In describing the DC theatre scene to friends around the country, I emphasize the depth and diversity of the offerings here. That point is brought home each year when I look back on the season, particularly the new and original works which debuted in the DC area. [Read more...]
All posts by Steven McKnight:
Favorite New Plays debuted this season
August 10, 2010 By 6 Comments
In describing the DC theatre scene to friends around the country, I emphasize the depth and diversity of the offerings here. That point is brought home each year when I look back on the season, particularly the new and original works which debuted in the DC area. [Read more...]
Stella Morgan
August 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Stella is your average Belfast Catholic working class woman. She worries about her son, Thomas, takes care of her two cats, and listens to dead people for a living. While that makes her the more interesting of the two characters performing interlocking monologues in a bare bones setting at Church Street Theatre, this one act character study may not be enough to attract an audience to Stella Morgan. [Read more...]
Some personal reflections on the Fringe
July 26, 2010 By 9 Comments
While there are numerous awards for Fringe productions, I would like to honor some individual and group performances that made the 2010 Capital Fringe Festival a memorable experience for me. However, I only saw 27 productions (i.e., only 20% of the 132 total) so please chip in with your own comments on who should receive these awards or, better yet, create some award categories yourself and name the deserving recipients. [Read more...]
How the Money Goes
July 24, 2010 By 1 Comment
Although Theatre of the Absurd is often associated with mid-twentieth century European writers, How the Money Goes is a relatively new (2008) absurd comedy from American playwright Robert Cousins. While it receives a spirited production from a talented troupe from the University of Maryland’s Theatre Department, the work is ultimately a little too sprawling to provide a satisfying experience. [Read more...]
Another Picnic at the Asylum
July 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Angela Neff grew up in a large family with a larger than life father. Unfortunately, his exploits which stemmed from a bi-polar disorder became increasingly destructive and eventually led to hospitalizations, divorce, and suicide. [Note: that’s not a spoiler, it’s in the program.] Writer-performer Neff gives a descriptive solo presentation of scenes from her life, but leaves out too much of her own feelings and insights for the story to be as affecting as it could be. [Read more...]
Letters to Clio – Part II, Margarita
July 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Few nightmares rival those of a parent whose child has gone missing, even if that child is a young adult. Yet this nightmare was far too common in Argentina during the 1970s following a military coup as police frequently picked up young people suspected of being anti-government subversives. Writer-performer Jennifer S. Jones chooses this setting for Letters to Clio – Part II, Margarita, the second in her international series about the voices of suffering women. [Read more...]
Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite
July 20, 2010 By 2 Comments
If you have ever suffered through an interminably bad recital or talent show, you may be a little nervous about attending Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite. But go anyway. The show is a nice comic vehicle for two former Wesleyan University students (who look much younger) and one of the better comic offerings of The Capital Fringe Festival. [Read more...]
Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending
July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Having witnessed countless Shakespearean takeoffs that were both intentionally funny (e.g., the Reduced Shakespeare Company) and unintentionally funny (a country-western version of Romeo and Juliet comes painfully to mind), my expectations were uncertain for Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending. Yet the ability of theatre to surprise, astound, and amuse is again demonstrated by this charmingly hilarious production. [Read more...]
Freud Meets Girl
July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
In the darkness, an agitated man tells a woman in a white coat that he’s not sure about therapy. An interesting start, given that the man is David Freud, great-great-grandson of “the other one,” Sigmund Freud. To learn how the characters reached this point, the story moves back in time, a journey in which the audience willingly joins for the intriguing Freud Meets Girl. [Read more...]
The Playwright Zone
July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The Playwright Zone is reminiscent of the Source Festival: five short plays (all written by John Becker) lasting about an hour. [Although the plays are framed by the theme music from The Twilight Zone, there is no special significance to this title.] [Read more...]









