Barbara Mackay

American Century's 'Serenading Louie' a raw look at love, marriage

In 1970 Lanford Wilson wrote a powerful play about the devastating ease with which human beings can destroy themselves and one another. The American Century Theater is doing a notable production of that play, "Serenading Louie," emphasizing its insight into the frailty of marriage and the futility of living in the past. Against a backdrop of a country that was exploding with new cultural and sexual freedoms, Wilson's play is set in a Chicago suburb in the 1970s. The characters include two couples in their 30s: Carl (Hans Dettmar) and Mary (Vanessa Bradchulis); Alex (Theodore M. Snead) and Gabby (Robin Covington). Alex is a successful lawyer heading toward a fine career in politics....

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Studio Theatre's 'Passing Strange' a high-energy, introspective show

Ninety-seven percent of the musical "Passing Strange" at the Studio Theatre is fast, fun, colorful and imaginative. Even its introspective moments are lively. Only near the end does "Passing Strange" turn serious and even then, its seriousness is part of its mission. The story of a Youth (Aaron Reeder) drifting through life in South Central Los Angeles, "Passing Strange" features book and lyrics by Stew, and music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald. There is a Narrator (the powerful Jahi A. Kearse) who sings and plays the guitar throughout, accompanied by a dynamic four-piece band, led by Christopher Youstra. It becomes clear that the Narrator is outlining his life in telling the story of the...

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Hilarious, bawdy 'Avenue Q' returns to D.C.

In the abstract, a bunch of irreverent, politically incorrect puppets wouldn't seem to be a logical choice for Tony-award-winning characters in a smash hit musical. Yet that's what the lovable creatures in "Avenue Q" have become, and they continue to draw devoted fans around the world. If you go "Avenue Q" Where: Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday; 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; though Aug. 15 Info: $76 to $86; 202-547-1122; shakespearetheatre.org Currently playing at the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Lansburgh Theatre, "Avenue Q" is a clever concoction of social satire about the process of...

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Quotidian brings lesser-known Tennessee Williams work to life

In 1979, Tennessee Williams' "A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur" opened in New York. Although not usually mentioned among Williams' masterworks, "Creve Coeur" is an intriguing blend of sadness and humor, a poignant, substantial play in which Williams creates four unforgettable female characters. Quotidian Theatre offers a credible production of the play. If you go "A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur" Where: Quotidian Theatre Company, The Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; through Aug. 8 Info: $20 to $25; 301-816-1023; quotidiantheatre.org "Creve Coeur" takes place on the unfashionable West End of St. Louis in 1936...

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Disney production of 'Mary Poppins' as delightful as a spoonful of sugar

Most of us, over a certain age, know Mary Poppins, whether from the books by P.L. Travers, or the Disney movie created from those books, or the stage show that followed the movie. Now a lavish Disney production is touring the world to make sure even more children fall under the spell of the mysterious English nanny, blown by the east wind to London's No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Currently playing at the Kennedy Center Opera House, where it can take advantage of state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment, this "Mary Poppins" is nothing if not grandiose: Mary's friend Bert (the nimble Gavin Lee) dances up one side of the proscenium arch, across it -- upside down -- and down the other...

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Theater J's 'New Jerusalem' paints portrait of philosopher

David Ives is that rare being, a man of letters. Playwright, novelist and translator, he produces works ranging from French farce to an investigation of the life and times of a famous Jewish philosopher, Baruch de Spinoza. Currently in production at Theater J, "New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656" is set where it says it is set. Amsterdam became home to many members of the Portuguese Jewish community who left Portugal because of the Inquisition. In Ives' play they must deal with the fact that a young Spinoza's unorthodox ideas have scandalized the respectable burghers of the city. Facing Spinoza is the...

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Annual Capital Fringe Festival about to kick off

The Capital Fringe Festival is about to begin and it will be bigger and better than ever, with 120 groups represented and more than 600 performances offered between July 10 and July 27. Now in its third year, the festival takes place in 20 venues throughout Washington and includes everything from solo shows to multimedia events to something that bills itself as a "comedy about free speech and cream cheese." "It was originally a performing arts community idea," Julianne Brienza said in a recent interview. Brienza is the executive director and one of eight founding members of the festival. "It's not just a theater festival. That's an important distinction for us. We're an unjuried...

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'Completely Hollywood' an irreverent guide to favorite movies

If you're a fan of movies or whacky comedy -- better still, if you're a fan of movies and whacky comedy -- you'll appreciate the irreverent, satiric humor of "Completely Hollywood (abridged)," a production of the Reduced Shakespeare Company at the Kennedy Center. The RSC, which has in the past presented abridged versions of Shakespeare, of the Bible and of American history, now sets its sights on that creator of the "ultimate weapons of mass distraction": Hollywood. Info Headline "Completely Hollywood (abridged)" Where: Terrace Theatre, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through July 11 Info: $39 to $49; 202-467-4600;...

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Talented casts helps Keegan's scattered production of 'Little Kingdoms'

The Keegan Theatre is offering Kevin Barry's "There Are Little Kingdoms," a dramatic version of Barry's stories about a small town in County Cork, Ireland, where all the inhabitants know one another and where no secrets are kept for long. The narrator, Foley (Kryztov Lindquist), begins his description of a morning in the height of summer. He offers lyrical details, many of them linked to nature, to the plants he sees, to the physical reality around him. Foley is gifted with foresight, but his gift is spurned by the people in the town. As he sets the stage for the coming drama, seven actors appear and thereafter those seven represent 27 different characters. After Foley, the first...

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Wonderful acting makes Studio's 'Legends!' a fun show

Studio Theatre's "Legends!" has a considerable history. James Kirkwood's play was about two legendary Hollywood stars who are aging, falling on hard times and looking for a way to revivify their careers. First produced as a national tour starring Mary Martin and Carol Channing, the show famously fell apart when the leading ladies could no longer act like ladies. A second try starring Joan Collins and Linda Evans also fell apart, again because of infighting between the divas. When John Epperson (also known as Lypsinka) found Kirkwood's play, he decided to edit it, the biggest alteration being that the two stars are men in drag. The result is a raucous, raunchy, campy comedy that casts...

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1st Stage's 'Suburban Motel' shows similar rooms, different stories

The two plays currently at 1st Stage represent one third of George Walker's six-play cycle, "Suburban Motel." Both take place in a crummy, anonymous motel that could be anywhere in America. In each play, Sean Urbankte's set includes mildewed, dirty yellow walls, a double bed, a desk and a large window revealing the outside hall. Cory Frank's lighting emphasizes the starkness of the rooms. If you go "Suburban Motel" Where: 1st Stage, 1524 Spring Hill Road, McLean When: Through July 3 Info: $15 to $25; 703-854-1856; 1stStageTysons.org The first play, "Featuring Loretta," features a dysfunctional family in which the family is present only over the phone. Whether the...

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Exceptional cast makes 'Man of No Importance' a must-see

"A Man of No importance," with book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, is a lighthearted but layered work, referencing the Bible, Oscar Wilde, Greek drama, modern drama, religious intolerance, sexual identity and self-realization. If not carefully handled, any one of those elements will take over the production and sink it. Happily, that doesn't happen in the current Keegan Theatre production of the musical, directed intelligently by Christina Coakley and Mark Rhea, who make sure that that all those disparate elements pull together, not apart. The musical is set in working-class Dublin, 1964. Alfie Byrne (Buzz Mauro) is a bus conductor and head...

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Olney's production of 'Trumpery' a engaging portrait of Darwin

Peter Parnell's "Trumpery," at Olney Theatre Center, is set at Down House, England, the home of Charles Darwin (Ian LeValley). It's June 1858, 27 years after Darwin boarded the H.M.S. Beagle and travelled around the world, finding on the Galapagos Islands many plant and animal species that were both similar to, and different from, those he found in South America. If you go "Trumpery" Where: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney When: 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Sunday Info: $26 to $54; 301-924-3400; olneytheatre.org When he returned to London, Darwin's notes and collected specimens led him to conclude that...

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GALA's tribute to Cuba's 'King of Song' has strong music, fizzled plot

Cuban playwright Hector Quintero had a good idea when he decided to write a tribute to one of Cuba's most influential and famous composers and singers, Ignacio Jacinto Villa, known affectionately as El Bola de Nieve ("Snowball"). The legendary Cuban singer became famous in the international music scene in the 1930s and his fame lasted in America, Latin America and Europe until his death in 1971. If you go "El Bola -- Cuba's King of Song" Where: GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; through June 27 Info: $32 to $36; 202-234-7174; galatheatre.org GALA Hispanic Theatre is producing Quintero's play, "El Bola --...

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Innovative Source Festival takes a new direction

Now in its third year, the Source Festival will be offering new and innovative forms of theater/performing arts through July 3. "It's going to be a really great mix of talent," festival producer Jenny McConnell Frederick said. "You're going to see some familiar faces that you know and love since all of the performers are local, and you're going to see some exciting new artists. Then the playwrights come from across the country." Some of the offerings will be familiar, for instance the 10-minute plays. According to Frederick, 535 submissions were received from across the country and those scripts were whittled down to the 18 that will be presented during the first week of the...

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'R. Buckminster Fuller' a brilliant show about a brilliant man

In its program for "R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe," Arena Stage includes a list of 43 things Fuller's son-in-law compiled to describe his father in-law. Some of them are easy to understand: A sailor, a poet, a Navy lieutenant, an anti-academician. If you go "R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe" Where: Arena Stage, 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington When: $25 to $66; 202-488-3300; arenastage.org Info: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday (6 p.m. June 13); 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (no matinees June 13 and 20) Some of the characterizations are less accessible: "a valuable unit," "an...

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Synetic Theater's 'Othello' a powerful, unique take on classic

There would be no way to produce "Othello" without a lot of sound and fury, given the depths of hatred, fear and jealousy Shakespeare packed into his tragedy. Now Synetic Theater magnifies still further the intensely passionate makeup of the play by emphasizing the distorted psychological machinations that allow Othello to believe he has been betrayed by Desdemona and compel Iago to destroy his master and his own wife. In the Synetic production, the abstract elements of love, spite, terror and envy that propel most productions of the play are tangible and visible. When the seed of jealousy has been planted in Othello's mind, video images of Desdemona and Cassio appear wherever Othello...

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Laurence Fishburne shines in Kennedy Center's 'Thurgood'

The Kennedy Center's "Thurgood," a one-man show about the life of Thurgood Marshall, is a piece of extraordinary stealth theater. With no special effects, an uncomplicated set and only one actor, it seems to be telling the simple story of the great-grandson of a slave who began with little and achieved a lot. In fact, "Thurgood" tells the explosive story of the waking-up of America, as it moved from being a country where post-Reconstruction laws still held sway to being a socially conscious nation, at the same time showing how one man helped pave the way for the civil rights movement. If you go "Thurgood" Where: Eisenhower Theatre, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW When: 7:30...

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'Sycamore Trees' tells a rough slice-of-life story

Many things make Ricky Ian Gordon's new work, "Sycamore Trees," unique: Its ability to integrate musical styles, mingling an atonal approach with echoes of Broadway and pop; its ability to blend effervescent comic moments with scenes of desolation; its ability to be not only a celebration in song of American life from the 1940s to the 1990s, but a celebration of song itself. If you go "Sycamore Trees" Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through June 13 Info: $52 to $76; 703-820-9771; signature-theatre.org Currently at Signature Theatre, "Sycamore...

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'Treadwell' tells story of woman acquainted with grit and clarity

Sophie Treadwell may not be a well-known name in American households, but the American Century Theater is trying to change that. In its current production of Allyson Currin's sprightly and moving "Treadwell: Bright and Dark," American Century Theater introduces a woman who represents the American spirit: strong, inventive, unconventional and determined to make her voice heard. If you go "Treadwell: Bright and Dark" Where: American Century Theater, Theatre on the Run, 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; through June 19 Info: $26 to $32; 703-998-4555; americancentury.org Born in 1885 on a ranch in Stockton,...

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Heritage's 'Anna Christie' a simple, yet deep production

If you're the sort of theatergoer who prefers simplicity and suggestiveness to expensive costumes and scenery, you'll probably enjoy The Heritage-O'Neill Theatre Company production of "Anna Christie," Eugene O'Neill's famous tribute to the sea and seafarers. If you go "Anna Christie" Where: The Heritage-O'Neill Theatre Company, 8011 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday; through June 5 Info: $18 to $30; 301-770-9080; theheritagetheatre.org The play opens in a saloon in New York City, where an aging coal barge operator, Chris Christopherson (Craig Miller), is drinking heavily with his girlfriend, Marthy Owen (Emily Morrison)....

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Washington National Opera's 'Hamlet' done in Cold War style

If you haven't seen the Washington National Opera's production of "Hamlet" at the Kennedy Center yet, you might not understand how anyone could dream of setting Ambroise Thomas' 1868 opera in "Denmark, fallen behind the Iron Curtain." But director/designer Thaddeus Strassberger had a clear vision for this "Hamlet," and the result is an outstanding production, in which Thomas' lush, Romantic music complements Strassberger's 20th-century setting and vice versa. Thomas' Hamlet is a quintessential Romantic hero, unable to shake his sense of alienation once he discovers that his uncle and mother have killed his father, then married within two months of the murder. So it's fitting to find...

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Round House's production of 'Around the World in 80 Days' fun for all ages

Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days" is a fabulous adventure-and-romance story, full of derring-do and seemingly impossible feats. Bethesda's Round House Theatre is producing a peppy, family-friendly version of the book, by playwright Mark Brown. Although Brown drops some of the details of the original, he faithfully reproduces the essentials of the Verne classic. The basic premise is that, given several important world-changing events (the completion of America's Transcontinental Railway, the opening of the Suez Canal and the completion of the Indian Railway) in 1872 -- the year the play takes place -- it was believed that the globe could be circumnavigated in 80 days, using a...

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Theatre J's production 'Mikveh' full of uncommon mysteries

Playwright Hadar Galron gets right to the point in her "Mikveh" at Theater J. We learn immediately that this incisive drama, set in an Ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in contemporary Israel, will reveal secrets about the closed world of the Jewish ritual bath, or mikveh. We sense right away that the play will be about different ways of seeing the same event. If you go "Mikveh" Where: Theater J, Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday; 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; through June 5 Info: $30 to $55; boxofficetickets.com; theaterj.org Only gradually does it become clear that the mikveh is only an excuse, a locus...

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'American Buffalo' shows the low life -- Chicago style

David Mamet is an extremely prolific playwright, but few of his works are better than his 1975 classic, "American Buffalo," currently at the Studio Theatre. The play established early on in his career Mamet's unfailing ability to create patterns of speech that instantly identify his characters -- not just where they come from but how they see themselves and the world. If you go "American Buffalo" Where: The Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW When: 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 8 p.m. May 25, June 1, 8; through June 13 Info: $35 to $63; 202-332-3300; studiotheatre.org In "American Buffalo" those characters are three small-time...

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'Best of Friends' a window into the lives of historical pen pals

Plays about improbable circumstances are always fun: What if Bill Gates, Hugo Chavez and Lady Gaga were stranded on a desert island? What could they possibly talk about? Washington Stage Guild is doing such a play, although its premise is not nearly so far-fetched. If you go "The Best of Friends" Where: Undercroft Theatre, Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through May 29 Info: $40 to $50, discounts available; 202-582-0050; stageguild.org "The Best of Friends," by Hugh Whitemore, is about three historical characters who knew each other primarily through...

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Comedy meets sensitivity in Teatro de la Luna's 'Heartstrings'

"Rifar El Corazon" ("Heartstrings") by Uruguayan playwright Dino Armas is a bracing blend of the familiar and the strange, a poetic vision of a common event -- the parting of two sisters -- set within a frame of unfamiliar, uncommon details. If you go "Rifar el Corazon" Where: Teatro de la Luna, Theatre II, Gunston Arts Center, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Saturday; through May 29 Info: $20 to $30; 703-548-3092; teatrodelaluna.org The sensitive production of "Heartstrings" at Teatro de La Luna brings out both the comedy and the pathos in Armas' work. Masterfully directed by Mario Marcel, who also designed the effective set, the...

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Keegan Theatre brings new take to classic 'The Graduate'

The Keegan Theatre's production of "The Graduate" is an adaptation by Terry Johnson of Mike Nichols' 1967 film and Charles Webb's 1963 novel. If you have clear memories of the movie or the book, forget them. The premise and characters are alike, but Johnson's drama is considerably different. The play takes place in Southern California, 1966. Benjamin Braddock (Tom Carman) is the quintessential conflicted young man, returned from college to his parents' home with no sense of where he's going. Carman plays the character effectively as a person who knows only that he doesn't want to go in the directions his parents want to push him. Jane Petkofsky is well-cast in the role of Mrs....

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'Last Five Years' a musical vision of time passing

"The Last Five Years" is physically a small show -- just two actors -- but it covers a large amount of psychological and emotional territory. Written by Jason Robert Brown, this co-production of Limelight Theatre and 1st Stage is about two people in their 20s explaining how their marriage came to an end. If you go "The Last Five Years" Where: 1st Stage, 1524 Spring Hill Road, McLean When: Opens May 7; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7 p.m. Sunday Info: $20 to $30; 1ststagespinghill.org Where this musical differs from other shows about unraveled relationships is that the process of falling in and out of love is described in two very different time...

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'The Trip to Bountiful' details a cherished past

Horton Foote was a master of realism and of everyday existence. Devoted to the American South, Foote loved to reflect the voices of plain people living out the ordinary, jagged stories of their lives. Bethesda's Quotidian Theatre is producing a moving version of one of Foote's best-loved plays, "The Trip to Bountiful." If you go 'The Trip to Bountiful' Where: Quotidian Theatre, The Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; through May 16 Info: $20-$25; 301-816-1023; quotidiantheatre.org The play is set in 1947 in a cramped, three-room apartment in Houston. An elderly woman, Carrie Watts (Jane Squier Bruns), sits in a rocking...

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