Faced with the sad decline of the American soap opera, where can a hungry populace turn for their daily fix of melodrama and overblown romance? It’s Opera Alterna to the rescue, offering up a slice of daytime drama with a classical twist in their inspired musical farce, Gallantry: a Soap Opera in One Act.
An Hour with Ken Johnson
Ken Johnson wants to teach you the secrets to his success. Unfortunately, he just isn’t that successful. This is the premise of Laura Zam’s play An Hour With Ken Johnson, which, just as unfortunately, is as unsuccessful as its main character.
The Foo Fah Show
Grubargs, an Eh, and a Berganoff, oh my! Unveiling a sequence of fairy tales peppered with the whimsical vernacular of Dr. Seuss, The Foo Fah Show celebrated the bare bones of the theatrical experience, where grandeur technical elements are replaced by human foley noises, a large Post-it pad covered in Crayola marker, and ultimately, the […]
At e-Geaux (beta), the message is Turn on your cell phone
An interview with e-Geaux (beta)’ s Joseph Price and Amy Couchoud Believe it or not, groundbreaking technology is making its world premiere at Capital Fringe. And Steve Jobs is nowhere to be seen. When e-Geaux (beta) producer Joseph Price told us he and his team had developed a brand new audience interaction app, linked to […]
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.
The Storehouse
At a time when US military presence around the globe falls under ever greater scrutiny, playwright Michael Silver begs the question “Can occupiers ever be truly accepted by the occupied?” Through the prism of a quiet Russian-occupied town in 1940’s-era Poland, Silver’s The Storehouse examines themes of national identity, forgiveness, and the utter futility of […]
Life Insurance
The prospect of death doesn’t seem very funny. Fraught with complications and impending doom, most people try to ignore the topic. Joel Jones, however, walks the fine line of morbid comedy with delightful ease in his solo performance, Life Insurance. Jones explores one highway fatality – seen from three perspectives – with great care in […]
Socrates the Lover
A true hero leads with great sacrifice. Jack Wassell, who plays Socrates in Socrates the Lover, epitomizes the character with a noble calling. His Socrates has a sharp, wielding power that is felt throughout the production. We gain a strong understanding for Socrates’ character in both the professional and personal realms.
261.626
“The key to this play is play” notes playwright and director John Sowalsky in the program for 261.626: A Re-Sounding Comedy. I think he sums it up quite nicely. 216 is playful without being thoughtless and spirited without being soulless. It’s fun, without being total fluff. Not too shabby!
Illuminate: A Martial Arts Experience
If Bruce Lee had played Lite-Brite as a youngster, Illuminate is the kind of show he may have conceived. Instead kudos go to Johnny Shryock, producer, director and composer of Illuminate, who performs with an incredible cast: Jamie Noguchi, Charles Shryock IV, Nick Oben, Mike Stahly, Brad Lust, and Zach Stahly. Together they wrote and […]
Assembly Required: Comedy A to Y
If you like Fringe shows that are off-the-wall, crazy, and involve embarrassing audience participation, Assembly Required: Comedy A to Y is the right show for you! Seen in last year’s Fringe in the very funny Assembly Required: How to Write, Produce, and Stage a Musical – the Musical, Brian Sutow and Joshua Morgan (of No […]
A Year of Living Dangerously
So an Orioles fan, a fireworks salesman, a theater critic, and a “Polar Bear” walk into a theater. Those trying to decipher this curious lineup won’t find a punch line, but rather an absorbing quartet of stories constituting Brent Englar’s A Year of Living Dangerously.