A play for all seasons: Folger's 'Winter's Tale'

Hermione (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) and Polixenes (Drew Kopas) talk stayovers in Folger Theatre's The Winter Tale; Brittany Diliberto, photo

Shakespeare is alive and well at the newly renovated Folger Theatre, inaugurated by one of the master's so-called "problem plays," simply defined as a mixture of drama and comedy, a "tragicomedy," the latter scattered throughout The Winter's Tale.

Sex, murder, and (surprise!) a love triangle  take center stage as the jealous King Leontes (Hadi Tabbal) falsely accuses his wife, the pregnant Hermione (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) of infidelity with his best friend, Polixenes (Drew Kopas), king of Bohemia.

King Leontes sends his wife to prison for her supposed infidelity where she dies after giving birth to Perdita. 

Grief stricken over the death of his mother causes Leontes and Hermione's beloved son, Mamillius (Richard Bradford and/or Clarence Michael Payne) to fall ill and die, one of the play's tragedies.

But back to the baby whom King Leontes proceeds to exile in what turns out to be, yep, Bohemia, where she is raised by shepherds for sixteen years and falls in love with the son of Leontes's friend, who is - surprise!- Polixenes.  

When Perdita (Kayleandra White) returns home, a statue of Hermione miraculously "comes to life," and everyone is reconciled for another of the master's happy endings. (Shakespeare has a way of tying all the loose ends together for what is a story with a happy ending in the middle? Not a good one!)

When Hermione's friend, Paulina (Kate Eastwood Norris) tries to persuade the king of his irrationality, one wishes that Pauline's words prevailed in today's political discourse: 

The silence often of pure innocence

Persuades when speaking fails.

his stay in Sicilia.
King Leontes (Hadi Tabbel) talks evil with Camillo (Cody Nickell) in Folger Theatre's The Winter Tale; Brittany Diliberto, photohis st

The powerful performance of Hadi Tabbal as King Leontes is dramatic with delivery and actions which easily command every scene he's in, as it should be. 

At the end when all the living players are united, and Hermione comes alive from her statuesque position to enchant her husband all over again, there is much rejoicing and good cheer. 

Shakespeare even tries to assuage Paulina's sorrow over the death of her husband, Antigonus (Stephen Patrick Martin), who has been killed by a bear while sleeping on the Bohemian beach to protect the infant, by marrying Camillo (Cody Nickell). (You have to be there.)

(One of the marvels of the show was Crowe-Legacy's ability to stand silently without movement for several minutes like the statue she was, and my proximity to the stage allowed me to view her closely.) 

The Winter's Tale is one for all seasons for it kept me going all night without my breaking into slumber which usually is my condition around the second act.

Raul Abrego, Jr.'s minimalist scenic design detracts none from the action and dialogue, often seized by the whimsy of Autolycus (Reza Salazar) who periodically shows off his shiny new bicycle with a radio to streak across the stage and into the background (with sound).

Costume designer Sarah Cubbage mixes up the old with the new which fits Autolycus's antics just fine.

All's well that ends well which it does here for we like happy endings, especially at this time of year! Thank you, Folger and Shakespeare.

Other cast members are Nicholas Gerwitz, Jonathan Del Palmer, and Sabrina Lynne Sawyer.

 

The creative team included Tamilla Woodard, director;  Chelsea Dean, properties; Max Doolittle, lighting; Matthew M. Nielson, sound and composer.

Also, Kaja Dunn, intimacy; Joya Powell, choreographer; LaShawn Melton, hair and wigs; Michele Osherow, dramaturg; Lisa Nathans, vocal coach; Leigh Robinette and Taylor Kiechlin, production stage managers; Kacie Pimentel, assistant stage manager; Shana Laski, assistant director; and Tara-Whitney Rison, assistant to the director.

Folger's Winter's Tale is one of 12 different Shakespeare productions in the District's  Shakespeare Everywhere Festival, some performed through the end of the year.

(It always benefits me to read a summary of the play before I see it, rather like reading up on a country's history and culture before I visit it.)  

What: The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

When: Now through Dec.17, 2023

Where: Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

Tickets: Buy online, by phone (202-544-7077), or at the box office.

Metro station: Capitol South or Union Station

For more information: 202-544-4600 or info@folger.edu

Duration:  2.5 hours with one 15-minute intermission

patricialesli@gmail.com

Alexandria's queens duke it out

From left, Sally Cusenza, Paul Donahoe, Sarah Cusenza, and Maria Ciarrocchi in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Mary Stuart/Matt Liptak

The present drama on stage at the Little Theatre of Alexandria is a 2005 version by Peter Oswald of the 1800 play Mary Stuart, by German playwright Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805), a masterpiece production certain to attract historians and theatre lovers alike to learn more about the conflict between two queens, to gauge accuracy and see nobles vie for the throne of England before ostensible  orders by Elizabeth I ended Mary's life with beheading, like Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn, had died upon direction by Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, who was Mary's great uncle.

(Did you get all that?  If not, the play provides clarity and background for  better understanding.)

Mary Stuart of Scotland (AKA Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587), a Catholic, and Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), a Protestant, experienced different upbringings and lifestyles which no doubt contributed to their clash.

The two powerful women never met but Schiller brings them together for his play. 

A fierce verbal battle erupts on stage when Mary and Elizabeth compete amidst secrets and courtiers who have no allegiance except to themselves. 

But Mary's chilling words hurled at her cousin cannot be forgotten and seal her doom. 

In the production, both actors (Sarah Cusenza is Mary Stuart, and Maria Ciarrocchi is Elizabeth) are more than convincing in their styles and portrayals of the two queens, although Ciarrocchi's screams became taxing at times.

From left, Sarah Cusenza and Maria Ciarrocchi in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Mary Stuart/Matt Liptak

The Earl of Leicester (Thomas O'Neill) was a typical hypocrite who does a splendid job of loving both two queens, but neither is more important than his love of self. 

John Paul Odle is the Schiller-fictionalized and aptly named "Mortimer," Mary's confidant who commits suicide after Mary's enemies learn about his plan to rescue his queen from imprisonment.

Poor William Davison (Stuart Fischer), one of Queen Elizabeth's aides who is understandably confused by the death warrant for Mary which Elizabeth gives him.  

To kill or not to kill?

The surly and conceited Lord Burleigh (John Henderson) takes the warrant from Davison without hesitation, making headway to do the Queen's will...which was? 

Lord Burleigh will interpret it his own way, if you please. Off with her head!   To which Elizabeth claims error.  

"How dare you?" and to the tower and banishment they go. 

The show runs three hours, but its complexity, intrigues, and costumes (!) demand attention, and make it seem shorter.  

Elizabeth had Mary imprisoned for 19 years and the play begins and ends in 1587 at the Castle of Fotheringhay, the scene of Mary's last confinement and her trial. 

The set by Matt Liptak is a realistic depiction of high brick walls (and landscaping) found in pictures of English castles in the Middle Ages.

With a few quick turns, Mary's prison quickly converts to Queen Elizabeth's Westminster Palace.

If the script were absent, Juliana Cofrancesco and Abbie Mulberg's  lavish costumes and hair and makeup by Robin Maline and Lanae Sterrett, assisted by Karen Malin, are practically worth the cost of admission. 

Elizabeth's gowns sparkle with jewels, multiple "diamonds" lining her apparel. Standup collars, and the men's white stockings and their own luxurious wardrobe produce gladness and a singing heart that these styles are not in vogue today.  

Wardrobe coordinators, Mary Beth Smith-Toomey and Margaret Snow help fit Mary in a white gown for her execution, like the one she wore for her death by ax.  

To maintain historical accuracy as much as possible, bright red and auburn hair for the queens result in appearances similar to portraits of the women.  

Queen Elizabeth I, c. 1575/Wikimedia Commons

Mary, Queen of Scots/Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow Life Museums, unknown artist

Sound director Janice Rivera and her crew use drums to herald strife and stringed instruments, choruses, crowd and animal noises in the background at critical moments to complement the show.  

Even now, hundreds of years later, the interminable themes of man v. woman and who's in charge here? can be heard and seen today, echoing in courtrooms, state legislatures and found in daily (and hourly) news reports, including art reviews, like one recently in the Washington Post about the misognyist, Pablo Picasso.  

 Sam Beeson, John Barclay Burns, Paul Donahoe, Richard Fiske, Kirk Lambert, Sally Cusenza, and Lee Swanson are other cast members.

Production crew members also included Margaret Chapmen and Hilary Adams, producers and (Adams) dialect coach; Helen Bard-Sobola and Fred C. Lash, assistant producers; Kathleen Barth, director; Mia Amado and Jenna Dawkins, assistant directors.

Also, Dana Maksymova, stage manager; Lauren Markovich, assistant stage manager; Griffin Voltmann, dramaturg; Matt Liptak, set design; Julie Fischer, set construction; Luana Bossolo, set painting; Donna Reynolds, set decoration; Allison Gray-Mendes, properties; Matthew Cheney, lighting, Pam Leonowich, master electrician; Ian Claar, fight/intimacy choreographer; and Russell M. Wyland, rigging.

 When: Now through May 13, 2023, Wednesday - Saturday nights, 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees, 3 p.m.

Where:  Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria, VA 22314

Tickets:  $24 (Wed.- Fri.), $27 (Sat. and Sun.). Prices includes fees.

Masks are required in the auditorium and strongly encouraged but optional in other areas of the theatre.  

Audience:  For ages 13 and up. 

Duration:  About 3 hours with one 15 minute intermission

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites. Dash is free to ride and has routes which are close to LTA.

Parking: is free on the streets and at Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets, a block away.  Paid parking is available at nearby garages.

For more information:  Box Office: 703-683-0496; Main Office, 703-683-5778 or boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com.

patricialesli@gmail.com

Alexandria's 'Prelude to a Kiss' ain't your sweet nothin's

Smithchai Chutchainon is Peter and Brianna Goode is Rita in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Prelude to a Kiss/Photo by Matthew Randall

The title of the newest show at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, Prelude to a Kiss, made me think I was in for a "rom-com" of a night.

Or, I was hoping for one.

It was likely that my mood and delight in the romantic picture used for the promotion (a bride and groom embracing) led me to believe the play was going to be a lighthearted evening of laughs and fun, a prescription to help relieve, however momentarily, days of trials and tribulations. 

Not.

The plot involves a speedy relationship that develops between Peter (Smithchai Chutchainon) and Rita (Brianna Goode).

With adult humor, adult language, and adult content, it proves to be serious, contemporary stuff, not for the carefree, the blithesome or anyone needing respite.

Fun? 

It's a "thinking person's play" necessitating brain work (but I didn't want to think!).

What's going on?

From left, Jon Radulovic is Dr. Boyle, Liz Leboo is his wife, and Smithchai Chutchainon is Peter in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Prelude to a Kiss/Photo by Matthew Randall

The couple "falls in love" (or infatuation) and the bride suddenly takes on a new identity, given to her by a sci-fi creature (Cliff Rieger) who shows up at the wedding, uninvited, and just happens to kiss the bride on the lips with permission, mind you, and presto! New person.

You know the kind: Wedding crashers everywhere.

Chutchainon's strong acting and voice are critical elements which carry the play, especially since Goode is at times hard to hear, when she turns from the audience and speaks fast, sometimes in a whisper.

Thank goodness for her "dad" (Jon Radulovic is Dr. Boyle) who provides humor which director Maggie Mumford flushes out with exaggerated expressions and animation to sharply contrast with the dark script.

I never wanted Dr. Boyle to leave! Could he go with them on their "honeymoon"? 

Mrs. Boyle, his wife, is acted by Liz Leboo, an understudy who held her own quite well with all the forces at work, thank you very much.

The stark set (by Peter Mumford, the director's husband and her "favorite set designer") has different levels of long flat boards which quickly transition to seats, a bed, a home, apartment, the beach, and a bar with simple props (by Shelby Baker) which complement the sad and flat tempo.

On their honeymoon, a backdrop of Jamaican palm trees and sky enhance the mood with desired visual changes.

JK Lighting Design skillfully targets the groom's soliloquies while Peter searches for the truth and questions the meaning of events. The few seconds of "the kiss" exude a remarkable halo effect with a golden bouquet.

For de rigueur elements in contemporary drama, the two men kiss as well.

There's something here for everyone, but don't expect to go skipping out LTA's doors with a song in your heart. It's not a happy-go-lucky night, but one you'll want to "live now" or forever hold your peace.

Whatever happens, don't kiss any strangers on your wedding night!

The play by Craig Lucas was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play in 1990 and the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1991.

Alternative title: Postlude to Confusion

Other cast members are:

Brendan Chaney, Deja Elliott, Amber Kelly-Herard, Casey Kniseley, Joey Pierce, and Kelly Trott.

Other creative team members:

Carol Strachan and Alan Wray, producers; Donna Kenley, production assistant; Melissa Dunlap and Cleo Potter, stage managers; Tom O’Reilly, master carpenter; David Correia, sound.

Also,  Russell M. Wyland, rigging; Mary Ferrara and Ramah Johnson, assistant stage managers; Mary Wallace, costumes; Robin Maline, hair/makeup; Deborah Remmers, set decoration; Diedre (De) Nicholson-Lamb, set painting and Ruben Vellekoop, intimacy choreographer.

What: Prelude to a Kiss

When: Now through June 25, 2022, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m.

Where: The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Tickets: $21, weekdays; $24, weekends.

Duration: About 1.5 hours with one 15-minute intermission.

Adult language: Lots

Adult theme: Yes

Masks and vaccine cards or proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours of show time are required. No exceptions.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites. Dash is free to ride and has routes which are close to LTA.

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking during performances at Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778.
boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com

patricialesli@gmail.com

 

 

Washington Stage Guild presents exceptional Bernard Shaw

 

(L-R) Will Rothhaar as Frank Gardner, Peter Boyer as Mr. Praed and Carl Randolph as Sir George Crofts in Mrs. Warren’s Profession at Washington Stage Guild/Photo by DJ Corey Photography

A prescient script from the 19th century matches outstanding performances by today's actors in Washington Stage Guild's current production, Mrs. Warren's Profession.

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), sometimes ranked as the greatest British playwright after William Shakespeare, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. He wrote more than 60 plays, including Mrs. Warren's Profession which he finished in 1893, and one he considered one of his "plays unpleasant" since it weighed in on a controversial topic. 

(L-R) Lynn Steinmetz as Mrs. Kitty Warren and Rachel Felstein as Vivie Warren in Mrs. Warren’s Profession at Washington Stage Guild/Photo by DJ Corey Photography

It's about a reformed prostitute and brothel-owner who tries to forge a new relationship with her estranged daughter, outraged by her mother's profession.

Shaw believed the brothel business was one forced by economic necessity, not by moral failings, and ends his play on an unsettling note of which I had hoped the opposite.

(L-R) R. Scott Williams as Reverend Samuel Gardner and Will Rothhaar as Frank Gardner in Mrs. Warren’s Profession at Washington Stage Guild/Photo by DJ Corey Photography

Director Michael Rothharr has some experience with this drama: He directed it for the Guild in 1991 when his son, Will, pranced around the stage at age four and now appears in the show as Frank Gardner in a sharp, confident manner. 

"Frank" is a suitor, and a likely possibility to "clinch the deal," although somewhat manipulative and coy. 

Lynn Steinmetz is Mrs. Warren, also from the 1991 production when she played Vivie (and not looking a day older).

From my mother's perspective, Mrs. Warren's frailties deserve compassion and patience, while her daughter, Vivie (Rachel Felstein), is a cold-blooded, self-righteous, and heartless woman who knows not how to forgive. 

A mother's pleas go unheeded.

Both women present their characters in convincing fashion. 

Superb acting by the remainder of the cast matches the riveting content including the wonderfully likable, clown Peter Boyer as Mr. Praed, another Vivie suitor and welcome contrast to the serious business at hand.

Carl Randolph is Sir George Croft, the entitled wealthy financier of Mrs. Warren's business, her "pimp" who sets his eyes on Vivie, too.  Although a simple gesture when he lays his hand upon her shoulder, it was as if he had stripped her, exposing her vulnerabilities and sending shivers up my spine, for he took liberties with touch which was every man's right in Victorian England when it came to spouses. Women had no rights.  And she was not his spouse.

R. Scott Williams is the Reverend Samuel Gardner, a bumbling, stumbling mysterious piece of Mrs. Warren's puzzle and also, the father of Frank Gardner.  

Many questions are left unanswered for the pleasure of the audience to figure out.

Victorian costumes (by Sigríd Jóhannesdóttir), especially Mrs. Warren's colorful hats, are a delight and nicely complement the men in their dashing, upper-class attire.

Megan Holden designed an outdoor garden setting which easily transitions into law offices and more, all perfectly adequate for the show.

Shaw's play was years ahead of a more vigorous effort to win women's rights, a movement still underway in this, the month to recognize women's history.

In Britain Lord Chamberlain banned the play which did not reach the public stage until 1925, and when it came to New York in 1905, police arrested the cast and crew.

Other production crew members: Marianne Meadows, lighting; Marcus Darnley, sound; Arthur Nordlie, stage manager; Jenny Male, intimacy director; Laura Giannarelli, assistant stage manager; Bill Largess, artistic director and dramaturg; Steven Carpenter, associate artistic director.

What: Mrs. Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. Through March 27, 2022,

Where: The Undercroft Theatre of Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C. 20001

Tickets: Thursday and matinees, $50; Friday and Saturday nights, $60.

For more information, call the Box Office, 202-900-8788 and/or visit the WSG's website.

Metro stations: Walk from Mt. Vernon Square, Gallery Place, or Metro Center.

patricialesli@gmail.com

Make way for Alexandria's 'Blue Stockings'

Paul Donahoe (Mr. Banks), Ilyana Rose-Dávila (Maeve Sullivan), Madeline Byrd (Tess Moffat), Melissa Dunlap (Celia Willbond), Tegan Cohen (Carolyn Addison) in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Blue Stockings/Photo by Matt Liptak

A "blue stocking" in 19th century England was a derisive term meaning a woman who eschewed "wifely duties" and pursuits of the home to advance her own intellectual goals, namely, that of mind enrichment and learning. 

You sometimes hear the term today.   

In this Women's History Month, the Little Theatre of Alexander brings to the stage, Blue Stockings, the first play by Jessica Swale (b. 1982) which presents four young ladies who pursue a higher education, amidst ridicule and attacks by "gentlemen" students who, then as they do now, set about to mold the women, according to their desired tastes. 

"She wants to be a scientist; alas!  She's a woman!" Tsk! Tsk!

Ilyana Rose-Dávila (Maeve Sullivan), Melissa Dunlap (Celia Willbond), Elizabeth Replogle (Miss Blake), Tegan Cohen (Carolyn Addison), Madeline Byrd (Tess Moffat) in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Blue Stockings/Photo by Matt Liptak

The setting is Cambridge University at the first female college for women, Girton College, established in 1869. (It would be another 79 years before women would be accepted at Cambridge [1948].) 

The first scene of the play opens at what appears to be the university or a prison, maybe both.

The drama hits several themes, including females who ride bicycles (this is a theme?) and want to gain their independence, seeking opportunities to attend and graduate from the university. 

Change is hard to tolerate in most circumstances, and these "gentlemen" are going to have none of it!

At least, most of them.

(Back row) Tegan Cohen (Carolyn Addison), Melissa Dunlap (Celia Willbond), Madeline Byrd (Tess Moffat), Ilyana Rose-Dávila (Maeve Sullivan)

(Front row) Robert Heinly (Dr. Maudsley/Professor Collins), Anne Hilleary (Miss Bott/Mrs. Lindley), Michael King (Holmes), Ali Cheraghpour (Edwards), James Blacker (Lloyd), Paul Donahoe (Mr. Banks)  in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Blue Stockings/Photo by Matt Liptak

Enter "Dr. Maudsley" (Robert Heinly), based on a real character, and soon to bear the hatred of most audience members. He questions, he undermines, he belittles the women in his gruff and domineering manner with a commanding voice, seizing every moment, every spotlight and devouring all the attention whenever he's on stage. 

He is thoroughly disgusting and it takes only seconds to grow to hate him.  I believe it was he who said, "This is a lecture hall, not a laundromat," but he was 65 years too early since the term was not used until 1934.

Meanwhile, to counterbalance this most unlikable of unlikables, is "Professor Banks" superbly portrayed by Paul Donahoe, a humorous fellow who exercises patience and support for the women and their goals.

Mr. Donahoe's seesawing hand and arm motions, flung out like the wings of a pterosaur, add energy and enthusiasm to his character.  He is a hero in the time of none (or, one). 

Liz LeBoo as the real-life "Mrs. Welsh," the college head mistress, makes for a stern, yet sympathetic leader.

I loved "Miss Bott" (Anne Hilleary), a perfectly good chaperone and women's hall advisor, so typical in her physical appearance and garb, not as blind and deaf as she seems (like most house mothers!). 

Madeline Byrd is "Tess Moffat," one of the four young women who receives most of the attention and earnestly carries out her duties as a discriminated woman. 

Some humor arrives when the librarian (Joel Durgavich) loudly shushes everybody in the grand manner of yesteryear. 

The British accents came across as unaffected and realistic, not pretentious and overdone, as they often are.

Costumer Joan Lawrence dressed the women according to the times, but the men's apparel seemed to diverge from the era.

Initial derogatory comments about women brought some murmurs of laughter from audience which made me a little uncomfortable that anyone would laugh at these remarks in the 21st century. We still have far to go.

A provocative production which I did not anticipate would bring me to tears, but there they flowed in the last scene, leaving me to think I'm a lucky gal to live now, instead of then! 

Other cast members:  Madeline Byrd, Ilyana Rose-Davila, Melissa Dunlap (also, the dance choreographer), Tegan Cohen, Ali Cheraghpour, James Blacker, Michael King (also fight captain), John Paul Odle, Michael Townsend, Elizabeth Replogle, Khalia Muhammad (also, assistant to the director), Michael Rufo, Will Cooke, Manus Nunan, and Hilary Adams (also, assistant director).

Also in the production crew: Lloyd Bittinger, Margaret Chapman, Christine Farrell, producers; Marzanne Claiborne, director;  Meredith Kirchner, Joan A.S. Lada, stage managers; A.K. Camper, Steve Lada, assistant stage managers and (Lada) combat choreographer;  Margaret Snow, wardrobe chief; Domenica Marchetti, language coach; Robin Maline, hair/wigs/makeup; Franklin Colemen, lighting; Donna Reynolds, property design; Charles Dragonette, set design and dressing; Jim Hutzler and Jeff Nesmeyer, set construction; Diedre (De) Nicholson-Lamb, set painting; Alan Wrap, sound; Art Snow, special effects coordinator; Beverley Benda, vocal coach, Russell M. Wyland, rigging.

LTA's Covid-19 Attendance Policy requires all persons to provide proof of full vaccination AND to wear a mask inside LTA (including during the performance).

What: Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale

When: Now through Mar. 19, 2022, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.  The Sunday 2 p.m. performance on Mar. 13 is sold out!

How much:  $21, weekdays; $24, weekends.

Where: The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Duration: About 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778. Email: boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com

Patricialesli@gmail.com

patricialesli@gmail.com

A Halloween treat at Alexandria's 'Wait until Dark'

 

Brendan Chaney (Carlino) and Mel Gumina (Susy) in Wait Until Dark at The Little Theatre of Alexandria//Photo by Matthew Randall

In Susy's world, it's always dark. Susy is blind.

Mel Gumina's portrayal of a blind woman sucked up in a web of crime in Wait Until Dark at the Little Theatre of Alexander is so believable that it wasn't until the end of the show when the cast came out on stage to receive applause that I knew for certain she was not handicapped.

Just call me sucked in by her performance!

For those who have a vague recollection of Audrey Hepburn in the 1967 movie classic of the same name, Ms. Gumina's performance is spot on.

At LTA Susy stumbles from overturned chair to table and back again trying to outwit three con men who have tracked a drug-filled doll to her apartment and have come calling for the goods.

Mel Gumina (Susy) and Julia Stimson (Gloria) in Wait Until Dark at The Little Theatre of Alexandria/Photo by Matthew Randall

The bad guys are able to hoodwink Susy and play coy, but her acute hearing, aided by the ploys of a young teen neighbor, Gloria (who knows a thing or two about dolls) upset the drug dealers. Their game culminates in what seems like an interminable finale (and one labeled by Bravo as one of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments).

Gloria is played alternately by Juliet Strom and Julia Stimson whose soft voice and fastspeak were hard at times to understand. Although little in size compared to the adults, she stands tall against the pack, full of confidence and fearless against the evildoers.

With his heft, Yankee accent, and mannerisms reminiscent of Joe Pesci, Brendan Chaney, one of the bad guys, convincingly brings his nefarious ways to the stage.

Outstanding sound (by Janice Rivera) and a detailed set (Julie Fischer) combine to immediately engage the audience from the get-go.

And when it comes to windows, nobody beats LTA's. In this show, two of them are built high on a wall to let in the lamp lights from the street and more. Gloria will show 'em.

Before the show starts, 1960s music sets the tempo, but appliances say it's the 1940s which may be only a reflection of what Susy and her husband (Ryan Washington) can afford.

The females wear current fashion while costumers Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley dress the males in coats and ties to belie their occupations and appear in total contrast to today's criminals who dress like everyone else. (Seconds and thirds are all right!)

Director Heather Benjamin guides the cast in fast action in this Greenwich Village romp.

Lee Remick was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress when she was Susy on Broadway and Robert Duvall played one of the con men. Others who acted in later productions were Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino, but the show is best remembered as the movie which earned Ms. Hepburn an Oscar nomination.

Frederick Knott's play was such a compelling story in 1966, the movie rights were immediately sold to become one of the American Film Institute's 100 most exciting movies, says Wikipedia.

Other LTA cast members are Brendan Quinn and Adam R. Adkins as more bad guys; Bill Gery and Michael Townsend, policemen.

More members of the creative team are Michael J. Fisher, assistant director; Alicia Goodman and Margaret "MEJ" Evans-Joyce, producers; Nick Friedlander and Lauren Markovich, stage managers; Stefan Sittig, fight and intimacy choreographer; Mona Wargo, set painting; Allison Gray-Mendes, set dressing and properties; JK Lighting Design; Margaret Snow, wardrobe; Chanel Lancaster, makeup and hair. 

What: Wait Until Dark

When: Now through November 6, 2021, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m.

Where: The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Tickets: $21, weekdays; $24, weekends.

Duration: About 2 hours with one 10 minute intermission.

Adult language: None, but there is some cigarette smoking.

Masks and vaccine cards or proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours of show time are required. No exceptions.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites. (Dash is now free to ride and several routes come within steps of LTA.)

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking during performances at Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778.
boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com


patricialesli@gmail.com