities to a company of current and former students. Located in Stoneham, MA. GBSC produces five Mainstage shows, presents a series of Special Events, and runs year-round classes, lessons, and fully staged productions through The Young Company for students in grades 1–12.
395 Main Street
Stoneham, MA. 02180
# 781-279-2200
boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org
greaterbostonstage.org
