Andrew White - Page 5

The Washington Stage Guild has finally had the opportunity to stage D. W. Gregory's searing study of innocence, hardened cynicism and totalitarian self-delusion, 'Memoirs of a Forgotten Man.' In spite of the long hiatus from its premiere four years ago (pre-COVID), the play continues to challenge us, throwing the mirror up to our flawed natures.

Recently, CATF supporters gathered to hear one of playwright Chisa Hutchinson's latest pieces, a radio drama that was co-produced with the Vermont's Dorset Theatre Festival. Over a fine, inventively crafted lunch at one of Shepherdstown's newest restaurants, Alma Bea (near the railroad tracks, just a couple blocks from the town's main drag), we were all given headphones and were instantly immersed in a tense, emotionally-wrenching drama 'Redeemed.'

Last night, the Sidney Harman Theatre was just sitting there, minding its own business. Who knew it would be invaded by a small squadron of lawyers, hell-bent on mayhem, in a full-frontal assault on the integrity of one of Shakespeare's most innocent (if naïve) characters?

If there were any doubt in your mind that theatre is back, as thrilling and death-defying as ever, make your plans now to see Synetic Theatre’s take on the old Italian classic “Servant of Two Masters.”  Fasten your seat belts, you’ll be on a roller-coaster of virtuosity, wordless and breathless, for a solid hour and a half. 

It's a new day in Shepherdstown, indeed; after a 2-year hiatus from live theatre, the Contemporary American Theater Festival is returning with a panoply of performances to choose from: six fascinating plays, workshops and coffees with the artists, and a cabaret or two to complement the mainstage events.

Any time you can spend with a master storyteller is time well spent; and when the storyteller is Psalmayene 24, you know you're in for a rewarding, though-provoking evening. This time, digging into his past, with all the joys and pain that growing up involves, audiences can look forward to a performance that is by turns dazzling, drop-dead hilarious, but with moments of darkness that remain all too familiar.

When we first enter the Mulitz-Gedelsky Theater Lab at Olney, we see a thrust stage decked out with a wide variety of Victorian-style bric-a-brac, strategically tossed about by Scenic Designer Jacob A. Climer. Forget the tree and the lights, forget the boxes with tacky wrapping, I’ll take the pile of stuff here any time--it's Christmas all over again! 

The scenes in Birds unfold over a decade in the life of father and daughter, marked by accumulating leaves and, of course, accumulating tensions, as each of them face moments of crushing disappointment, binoculars in hand, alternately consoling and infuriating each other.

'The Picnics: A Nitwit Dyptich,' makes a perfect dessert to an evening of binge-watching your favorite historical drama, a perfect hors-d'oeuvre before diving into that meaty documentary series. At 14 minutes, it's also just the right, bite-size for a mid-day snack. Which is, actually, kinda what it's about...

It’s time to get out, people.  I mean, let’s face it – you can only get by for so long on Disney+ or Netflix before you want a taste of living flesh—er, live theatre. With their production of 'And Then There were None,' Kensington Arts Theatre has got a great evening out – if you don’t mind the occasional gunshot, offstage shrieks, or bodies lying around.  Great fun, I’d say.

Bethesda's own Quotidian Theatre, which has been a true labor of love and art, after nearly 25 years on the D.C. theatre scene, is making an appropriately subtle, and grand, exit. Horton Foote's intensely psychological drama, The Day Emily Married, is a piece that Artistic Director Jack Sbarbori famously brought to life, staging its world premiere and making Quotidian's reputation at the same time. His relationship with Foote has been a hallmark of Quotidian's work, and it's easy to see why.

How He Lied to Her Husband is a charming, 40-minute diversion which will enliven any home, and should be at the top of your to-watch list for this weekend.  Available only until Sunday night (per hyper-strict Equity guidelines), it features three of DC’s great talents and offers us a tantalizing glimpse of what kind of fare the Washington Stage Guild will serve up, live and onstage, come the Fall. 

Director Meierjohann has choreographed Juliet Stevenson’s movements through a space as palpable as it is imaginary. The quality of the sound recording is so acute that you know exactly where she is at every moment. Stevenson’s performance is a marvel as she careens from the soothing, caring, den-mother to a shrieking, blood-soaked avenging angel, unafraid of what she has to do to survive.

Step into Happenstance Theater’s dreamscape; enjoy the lush colors and charm of their short film, “A Rose for Ergensburg.” Devised by company founders Mark Jaster and Sabrina Selma Mandell, with Sharon Crissinger as its eagle-eyed cinematographer and co-author, you will encounter a world of the past--but surprisingly contemporary.

Playright Psalmayene 24’s contribution to Arena Riffs is “The Freewheelin’ Insurgents,” a day in the life of four actors as they cope with the pandemic and the forces arrayed against them, both as artists and African-Americans.

For now, we will have to settle for the Zoom version of 'Initiative' – that’s how the D20 rolls these days. But it would be positively criminal if it weren’t eventually staged by a company as multi-talented as Flying V. Your imagination is the key—which come to think of it is rather the point of live theatre, no matter which medium it uses to reach out to you.

Soon – and very soon, we hope – we will all be able to gather together at Synetic’s subterranean theatre in Crystal City and thrill to their latest exploits. But for as long as we may have to wait, Synetic’s streaming service is a gift, and a great way to introduce newcomers to their unique, invaluable artistry.

Morella’s work as the adaptor/director/performer in this piece practically needs no introduction, and his comfort with the material enables him to switch characters and voices with ease. And Olney Theatre Center has teamed up with Chiet Productions, whose camera work enables us to experience Morella’s wonderful work in entirely new ways.

With their first audio effort, Kings, Studio demonstrates the versatility of Studio’s roster of actors and sound designers.  Director Marti Lyons, already a Helen Hayes award winner, establishes her chops in a purely audio medium, and demonstrates the theatre community’s ability to turn on a dime and produce a classic form of entertainment as if they were to the manner born.  Stuff like this is truly heartening.

Starting this Friday, July 10, the artists at Synetic have found the answer to your summer doldrums, which are now magnified beyond endurance by social-distancing rules: a series of video vignettes inspired by the ultimate in pandemic lit, Giovanni Boccaccio's a?oeDecameron.a??