Washington DC

Hot Nights Halloween interviews at ‘Hot Nights Halloween Spectacular’ at Bier Baron Tomorrow Night

If you wear sexy costumes all year round you’ve got to really “raise the stakes” at Halloween. I chatted with Hot Night Productions Hot Todd Lincoln and Chérie Nuit and their guest artists from New...

Meet the Cast of ‘TOUCH’ at The Montgomery Playhouse by Dave Dossey

TOUCH written by award-winning playwright Toni Press-Coffman and presented by The Montgomery Playhouse at the Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD is about discovery, connections, and the healing power of...

Meet the Cast of ‘Southern Crisis’ at Howard Community College by Jenny Male

The Theatre Program at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland will soon present Southern Crisis: Two Short Comedies by Christopher Durang. The two comedies are For Whom the Southern Belle...

Jim Brickman at Wolf Trap

It was a fun night, full of old favorites and new hits, as Jim Brickman brought his “Platinum Tour” to the Barns at Wolf Trap, on Wednesday, October 29th at 8 pm. This tour, celebrating the 20 years...

Enter by Monday, November 3rd at 2 PM to Win a Free Pair of Tickets (15 Pairs to Give Away) to Dakshina’s ‘Fall Festival of South Asian Music and Dance’

Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company is offering 15 Free pairs of tickets to DC’s 11th Annual Fall Festival of South Asian Music and Dance November 6-8, 2014, at 8 pm At Shakespeare Theatre...

‘Nightfall: Inside the Minds of Madmen – And Molotov’ By Mark Kamie

Eric Coble’s Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe instantly sparked my imagination upon the first read. Some early ideas Nightfall inspired: Furies of Greek mythology, dream plays, Antony Hegarty’s music,...

Meet the Cast of ‘Death By Design’ at Greenbelt Arts Center: Part 3: Meet Shelley Rochester

In Part 3 in a series of interviews with the cast of Death By Design at Greenbelt Arts Center, meet Shelley Rochester. Joel: Introduce yourself to our readers and tell them what other shows you have...

Meet the Cast of ‘Death By Design’ at Greenbelt Arts Center: Part 2: Meet Sarah K. Scott

In Part 2 in a series of interviews with the cast of Death By Design at Greenbelt Arts Center, meet Sarah K. Scott. Joel: Introduce yourself to our readers and tell them what other shows you have...

‘Hedda Gabler’ at Quotidian Theatre Company

Hedda, Hedda, I hardly know you. The emotionally ambiguous, deeply layered and mysterious Hedda Gabler whom one could argue is a victim as much as anti-heroine, is more narrowly defined in the new...

‘Visble Language’ at WSC Avant Bard

This weekend at Gallaudet’s Eastman Studio Theatre WSC Avant Bard and Gallaudet University Theatre and Dance Program opened their world premiere, historically based musical, Visible Language. Aside...

Spine: ‘Whose War? Our War? Their War?’

The National Civil War Project presents the work of “a multi-city, multi-year collaboration between four universities and five performing arts organizations to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the...

‘The Rocky Horror Show’ at The Little Theatre of Alexandria

“It’s just a jump to the left . . . and then a step to the riiiight!” That iconic quote from the song “Time Warp” of The Rocky Horror Show is what I caught myself signing as I sat down to write this...

The Playwright’s Playground: Playwright Rachel Bonds on the Athleticism of Writing and Her World Premiere Production ‘The Wolfe Twins’ at Studio Theatre

Rachel Bonds’ play The Wolfe Twins is the first commissioned play to be produced by Studio Theatre. The funny and heartbreaking glimpse into life centers on two siblings who have drifted apart since...

National Chamber Ensemble’s ‘Night of Italian Opera’

The National Chamber Ensemble, directed by the charming violinist Leo Sushansky, opened its eight season with a Night of Italian Opera this past Saturday, October 25, 2014, in the intimate Spectrum...

‘Sylvia’ at NextStop Theatre Company

Overheard at intermission of NextStop Theatre Company’s production of A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia, a guy whispers to his female companion: “I thought it was gonna be a real dog onstage.” She bites: “With...

Meet the Cast of ‘Death By Design’ at Greenbelt Arts Center: Part 1: Meet Jill Vanderweit

In Part 1 in a series of interviews with the cast of Death By Design at Greenbelt Arts Center, meet Jill Vanderweit. Joel: Introduce yourself to our readers and tell them what other shows you have...

‘Rage’ at Ambassador Theater

Michele Riml’s Rage made its US premiere this week at Flashpoint’s Mead Theatre Lab. A production of Ambassador Theater, directed by Joe Banno, Rage explores the dynamics of adolescent rage from a...

2014 Washington, DC RuleBreaker Award Honoring Creative Genius and Arts Advocate Charlie Fink Tomorrow Night at Woolly Mammoth

No Rules Theatre Company proudly honors Charlie Fink with the 2014 RuleBreaker Award. Tomorrow night No Rules Theatre Company honors a man who I admire so much-Charlie Fink. I don’t know anyone as...

‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ at George Mason University’s School of Theater and School of Music

Charles Dickens left his novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood unfinished when he died in 1870. Over a hundred years later, Rupert Holmes took advantage of that ambiguity to create a unique musical, where...

Act Two @ Levine Announces its New Season and Collaboration With Signature Theatre and Arena Stage

Act Two @ Levine announced that visiting artists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Cynthia Kortman Westhphal, and an exciting new collaboration with Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre, in addition to a...

‘Macbeth’ at Annapolis Shakespeare Company

Annapolis Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a bloody good way to baptize the company’s new theater space Macbeth is the inaugural production of the Annapolis Shakespeare Company in its new home in Studio 111...

Top Scene Stealers of the Week Ending 10/24/14

Here are our new group of Scene Stealers. Congrats to all our honorees! ______ Linda Baird as Lucia Singing “Time Stood Still” and “Invisible” in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at American...

‘Beijing Dance Theater’ at The Kennedy Center

Chinese dancers meander through the grass without a GPS It can be a long ride home to Baltimore from the Kennedy Center, especially on a rainy night. After last evening’s Wild Grass presentation by...

‘Signature Sisters’ at Signature Theatre

Growing up during my early, early years, my parents use to grab a babysitter, dress up fancy, and scoot out with their friends to what they called, a cabaret. They always looked so gorgeous and seemed...

‘WORDLESS!’ at Lisner Auditorium

There was a cool visiting professor in town the other evening. You know the one, in his 60’s, an ex-hippie, still in the prime of life. He came with a vibrant presentation of a topic of great personal...

National Chamber Ensemble Presents ‘Night of Italian Opera’ This Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 7:30 PM

FULL OF ROMANCE AND PASSION The National Chamber Ensemble (NCE), Artisphere’s Resident Ensemble, opens its eight exciting season on October 25, 2014. Praised by the Washington Post for being...

Molotov Hellraiser Benefit on November 7, 2014 From 8:30 PM-???

November 7: The Hellraiser Fundraiser! $20 At Millie & Al’s (2440 18th Street, NW) Attention Hellraisers and Molotov Minions! Block out Friday November 7, 8:30-????? PM at Millie & Al’s (see address...

HCC’s Arts Collective’s “What Improv Group?!?!” HALLOW-SCREAM show, Friday, October 24, 2014 by Susan G. Kramer

HCC’s Arts Collective’s “What Improv Group?!?!” HALLOW-SCREAM show, Friday, October 24, 2014 AC’s improv group (W.I.G.) returns for a Halloween 1-Night-Only Improv Show, featuring its popular, unique...

Molotov’s “Nightfall” Picks Up Where “Normal” Left Off – And Then Some by Alex Zavistovich

If you liked Molotov Theatre Group’s Helen Hayes Awards Recommended © production of Normal, you’ll love Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe by Eric Coble. The show opens November 6th. This past summer, my...

In the Moment: A Chat with the Director and Cast Members of George Mason University’s ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ Which Opens This Friday Night

Ah, theatrical heaven! Being in the midst of the usually unseen controlled chaos of a rehearsal, especially with a large cast. Such a delight, so much infectious, intense energy pervading a large,...

‘A Few Good Men’ at The Colonial Players

Utilizing a minimalist set and military issued uniforms, (by Set Designer Terry Averill and Costume Coordinator Beth Terranova), Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men, directed by Jeff Sprague, is an...

‘The Wolfe Twins’ at The Studio Theatre

Crying Wolf; ‘The Wolfe Twins’ at Studio Theatre The Wolfe Twins, by Rachel Bonds, is a World Premiere by Studio Lab, which features scaled-back productions of provocative new plays. First-rate acting...

‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ at Reston Community Players

Reston Community Players’ You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown is a sweet and serious show that will warm the cockles of your heart. This delightful 1967 musical comedy has music and lyrics by Clark...

‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ at The Puppet Co.

The Puppet Co. presents The Three Billy Goats Gruff, a classic children’s tale brought to life with impressive marionettes, written by Len, Pat and Christopher Piper and directed by Allan Stevens....

‘The Rocky Horror Show’ at Unquiet Theatre Company

Unquiet Theatre Company presents the cult classic musical The Rocky Horror Show! with Book, Music, and Lyrics by Richard O’Brien. Katy Chmura directs this campy production, with Music Direction by...

‘Sex with Strangers’ at Signature Theatre

Let’s get this out of the way. Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason (at Signature Theatre) is a slam-dunk champ. It is an easy crowd-pleaser on its polished comic surface, but, oh what a delicious depth...

‘La Vida Breve (A Brief Life)’ & ‘Viva Zarzuela’ at the In Series

Have you ever seen a show and heard something you know you’ve heard before and thought, “That’s from an opera?” So it was with La Vida Breve, the In Series charming production of this iconic but...

‘A Thurber Carnival’ at Vienna Theatre Company

Vienna Theatre Company Stretches Its Boundaries With A Thurber Carnival Vienna Theatre Company deserves credit for stretching the boundaries and bringing A Thurber Carnival to the DC metro area. Many...

“An Evening with David Sedaris” at the Music Center at Strathmore

David Sedaris and his writing have a way of making a two-thousand seat theatre seem as intimate as your own living room, inviting the audience into the world of his hysterical ponderings and life...

‘Carousel’ at Catholic University’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music

Carousel was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s favorite musical and Catholic University returns it to its glory days with a full orchestra, a big cast, and talented stars. It’s one of the reasons I love...

Meet the Cast of ‘Danny Boy’ at Unexpected Stage Company: Part 5: Meet Zach Brewster-Geisz

In Part 5 in a series of interviews with the cast of Danny Boy at Unexpected Stage Company, meet Zach Brewster-Geisz. Joel: Introduce yourself to our readers and tell them where you received your...

‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf’ at Laurel Mill Playhouse

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf is a play written by Ntozake Shange in choreopoem, or a piece combining dance, music, and poetry. This form of artistic...

‘The Taming of the Shrew’ at Pallas Theatre Collective

Shakespeare’s Shrew is always a challenge. Misogynistic in sentiment, slapstickishly machismo in design, its story of how to tame a headstrong, stubborn woman couldn’t be more ethically risky,...

‘Vanishing Point’ at The George Washington University

The George Washington University Department of Theatre and Dance is presenting the world premiere of Vanishing Point. This production has a clear purpose well beyond providing students the opportunity...

‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – A New Musical’ at American University

Talent on the Verge American University’s Department of Performing Arts is currently presenting the Washington DC premier of the Broadway musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Although...

The Playwright’s Playground: Legacies and Storytelling – An Interview with Playwright Will Power of ‘Fetch Clay, Make Man’

Will Power is an award-winning playwright and performer, rapper, and international educator. Currently on the faculty at The Meadows School of the Arts/SMU, Power is also the Andrew W. Mellon...

Spine: Sinclair Lewis, Elmer Gantry, and Elmer Gantry the Musical

The American musical does not lend itself well to big ideas, particularly if they possess any degree of complexity. Keep the ideas as simple and melodramatic as the plots that drive them. In Signature...

‘Hedda Gabler’ Meets Betty Friedan in Quotidian’s Season Opener by Stephanie Mumford

Quotidian Theatre Company’s new season takes off with an updated version of Ibsen’s classic Hedda Gabler. “Onstage for almost every moment of the play — fruitlessly directing the action around her in...

Spooky Action Theater Announces Their 2014-2015 Season with 2 World Premieres by Roberta Alves

A Season of World Premieres Spooky Action Travels to New York and Paris, Back and Forth in Time Last of the Whyos by Barbara Wiechmann Directed by Rebecca Holderness Feb 5 – Mar 1, 2015 Featuring...

‘Elmer Gantry’ at Signature Theatre

“I have principles. I just don’t let them get in the way of what I want.” That’s how Elmer Gantry—a charismatic preacher-salesman-womanizer summarizes himself. But, he falls for Sister Sharon...