'The Letters,' an extraordinary show at Metro Stage

Michael Russotto and Susan Lynskey star in The Letters now playing at Metro Stage/Photo by Chris Banks

Michael Russotto and Susan Lynskey star in The Letters now playing at Metro Stage/Photo by Chris Banks

Two actors, one act, one scene come together brilliantly in the drama The Letters by John W. Lowell now playing at Metro Stage.

It's as good as what you've heard and read, and stars a tight script matched by exceptional performances with every word, every clap, every desk walk around and eye rub, important to the show.

Set in the Soviet Union in 1931, a government bureaucrat (Michael Russotto) summons an employee (Susan Lynskey), a prudish. timid little lady, to his office (eerily reminiscent of a prisoner's dark cell) to see if she likes his news about a promotion. 

It doesn't take long for Herr Direktor to show his real colors which illuminate why he brought her in for a tete-a-tete in the first place!

"You are right for this, if I say you are," he thunders.  "The more you accomplish, the more you're expected to accomplish."

Bit by bit, the sharp dialogue unfolds and reveals what he was brewing in his concoction. How would she like her apartment to be searched to find the letters?  Or, her colleague's apartment?  Her co-worker who has been tortured for the last 24 hours because the government can't find copies of the letters.

What letters? 

Copies of letters written by a famous composer (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky), whose actual sensual correspondence with a man lay the groundwork for  Mr. Lowell's play.

Under the masterful direction of John Vreeke, The Letters grabs you from the get-go with excellent lighting (by Alexander Keen) and design (Giorgos Tsappas) which, with film noir effect and shadowy silhouettes against an opaque glass door, accentuate the dialogue's edgy angles, and its twists and turns until control is relinquished. 

Institutionally painted walls and singular props from a purse to a big desk to the phone (sound design by Aaron Fensterheim; I can hear it ringing) cast the black mood of the all-too-real story.  

Ivania Stack, the costume designer, made sure that nothing distracts from the exchange, especially the little lady's apparel in black and muted browns, from head to toe which complement her mousiness, at least at first.

The Letters first ran on stage in Los Angeles in 2009, after the extension of the U.S. Patriot Act passed in 2006 (strong-armed through Congress by President George W. Bush) and another extension in 2011 (endorsed by President Barack Obama; who would have thunk?).

Lowell presaged the stage performances currently running this week on the floor of the U.S. Senate where some members have dared question the government's collection of citizen data and its purposes while their loyalty and obeisance are doubted by other senators and the president.

Sound familiar?

Talk about the timing of a D.C. premiere! An Edward Snowden strike.

No D.C. drama lover will want to miss this show with its coming Helen Hayes nominations, I just know it...er....them.

It's scary out there.

Other key crew members are Carolyn Griffin, producing artistic director; Richard Lore, stage manager; and Eliza Lore, assistant stage manager.

What:  The Letters by John W. Lowell

When:  Wednesday through Saturday nights at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m., and weekend matinees, Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. through June 14, 2015

Where:  Metro Stage, 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

How much: $50 and $55

Duration:  75 minutes, without intermission

Parking:  Plentiful, on-site, and free

For more information:  703-548-9044


For more reviews of The Letters and other plays, go to DC Metro Theater Arts.

patricialesli@gmail.com



 

Ford's Theatre drives a marvelous 'Daisy'

Craig Wallace is Hoke Coleburn and Nancy Robinette is Daisy Werthan in Ford Theatre's Driving Miss Daisy/Photo by Scott Suchman

Driving Miss Daisy at Ford's Theatre is so good, I could see it again.  For theatre lovers and others, you have less than a week to see the show.

I cannot recall any theatre performances when the audience applauded after every scene change like it did for Miss Daisy, but applaud it did, and there are a few scene changes.

From beginning to end, Daisy is a charmer, full of humor and life and relationships and all that's important, and it will keep you laughing while simultaneously serving as a painful reminder of last century's civil rights turbulence in the South.

The story is based upon the family of the playwright, Alfred Uhry (b. 1936 in Atlanta):  A black man (Craig Wallace is Hoke) is hired to drive a white Jewish lady, age 72, (Nancy Robinette is Daisy) around town after her son (Ron Heneghan is Boolie) deems her too incapacitated to drive.  She's got a tongue, all right. It sizzles and strikes without mercy, sending the audience into frequent hysterics: "She sounds like she has a bowl stuck in her throat," and "If I had a nose like Maureen's, I wouldn't say 'Merry Christmas' to anybody."

The crew of three delivers knock-out performances, and the elders' (Daisy and Hoke) aging on stage occurs so subliminally, their increasingly right-angle postures and slower paces almost go unnoticed.  Boolie doesn't stay young forever, either.

At first glance the set (by Tony Cisek) appears almost too minimalist, but that initial misconception quickly dissolves as dialogue takes over, and the set becomes secondary.  That said, rapid small changes give way to totally new times and circumstances spanning the years 1948-1973 when Atlanta first elected a black mayor.  An elegant living room evolves into an office. The car is traded for a newer one. A cemetery with tombstones and chrysanthemums blossoms into a kitchen which is a later empty mansion, and on and on.  The quantity and substance of props are understated as they should be, but add immensely to the overall enjoyment and scene progressions.

Costuming (by Helen Huang) is realistic and timely, and Miss Daisy's little old lady dress with its later added accessories (hat, coat, sweater) join set changes nicely to convert moods and places. In his first scene, Hoke's big, hand-me-down suit tells his station-in-life and need for a job. 

Some of the memorable lighting Dan Covey creates include the backdrop of strings of Christmas lights, a starry sky, and a overhead light shining on Daisy in a scary nighttime stop somewhere in Alabama. Short background musical selections a la NPR, from gospel to cello, violin, and banjo, although taped, helped ease scene transitions in excellent fashion.

At the end, Robinette is a 90-year-old with shaking hands, thinning hair, and impaired speech.  She needs help eating but is still a tough old bird.  I watched and wished my own mother, long in the grave and a Southerner, could see Driving Miss Daisy. She would love it.

The play debuted off-Broadway in 1987 and won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. With The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Parade, it is part of Uhry's trilogy about life in the South.

The performances by Robinette and Wallace are well worth Helen Hayes' nominations. 

Jennifer L. Nelson directed Driving Miss Daisy, and other key crew members are Elisheba Ittoop, sound; Anne Nesmith, wig and makeup; Lynn Watson, dialects; Brandon Prendergast, production stage manager; and Hannah R. O'Neil, assistant stage manager.

What:  Driving Miss Daisy

When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. with matinees on Thursday,  Saturday, and Sunday, through Oct. 26, 2014

Where: Ford's Theatre, 511 Tenth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004

How much: Tickets start at $33.65 with discounts for groups, military personnel, senior citizens, and those younger than 35.

Duration:  About 90 minutes with no intermission

For more information: 202-347-4833

Metro stations: Metro Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown, or Archives-Navy Memorial

For more theatre in Washington, D.C. check out the DC Metro Theater Art's website here.

patricialesli@gmail.com
 

Ford's Theatre's 'Bee' is a spellbinder

 

Cast members from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee now on stage at Ford's Theatre under the direction of Peter Flynn.  The seated fellow on the far left in a daze is one of four cast members from the audience/photo by Scott Suchman

Ford's Theatre latest production, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is so much fun I asked the box office to let me know right away if it's extended through Memorial Day weekend when my family comes to town, and I can see it again.  Really. 

The energy and laughter are contagious, and the action is non-stop.  Increasing the entertainment are superb acting (under the direction of Peter Flynn), singing, choreography (by Michael Bobbitt) and plot.  Who would have guessed a musical comedy could come out of a spelling bee, but Rebecca Feldman's creation and Rachel Sheinkin's story made it happen on Broadway in 2005 where it ran for almost three years and won two Tonys.

For more frivolity, why not throw in four volunteers from the audience who have a one-night stand on stage with speaking (mostly spelling) parts?

Vice Principal Douglas Panch (Matthew A. Anderson) and moderator, Rona Lisa Perretti (Rachel Zampelli), both, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalians, grill the ten contestants (including the newly cast) who are asked to spell really hard words, most from South America, except for "vug" ("vug"?), "cow," and "lugubrious" which this most definitely is not. 

Mr. Panch and Ms. Perretti are quite skilful at improv and current events, and their exchanges with the new actors  (who must be good spellers) are hilarious. (What's a play in D.C. without mention of local politics?)  

Rather than long drawn out scenes, the action speeds up at the right times bypassing actual spelling as the students line up and whizz by.

The losers are escorted off stage with one of my favorites,  Mitch Mahoney (Kevin McAllister), who plays a convict doing community service at the school (makes sense, no?). His mannerisms, slouch, walk, and dress (hoodie, jeans, backwards ball cap) are street perfect, and he later finds Jesus.  Of course.

The contestants represent many different persuasions: There is Vincent Kempski as Boy Scout Chip Tolentino whose sudden rise to puberty becomes cause for alarm; Nicholas Vaughan as Leaf Coneybear who is home schooled; Logainne Schwartlonglastname is played by Kristen Garaffo, an energetic girl with two fathers; Felicia Curry is prissy Marcy Park whose achievements are bested by no one and she's got the voice to prove it, and not to be outdone in spectacular music or acting is Carolyn Agan's Olive Ostrovsky. Oh, and one more: William Barfee played by Vishal Vaidya who quite convincingly spells with his feet.  (You have to be there.) 

Who do you think wins?

A five-member band led by Christopher Youstra never dominates but adds to the night's gaiety with William Finn's music and lyrics.

(You may want to bring sunglasses for, except for audience members dressed in shabby greys, browns, and blacks, the costuming by Wade Laboissonniere and scenic design by Court Watson expand the sparkly.)

A few "damns" and some earthy talk and visuals lead Ford's to recommend the show for ages 12 and up, but two engrossed boys, ages about four and six, I saw practically hanging over the balcony railing near the end were oblivious to adult recommendations. 

The Spelling Bee has no intermission and lasts about 1.5 hours.  And you thought you were a good speller?  Come and try out your skills.  P.S. No exsibilations were heard the whole night.  Jay Reiss provided additional material.

What:  The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. through May 17, 2014 with matinees on Fridays and Saturdays. (Meet the cast after the show across the street at Bistro D'Oc May 3.  Play tickets, not necessary.)

Where: Ford's Theatre, 511 Tenth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004

How much: Tickets start at $18.00 with discounts for groups, seniors, military, and anyone under age 35

For more information: 202-347-4833

Metro stations:  Metro Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown, or Archives-Navy Memorial

For more theatre in Washington, D.C. check out the DC Metro Theater Art's website here.

patricialesli@gmail.com



 

Capital Fringe's 'Politician' scores big win

The playwright, John Feffer, is a. D.C. resident who has never worked for the U.S. government, but is well versed in its composition, stemming from his background as a D.C. journalist, pundit, and foreign affairs authority. Last year his Fringe production of The Pundit sold out, and this year's version, The Politician, picks up the story, but you don't need the first to know which way the winds blows.

At the Politician's Fringe premiere, the audience packed the Goethe-Institut 's main stage in Chinatown, eager to see
another political show, for in this town, another political show is always welcome. (Many are not on stage yet.)

The Politician is all about one assistant assistant undersecretary at the State Department, "Peter Peters," (Sean Coe) a typical Washingtonian A-lister moving up and over bodies to reach higher and higher plateaus, none which remain satisfactory for longer than a nanosecond. Isn't that the nature of the human beast? (Especially the ones in D.C.)

Peters advances to assistant deputy secretary to under secretary, and next stop: NATO.

Wait!

Along the way he’s got to deal with his wife (Lisa Hodsoll; does she have to call so much?), his son (“No! I don’t have time to go to his violin concert!”), interns, interviews ad nauseum, a terrorist from Kharzaria (?), and even a pesky radio d.j.

The play is a comedy-drama with lots of great lines, many coming from the hilarious but serious terrorist, Ruslan X (Ethan Kitts) who says his parts with the solemnity of a bomb about to detonate. To the audience's delight, he often mixes up his English: "puddle" for "splash," and "ghost us" for "haunt us." (You have to be there.)

For Fringe, it’s a big cast of seven, with four who have two or more roles (and five who are the radio callers). Smooth transitions gave no hint about multiple parts, only afforded the experienced. No weaknesses were observed in any presentations, however, "show stealers" were Conor Scanlan, Peters' intern who also acts as his son, and Morganne Davies in three roles, including Peters' mistress.

It's not often you see one person in four roles, deftly acted here by Michael Crowley. In one of her two parts Sarah Strasser delivered the ideal exaggeration and inflection of an entertaining television reporter.

The sound director deserves special recognition, but at left center stage was a burned-out light bulb needing replacement. Microphones would have aided reception. Costuming was match perfect.

Doug Krehbel directed with assistance from Christine Barry.

Although the performance lasted two hours (long for Fringe), I was not ready for it to end, and would welcome a combined production on a bigger platform, like maybe Woolly Mammoth's? Latecomers' intrusions would be thwarted.*

Whatever, not to miss!

*About latecomers: When I placed my order for a Fringe ticket package, I had to acknowledge three times my understanding that latecomers would not be seated, but they were at the Goethe-Institut. Not just one or two individuals, but trickling groups, too. The entrance to seating at the Goethe is at the front, so latecomers have to walk on the stage platform. Which is what they also did after intermission. Maybe they were politicians on waivers. 

What: The Politician

When: July 24, 5:45 p.m. and July 28, 12 p.m.

Where: Goethe-Institut, Main Stage, 812 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

Duration: About two hours with one short pause

How much: $17 + a one-time charge for the $7 Fringe button required at all venues or buy discounted seats in multiples

Metro stations: Metro Center, Mt. Vernon Square-Convention Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown, Archives

For more information: 866-811-4111

Language: X-rated 


patricialesli@gmail.com

Capital Fringe's 'STATUS' is an experiment, all right

Limousines, Inc.

 

Guurrrrlll!!!  We should all have a year (or part of one) like Kathryn Elizabeth Kelly had in 2011 when her boyfriend ended their six-year affair, and she took off and said "yes" to all invitations.

Wow!  You talk about a wild side.  Or was it a wild ride?  I think it was both.  

I've heard about this in Washington, D.C., and I believe Ms. Kelly's show at Capital Fringe, STATUS - A Social Media Experiment, could be up on the big screen, and can't you just imagine the film?  I am ready to buy a ticket.

You see, my lifestyle ain't exactly like Kathryn Elizabeth Kelly's, being that I am much older (one reason) but some of us can live vicariously, can't we? And when does the movie start?

Kathryn Elizabeth Kelly stars in her own play, STATUS - A Social Media Experiment at Capital Fringe/Phil Kogan

Okay, she's a Kennedy Center dancer (she said it was a true story) who starts going out "on the rebound" real fast, like the speed of water gushing from broken pipes, to parties galore, where "Mr. Billionaire" paid her mortgage (!!!) after she agreed to try on one of the many new bikinis he kept  on his yacht on the Potomac where all the women, she said, had been his sleeping partners at one time or another. (Not all at the same time, I don't think since that would require a mattress as big as FedEx Field.  I don't guess a mattress is necessary though. Do you ever wonder how these people remain disease-free?  Maybe, they aren't!) 

(In her one-act, one-person play, Kathryn Elizabeth Kelly never mentions having sex with any of her new "friends."  Shame.)

Anyway, one party led to another and another, and four hours' sleep per night became the norm along with all those alcoholic calories and friends.  Oh, she found a lot of those on FB: to be exact, 687 she "friended" over the year. 

Once she got out her dancing shoes, it didn't take long to break into the D.C. party  circuit and rub shoulders with the elite, including one of the female U.S. Supreme Court justices, and they discussed dance:  modern or ballet? 

And pretty soon, Kathryn Elizabeth Kelly was going to all the fancy digs with so many escorts who knew their way "in," invited or not.  Just act like you know what you're doing, she said, and the hosts will be too embarrassed to kick you out.  (She didn't name the Salahis at the White House, but their images appeared to many of us.)

Ms. Kelly's props are a computer on a fold-out table, a chair, a bell, and the screen behind her where activities, friends, and male pals are displayed in a slide show.  Sadly, no real names supplied.  Just nicknames ("Captain Morgan," Mr. Liteweight," "Lieutenant Delicious.")  There is no intermission (but all the Fringe intermissions I know about are nothing more than pauses). 

Honestly, I don't think she was really acting as much as pouring her guts out about her incredible year over 60 minutes which, for sure, won't appeal to all, but I'll bet a large portion of "all" might be interested in seeing this movie.  (A book?  No.  Well, maybe, written in sixth-grade style for all those people who don't like to read.) To Hollywood or bust!

When I went last Saturday evening, the audience was about 90 percent female.

I can visualize the movie right now and all the scenes in Georgetown, on the water, the yachts (!), restaurants, and the fancy clubs and magic places.  

Let's think of titles since Status makes me think of concrete.  How about D. C. Party Girl or Diary of a Washington Dancer?  Fabulosity in the Potomac? Phabulous Phantom on the Potomac?

Kathryn Elizabeth Kelly has some tips, too, the most important of which is: 

1.  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" as in be there and show up.  (She did not name the Bible verse, but I'll supply some:  Luke 6:31 or Matthew 7:12.)

and

2.  Never pay a cover charge. 

3. If a guy buys you a drink, you are only obligated to converse with him the time it takes you to gulp the drink. 

4. Always carry an extra cocktail dress in your car. (!) 

5. Never drink red wine when wearing a white dress.  

This was the first sold-out Fringe show I've been to this year, and thank goodness I had a reservation since the venue's box office was turning away last-minute purchasers.

What:  STATUS - A Social Media Experiment

When: July 20, 7:45 p.m.; July 21, 10:30 p.m.; July 24, 6:30 p.m.; July 27, 3:30 p.m.

Where:  Caos on F, 923 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 2000r

How much: $17 + a one-time charge for the $7 Fringe button required at all venues or buy discounted seats in multiples.  Buy online or at the box office.

Metro stations:  Metro Center, Mt. Vernon Square- Convention Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown, Archives

For more information:  866-811-4111

Language:  X-rated

patricialesli@gmail.com

Capital Fringe's 'Last Train to Nibroc' is a sweet exchange

Lena Winter stars in Last Train to Nibroc at the Capital Fringe Festival

    

A man and a woman sit side-by-side on a train bound from California for Chicago, strangers until they meet, like we all are.  The time is World War II.

He’s a recently discharged soldier ("medical reasons"), and she’s a religious “goody goody,” sporting the hurt of a recent break-up.

They share the train with the coffins of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Nathaniel West, and I'm not sure what that connection was, other than "Raleigh" (Justin McLachlan) is an aspiring writer, and "May" (Lena Winter) is a reader.  A religious reader, at that.  It's the last train Fitzgerald and West will ride.  Maybe it's May's "last chance."

It doesn't take long for the two living travelers to discover their common link in Kentucky where May is headed to meet family, but Raleigh is bypassing the state, his homeplace, too, for New York.

Hold it: May has never been to Kentucky’s Nibroc Festival (that's Corbin spelled backwards) and Raleigh invites her to go, of course. She hesitates:  "Do you really want me to go?"  Oh, come on, May!

Like one might expect of a sheltered, conservative woman brought up in an evangelical household, May shuns anything which remotely suggests fun and excitement.  With library shoes on her feet, an old-woman's hairstyle, and in a sedate dress with a brooch conveniently pinned at the center to hide cleavage, May is correctly costumed for her role in the 1940s.

 

In the second scene (which could be eliminated), Raleigh wears a wife-beater with suspenders, no belt, and a cap, perfect for the era and quite a contrast to his military uniform in the first scene. 

Their southern accents are a trifle overdone, and their conversations, not all sweetness and timid affection like one exudes when trying to make a favorable impression.  (In WWII, I believe they called it "courting.") 

Innocent conflicts are heard over the three scenes spanning several years for, after all, what's a performance without conflict?  Not a play.

Some of the dialogue is redundant.  However, the ending was a surprise  for I thought it was on a different track.

Props are minimal and totally adequate:  a bench and two chairs, and what more do you need?  A sunset.  Provided.

The two actors made me realize more than ever the wealth of talent found in Washington, D. C.  which Fringe allows us to observe with its myriad, versatile offerings.  Some friends tell me they love theatre but don't even know what I am talking about when I say "Fringe." They don't get out much.  How could theatre-types not know Fringe? I like to say I am "doin' the Fringe."

Another thing I adore about this festival of independent works is the hole-in-the wall buildings which come alive for some of the venues (all, air-conditioned!)  like the Nibroc site conveniently located right around the corners from Fringe Capital ("Fort Fringe") where you can get good cold beer at reasonable prices and the best hummus and pita I've eaten. 

On last Saturday's  hot afternoon,  service was a mite slow, no doubt explained by waitstaff and volunteers who have never waitstaffed or rung up a bill, but the beer temperature and the tasty morsels made up for it.

Get out and support your local arts community and have a good time, too.

Last Train to Nibroc, directed by Scott Sparks, written by Arlene Hutton, and presented by Homeward Theatre, was first staged by the New York International Fringe Festival before it went on to Off-Broadway.

 

What:  Last Train to Nibroc

When: July 17, 7:45 p.m.; July 21, 6:15 p.m.; July 24, 9:15 p.m.; July 26, 9:45 p.m.; July 28, 12 p.m.

Where: 612 L Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

How much: $17 + a one-time charge for the $7 Fringe button required at all venues, or buy discounted seats in multiples.  Buy online or at the box office.

Metro stations:  Metro Center, Mt. Vernon Square- Convention Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown, Archives

For more information:  866-811-4111

Language:  Nothing offensive

patricialesli@gmail.com