DC

‘Latin Heat’ at The Washington Ballet

Latin Heat does what the Washington Ballet does best: spotlight its dancers’ strengths and individual personalities. However, Latin Heat also illumines the WSB unhinged and unrestrained. Never before...

‘The Basilisk of Barnagasso’ at The George Washington University Department of Theatre and Dance

An exuberant troupe of seven players (and some ad-libbing stage hands) fabricated a screwball, madcap adventure of star-crossed lovers and lost fortunes, vagabonds, soldiers, bandits, hired thugs and...

‘African Americans’ at Howard University

Are customs and cultures completed eradicated and evaporated when people from other continents, countries and cultures come to this great land we call “America?” I had the distinct pleasure of seeing...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘Salomé’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company

Turn aside all you think you know about the fabled Salomé and her brief mythic encounter with John the Baptist. Acclaimed Director Yael Farber has boldly and confidently reconstructed the...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘The Magic Tree’ at The Keegan Theatre

Four lost young people in a deserted beach house, in Dublin, late at night. There is a thunderstorm beating down. This is the evocative opening scene of The Magic Tree, in its American premiere at The...

A Report on ‘En Garde! The Art of Fight Choreography’ at The Smithsonian’s Dillon Ripley Center

As I strolled into the Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center (shared with the Sackler Museum of Asian Art and the National Museum of African Art), I was surprised to see over 100 people eagerly...

Jeff McCarthy on Playing Fagin in Arena Stage’s ‘Oliver!’

I was so excited when I heard that Jeff McCarthy had landed the role of Fagin in Arena Stage’s upcoming production of Oliver!, so I jumped at the opportunity to catch up with him while he was in...

‘The Grand Guignol Twist in ‘Lovecraft: Nightmare Suite’: The Horror Is What Is NOT Seen’ By Alex Zavistovich

Contrary to popular belief, the Grand Guignol theatre did not rely exclusively on blood and gore to convey horror. The psychological element was equally important to the genre, and horrific events...

Magic Time!: Blown Away by a Bible Story Midway Through the Women’s Voices Theater Festival

To date I have been to 20 productions and one staged reading that are officially in DC’s Women’s Voices Theater Festival (11 of which I have written about for DCMetroTheaterArts), and I am booked to...

‘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...

An Interview with Broadway Music Director Ted Sperling on ‘An Evening with the Music of Marvin Hamlisch’ at the Library of Congress on 10/19

What better place to celebrate the life and work of Marvin Hamlisch than right here in Washington? But the reasons for An Evening with the Music of Marvin Hamlisch on Monday, October 19, 2015 with...

‘The Most Happy Fella’ Plays October 23-25th at Catholic University’s Hartke Theatre

The Most Happy Fella’ Depicts May-December Romance The Catholic University of America’s Hartke Theatre Friday, October 23 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, October 24th at 7:30 PM; and Sunday. October 25th at 2...

‘Bug’ at SeeNoSun OnStage at Anacostia Arts Center (Review #1)

When I saw the SeeNoSun OnStage production of Tracy Letts’s first play, Killer Joe, a year ago June, I wrote a rave and called it “a powerful knockout of a show.” So it was with keen anticipation that...

‘Margaret Cho: The PsyCHO Tour’ at Warner Theatre

Renowned three-time Grammy and Emmy-nominated comedian, actress and singer Margaret Cho tackled tough timely topics like police brutality, female empowerment, death and racism in The PsyCHO Tour, her...

Playwright Karen Zacarías on ‘Destiny of Desire’ at Arena Stage

There’s a lot of laughter coming from the cheering audiences at Destiny of Desire, now playing through October 18th in The Kreeger Theater at Arena Stage. Prolific Playwright Karen Zacarías tells us...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘Hootenanny’ at Guilliotine Theatre

Hootenanny by Monique LaForce is a two-hander with an unsettling story up its sleeve. It’s a story about a man and a woman that incrementally builds nerve-fraying psychological tension from what seems...

‘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 Reel Deal: Watch Kyle Osborne’s Movie Video Reviews of ‘The Walk’ and ‘He Named Me Malala’

Here is Kyle Osborne’s Movie Video Reviews of The Walk and He Named Me Malala. WATCH THE TRAILER: Here are DC Showtimes: The Walk He Named Me Malala Check out other Movie Video Reviews by Kyle...

‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at St. Mark’s Players

St. Mark’s Players mount a hilarious production of the farce Moon Over Buffalo by local playwright Ken Ludwig. This play marked Carol Burnett’s return to Broadway in the ‘90s, and it is two funny and...

‘Beautiful-The Carole King Musical’ at The Kennedy Center

Beautiful–The Carole King Musical takes the audience on a ride through songs that in three minutes or so, framed and reflected many a life; especially of the Baby Boomer generation. As directed by...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at Synetic Theater (Review #2)

If you were looking for a local troupe to put Alice’s fabled Wonderland on stage, your top choice would have to be Synetic Theater. And no wonder. Synetic’s trademark physical theater enthralls one’s...

Violinist Aleksey Semenenko at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Embassy Series

Hearing the rising Ukrainian violinist Aleksey Semenenko perform is like a visit to a musical laboratory. At age 25, the monstrously talented Mr. Semenenko is still exploring various approaches to...

Magic Time! The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: A Report on ‘Lady Lay’ at Scena Theatre

As you take your seat at Scena Theatre’s production of Lady Lay, don’t be surprised to see the spitting image of Bob Dylan in the house. It’s the actor Ron Litman, who will pop into the play anon....

‘Dangereuse’ The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘The Guard’ at Ford’s Theatre

Rembrandt once said, “Of course you will say that I ought to be practical and paint the way they want me to paint. Well, I will tell you a secret. I have tried and I have tried very hard, but I can’t...

The Reel Deal: Watch Kyle Osborne’s Movie Video Review of ‘The Martian’

Here is Kyle Osborne’s Movie Video Review of ‘The Martian.’ WATCH THE TRAILER: Here are DC Showtimes. Check out other Movie Video Reviews by Kyle Osborne.

Magic Time! The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: A Conversation With the Director and Writer of Arcturus Theater Company’s ‘The Point’ Ross Heath and Marilyn Ansevin Austin

I’ve made a point to see as many productions in the Women’s Voices Theater Festival as I can. Some have thrilled me; some have not. For me theatergoing is like a gambling addiction. I always go...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘Animal’ at The Studio Theatre (Review #2)

When a leading Shakespearean actor changes hats—literally—to play a neurotic housewife whose comic riffs include a paean to a ballpoint pen, that’s news. And it’s very good news indeed for...

Use Code ‘pops15’ and Save $15 for Christine Ebersole, Paige Faure & Nick Ziobro At The Amercan Pops on 10/16@8 pm at Lisner for ‘Stairway to Paradise: A Gershwin Spectacular’

LUKE FRAZIER CONDUCTS THE AMERICAN POPS IN ‘STAIRWAY TO PARADISE: A GERSHWIN SPECTACULAR’ With Tony® Award Winner Christine Ebersole, Broadway’s Paige Faure, Great American Songbook Ambassador Nick...

The Russian Chamber Art Society Hosts Its 10th Anniversary Concert at the Austrian Embassy

Mainstream classical music commentary in Washington often complains about an over-reliance on the symphonies and concertos of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff for the programming at the area’s major...

Magic Time!: The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘Animal’ at The Studio Theatre (Review #1)

After I saw an early Women’s Voices Theater Festival production (I’ve been to 16 and counting), a question lingered in my mind: Exactly what distinguishes a play as being in a woman’s voice other than...

Nibbles and Sips Around Town: Ankara in Dupont Circle; Ambar at Barracks Row; Bibiana Welcomes a New Chef; Mason Social Pleases the Southern Palate

Ankara in Dupont Circle; Ambar at Barracks Row; Bibiana Welcomes a New Chef; Mason Social Pleases the Southern Palate Ankara is the New Turk on the Block Sorry to report we missed out on September’s...

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...

Audience Member David S. Kessler Awarded DCTheatreScene’s 2015 Gary Lee Maker Audience Award

David S. Kessler was awarded this year’s Gary Lee Maker Audience Award by DCTheatreScene, before a performance of textsandbeheadings/Elizabeth R, at Folger Theatre on Friday night October 2nd....

La-Ti-Do! Begins Performances at Bistro Bistro Tonight at 8 PM with Chris Sizemore and National Broadway Chorus & American Pops Orchestra

Come see La-Ti-Do’ new venue at Bistro Bistro 1727 Connecticut Ave, in NW Washington, DC TONIGHT AT 8 PM La-Ti-Do presents Helen Hayes Award winner Chris Sizemore and members of The National Broadway...

‘Tiny Island’ at Washington Stage Guild

As the audience waits for the Washington Stage Guild’s Washington premiere of Michael Hollinger’s Tiny Island to begin, they look curiously at two humongous carbon-arc movie projectors posed stage...

‘As One’ at Urban Arias

To all appearances, As One is a chamber opera about someone who transitions from the gender category he was assigned at birth into the gender category she believes she belongs in. As One presents...

An Update From L’Enfant Rebelle Theatre: A Conversation with Open Circle Theatre

Here is a revised Press Release from L’Enfant Rebelle Theatre: L’Enfant Rebelle Theatre October 3rd, 2015 Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE After October 1st opening, L’Enfant Rebelle Theatre is...

‘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...

Spooky Action Theater’s ‘Don’t Complain’ Plays Tonight Through October 25th

A soaring, poetic Irish ghost story for the Women’s Voices Theater Festival Spooky Action Theater launches its 2015-2016 Season with a World Premiere: Can’t Complain by Christine Evans Directed by...

Big Changes at La-Ti-Do! New Venue and Partnering with Arena Stage & Shakespeare Theatre Company

La-Ti-Do’s Fall 2015 Season & Special Events Announcement Produced by La-Ti-Do DC A part of the weekly La-Ti-Do series from October – December 2015 FALL for some of Washington, DC’s best and brightest...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘The Guard’ at Ford’s Theatre

Only through art do we become immortal. The Guard, commissioned by Ford’s Theatre for the Women’s Voices Theater Festival, is an original work by playwright Jessica Dickey. Jessica Dickey and The...

An Update From L’Enfant Rebelle Theatre: A New Disability Inclusive Theatre Opens in Washington

Here is a revised Press Release from L’Enfant Rebelle Theatre: L’enfant Rebelle Theatre October 3rd, 2015 Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE After October 1st opening, L’Enfant Rebelle Theatre is...

David Gregory on His Book ‘How’s Your Faith? An Unlikely Spiritual Journey’ at Sixth & I

David Gregory gave an insightful and even at times humorous talk on his new book How’s Your Faith? An Unlikely Spiritual Journey about his journey to faith. After leaving his job as the moderator at...

Dangereuse: An Interview With Playwright Karin Coonrod on ‘texts and beheadings/ElizabethR’ at The Folger Theatre

I asked Playwright Karin Coonrod to talk about her play texts and beheadings/ElizabethR, which ends its run this weekend at Folger Theatre. Sophia: Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us...

‘Bug’ Opens on October 8th at SeeNoSun OnStage

SeeNoSun OnStage Presents Another Chilling Play by Tracy Letts SeeNoSun OnStage will open a four-week run of Bug, Tracy Letts’ tale of love, loss and government conspiracy on October 8th, 2015 at the...

Magic Time!: A Report on the Women’s Voices Theater Festival Reading of Lisa Loomer’s ‘Roe’ at The Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center’s entry in the Women’s Voices Theater Festival was a one-night-only reading of Roe, a new two-act play by Lisa Loomer that dramatically personalizes pivotal chapters in the...

Elizabeth Gilbert on Her Book ‘Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear’ at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue

Attending an Elizabeth Gilbert speaking event is like attending a rock concert. The ardent devotion and following of her work is intense, but inspiring! I’ve been to a lot of book talks, but this was...

Magic Time!: An Interview with Playwright Stacy Jewell Lewis On ‘7 Layers Captive’: Her True Story of Being Sex Trafficked, Playing at The Kennedy Center on October 10th at 7 PM

Back in summer of 2014, I discovered an extraordinary play, playwright, and performer—7 Layers Captive, written and performed by Stacy Jewell Lewis based on her own true story of being abducted into...

Dangereuse: ‘Texts and Beheadings/Elizabeth R: The Heart of a Lonely Queen’

“[I]f I were turned out of the realm in my petticoat I were able to live in any place in Christendom,” said the legendary Elizabeth I: wit, scholar, great Queen, and poet. There is no doubt that this...