Sing, Goddess, of the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles, the accursed rage that brought great suffering to the Achaeans. These cold winter nights are made for storytelling, for gathering in warm places and listening fervently to oft-told tales.
Studio Theatre’s An Iliad as seen by its director and performer
Nearly 3,000 years after Homer first penned and, possibly, performed The Iliad, co-authors Lisa Peterson and the actor Denis O’Hare created a solo play from Homer’s ode to larger than life warriors, Olympian gods and man’s weakness for violence. Their adaptation is an intimate theatrical piece which returns to the oral tradition of a poet […]
The Aliens
So called “Laureate of American lowlife” Charles Bukowski’s nostalgic poem “Two Toughs” revolves around a fleeting, golden moment when the sad sack narrator for once had the world at his feet. Bukowski’s world of flickering hope and quiet desperation gets a fitting tribute in The Aliens, Annie Baker’s challenging portrait of unexpected friendship, addiction, and […]
Ro Boddie – at home on stage and now television
The rest of the country is starting to notice Ro Boddie.
Dirt
Dirt. It’s in us, around us. We spend time, money and effort to reduce it or get rid of it. We also produce it. Heaps of trash crowd landfills, and serve as both food and an environment for rats, bugs and other dirty things.
Invisible Man
The stunning new adaptation of “Invisible Man” currently playing at Studio Theater brings Ralph Ellison’s legacy novel into a whole new light, including literally. A ceiling full of light bulbs rises upward or lowers ominously, lighting the stage and the main nameless character.
Extended runs at Keegan, Olney and Studio
Theatregoers are liking what they’ve seen this summer. Not only was Capital Fringe a success, box office demand at three theatres this August have earned their shows extended runs. You have just one more week to see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson at Studio Theatre. The company has announced its second, and final extension for the […]
Favorite contemporary plays from the 2011-2012 season
It’s time once again for my annual tribute to new plays and playwrights . These are the relatively recent original plays which made their area debut in the DC area during the 2011-2012 theatre season. Each of these plays brought me joy as an audience member and envy as an occasional writer.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
He’s the dude on the $20 bill, had the nickname “Old Hickory” (which referred to his orneriness, not, as the musical insinuates, his male organ) and helped create what is now known as the Democratic Party.
The Animals and the Children Took to the Streets
Suzanne Andrade’s The Animals and Children Took to the Streets is, as Monty Python once explained, something completely different. It’s not really a play, although it tells a story. It’s not really a musical, although it has music in it. And it’s not really animation or film, even though both elements are crucial to its […]
Bachelorette
At a pivotal point in Bachelorette, one character offers her take on the state of contemporary womanhood: “Age 12 is when you start to hate yourself.” It’s the closest the play ever comes to providing an origin story for the three miserable women at its center, and it manages to distill the key theme of […]
Studio announces its 2012-2013 megaseason
The return of Joy Zinoman directing a production of the Broadway hit 4,000 Miles will highlight a monster 12-production 2012-2013 season for Studio Theatre, the company announced this weekend.