Michael Poandl

‘The Pillowman’ at 4615 Theater Company

Two days before seeing the closing performance of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman by the newish 4615 Theater Company, I received an email from director and 4615 Artistic Director Jordan Friend: “About...

2015 Capital Fringe Preview #54 ‘An Interview with Cara Gabriel on Her Show ‘I AM THE GENTRY’

An interview with DC performer and director Cara Gabriel, whose one woman show, I AM THE GENTRY runs during the Capital Fringe Festival. The show is about her experience moving into the H Street NE...

‘American Moor’ at Anacostia Playhouse

As I walked into the cool confines of the Anacostia Playhouse, I was greeted by soft, far-upstage lighting that gently illuminated the sole performer, Keith Hamilton Cobb, idly looking over his lines...

Blind Pug Arts Collective Presents: The Theatre of Self-Loathing Presents: ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?’ Interview with Eddie and Cassilda

I recently saw the fantastic meta-theatrical event known as Blind Pug Arts Collective Presents: The Theatre of Self-Loathing Presents: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? at the Capital Fringe Festival. I...

2015 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Belle and the Beasties’

Those who imagine Capital Fringe as a festival with a wealth of heart and a dearth of sophistication, especially in the realm of production design, have clearly not seen the breathtaking costumes and...

2015 Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Second Coming of Joan of Arc’

In theatre generally, and in Washington, D.C. particularly, it is quite common for theatre companies to take a classic story and update it in with a contemporary lens. Admirable as this may be, too...

2015 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Out of Silence: Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign’

Abortion: A ten-ton word that sends shockwaves rumbling across a twenty food radius wherever it is uttered. But why? It’s a contentious political issue for sure, perhaps the most contentious, but it’s...

2015 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom’

Even casual horror fans will recognize the setup: An idyllic suburban neighborhood, populated by working dads, stay-at-home moms, and hormonal teenagers, soon becomes the setting for unspeakable...

Source Theatre Festival 2015: ‘Science and Soulmates’ 10-Minute Plays

Quadratic equations and heart palpitations dominate Science and Soulmates, one third of the 2015 Source Festival’s series of ten minute plays. These six short plays succeed at what few theatres (or...

‘The Oldest Profession’ at Rainbow Theatre Project

For female actors over 40, a familiar and monotonous list of character types dominates the theatre: mother, grandmother, beloved domestic worker. That’s why it is so satisfying to watch the five...

‘dry bones rising’ at Venus Theatre Company

In her program note, director (and founder of Venus Theatre Company) Deborah Randall has this to say about her company’s newest play, dry bones rising: “The style… could be described as ee cummings...

‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’ at Arena Stage at The Mead Center for American Theater by Michael Poandl

You really don’t need to know anything about Chekhov or his work to enjoy Arena Stage’s hilarious production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the 2013 smash hit by comedy playwright...

‘God Don’ Like Ugly’ at Venus Theatre Company

As a writer for this website, I’ve had the privilege of seeing shows at The Kennedy Center and The National Theatre, Arena Stage and Ford’s, Sidney Harmon Hall… a big budget, an elegant space, and an...

‘The Norwegians’ at Scena Theatre

Norway is one of those small, gentle countries that we may not think of too often. In its Scandinavian quiescence, it hums along with its cold weather and sterling social services. But in C. Denby...

An Interview with Charlotte Parry of ‘Blithe Spirit’ at The National Theatre

When did you first get the ‘theatre bug’ and what are some of your earliest experiences and memories of appearing on the stage? Any favorites? I’d always been the entertainer of the family as a little...

An Interview with Melissa Woodbridge of ‘Blithe Spirit’ at The National Theatre

When did you first get the ‘theatre bug’ and what are some of your earliest experiences and memories of appearing on the stage? Any favorites? As a kid with a loud voice I was often the narrator in...

‘The Whole Truth’ at Urban Arias

“Contemporary Opera” or even “Original Opera” are not categories that immediately reveal their meanings to the average consumer of theatre. Sure, we may know and love the likes of RENT, Sweeney Todd...

‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at Synetic Theater

“Synetic” is a word that has come to mean more, at least in the parlance of DC theatre, than the Crystal City-based company which it names. It has come to mean a theatre that is physical, sexy,...

‘Chicago: The Musical’ at the National Theatre

There’s a reason they call it “Broadway’s Sure Thing.” Chicago: The Musical has been consistently wowing audiences for four decades with its jazzy tunes, cynical humor and slow cooked sexuality. The...

‘Last of the Whyos’ at Spooky Action Theater

What do sea lions, circus freaks, and 19th century gang violence have in common? Nothing. But they all feature prominently in Spooky Action Theater’s intriguing, baffling, and brilliantly designed...

The Riot Grrrls Present ‘The Tempest’ at Taffety Punk Theatre Company

A salty sea breeze is in the air this season, at least in DC area theatres. A few weeks ago, Shakespeare Theatre Company closed its phantasmagoric production of The Tempest, directed by Ethan McSweeny...

Peter Hillard, Matt Boresi, and Bob Wood of UrbanArias on ‘Blue Viola’ Playing Today and Tomorrow

Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us the kind of work that you do. Tell us a bit about UrbanArias. Wood: UrbanArias is a five-year-old company dedicated to producing short (defined as 90...

Director of Artistic Programming at Arena Stage Robert Barry Fleming on ‘Blue Viola’ Playing Tomorrow and Sunday

Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us the kind of work that you do. Robert: I work to realize the artistic vision and mission of Arena Stage in our practical day-to-day business and...

Interviews with Artists Stephen Blickenstaff, Isaac Bidwell, Todd Gardner, and John Detrich on their Pop up Gallery Show at ‘Shocked & Amazed Presents: Strange For Hire’

This Saturday, January 31st, Shocked & Amazed Presents: Strange For Hire will perform at the Artisphere in Rosslyn. Accompanying the performance art will be a pop up gallery art show featuring artists...

An Interview with the ‘Strange for Hire’ Sideshow Duo Frankie Sin and Donny Vomit

Think that sword swallowing, fire eating, and burlesque are all lost entertainments of a bygone era? Think again. Strange for Hire, presented by Shocked and Amazed! and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not,...

An Interview with ‘Shocked and Amazed Presents: Strange for Hires’ Producers Alex Doll and James Taylor

Sideshow is one of the oldest and most intriguing forms of performance. Think it’s a 19th century relic? Think again. On Saturday, January 31, 2015, Shocked & Amazed Presents: Strange For Hire will...

‘Red High Heels’ at Anacostia Playhouse

Making theatre is hard. Making any kind of art is hard, but the challenges that accompany mounting a live production – logistical, administrative, financial – are far more complicated than making a...

‘Choir Boy’ at The Studio Theatre

At the heart of Tarel Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy, the new play at Studio Theatre, is the question of what it means to be a man. Actually, it’s less of a question than a command. Set in the fictional...

‘Gutenberg! The Musical!’ at NextStop Theatre Company

You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! There’s even a serious issue (spoiler alert: it’s the Holocaust). Such is the sales pitch that the fictional playwrights Bud Davenport (Ryan Burke) and Doug Simon (John...

‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical’ at Dominion Stage

There are times when I savor getting all dressed up, going to an opening night gala at Arena Stage or The Kennedy Center, and mingling with the 0.1% who fund Washington theatre. But sometimes you just...

Meet the Cast and Director of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ‘The Tempest: Part 4: Director Ethan McSweeny

In Part Three of a series of interviews with the cast and director of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Tempest, meet Director Ethan McSweeny. Michael: I think a lot of people around town know who you...

‘The T Party’ at Forum Theatre

Just so we’re clear: Natsu Onoda Power’s new devised performance piece is neither an homage to Ted Cruz nor a biography of Michelle Bachmann. In fact, as mentioned in one of several deliciously self...

An Interview with Studio Theatre’s ‘Terminus’ Cast and Director: Part Three: Nanna Ingvarsson, Dylan Morrison Myers, Katie Ryan, and Tom Story

This is Part Three of Three of a discussion with the cast of Terminus at The Studio Theatre: Nanna Ingvarsson, Katie Ryan, and Dylan Morrison Myers, and their director Tom Story. Michael: In the...

Meet the Cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ‘The Tempest: Part 3: Rachel Mewbron

In Part Three of a series of interviews with the cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Tempest, meet Rachel Mewbron. Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell them where they may have...

An Interview with Studio Theatre’s ‘Terminus’ Cast and Director: Part Two: Nanna Ingvarsson, Katie Ryan, and Tom Story

This is Part Two of Three of a discussion with the cast of Terminus at The Studio Theatre: Nanna Ingvarsson, Katie Ryan, and Dylan Myers, and their director Tom Story. Michael: What made you want to...

Meet the Cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ‘The Tempest: Part 2: Clifton Duncan

In Part Two of a series of interviews with the cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Tempest, meet Clifton Duncan. Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell them where they may have...

An Interview with Studio Theatre’s ‘Terminus’ Cast and Director: Part One: Nanna Ingvarsson, Dylan Morrison Myers, Katie Ryan, and Tom Story

This is Part One of Three of a discussion with the cast of Terminus at The Studio Theatre: Nanna Ingvarsson, Katie Ryan, and Dylan Morrison Myers, and their director Tom Story. Michael: Please...

Frank Cervarich and Lex Davis on Directing and Co-Directing ‘A Very Pointless Holiday Spectacular’

I spoke with Frank Cervarich and Lex Davis talk about how they directed the outrageous A Very Pointless Holiday Spectacular. Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell them where they may...

Meet the Cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ‘The Tempest: Part 1: Sofia Jean Gomez

In Part 1 of a series of interviews with the cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Tempest, meet Sofia Jean Gomez. Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell them where they may have...

NSO Pops: ‘Happy Holidays! Cirque de la Symphonie’ at The Kennedy Center

It seems DC is on the nice list this year. From classics (See: Olney) to new inventions (See: Pointless), there really is something for everyone on local stages this season. Not to be outdone, the...

‘H.M.S. Pinafore’ at Virginia Opera Company

Strictly speaking, I really shouldn’t like Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore. I like theatre that is dark, shocking, provocative… I’m more comfortable at Capital Fringe than Disney on Ice. So no...

‘A Christmas Carol’ at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

It’s easy to get sucked into the mad frenzy of American consumerism during the holidays. Black Friday creeps ever earlier, and the Hydra of long lines, long lists, traffic lights, and clearance sales...

‘Oedipus the King’ at Lean & Hungry Theater

In an age of 24 hour cable news and social media saturation, the good ole’ fashioned radio play may seem like an artifact of a simpler time. But for Lean & Hungry Theater, a DC based company that...

‘The Rez Sisters’ at American University

Had you asked me moments before The Rez Sisters, American University’s tremendous and thought provoking new play, began, I would have told you I didn’t think bingo was all that interesting. Well, that...

‘Handbag’ at Scena Theatre

In the past week, I’ve had the mixed blessing of seeing some very good shows that put the very bad side of human nature on gruesome display. The characters in Scena’s Handbag, a daring pitch black...

‘Virus Attacks Heart’ at Venus Theatre Company

Virus Attacks Heart, a new play by Australian playwright Shannon Murdoch, is a romance for people who don’t do romances. It’s a horror story of a relationship that makes you ache for an intimacy as...

‘Not About Nightingales’ at Howard University

Although it was written in 1938, six years before his breakthrough hit The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams’ Not About Nightingales was only produced in 1998, due to the persistence of actor...

An Interview with Scena Theatre’s ‘Handbag’ Director Robert McNamara and Cast Members Anne Nottage, Amanda Forstrom, and Haely Jardas

I had the honor of interviewing Director Robert McNamara and cast members Anne Nottage, Amanda Forstrom, and Haely Jardas from Scena Theatre’s Handbag, which begins performances tonight. Michael:...

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Castaways Repertory Theatre

“One of the most enduring features of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the sense that both the characters and the audience take a temporary journey into the world of the mystical. This...

‘ABSOLUTELY! {perhaps}’ at Constellation Theatre Company

One of my favorite movies of all time is Clue, a mystery comedy (based on the board game) starring Tim Curry that is chock full of over-the-top characters and zany, slapstick farce. As I laughed my...