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Honey Brown Eyes
written by Stefanie Zadravec
directed by Jessica Lefkow
produced by Theater J
reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson

Ethnic cleansing.  Serbians and Croatians. Sarajevo.   There was a time, not long ago when these terms and names were as unfamiliar as ancient languages or distant planets.  It wasn’t long before everyday Americans got a crash course in world geography when pictures of families trudging along the countryside filled the airwaves.  The world premiere Honey Brown Eyes brings that world up close and personal, explosive and disturbingly real. (more…)

Without You I’m Nothing

• by Sandra Bernhard and John Boskovich
• produced by Theater J
• reviewed by Janice Cane

Theater J’s website warns that Sandra Bernhard’s solo show, starting off a new tour here in the nation’s capital, is not for the easily offended. Indeed. And it’s certainly not for Republicans, of whom there were probably few in Thursday night’s audience, anyway. She has some good lines-putting on a pair of Palin-esque glasses and proclaiming “I eat moose raw” (more…)

• David in Shadow and Light
• Libretto by Yehuda Hyman . Music by Daniel Hoffman
• Musical Direction by George Fulginiti-Shakar
• Choreography by Peter DiMuro and Shula Strassfeld of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange
• Directed by Nick Olcott
• Produced by Theater J
• Reviewed by Steven McKnight

The idea behind David in Shadow and Light, updating the story of the Biblical  charismatic yet flawed leader, has promise.  The life of David is surely grist for an epic musical and Jesus Christ Superstar demonstrated the potential for using contemporary musical theatre conventions and selective anachronisms to tell a Biblical story.   Regrettably, the world premiere of David in Shadow and Light has an underdeveloped script that veers wildly from camp to melodrama, with too much of the production having the feel of an extended skit.    (more…)

• Priceless Moments with Robert Prosky, Andrew and John Prosky and Leisa Mather
• By Joel Markowitz

These interviews take us inside the hearts and minds of each of the play’s characters to examine the intricacies of Arthur Miller’s The Price: (more…)

 

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Theater J  receiveed the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline Monday night at the 23rd Annual Mayor’s Awarts Awards. Studio Theatre was nominated in the same category.  Catalyst Theatre received two nominations: Innovation in the Arts and Outstanding Emerging Artist.  The ceremony, which honored performing artists throughout the city, was presented at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall as part of the Millenium Series. To view the presentations and performances, including a scene from The Price, click here.

• The Price
• by Arthur Miller
• Directed by Michael Carleton
• Produced by Theater J
• Reviewed by Rosalind Lacy

Rarely will you see such effortless, natural acting as in Theater J’s The Price, which draws you in and ambushes you with profound questions. What’s the cost of our choices?  How can you put a price on the past? The confrontation with Arthur Miller’s uncomfortable insights into the lives of ordinary people merit deeply-realized acting and the Prosky team deliver some priceless moments that easily hit the peaks and dips in this rich tapestry of a play. (more…)

• 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother
• By Kate Moira Ryan with Judy Gold
• Produced by Theater J
• Reviewed by Janice Cane

In Judy Gold’s world, selecting a sperm donor is like ordering Chinese food over the phone-you choose a dish, make a few substitutions, and dutifully recite your credit card number. And that’s why Judy Gold’s world is worth stepping into for an hour and a half at Theater J. Quite simply, she’s hilarious. (more…)

Accident

• Written and performed by Amy Ziff
• Produced by Theater J at Studio Theatre 2ndStage
• Reviewed by Ronnie Ruff.

Ok…. sorry to say but DC Favorite Amy Ziff is dead. The poor gal slipped in the tub and had a run in with a very sharp straight razor. Smoothly shaved legs have never cost so much.  As Amy awaits her destiny before the Supreme Being, she shares with us her anxieties about her future. Will she go north to visit with her grandmother or will she end up where all dead rock stars go, a bit further south?  Lucky for us the tally is displayed on a large video screen behind Ms. Ziff with enough techy PowerPoint special effects to make it very funny. Such is the plot of Ziff’s one woman show, Accident, the first in Theater J’s Incubator Series, which has a polished, very finished feel. Rebecca  Asher directs the piece. (more…)