Madness of Poe is a Visual Feast
Synetic Theater—the region’s acclaimed physical production house—however, explores what happens when the lines are erased and there’s only movement left to tell the tale […]
Cause for Celebration: Hadestown at the Kennedy Center
Vermont folkie Anaïs Mitchell has been tinkering with Hadestown, her stirring Americana-ization of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, for nearly two decades […]
Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski Is a History Lesson and a Moral Reckoning
The stage is bare, occupied only by a well-worn wooden table and two simple chairs. Where the eyes expect the stage to meet the back wall, there is only darkness. Draped over the back of one of these chairs is a suit jacket, necktie, and sweater vest. Next to this chair is a pair of…
The Thanksgiving Play Is a Scathing Satire
City Paper never used to review shows at Olney Theatre Center. The venue was too far out of the District (11 miles north of the Beltway) and too far from public transit (almost 7 miles from the Glenmont Metro station). Philosophically, our reasoning went, we weren’t serving our core readership by deploying critics to the…
The Amen Corner Gets Its Due in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Production
If you’ve ever wanted a glimpse or reminder of what it feels like to be in church without actually attending church, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner is a great place to start. The play begins with a gospel music-driven Sunday morning service at Sister Margaret Alexander’s church in Harlem, instantly…
Despite Big Swings, Toni Stone Is Stranded On Base
America loves an underdog sports movie. The climax is often predictable: A team of misfits wins the state championship. The Jamaican bobsledders qualify for a gold medal run. Rudy finally takes the field. And yet, from Hoosiers to Cool Runnings, we’ll watch, and fall, for the faux suspense as an underdog overcomes the odds. Finding…
Come From Away Commemorated 9/11 on the Steps of the Lincoln Memorial
No curtain is necessary to open a play with a perfect “curtain speech.” Neither is a physical theater. On the evening of Friday, Sept. 10, when Ford’s Theatre welcomed roughly 6,000 people to a concert staging of the musical Come From Away on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, there was no curtain and no…
In Time Is on Our Side, Recreating the Past Isn’t Easy
This fall, doors are reopening, seasons are being announced, and tickets are on sale—something previously routine that feels especially precious 17 months after COVID-19 closed area theaters. If press night for Perisphere Theater’s production of R. Eric Thomas’ Time Is on Our Side at the Silver Stage Black Box is any indication, this season’s new…
D.C. Theaters Announce COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Audiences
On Aug. 5, 13 D.C.-area theaters announced they will require audience members to provide proof of vaccination to attend indoor, live performances. The organizations include major theaters like Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Arlington’s Signature Theatre. Theatre Washington will maintain a running list of all the theaters requiring…
In the End, We’re Gonna Die Is Full of Jubilance Amid Grief
The self-loathing of a useless uncle. Rejection from friends in childhood. The brutal suffering of a dying parent. The perfidy of a wickedly careless spouse. Walking the pain side of the line more than the comic, playwright Young Jean Lee’s decade-old musical We’re Gonna Die is a future cult classic. Concluding Round House Theatre’s 2020-2021…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.