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TALES FROM AN UNRAVELING THEATREGOER-PART ONE

Theatre Schmooze    By: Joel Markowitz

Help me. I’m getting paranoid. Is my real name “Job” (pronounced JOHB) not “Joel”?  Every time I go to the theatre, some gum chewing, slow-as-molasses candy opening, coughing, hacking, cell phone ringing, non-stop talking, playbill crunching theatre goer sits in front of me, or next to me or behind me, and my blood pressure rises. Is there a sign on my back that says: “Please torture this Jewish man and misbehave badly near him. And don’t forget to unwrap that candy at the most dramatic moment of the play”?

2 MINUTES IN THE PENALTY BOX FOR ROUGHING

I saw History Boys last weekend in The Big Apple and a fight broke out. I thought I was at a hockey game. An elderly gentleman decided to sit in someone else’s seat, and when the legitimate owner of that seat returned from freshening up and buying his box of Dots, anger ensued and punches were thrown. The actors were stunned, and were having a difficult time continuing with the play. Instead of removing the three noisemakers from the theatre and taking them outside, the ingenious stage manager decided he would straighten out the problem in the theatre, in front of the combatants’ seats. Those of us who sat in the row in front of the feuding few, couldn’t hear what was happening on the stage.

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By: Ronnie Ruff 

The Glory Of Living - Didactic Theatre Company

Didactic Theatre Company is a fresh addition to DC theatre for a number of reasons — the most important is they stick to their mission which includes making us think out side the box. Even though their latest show, Rebecca Gilman’s The Glory Of Living, is not up to the standard set by their last few productions it none the less has redeeming qualities that point Didactic on the path to a bright future.

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By Tim Treanor

The Elephant Man at Olney Theatre

The Olney Theatre Center does a brave thing in taking on The Elephant Man, a beautiful, seductive, dangerous play…and thanks to stunning performances in the two principal roles and savvy directing, the gamble succeeds.

Bernard Pomerance’s play, on the page, is an extraordinary accomplishment - beautiful, lyrical, full of subtle allusions and ironic wit. In action, though, it is treacherous. The director’s first impulse is to give rein to the wonderful language - to make certain that the audience hears each profound observation, each obscure, clever, bit of wit. To do so, though, is to assure that the play proceeds at a glacial pace, and that the audience leaves, somnambulant and bleary-eyed, without understanding what it is that they have seen. Fortunately for us, director Jim Petosa makes a different choice, and as a result the Elephant Man he presents us with is crisp and stark.

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An Interview With Jennifer Mendenhall and review of The Monument

Jennifer speaks about developing the thirst for theatre and how it feeds the soul. Don’t miss listening to what Jennifer has to say —  click on the podcast player above and listen to the interview.

Review and Interview by: Ronnie Ruff 

The Monument –  Theater Alliance 

Beginning with Alexander Strain’s opening lines it is obvious that Colleen Wagner’s The Monument, mounted at H Street Playhouse by Theater Alliance, is a play that describes horrible pain and suffering. This production draws you in to its tragic narrative and by plays end you find yourself left with many difficult questions to ponder. Not an evening of light entertainment, one should be prepared for something far more demanding in order to do the production justice. John Vreeke’s firm direction shines through the dark script, bringing out the human frailty that hides beneath the terror of war.

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 Interview with Jennifer Mendenhall [20:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1506)

By Debbie Minter Jackson

Caroline, or Change - Studio Theatre

The podcast available above is audience reaction to the show recorded at an Ushers Theatre Going Group discussion after the May 28th Show

Julia Nixon knows how to play weary. Her first sound as tired, weary Caroline before a song is sung or a word is spoken, is a melodic moan that comes from the depths of her soul grabs you and doesn’t let go. Listen closely and you can hear elements of a field holler, hurt, sorrow, hope, and a prayer– Julia says a lot in that moan Before she even opens her mouth, so you can imagine the treat in store when she does. Writer Tony Kushner also has a lot to say in this somewhat autobiographical piece, and this master of allegory and metaphor uses all aspects of characters, objects, and dimensions to tell the story. Caroline, or Change at Studio Theatre is a musical wonder with hints of societal consciousness, haunting atonal riffs, joyful melodies, and cultural messages all wrapped in the deceptively simple packaging of a young Jewish boy’s southern experience with a sullen black maid in the household.

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 After Show Opinion - Caroline or Change [11:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (235)

By: Ronnie Ruff

Beginnings –  Meat and Potato Theatre

In the beginning God created puppets and the puppets were very, very cool. It came to pass that God wanted the puppets to tell us some really great little stories — so God created Meat and Potato Theatre. Stopping by the Playbill Cafe on a Sunday afternoon for a light lunch is a pleasant experience but if you add an afternoon theatre matinee afterwards the day becomes a treat. Beginnings, which is currently mounted at 1409, is such a treat.

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The Mary Goldwater Awards ceremony last evening at WSC’s Clark Street Playhouse was a very enjoyable evening for one and all.  There are no losers at this event so the crowd was made up of winners and well wishers, all having a great time. The MC for the evening  Jack Marshall took a tumble over the weekend and was on hand albeit a bit late sporting a fine set of crutches. No handicap for Jack though, he was funny and crisp with the one-liners all evening. Highlights included Dan Brick’s hilarious facial expressions and body posturing during his award acceptance and the “what did you do last summer” like presentation where the awards recipients announced upcoming performances and projects. The upcoming events ranged from European vacations to ambitious projects although no one was going to Disneyland.

DC Theatre Reviews recorded the audio portion and a podcast is in the works.

Winners were:

Kathleen Akerley, actor and director: for her performance with Washington Shakespeare Company and for direction of productions for her company, Longacre Lea Productions.

Joe Baker, actor: for performances with Scena Theatre and The American Century Theater.

Dan Brick, actor: primarily for performances with Scena Theatre and Solas Nua..

John MacDonald, director: for his direction of Washington Stage Guild productions, most recently Fannie’s First Play.

Elizabeth Jenkins McFadden, scenic designer: especially for her work for Washington Shakespeare Company.

Bruce Alan Rauscher, actor: for performances with Washington Shakespeare Company and The American Century Theater.

Rorschach Theatre Company: for excellence and vision in producing works representing a variety of cultures and styles, including premieres of new plays.

By: Debbie Minter Jackson

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune- Quotidian Theater 

“Frankie and Johnny were lovers,” so goes the familiar ballad, and so goes the play by Terrence McNally where a short order cook and waitress connect for an overnight romp of intimacy, exploration, and discovery. The sex comes at you first, before the lights come up, before a word is spoken–the familiar sounds of panting, pleasure and mutual climax. McNally’s message is clear and direct-sex is a significant and natural force to be reckoned with; no explanation, preparation, or building up to it, the nudity is immediate. McNally never claimed to be patient with those squeamish about body parts and raw language about the same, and it’s thrilling to see how Quotidian thrusts itself into the sexual foray with skill and abandon. Known for its quality productions of traditional writers such as Anton Chekov and Horton Foote, Quotidian’s selection and passionate execution of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune directed by Bob Bartlett assures its highly respected position in the regional theater scene.

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DC Theatre Reviews has an announcement!  Lorraine Treanor who has been working unheralded  here at DCTR has decided to be an official part of the team. Please welcome Lorraine as our Promotions and marketing Director!

Lorraine will be a wonderful addition to our website and brings a wealth of theatre knowledge and production experience to our staff.

Lorraine Treanor loves making things happen She was a Theatre Major at Emerson College in Boston, and spent her nights watching musicals bound for Broadway and playing piano in after-hours jazz clubs. In Chicago she produced theatre, dance, concerts and festivals. She is amazed to be here in Washington at this exciting moment in its theatrical history. She edits the email news service ONSTAGE NEWS for members of Brian’s Theatre Group, contributes occasional interviews to Potomac Stages, and is working on the revival of the Broadway musical The Nervous Set. What’s next? Whatever makes her heart dance. She lives in a log house in Waldorf, MD with husband (and DCTR reviewer) Tim Treanor. Her daughter, Nina, is a faux artist in Chicago.

By Valeria Lamarra with Lorraine Treanor

The Hundred Dresses at Imagination Stage.
Book by Eleanor Estes. Adapted by Mary Hail Surface

In 1944, Eleanor Estes wrote a children’s book called The Hundred Dresses. Set during the Great Depression, it is about a child who stands by and watches as others tease a classmate for being different. Wanda, a Polish immigrant, is taunted because she is poor and speaks with an accent. Trying to gain acceptance, she tells the bullying students that she has 100 dresses. Since she always wears the same dress, this just makes matters worse.

Maddie is the girl who does nothing to help. After Wanda leaves town, Maddie finds out that Wanda did have a hundred dresses after all. But it is too late to stand up for her friend.

The second act belongs to local playwright Mary Hail Surface who allows us to see what happens when Maddie is given another chance to defend someone. “I wanted a play which would help children flex their moral muscles, something that teaches about actions and consequences,” author Surface explained. She has succeeded.

The talented cast is headed by Sarah Fischer, who just closed Studio’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, in the lead role of Maddie, and Bette Cassatt, recently of Journeymen’s acclaimed Experiment with an Air Pump, who plays Wanda.

From Valeria:

You are right. It was a talented cast. The adults played children very believably. Ms. Cassatt as Wanda particularly played a child well. She, along with Jacob (Kyle Magley) and Mr. Petronski (Terence Heffernan) had good Polish accents. I would have thought they were Polish. The boys (Magley and Michael Propster) were always in competition with each other and running all over the place. Especially Jack (Propster), who slid across the stage like crazy.

The set worked well. It was a single set which became the school yard, inside the school, their houses, or Mr. Svenson’s yard with just a few changes, so they didn’t have to move set pieces on and off all the time. Tony Cisek was the set designer and Dan Covey was the lighting designer.

The staging was very subtle. For example, if her father’s lunchbox was on the table, Maddie knew it was a bad day. But if the lunchbox was gone, it meant her father found work that day. I also enjoyed Maddie’s daydreams, which gave her the courage she needed, I think, to confront her friends.

Speaking after the show, Mrs. Surface described how children were and still are bullied at school. In her own words, the bullies “have a magnet around their moral compass.”

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