Ah, the 1%. If you can’t join ‘em, berate ‘em. That’s the thought behind Theresa Rebeck’s cynical, screwball-funny, comedic bed-hopping The Way of the World, a fresh adaptation of William Congreve’s equally contemptuous 1700 Restoration comedy of manners that skewered the lifestyles of the rich and aimless.
Creating the intimate Antony and Cleopatra at Folger Theatre
Prior to my review of the Folger’s production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, I spoke with director Robert Richmond and set designer Tony Cisek about the dramatic transformation of the theatre space, and with Cleopatra herself, Shirine Babb, about what this intimate relationship with the audience means for her performance.
Antony and Cleopatra’s romance is the central focus at Folger (review)
Folger Theatre is transformed dramatically for their production of Antony and Cleopatra, and that dramatic transformation also applies to the play itself. Thus is one of Shakespeare’s denser, layered and difficult late plays largely reborn, stripped of most of the oratory, with the title characters’ self-destructive passion placed front and center. The love affair sizzles, […]
Next season, Bedlam is back as Folger twists the classics
Folger Theatres’ 2017-18 season, announced yesterday morning, will be full of plays by the usual gang: Shakespeare, Congreve, Shaw. But not everything will seem familiar.
Shakespeare’s rarely seen Timon of Athens at Folger (review)
It was a brave man who first et an oyster, Jonathan Swift once wrote. Maybe so, but not nearly as brave as someone who seeks to stage Timon of Athens, which could otherwise be known as “Shakespeare with Writer’s Block.” When ranking Shakespeare’s plays, most people agree that Timon is the rankest, but director Robert […]
Falling for As You Like It at Folger (review)
Full of song, love, and laughter, As You Like It will sweep you off your feet. If you don’t love it at first sight, wait.
Daven Ralston adds musical flavor to Folger’s Cajun stew of an As You Like It
Actor and musician Daven Ralston glows when she talks about connecting with people through music. An accomplished pianist and violinist, Ralston is performing in Folger Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
The Second Shepherd’s Play from Folger Consort (review)
In a season full of holiday spectacle, the rarely performed The Second Shepherds’ Play stands out for its sweet simplicity. With only a small three-piece band of expert musicians and modest, yet effective, staging and design, director and adapter Mary Hall Surface and her cast create a gentle bit of Christmas magic that is uniquely […]
A high spirited Sense and Sensibility at Folger Theatre (review)
Are you an Elinor or a Marianne? We’d probably prefer to think of ourselves as Elinor (Maggie McDowell), gracious, restrained and noble in her suffering. But let’s face it, we probably more closely resemble Marianne (Erin Weaver), spontaneous and emotional, flinging herself higgledy-piggledy into everything from reading Shakespeare to romance.
Eric Tucker on his off-the-wall production of Sense and Sensibility at Folger Theatre
Eric Tucker is the Artistic Director of Bedlam, a theatre company in New York City “committed to the immediacy of the relationship between the actor and the audience,” creating works that “reinvigorate traditional forms” of theatre. They brought their four-actor, repertory versions of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Shaw’s Saint Joan to Olney Theatre Center in 2013. […]
My won’t-miss shows for this season
If you’re like me, you’ve already done your Christmas shopping, filled out your budget for the next fiscal year, and made arrangements for your final repose after The Event Which Awaits Us All occurs. Now it’s time for something much more difficult: planning your theater season.
Aaron Posner on District Merchants, his irreverent spin on Merchant of Venice
Aaron Posner is everywhere this season. With productions of Stupid Fucking Bird popping up in theatres all across America, and a few Helen Hayes and Barrymore Awards in both writing and directing categories, there’s a pun or two to be made about the playwright being a feather in the cap of the Washington theatre community.