The Young Playwrights’ Theater is a revelation. Originally founded by playwright Karen Zacarías seventeen years ago, YPT’s After-School Playwriting Program won the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award in 2010. That’s a pretty big deal given that the award was presented by First Lady, Michelle Obama at the White House.
The Miracle Worker
The Compass Rose Studio Theatre in Annapolis is the zealous undertaking of Lucinda Merry-Browne, who co-founded The Bay Theatre Company in Annapolis and was its Artistic Director and Managing Director for eight years. It is no small thing to start a theatre from scratch and build it up to a full-blown professional, Equity company. Obviously, […]
Laughter on the 23rd Floor
You want funny? Keegan Theatre has funny. Laughter on the 23rd Floor. They killed it, nailed it, knocked it out of the park.
A Christmas Carol
Paul Morella, backed by the Olney Theatre Center, has done something wonderful with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. He has taken it back to its roots by returning to the novella penned by Dickens in 1843 and brings it to life in the simplest possible terms. He tells the tale exactly as written, as Dickens himself […]
Our Town
There is magic afoot in Ellicott City, specifically at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park (PFI for short), often referred to simply as “The Ruins.” PFI, which once housed a girls’ boarding school, sits atop the highest hill in Ellicott City.
Dreamgirls
Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Baltimore pulls out all the stops with this production of Dreamgirls. From top to bottom, beginning to end, everything about it is larger than life. The vocal performances and musical production numbers are first-rate, sometimes dazzling.
Fela!
Fela! is all about the music and the tragically inspiring story of the legendary Nigerian musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Immensely stirring and emotional, it was a hit on Broadway, winning almost universal acclaim, and in 2010, Fela! was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won three (best choreography and best design in costume and sound.)
The Country Girl
In the very first scene of Clifford Odets’ The Country Girl, Frank Elgin (Brian Crane), is auditioning for a play. In the course of improvising a character, he says: “I have to like him or I can’t get inside him.” This single line of dialogue turns out to be a harbinger for all that follows.
F#@king Up Everything
Not everything at the Fringe Festival is “hungry” – produced on a dime for the sheer joy of creating live theatre. F#@king Up Everything (let’s call it FUE), in spite of what the title conjures up, comes to us with a list of support personnel that fills one entire page in the program. These folks […]
Open Hearts
Miriam Kulick is a mensch. Now I probably should not be using that term for a woman because I think it’s supposed to just be used for men. But here is the relevant definition as far as I’m concerned: “a person with the qualities one would hope for in a dear friend or trusted colleague.” […]
Live Broadcast
Last night, four very fine actors lit up the stage with some magnificent acting for two hours in John William Schiffbauer’s new play, Live Broadcast. I was riveted to my seat for every second of those two hours.
That’s What She Sang
Patrick M. Doneghy of the Dominion Stage had a good idea. Why not write a sketch about a gay men’s support group and use it as the platform to feature the men singing songs written for women? It’s the kind of fun, out of the ordinary thing theatre companies like to do from time to […]