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The Way of the World
by William Congreve
directed by Michael Kahn
produced by Shakespeare Theatre Company
reviewed by Tim Treanor

Let me lay this on the table at the outset: this plot-thick, character-heavy Restoration comedy, a paean to the benefits of estate planning, is not for everyone. To enjoy it, we must be willing to look at human nature at its most puerile.  We must be willing, not just to laugh at ourselves, but to laugh at the worst part of ourselves. If we have the stomach for it, there is a satisfying evening of theater waiting for us.

The challenge is not simply that the language is unfamiliar or frame of reference different than our own. We go to the Shakespeare for new experiences, drawn from olden times. It is, rather, that after forty years of restoration, England had become an emotionally and spiritually barren place, its denizens exhausted and insensible. We may think of ourselves as cynical. We don’t know what cynical is. Read more…

Take Me Away
by Gerald Murphy
produced by Solas Nua
directed by Linda Murray
reviewed by Tim Treanor

Oh, what a fine nasty little play this is, as mean as a wolverine and as tight as a Chinese box puzzle! What a sweet festival of malevolence do Eddie (Joe Cronin) and his three brutish sons create! To witness the crude, manipulative Eddie thrust and parry with sullen Bren (Jared Hill Mercier), dimwitted Kevin (Kevin O’Reilly) Read more…

A Passion for Justice:  The Clarence Darrow Story
by Jack Marshall and Paul Morella
directed by Jack Marshall 
produced by The American Century Theater & Clarence Darrow Productions
reviewed by Steven McKnight

There’s an old saying that the secret to success for a trial lawyer is sincerity - if you can fake that, the rest is easy.  A close second is passion and the aptly named A Passion for Justice: The Clarence Darrow Story has an abundance of both Read more…

Busytown
adapted for the stage by Kevin Kling
from the book “What Do People Do All Day” by Richard Scarry
music by Michael Koerner
lyrics by Kevin Kling and Michael Koerner
directed by Krissy Marty
produced by Imagination Stage
reviewed by Ted Ying

“So simple, yet so brilliant.”  says Huckle the cat when the postal service is explained to him.  But he might just as well be describing this wonderfully enchanting production Read more…

The Underpants
adapted by Steve Martin from a play by Carl Sternheim
directed by John Going
produced by Olney Theatre Center
reviewed by Rosalind Lacy

Steve Martin, of Saturday Night Live fame, knows how to tell a joke just right. Even bawdy ones, abounding with double entendres, in a German farce that airs out more than dirty laundry. Read more…

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

by Martin McDonagh
directed by Jeremy Skidmore
produced by Signature Theatre 
reviewed by Steven McKnight 

Halloween has arrived early at Signature, where Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore offers an abundance of gruesome fun.  This witty mix of black comedy, farce, and satire receives a gleeful production that will delight anyone who can handle its realistic violence and shocking humor. The story revolves around the dilemma faced by the Donny (John Lescault) and Davey (Matthew McGloin), temporary caretakers of Wee Thomas, a cat that is killed on a country road. Read more…

Welcome to the Hard Luck Café
A new musical by Karin Ringheim gets its start in DC
By Joel Markowitz

I attend many readings of new works and when you walk in the room and watch the faces of the playwrights, book writers and composers, you always see the same emotions - pride, fear and hope.

Recently, I slid into a reading of Karlin Ringheim’s musical Welcome to the Hard Luck Café. I was invited to attend by actress and singer extraordinaire Renee Rabben, who was reading the role of Hazel. Two of my favorite local actresses were in the cast -Amy McWilliams and Amy Conley. Read more…

 

 Hard Luck Cafe music samples [6:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (9)

The Glass Cage, Oklahoma! and Equus
by Richard Seff

The tiny Mint Theater, ensconced on the third floor of an office building in a 96 seat black box with stadium seating, should win all the prizes for impeccable productions of little known gems from the past. You have no idea how delicious can be the savoring of the words and ideas of JB Priestley, Read more…