The Chairs By Eugene Ionesco Directed by Robert McNamara Produced by Scena Theatre Reviewed by Rosalind Lacy Blinding light floods the stage and the walls of the castle tower. An illustrious fanfare accompanies the opening of the upstage double doors. Surprise: nothing is there because an imaginary emperor is standing there. After what seems like […]
Archives for February 2008
Mid-Season Visits to the Lower Depths and the High Life
by Richard Seff, NY Theatre Buzz columnist Unconditional, Tribute to Musicals Songwriters, Passing Strange and Elizabeth McCann
Major Barbara
Major Barbara Written by George Bernard Shaw Directed by Ethan McSweeny Produced by Shakespeare Theater Company Reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson It’s starting to feel like a Shaw love-fest. Here he is again. This time it’s Major Barbara at the exquisitely designed Sidney Harman Hall of the Shakespeare Theater, directed by Ethan McSweeny, a hometown […]
The Bremen Musicians . A Musical
The Bremen Musicians Adapted and Directed by Nicholas Allen Music by John Milosich Produced by Classika Theatre Reviewed by Hunter Kieserman I was very excited to see the world premiere of the musical The Bremen Musicians at Classika Theater. I was familiar with the popular folktal, the story of a Donkey whose only goal in […]
The Story of the Lost Sock
The Story of the Lost Sock Original Story, Music and Lyrics by Petko Kolev Play Written and Directed by Lilia Slavova Puppets and Design by Julia Tasheva Produced by Classika Theatre Reviewed by Hunter Kieserman On the heels of their successful production of The Snow Child, I was happy to return to Classika Theatre to […]
My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy
My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy Created and Performed by Steve Solomon Directed by John Bowab Produced by Nederlander of Bethesda, LLC for the Bethesda Theatre Reviewed by Steven McKnight The charm of Steve Solomon’s My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy is that a show centered upon […]
Nominations for the Helen Hayes Awards Announced
by Joel Markowitz Feb 25 — The 2008 Helen Hayes Awards nominations were announced by President and CEO Linda Levy Grossman tonight at the Gallery of The National Theatre. She told a standing room only crowd that 189 productions met the eligibility requirements for the Awards, and a record 149 nominated artists and productions were named in […]
Cookin’ at the Cookery, Take 2
Cookin’ at the Cookery Produced by MetroStage Revisited by Debbie Minter Jackson There’s always a bit of trepidation when a key cast member steps into a successful show. Audiences wonder how the show will be affected, may have concerns about different interpretations, altering how it’s “supposed” to be. In the case of Jackie Richardson who […]
The Hostage
The Hostage By Brendan Behan Directed by Mark Rhea Produced by The Keegan Theatre Reviewed by Tim Treanor The thing to understand about this wonderful production of The Hostage is that it begins as a comedy and ends as a tragedy. This same thing might be said about Irish theater as a whole, or life […]
Lost and Found
Lost & Foundling By Eric R. Pfeffinger Directed by Janet Stanford Produced by Imagination Stage Reviewed by Janice Cane The dark woods are so overdone as a scary-story setting that the forest has lost its fright. And kids these days don’t really wander around in the forest. So why not set a fairy tale in […]
All That I Will Ever Be
All That I Will Ever Be By Alan Ball Directed by Serge Seiden Produced by Studio Theater 2ndStage Reviewed by Janice Cane Which is worse-a play whose first act is stronger than its second, or vice versa? Is it better to be drawn into a story and then disappointed after intermission, or is it better […]
New Company in the Business of Works in Progress
Artist’s Bloc, a new nonprofit corporation which seeks to combine disciplines into original types of artistic presentations, holds its inaugural showing, 12 X 6, in the Atlas Performing Arts Center’s H Street space tonight.