- WSC Avant Bard took a receptive audience to the bars, cafes and performance spaces of Zurich, Switzerland, in the time immediately following the First World War, in author Allyson Currin’s Caesar and Dada.  Backstage at the Theatre for Truth, the temperamental and imperious Swiss director Franz (James Konicek), a realist; the sensitive, war-damaged British stage designer Alfred (David Bryan Jackson), part futurist and part classicist; and a multinational Eurocast representing other philosophical dispositions, attempt to rehearse and stage a “Julius Caesar” attuned to the discordant times in which they find themselves. [Read more...]

Sept 3, 2011 — This year, as in years past, DCTS goes to the Kennedy Center to look at some of the plays in development at the Page-to-Stage Festival. These are mostly plays in some intermediate stage of their gestation (although excerpts from the two Signature musicals which are debuting later this month are part of Monday’s lineup). They’re usually read from music stands by actors for the first time in front of live audiences. Thus they cannot sensibly be reviewed. It’s fun to watch and talk about them, though, so that’s what we’ll do in the rest of this article and in an article on Monday’s shows (there’s just one show on Sunday, Faction of Fool’s Carlos v. Carlos, which runs between 6 and 8:30 p.m.).

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(l-r) Chris Stezin, Mario Baldessari and Michael Skinner listen to audience feedback.

- The fact is that life, as all good comedy writers know, is funny, and we have, in DC, two writers who are very good at showing just how funny we all are. They are Mario Baldessari and Chris Stezin, and I hope you get to see their play Best Men very soon.

In Saturday’s reading, presented by Charter Theater’s First Draft, they stepped into the two lead roles themselves. Clark (Stezin) and Baldessari (Warren), best friends long ago, are reunited, most improbably, in a hospital waiting room. Clark’s wife is dying of cancer and he is waiting for the latest report from her doctor (Michael Skinner). Clark’s an angry man whose version of male bonding is a forceful ‘Hug it out’ followed by hearty thumps on the back, anathema to the timid, tentative Warren. The writers have planted plenty of laughs through much of this one act which even makes sense of a screwy fight scene as Clark, who wants nothing better than to punch Warren, explains he can’t because “straight guys can’t hit gay guys or it’s a hate crime”. They finally end up fighting their way through a series of lies, and back onto the river bank where their friendship ended twenty years ago.

The writers haven’t quite solved the last fifteen minutes of the play, but they’re close.  - from Lorraine Treanor

- American Ensemble Theater’s Martin Blank attracted a good crowd to see the staged reading of his new play, Closing Time. At Jennifer’s Bar and Grill – a New York hangout for theater artists – there is no wait-staff, only future actors. When manager Kevin (Anthony van Eyck), nervous as he awaits his audition for a Natalie Portman movie, punches young waiter Duncan (Slice Hicks), Duncan will settle for nothing short of seeing Kevin fired – despite warnings from Duncan’s lover, the bartender Stephanie (Jennifer Speerstra). There is a lot of very funny dialogue in this piece, not the least of which is the hilarious description of the movie for which Kevin is auditioning. (Perhaps Blank should flesh out that script, too!) Laura Giannarelli gave a terrific read as the though-as-nails restaurant owner, and I was once again reminded that Slice Hicks is one of the most ingratiating actors in Washington.  - from Tim Treanor

- Stephen Spotswood has begun to establish a sort of underground reputation as one of the Washington area’s best new playwrights, and his When the Stars Go Out, brought to the Festival by Bright Alchemy Theatre, is the best Spotswood work I have seen. (Bright Alchemy works on plays collaboratively, so the play is credited thus: “most of the words by Stephen Spotswood.” To the extent that others were involved in the creation of this work, kudos to them too).

Naomi (Megan Reichelt) is a top-of-the-line physicist who is afflicted with severe anxiety. Her pregnancy has operated to deny her access to her usual anti-anxiety medications – particularly unfortunate, since her husband, the astronaut Michael (Lee Liebeskind) is on a mission to the outer reaches of the solar system and is incommunicado for 186 days. The 186 days have passed and she’s heard nothing, and so her anxiety – supplemented by a tragedy involving her good friend Esteban (Brandon Mitchell) – is through the roof, despite the calming efforts of a smart intern (Alison Talvacchio) and the less-calming efforts of Naomi’s mother (Gwen Grastorf).

The story is exciting and touching in turn, and nicely explores the issues surrounding our basic fear, especially the big one: death. There were excellent reads throughout this production, particularly by Reichelt. Bright Alchemy has scheduled a workshop at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, but, honestly, this one’s almost there.  - from Tim Treanor

- Wandering Souls brings free performances to communities which otherwise might not be able to see theatre, such as shelters, nursing homes, and detention centers . Reflections: Plays from Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital is their first community-driven work, founder Becky Peters told us. This series of short plays dealt mostly with addictions to alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes, and monologues on depression, happiness, and hope. The next step is to continue the writing process, preparing for an oct 1 opening night at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, with additional performances through October. More information is here. - from Lorraine Treanor 

Page-to-Stage continues through Monday, Sept 4, 2011. Click here for a sortable guide to the Festival.