Interviews and Features

Sam Ludwig on ‘Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris’ at MetroStage by Joel Markowitz

Here is an interview with Sam Ludwig in Part Two of interviews with the cast of MetroStage’s Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Joel: Why did you want to be part of the MetroStage...

Nibbles and Sips Around Town: ‘Graffiti Goes Glam’ by Jordan Wright

What is so extraordinary about legendary graffiti artist Futura, neé Leonard McGurr, is that at a mere 57 years-old he has outlived so many others of his genre and generation and continued to triumph...

Natascia Diaz on ‘Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris’ at MetroStage by Joel Markowitz

Here is Part One of interviews with the cast of MetroStage’s Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. To begin our series, here is the chanteuse magnifique – Natascia Diaz! Joel: Why did...

Nibbles And Sips Around Town: ‘Kraut Rocks Competition and Brings Cool Cabbage Vibe To DC’ by Jordan Wright

Kraut Rocks is the hipster appellation promoters have conferred upon a sauerkraut competition involving five of DC area leading chefs. Steered by Bravo’s Top Chef alumni Spike Mendelsohn, the contest...

‘Taking SHAPE’ Part 2: Frank Britton and Dane Figueroa Edidi on Billy and Cordelia McClain by Dane Edidi

In Part Two of Taking SHAPE actors Frank Britton and Dane Figueroa Edidi introduce us to their characters Billy and Cordelia McClain. From Frank Britton (Billy McClain): When my journey with SHAPE...

An Interview With Choreographer Dana Tai Soon Burgess by Rick Westerkamp

In preparation for his show on September 21st, 22 and 23 at 8 PM at The Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre, I interviewed Dana Tai Soon Burgess, the director of DC modern dance company Dana Tai Soon Burgess...

Karma Camp on ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ and Her Friend Marvin Hamlisch by Joel Markowitz

Karma Camp has choreographed so many shows at Signature Theatre that I have lost count. Each show she has worked on is filled with high-energy, elegance, and fun choreography. And in The Best Little...

Stage Dad: ‘Talking to Other Parents’: Part Three: ‘Parents Give Their Best Advice’ by Glenn Cook

Over the past two columns, I have written about what other parents have to say about raising a child in show business. We’ve looked at challenges they face and what they wished they had known. In this...

A Chat With Sutton Foster on Her George Mason University Concert on September 29th by Joel Markowitz

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Stepping In For An Insane Dentist & 7 Others: An Interview With Matthew Schleigh by Joel Markowitz

It’s not easy replacing a local theatre icon, having to play 8 kooky characters and trying not to become lunch for a man-eating plant puppet, but Matthew Schleigh successfully did them all it and the...

Stage Dad: ‘Talking to Other Parents’: Part One by Glenn Cook

Balance is something every parent wants. Vertigo is what we can get, if we allow it to happen. That’s true for all parents, but the juggling act that parents of child performers face is a constant...

Interview with ‘TRIPTYCH’ Composer Robert Sirota and Collaborating Artist Deborah Patterson by Jane Coyne

Composer Robert Sirota will be in Baltimore next Sunday, September 9, 2012, to attend a concert featuring a performance of his work, TRIPTYCH, a hauntingly beautiful piece commemorating the victims of...

2012-2013 Season Preview: An Interview with Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Michael Kahn by Joel Markowitz

Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Michael Kahn schmoozed with me about the exciting 2012-2013 season at STC. Joel: You have a very exciting schedule for 2012-2013. Michael: We are...

Hoop Dancer Eric Hernandez From Cirque du Soleil’s ‘TOTEM’ by Joel Markowitz

Please introduce yourself and tell me when you were first approached by Cirque du Soleil to appear in TOTEM. Cirque du Soleil was looking for a traditional hoop dancer to join the cast of TOTEM and...

Nibbles And Sips Around Town – ‘Interview With Top Chef Master Marcus Samuelsson’ by Jordan Wright

A child is seated on the grass in the Land of the Midnight Sun, his attention drawn downward by a clump of flowers. They are everywhere stretching across the rolling hillside as far as the eye can...

Estelle Parsons on ‘Nice Work if You Can Get It’ by Joel Markowitz

I have been a fan of Estelle Parsons since I saw her light up the screen in her Oscar-winning role in Bonnie and Clyde. I had the honor of sitting down with her at The Kennedy Center when she was...

Director Grady Weatherford on ‘A Maze’ at Rorschach Theatre

To find your way out of a maze you put your hand on the wall and follow the wall. Eventually you will find your way out. But what happens when the maze has no walls? It’s a maze drawn on the floor, or...

Vladik Miagkostoupov: Juggler Extraordinaire at Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Dralion’ by Carolyn Kelemen

Juggling is a way of life for “Cirque” star Vladik Miagkostupov is the Mikhail Baryshnikov of juggling. With stylized choreography that makes the most of his incredible flexibility, this 28-year-old...

An Interview with Filmmaker Shawn Anthony by Teresa McCormick Ertel

Filmmaker Shawn Anthony is an accomplished illusionist, known as the “Post Modern Houdini.” He is also the creator of Vampires: Rise of the Fallen, a full-length feature film currently on location in...

Josh McKerrow on Directing ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at Reisterstown Theatre Project by Teresa McCormick Ertel

Shakespeare in the Park, as brought to the community by Reisterstown Theatre Project, has become a welcome summer staple in the area. This year, from July 27 through August 11th, RTP is offering is...

Johnny Mathis with Special Guest Brad Upton at Wolf Trap

One might think that Johnny Mathis received an extended and spontaneous standing ovation simply for setting foot on the stage at Wolf Trap on Friday night, but this would not be true. You see, with a...

An Interview with Actor Sam Lukowski by Teresa McCormick Ertel

Up and Coming… Charismatic and talented local film actor Sam Lukowski, AKA ‘Spooky,’ is one of the hardest working performers in the local industry. With a penchant for thrillers, Sam is a chameleon...

Erica Smith on her play ‘Come Out and Say It’ by Teresa McCormick Ertel

Each year The Mobtown Players selects an original work for production. This year playwright Erica Smith’s Come Out and Say It was chosen and is currently playing. The show was directed by Brent Englar...

An Interview with The Normal Heart’s Christopher J. Hanke by Joel Markowitz

Christopher J. Hanke is a member of the outstanding ensemble of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, now playing at Arena Stage. I asked Christopher to talk about his role and working with his fellow...

Part 4: ‘Finding Big Love’ By Kristen Kelly

“Things happen so suddenly sometimes.” In Charles Mee’s Big Love, Nikos says this to Lydia. And sometimes that’s the only thing you can say. In the theatre, your family becomes the people who are...

Ali Hoxie on Playing Wendla in The Keegan Theatre’s ‘Spring Awakening’ by Joel Markowitz

This is Part 4 of my interviews with the cast of Spring Awakening at The Keegan Theatre. Joel: Why did you want to appear in Spring Awakening? Ali: Oh my God, why didn’t I want to?? I loved the show,...

‘The Music Man Kids’-Part Four: Meet Ian Berlin by Joel Markowitz

This is Part Four in a series of interviews with the very talented group of five young actors in the cast of Arena Stage’s production of The Music Man. Today – meet Ian Berlin. Joel: How old are you...

Michael Berresse on Playing Mickey Marcus in ‘The Normal Heart’ at Arena Stage by Joel Markowitz

When I received The Normal Heart press release from Arena Stage I was ecstatic to see that Michael Berresse was going to be in the cast. I have always admired Michael’s work. He is a magnificent and...

An Interview with Sleuth’s Bob Ari and Jeffries Thaiss by Joel Markowitz

Bob Ari and Jeffries Thaiss are having a blast performing in Sleuth. They fill us in about their roles and working with Artistic Director Jim Petosa in his final production at Olney Theatre Company....

Part 2: ‘Finding Big Love’ by Kirsten Kelly

We’re in the middle of our rehearsal period and days are long. But, things are really starting to click. We had our first full run-through last night, followed by a late-night production meeting. At...

Paul Scanlan on Playing Moritz in The Keegan Theatre’s ‘Spring Awakening’ by Joel Markowitz

This is Part 3 of my interviews with the cast of Spring Awakening at The Keegan Theatre. Paul Scanlan’s performance in Spring Awakening is astounding. When I attended the show I was in the front row...

Lyndsay Rini on Playing Anna in The Keegan Theatre’s ‘Spring Awakening’ by Joel Markowitz

In Part Two of my interviews with cast members of The Keegan Theatre’s Spring Awakening, Lyndsay Rini talks about playing Anna. Joel: Why did you want to appear in Spring Awakening? Lyndsay: I’ve...

Director and Choreographer Randy Skinner on Directing ‘Dames at Sea’ at Infinity Theatre Company by Joel Markowitz

When it was announced that Randy Skinner was coming to Infinity Theatre Company this summer to helm a new production of Dames at Sea – I jumped at the chance to talk to Randy about directing and...

‘The Music Man Kids’: Part Three: Meet Heidi Kaplan by Joel Markowitz

This is Part Three in a series of interviews with the very talented group of five young actors in the cast of Arena Stage’s production of The Music Man. Today – meet Heidi Kaplan. Joel: How old are...

Part 1: ‘Finding Big Love’ at The Hub Theatre by Kirsten Kelly

Kirsten Kelly, Big Love Director for The Hub Theatre, is writing a 4-part essay, Finding Big Love. Follow the journey to opening night, for the next four Fridays on DC Theater Arts. They say,...

Vincent Kempski on Playing Melchior in ‘Spring Awakening’ at The Keegan Theatre by Joel Markowitz

Vincent Kempski is wowing audiences in The Keegan Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Spring Awakening. Here he talks about the challenges of playing a rebel and working with Directors Mark...

‘The Music Man Kids’: Part Two: Meet Jamie Goodson by Joel Markowitz

This is Part Two in a series of interviews with the very talented group of five young actors in the cast of Arena Stage’s production of The Music Man. Today – meet Jamie Goodson. Joel: You are 13...

STAGE WRITE: Up-and-Coming: An Interview with Paul Davis Griffin by Teresa McCormick Ertel

Paul Davis Griffin is a versatile and up-and-coming local actor currently appearing in Mobtown Players not to be missed production of Bent, based around the persecution of gays in Hitler’s Germany....

An Interview With Tommy Tune who is Performing at Strathmore Today at 2 and 8 PM by Joel Markowitz

Today – Saturday, June 2nd at 2 and 8 PM, Broadway legend Tommy Tune returns to The Music Center at Strathmore with Steps in Time: A Broadway Biography in Song and Dance. I spoke with Tommy about the...

A Look at No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Suicide, Incorporated’ – Week 4 by Brian Sutow

Ahh, tech: the time in every actor’s life where everything else seems to stop. Dishes go undone, dirty laundry overflows in my hamper, and even this article gets written several days behind schedule....

A Short Chat With Charlie Brady Who’s Playing Sonny in ‘Xanadu’ at Signature Theatre by Joel Markowitz

Charlie Brady is playing the not-too-bright but energetic Sonny Malone in Signature Theatre’s production of Xanadu. I asked Charlie to talk about playing Sonny. Joel: How did you get involved in...

Erin Weaver on Playing Kira in ‘Xanadu’ at Signature Theatre by Joel Markowitz

I heard a two women at intermission at Xanadu last Saturday night at intermission blurt out, “Is that really Erin Weaver?” What audiences and critics are finding out is that Erin Weaver is a...

A Look at No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Suicide, Incorporated’ – Week 3 by Joshua Morgan

As we finish up our fourth week in the rehearsal room and head into tech, I’m feeling cool, calm, and collected. I’m so eager to share this play with Washington, DC and NRTC audiences. As Brian Sutow...

Evan Casey & Jason Lott on Running Around Like Crazy at Olney Theatre Center’s ‘The 39 Steps’ By Joel Markowitz

I saw The 39 Steps last week and laughed so hard my jaw was hurting. Most of these guffaws came from watching Jason Lott and Evan Casey wear so many ‘hats’ and watching them running around the stage,...

Interview with ‘Musicians of Mercy’ Founder Robin Fay Massie by Teresa McCormick Ertel

Musicians of Mercy is a Baltimore area ensemble that coordinates benefits and performs for the sole purpose of helping those in need. Its founder, Robin Fay Massie, shares with us the ordeal that led...

Madeline Botteri on playing Monica P. Miller in ‘Rooms: A Rock Romance’ at KAT

Madeline Botteri is a bundle of energy as Monica P. Miller in Kensington Arts Theatre’s production of Rooms: A Rock Romance. With her powerful voice Madeline sings the heck out of Paul Scott Goodman’s...

A Look at No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Suicide, Incorporated’ – Week 2 by Brian Sutow

This is Part 2 of Co-Artistic Director Brian Sutow taking us behind the scenes of No Rules Theatre Company’s production of Suicide, Incorporated: We are now almost half way through the rehearsal...

Eric Jones on Playing Ian in ‘Rooms: A Rock Romance’ at Kensington Arts Theatre by Joel Markowitz

I am so happy that several productions of Rooms: A Rock Romance are popping up all over the DC Metro area, and last night I attended Kensington Arts Theatre’s production of Paul Scott Goodman and...

Priscilla Cuellar on Appearing in ‘Working – A Musical’ at The Keegan Theatre by Joel Markowitz

She has one of the most thrilling voices I have ever heard on the stage and now audiences who come to see The Keegan Theatre’s production of Working are being treated to Priscilla Cuellar’s gorgeous...

Jane Seymour on her May 4th & 5th Wentworth Gallery Exhibitions in Bethesda & Tysons Corner by Joel Markowitz

Wentworth Gallery is presenting an exhibition of art and photography with multi-award-winning actress Jane Seymour and her son Sean M. Flynn at two special in-gallery appearances at the Wentworth...