George Mason News

Rehearsals are underway for Prince William Little Theatre's 'Anne of Green Gables,' a charming play by L.M. Montgomery and Sylvia Ashby, produced by arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH.

Some people go to the theater to find a place to escape from the world around them. If you are one of those people, Studio Theatre's production of Kings wont be your cup of tea. This production is often an uncomfortably real exploration of politics, lobbyists and daily life in the heart of our nation. It takes a moment for the plot to get moving, but once it has left the station, Kings proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that Christmas at the Old Bull and Bush 2018 will be returning to MetroStage (Nov 29-Dec 30). The play, written and directed by Catherine Flye, had an acclaimed six year run at the Old Vat Room at Arena Stage (1997-2003) before debuting at MetroStage last season. Two members of the original Bull and Bush cast will be joined by some new members of a very eccentric British troupe to entertain audiences for the holidays.

If you have ever attended an opera and thought 'all of these sets and costumes are so incredibly distracting' then Washington Concert Opera would be right up your alley. Stripping away the grandiose of an opera production, WCO presents their works in their most raw form: with just an orchestra, a chorus, and principles who sing their hearts out. This minimalist style isn't likely to convert opera skeptics, but it is a great way to deepen one's appreciation for the art form. Their most recent presentation of Charles Gounod's first opera, Sapho, benefits from some strong lead performances. It's just a shame that the libretto isn't better.

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that Christmas at the Old Bull and Bush 2018 will be returning to MetroStage (Nov 29-Dec 30). The play, written and directed by Catherine Flye, had an acclaimed six year run at the Old Vat Room at Arena Stage (1997-2003) before debuting at MetroStage last season. Two members of the original Bull and Bush cast will be joined by some new members of a very eccentric British troupe to entertain audiences for the holidays.

One hundred years after the armistice of The Great War, it is still crucial to honor the memory of all who fought to create a better world for the future. Washington National Opera's production of Silent Night, which opened on Saturday night at the Kennedy Center, is a glorious celebration of the brave soldiers who have risked their lives for their countries. The production is weakened by some questionable staging choices but serves as a suitable showcase for opera's rising stars.

Just because a work is new doesn't mean that it isn't able to honor the classic sources that paved the way for its creation. This idea is underscored in the Ragamala Dance Company's elegant and well-executed performance of Written in Water, which relies on the ancient Indian board game Paramapadam (a precursor to Snakes and Ladders) and Hindu mythology to craft the performance's three movements. Even though the performance could benefit from more dynamic shifts in tonality, the overall effect is gorgeous and precise.

Manoa Valley Theatre continues its momentous 50th anniversary play season with the world premiere of Shipment Day, by Hawaii-born playwright, Lorenzo DeStefano. The play, of which an earlier version received the 'Best Play' award in Playbuilders of Hawaii's 2016 New Works Festival, is set in Honolulu between 1934 and 1937, dramatizing the traumatic early life experiences of DeStefano's Portuguese cousin, the well-known leprosy activist Olivia Robello Breitha. It chronicles Olivia's diagnosis with the condition at 18, her two-and-a-half-year confinement at Kalihi Hospital, to the day before her shipment to Kalaupapa, the Hansen's Disease settlement on Molokai. As Hawaii State Department of Health parolee #3306, Olivia would spend the next seventy years of her life, until her death in 2006 at the age of 90, at Kalaupapa.

Theater J's new production of Actually, which opened on Monday night, provides new voices to the issue of campus safety and sexual assault. Anna Ziegler's script undoubtedly has important things to say-and Actually is a crucial piece which dives into the intricacies of campus safety. It's tough material that suffers from some uneven pacing but one which, nevertheless, encourages continued engagement and thought.

Hamlet Machine, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Henrikh Muller's Hamletmachine by Ani Vardanyan, will officially start performance Off-Broadway on October 24th, 2018 at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd St.)

Every now and then, a show comes along that is an undeniable "must-watch." The reasons for such a status may vary but the final verdict is unmistakable: the performance cannot be missed. With The Fall, Studio Theatre has such a scenario on their hands. This 80-minute performance, brought to D.C. by The Baxter Theatre Centre at the University of Cape Town, flies by so quickly that I didn't want it to end.

When Shakespeare Theatre Company first announced their 2018/19 season, I was hesitant. The season didn't feel grand enough to serve as a proper goodbye to Michael Kahn, who has developed this company into an international institution. Having now seen their first production, The Comedy of Errors, and their spectacular fall gala, I think it is safe to say my hesitation was unfounded. STC is sending their founder off with quite a spectacular farewell.

Hamlet Machine, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Henrikh Muller's Hamletmachine by Ani Vardanyan, will officially start performance Off-Broadway on October 24th, 2018 at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd St.)

Even if you've never seen an opera, you know at least one or two of the tunes from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata, which has become one of the most popular modern representations for classical opera. While the work was jeered at the time of its premiere, this tragic tale has aged beautifully-with a lush score featuring some of the greatest duets. The Washington National Opera's newest production injects new life into this piece, thanks to smart directorial choices by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and a top-notch creative team.

There's nothing quite like a case of mistaken identity to really spice up a relationship. This is a lesson learned the hard way for Adrianna, wife of Antipholus of Syracuse, in Shakespeare Theatre Company's newest staging of The Comedy of Errors. While it takes a little while for this staging to settle into a groove, Alan Paul's deft direction supplies some of the finest comedic moments of the D.C. theater season thus far.

The Riverside Opera Company (ROC), under the direction of Maestro Alan Aurelia, presents: 'A Musical Feast' Daniel Rodriguez and the Sopranos

On Saturday night, Washington, D.C. had a visit from one of the most popular American presidents and, while thoughts of a certain musical about a founding father hung over the evening, George Washington delivered a charming concert in the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater. To clarify, Mr. Washington himself was unavailable for the evening since he's been dead for two centuries. Christopher Jackson, however, who received a Tony nomination for his portrayal of our first president, served as a great alternative.

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that the musical ROOMS a rock romance with book by Paul Scott Goodman and Miriam Gordon, music and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman, and directed by MetroStage Artistic Associate Thomas W. Jones II will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a new production at MetroStage, running Oct 11-Nov 11.

Writing about gun violence is difficult. There's no 'how-to' guide when it comes to preventing these attacks which have become more and more commonplace. The more we try to understand the inner machinations of the monsters who carry out such senseless assaults, the more we begin to spiral into someone we hardly recognize. Such is the thesis of David Greig's The Events, which opened last week at Theater Alliance at the Anacostia Playhouse. While the work is incredibly poignant, some artistic decisions muddle the plot and make the 80-minute performance drag during the middle of the production.

Atlantic for Kids presents the world premiere production of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, featuring words and music by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul and a book by Timothy Allen McDonald to kick off their season.