Megan Behm

What did our critic think of 46 PLAYS FOR AMERICA'S FIRST LADIES AT NEXTSTOP THEATRE COMPANY at NextStop Theatre Company?

NextStop Theatre Company has announced their tenth professional season of theater in Northern Virginia. The company's first full season since the start of the pandemic will feature a wide assortment of titles ranging from beloved classics to bold new area premieres.

The compelling story of Ada Lovelace is back at Avant Bard Theater after being postponed due to the pandemic for nearly two years. Ada and the Engine by Lauren Gunderson runs approximately two hours and is set in the midst of the British Industrial Revolution surrounding Ada (Dina Soltan), a young scientist/mathematician, and Charles Babbage (Matthew Pauli), her intellectual soul mate. Both Ada and Charles play a fundamental role in the creation of an “Analytical Engine”, the first resemblance of what a computer would be. While it was Charles who invented this powerful, calculating machine, it was Ada who gave it life and a soul by programming it.

Today’s subject William T. Newman Jr. is currently living his theatre life portraying the esteemed African-American playwright August Wilson in How I Learned What I Learned at WSC Avant Bard. The production marks the company’s return to LIVE performances and runs through December 19th at Gunston Arts Center in Theatre Two.

August Wilson was always a font of stories. In addition to the 10 plays of his lauded Pittsburgh Cycle, there were books, essays and poems largely about the African-American experience.

Avant Bard Theatre today announced its next season, which marks a grateful return to live theatre after more than a year of remote performances and programming. This season also marks the first under Avant Bard’s five producing partners: artistic leaders Megan Behm, DeMone Seraphin, Alyssa Sanders, Dina Soltan, and Sara Barker.

Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann announces the full reopening of NextStop Theatre Company with the first shows of their eighth season of professional theatre in Northern Virginia. The Fall 2021 Season at NextStop will bring the excitement of live, full-scale performances back to Herndon.

The final chapter of The King's Shadow is about to begin. Henry the Fifth, opening March 14, 2020, completes the first season in Brave Spirits Theatre's two-year project to stage Shakespeare's eight history plays about the Wars of the Roses. During a tumultuous period of less than a hundred years, England experienced civil war and political upheaval as the throne switched hands nine times. Shakespeare dramatized these events over the course of his career in eight remarkable plays: Richard the Second, Henry the Fourth Part 1, Henry the Fourth Part 2, Henry the Fifth, Henry the Sixth Part 1, Henry the Sixth Part 2, Henry the Sixth Part 3, and Richard the Third. Brave Spirits Theatre is making history by becoming the first professional American theatre company to mount full productions of Shakespeare's two tetralogies and perform them in repertory.

Avant Bard Theatre has announced the full cast for the launch of their 30th Anniversary Mainstage Season, the Avant Bard Spring Repertory. The Rep features Avant Bard's long-awaited return to Tennessee Williams with Suddenly Last Summer, directed by Artistic Director Emeritus Christopher Henley.

During a tumultuous period of less than a hundred years, England experienced civil war and political upheaval as the throne switched hands nine times. Shakespeare dramatized these events over the course of his career in eight remarkable plays: Richard the Second, Henry the Fourth Part 1, Henry the Fourth Part 2, Henry the Fifth, Henry the Sixth Part 1, Henry the Sixth Part 2, Henry the Sixth Part 3, and Richard the Third. With an ensemble of twenty actors, Brave Spirits Theatre will stage these eight plays over the next two years, culminating in marathon performance weekends during July 2021.

WSC Avant Bard, celebrating 30 years of thoughtful, provocative work, announces three mainstage productions including a spring repertory, as well as an upcoming benefit featuring comic poetry readings from local acting icons Holly Twyford and Rick Foucheux.

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.

Avant Bard presents A Misanthrope, a world premiere adaptation of Moliere's The Misanthrope by Manhattan-based playwright Matt Minnicino, directed by Megan Behm in her Avant Bard debut.

WSC Avant Bard's Script in Play Festival, started in 2016, has been an opportunity to test out shows for full production treatment through the guise of a series of staged readings and post-play discussions. Written and performed by rising professional talent, these readings have led to some memorable productions, including new versions of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night and Lauren Gunderson's hit Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight. In 2017, a reading of playwright Matt Minnicino's 'distillation' - not 'adaptation,' as we get into below - of Moliere's The Misanthrope was performed. Written entirely in rhyming couplets, it follows a professional cynic who falls in love with an ingenue, and finds his devotion to insincerity tested. Now, it's the capper of Avant Bard's 29th season. I spoke to Minnicino about his career thus far, the adaptation process, and why audiences should be excited for this show.

Avant Bard Theatre announces the full cast and creative team for its season finale, A MISANTHROPE, a world premiere adaptation of Moliere's The Misanthrope by Manhattan-based playwright Matt Minnicino, directed by Megan Behm in her Avant Bard debut.

Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann announces NextStop Theatre Company's seventh professional season of theatre in Northern Virginia. Our 2019-2020 Season at NextStop brings our most diverse and ambitious programming yet to our community.

Escape to the forest of Arden with a romantic and immersive production of As You Like It. Four charming couples swoon, banter, argue, and fall deeply in love against the background of an original, modern score. This production reunites the team behind our entertaining, touching, and bittersweet production of A Midsummer Night's Dream: director Jessica Aimone and music director and composer Zach Roberts. Join Brave Spirits Theatre for the wedding of the year!

Ally Theatre Company will present a workshop production of The Head That Wears The Crown by Hope Villanueva, February 22-March 16 2019 in Studio 4 at Joe's Movement Emporium in Mt. Rainier, MD.

Talk about 'Freaky Friday.' Brett Abelman's new play 'Switch,' at Fringe Logan Arts Space, is more like 'Freaky Pride Weekend.' A straight D.C. couple matched up by their mutual genderqueer friend find themselves in the afterglow of intimacy having switched bodies and hence gender. The balance of the play is exploring the abrupt switch amid Pride Weekend and trying to figure out how or whether they should try to switch back.

Brett Abelman's Switch, running June 7th - 23rd at the Logan Fringe Arts Space, will open select show evenings with a short but mighty performance series Beyond The Binary.  The Welders -- Washington's only playwrights' collective devoted exclusively to developing and producing new work -- are excited to host a variety of DC artists as an entry into Abelman's comedy about body-swapping, belly laughs, and uncanny sex.