Plays the devil made them write

There was once a kid who lived in Cottage City, Maryland.  In 1949, in fact.  Research says the boy—Ronnie Hunkeler—was very “off.”  A loner with classic anti-social traits, by all witnesses, he was a miscreant who enjoyed causing pain and anguish, going so far as occasionally torturing small animals, but his Swedish immigrant family was convinced the boy was demonically possessed.  [Read more...]

The Resurrectionist King, now being given active voice by Active Cultures, tells a pretty good story. Regrettably, it tells that story in the second Act, after the passage of forty-five tedious, predictable, unfunny minutes. The second Act is a moral boxing match on the subject of grave-robbing, a ghoulish practice essential to the teaching of anatomy. The first Act is the run-up to a failed lecture hall presentation. Which one do you think will be more interesting? [Read more...]

Active Cultures Theatre promotes original works set in the world around us.  Its latest production by Washington playwright Gwydion Suilebhan takes us to the U.S.S. Constellation, the famous 19^th century ship moored in Baltimore’s inner harbor.  [Read more...]

• Mad Breed
• By Jacqueline E. Lawton
• Directed by Juanita Rockwell
• Produced by Active Cultures Theatre
• Reviewed by Janice Cane

Mad Breed reminded me of the last time I greeted news of a brand-new play with a good deal of skepticism. I didn’t think one of my favorite books, a rich tapestry of complex characters and themes, would translate to the stage. Well, I was wrong-thank goodness, because Wicked is now one of my favorite musicals. [Read more...]

• Photograph 51              
• by Anna Ziegler                               � �                          
• Directed by Mary Resing
• Produced by Active Cultures Theatre  
• Reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson

DNA.  The combination of those three letters conjures up tales of science, double helixes, and countless CSI episodes.  The intriguing story of Photograph 51 is its exploration of how relationships may have played a role in the breakthrough discovery of the structure of DNA. Now, of course, that infamous double helix is so well-known, even a caveman, well, never mind.  Suffice it to say that understanding the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was tantamount to unlocking the secret of life.  [Read more...]