When was the last time you saw a musical about regular working stiffs? In Keegan Theatre’s breezy new production of Working, an assortment of blue and white-collar Americans offer a timely, uplifting meditation on the daily grind and all the rewards and regrets that accompany any job. [Read more...]

It seems counterintuitive, given how grave a barrier “beyond a reasonable doubt” sounds, but nineteen out of twenty criminal jury trials end in conviction. Sometimes, of course, the facts are overwhelmingly persuasive but in many instances the jurors – that is to say, people like us – are guided by prejudice. I speak here not only of racial or gender assumptions but the common, ordinary reflexive judgments we make so that we don’t have to think too hard: a disinterested eyewitness will always tell the truth or the police would never manufacture evidence. [Read more...]

You want funny? Keegan Theatre has funny. Laughter on the 23^rd Floor. They killed it, nailed it, knocked it out of the park. [Read more...]

Matthew J. Keenan’s new play, An Irish Carol just opened at Keegan Theatre, has a gritty realism that is unmatched among the holiday fare now playing in the DC area; it’s as bracing as a shot of Bushmills, but not necessarily pleasing to those seeking something a bit milder.  [Read more...]

- – This play will probably always be part of the dramatic canon, because it tells a story that seems to repeat itself as often as summer rain.  From Socrates to Christ, to Jan Hus, to Dreyfus, to the unthought-of victims of countless purges and pogroms throughout history, the human story is full of such moments. – -
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Even if you know the story, saw the movie or an earlier production of Steel Magnolias, this iteration warrants a return visit, because it’s likely you haven’t seen an actual mother and daughter in the roles.  The casting adds a special charm and poignancy to the script, and it doesn’t hurt that both actresses are particularly good in their portrayals.  [Read more...]

It’s tough being a kid, and the pay is very low. You may have forgotten how it was to bear the sodden weight of your parents’ expectations while coping with the assault of the raging hormones, but book-writer Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn, who composed a witty upbeat score, did not, and neither has Keegan Theatre. That’s why their earnest, intimate, pleasing production of The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee earns my highest rating. [Read more...]