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.
Two dozen nominations of outstanding actors, directors, designers and ensembles were announced today by The Boston Theater Critics Association (BTCA) for the 38th Annual Elliot Norton Awards.
If there's a D.C. theater company that would approach presenting James Joyce, it'd be the literary-minded Washington Theatre Guild, which has made its mark by presenting everything written by George Bernard Shaw, among other ambitious projects.
The Washington Stage Guild continues its season of great writers with the Washington premiere of Bloomsday by Steven Dietz. This delicate, time-bending romance is set in James Joyce's Dublin on June 16th, the date on which Joyce's Ulysses is set. Robert returns to that city 35 years after meeting Caithleen on a walking tour of Joyce's Dublin. He and Cait meet again and revisit their youthful relationship, amid the echoes of Joyce's masterwork, and the missed connections of that earlier time in their lives. Helen Hayes Award winning Kasi Campbell will direct. A post-show discussion will follow the Sunday matinee on February 2nd, James Joyce's birthday.
Washington Stage Guild's production of Candida gave life to an extremely charming George Bernard Shaw comedic classic. Bernard Shaw's story follows a tangled romance between a preacher, Reverend Morell, his wife, Candida, and a young poet who wishes to win her heart, Eugene Marchbanks. Nathan Whitmer as Reverend Morell, presents a clergyman as a Christian Socialist dedicated to his work and intending to do right by everyone in his life. Whitmer's interpretation of the character is ruled by the balance between his patience and his passion. Whitmer as Morell also shows a touching fondness for his on and off stage wife, Emilie Faith Thompson as Candida, which added an especially sweet quality to the production. Thompson presents a preacher's wife, mother, and house-maker who navigates such with grace and charm. Thompson approaches the text with tact and careful consideration, successfully portraying the most sensible character in the show. Ben Ribler as Eugene Marchbanks, creates a very anxious, and occasionally manic young poet, drunk in love with the Reverend's wife. Much like his on-stage competitor, Ribler also builds this amazing juxtaposition between his passion and his sensibility, up until his passion overruns all logical thought and he descends into his overwhelming obsession for Candida. The cast is also joined by supporting characters, Ms. Prosperine Garnett, the Reverend's secretary, Reverend Lexy Mill, Morell's curate, and Candida's father, Mr. Burgess. Danielle Scott as Ms. Garnett created a classic busybody secretary, both disciplined and dedicated, and consistently amusing. Danny Beason as Reverend Lexy managed with the little stage time he had to make an impression as a lackadaisical yet dutiful curate to the Reverend Morell, further fortifying the respect people have for the Reverend. The cast is rounded out by seasoned David Bryan Jackson, who portrayed Candida's money-on-the-mind father, Mr. Burgess. Jackson had a particularly acute talent of delivering his performance with comedic ease. The direction of Lauren Ghiradelli, a company member of the Washington Stage Guild, has navigated a dexterous script, chock full of lyricism and the beautiful, clever language of Shaw. And in doing so, raised questions about marriage, the expectations placed on it, and the dynamic between husband and wife in the Victorian era. Overall, the production is lively, wildly amusing, and nothing less than charming.
The Washington Stage Guild returns to the Nobel Prize-winning George Bernard Shaw, with a new production of the first play by GBS ever presented by the Stage Guild, Candida. Subtitled a?oeA Mystery,a?? in it, a preacher and a poet are in love with the same woman. The former is her husband, the latter wants to woo her away, and both are shocked by her ultimate choice and the reasons for it.
Anticipation for Triple Moto - The World's Greatest Thrill Show is near fever pitch.
Free For All, one of the capital's cherished annual traditions, will return for its 29th annual summer to Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC), offering two weeks of free performances of the Company's 2018 acclaimed production of Shakespeare's Hamlet starring MICHAEL URIE (Ugly Betty) as Hamlet.
Operetta Wonderland: The Magic of Victor Herbert, directed by Brian J. Shaw with musical direction by Carlos C. Rodriguez, showcases Herbert's musicality through a selection of both his popular and lesser-known songs. This production features the rich vocals of Kelly Curtin, Cara Gonzalez, Elise Jenkins, Andrew Adelsberger, Joe Haughton, and Bryan Jackson accompanied by Rodriguez on the piano. While the musical direction is strong, the production's flow and design sometimes distract from the magic of the music.
"I don't like works which require an explanation," begins Timothy Nelson, the new Artistic Director for the In Series, at Sunday's performance of Viva VERDI. Even after Mr. Nelson describes the performance with great detail, he encourages the audience to embrace their inevitable confusion. Instead, Mr. Nelson explains, this is a work that should be felt rather than understood. Keeping true to Mr. Nelson's suggestion, Viva VERDI is a work that only a genius could fully understand. Nevertheless, it is one of the most emotionally stirring performances I have seen in recent memory.
Artistic Director Lee Mikeska Gardner embraces the mission of The Nora Theatre Company to "promote the feminine voice" with an all-male production of LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES, Christopher Hampton's 1985 adaptation from the novel by Choderlos de Laclos. Perhaps best known from the 1988 film DANGEROUS LIAISONS, which starred Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer, the pre-French revolution era story is decadent, delicious, overflowing with sexual intrigue, and populated with characters who mostly get what they deserve. In Gardner's retelling, the audience gets what it deserves, a thoroughly entertaining, albeit mildly risque, evening at the theater.
The critics are weighing on on Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of HAMLET, directed by STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn and featuring acclaimed actor Michael Urie as the tortured Danish prince.
Mosaic Theater Company of DCtakes its acclaimedVoices From a Changing Middle East Festival on tour this winter, bringing several of its seminal Festival productions (I SHALL NOT HATE, VIA DOLOROSA, and the recent film adaptation of WRESTLING JERUSALEM) to the University of Oklahoma, Grinnell College, and Eastern Mennonite University for presentations of each project, and culminating in a special evening at the University of Chicago's Logan Center for the Arts where excerpts from all three works will be shared in a single evening. The tour reflects different dimensions of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the efforts to achieve reckoning and reconciliation through live performance and discussion, in works performed in English, Arabic, and Hebrew (with translated surtitles).
The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) announces the cast and creative team for Hamlet, directed by STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn and featuring acclaimed actor Michael Urie as the tortured Danish prince. Shakespeare's most celebrated tragedy will run January 16-February 25, 2018 at Sidney Harman Hall.
The Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival (GICF) reveals its full programme, as this hugely popular event in the comedy calendar returns for its 16th year from Thursday 8 Sunday 25 March 2018.
The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) announces the cast and creative team for Hamlet, directed by STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn and featuring acclaimed actor Michael Urie as the tortured Danish prince. Shakespeare's most celebrated tragedy will run January 16-February 25, 2018 at Sidney Harman Hall.
Robert McNamara's current production gives us everything you need for an exciting evening of Shakespeare, even for those who wouldn't know a Colosseum if it dropped into their front yards. The combination of high-octane performers, solid in the pentameter and carefully directed, is thrilling to watch. You can't miss this one.
Robert McNamara directs three Scena Theatre veterans in the Washington-area premiere of SOMEONE IS GOING TO COME, Norwegian writer Jon Fosse's absurdist exploration of magnified paranoia. Thanks to excellent acting and attention to detail, the experience is tense, at times grating, and interesting to witness.
New Repertory Theatre announces the NEXT REP BLACK BOX FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT SYMPOSIUM SERIES, January 24-February 18, 2016 in the Black Box Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA.
New Repertory Theatre's 3rd Annual Next Rep Black Box Festival presents British playwright David Hare's VIA DOLOROSA as the first of its three shows. Minimal design elements sharpen the focus on David Bryan Jackson's virtuoso performance as the author. Serving as an animated and amiable tour guide, Jackson is fully committed to connecting with the audience, ensuring that the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are understood and keenly felt.
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