A man wanders onstage, a mad look above his riotous beard. Another man comes on, petrified with fear, not seeing the disturbing maniac. With lightning speed, the bearded man pounces and tears a massive gash in his victim’s neck. Blood shoots everywhere while the cannibal gargles his hideous laugh, gore oozing down his gullet.
Think Before You Holla (Capital Fringe review)
Ally Theatre Company’s second-ever production is radically different from the first, Miz Martha Washington, a darkly comedic historical play. Conceived and directed by Taylor Reynolds from art series, social media, and conversations with friends, Think Before You Holla is decidedly modern. This devised play is made up of a series of snapshots, monologues, and brief scenes, […]
My Lack of a Social Life (Capital Fringe review)
Douglas Stafford is a very talented juggler. If that is an interest of yours, if you like juggling, and you’ve got an hour, then you may like this show. Stafford is pretty good as a magician. If you like sleight of hand, or watching a man swallow a balloon, then you may like this show. […]
Numesthesia (Capital Fringe review)
“Torture numbers,” author Gregg Easterbrook once wrote, “and they’ll confess to anything.” David S. Kessler, a masterful storyteller aided by onstage musicians and projections in his new show, Numesthesia, takes a decidedly kinder approach and allows them to speak for themselves.
There Ain’t No More (Capital Fringe review)
Willie Carlisle is an astonishing performer, and if I were only reviewing his performance of mountain folk music, I’d recommend this show with the entirety of my full heart. Guitar, banjo, squeeze box, and fiddle: Carlisle brings each instrument to life as they accompany a rustic voice that catches in the right places on songs […]
The Changeling Child (Capital Fringe review)
A marketing company might have taken The Coil Project’s The Changeling Child and instead titled it A Midsummer Night’s Dream – The Next Generation. That title better conveys the substance and kitschy charm of a lesser sequel to Shakespeare’s famous comedy now entertaining Capital Fringe audiences.
Help Me, Wanda!
Toni Rae Salmi is an actor seen frequently on DC stages, most recently “enjoyably grand” in Perfect Arrangement at Source Festival. In Help Me, Wanda!, she belts out a rockin’ song list—much of it tunes made famous by the “Queen of Rockabilly,” Wanda Jackson. Backed by a four-member band upstairs at Solly’s Tavern, Salmi also weaves through her […]
Proper Care of the Peace Lily (Capital Fringe review)
There are no absolutes in Proper Care of the Peace Lily. In this 100 minute performance, everything exists in relation: analogies, power differentials, and those actual familial relations that define our self-worth for the rest of our lives. An interesting concept for a one man show set in the vacuum of space. Amanda Brenner reviews for […]
The Regulars (Capital Fringe review)
By far the best show I have seen at Fringe so far this year, The Regulars will have you laughing in your seat, squealing at insider “DC” jokes and dancing in the aisles, (Really, be prepared. They will ask you to dance.) Nicole Hertvik reviews for DC Metro Theater Arts
Dancing Through Life…By the Way (Capital Fringe review)
Dancing Through Life…By the Way is a one-man show starring Christopher Bennett. No director is credited in the Playbill, but it appears that Mr. Bennett did the majority of the heavy lifting here. He was supported by Ray Azucena, Jan Austin, Ulrich Norbisrath, and Jayden Reed. More a synthesis of storytelling and busting a move than […]
Exit, Pursued by a Bear (Capital Fringe review)
Exit, Pursued by a Bear, produced by Barabbas Theatre for their 2017 CapFringe entry and directed by Kevin O’Connell, is a welcome DC introduction to Lauren Gunderson’s pithy, ratatat meta riff on Shakespearean themes of revenge washed through the modern understanding of the psychological horrors of domestic abuse. Erin Teachman reviews for DC Metro Theater Arts
Orson the Magnificent – The Magic of Orson Welles (Capital Fringe review)
You probably know Orson Welles for Citizen Kane and War of the Worlds, but did you know he was also an accomplished magician? In Orson the Magnificent, consummate showman Lars Klores takes audiences on an utterly enjoyable ride through Welles’ lifelong love of illusions, laced with awe-inspiring tricks and a captivating history of magicians in America.