Sunday, November 27, 2011
Theatre Around DC-Arena Stage, Signature, WSC Avant Bard
If you have the itch to catch theatre that will enthrall you, then I strongly urge you to visit Arena Stage and see Equivocation.
Equivocation, a play by Bill Cain and directed by Bill Rauch, will keep you on your toes and never bore you, in fact you will sit and try your darnest to put all the plays together, for the playwright has sewed several bits and parts together to help create a memorable night out for engaging theatre. To top it off, the cast is perfect and they work in tandem and yet even when they play several different characters one is never confused by it. I can't push this play more than any serious play I have seen in a long time. When the audience gives it a standing ovation during the first week, if not the first night's performance, trust me you can't go wrong.
I can't end this without saying that the new actors, Gregory Linington and John Tufts, making their debut at Arena, are super!
Hairspray at Signature:
Now for the sublime, if you have the urge to cut loose and simply enjoy a good musical, then I suggest you go to the Signature Theatre in Arlington to see Hairspray.
This musical made famous by John Waters' film with the play's book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan and the lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman can certainly let you forget about office politics and the minutia we all have to manage.
Once again Eric Schaeffer, Arlington's director guru of theatre, with Karma Camp and Brianne Camp as choreographers put on a very entertaining evening of retro-theatre (pre-interracial dancing on TV).
Carolyn Cole in the leading role of Tracy Turnblad, along with Nova Y. Payton as Motormouth Maybelle both bring down the house. Stephen Gregory Smith again plays his role well, as he did in the last play titled The Boy Detective Falls--it's his keen ability to move in and out of characters with a wide range of depth and age.
Then for those of you who are used to listening or watching Robert Aubry Davis, hold on to your seats because he is playing the role made famous by Divine, no other than Edna Turnblad. He does it well and his nervous itch adds to the character's actual role on stage; he manages to sign and dance and why on Earth was he not available instead of John Travolta when they redid the film a few years ago.
The Mistorical Hystery of Henry (I)V at WSC Avant Bard:
But if you are still wanting more Shakespeare but a bit shaken and not stirred, then get yourself to the Artisphere in Rossyln, Arlington.
This mixture of plays is adapted and directed by Tom Mallan with a very large cast but they move and shake and you will not be bored but you might have a challenge trying to keep the mixture of plays apart, so be prepared.
The use of visuals is truly awesome and one doesn't get it all until the very end, so I won't give it away.
So there you are. I'm sure there are other deserving plays showing but these were my past week's escape to theatre as I'm really an actor wanting my own stage, as I tell my students often.
Equivocation, a play by Bill Cain and directed by Bill Rauch, will keep you on your toes and never bore you, in fact you will sit and try your darnest to put all the plays together, for the playwright has sewed several bits and parts together to help create a memorable night out for engaging theatre. To top it off, the cast is perfect and they work in tandem and yet even when they play several different characters one is never confused by it. I can't push this play more than any serious play I have seen in a long time. When the audience gives it a standing ovation during the first week, if not the first night's performance, trust me you can't go wrong.
I can't end this without saying that the new actors, Gregory Linington and John Tufts, making their debut at Arena, are super!
Hairspray at Signature:
Now for the sublime, if you have the urge to cut loose and simply enjoy a good musical, then I suggest you go to the Signature Theatre in Arlington to see Hairspray.
This musical made famous by John Waters' film with the play's book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan and the lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman can certainly let you forget about office politics and the minutia we all have to manage.
Once again Eric Schaeffer, Arlington's director guru of theatre, with Karma Camp and Brianne Camp as choreographers put on a very entertaining evening of retro-theatre (pre-interracial dancing on TV).
Carolyn Cole in the leading role of Tracy Turnblad, along with Nova Y. Payton as Motormouth Maybelle both bring down the house. Stephen Gregory Smith again plays his role well, as he did in the last play titled The Boy Detective Falls--it's his keen ability to move in and out of characters with a wide range of depth and age.
Then for those of you who are used to listening or watching Robert Aubry Davis, hold on to your seats because he is playing the role made famous by Divine, no other than Edna Turnblad. He does it well and his nervous itch adds to the character's actual role on stage; he manages to sign and dance and why on Earth was he not available instead of John Travolta when they redid the film a few years ago.
The Mistorical Hystery of Henry (I)V at WSC Avant Bard:
But if you are still wanting more Shakespeare but a bit shaken and not stirred, then get yourself to the Artisphere in Rossyln, Arlington.
This mixture of plays is adapted and directed by Tom Mallan with a very large cast but they move and shake and you will not be bored but you might have a challenge trying to keep the mixture of plays apart, so be prepared.
The use of visuals is truly awesome and one doesn't get it all until the very end, so I won't give it away.
So there you are. I'm sure there are other deserving plays showing but these were my past week's escape to theatre as I'm really an actor wanting my own stage, as I tell my students often.
