Frank Britton News

On September 22, following force/collision's 8:00pm performance of the world premiere of Shape by Erik Ehn, there will be a talkback featuring the playwright (Maria Kizito, The Saint Plays), Daphne Brooks ("Bodies in Dissent: Spectacular Performances of Race and Freedom"), Randy Gener (American Theatre Magazine, Critical Stages) and John Moletress (Founding Director, force/collision). The discussion will begin approximately at 9:10pm in the Sprenger Theatre at Atlas Performing Arts Center located at 1333 H Street NE in Washington, D.C. The audience will have a chance to ask questions of the panelists regarding the production of Shape and their work. Tickets for the production of Shape may be purchased through the Atlas box office at 202-399-7993 or atlasarts.org.

Full casting and creative team is set for force/collision's world premiere of Shape by Erik Ehn. A play regarding Black vaudeville and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, Shape will play September 20- October 6 at Atlas Performing Arts Center's Sprenger Theatre before moving to La MaMa ETC in November where it will play in repertory with 16 other plays by Ehn called Soulographie: Our Genocides. Creative team includes playwright Erik Ehn (The Saint Plays, Maria Kizito), director John Moletress (2011 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre as co-founder of Factory 449; 2012 Mayor's Arts Award finalist), set designer Collin Ranney (2012 Helen Hayes Award nominee), lighting designer Ariel J. Benjamin, Movement/Choreographer Ilana Faye Silverstein and sound designer Derek Knoderer. The cast includes force/collision ensemble members Dane Figueroa Edidi, Frank Britton, Karin Rosnizeck, Joshua Sticklin and guest actors Dexter Hamlett, Manu H. Kumasi, S. Lewis Feemster, Julia Smith, Alex Witherow and Luci Murphy.

A festival of devised work centering on the loose theme of politics from across the southeastern United States and beyond, June 28 - July 8, 2012 at Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, NC.

A festival of devised work centering on the loose theme of politics from across the southeastern United States and beyond, June 28 - July 8, 2012 at Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, NC.

A festival of devised work centering on the theme of politics from across the southeastern United States and beyond, June 28 - July 8, 2012 at Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. All tickets to all performances $5. No reservations necessary. For further information, call 919-834-4001 or visit us online at www.burningcoal.org. A complete listing of performances and events will be forthcoming.

Dane Figueroa Edidi, better known to the late-night crowd as Lady Dane will bring "The Boy Who Played Doll" to The Black Fox Lounge tonight, June 19th at 8:00pm.

A festival of devised work centering on the loose theme of politics from across the southeastern United States and beyond, June 28 - July 8, 2012 at Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, NC.

Dane Figueroa Edidi, better known to the late-night crowd as Lady Dane will bring "The Boy Who Played Doll" to The Black Fox Lounge on Tuesday, June 19th at 8:00pm.

A festival of devised work centering on the theme of politics from across the southeastern United States and beyond, June 28 - July 8, 2012 at Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. All tickets to all performances $5. No reservations necessary. For further information, call 919-834-4001 or visit us online at www.burningcoal.org. A complete listing of performances and events will be forthcoming.

The new Washinton D.C.-based arts collective force/collision has two upcoming shows, THE NAUTICAL YARDS from tonight, April 26 through April 29 and SHAPE Septemeber 20 to October 6 in D.C. and then in New York at La Mama ETC November 10-18.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will host more than 120 outstanding theater students from colleges and universities across the nation as part of the 44th annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), April 16-21, 2012. In January and February of this year, these artists from eight regions presented their outstanding work and were selected to travel to Washington, D.C. for an expense-paid trip to participate in National Festival events taking place at the Kennedy Center.

The new Washinton D.C.-based arts collective force/collision has announced two upcoming shows, THE NAUTICAL YARDS from April 26-29 and SHAPE Septemeber 20 to October 6 in D.C. and then in New York at La Mama ETC November 10-18.

Tickets are now on sale for 'THE ARISTOCRATS' at Warehouse Theater, located at 645 New York Ave NW

Tickets are now on sale for 'THE ARISTOCRATS' at Warehouse Theater, located at 645 New York Ave NW

The humidity is starting to climb and it's what we call around here -- 'corn weather'. But in the air-conditioned theatres in the Nation's Capital there is a harvest of new shows opening. So if you're here visiting the monuments and the Smithsonian museums, get out of the heat and come see a play or a musical.

As the Helen Hayes Awards ceremony on April 5th honors performances and productions from the past year, DC theatergoers will be hearing two gorgeous scores by Jason Robert Brown and Jeanine Tesori, and seeing a new opera about a boxer, a splashing pool on stage, Tyne Daley as diva Maria Callas, Maurice Hines tapping his way on the Lincoln Theatre stage, Mrs. Robinson seducing Benjamin, a red balloon thrilling young audiences, Harvey Fierstein wishing he was a rich man, tales and songs from a Scottish Jewish composer, a new children's show with lots of princesses, a little musical with the title in [ ], a triumphant mounting of a short-lived Broadway musical, and a wordless Kafka classic performed in Georgian style. The crocuses, cherry blossoms, and azaleas will be in full bloom, as the nation's capital will be awash in beautiful colors. It's the perfect time to visit and see some great shows in our DC area theatres.