Sarah Ruhl is one of the most produced contemporary playwrights today, with provocative works like 'Dead Man's Cell Phone' and 'In the Room: The Vibrator Play.' Less often produced is one of her earliest plays, the 2002 'Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce,' especially since she reworked it in rec... (more...)
The admirable goal of the All About the Drama theater group is to reproduce classics of African-American theater. Its second production currently at the Anacostia Playhouse is from Douglas Turner Ward, co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company.... (more...)
Tackling Macbeth is no minor feat. Few shows inspire as much dread both onstage and off as Shakespeare's "Scottish Play." Daringly dark in both plot and theme, Macbeth relies heavily on the performances of the eponymous Scot and his wife to propel the plot along compellingly and with varying intensi... (more...)
Whatever happened to the theatrical thriller? There's something so incredibly fulfilling about a play that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Too often, there are elements that can pull you out of a thrilling production. It can be the smallest thing: from a flickering stage light to a fumbling acto... (more...)
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts closes its season with the classic Broadway musical A CHORUS LINE. From the iconic opening number to the show-stopping finale, 22 triple-threat performers work tirelessly and prove this production is something really special. There have been recent tours and ... (more...)
NextStop's production of Amour is a great escape into a world filled with absurdity and whimsy. All and all, it is a perfect pick for a 30th anniversary celebration.... (more...)
I do not believe I have ever seen a more 'kid-friendly' theatrical event than the Olney Theatre Company's H.M.S. PINAFORE. Olney has welcomed back 'The Hypocrites' Chicago based troupe (they last appeared during the summer of 2016) who have taken their productions of both PINAFORE and PIRATES OF PEN... (more...)
I think it's safe to say that guns in America might be one of the most divisive and important topics today. Nowadays school shootings are on the news more frequently than ever and there is usually a story every week about some kind of incident involving a gun.... (more...)
Alan Cumming really is a delight. His cabaret Legal Immigrant, performed at the Kennedy Center on Saturday night, is a seamless blend of music and hilarious anecdote. ... (more...)
'Dave' is a really fun show with a strong cast. It's just the right kind of show we need in DC right now. While questions might emerge as to whether it can play elsewhere, I would suggest that no matter where you live, you may be eager to immerse yourself in a world of political optimism for a few... (more...)
One of the best parts of seeing a re-imagining of a well-known work is that it enables you to revisit it from a different angle. The new presentation allows you to enjoy the work fresh, and maybe even catch something new that has been lost in familiarity. With apologies to the (British) Bard, Quotid... (more...)
Finally, here is a play where the most important person in a theatrical production is front and center. I am speaking of course of the stage manager (SM); you know, the one that keeps everything running smoothly from the first day of rehearsal through performance. Playwright Scott C. Sickles' hilar... (more...)
Capital Fringe productions tend to have a lot of ambition. No matter the quality of the show, there is a clear underlining of a message the playwright wants to get across to their audience. When this message is unclear, however, the work can begin to falter. Unfortunately, this is the kind of scenar... (more...)
Producing a show in a festival setting can be a harrowing experience. There are many things that can get in your way. Things like a small playing space, bad acoustics and everyone's favorite, a fifteen-minute set up and strike time.... (more...)
Facing a medical crisis is never fun, particularly one that could potentially kill you. Veteran actor Vincent Clark (who might be best known for his work at Washington Stage Guild with over 30 productions so far) has taken his real life medical emergency horror story and turned it into an amusing an... (more...)
Part of the excitement of DC's Capital Fringe Festival is not knowing when you'll stumble upon a true gem of a production. I was fortunate enough to find a couple when I indulged in two dramas and two comedies within 48 hours at Arena Stage.... (more...)
With over 80 plays to choose from, Capital Fringe Festival can be overwhelming for the average theatergoer. There are plenty of good choices ranging from over-the-top comedies to funky experimental dramas to allegories and satires and everything in between. Obviously, with so many offerings, there w... (more...)
Taffety Punk Theatre Company's Bootleg Shakespeare production HENRY VI, PART 3 is performance without a net - exciting, dangerous, riveting, and raw. Bootleg Shakespeare isn't designed to be polished or perfect, it's designed to be fresh and immediate. And it delivered. What's more amazing? The acto... (more...)
Pippin may be one of the most timeless American musicals ever written. No matter when or where it is presented, the production is easily molded to fit the social circumstances of the day. Whether the original Fosse-helmed production, the Diane Paulus circus-themed 2013 revival, or a regional product... (more...)
It is difficult to think of another work of American literature that has so captured the imagination or has inspired more reincarnations than L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This summer, Synetic Theater manages to make a mark on this prolific field with their own adaptation.... (more...)
If you try hard enough, you may find another author more suited to a Fringe Festival venue than Edgar Allan Poe, but it is highly unlikely. The works of this "master of the macabre", poet, and literary artist seem tailor-made for just such a celebration of all things "outside the box".... (more...)
What if you had turned left instead of right? What if you didn't stop for coffee on your way into the office? What if you had taken that big risk or followed that crazy dream? ON THE EVE explores one of life's most commonly pondered questions.... (more...)
BWW Review: Almond Joy: Constellation Theatre Company's MELANCHOLY PLAY: A CONTEMPORARY FARCE
BWW Review: HAPPY ENDING at Anacostia Playhouse
BWW Review: 4615 Theatre Company's MACBETH is Mired by Miscalculated Performances
BWW Review: 4615 Theatre Company Serves Up a Satisfying DINNER
BWW Review: Riverside Center for the Performing Arts' A CHORUS LINE Captures Lightning in a Bottle
BWW Review: Fall in Love with NextStop Theatre's AMOUR
BWW Review: THE COLOR PURPLE Falls Short at Kennedy Center Despite Some Amazing Performances
BWW Review: H.M.S. PINAFORE at Olney Theatre Center - Bring the Kids and Enjoy This Spoof of the Famous Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta
BWW Review: THE STORY OF THE GUN at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
BWW Review: ALAN CUMMING: LEGAL IMMIGRANT at The Kennedy Center
BWW Review: Optimism Abounds in World Premiere of DAVE at Arena Stage
BWW Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at Quotidian Theatre Company
BWW Review: PERFECTING THE KISS at Capital Fringe
BWW Review: GOD IS DEAD AND APRIL'S GETTING MARRIED and A TWO WOMAN HAMLET Don't Fully Execute their Visions at Capital Fringe
BWW Review: MUSICAL THERAPY at Capital Fringe
BWW Review: AN UNHEALTHY MAN LECTURES YOU ON MEDICAL ISSUES Presented by Uncle Slappy Productions at Capital Fringe
BWW Review: ANDROMEDA BREAKS AND THE CITY OF... at Capital Fringe
BWW Review: Capital Fringe Comedies and Dramas are a (Mostly) Delightful Mixed Bag
BWW Review: SHOPWORN at Capital Fringe Festival is a Real Diamond in the Rough
BWW Review: Bootleg Shakespeare HENRY VI, PART 3 at Taffety Punk is Theater Without a Net
BWW Review: Monumental Theatre Company's PIPPIN is a Faithful Revival
BWW Review: THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ at Synetic Theater
BWW Review: BAROCOCO BY HAPPENSTANCE THEATER at Capital Fringe Festival
BWW Review: TALES OF THE MYSTERIOUS AND GROTESQUE at Capital Fringe
BWW Review: ON THE EVE at Capital Fringe
