Andrew White - Page 8

Chandrika Tandon's song-cycle, Shivoyam-The Quest, which recently touched down at the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center, is part oratorio, part jam session, part spectacle, and organized around the many steps to enlightenment she experienced. It's not prescriptive-not a 'how to' manual, as much as a travelogue, with a number of beautiful stops along the way.

The setting for Richard Clifford's production of Amadeus, Peter Shaffer's classic, modern revenge tragedy could not be more skillfully assembled, and Clifford has created a taut, compelling evening for Folger audiences that remind us how shockingly contemporary the play's themes are.

Prologue Theatre is putting its own stamp on a play that has acquired a huge cult following over the years, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. Bristling with edgy, memorable performances, the cast takes you right back into the hell of those teenage years, when hurting people, both physically and emotionally, is done as casually as ordering a latte or chucking a tater tot across the cafeteria.

It won't be the novelty of these plays that will continue to draw us to Wilson's compelling portraits of the Hill District in Pittsburgh; it will be his indelibly drawn characters given new life by artists putting their own personal stamp on his work. August Wilson is meant to be savored live; he can't be contained in a damned DVD box. And with local heroes like Craig Wallace and Erika Rose as the headliners, it's not to be missed.

This production of Shakespeare's Othello has revelations galore, performed by an ensemble of actors whose comfort with the language and emotional power keep you riveted. Even if you've seen any number of Othello's beforea?'especially if you've seen a fewa?'the Riot Grrrls interpretation, as staged in the spartan Capitol Hill Arts Workshop space, gives vivid life to characters and speeches that usually get lost in the cavernous main stages across town.

With this production of Jitney you're not just watching a play; you are immersing yourself in Wilson's world. And what a rich world it is, with folks dropping in and out, gossiping, swiping at each other, arguing, plotting, dreaming. You come to know and love every one of them; that love, however, tempered by the realization that Death hovers over these men and women, biding its time and waiting to swoop down and snatch his prey.

Theatre Prometheus has taken over the Capital Hill Arts Workshop space for a couple weeks, and has done Adams proud. Director Chelsea Radigan has assembled a fine cast who gives Or, its best shot. Led by the assured, charismatic Dina Soltan as Behn, you get a taste of adventure, intrigue, sex (well, yeah, it's the 60's) and plots - of the 'bang bang, you're dead' variety, not just the drama kind.

Richard Byrne's latest effort, An Evening With Lola Montez, is as intricately-constructed a play and persona as you can possibly imagine, and actor Mary Murphy personifies to perfection the low-born Irish divorcée who became a sensation through little more than grit, and a determination to rise above her wretched circumstances.

With a little raunch and a lot of heart, If These Balls Could Talk! gives you a glimpse of the performer's life in the big city; it's a whirlwind tour, and well worth the ride. Valentino's charisma and her ease with the audience are wonderful, evidence that we indeed have a seasoned performer who knows her way around the warm lights downstage. She also generously brings audience members up onstage to be part of the fun-so come prepared for some good-humored ribbing with your entertainment!

Director Megan Behm has embraced the world of old French farce, and crafted a contemporary satire that is as frenetic and slap-stick as it is wickedly witty. Minnicino's rhyming couplets constantly leave you gasping for breath with laughter, and every single member of the cast has honed their characters to their sharpest comic edge. There isn't a moment, a word, or a gesture wasted, and the way the actors literally throw themselves into their roles is a pure joy to watch.

Can a show about death and dying leave you dancing in the aisles? Well, actually it can - and blowing bubbles and tossing beach balls in the air, too. Fur real. Just come on down to Bethesda's Writer's Center for Flying V Theatre's latest offering, New York playwright Young Jean Lee's We're Gonna Die. Flying V company member Farrell Parker takes you on a young woman's gut-wrenching journey, punching back at every piece of rotten luck that comes her way.

Scena Theatre's artistic director, Robert McNamara, offers us a fresh look at some of Pinter's sparsely-written, tightly-plotted dramas-- and the American stage premiere of the postumous 'The Pres and the Officer,' which anticipates (sadly) the misrule of our current Commander in Chief.

Maryland's own Rude Mechanicals have taken on a Chekhov classic and infused it with the irony and wry humor that-believe it or not-were just what Dr. Chekhov ordered. His play Uncle Vanya, set in a provincial farm and featuring a wide variety of clumsy, maladroit characters, is given a warm, funny, and tremendously sympathetic production.

The idea of a spectacle dedicated to global warming might seem slight, with all the charm of a 3rd grade play featuring your neighbor's daughter in a polar bear suit; but Dehlholm's careful work, rooted in both the science of climate change and the raw emotions of a natural world in flux, aims high and generally hits its mark.

The performance of Alison Luff in the title role is nothing short of miraculous; her transformation from a trash-talking orange-monger to a star of the stage is unforgettable, and for theatre-goers to neglect this rare gem would border on criminal negligence.

Timothy Douglas' production of Wilson's Gem of the Ocean is as rich an experience as you could possibly ask for; set at the turn of the twentieth century, it offers a lesson in the trials of Pittsburgh's African-American community at a pivotal time in the Hill district's history. More importantly, it is an examination of a violent, exploitative past from which we, as a nation, have yet to emerge.

Sheila and Moby is a Flying V classic, and a surprisingly layered, complex look at the messy business of growing up - whether you think you have or not.

Teatro El Publico's production of Petra von Kant, which regrettably only saw two performances at the Kennedy Center's Family Theatre, is both a thoughtful exploration of humanity and a classic actor's vehicle. Featuring leggy poseurs, lavish costumes, wild hairstyles (thanks to a small vault's worth of wigs), the show is a fascinating character study, and a showcase for some of Cuba's most brilliant theatrical talent.

Serene in his knowledge of what he has done, and why he had to do it, Jon Hudson Odom's performance of Nat Turner never wavers; the man is determined to die the death of a martyr-unrepentant, unafraid, certain of his reward.

Flying V's 'Jonathan Coulton' delivers a rich evening of songs delivered with passion and more than a touch of wry-to-broad humor. A perfect antidote to those mid-winter blues!