Vienna's hilarious open and shut show

From left, Bob Cohen, Janice Zucker, Bruce Alan Rauscher and Dave Wright in Vienna Theatre Company's Unnecessary Farce at the Vienna Community Center/By Matthew Randall

It’s a bedroom romp-o-rama!

For a laugh-a-minute good time, head for the motel rooms, see the action, and watch the jamboree unfold in a dive of a place where the crazies jump and hide and keep you in suspended animation wondering who's gone where.

And, what's next?

It's delightful, it's delirious, and very funny by the name of Unnecessary Farce now onstage at Vienna Theatre Company where the cops, the lovers, an accountant and, of course! the politicians and a sneaky criminal chase one another from room to hall to room and back again, in and out of beds hoping to catch the criminal(s) in the act. (Which act?)

They run and hide behind eight doors, reminding me of a commercial break at a Capitals' hockey game to "find the puck." (Huh?)  It's easy to get lost in this swingathon.

From left, Liz Owerbach, Dave Wright, Bruce Alan Rauscher and Kate Bierly in Vienna Theatre Company's Unnecessary Farce at the Vienna Community Center/By Matthew Randall

Eddie Page makes his directorial debut at the Vienna theatre, drawing on these actors' strengths and passions (!) to flatten the possibility of any weak-willed characters in the adult comedy.  (There are none.) 

Take the Scotsman (Bob Cohen) who speaks gibberish. Was it just me who couldn't understand him?  

But, no, those on stage couldn't interpret his remarks either except for Vienna debut actor, Kate Bierly, as a policewoman who repeats in rapidfire order the Scotsman's words, winning applause in the middle of a scene for her incredible memory and performance. 

Theatre favorite Bruce Alan Rauscher is another cop, quite effective at stuttering and repeating words as he tries to find his pants.  (His pants?)

Liz Owerbach is the "hot, very hot" (!) animated accountant, Karen, who almost manages to snag a two-for-one deal, caught by video in suspicious circumstances with another officer (Dave Wright) who rolls in and out like the rest of 'em.

Not to overlook the mild and bumbling, appropriately named mayor of the unnamed town near D.C., Mayor Meekly (Steve Rosenthal) and his lovely wife (Janice Zucker), the mayor enjoying some of the benefits of the romps he observes and interrupts.

Producer Laura Fargotstein helps to ensure the show rocks all night long.  

At the end, you may think you are bouncing on a bed, but for sure, you'll be chuckling, happy you spent a good time in the old town tonight.

Other members of the production team are:

Larry Grey, stage manager; Susie Poole, assistant stage manager; Ari McSherry, lighting; Adam Parker, sound; Helen Bard-Sobola and Charles Dragonette, properties and Dragonette, set decoration; Michelle Harris, costumes; John Downing, set; Robin Maline, hair and makeup; Mark Adams, dialects; Michael Page, fight and intimacy choreographer; Art Snow, special effects; De Nicholson Lam and Beverly Benda; set painting.

What: Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith

When: Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. through May 6, 2023 with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., April 30 and May 7, 2023. The May 7 show will be sign-interpreted with reserve seating in the front row. Email lily.widman@viennava.gov or call 703-255-5738 for reserved seats.

Where: Vienna Theatre Company, Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St., SE, Vienna, VA 22180

Tickets: Buy in advance at www.viennava.gov/webtrac, or in person at the Vienna Community Center or at the door, if available, $15.  

Language: "X" 

Audience: For mature teens and adults

Duration:  About two fast hours with one 15-minute intermission.   

For more information, please call: (703) 255-6360

patricialesli@gmail.com

 

Maya Lin's 'One Life' closes Sunday

Maya Lin, age about 4, who said later that "play," despite advice from a professor, has always been an important part of her life and work. From a photograph at the National Portrait Gallery exhibition.

Maya Lin  (b. 1959) was only 21 years old and an undergraduate student when her submission for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial  was chosen as the winning design from approximately 1,420 entries.

When the winner was announced, her design met considerable opposition and resistance. Former U.S. Senator James Webb of Virginia, himself a Vietnam veteran, called it "a nihilistic slab of stone"; President Ronald Reagan's secretary of the interior delayed issuing a building permit. 

Since its dedication in 1982, the memorial has become "something of a shrine," according to the founder, Jan Scruggs. 

The U.S. Department of Defense says more than five million people visit the memorial annually, making it the most popular monument on the National Mall ...  and the first monument there to be designed by a woman.

On two pieces of black granite, the names of 58,320 persons (the number is debatable) who are missing in action or died as a result of the Vietnam War are carved in chronological order of their deaths.

Closing Sunday at the National Portrait Gallery is a short celebration of Ms. Lin's life in an excellent exhibition, One Life:  Maya Lin.  

In 2016 President Barack Obama awarded Maya Lin the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S./by Chip Somodevilla (b. 1972)

In the Maya Lin gallery at the National Portrait Gallery/by Patricia Leslie

In the Maya Lin gallery at the National Portrait Gallery/by Patricia Leslie

Her life's story is shown in chronological order with family photos, personal items, three dimensional models, designs and pictures of other buildings she has accomplished since the memorial thrust her into the world's limelight which has never waned.

Dorothy Moss, the museum’s curator of painting and sculpture, curated the show.

Maya Lin's Langston Hughes Library in Clinton, Tennessee, from a photograph by Timothy Hursley (b. 1955), National Portrait Gallery

Maya Lin's Riggio-Lynch Interfaith Chapel, Clinton, Tennessee, from a photograph by Timothy Hursley (b. 1955), National Portrait Gallery

The introduction to Maya Lin at the National Portrait Gallery/by Patricia Leslie

The introduction to Maya Lin at the National Portrait Gallery/by Patricia Leslie

When Ms. Lin entered college, she wanted to be a zoologist. Part of her schooling took her to Denmark where she learned memorials could become community spaces. 

As a child she spent hours playing with her brother in the woods behind the family home in Ohio, nature's surroundings which continue to play a criticial role in her life and work as an environmentalist and climate change soldier.

This is the museum’s first One Life exhibition dedicated to an Asian American.

For photos from the memorial on Memorial Day 2014, go here. For a visit Ms. Lin made to the former Corcoran Gallery in 2009, go here.

What:  One Life:  Maya Lin

When: Closing April 16, 2023. The National Portrait Gallery is open daily from 11:30 a.m - 7 p.m. 

Where: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F streets, N. W., Washington, D.C. 20001

Admission: No fee

For more information: 202-633-8300 or visit the website

Closest Metro station: Gallery Place-Chinatown or walk 10 minutes from Metro Center

patricialesli@gmail.com

Easter at the Washington National Cathedral

 

Easter Day at the Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023.  Repairs continue at the Cathedral damaged by the 2011 earthquake. (See tower above.) Some $14 million still need to be raised to meet the total $38 million cost of restoration/By Patricia Leslie

Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

The War Memorial Chapel on Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023 in /By Patricia Leslie

Easter Day at the Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023 in the War Memorial Chapel. British artist Steven Barry Sykes (1914-1999) sculpted the head of Jesus surrounded by a halo which hangs above the altar. British women, including the Queen Mother (1900-2002), mother of Queen Elizabeth (1926-2022), made the kneeling pads in the chapel in commemoration of sacrifices made by U.S. Armed Forces during World War II/By Patricia Leslie

A banner of Armed Forces in the War Memorial Chapel on Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

Detail of the 9 x 12 foot Tree of Life embroidery which hangs at the left of the altar in the War Memorial Chapter with seals of all 50 states. Some of the seals (Tennessee's, above) appear to be unfinished which matches Tennessee's unfinished chapter in granting justice for all its citizens. Pictured Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

The entrance to the Children's Chapel on Easter Day, the Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

The altar in the Children's Chapel, Easter Day, the Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

Flowers on the altar at the Children's Chapel, Easter Day, the Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

The baptismal font in the Children's Chapel, Easter Day, the Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

At the altar in the Children's Chapel, Easter Day, the Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

A kneeling cushion at the altar in the Children's Chapel, Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

The conclusion of Choral Evensong, Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

The conclusion of Choral Evensong, Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

A tower undergoing repair due to the 2011 earthquake, Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

A tower undergoing repair due to the 2011 earthquake, Easter Day, Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

Easter Day at the Washington National Cathedral, April 9, 2023/By Patricia Leslie

patricialesli@gmail.com

See Hillwood's Russian glories and gardens

The entrance to Determined Women at the dacha at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens/by Patricia Leslie

The Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens is a respite of soothing and enchanting glorious springtime colors where guests may wander lush grounds, and walk green pathways to admire endless flower gardens.

A sense of peace and serenity prevails; time is unhurried.

One pathway leads to a small Russian dacha*, built about 1969 and the setting of an exhibition of 100 pieces from the collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973) who lived and died at Hillwood and made it what it is today: luxurious galleries and a museum of incredible works of art.

The Grand Duchesses, the four daughters of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia, 1916, two years before they were murdered.

 Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, 1906, whose daughters are pictured above.

Left:  Star of the Order of Saint Anna, 19th cent. St. Petersburg, silver, diamonds and enamel. Translated from the front:  To those who love justice, piety, and faith. In the center is the Russian imperial eagle.

Right:  Badge of the Order of Saint Anna, 19th cent. Russia, gold, diamonds, enamel/by Patricia Leslie

Ms. Post's inheritance as the only child of her parents no doubt made possible her philanthropic efforts and marshaled her business smarts (she founded General Foods with her second husband**).

At age 27 she was the richest woman in the U.S.

Her father had founded the Post cereal company.

Georgii Musikiiskii (miniaturist), after Johann Gottfried Tannauer, Abraham Heydrich (watchmaker), 1725, watch with miniature portrait of Catherine I, Peter the Great's second wife, gold, silver, diamonds, enamel, copper, St. Petersburg. The ceiling lights at the exhibition are reflected on the watch/by Patricia Leslie

Back of the watch above/By Patricia Leslie

Her admiration of influential women and their designs, works, and artistry form the basis of the exhibition, Determined Women: Collectors, Artists, and Designers at Hillwood which begins in the 1700s and continues to present day. (A curator has added recent pieces about, for example, Stacey Abrams.)

For any cultural and history Russophile like me, the dacha brimming with priceless, historical pieces is another magnificent "find" in Washington, D.C.

After Elisabeth Louise Vigee-Lebrun, Portrait of Marie Antoinette and Children, after 1787, at Versailles with the jewel cabinet of Marie Antoinette on the right.

Christina Sanders Robinson (1796-1854), Portrait of Nicholas I, 1840, Russia. His grandmother was Catherine the Great.

Two evening dresses of Ms. Post, the one on the left by Thum (1865-1954), 1920-1925, and the one on the right, by Hattie Carnegie (1886-1956), 1935-1940/by Patricia Leslie

Embroidery by Aunte Mollie Post, Marjorie Merriweather Post's baby bonnet, n.d./by Patricia Leslie

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, designer, altar cloth, c. 1899, Russia/by Patricia Leslie

 

 Needlework by Caroline Lathrop Post, 1854/by Patricia Leslie

Joseph E. Davies was Ms. Post's third husband who took her to Moscow when he was U.S. ambassador to Russia, 1937-1938. Those years coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Russian Revolution and Joseph Stalin's sale of Russian imperial and pre-revolutionary works, money he needed for his industrial agenda.

Carpe diem!

And Ms. Post did! Now, outside of Russia, her Russian collection is considered the best in the world. (What would Mr. Putin exchange for it? Or, some of it?)

Many more Russian artifacts are on display in the mansion.

From left: Maid of Honor Cypher Pin, 1796-1801.  The cypher states for Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I.  These pins were worn on the left side of the breast by Maids of Honor to the Empress. Gold, diamonds, Russia.

Center: Another Maid of Honor Cypher Pin, 1907. Attributed to the firm of Karl Karlovich Hahn.  The pin consists of the ciphers in Russian letters of the last two Empresses, Maria Feodorovna and Alexandra Feodorovna. It was given in 1907 to Irene Rimsky-Korsakoff (1883-1972) (Madame Mishtowt of D.C.). The ciphers are topped by the imperial cleft crown of Russia, all set in diamonds with gold and silver, St. Petersburg

Right: Attributed to Carl C. Blank, Lady of Honor Insignia with miniature portraits of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, 1912. Gold, diamonds, silver, silver gilt, glass, St. Petersburg/by Patricia Leslie

Three busts of Empress Catherine II. 

From left, by Felix Chopin (1813-1892), made in Russia, c. 1867. 

In the center is a marble by an unknown sculptor, made in Russia, after 1771. 

On the right, by August Spiess, designer (1817-1904), the Imperial Porcelain Factory, St. Petersburg, after 1872 after a model by Jacques-Dominique Rachette (1744-1809) based on a marble original by Fedot Ivanovich Shubin (1740-1805)/by Patricia Leslie

Mather Brown (1761-1831), King Louis XVI Saying Farewell to his Family, 1793, U.S.A.

A pathway at Hillwood/by Patricia Leslie

At Hillwood/by Patricia Leslie

Determined Women at Hillwood/by Patricia Leslie

Despite its small size, the exhibition packs two rooms with photographs, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, embroidery and more, a "must see" for Russian cultural aficionados.

But you don't have to love Russian history, culture, and people to want to come since it's more than all things Russian. Artists and designers from other nations, especially France, are represented, along  with dress designers of her own whom Ms. Post admired.  And, I am guessing it was a relative who made Ms. Post's baby bonnet.

Pictures, descriptions and locations of all the objects in the exhibition may be found here. 

After she and Mr. Davies divorced in 1955, Ms. Post established Hillwood where she is buried on the grounds. (She reclaimed her maiden name after her fourth and last marriage.)

Of note: Ms. Post built and owned Mar-A-Lago in Florida, another of her "notable" five homes before Donald Trump, the present owner, bought it in 1985 for about $10 million. She had willed it to the National Park Service which deemed it too expensive to maintain. Forbes places the current value around $160 million.

The Hillwood exhibition accompanies a new publication, The Houses and Collections of Marjorie Merriweather Post ($60, hardcover; $30, paperback).

*A dacha is a small Russian country house or villa. In 2017, approximately 60 million Russians or more than 40 percent of the population of 145 million, were estimated to own one.

**Ms. Post's husbands were, in order:

Edward Bennett Close (married 1905; divorced 1919)

Edward Francis Hutton (m. 1920; d. 1935)

Joseph E. Davies (m. 1935; d. 1955)

Herbert A. May (m. 1958; d. 1964)

What: Determined Women: Collectors, Artists, and Designers at Hillwood

When: Now through Sunday, June 18, 2023, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Where: Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008

Admission: Suggested donations are $18 (adults), $15 (seniors), $10 (college students), $5 (child, ages 6 -18) and free for members and those under age 6. $3 discounts are available for adults and seniors who make reservations online for weekdays, and $1 off, for weekends. For busy times (Mother's Day, anyone?), reservations are highly recommended.

Directions via bus, rail, car

Parking: Free and on-site

For more information: 202-686-5807

Café onsite

patricialesli@gmail.com

'Vera Stark' stars in Manassas

Olivia Royster is Vera Stark and Adrian Alleyne has dual roles in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark at Rooftop Productions in Manassas/Photo by Kimberly Kemp

Who is Vera Stark?  

She's the star of a play with her name, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, the character whom Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage based loosely on the life of Theresa Harris (1906-1985), a black actor and singer.

Olivia Royster, left, is Vera Stark and Deb Hansen is Gloria in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark at Rooftop Productions in Manassas/Photo by Kimberly Kemp

What I thought was going to be a drama at Rooftop Productions in Manassas turned out to be not so much a drama as a comedrama (with emphasis on the comedy), and a serious message more broadly understood in Act II.

The story revolves around a decades' long relationship between an aging movie star, Gloria (Deb Hansen), a white woman, and her maid, Vera (Olivia Royster), a black woman.

Olivia Royster is Vera Stark, left, and Terresita Edwards is Lottie in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark at Rooftop Productions in Manassas/Photo by Kimberly Kemp

In Act II Vera magically transforms from a maid (Act I) into a vibrant star, confident in her style and luxuriating in newfound public appeal and celebrity.  

Along the way, the usual Hollywood suspects enter and claim the spotlight.

Late in life Vera and Gloria meet up and exchange places in a surprise appearance on a television show, 

Who do you think gets her comeuppance? 

That Vera is the same person in both acts is hard to grasp since the characters are extremely opposite, but Ms. Royster's metamorphosis convinces us. 

For community theatre the acting is outrageously terrific, several standout performances which almost outshine the star's.

Elijah Moshe Begab's histrionics as "Maximilian Van Oster," the director of an upcoming movie, are hysterical as he prances and dances, the target of several wannabe actors.  

(Just wait until you see him in Act II as a sideshow where his eyes seem to diverge as he stares up at the ceiling and throws his head back for a big puff from a cigarette propped straight up in his mouth and perpendicular to the floor.)

And, there is Lottie (Terresita Edwards) who's got a whole lottie shakin' goin' on with a lotta voice to match.  This girl belongs on the big stage!  

Lottie is Vera's roommate who knows savvy, especially when it comes to unsavory acquaintances.

Ms. Hansen superbly displays her snobbery and condescension as Gloria, the movie star, unwilling to recognize the talents of others but anxious about her competitors.

Karina Kasara Jimenez as the "fake" Brazilian is a hoot. She lashes out in more ways than one. 

Costumer Laura Mills's swinging 1970s men's suit for Steve Glenn as TV show host, Brad Donovan, with its light blue color and wide lapels fits right in with the comedy. In Act I, Mr. Glenn is the movie's studio head, Frederick Slasvick (rhymes with slapstick), another great rendition of an exaggerated stereotype.

Kudos to the remainder of the cast:  Adrian Alleyn (Curtis Lewis, from Mar. 31 - Apr. 2),  Suzette Farnun, Tia Milton, and Jay Tilley.

Melissa Jo York-Tilley's set design is realistic, from the oak furniture to the paintings on the walls.  (She's also assistant director, hair and makeup designer, and more!)

With a few prop changes by Lauren Hatmaker, scene transitions go smoothly with almost no interruption in the flow of the story. 

Combine this Women's History Month with last month's Black History Month, and Vera Stark makes a great take on both. 

Rooftop's stacked seating makes enjoyment of the production more personable. The theatre is located in the city's historic district, in the Artfactory which reminds me of Alexandria's Torpedo Factory.

But this is the former home of the Hopkins Candy Factory which began operations in 1908. 

Around 1916, it became a feed and flour mill store and by the 1980s, it was a tire warehouse.  

Merchants Tire gave the building to the city of Manassas in 1998 where its conversion as an art center was spearheaded by Carol Merchant Kirby.

Wikipedia quote Ms. Harris:

 I never had the chance to rise above the role of maid in Hollywood movies. My color was against me anyway you looked at it. The fact that I was not "hot" stamped me either as uppity or relegated me to the eternal role of stooge or servant. [...] My ambition is to be an actress. Hollywood had no parts for me.

In Vera Stark, Ms. Harris blossoms, producing ample boasting opportunities for director AnuRa Harrison.

Other members of the production staff are Kimberly Kemp, producer; Erin Decaprio, assistant stage manager; Jimmy Conroy, technicals; Kurt Gustafson and Rebecca Nicoletti, lighting;  Matthew Scarborough, Adriane Harrison, and Pam Mahone, sound; Ivy Elizabeth, dialects;  and Emily Dunn, videographer.  

When:  7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, Mar. 31 - April 1, 2023 with a matinee at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 2, 2023.

Tickets:  $28.19 which includes fees for students and seniors, and $33.52 with fees, adults

Duration:  About 2.5 hrs. with one intermission

Audience:  For mature teens on up

Language:  X 

Where: The Artfactory, 9419 Battle St., Manassas, VA 20110 

For more information:  703-330-2787

patricialesli@gmail.com