David Siegel

A look inside Capital One Hall, the DMV’s grand-new venue

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra to be first local arts organization to perform there.

Need to find space for your art? Here’s how, from ArtsFairfax.

Step-by-step instructions that can be used by artists and arts orgs anywhere.

Live showtime returns to Northern Virginia’s Center for the Arts

Celebrate the renewal of ‘Arts Emerging’ September 25. The curtain goes up on ‘Cartography’ October 2.

Shuttered venues can apply April 26 for federal rescue funding

UPDATE: The U.S. Small Business Administration has postponed relaunch of the problem-plagued Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal until Monday, April 26, 2021, at noon ET....

The next generation of theatermakers will include these young Black voices

As the pandemic has left live theater dark for the past year, we have been given an unexpected gift: the opportunity to take in virtual theatrical productions from companies we may not be familiar...

Future arts managers at GMU look to rebuild show business

The performing arts, which have been and are dealing with major stressors, need passionate change agents to lead into the future. While that seems clear to me, I wanted to know what might be on the...

A fresh look at a hookup in ‘Frankie and Johnny’ from MetroStage

MetroStage continues its exploration of the works of the late multi-Tony Award winning playwright Terrence McNally with a virtual reading of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Directed by Stefan...

Tuyet Thi Pham reclaims her family origin story in ‘Motherland’ at Atlas

What can be discovered if we find the time and ability to have a conversation with our parents about the time before we existed? Think of what we might learn. Think of the unremembered or...

Woolly’s nifty ‘Rich Kids’ twits excess, whizzes by

You got a fast car I want a ticket to anywhere Maybe we make a deal Maybe together we can get somewhere Any place is better… Is it fast enough so we can fly away?… Leave tonight or live and die this...

Studio Theatre’s raw, audacious ‘Cock’ is one big deal

Set me free why don’t cha babe Get out my life why don’t cha babe ‘Cause you don’t really love me You just keep me hangin’ on These unflinching lyrics floated through my brain as I took in Studio...

No mansplaining in this all-women’s storytelling show

The question is, Who Tells Our Story? In a response to that question, Better Said Than Done is presenting the 2021 Women’s Storytelling Festival. The virtual event will be live online March 19–21,...

Applications now open for new performance venues in Tysons

In a unique public-private partnership, a new world-class performing arts destination is nearing completion in the Tysons-Mclean area of Fairfax County. It is Capital One Hall scheduled to open in...

GMU students have a winner in ‘Sing Happy! The Music of Kander & Ebb’

The joys of a new online musical await: Sing Happy! The Music of Kander & Ebb, an engaging, confidently performed, energy-filled one-hour revue performed by the talent-rich students of George Mason...

Metro update: Without Biden bailout, slashed service still likely

We at DCMTA continue to track the WMATA budget and any service-cut issues, given Metro’s critical importance to the survival of live performing arts. Based upon our reach-out to arts leadership, Metro...

In deeply personal ‘The Catastrophist,’ an unheeded warning of pandemic

In the midst of our current disastrous COVID-19 pandemic comes a compelling world premiere play centered on Dr. Nathan Wolfe, the renowned virologist who has been warning for over a decade about...

Stepping to Go-Go, Step Afrika! takes on COVID prevention

“We have a shared responsibility to keep our communities safe,” Step Afrika! founder C. Brian Williams told me at the top of our phone conversation. With the pandemic continuing to ravage the DC area...

MetroStage to stream ‘Mothers and Sons’ in tribute to Terrence McNally

What does a gay man call another gay man to whom he is committed? The character Cal in Terrence McNally’s Mothers and Sons gropes for the right word: Andre and I were what people called “boyfriends”...

In Audrey Cefaly’s wistful ‘Story of Walter,’ a lonely dad and his daughter

Social media once again proves invaluable to connect theatergoers with performance. This instance is courtesy of Signature Theatre’s SigWorks: Monday Night Play Readings. Not only was there a reading...

Three queer yeshiva grads defy “ex-gay” therapy in ‘Abomination’ at Theater J

Sure, we theatergoers miss live productions. But then again, for the adventuresome, there is a veritable taster’s menu of virtual theatrical events. No need to leave home, no need for Metro or...

Studio’s bold and smart ‘I Hate It Here’ is a seismic theatrical experience

Ike Holter is a trickster playwright so right for our quicksand-ridden times. In his new audio play commissioned by Studio Theatre (he also directed), Holter creates a grand hall of mirrors full of...

Solas Nua’s latest is one time only and off the wall

Virtual connections have become a life force in these days without live performance as the pandemic is reaching its ninth month with us. What was once considered off-putting, if not cold, is now a way...

George Mason University to center Black voices in artist-activist conversations

As the DC-area theater community reckons with and takes steps to combat racism through open, heartfelt conversations and real-world actions to bring forth equity, diversity, and inclusion, we at DCMTA...

Tom Teasley, Shu-Chen Cuff, Chao Tian to perform an inspired virtual concert

The headlines tell us to stay put. To not travel so we protect ourselves, our loved ones, our communities and the Nation as a whole—advice that DC-area residents seem to be heeding this Thanksgiving....

Levity and pleasure abound in ‘Marriage Proposal’ audio farce

Ready for some fun? You’ve earned it. Escape from the messy troubled real world is just a click away with the engaging audio farce from the intrepid folk at Edge of the Universe Players 2. The company...

Why Shaw’s wit is a perfect fit for Washington Stage Guild online

In mid-March DC-area theaters went dark and theatergoers’ calendars emptied of live shows to take in—but light and sound and performances are coming into view by way of Zoom and YouTube. When we...

Grammy-winning percussionists to rap on entrepreneurship and racial justice

As we in the performing arts continue to struggle with finances and other resources in the aftershock of COVID-19, with no end in sight, how can we inform taxpayers and policymakers of the value of...

Spooky Action Theater’s ‘To the Earth’ literally zooms into space

As the pandemic continues to take its toll on live theater, smaller-budget theaters are staying nimble and daring, thanks to generous support from donors. One of these deft companies is Spooky Action...

Felicia Curry and Adam Immerwahr to co-teach Black and Jewish plays at Theater J

In these tumultuous times, theatermakers and theatergoers have been working to share a long-time common goal: to reflect upon and engage with the human condition. In a noble effort to continue this...

Why Bob Bartlett is putting on his new play in his own backyard

It was a few weeks ago; an unexpected FB post from playwright Bob Bartlett caught my attention. He was posting a teaser about his newest work, which was in an early development stage. He titled it...

A George Mason University music review celebrates underrepresented voices

Give yourself a musical boost and some warm inspiration for these stormy days. Add plenty of deeply appreciated civility during an unsettled period. These might seem hard to find, but if 2020 has you...

In Synetic Theater’s ‘Joy,’ two fearless performers get personal

Synetic Theater is renowned for its lively, “silent,” physical-movement–oriented productions of classic theatrical works propelled by original music. Now, with precautions necessary to combat the...

Artists Who Inspire! #6: Kathleen Akerley

Welcome to the sixth installment of Artists Who Inspire! During the continuing shutdown of live theater, DCMTA will use this space to lift up local theater artists who are finding ways to remain...

In ‘American Dreams’ at Round House, it’s game on! for U.S. citizenship

“Every form of refuge has its price,” once sang The Eagles. That concept hasn’t changed as the ardent, emotion-packed American Dreams unfolds before audiences. American Dreams is Round House Theatre’s...

Lights to go on again at GALA Hispanic Theatre with classic Spanish comedy

Now in its 45th season, GALA Hispanic Theatre has always been cutting edge. From its founding in 1976, GALA (Grupo de Artistas LatinoAmericanos) has been sharing and producing Latino arts and culture...

Arena Stage docudrama makes case for making DC ‘The 51st State’

In our current political and cultural stressful times, how can theater make a difference, not just to those who are in-person patrons but to a wider community in the DMV and into American hinterlands?...

A bipartisan romance casts a play on both houses in ‘Will on the Hill’ at STC

Who says a theater performance can’t make a difference in politics? With all the ongoing political and cultural conflict, is there a way to simmer things down for at least one brief shining moment....

Alden Theatre’s new Drive-Thru is a family-friendly mystery

With the sold-out success of Small Change, their first Drive-Thru theater experience, the creative folk at the Alden Theatre in McLean have developed a totally new live event. It is the Alden’s second...

Theater J revives a 1910 hit comedy-melodrama

Sit back to indulge in a comedy-melodrama. A streaming Zoom reading of a rediscovered play first produced in 1910. It is a love letter, with sharp edges, to a bygone time. A time of tintype slides and...

Get out the vote. Share this vid.

Elections have consequences. Some elections more than others. With voting participation trending downward over the years, what can be done to awaken folk to the critical importance of voting? What can...

A course at Theater J for theater lovers looks ahead to post-COVID change

Change is coming. As the DMV theater community is reeling and reckoning with the effects of the coming post-COVID-19 world and as artists of color are speaking their minds freely, what awaits? What...

Touring artists to take CenterStage at Reston Community Center

Even as it faces the challenges of COVID-19, the Reston Community Center CenterStage has programmed a Professional Touring Artists Series that aims “to help our community reflect on how structural...

How Only Make Believe brings theater to kids in hospitals even during COVID

In these days of medically necessary masks and prudent social distancing, let us not forget children in hospitals and care facilities living with chronic illnesses and disabilities unrelated to...

Wolf Trap to stream a summer’s worth of gems from its archives

Wolf Trap’s Filene Center may be quieter than usual this summer of 2020, but it is far from dark. While there are no live performances in an abundance of caution because of COVID-19, Wolf Trap has...

A heart-piercing tribute to frontline COVID responders in ‘The Line’ from The Public Theater

With the country hitting new daily highs as COVID-19 surges well beyond hot spots such as New York, New Jersey, and Connecituct, the Public Theater has produced a love letter to the medical community...

Dark Horse Theatre to stream new comedy about amateur ghost hunters

As health and safety concerns continue to make live theater productions with a live audience dicey at best, the DMV’s Dark Horse Theatre decided to find its own way to produce new content and deliver...

‘Black Stories Matter’ live storytelling show to benefit Black Lives Matter DC

Black Stories Matter, a live online storytelling show benefiting Black Lives Matter DC, will be presented by the DMV’s Better Said Than Done on Zoom July 10, 2020. Black Stories Matter features eight...

Alden Theatre’s ‘Drive-Thru Drama’ offers family-friendly joy

The ever nimble Alden in McLean has developed a unique way to provide theatrical entertainment in this era of COVID-19. With indoor live theater on hiatus for more than three months, the Alden is set...

Youth respond to COVID-19 in heartfelt ‘Inside Voices’ film from Arena Stage

For school-age children, their world has turned upside down because of COVID-19. Over the past three months, children and youth have lived from a distance in a virtual world, lived with a muffled...

In ‘May 22, 2020’ from Arena Stage, a day in the life of the COVID DMV

“I read the news today, oh boy… / the news was rather sad…” That day was May 22, 2020. In a leap into film docudrama creation, Arena Stage’s Artistic Director Molly Smith chronicles a sad day in the...

NOVA playwright Soo-Jin Lee’s streaming ‘Peaches’ is bittersweet and affecting

With DMV theaters still shuttered because of COVID-19, there has been the opportunity to explore original streaming content written by local playwrights. One of those playwrights is Northern Virginia...