2012

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Beef Encounter’ by Grace Kim

Take pause from your daily grind and go on a walking holiday with Belinda Donovan (Claire Carroll, and writer of the play) as she walks through the English countryside. Becoming lost as her husband...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘LapBand Texas’ by Julia L. Exline

LaGoDi presents Lapband Texas, a production that packs a lot of laughs before taking an awkward turn. In a clever, Hairspray-style casting choice, Michael Brassfield commands the stage as Mamma, an...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Superhero Celebrity Rehab: The Musical’ by Cyle Durkee

Who hasn’t wondered what keeps Superman up at all hours? Why can’t Batman sleep? Why are Wonder Woman’s breasts so perky? The answer to the first two is obviously drugs (the answer to the third is, of...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Sweet Painted Lady’ by Cyle Durkee

Oh, the oldest story in the world. Boy has girl. Girl buys boy’s painting. Boy takes drugs and painting comes to life. Boy has affair with painting. Boy freaks out. Boy overdoses and kills painting. I...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The City of God’ – A New Opera’ by Cyle Durkee

Here goes. First, I’m not going to mention any names because these are college kids and they will learn better (and I’d like for them to get a chance to do so without the albatross of a bad review...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘3rd Annual “Fool for All”: Tales of Marriage and Mozzarella’ by Cyle Durkee

Over the years I have seen Faction of Fools develop beautifully. They are developing a cast of regulars that have real chemistry and obviously enjoy working with each other enormously. Let’s just get...

‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’ at The Studio Theatre by David Friscic

With a randy impudence and audacity – occasionally bordering on the sophomoric – Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson pokes fun at our seventh president of the United States with the anarchistic verve of a...

‘Love, Sex, and the I.R.$.’ at Bowie Community Theatre by Amanda Gunther

Everybody wants to save money on their taxes. And when you room with your best friend post college and his first name happens to be an ambiguous unisex name the logical thing to do is to change his...

‘Dames at Sea’ at Infinity Theatre Company by Amanda Gunther

Get ready to tap your toes along with the beat as Infinity Theatre Company presents the tap-happy navy-crazy musical Dames At Sea. With all the high energy of a swinging lively night on Broadway this...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘My Princess Bride’ by Andrew L. Baughman

Joe Brack is treading on hallowed ground with his production of My Princess Bride, a one-man show inspired by the William Goldman film and novel that is fanatically beloved by generations....

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Airswimming’ (Abridged) by Mike Spain

Airswimming (Abridged) is a play written by Charlotte Jones about two ladies in a London asylum. It stars Charlotte Jones (Dora/Dorph) and Julia Smith (Persephone/Porph) who also presented this drama....

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Bareback Ink’ by Andrew Baughman

Bareback Ink, a new play written and directed by Bob Bartlett, is a work of art based on the Ganymede myth that will speak to each beholder in its own way. For me, it made me contemplate volatile...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Comedy of Mirrors’ by Mike Spain

The Pallas Theatre Collective production of William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Mirrors does exactly what a comedy is supposed to do, make you laugh. The laughs come often from the talented casts’...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Mercy Seat’ by Sydney-Chanele Dawkins

Life can be tough. Some people are born with the cards stacked against them. For others, life is a series of miscalculations and bad decisions… It’s the day after 09-11-2001. Life is tough for the two...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Arlen & Berlin Occupy the Fringe!” by Jennifer Georgia

Arlen & Berlin Occupy the Fringe! tries to gain Fringe-worthy edginess for its loving review of classic songs from the 30s and 40s by setting it in Freedom Plaza and linking it to the Occupy D.C....

‘Big Love’ at The Hub Theatre by Sydney-Chanele Dawkins

Love, Marriage, and Mayhem. Aeschylus is often described as the father of Greek tragedy. In his play The Suppliants, Danaids unveils the original tale of a King who tries to form political alliances...

An Interview with ‘A Year of Giving’s’ Reed Sandridge by Kevin O’Connell

Though he’s reluctant to take credit for any of these things, Reed Sandridge is the subject, star, and co-author of A Year of Giving, Rockville Little Theatre’s entry into the 2012 Capital Fringe...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Cupcake Cabaret: A Brief History of “Bad” Women’ by Julia L. Exline

If you’re hoping for some impressive dance moves in Cupcake Cabaret, then don’t let those hopes get too high. When an older, conservative woman (Julie Chapin as Sherry Somebody) discovers that her...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘HeHEE! or “What It’s Not Glee?” by Jessica Vaughan

HeHEE! or “What It’s Not Glee? is a production of The Comedy Academy, Inc., which is a non-profit that teaches middle and high school and college students to write sketch comedy. I know, watching...

‘Legally Blonde’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia by Amanda Gunther

Oh My God! Omigod, you guys! Looks like Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia wins the prize of super fantastic amazing entertainment for the summer of 2012 as they present the area premier of Legally...

‘Sandy Bainum: Something to Sing About’ at Signature Theatre by Kim Moeller

In an age of big splashy music-based reality contest shows, concerts as multimedia extravaganzas, technically-altered recordings, and TV shows manufactured around large musical ensembles, it’s a...

‘Church’ at Forum Theatre Company by Lauren Katz

Forum Theatre’s mission is to bring controversial and discussion inspiring theater to society. From what I witnessed on Saturday July 13, they seem to have met their goal. Church, written by...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lauren Katz

The Greenbelt Arts Center presents the popular children’s tale Alice in Wonderland, with a twist. The basic storyline is still present: Alice (Liz Cassedy) falls down a rabbit hole and meets a series...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Fringe Review: ‘Men Don’t Listen to Naked Women’ By Julia Exline

In Men Don’t Listen to Naked Women, performer Monique Holt throws in a pinch of everything—hilarious stand-up, friendly audience interaction, impeccable mime and playful storytelling. Dynamic,...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Imagination Meltdown Adventure’ by Lauren Katz

The statement “Be careful what you wish for” takes on a whole new meaning through Pointless Theatre’s production of Imagination Meltdown Adventure. The play loosely follows Joseph Campbell’s...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘We Tiresias’ by Anne Tsang

We Tiresias, written by Stephen Spotswood and directed by Matt Ripa, is based on the Greek myth of Tiresias, a blind prophet ofT hebes, renowned for his clairvoyance. The story of Tiresias is told...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘President Harding is a Rock Star’ by Anne Tsang

Landless Theater Company’s revival of President Harding is a Rock Star, written by Kyle Jarrow and directed by Melissa Baughman attempts to draw parallels between the life and metoric rise of the 29th...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup’ by Doug Poms

Who is Miss Hiccup you might be wondering? She is a come-to-life doll-like clown that is played by a very talented woman from Japan named Yanomi. And yes, Yanomi does suffer from a bad case of the...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Pundit’ by Kim Moeller

“The first law of punditry is the less you know, the easier it is to boil it down to a sound bite.” That’s a quote from The Pundit’s title character, Peter Peters, an authority on, well, we’re not...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Tent of Dreams: An Occuplay’ by Pat Davis

The Baldacchino Gypsy Tent, with a loud crowd thronging in the bar next door, is the perfect setting. The crowd will likely be inside, too, standing against the edges of the tent, packed in for Nu...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Madame: Helena Rubinstein in America’ by Francine Schwartz

Madame: Helena Rubinstein in America is a production of the Fourpence Theater. Their mission is to present works that explore the lives of “unique, female American icons.” According to the program,...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Goddess Diaries’ by Pat Davis

Having read that The Goddess Diaries sprang from an exercise at playwright Carol Campbell’s church, I must have had in the back of my mind the image of a basement room in an old building, a group of...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Zero Tolerance: Sex, Math and Seizures’ by Connie Morris

Barbara Selfridge’s one woman show asks the question “You decide which is scarier: epilepsy or prime numbers…and sex.” An intriguing and beguiling question that doesn’t quite maintain the same level...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘HeLovedtheSoftPornoftheCity’ by Connie Morris

I hate giving my age away, but I spent my childhood in the 1960s and 70s. Since I was fortunate enough to have the fine arts, music, and theater within my public school curricula, on occasion I would...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Pushing Boundaries’ by Connie Morris

I love reading Fringe show descriptions. I usually develop an expectation in my mind that is rarely relevant to the actual production I witness. Ellouise Schoettler’s Pushing Boundaries show...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Mindset’ by Jennifer Perry

Jace Casey is, put simply, a wunderkind. This young DC area teen with Signature Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, and Olney Theatre Center performing credits, has directed, composed, arranged, and co-written a...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Will Rogers’ USA’ by Jessica Vaughan

I walked out of Will Rogers’ USA thinking that this guy was the most awesome man on the planet. Everyone should see this play, especially if they have no idea who is. I was intrigued by the program...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Hair Chronicles’ by Veronique MacCrae

Thought-provoking, probing and deeply personal, The Hair Chronicles, written by Nileah Bell, Mary Nyingi and Michelle Whittaker is based on the real event of the playwrights’ search for a paper topic...

Capital Fringe Review ‘Fallen Angels’ by Jennifer Perry

Fallen Angels, a trio of miniature operas composed, produced, and musically directed by Michael Oberhauser, shows much promise for future expansion. Under the direction of Nick Vargas, the cast of...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Webcam Play’ by Grace Kim

The Webcam Play, written by Timothy J. Guillot and directed by Sasha Bratt, is a funny dramedy about online dating. Most of us singletons have tried online dating, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, and...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Despertar’ by Amanda Gunther

Despertar. Literally Spanish for awakening or to wakeup. The wakeup call here is that there are 122 other shows at The Capital Fringe Festival to go enjoy. Director and Playwright Jon Jon Johnson...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Harmony’ by Julia L. Exline

Quite frankly, this is a play that should be called Discord. Directed by Matthew Sonnenfield, the plot centers around three women (Amelia Bane as Regina, Chelsea Reba as Isabel, and Alexandra Kelly as...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘No Exit’ by Tzvi Kahn

As you enter the basement level of the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church for OUR Theatre’s modern adaptation of Sartre’s No Exit, the play’s Valet (Thomas L. McGrath) appears in character to direct...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Jilly Manilly’ by Andrew L. Baughman

Jilly Manilly (written by Carl A. Fischer and Walt F. Strasser; directed by Patricia Woolsey) riffs on the Milli Vanilli lip-syncing controversy of the late 80’s. Scout Records Owner Mark Franklin...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Hysterical Blindness’ by Jennifer Perry

Justin Purvis’ autobiographical monologue, Hysterical Blindness, is a compelling one. Directed by Daniel Flint and co-created/produced by Chantal Martinaeu, it starts off as largely a comedic improv...

‘Parade’ at The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts by Alex Murphy

The Theatre Lab’s production of Jason Robert Brown’s musical Parade marked another entry in the long line of excellent musicals that showcase the outrageous talent of their young performers. The young...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Discharged’ by Jennifer Perry

Discharged, written by Erin Webreck and performed by Kelley Quinn, is a solo-piece, which explores how family pressures and relationships impact one’s life no matter one’s station and personal...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Flight of Fancy (A Steampunk Ballet)’ by Grace Kim

MOVEius Dance’s Flight of Fancy (A Steampunk Ballet) will invigorate your senses with a dance performance set to fourteen indie rock songs. I love dance performances and one that’s billed as an...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Rightful Masters’ by Dr. Layla McCay

When Mark Whitney, solo performer of Rightful Masters, thanked us for supporting ‘independent theater’ at the end of his ‘performance’, the audience looked puzzled. Because Rightful Masters may be...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Everything Fringe Show You Want To See in One Fringe Show Fringe Show’ by Jessica Vaughan

The Every Fringe Show You Want To See in One Fringe Show Fringe Show is hilarious! I (and most of the audience) was laughing out loud, uncontrollably, every 20 seconds. Why? The show’s three actors...