WASHINGTON, DC THEATER REVIEWS

I have seen and worked on plenty of solo shows in my more than twenty years in the business and sometimes I see one that just leaves me asking, 'How did this performer get to do this show?' Unfortunately Deb Filler is in that situation right now at MetroStage with her concoction called I Did it My W...

The four Mirabal sisters, who resisted the oppressive dictatorship of Gen. Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic in the mid 20th century, became folk heroes decades after three of them were murdered by the regime nearly 70 years ago....

Constellation Theatre Company's new production of Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle isn't perfect. It is undoubtedly a celebration of what smart allegory can be. As this small theater company stretches itself to the limits to ensure they do Brecht's seminal work justice, they make great ca...

Written and composed by Will Connolly, Michael Mitnick, and Kim Rosenstock, Fly By Night is an appealing mish-mash of rock n' roll, opera, and classic music theater. It is an ode to a doomed love affair and a modern-day fairytale....

Pinky Swear Production's Use All Available Doors is filled with a local pride that Washingtonians rarely get to experience. Unfortunately, this sense of hometown jubilation is hard to sustain through the too-long run time....

Martin Luther King, Jr. declared 'I've been to the mountaintop' almost exactly 50 years ago on April 3, 1968. His words, a confident assessment on the future of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, echo with the same power as when he bellowed them all those years ago. Dr. King never made it to the promi...

Cirque Du Soleil's Luzia brings viewers on a dreamy journey through Mexican culture through light, sound, and music....

There is a great drama in Roz and Ray, but only if the focus is less on Roz and Ray and more about what brought them together, healthcare....

The new opera Florida with music by Randall Eng and libretto by Donna Di Novelli, premiered last week at Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street. With its heavy handed melodrama and awkwardly balanced narrative, Sunday's matinee plodded along (well over Urban Arias' usual 90-minute-or-less promise)...

The company that makes great theater for everyone is at it again. Taffety Punk Theatre Company's mission is, and always will be, to put out a good product while making it affordable for everyone. Tickets are $15 and there are also “pay what you can” performances. The current production, well wor...

After multiple Helen Hayes nominations for their 2015 production of SWEENEY TODD [PROG METAL VERSION], Landless Theatre Company is back with their second MetalTheatre adaptation: THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD [SYMPHONIC METAL VERSION]. A captivating cast and three-piece rock orchestra guide us through ...

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It can be unsettling to reflect on the experience of learning about slavery in middle school: was the content accurate and appropriate, or harmful to our perceptions of history and the present day? Jennifer Kidwell and Scott R. Sheppard explore this - and much more - in their creative, fearless prod...

Potted Potter may in no way resemble the iconic wizarding world of Harry Potter that we know and love, but in their dedication to filling the world with joy they find common ground....

There is something profound about the simple. Such is the driving force behind the Nederlands Dans Theater's (NDT) program currently playing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Three shockingly different dances fill this two hour program and, while the dancers wrap themselves abou...

"A film noir inspired theatrical montage"- the subtitle of Happenstance Theater's CABARET NOIR perfectly encapsulates the richly stylized and wonderfully varied experience. Scandals, pistols, foggy streets, soft shoe, sweet harmonies, and red herrings - this production vividly captures the mood and ...

If you've ever thought what it would be like to cross an episode of Ru Paul's Drag Race with a searing Middle East drama and set the action to pop hits of the early aughts, Paper Dolls the perfect show for you. Mosaic Theater Company's newest entry to their Voices from a Changing Middle East cycle i...

The Pavilion, directed by Kelsey Mea, is not the high school nostalgia love story that the play's description details. Instead the production takes a strange turn towards an unnecessary exploration of the existential which overpowers the love story between two former high school sweethearts at its c...

Boasting an impressive production and stellar cast, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is presenting the professional DC-Northern Virginia regional premiere of the dark and romantic musical THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. It is well worth the trip along Interstate 95 to hear the rich score and ly...

For his Centennial, the New York City Ballet chose to honor its former co-ballet master in chief by highlighting his range through three works: the modern and minimalist 'Glass Pieces,' the fun and light-hearted 'Fancy Free,' and the classical and elegant 'The Four Seasons.' Each is distinct, and co...

The New York City Ballet has completed its annual pilgrimage to the Kennedy Center. This year the venerable company brings an offering of Balanchine, Martins, Peck, and more Balanchine to Washington. The choreography was well danced, and the orchestra sounded excellent. But compared to years past, t...

It seemed unlikely to me that a play set in a fantastical arcade, complete with the old favorite Dance Dance Revolution, would be able to stir deep emotions in an audience. But Rorschach Theatre's impactful production of Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig's 410[GONE], directed by Gregory Keng Strasser, does just...

Washington Stage Guild's production of Alabama Story is a timely story as it hints at issues of race and censorship, but it is slow moving and doesn't explore the issues presented as deeply as it could have....

George Mason University is a bit of a trek when discussing arts organizations in the DMV area. If Saturday night's School of Dance Fete and Gala Concert is any indicator, then this trek is worth making. Celebrating the strides Mason's (still young) dance program has made in recent years, the evening...

A solid production worth the effort to see....