On March 20, 1973, Charles Goodrich, handsome, arrogant and rich, told Katherine Stoddard – who had believed, to that point, that they were man and wife – that their marriage was a fraud, that he was going to marry another woman, and that she needed to leave the premises which she had previously thought was […]
Gift of Forgotten Tongues
Have you ever wondered how much of our culture and civilization is shaped by language? That’s one of many interesting themes in the world premiere of Gift of Forgotten Tongues by Fengar Gael at Venus Theatre. Gael is the talented playwright whose Devil Dog Six gave Venus Theatre a major bright spot in last year’s […]
Love means always hurling the F word in Grieving for Genevieve
If you want a sweet, quiet, sedate time at the theater, keep driving up the highway, because this ain’t it. Grieving for Genevieve is a shot of adrenaline where three rambunctious sisters are thrown back together, for better or worse, to deal with the middle sister’s upcoming wedding.
Following Sarah
Imagine a female Dead Poets Society without the encouraging teacher where “carpe diem” is replaced by “living in the moment.” Following Sarah is skillfully written by Baltimore playwright Rich Espey, who works in themes ranging from the proper role of parents to the value of Buddhist philosophy, and Venus Theatre makes creative use of monitors to display footage […]
Venus Offers a Season Full of World Premieres
Venus Theatre, the Laurel, Maryland troupe which specializes in plays about the experiences of women, will offer a four-play season in 2013 in which three of the works are world premieres, the company has announced.
Claudie Hukill
The easiest way to shatter your notions of a person is to actually meet him. Sometimes, this is a positive thing: someone who you presumed to be a jerk turns out to be friendly. Sometimes, it goes the other way: nice guys/girls turn out to be cretins. Either way, meeting someone makes that person human. […]
Devil Dog Six
The newest up-and-coming sports star headed for greatness with proper handling is not RGIII, but DD6. That’s Devil Dog Six, the name of a young thoroughbred horse, and he needs the understanding and care of a young female jockey. Can she overcome injuries, workplace sexism, and even voodoo magic to win the big race? That’s […]
Punk Rock Mom
What do you do when the black eyeliner fades, the safety pins tarnish, and everyone—not just Johnny Rotten—is pretty vacant?
A Girl Named Destiny
We have all had the experience of passing an attractive person on the street. While you or I might let the memory go after a minute or two, for Joe, she was the girl of his dreams and he becomes obsessed with finding her. Playwright Rand Higbee takes the idea to comic extremes in this […]
The Stenographer
Perhaps the philandering professor is a dramatic cliché. Perhaps a professor who is angst-ridden and self-absorbed is just as much a dramatic cliché. And perhaps, just perhaps, the professor as a character is just a dramatic cliché, period. Perhaps. On the other hand, when a play features a formerly philandering, angst-ridden and self-absorbed professor bringing […]
A professor, a stripper and Dostoevsky – preparing for The Stenographer
Greek playwright Zoe Mavroudi entrusts the world premiere of her new play to Venus Theatre Two strangers sharing a private room over drinks might not typically turn to talk of “Crime and Punishment.” But this is no ordinary evening, and, for Venus Theatre, The Stenographer is no ordinary play. Written as one scene, told in real-time between […]
Venus at the crossroads
Deb Randall is at a personal and artistic crossroads. As founder and artistic director of Venus Theatre, she has kept the company alive, pretty much on her own, for ten years. Staging plays written, produced and directed by women in a small space at 21 C Street in Laurel’s historic downtown area—where she’s been since […]