Lauren Katz

Review #2: ‘The Merchant of Venice’ at The Kennedy Center

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart.” – William Shakespeare, The Merchant of...

Review: Source Festival 2016: ‘Heroes and Home’: Six 10-Minute Plays

Now in its ninth year, the Source Festival aims to act as a starting ground for new work from artists, both new and seasoned, from all over the country. Through collaboration and a great deal of...

Review: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ at Damascus Theatre Company and Arts on the Green

It’s the beginning of Act I. The lights just start to go down, and everyone begins to settle into their seats for the next two hours. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, and all look forward to the...

Review #2 ‘An American Daughter’ at The Keegan Theatre Company

Lyssa is sitting in her living room with her father, Senator Alan Hughes. He reads to her a letter from their ancestor, General Ulysses S. Grant, to his own daughter Ellen Wrenshell. In the midst of...

Review: ‘A Lesson from Aloes’ at Quotidian Theatre Company

Globally, it’s 1963 in South Africa, in the midst of the Apartheid, and also the same year as the Rivonia Trial. This is the event in which ten leaders of the African National Congress (including...

Review: ‘All Lady Macbeth’ at Theatre Prometheus

The Northwest and Southwest sides of DC are filled with theatre and art. From the Shakespeare Theatre Company and Woolly Mammoth to Arena Stage and Studio Theatre, one never needs to look too far to...

Review: ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ at Round House Theatre

Southern jazz fills the theatre as the warm lights come up on a bedroom. A mix of yellow and pink shines through the windows at the back of the stage, transporting us to sunset on a hot, summer...

Review: ‘Othello’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company

General Othello breaks up a drunken duel. The crowd of cheering military men disperses, and all that remains are Iago, Othello’s trusted advisor, and Lieutenant Cassio, who was also the instigator of...

A Report on ‘Sanctuary (An American Psalm)’ at Arena Stage

There is a moment when Director and performer John Moletress and Jocelyn Kuritsky are dancing on stage left. Caridad Svich is singing her original song “Low Valley” on stage right. As the dancers...

Review: ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ at Rockville Little Theatre

In 1989, Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor took home four Drama Desk Awards, and was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Play. When the play returned to Broadway in 2010, the production was...

The National Philharmonic’s ‘Messiah’ at Strathmore

There is a legend about the London premiere of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah involving King George II. The story says that he was so moved by the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ in Part Two that he stood and...

‘The Nutcracker’ at Metropolitan Ballet Theatre

As a fan of dance and ballet, I have seen a number of professional productions of The Nutcracker over the years, but this particular performance by the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre is going to stick...

‘Winners and Losers’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

According to their mission statement, part of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s objective is to “ignite an explosive engagement between threatre artists and the community by developing new plays that...

‘The Night Alive’ at Round House Theatre

Last night, Round House Theatre premiered their second play of the season, The Night Alive. As always, I read up on the play before attending, but no amount of research could have prepared me for the...

‘Aladdin JR’ at Kensington Arts Theatre Second Stage

I walked into the Gaithersburg Arts Barn for Aladdin JR as I often do when I review a play. I picked up my two tickets, went to my seat, and started to flip through my program. However, this time, I...

‘Calendar Girls’ at Providence Players of Fairfax

As I walked into James Lee Community Center on the afternoon of Sunday, October 4, I filed into the theater with a rather large audience and opened my program to the director’s note, where Director...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘Can’t Complain’ at Spooky Action Theater

Over the course of the fall of 2015, more than 50 DC area theater companies will participate in the Women’s Voices Theater Festival, an event celebrating new works created by women. Through their New...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘The October Issue’ at Washington Improv Theater

Over 50 DC theater companies have joined together this fall to showcase new work written by women. All the big names in the area ranging from Arena Stage and The Studio Theatre to Shakespeare Theatre...

‘The Hero of Everything’ at InterAct Story Theatre

In Former British Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen’s June 2014 Guardian article on arts education, he provides a checklist for teaching artists to keep in mind. The list has ten ideas that revolve...

‘Twelfth Night’ at 4615 Theater Company

The title of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is often considered a reference to “Epiphany,” or the twelfth night of the Christmas Celebration. Around Shakespeare’s time, this night was celebrated with a...

4615 Theater Company Presents ‘Twelfth Night’ and ”Tis Pity She’s a Whore’ In Rep

It is easy to become lost in the thriving theater scene of the Washington DC area. With all of the major houses producing top-notch works, it is hard to look past the grandeur of their product and...

2015 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Stuff’

Upon entering the Eastman Studio Theatre venue at Gallaudet University, I did not quite know how to respond as I was handed a book entitled Daybreak in Korea by Robert L. Sheldon. As I looked around,...

‘(a love story)’ at Source Festival 2015

Sponsored by CulturalDC, the Source Festival presents 24 new plays over the course of three weeks that showcase the talents of a variety of artists from across the nation. These plays fall into three...

‘Ruddigore’ at The Victorian Lyric Opera Company

On Saturday night, I walked into the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre with certain anticipations. As my third Victorian Lyric Opera Company production, I expected phenomenal singing, beautiful costumes,...

‘Zombie: The American’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (Review #2)

Last night, I found myself transported to 2063, a world in which Africa is one large united nation, the United States is welcoming the first gay president to the oval office, and the White House, now...

An Irish Carol at The Keegan Theatre

Last night, The Keegan Theatre’s fourth annual production of An Irish Carol met a full house ready to experience the play’s impressive reputation. However this time, the Company has a few different...

‘Evita’ at The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts

In 1980, Evita took home seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Tony Award winner Patti...

The Greg Boyer Peloton at Bethesda Jazz and Supper Club

On a warm Wednesday evening in the middle of summer at the Bethesda Jazz and Supper Club Greg Boyer clearly knows how to win over a crowd with his trombone and charm. With the help of Pianist Chris...

‘The Campsite Rule’ at Washington Rogues

Over the course of my college years, I have heard countless stories from alumni about their conflicted emotions upon returning to their alma mater. Across the board, I have found that while they are...

Capital Fringe 2014 Review: ‘Dream Within a Dream’

(Best of the Capital Fringe) While I was in London a couple months ago, I attended a Punchdrunk Theatre Company production, and the play was like nothing I had seen before. Punchdrunk’s most defining...

‘BSO: Casablanca – Movie and Music’ at The Music Center at Strathmore

At the 16th Academy Awards in 1944, Casablanca took home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Music Score. While I had never before seen the film, all my life I had heard about the film’s...

‘The Producers’ at Sandy Spring Theater Group

In 2001, The Producers took home 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score. Adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, the piece brilliantly captures the dark humor of...

‘Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company by Lauren Katz

I will admit, I found it a bit difficult to contain my excitement as I walked towards Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall for Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience last night....

Reporting from ‘Page to Stage’: ‘The Inaugural Election for President of Mrs. Jacobson’s Sixth Grade Class’ by Lauren Katz

My second day at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ annual Page-to-Stage Festival may have been shorter than my first, but no less impressive. The idea that new playwrights all gather...

Reporting from The Page-to-Stage Festival: ‘The Three Musketeers’ and ‘The Young Spectaculars and the Front Yard Adventure‘ by Lauren Katz

This Labor Day weekend, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts hosts the 12th annual Page-to-Stage Festival. Featuring over 40 theatre companies from the Washington DC area, the festival...

Sandy Bainum’s “S’Wonderful,” A Night of Ira Gershwin” at Signature Theatre’s Sizzlin’ Summer Cabarets by Lauren Katz

Last night, Sandy Bainum was added to the long list of artists performing solo cabarets as part of Signature Theatre’s annual event, Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret. For a two and a half week period,...

‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged’ at Flying Muskrat Theatre Company by Lauren Katz

Personally, I have always been a huge fan of Shakespeare. My teenage brother on the other hand was a bit hesitant as I drove him to the James Lee Community Center for The Complete Works of William...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Eve’s Big Fat Family Reunion’ by Lauren Katz

What do you get when Eve, Sarah, Abraham, and Adam’s first wife Lillith all come together for one big dinner party? Well you get crazy family reunion that’s for sure. Lois Cecsarini turns the bible on...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘H Street Housewives’ by Lauren Katz

Personally I never been a huge fan of reality TV shows, but H Street Housewives left me sitting on the edge of my seat eager to see what hilarious joke or backstabbing move one of the actors would...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Conversion of Thais the Whore’ by Lauren Katz

Written by Hroswitha of Gandersheim and directed by Michael Poanddl, The Conversion of Thais the Whore tells the shocking story of Pafnutius, a religious man with a desire for the world to behave...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Old Time British Music Hall’ by Lauren Katz

Hilarious, energetic, and entertaining, the British Players’ Old Time British Music Hall is a must-see event. Set in a cabaret-style and hosted by the emcee, or Chairman Malcolm Edwards, the...

‘Mouse on the Move’ at Imagination Stage by Lauren Katz

Typically when I review a show, I bring a friend whose feet reach the ground while sitting in the audience. However, for this particular performance, I decided to take a different route. When I...

Source Festival: ‘Fox Cried’ (Artistic Blind Date) by Lauren Katz

What do you get when you combine the clever minds of a visual artist, a traditional actor and playwright, and a musician? Well you get an artistic blind date of course, but not necessarily the...

‘West Side Story’ at The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at The Music Center at Strathmore by Lauren Katz

In Kathleen Wheaton’s article in “Applause at Strathmore” magazine, she stated that Leonard Bernstein, composer of the West Side Story score, was unhappy with the film’s orchestration. Marin Alsop,...

‘Bent’ at Dominion Stage by Lauren Katz

When I read Martin Sherman’s Bent last year, I was extremely impressed with the intensity of the writing. I loved his choice to not only shed some light on an area of the Holocaust that is not...

‘Homeward Bound Heroes’ at The Music Center at Strathmore by Lauren Katz

The Wounded in Action Family Foundation (WIAFF) has made it their mission to help wounded war veterans integrate back into their home lives. Last night, they held Homeward Bound Heroes, a fundraiser...

‘Underground Railroad: An Evening with Kathleen Battle’ at Strathmore by Lauren Katz

Last night, soprano Kathleen Battle performed a concert of spirituals that rang throughout the rafters at The Music Center at Strathmore with the help of pianist Cyrus Chestnut, the Heritage Signature...

‘Church’ at Forum Theatre Company by Lauren Katz

Forum Theatre’s mission is to bring controversial and discussion inspiring theater to society. From what I witnessed on Saturday July 13, they seem to have met their goal. Church, written by...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lauren Katz

The Greenbelt Arts Center presents the popular children’s tale Alice in Wonderland, with a twist. The basic storyline is still present: Alice (Liz Cassedy) falls down a rabbit hole and meets a series...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Imagination Meltdown Adventure’ by Lauren Katz

The statement “Be careful what you wish for” takes on a whole new meaning through Pointless Theatre’s production of Imagination Meltdown Adventure. The play loosely follows Joseph Campbell’s...