Alexandria has greatness thrust upon it

Noah Mutterperl is Shakespeare in Little Theatre of Alexandria's ''Something Rotten''/Photo by Matthew Randall

There's nothing "rotten" in Alexandria recently named by Travel and Leisure to the nation's Top 15 Best Cities to visit,* but Something Rotten at Little Theatre of Alexandria has got the whole crew and townspeople eggstraeggcited (?) and happy.

Theatregoers, this show is LTA's best musical comedy ever!  

Chuck Dluhy (left) is Nostradamus and Matt Liptak is Nick Bottom in Little Theatre of Alexandria's 'Something Rotten'/Photo by Matthew Randall

Immense will power to bring this off was required of director Frank D. Shutts II and choreographer Stefan Sittig who met the challenges with wondrous excellence.

The centerpiece is one William Shakespeare and the competition to beat him, can it be?

Evan Zimmerman, left, is Robin with ensemble members, Daniel Boos, center, and Josh Mutterperl in Little Theatre of Alexandria's 'Something Rotten'/Photo by Matthew Randall

Never fear, Shakespeare sufferers:  Knowledge of the bard's works is not required.  But, surely, you've seen at least one of 30-odd shows mentioned in the production?**

The title, Something Rotten comes from one of the bard's plays***, but this Rotten of 1595 finds two brothers in England with a sad last name (Bottom) competing to top the best and write the world's first musical.

As soon as laugh-a-minute Nostredamus (Chuck Dluhy) makes his appearance, it's non-stop hilarity, amplified by the increasingly wild gyrations of eggomaniac Elvis Shakyspeare (Noah Mutterperl) who rattles and roils the stage.  

He bears a charmed life.

Evan Zimmerman is Robin, another favorite actor, who never abandons long frocks to dance with delight and glide across the stage as if hopscotching the clouds,  floating across the sky in new apparel each time.  

Speaking of frocks, costumers Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley, aided by wardrobe coordinator, Robin Worthington, skilfully outfit the cast of 23, most in multiple scenes and most in different dress.

Hair and makeup artist Robin Maline has her hands full, perfecting the looks of Elizabethan characters in exceptional manner.

Lighting designer Ken and Patti Crowley are busy, giving the audience an "aaahhhh" moment when brother Nigel Bottom (Jack Dalrymple) and Portia (Katie Conn) realize in a starstruck milli-second, that the other is their one and only. Lights flicker, hearts flutter and pounding pulses could be heard, or maybe that was just the effect created by sound designer David Correia.

Christopher A. Tomasino leads an orchestra of nine  unseen-but-well-heard-and-received musicians who add tremendous depth and enjoyment to the show.  

These performers are Gwyn Jones, Terry Bradley, John Fargo, Emilie Taylor, Tom Fuller, Francine Krasowska, Mila Weiss, and on alternate nights, Randy Dahlberg, Ruben Vellecoop, Bill Wright and Scott Fridy. 

In real life, brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick spent years talking about this play before they finally got down with John O'Farrell to put it all together and write the book, music and lyrics. 

(Read about their odyssey here.)

"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."

In 2015 Rotten received nominations for nine Tonys, eight Drama Desks, and 11 Outer Critics Circle Awards and I wondered why it only lasted for 708 performances on Broadway, but it's here now, and that's what counts.

Other cast members are Brian Ash, Marcus Barbret, Brittany Bolick, Daniel Boos, Paul Caffrey, Peter Fannon, Odette Gutierrez del Arroyo, Julia Hornok (dance captain), Matt Liptak, J.P. McElyea, Luke Martin, Amanda Mason, Josh Mutterperl, Eddie Perez, Anna Phillips-Brown, Mary Rodrigues, Andrew Sanchez, and Lourdes Turnblom.

The production and technical crew:  Russell M. Wyland, technical director, rigging and co-producer with Rachel Alberts and Robbie Herbst ; Helen Bard-Sobola and Margaret Chapman, properties; Robert S. Barr Jr., sets; Myke, set dressing;  Luana Bossolo, Jim Hutzler, Mary Hutzler, Jeff Nesmeyer, set painting and construction; 

Also, Jennifer Rhorer and Sherry Clarke, stage managers, and Jacquanna David, assistant to the director.

The Kennedy Center might just want to cross the Potomac, take a look and import this cast and crew!

*Alexandria was #8 in readers' choices. 

** At the theatre, ushers give theatregoers a list of 31 musicals referenced in Something Rotten, but there's more.  Which four did it omit?  

***Hamlet has the reference to "something rotten."

What: Something Rotten

When: Now through August 13, 2022, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m.

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

Tickets: $29, weekdays; $34, weekends. 

Duration: About two hours plus one 15-minute intermission.

Fowl language: Many "s" words

Masks and vaccine cards or proof of a negative covid test within 48 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

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

 

 

'Michael Jackson' is alive and onstage in New York City!

From the  MJ  playbill, 2022

Dynamite!  

Myles Frost must win the Tony!

Electric! 

On fire! 

I swear Michael Jackson had "returned" from the dead for a concert with all his hits!

The audience's screaming and yelling were louder than any theatre performance I've ever attended, but there was no problem hearing the show.

MJ The Musical at the Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, April 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

It was the best theatre performance I've seen and with a few decades of experience, I've seen one or two.

Attention, Michael Jackson fans: Yes, it's worth a trip to New York City from Washington, D.C., and I may go again. You will not be disappointed.

From MJ The Musical at the Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, April 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Times Square, New York City, April 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie 

The music is fantastic!

The dancing is fantastic!

The lighting is fantastic!

Did I leave anything out?

The costumes! They're fantastic, too!

Some have pooh-poohed: "But he was a pervert." 

I was not going to the show to condone what he did. I was going to the show for the music!  Music!  Music! And it may take me there again. 

Had I not had a ticket for Tina the next night (which was almost as good, but hurry!  Closing August 14), I would have paid $175 to see MJ  The Musical again. (Besides, Tina is coming to the National in October for almost three weeks. Must see!)

Kayla Davion was Tina at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, April 2, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

MJ will last for years (if Mr. Frost can hold out), and the actress from The Prom  road show, who sat beside me, said he came out of nowhere to get the role.

He taught himself how to sing;

he taught himself how to dance;

and he taught himself how to be Michael.

You may think Michael Jackson is dead. I tell you he's back and on stage every night at Neil Simon.

Write if I am wrong.

patricialesli@gmail.com

'On Your Feet!' at Gala

Front, from left, Amy Romero, Gaby Albo (center), Miranda Pepin. Back, from left, Hugo Bruments, Steven Orrego Upegui, and Graciela Rey in Gala Hispanic Theatre's On Your Feet!/Photo, Daniel Martinez

Broadway is at Gala!

That's right: Gloria and Emilio Estefan's story comes alive at the Hispanic Theatre in a high-kickin', dynamic glossy show in the world premiere in Spanish of On Your Feet! (with English surtitles).

Fabulous dancing and outstanding, glittering costumes (by Jeannette Christensen, assisted by Cidney Forkpah which make you wonder how did they change so fast?) trace the Cuban-American couple's rise to stardom and 26 Grammy wins in this fast-paced production. 

Gaby Albo (center). From left, on the sides facing front: Brayan Llamoza and Steven Orrego Upegui and members of the cast in Gala Hispanic Theatre's On Your Feet!/Photo, Daniel Martinez

At the end the crowd was on its feet, stompin' and clappin' to join the cast in a fun and energetic display of the real show on Broadway where it ran two years before starting a world tour. 

Get up and make it happen
Stand up, stand up, stand up and take some action

It's a "jukebox musical" with popular Estefan titles including four which Gloria has enriched with new lyrics.

Gaby Albo is Gloria in a convincing performance to make her namesake proud. Samuel Garnica is her husband in a strong, subordinate role whose ego never wilts under his wife's glow.

From left, Fran Tapia, Gaby Albo, and Samuel Garnica in Gala Hispanic Theatre's On Your Feet!/Photo, Daniel Martinez

Some other best performances are those by women in Gloria's "family": Fran Tapia as Gloria's mother, Madelin Marchant is Gloria's grandmother, and 

Gina Maria Fernandez is Gloria's sister.

The mother is a mean woman encumbered by her own background and failure to pursue her dreams.  She resists and resents her daughter's climb to fame.  In flashbacks, Ms. Tapia shows age matters not when it comes to her incredible dance. 

Gloria's supportive Grandmother Consuelo counterbalances the mother with Consuelo's perfectly timed appearances to assure her granddaughter that her dreams can become real. 

The grandmother was an audience favorite but nothing exceeded the roar of the crowd at the end when the house almost came down at the sight of  youngsters "Little Gloria" (Kamila Rodriguez) and "Little Emilio" (Winsley Dejesus) dancing expertly in a duet to belie their young years. 

The wreck scene which left Gloria's life and career initially in doubt, is a jarring shock, smashing in your face and expertly crafted by Patrick Lord, assisted by Clara Ashe-Moore.

A huge international cast of happy actors included Jose Capellan starring as Jose Fajardo, Gloria's father, and ensemble members: Rodolfo Santamarina, Camila Cardona, Camila Taleisnik, Brayan Llamoza, Jonathan Mouset, Amy Romero, Miranda Pepin, Grant Latus, Carlos Adol, Hugo Brument, Steve Orrego Upegui, Luis Armando Benitez, Laura Castrillon, and Graciela Rey.

Dance captains Myriam Gadri and Bryan Menjivar assisted in choreography.

The production team included Alexander Dinelaries, book; Emilio and Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, music producers; Esmeralda Azkarate-Gaztelu, book translation; Luis Salgado, director and choreographer.

Also,  Clifton Chadick, scenic design; Matthew Rowe, sound; George-Edward A. Burgtorf, properties; Lashawn Melton, wigs/makeup; Valeria Cossu, associate director. 

Lighting designer Christopher Annas-Lee and assistant Zachary Heffner deftly met the demands of the show.

Other crew members: Maria Jose ”Majo” Ferrucho, stage manager; P. Vanessa Losada, production manager; Heather Hogan, creative consultant;
Hugo Medrano, producer; and Rebecca Medrano, executive producer.

The 10-member band was led by pianist Walter “Bobby” McCoy and assisted by Daniel Gutierrez on keyboards. The musicians were partially hidden up high on either side of the theatre and at stage rear, producing surround sound indeed! 

Extra applause to trumpeter, Brad Clements, for his solos.   

This is a storybook tale that provides inspiration to all dreamers who may sometimes doubt their drive in struggles to reach the top, but hard work and persistence pay off.  Nothing is totally due to chance. 

Seize the opportunity and get on your feet and get to the theatre where a good time of outstanding fun and entertainment are guaranteed at Gala which makes a memorial mark in the history of theatre in Washington, D.C.

What: On Your Feet!


Covid vaccine card and picture ID required for admission or a negative covid test taken within 72 hours of the show.

When: Thursday - Sunday nights through June 5, 2022

Where: Gala Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010.

Tickets: $65, or seniors (ages 65+), students, teachers, military, and groups (10+), $45.  Ages 25 and under, $35. To purchase, visit galatheatre.org or call 202-234-7174.

Handicapped accessible

Duration: About two and a half hours with one intermission

Metro stations: Columbia Heights is one block from GALA. Or, get off Metro at McPherson Square, take bus #52 or #54 up 14th, or, walk the two miles from McPherson Square and save money and expend calories! Lots of places to eat along the way.

Parking:  Discounted parking at Giant's garage around the corner on Park Road. Validate your ticket in GALA's lobby. 

For more information: Call (202) 234-7174 and/or email info@galatheatre.org

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

Reston's 'Delightful Quarantine' is just that

L-R, Anthony Pohl is "Tug Goff," Liz Weber is "Mavis," and Kim Thornley is "Violet" in Reston Community Players' A Delightful Quarantine/Heather Regen Photography  
 

Attention, Theatregoers:   This one I could see again!  There aren't many shows I can write that about, but Reston Community Players' A Delightful Quarantine is so much fun.

What's to say that all quarantines are bad?  

Not necessarily so in  Susqua Creek Acres, Pennsylvania where some "extra-terrestrials" have landed and it's  immediate confinement to whatever house you're in!  

Head for the doors! 

Liz Shaher's surround sirens ignite the show and away we go!

Charlene Sloan is "Shirley" and Kevin Dykstra is "Roy" in Reston Community Players' A Delightful Quarantine/Heather Regen Photography

It's an hilarious romp with a huge cast (I love 'em), multiple scenes (ditto), many costume changes (yes!) and just about everything one could want in a stage show.

Director Liz Mykietyn writes in program notes that she found the play by Mark Dunn 15 years ago, but it took 10 years to convince anyone to do it. Enter and thank you, RCP! 

How some strangers come to be commingled is life as it is! And, not to be discriminatory, but I do believe the female actors  outshone the men!

The cast has uncoupled couples (?) stuck together, a crossdresser, a long-lost daughter, a prayerful sister, and many more. 

"It" is not the "it" you think "it " is!

My favs were the two "elderly" women (Liz Weber as Mavis, Kim Thornley as Violet) perfectly costumed (by Kathy Dunlap) in little old lady garb of flowered dresses, sweaters (de rigueur!)  and pearl necklaces. (Wait! They're in vogue!)

But it's their mannerisms, the weaves, the bobs, and "Violet's" teetering and tottering which steal the show.  I never wanted them to leave. 

Ms. Mykietyn choreographed the fights and helped design and paint the set, but her tutelage of the two women could be an acting class. 

Although I am not a "cat woman," Shelby Kaplan as the convincing "Judeen" almost made her stumbling date, "Chester" (Michael Wong) and me, into cat fanciers. 

Ms. Kaplan was another favorite whose performance, delivery, and voice grow stronger in every scene she's in, producing cat howls from the audience, for to get 14 cats on stage simultaneously is quite the feat.

A sneeze is a sneeze is a sneeze (maybe, two). (?) He flushed the toilet twice! (?) 

"Professor" Lucy Fuller (Beth Atkins) is the seesawing "moderator" who leads the show with a terrific voice to boot!  It is no wonder she's the music coach, too.

The playbook calls for seven different interior house scenes and before the show, I wondered how that would be achieved.  

Not to worry.

Minimalism may be in vogue, but here, not so much.

One scene easily flows into another on the complicated, stacked stage of different rooms which all work splendidly with Jeff Auerbach and Kimberly Crago's expert lighting, blinking in different colors to target the speaker. 

A laughing good time at the theatre will set your mind apart from another world, for this Quarantine is a fantastic escape to kick off spring to a rollicking start.

I must say I felt some guilt and unease having a jolly good time watching the play unfold in this time of global tragedy and death and destruction in Ukraine.  It's impossible to escape all the horror, but RCP managed to make me forget troubles for a little while and I am grateful.

Other cast members are Alexa Yarboro Pettengill (also, properties designer and set dresser), America Michelle, Nida Syed (another standout actor), Rebecca Asch, Josh Keiter, Charlene Sloan, Kevin Dykstra, Allie Blanchet (Mar. 5, 6, 11),  Birdie Thomas (Mar. 11), Jane Keifer (Mar. 5, 6, 11),  Cara Ethington (Mar. 12), Eileen Marshall, Danny Seal, Anthony Pohl, Ryan Heise (also the stage manager), Kate Keifer (also, the marketer), Anna Mintz (also, set designer and painter), Charlotte McIntosh (also, assistant stage manager), David Reph, Richard Durkin (also the producer).

The production team included Dan Widerski, master carpenter, electrician, and with Sara Birkhead, technical director; Kat Brais, hair and makeup; Jon Roberts, projections; and Ali Althen, marketing.

Who: Reston Community Players

What:  A Delightful Quarantine by Mark Dunn

When: March 5, 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and March 6, 2 p.m.

Where: Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, VA 20191

Tickets:  Buy online, at the box office at the Community Center, or call 703-476-4500 and press 3 for 24-hour service. $30, adults; $25, juniors and seniors, plus, $2, fee each ticket. The Reston Community Center’s box office is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4 - 9 p.m.; Saturday, 1 - 5 p.m.; and 2 hours before any ticketed performance.

Ages: For all but likely too complex for those under age 12. 

Duration: Two hours plus one 15-minute intermission. 

patricialesli@gmail.com

A GALA 'House' of fire and rage

Ernesto Concepción as Quintín and Yaiza Figueroa as Isabel in GALA Hispanic Theatre's La casa de la laguna (The House on the Lagoon)/Photo by Daniel Martínez

GALA Hispanic Theatre's La Casa de la Laguna (The House on the Lagoon) is anything but calm.

It's the world premiere of the play by Caridad Svich, based on the novel by Rosario Ferré, the story of a tumultuous marriage and a woman's search for meaning.

Directed by Rebecca Aparicio, the production follows the adult life of a woman seeking her independence while Puerto Rico's modern history and internal debates about its quest for statehood, flow in the background.  

From left, Omar Cruz as Manuel, Ernesto Concepción as Quintín, Evelyn Rosario Vega as Petra (standing), and Yaiza Figueroa as Isabel in GALA Hispanic Theatre's La casa de la laguna (The House on the Lagoon)/Photo by Daniel Martínez

This "casa" is a complex, multi-generational drama, action-packed with relationships and disharmonies. 

The acting brings some of Puerto Rico's finest to Washington, many making their technical and stage debuts at GALA. 

The lagoon is a conclave of wealthy homes where the Mendizábal family has raised their son Quintín (Ernesto Concepción), according to strict guidelines of the father, Buenaventura (Juan Luis Acevedo). 

Quintín is a vigorous showman whose dominance will never succumb to a woman or love of family. Like his father, he is unwilling to compromise, and his intensity increases as the play progresses alongside the passage of his wife's journey. 

Yaiza Figueroa is Isabel, who falls in love with the seemingly suave, "gentle" Quintín on a romantic beach. As their relationship evolves, his controlling father wants to know if Isabel is good enough for his son.

Buenaventura has no trouble convincing the audience that he calls the shots in his family, aided by his charming wife, Rebecca (Luz Nicolás), whose well-tamed behavior is one desired by her offspring for his own wife. 

Never without a lit cigarette, Rebecca coddles her husband and son, smiling all the while with soothing deliveries. 

But someone forgot to tell Quintín that time moves on and today is not yesteryear. 

Quintín and Isabel marry and have a son Manuel (Omar Cruz, excellent in his role as the irreverent son). The years pass, and Isabel struggles with wifely duties vs. her own self-awareness and questions of identity. 

She starts writing an autobiography about their families which enrages Quintín when he finds the book that he secretly begins to edit.

At home, the housekeeper, Petra (Evelyn Rosario Vega) maintains some normalcy with a mild demeanor until she, too, can't handle it anymore.  Her slower pace, pulled back hair, and halting speech keenly demonstrate the advent of time.  

Throughout the performance I held my breath, worrying whether the men would strike, like the vipers they were. 

The conclusion was quite the surprise.

Another cast member is María Coral as Coral, Manuel's girlfriend.

Germán Martínez produced savvy sounds and music to forecast rising conflicts and tension on many horizons. 

Puerto Rican artist Gerardo Díaz Sánchez designed a minimalist set of dining and living room furniture on opposite sides of the stage to complement the backdrop of frequent video and photo changes of Puerto Rico.(Production by Kelly Colburn.)   

Costuming by Jeannette Christensen is realistic with Rebecca's bright, colorful gowns, a welcome visual variation.

Other technical crew members are Jennifer Fok, lighting; Ilyana Rose-Dávila, stage manager and props; Vanessa Losada, production manager; and Hugo Medrano, producer.

La Casa de la Laguna  was a finalist for the National Book Award when it was published in 1995.  Ms. Ferré (1938-2016) was a leading author in contemporary Latin America who studied at Wellesley College, Manhattanville College, the University of Puerto Rico, and the University of Maryland. 

Her father was the third elected governor of Puerto Rico and the founding father of the New Progressive Party which advocates for U.S. statehood.

The production is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Miranda Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts which recently awarded GALA a $150,000 grant from the American Rescue Plan. 

GALA will use the money to save jobs and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance. GALA was one of 567 arts organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC. to receive a grant. 

GALA audiences are seldom disappointed by anything less than dynamic acting and fascinating stories which capture our minds and send us away on thoughtful adventures. 

What: La Casa de la Laguna (The House on the Lagoon)

Language:  Spanish with English surtitles

Masks, vaccination cards and photo IDs required, or proof of negative covid-19 tests within 72 hours

When: Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022 at 8 p.m. except Sundays, 2 p.m.

Where: Gala Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010.

Handicapped accessible 

Duration: About two hours and one intermission

Metro stations: Columbia Heights is one block away or get off at McPherson Square, take bus #52 or #54 up 14th, or, instead of the bus or Metro, walk two miles up 14th, save money and expend calories! Lots of places to eat along the way.

Parking: With validation at Gala, a flat rate of $4 is available at Giant grocery around the corner on Park Road, NW.  

For more information: Call (202) 234-7174 and/or email info@galatheatre.org