It was incredibly refreshing to watch the well-trained, well-rehearsed dancers of Bowen McCauley Dance in From the Ground Up. This was definitely not amateur hour. The company, based in Arlington, is the brainchild of Lucy Bowen McCauley, a veteran of a variety of ballet and modern groups, brings an airy, lyrical quality to modern dance.

It might be tempting to never leave the environs of Fort Fringe, but, forget that and make the trek up to Jin Lounge just north of U street for Shaina Lynn’s engaging one-woman show Bayou Blues, and you won’t be disappointed.  

So, full disclosure: I am kind of a history nerd.  Which is why I was delighted to see that Old Time British Music Hall is an attempt to recreate the principal form of working-class entertainment in pre-TV-and-radio Britain for a modern audience.  

Thais the Whore is a Catholic saint who began as a celebrated courtesan of 4th Century Egypt.  She was converted to Christianity by a zealous monk who locked her in a convent cell and essentially left her to die, all the while praying for her soul. 

If you loved choose-your-own-adventure stories as a kid, Lore is the show for you.