2012

A Look at No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Suicide, Incorporated’ – Week 3 by Joshua Morgan

As we finish up our fourth week in the rehearsal room and head into tech, I’m feeling cool, calm, and collected. I’m so eager to share this play with Washington, DC and NRTC audiences. As Brian Sutow...

Film Review:’ Bernie’ by Bari Biern

Not since Mr. Joyboy, the mortuary cosmetician from Evelyn Waugh’s The Loved One, has there been a more memorable mortician than Bernie Tiede. In addition to making the residents of Carthage Texas...

Evan Casey & Jason Lott on Running Around Like Crazy at Olney Theatre Center’s ‘The 39 Steps’ By Joel Markowitz

I saw The 39 Steps last week and laughed so hard my jaw was hurting. Most of these guffaws came from watching Jason Lott and Evan Casey wear so many ‘hats’ and watching them running around the stage,...

‘Hum’ at Theater Alliance by Joel Markowitz

Tired of all those revivals and multiple productions of classics all around town? Then hop into your Hummer and drive over to Theater Alliance at Atlas Performing Arts Center and see the world...

‘Oxygen’ at Taffety Punk Theatre Company by Lauren Katz

When I walked into a black box theater at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop with nothing but a bed and two microphones on Wednesday night, I honestly did not know what to expect. However, Taffety Punk...

Stage Dad: ‘A Lesson From Dance’ by Glenn Cook

Like many parents with school-age children, a standing feature on many of our Saturdays is toting the kids to various lessons. For all of our kids, those precious weekend hours have revolved around...

Interview with ‘Musicians of Mercy’ Founder Robin Fay Massie by Teresa McCormick Ertel

Musicians of Mercy is a Baltimore area ensemble that coordinates benefits and performs for the sole purpose of helping those in need. Its founder, Robin Fay Massie, shares with us the ordeal that led...

Spooky Action Theater’s Annual Gala This Saturday, May 19th at 7 PM

In 2011, Spooky Action Theater became the recipient of a $1,600,000 bequest in the form of art works, antique furniture, vintage automobiles, and high fashion clothing and accessories. In between his...

‘The All New, Grand Ole Hee Haw Hootenany Hoe Down Jamboree!’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre by Mike Spain

Director Tad Janes bills The All New, Grand Ole Hee Haw Hootenany Hoe Down Jamboree! as ‘a spoof country variety show.’ It’s really a collection of special guests, bluegrass bands, skits, crowd...

‘The Bacchae’ at WSC Avant Bard by Pat Davis

Until the drumming began and the guitars wound their gypsy music across the stage and members of the chorus began to gyrate, I didn’t realize how much I was longing to see something new. How delighted...

‘Anything Goes’ at Riverside Center Dinner Theater by Julia L. Exline

Riverside Center Dinner Theater presents Anything Goes, an ocean-liner adventure with unforgettable music and lyrics by the renowned Mr. Cole Porter and upbeat song-and-dance numbers. The production...

‘Lonely Planet’ at MetroStage by Mike Spain

Lonely Planet replaced another production at MetroStage which I was looking forward to seeing. As I entered the theatre I knew very little about this play, but I am so glad my editor convinced me to...

Playwrights Collaborative Holds Two Staged Readings on May 19th & June 9th at The Writer’s Center

The Playwrights Collaborative, a group of area playwrights, will be holding two staged readings of plays written by several members. Both will be held at The Writer’s Center located at 4508 Walsh...

‘The Secret Garden’ at St. Mark’s Players by Joel Markowitz

St. Mark’s Players deserves the highest praise for their beautifully directed and performed production of The Secret Garden, which has a lush score by Lucy Simon and lyrics and book by Marsha Norman....

‘Six Degrees of Separation’ at Vpstart Crow Productions by Ashunda Norris

According to an unproven theory, all of us mere mortals are connected to anyone else on the planet through a chain of acquaintances separated by no more than five other people; six degrees of...

‘Going to St. Ives’ at Colonial Players by Amanda Gunther

If you venture to the Colonial Players‘ production of Going To St. Ives, you will find a compelling and engaging drama that captivates the audience and keeps them on the edge of their seats -desperate...

‘Valhella’ at Baltimore Rock Opera Society by Andrew L. Baughman

Great Odin’s Raven! Nothing – and I mean NOTHING – can prepare you for the rock SPECTACLE that is the BROS production of Valhella,now playing at The Autograph Playhouse in Baltimore. From the electric...

Madeline Botteri on playing Monica P. Miller in ‘Rooms: A Rock Romance’ at KAT

Madeline Botteri is a bundle of energy as Monica P. Miller in Kensington Arts Theatre’s production of Rooms: A Rock Romance. With her powerful voice Madeline sings the heck out of Paul Scott Goodman’s...

‘Young Frankenstein’ at The Lyric Opera House by Amanda Gunther

Baltimore is the happiest town in town because NETworks Presentations LLC made a quick stop at the Patricia & Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center’s Lyric Opera House with the sensational production...

‘Werther’ at Washington National Opera by Teal Ruland

On the surface, Werther is a simple “boy meet girls, boy falls in love with girl three hours later, girl marries someone else, boy dies” story. Like many operas, Werther follows the typical journey of...

‘Company’ at Silhouette Stages by Amanda Gunther

A Sondheim classic takes to the stage at Silhouette Stages in their spring presentation of the Tony Award-winning Company. Co-Directed by Debbie Mobley and Conni Ross, with Musical Direction provided...

Judyisms: ‘Unmentionable Moment – One Day This Will Be Funny’ by Judy Stadt

The very serious play was Equus, about a boy who mutilated horses by blinding them with an ice pick … horrible to say the very least. I had a small part in this wonderful production. The actors that...

‘Emily Loves to Bounce’ at The Kennedy Center by Julia L. Exline

The Kennedy Center presents Emily Loves to Bounce, an energetic mix of light, illusion, music, and mime from Patch Theatre Company of Adelaide, Australia. Set and Lighting Designer Geoff Cobham covers...

‘August: Osage County’ at Reston Community Players by Katie Elizabeth Quinn

In an article on the Steppenwolf Theater Company’s website, Tracy Letts writes that his play August: Osage County was inspired by the desire to create for the Steppenwolf ensemble a play that drew on...

‘A Brief Narrative of an Extraordinary Birth of Rabbits’ at EMP Collective by Amanda Gunther

What happens when a women who cannot conceive a child asks her sister to act as a surrogate – but instead of birthing one healthy human baby the sister gives birth to twenty-four fuzzy, adorable baby...

A Look at No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Suicide, Incorporated’ – Week 2 by Brian Sutow

This is Part 2 of Co-Artistic Director Brian Sutow taking us behind the scenes of No Rules Theatre Company’s production of Suicide, Incorporated: We are now almost half way through the rehearsal...

Stage Dad: ‘A Triathlon in Chunks’ by Glenn Cook

Being the parent of a professional child actor has a lot in common with triathlons. Sometimes you run, sometimes you spin around in circles, and sometimes you work heroically just to keep your head...

Special Discount for ‘Hello Dolly’ This Weekend at Spotlighters Theatre

Spotlighters Theatre offers a Mother’s Day Discount for Hello, Dolly! Order your tickets at www.spotlighters.org and use DISCOUNT CODE: 5-DOLLY to get $5 off your ticket price. Good this weekend ONLY!...

$5.00 Tickets for DCMTA Readers for Pinky Swear Productions’ ‘Killing Women’ by Joel Markowitz

Pinky Swear Productions is offering DCMTA readers $5.00 tickets For TONIGHT through SATURDAY when the run concludes. KILLING WOMEN at Spooky Action Theatre 1810 16th St NW, in Washington, DC 20009...

The DC Queer Theatre Festival on May 18th and 19th at The DCCenter by Joel Markowitz

In conjunction with CenterArts at The DCCenter, the DC Queer Theatre Festival will be presenting two nights of queer plays by playwrights in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The first annual festival will...

Film Review: ‘Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope’ by Andrew L. Baughman

Let me begin by dropping a few names: Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, Stan Lee, and Harry Jay Knowles. If these names resonate with you, then you probably want to make your way to see Comic-Con Episode IV:...

Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company Performs 3 Kyogen works at The Kennedy Center May 17-19th by Joel Markowitz

The Kennedy Center presents the Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company production of three traditional Kyogen works in the Terrace Theater from May 17-19, 2012. Last seen at the Kennedy Center in 2008 as part...

‘Metamorphoses’ at Constellation Theatre Company by Amanda Gunther

Directed by Allison Arkell Stockman, Constellation Theatre Company’s phenomenal production of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses is a gift from the gods. It blends aspects of storytelling and Ovid’s Tales...

Six Degrees of Separation opens May 11th at Vpstart Crow Productions by Rob Batarla

Vpstart Crow Productions’ Artistic Director Rob Batarla tells us about their new production of Six Degrees of Separation which opens this Friday at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. “Vpstart Crow...

‘Killing Women’ at Pinky Swear Productions by Mariya Danilenko

Killing Women, written by Marisa Wegrzyn, is a raunchy, witty play about female assassins. The set (Chris Holland) is abstract and simple; black rectangular blocks shape the stage and several wooden...

‘Cupcake Cabaret’ Coming to The Capital Fringe by Peter Sullivan

The 2012 Capital Fringe Festival will be upon us from July 12-29th. We begin our previews of Fringe shows with Cupcake Cabaret. Peter Sullivan and Pamela Nash tells us about this very exotic and...

Alicia Graf Mack: Dancing with Ailey American Dance Theater at The Lyric by Carolyn Kelemen

Alicia’s talent just keeps growing by leaps and bounds. The phones have been ringing off the hooks with callers wanting to know which shows Columbia’s sweetheart ballerina, Alicia Graf Mack, will be...

‘Diary of a Hurried 48 Hour Film Project Filmmaker’ by Erica Laxson

In just 48 hours over 100 teams flooded the DC area to produce their 2012 short films, and I am lucky to count myself among their numbers. My team is proud to be screening our debut work tomorrow...

‘Ruined’ at Fells Point Corner Theatre by Amanda Gunther

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play Ruined by acclaimed playwright Lynn Nottage comes to life on the stage of Fells Point Corner Theatre as the final production in their 2011-2012 season. This haunting...

Capital Sound: Adalia Jimenez Knocks the National Anthem Out of the Ballpark by Mike Spain

The Washington Nationals are a baseball team full of young talent like the 19 year-old sensation Bryce Harper and pitching ace Stephen Strasburg. However, when you go to a baseball game not all of the...

The Theatre Lab School of The Dramatic Arts Hosts ‘Late-Night Dramathon’ on May 18th at 10:30 PM

Rick Foucheux, Nancy Robinette, Michael Russotto, and others featured in fundraising event for The Theatre Lab On May 18, 2012, favorite Washington actors will perform in readings of new plays by...

‘The Taming of the Shrew’ at Folger Theatre by Julia L. Exline

Folger Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s classic comedy The Taming of the Shrew, drawing inspiration and influence from the Wild West, circa 1880. Esteemed director Aaron Posner sheds Shakespeare...

‘Women of the Blues’ at Creative Cauldron by Amanda Gunther

A new sound is sliding its way into town as Creative Cauldron presents Women Of The Blues. An original blues review featuring those melancholy melodies from the turn of the twentieth century right on...

Eric Jones on Playing Ian in ‘Rooms: A Rock Romance’ at Kensington Arts Theatre by Joel Markowitz

I am so happy that several productions of Rooms: A Rock Romance are popping up all over the DC Metro area, and last night I attended Kensington Arts Theatre’s production of Paul Scott Goodman and...

Stage Dad: ‘Three Simple Rules’ by Glenn Cook

Everyone has heard horrible stories about stage parents. Reality shows paint the worst pictures in vivid, cable-ready HD. Tabloids are littered with tales of the Lindsays, the Brittanys, the Mileys,...

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream…in Metropolis’ at Lumina Studio Theatre by Jessica Dall

For those expecting to see Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lumina Studio Theatre’s 100th production – A Midsummer Night’s Dream…in Metropolis might come as a bit of a shocking surprise. Those...

‘Annual Pops Concert’ at University of Maryland by Tiffany Draut

In general, Pops Concerts are a refreshing change of pace from the usual classical fare of orchestras and bands, and tonight was no exception. Tonight was the University of Maryland’s Annual Pops...

‘Rooms: A Rock Romance’ at Kensington Arts Theatre by Mariya Danilenko

Kensington Arts Theatre’s production of Paul Scott Goodman’s Scottish rock musical Rooms: A Rock Romance features a thrillingly gorgeous score by Paul Scott Goodman and a poignant, funny, and...

‘Urinetown: The Musical’ at The Arts Collective at Howard Community College by Amanda Gunther

It’s the oldest story, the masses are oppressed, faces, clothes, and bladders are distressed. Where could such a thing happen? Why The Arts Collective at Howard Community College’s presentation of...

‘The Little Foxes’ at Rockville Little Theatre by ZSun-nee Matema

One thing is for sure Community Theater has definitely come of age. The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman, now playing at Rockville Little Theatre through tomorrow at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre at...