Theatre Schmooze

By Joel Markowitz
Strings, Organs, Ravens, Benefits and Should’ves
AND THEY CALL IT PUPPET LOVE …
You have to hand it to these theatres. It’s puppets…puppets… puppets everywhere!
First they appeared this year in Studio Theatre’s elegant production of The Long Christmas Ride Home, and next year they will appear from November 27-December 9th at The National Theatre [...]

Bohemians (Bohemios)

A co-production from Teatro de la Luna and Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia
Reviewed by Rosalind Lacy     

 (L-R): Kathy Hankins, Alvaro Rodríguez, Adriana González  (Photo: Raymond Gniewek)
     Even though Spain was politically unstable in 1904, composer Amadeo Vives found peace from living with freedom in his heart. He looked to the past to celebrate the [...]

Drama Under the Influence

Produced by American Century Theater
Submitted by Debbie Minter Jackson

 Mary McGowan (left) and Jennifer Robison (right)   Photo: Jeffrey Bell
 
The American Century Theater’s Drama Under the Influence at the Gunston Theater in Arlington (TACT) is a clever compilation of short plays by early 20th Century female playwrights.   Once again, TACT has shown that digging through the old [...]

The Constant Wife

Produced by Olney Theatre
Reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson

Michael McKenzie as John Middleton, F.R.C.S. and Ashley West as Marie-Louise Durham
The Constant Wife at Olney Theater is best savored as a rich delicacy enjoyed over a full evening, a change in pace from the quickie snacks of today’s fare. W. Somerset Maugham (yes, that one) [...]

Twelfth Night

Written by William Shakespeare
Produced by Firebelly Productions
Reviewed by Tim Treanor

Closeted conspirators: Dave Daniels (Aguecheek), Brian Lee Huynh (Fabian) and John Tweel (Belch) (Photos Ray Gniewek)
This is good Shakespeare. This is damn good Shakespeare.
Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most difficult comedies, full of implausible developments and astonishing cases of mistaken identity. Firebelly [...]

Shakespeare’s ‘The Rape of Lucrece’

Produced by Washington Shakespeare Company
Reviewed by Tim Treanor

Betsy Rosen (foreground) and (l to r) Denman C. Anderson & Abby Wood (Photo: Ray Gniewek)
The Washington Shakespeare Company had originally planned to stage a production of King Lear, but when actor Brian Hemmingsen fell ill the Company substituted an even more interesting choice: it commissioned local playwright Callie [...]

Vigils

Produced by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company   
Directed by Colette SearlsReviewed by Gary McMillan

Naomi Jacobson, Michael Russotto, and J. Fred Schiffman (Photo: Stan Barouh)
Death doesn’t take a holiday, it’s grounded on standby in Woolly Mammoth’s superb production of Noah Haidle’s Vigils.
I must first note that Colin K. Bills very nearly steals the show with [...]

The Small Things

Produced by Solas Nua
Reviewed by Ronnie Ruff
Podcast with Kate Debelack by Joel Markowitz with Lorraine Treanor (follows the review)

Chris Davenport and Kate Debelack (Photo: C. Stanley Photography)
Irish playwright Enda Walsh, who was recently appointed Playwright in Residence for Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, is becoming very familiar to Washington audiences. His 2005 play The Small Things does not [...]

Crazy for Lypsinka!

Theatre Schmooze by Joel Markowitz
Podcast by Joel Markowitz with Lorraine Treanor

Lypsinka: The Passion of the Crawford
Written and performed by John Epperson
Studio Theatre until Feb. 25th
Part One: Setting the Stage: Memories
It’s rapid fire craziness – visually stunning and colorful, has funny costumes, impeccable lighting and sound and watching the lip-synching carefully to see if John might [...]

Gem of the Ocean

Produced by Arena Stage Reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson

Lynnie Godfrey as Aunt Ester  (Photo: Scott Suchman)
Gem of the Ocean reminds us why August Wilson is considered by some to be the Shakespeare of our time. Beautifully mounted at Arena Stage, it is nothing short of an epic. Issues involving Honesty, Redemption, Forgiveness, Self-love, Faith, [...]

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