WASHINGTON, DC THEATER REVIEWS

Ballast looks to both sides of a transition....

Director Matt Bassett has a genuine hit on his hands, driven by hilarious performances featuring two actresses-Tia Shearer (Matt) and Katie Jeffries (Ben)-who bounce gleefully off of each other for a one-hour romp. Flying V has been around for a few years, folks, and if you haven't caught them in ...

DISTRICT MERCHANTS, Aaron Posner's new adaptation of Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, explores the 'other-ness' of being outside the white male stations of power. Setting the work in post-Civil War Washington, D.C., the premiere takes a uniquely American look at race, religion, class and gender...

'Life's not worth a damn 'til you can say, 'Hey world, I am what I am!' In a world where so many are still struggling to be who they are, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, as well as its iconic anthem of authenticity 'I Am What I Am,' is as relevant today as it was on Broadway in 1983. It's a gift that Matthew Ga...

Static is just the kind of play you might expect from a former longtime sound theatrical sound designer....

At stake for both couples in Going to a Place is the fundamental question: are we good people? And even if we tell ourselves over and over again that we're jerks, that we have no soul and not one scintilla of empathy for anyone but ourselves, could it be that we're still decent people after all? Som...

The Washington DC area is truly lucky to get the last leg of the RAGTIME - THE MUSICAL National Tour this toasty weekend. Currently playing at the Wolf Trap Filene Center until Saturday, June 11, RAGTIME's director Marcia Milgrom Dodge has pieced together a powerful show full of emotion, beautiful i...

"Out of every eight drops of my blood, seven are red, but one is black." In those words, spoken with despairing apology in An Octoroon by Zoe, the titular octoroon, the illegitimate daughter of a plantation owner, are revealed the most profound and internalized depths of racism. Like a root vegetabl...

1st Stage's production is - for me, at least - a very, very welcome addition to the 2015-2016 theatre season. While Guettel's intricate and original score is, quite simply, extraordinary - and reason enough to make the trek to the McLean/Tysons Corner area to hear it sung live - Director Nick Olcot...

Overall, I look forward to what the future holds for this new musical....

Overall, THE WHO & THE WHAT is a strong way for Round House to end its season....

Paul Taylor is a trailblazer of modern dance. As one of the most important living American artists, sending his company to perform at The Kennedy Center in the nation's capital is fitting-his choreography is dance Americana. Taylor's company offered two alternating programs. Program B, performed on ...

In a couple of weeks, another Bloomsday will be celebrated, and James Joyce's Ulysses will be read aloud by fans of Irish literature worldwide. No such celebration is made for his final book, Finnegans Wake, however....

Forum Theatre, under Dove's artistic direction, has made a wonderful habit of providing local audiences with opportunities to see unique world premieres. This production is yet another strong example, and with Twyford at the center it's must-see theatre. There's absolutely no reason for any seat to...

A show with a lot of potential needed more time....

What a time for THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. It's a brave choice given its divisive, misogynistic text, but Shakespeare Theatre Company pulls it off under the bold direction of Ed Sylvanus Iskander. With an all-male cast, and featuring the contemporary pop music of Tony winner Duncan Sheik, this is Shak...

Mosaic Theater Company of DC completes its whirlwind inaugural year with WHEN JANUARY FEELS LIKE SUMMER, a play that is relevant, engaging and sweetly funny....

Close-up magic, where the cards and tricks fly right under a viewer's nose, is always quite effective. So why not close-up theater?...

Billed as an Irish dance place, Out of Time, presented as a part of the Kennedy Center's Ireland 100 festival, is actually much more. Equal parts dance, modern music performance, and memoir, Colin Dunne's stunning solo performance is full of depth and intelligence....

The story, Lovett's performance, and the design elements clearly have the power to engage even those most restless children....

Ever wanted to take a trip down that fabled rabbit hole? Or step through the storied looking glass into a world where things are not what you expect? You know that happy anticipation you feel when you're unwrapping a gift, and you have no idea what you might find? Or how about that rush of nostalgia...

Taking a trip to the Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street will also transport you to a time when radio was king and one of the princes of the medium was the maverick actor-director Orson Welles. Welles and his Mercury Theatre Company on the Air produced a series of classic dramas on CBS Radio in...

it's a shame this production only played the Kennedy Center for two performances, but for the lucky theatergoers that had a chance to see it, it is certainly a memorable one....

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Synetic Theater's production of The Man in the Iron Mask is victorious during moments of silent montages and epic fight scenes, but its dialogue is at times ill fitting for such as beloved classic....