Kendall Mostafavi

Calmus at The Barns at Wolf Trap

I had the pleasure of hearing the entrancing a capella vocals of the German quintet, Calmus, at the Barns of Wolf Trap last night. Anja Poche, soprano, Sebastian Krause, countertenor, Tobias Poche,...

‘Madeline and the Gypsies’ at Creative Cauldron

Creative Cauldron has a reputation for their, well, creativity. And their most recent production of Madeline and the Gypsies shows yet again their ability to take a simple story and turn it into a...

‘Elephant & Piggies We Are in A Play!’ at The Kennedy Center

I could not say for sure whether my 6 year-old son or I had the most fun watching The Kennedy Center’s production of Elephant & Piggies We Are in A Play! We laughed, we cheered, we wiggle-waggled, and...

‘Pinocchio!’ at Faction of Fools

Italian writer Carlo Collodi’s beloved tale of Pinocchio! has been performed countless times over the past 132 years. Now, Faction of Fools Theatre Company has taken this classic story and adapted it...

‘A Lump of Coal for Christmas’ at Adventure Theatre MTC

Over the Holiday Season, if you are looking to step away from the standards and experience a high-energy comedy that the whole family can enjoy, then Adventure Theatre MTC’s world premiere production...

‘One Thousand & One Nights’ at The Educational Theatre Company and McKinley Children’s Theatre

Recently, The Educational Theatre Company (ETC) and McKinley Children’s Theatre performed a charming production of One Thousand & One Nights. I took my three young boys and we had a night of silly...

‘The Children’s Hour’ at Howard University

If you have never seen or heard of The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman, then you are missing out on a masterful piece of social commentary. Written in 1934, the play was highly controversial with...

‘Pinocchio’ at Creative Cauldron

Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater Workshop is an excellent program for children interested in exploring the art of live theater. The program is recommended for kids, third grade through high...

‘Deathtrap’ At NextStop Theatre Company

NextStop Theatre Company’s current production of Deathtrap does an incredible job of honoring the play’s highly successful history. Deathtrap was nominated for a Tony in 1978 for Best Play and holds...

‘Play On’ at Castaways Repertory Theatre

Play On is a fantastically funny play, written by Rick Abbot, which encapsulates the many horrible ways that a play can be undone: A community theater has decided to put on a play, written by a local...

‘Point A to Point B’ at Arts on the Horizon

Arts on the Horizon is a wonderful establishment dedicated to creating live theater for young audiences, ages 0-6. Their website points out that they are “the first theatre company in the country to...

‘Bug’ at SeeNoSun OnStage (Review #2)

Bug by Tracy Letts is not a show for anyone with a weak stomach. Blood, violence, nudity, and drugs are rampant in this dark comedy but, being October, this production will be exactly what many thrill...

‘Flowers Stink’ at The U.S. Botanical Garden

A middle school girl from the big city, named Liz, becomes frustrated when trying to write a poem about nature for school. But when she turns to technology to vent and tweets, “#natureisboring...

‘The World Goes ‘Round’ at Creative Cauldron

Heartbreak, dark humor, desperation, raucous fun, and biting commentary are just a few of the words one could use to describe the music of John Kander and Fred Ebb. The World Goes ‘Round, presented by...

‘Mariko’s Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure’ at The Kennedy Center’s Family Theater

Mariko’s Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure is an original piece by Sarah Fornace, Julia Miller, and Princess Grace Award –winner Robyn Mineko Williams, presented in this world premier Kennedy Center...

‘Educating Rita’ at Peter’s Alley Theatre Productions

Willy Russell’s play, Educating Rita is over three decades old. Reminiscent of the George Bernard Shaw play, Pygmalion, more popularly known by its musical rendition, My Fair Lady, the play tells the...

‘The Cerulean Time Capsule’ at The United States Botanic Gardens

I had the great pleasure this weekend of exploring the United States Botanic Garden with my three boys, who are 10, 8, and 6. It was a first for all of us and you would think we had gone to the...

Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’ at Laurel Mill Playhouse

Laurel Mill Playhouse is a non-profit community theater group, originally known as the Burtonsville Players Inc., which has been putting on shows for local audiences for over the past 35 years. They...