Washington DC

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #32: ‘Hunt’: Part 2 by Jean P. Bordewich

HUNT: A Political Drama about Power, Blackmail and Tragedy in the U.S. Senate It’s hard to believe that the events in this play actually happened, but they did. I started my research when I worked in...

Capital Fringe Preview #31:’Oral Histories’ by Ward Kay

Sometimes it starts with the title. While taking a graduate research class on qualitative methods, playwright Ward Kay learned about oral histories and thought “That would make a great title!” He...

Spine: The 26th Contemporary American Theater Festival: Ed Herendeen’s 26th Snapshot of America’s Theatrical Culture

The Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is approaching its second quarter of a century of new American plays. This year’s rotating repertory...

Review: Patti LaBelle at The Music Center at Strathmore

After more than 50 years in the music business, Patti LaBelle can still pack a house. The fans came out full force to enjoy an evening of old R&B favorites sung by a funky diva who sings from the...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #30 ‘AND 1! at Aras Dance by Sara Herrera

AND 1! a dansical parody by ArasDance Join ArasDance for an exciting summer as they present their newest work, AND 1! a dansical parody. Yes, that is correct, a dansical parody! This will be...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #29: ‘Act Like a GRRRL’ (ALAG) by Rhonda Holdrige

Act Like a GRRRL (ALAG) is an autobiographical writing and performance program that inspires girls (ages 12-18) to write about their lives and transform their thoughts into monologues, dances and...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview # 28: ‘The Root of All Knowledge’

A Spellbinding New Play by Gabriel S. Hudson Sees Its World Premier in the Capital Fringe Festival this Summer Each year, the Capital Fringe Festival showcases innovative and avant garde artists...

‘Very Well-Connected’: Meet Cast Members of Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre’s ‘Side Show’: Part 3: Da’Von Moody

In Part 3 of a series of interviews with the cast of Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre’s production of Side Show, meet Da’Von Moody. Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell us what other shows...

Review: National Symphony Orchestra: Dreamworks Animation in Concert at Wolf Trap

After reviewing productions for a number of years, a “critic” like myself can usually come to rely on certain venues for consistent, professional entertainment. Wolf Trap is a spectacular venue and I...

Review: ‘Rent’ at Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre

Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre’s production of Rent, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the musical’s Broadway premiere, is a powerful, heartfelt, and entertaining celebration of creativity and...

Review: ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ at The Kennedy Center

The Bridges of Madison County is a romantic, sexy, and unapologetically sentimental musical. Most likely you know The Bridges of Madison County from either Robert James Waller’s 1992 novel and/or the...

Magic Time! Left-Handed Complement: Liam Forde on Acting With a Puppet in ‘Hand to God’ at Studio Theatre

Studio Theatre’s fourth floor has been turned into an amazing facsimile of a Lutheran church basement, complete with inspirational posters on the walls and seating at folding tables as if for a...

‘Very Well-Connected’: Meet Cast Members of Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre’s ‘Side Show’: Part 2: Jehan Silva

In Part 2 of a series of interviews with the cast of Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre’s production of Side Show, meet Jehan Silva. Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell us what other shows...

‘Very Well-Connected’: Meet Cast Members of Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre’s ‘Side Show’: Part 1: Anna Phillips-Brown

In Part 1 of a series of interviews with the cast of Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre’s production of Side Show, meet Anna Phillips-Brown. Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell us what...

Magic Time! ‘Another Way Home’ at Theater J

You know you’ve just seen a play that hits a nerve about the distress of parents who have a troublesome, troubled son (whom they love but don’t know how to cope with) when you’re reading the paper the...

Review: ‘Another Way Home’ at Theater J

Is it a coincidence that Another Way Home—which opened at Theater J on Monday night—just happens to coincide with the start of sleepaway camp for kids in the DC area? Not at all. That’s because this...

Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) Playwrights Interviews: Part 3: Allison Gregory and “Not Medea”

Here is Part 3 of 5 interviews by Sharon J. Anderson, Contemporary American Theater Festival Trustee/Professional Story Listener and Creative Director. Meet Playwright Allison Gregory and learn about...

Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) Playwrights’ Interviews: Part 2: Christina Anderson and “pen/man/ship”

Here is Part 2 of 5 interviews by Sharon J. Anderson, Contemporary American Theater Festival Trustee/Professional Story Listener and Creative Director. Meet Playwright Christina Anderson and learn...

Capital Fringe Preview #26: ‘BECOMING’ at fusiondance by Candra Preshong

Why BECOMING will challenge everything you think you know about dance Becoming….’to begin to be’….you may be asking yourself, what does that even mean? I wasn’t sure either, I just knew I needed to...

Review: ‘Moxie: A Happenstance Vaudeville’ at Round House Theatre

Moxie: A Happenstance Vaudeville channels pre-radio\TV entertainment America’s Got Talent, The X Factor, Benny Hill, The Gong Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show are nothing new. The variety show has been...

Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) Playwrights Interviews: Part 4: Ronan Noone and “The Second Girl” by Sharon J. Anderson.

Here is Part 4 of 5 interviews by Sharon J. Anderson, Contemporary American Theater Festival Trustee/Professional Story Listener and Creative Director. Meet Playwright Ronan Noone and learn about his...

Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage, in collaboration with The Washington Ballet, presents the world premiere of The Little Mermaid. This creative partnership follows the highly acclaimed award-winning production The...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #25: An Interview with Chè Monique on Her Cap Fringe Show ‘Cake’ and Her Cabaret ‘Summer SOULstice’

I think everyone who’s ever popped a pastie or twirled a tassel has thought about jumping out of a cake. When one actually considers the logistics of doing that though it quickly becomes a “No, that’s...

Review: ‘Evita’ at Olney Theatre Center

Evita, the Tony Award-winning musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, is now playing at Olney Theatre Center. The brilliance of the production is due to the collaborative...

Review: Dick Gregory: An Evening of Comedy & Jazz at The Kennedy Center

Internationally known comedian and civil rights activist, Dick Gregory, closed out the last of a series of five District of Comedy Festival performances along with a young all white jazz trio who...

Capital Fringe Preview #24: ‘The House of Yes’ by JP Sisneros

November 17th, 1983 Dear Capital Fringe: Hello Capital Fringe, I do hope you are doing well, as I am doing just fantastic. Well, I am reaching out to you to inquire about your Thanksgiving. As I,...

Capital Fringe Preview #23: ‘Glacier’ at MOVEIUS Contemporary Ballet

DANCING CLIMATE CHANGE: Merging Ballet, Science, and Film in MOVEIUS Contemporary Ballet’s “GLACIER” at the 2016 Capital Fringe Festival This groundbreaking, multimedia production puts an immersive,...

Review: ‘Silk Road Stories’ at The Columbia Festival of the Arts

The Columbia Festival of the Arts under Executive Director, Todd Olson has created a wonderful idea for cultural immersion. They incorporated food and a musical theme night as part of their venue. The...

Post-Play Palaver: ‘Next to Normal’ at The Keegan Theatre

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

An Interview with Patrick Garrity of ‘Round About’

I interviewed Patrick Garrity, who plays rhythm guitar and sings, about his band Round About, their favorite venue to play in the DC area and how they write their music. The band won Honorable Mention...

Review: ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at Infinity Theatre Company

In addition to bringing Broadway to Annapolis on a more intimate scale, Infinity Theatre Company transported audience members to a magical moment in time, opening last night with the Tony...

Review: ‘Jumanji’ at Adventure Theatre MTC

Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC) finishes out its 2015-2016 Season with their fourth world premiere production, Jumanji. The adaptation was co-written by Sandra Eskin and ATMTC’s Artistic Director,...

An Interview with Hannah Van Sciver on ‘Doing Whatever’s Scary!’

After receiving a classical education at the University of Pennsylvania and graduating with a degree in English and a minor in Theater in 2014, Hannah Van Sciver has appeared in productions at...

Review: ‘Get Used to It! A Musical Revue!’ at Rainbow Theatre Project

The current production being produced by the theatrically provocative and cutting-edge Rainbow Theatre Project —entitled Get Used To It! A Musical Revue!–may be a bit of a misleading title, for this...

Review: ‘See Jane Sing’ at The Kennedy Center

It’s hard to imagine what to expect at a cabaret debut from a television actor turned Broadway performer turned television game host. Jane Lynch—who some know as Sue Sylvester from the hit-television...

In the Moment: Wolf Trap and the NSO Celebrate 100th Anniversary of National Parks Service on Friday, 7/1

American epic grandeur will be visible and heard at Wolf Trap when the National Symphony Orchestra presents America the Beautiful in a grand pre-July 4th event. There will be breath-taking large-scale...

Review: ‘Mariposa & the Saint’ by Arcturus Theater Company

The very transportable set for this touring production consists of a small enclosure of flimsy, fragile fabric cubes painted to look like stone blocks but really as insubstantial as little laundry...

Review: ‘Clybourne Park’ at Silver Spring Stage

At the center of Bruce Norris’ tragicomic exploration of American “community” hangs Kenneth (Win Britt), the Korean War Vet who returns home only to commit suicide in his family’s home. During the...

Review: The District of Comedy Roast of James Carville at The Kennedy Center

How do you make fun of someone who always makes fun of himself? Well, last night, Roastmaster Bob Saget and The Kennedy Center’s District of Comedy Festival managed to do just that, roasting Chester...

Review: ‘Riverdance: The 20th Anniversary World Tour’ at Wolf Trap

Some members of the company weren’t even born when lines of dancers with arms at their sides first performed at a Eurovision competition in 1994. I’d say the rest was history but I don’t think anyone...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #22 ‘Hunt’ by Jean Bordewich

HUNT: A Political Drama NEW POLITICAL PLAY IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY OF PARTISAN POLITICS, HOMOPHOBIA, BLACKMAIL AND TRAGEDY IN THE U.S. SENATE HUNT: A Political Drama explores the dangers of extremism...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #21: ‘Juiced’ by Glenn Ricci

Power Punk Dance Trio Penetrates The Fringe Are you worthy? The Gods of Rock command you to stand in awe before this fearsome feminist punk rock modern dance band! Some call them political, some call...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #20: ‘Dial R for Robot: a Sci-Fi Hitchcock Rock Opera’ by Christian Crowley

Hitchcock’s Rope meets Blade Runner in an Interactive Rock Opera Science-lab rivalry turns deadly in the race to build the perfect robot. Hidden passions explode as artificial intelligence blurs the...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #19: ‘Ready to Serve: Unknown Stories of WWI Nurses’ by Robin Fox

Ellouise Schoettler is very excited to be returning to Cap Fringe 2016, for the seventh year. This year she is performing the premiere of Ready to Serve at Caos on F. Ready to Serve: Unknown Stories...

Review: “Celebrating Joan: A Tribute to Joan Rivers” at The Kennedy Center

Celebrating Joan: A Tribute to Joan Rivers, which left the audience of admirers howling last night at The Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater, was an evening for “mature audiences” and fans of the...

In the Moment: Part 2: An Interview with Workhouse Arts Center’s Ava Spece

Rare words indeed to take in and ponder from the preface to the The Brookings Institution’s Creative Communities, Art Works in Economic Development: “Without good data and analysis—much of it grounded...

Review: ‘Chalk’ at We Happy Few Productions

There’s an ancient child-custody legend about two women who claim to be the mother of the same infant. In the well-known Hebrew Bible version, their dispute is resolved when King Solomon orders the...

Review: Musicians of National Orchestral Institute Perform Two Dances and a Titan

The lobby is packed. The line for ticket pick-up is a few dozen deep. The lobby is filled with plush lounge furniture and lit with low-hanging, contemporary chandeliers. While this could be a scene...

‘Sometimes a House Is Much More Than a House: “Clybourne Park” Opens Friday at Silver Spring Stage’

Sometimes a house is just a house. Sometimes it’s a home. Sometimes it’s the bearer of secrets or of legacies. And sometimes it’s a stage where dreams, emotions, fears, and changes play out. A house,...

Review: ‘The Good Devil (In Spite of Himself)’ at WSC Avant Bard

The Good Devil (In Spite of Himself) is a good and plenty retelling of the classic Faust tale and how art can imitate life. Well, let’s really say it is an entertaining satiric retelling that uses...