Fela!
September 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Fela! is all about the music and the tragically inspiring story of the legendary Nigerian musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Immensely stirring and emotional, it was a hit on Broadway, winning almost universal acclaim, and in 2010, Fela! was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won three (best choreography and best design in costume and sound.) [Read more...]
Notes to the Motherland
September 18, 2011 By 1 Comment
Be patient, readers. There is a review in your future, but first—a history lesson. Lithuania is a relatively small (about 3 million people) country on the Baltic Sea, bordering both Russia and Poland. Once a prominent European Duchy, Lithuania has spent most of the last few centuries occupied by one foreign power or another. Lithuanians won their independence at the end of WWI, and it looked like they would after many generations, enjoy autonomy. But Europe erupted in war again, and the little land by the Baltic was invaded, first by the Soviets in 1940, then by the Germans a year later. An era of tumult and privation followed, scarring several generations of Lithuanians, including the generation of actor/playwright Paul Rajeckas. [Read more...]
The Mandrake
September 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“The ends justify the means”. Villainous ladder-climbers spout it in corporate dramas, and history teachers write it across blackboards (at least mine did). Most of us know Machiavelli from these words, and the work from which it came, The Prince. Most of us don’t know, however, that the scathing writer also penned a play. Faction of Fools Theatre Company has brought The Mandrake to life, showing us that while the author may have changed mediums, his worldview remained brutally unaltered. [Read more...]
1409 Playbill Cafe closing Sept 30
September 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Popular theatre restaurant announces it’s taking an intermission
“Dear Friends”, 1409′s Facebook entry began this morning, and with that, Elsayed Mansour and Jeff DeMontier went on to announce that their restaurant, 1409 Playbill Cafe, the favorite DC hangout for everyone working in theatre for more 13 years, will be closing its doors on Sept. 30th.
Reached today, Mansour, who is also Playbill’s chef, explained that their building is scheduled to be torn down to build hi-rise condos. Meanwhile, the owner’s short term lease is so expensive, it became impossible for the partners to keep the doors open. “We’ve always tried to keep our food affordable for the actors. We couldn’t have passed the costs on to them. They don’t have that kind of money.” he explained.
“We were the Sardi’s of Washington, DC”, it went on, “It was our great luck to have become part of the theater community and to have contributed to its great causes.”
One of Playbill’s contributions was turning the space in the back into a tiny theatre which was home to readings from Solas Nua, Fringe shows, one unforgettable performance of Private Lives by WSC Avant Bard (then Washington Shakespeare Theatre,) and, of course, the place where DC went to get grossed out to the horror offerings of Molotov Theatre Group.
Massoud assured us they intend to reopen. The partners are presently scouting three locations, all in the neighborhood. “One of them has even more space than we have now.” He hopes they will be back by the end of the year.
But before they close, they will be throwing a huge party, which they are calling ‘New Beginnings’, on Sat, Sept 24th, starting around 8pm and running til 2am. “We’ll have a lot of fun”, he promised, “nothing sad at all. The art on the walls is all donated, and we’ll raffle the artwork off. And there will be karaoke.”
1409 Playbill Cafe is located at 1409 14th St NW in Washington, DC, just doors away from Studio Theatre.
Gaurav Gopalan died of natural causes, autopsy indicates
September 16, 2011 By 3 Comments
Gaurav Gopalan, whose death rocked the DC theater community earlier this week, probably died of natural causes, his longtime partner told DCTS. [Read more...]
The Heir Apparent
September 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
In these troubled modern times, one has to find things to be thankful about. I, for one, am thankful that Artistic Director Michael Kahn has dug up another dusty old script from the bottom of the back of the Shakespeare Theatre bookshelves — this time, a French comedy from 1708 called Le Legataire Universel – and handed it to David Ives. The partnership, it turns out, is something of a revelation, and DC’s a lucky city to catch it in its emerging days. [Read more...]
Savage in Limbo
September 15, 2011 By 1 Comment
Once in a while all of the stars align to create a magical theatre event like MetroStage’s production of John Patrick Shanley’s Savage in Limbo. The script, the cast, the direction, the performances, and the venue are all so perfectly in tune that the production inspires nothing but praise. [Read more...]
Theatre community mourns the loss of Gaurav Gopalan, Artist and Scientist
September 15, 2011 By 4 Comments
Gaurav Gopalan, an aeronautical engineer who brought boundless energy, a vigorous intellect and startling insight to theater in the Washington area, was found dead in Columbia Heights on Saturday, September 10. He was 35. No cause of death has been announced. [update posted here] [Read more...]
Fahrenheit 451
September 15, 2011 By 1 Comment
The cast of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” had a great year last year. Contracts, promotional tours, endorsements, and millions of adoring fans at their feet. What did the cast of “Jersey Shore” do to earn these accolades? They got on television. What do they do on television? They live. And the public lives off the spectacle and the promise of their own empty reality television fame. [Read more...]
Stop Kiss
September 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Who can predict what will happen the moment after a first kiss? Those tender, uncertain seconds can reveal worlds about the heart you’ve just touched. But they can also reveal the secret heart of the world around you — an unnerving notion at the core of Diana Son’s gentle, intelligent 1998 drama. [Read more...]
