Washington DC

Review: ‘Forever Balanchine Farewell Performances’ at The Kennedy Center

It was bittersweet last evening when The Suzanne Farrell Ballet performed the Forever Balanchine Farewell at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House. Sweet because the muse of dance master George Balanchine...

Review: ‘The SantaLand Diaries’ at Drafthouse Comedy Theater in DC

If you are barely in the mood to do something Christmassy, if Tiny Tim gives you hives, and learning lessons is anathema, The SantaLand Diaries is the bracing Christmas cocktail for you. The one-man...

Review: ‘Private Confessions’ at The Kennedy Center

How might one react to finding and reading their mother’s diary after her death? Did she purposely leave the diary so it would be found and read, rather than destroy it? And, how in Heaven’s name,...

Review: ‘Holiday Follies’ at Signature Theatre

It’s that time of year again. Signature Theatre opened their annual Holiday Follies this week. The seasonal cabaret is packed with a set of over twenty songs including Christmas classics, tunes from...

Interview: Playwright Andrew Watring on ‘Shakespeare is a White Supremacist,’ Opening TONIGHT at American University Rude Mechanicals

Andrew Watring, a Junior at American University, has penned Shakespeare is a White Supremacist – a new play that analyzes race in the context of classical theater. Watring’s original play is being...

Review: ‘The Book of Will’ at Round House Theatre

For the love of Shakespeare! There’s no doubt that Americans love their Shakespeare. In fact, many consider him America’s best playwright—? Then again, many Americans also love their fake news. But,...

Singer Storm Large Discusses Her Mother, Loneliness, and Why She Plans to Strip on Her 50th Birthday

Before I interviewed Storm Large, I was a bit wary. She seemed like…a lot. A big, brash personality who might hug you to death if she liked you or punch you in the face if you pissed her off. Then I...

Report: Reflections on ‘A Master Class with Denyce Graves’ at the Kennedy Center

Denyce Graves is an absolute force of nature. This is apparent any time she takes the stage, whether it is in a role or as an instructor. She has a strength of presence that radiates when she is...

Magic Time!: ‘The Last Night of Ballyhoo’ at Theater J

The production is lushly beautiful; the pacing, impeccable; the music between scenes, splendid; the acting, a delight in every detail. And the warm, piquant humor in this Jewish family drama has a...

Review: ‘The Last Night of Ballyhoo’ at Theater J

Tinsel and garlands are festooned about a beautiful 10 foot tall Christmas tree. Easy to be captivated with such an exquisite Christmas touch. But, wait, the tree is standing tall on the Edlavitch...

Review: ‘Curve of Departure’ at Studio Theatre

Rachel Bonds’ new play, Curve of Departure, now playing at Studio Theatre, is that rarity among modern plays: it’s traditional storytelling at its most engaging. Enter Rudy, played with a glorious...

Review: ‘In Conversation with Samantha Bee…A Moderated Q&A’ at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall

It was a match made in heaven: Rebecca Traister, author and commentator on feminism and politics; and Samantha Bee, Canadian-American writer, comedian, producer, and (according to TIME) one of the top...

Preview and Appreciation: The Russian Chamber Art Society on Founder Vera Danchenko-Stern’s Festive Birthday Concert

There’s an addictive quality to the events of the Russian Chamber Art Society, sort of like discovering a pastime or sport that you just have to follow once you learn about it. Maybe that’s because...

Review: ‘Citizens’ Watch’ at Washington Improv Theater

One of the best things about improv is that no two shows are alike. And Citizens’ Watch, the improvisational mystery now unfolding at Washington Improv Theater, is no exception.

Review: ‘A Christmas Carol’ at The Little Theatre of Alexandria

Holidays can bring out the blues, but A Christmas Carol will get you in the Christmas spirit of gratitude and love. The Little Theatre of Alexandria transforms you to the Dickensian time of Victorian...

Magic Time!: “My Job Is to Crack Open My Soul”: A Q&A with Justin Weaks, Now Appearing in ‘Curve of Departure’ at Studio Theatre

Justin Weaks was recently named by the Washington Post one of DMV’s 12 “stage dynamos,” one of “the best of an emerging cadre of younger regional talent.” He would have been on my short list too. I’ve...

Review: ‘Draw the Circle’ at Mosaic Theater Company

Draw the Circle is no ordinary one-man show. Nor is it an ordinary autobiographical play. Because Mashuq Mushtaq Deen—its transgender playwright and solo performer—has a singularly fascinating life...

Review: ‘ink’ at The Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

In ink, choreographer/dancer Camille A. Brown’s final installment in her trilogy examining African-American identity, an entire history of a people is written indelibly on the bodies of her six...

Review: ‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas’ at Olney Theatre Center

Surely, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is the definitive Christmas story—at least, in the fiction category—and Paul Morella’s scrumptious and spooky adaptation has become a perennial favorite. Adapted...

Interview: Natalia Magnicaballi of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet Discusses ‘Forever Balanchine: Farewell Performances’

I had the pleasure to sit down with Natalia Magnicaballi, principal dancer with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, to talk about her work with the company and the upcoming concert series: The Suzanne Farrell...

Review: ‘Madeline’s Christmas’ at Creative Cauldron

The twelve little girls in two straight lines of Ludwig Bemelmans’ beloved children’s series have taken the stage this holiday season in Creative Cauldron’s Madeline’s Christmas. With book and lyrics...

Review: ‘It’s a Wonderful Life a Live Radio Play’ at the Laurel Mill Playhouse

It’s a Wonderful Life is a classic. One we want to see every holiday season. Growing up, it was a household staple for us even though we were Jewish. The theme, the importance of kindness, the meaning...

Review: ‘Hansel and Gretel’ at Synetic Theater

Synetic Theater presents a imaginative re-telling of a beloved classic with their wordless production of Hansel and Gretel. Directed and choreographed by co-adaptors Tori Bertocci and Elena Velasco,...

Review: ‘The Girl of the Golden West’ at the Virginia Opera

Giacomo Puccini never met a foreign culture that he didn’t try to set to music. His operas set in Japan (Madama Butterfly) and China (Turandot) are celebrated as masterpieces. Less celebrated is his...

Review: ‘Peekaboo! A Nativity Play’ at the Hub Theatre

Want to wish yourself a Merry Little Christmas and a Happy New Year in a new way? Then for those with a bent for the uncommon, consider taking in a contemporary retelling of the Biblical Nativity...

Review: ‘Black Girl: Linguistic Play’ at The Kennedy Center

A lone bass guitar player, Electric Bassist Tracy Wormworth, is highlighted in a stream of light. He is seen at a distance and the sound is like a fluttering thought, familiar but quickly dissolving...

Review: ‘The Man Who Came to Dinner’ at Prince George’s Little Theatre

What can you say about a character who was on a first name basis with Walt Disney and Mahatma Ghandi? A character who dominated the radio airwaves, read plays, wrote books, who often slept until noon,...

Review: ‘Amazing Grace’ at the Museum of the Bible

A gorgeous production of a glorious musical in a grand new DC theater. What’s not to love? The new hall for performing arts is the 472-seat World Stage Theater, high up on the fifth floor of the new...

Interview: Beyond ‘Seinfeld,’ Brian George Moves From Sitcom to Stage in ‘Vicuña’ at Mosaic Theater Company of DC

Chances are you’ve seen him before, either as an angry Pakistani cook on Seinfeld or a benign Indian doctor on The Big Bang Theory. That’s because Brian George – the character actor now dazzling...

News: A Vintage Theater Inspires a New Generation

A Treasure from the Past Damascus, Maryland is tucked away among more well-known towns in Montgomery, Howard, Carroll, and Frederick counties. It’s easy to overlook, but you won’t soon forget it after...

Post-Play Palaver: ‘The State’ by Forum Theatre at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Post-Play Palaver is an occasional series of conversations between DC Theater Arts writers who saw the same performance, got really into talking about it, and decided to continue their exchange in...

News: The West Wing’s Allison Janney Named Honorary Chair of 2018 Women’s Voices Theater Festival

Allison Janney (The West Wing, and the Broadway revival of Six Degrees of Separation) is returning to Washington to lend her voice to support the 2018 Women’s Voices Theater Festival as Honorary...

Review: ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Annapolis Shakespeare Company

Annapolis Shakespeare Company’s production of A Christmas Carol is a fun, faithful translation of Charles Dickens’ famous holiday classic. Adapted by Sally Boyett and Donald Hicken, and directed by...

Review: ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales and Other Stories’ at Washington Stage Guild

Dylan Thomas–known in the theatre world for his radio play, Under Milkwood, and in the prose world for Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, and in the poetry world for “Do Not Go Gentle into that...

Review: ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviewed by Meredith Fogle Prepare to be swept into the holiday spirit alongside Ebenezer Scrooge by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future in Kensington Arts Theatre’s production of A...

Interview: David Rohde Interviews Mezzo-Soprano Isabel Leonard

When Washington National Opera presents one of opera’s top examples of musical comedy next spring, it’s only fitting that the production will star a singer whose background sounds as ready-made for...

Review: ‘The Wizard of OZ’ at Greenbelt Arts Center

Greenbelt Arts Center’s The Wizard of OZ, directed by Jon Gardner, is the epitome of joy, happiness, and sunshine; a theatrical ride to magic and wonder. With lyrics and music by Harold Arlen and E....

Review: ‘A Night with Janis Joplin’ at the Strathmore

If any singer from the hippie era could take a little piece of your heart, it was the legendary Janis Joplin. In A Night with Janis Joplin, the story of the iconic rock star emblazoned the stage of...

Review: The Kansas City Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ at The Kennedy Center

The Kansas City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, with its classic composition by Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Artistic Director Devon Carney, is a stunning and opulent spin on a classic ballet. This...

Dangereuse: ‘Twelfth Night’ at the Shakespeare Theatre Company – Present Mirth Hath Present Laughter

Many consider Twelfth Night Shakespeare’s supreme achievement in comedy. It is also one of his most popular and frequently produced plays. George Bernard Shaw, who hated Shakespeare, described it as a...

Review: ‘Me…Jane: The Dreams & Adventures of Young Jane Goodall’ at the Kennedy Center

The story of Jane Goodall – primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist – has been told numerous times in various media forms. The British born naturalist is said to be the leading expert on...

Review: ‘My Name is Asher Lev’ at 1st Stage

From the beginning of the 1st Stage production of My Name is Asher Lev, we are told that the young Asher is an amazingly gifted artist. Asher, who is played by Lucas Beck, narrates the play, and every...

Review: Christian Sands in Discovery Artist at the KC Jazz Club

Jazz pianist Christian Sands appeared at the KC Jazz Club last Friday evening with drummer Jerome Jennings and bassist Eric Wheeler: together, the pulse and rifts and energy lifted both heart and...

Review: ‘Christmas at the Old Bull & Bush’ at Metro Stage

One of the best parts of the holiday season is being transported to another time and place, putting our worries on hold, and enjoying the moment with friends and family. Christmas at the Old Bull &...

Review: ‘Frosty the Snowman’ at Adventure Theatre MTC

Adventure Theatre MTC presents Frosty the Snowman, written by William Francis, with additional dialogue and lyrics Jason Schlafstein and Kenny Neal. Schlafstein also directs this production alongside...

Review: ‘A Midnight Dreary’ by We Happy Few Productions

A Midnight Dreary is a promenade-style event that will have you on your feet, enjoying a drink, and experiencing Edgar Allan Poe’s stories like never before. The performance, directed by Bridget Grace...

Review: ‘Twelfth Night’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company

Shakespeare Theatre Company has set Twelfth Night inside of an airport lounge, and why shouldn’t they, it is their production, not ours, and Lee Savage’s design is a marvel of verisimilitude, so it...

Review: André Watts with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore Music Center

André Watts brought an ecstatic audience to its feet after his magnificent performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. Playing with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra...

Review: ‘Coffin in Egypt’at Quotidian Theatre Company

Anyone who thinks that storytelling is a lost art should hurry on over to the Quotidian Theatre Company, where Jane Squier Bruns is now holding forth in A Coffin in Egypt, Horton Foote’s masterfully...

Review: ‘Hamlet’ at American University Rude Mechanicals

There are some who argue that the works of William Shakespeare should never be altered, but instead be treated as sacred texts, performed just as the Bard intended and left untouched for as long as...