Photography exhibit exposes seven decades of urban faces

Walker Evans, Subway Portraits 1938-41, National Gallery of Art, Washington, gift of Kent and Marcia Minichiello/copyright, Walker Evans Archives, Metropolitan Museum of Art

The contemporary photographs on view in the photo galleries at the National Gallery of Art show bleak subjects. They are not inspiring or uplifting, but they are proof of the talents and ingenuity of six modern photographers and the faces they captured beginning in 1938.

Most of the individuals reflect a state of unease and unhappiness, at least when they are alone. Bruce Davidson's subway scenes present more than one person who may be at odds with another.

Bruce Davidson, Subway 1980-81, Michael and Jane Wilson/copyright, Bruce Davidson

An exception to the exhibition's mood is the moving visual record created by Beat Streuli (b. 1957) who set up his camera in different locations in New York City to record the sounds and scenes of everyday life on the streets. The gentle humming (in New York City!) and human movements easily beguile a viewer into watching people flow by, much like seeing and hearing waves wash upon the shore. Perhaps because they are not alone but are moving in tandem with others and are not permanently recorded in the split second of a camera's flash, the subjects strike a more conciliatory tone with life.

The exhibit, arranged chronologically by artist, was curated by the Gallery’s Sarah Greenough who named it “I Spy: Photography and the Theater of the Street, 1938-2010.” Most of the pictures (with the exception of Davidson's) were taken without the subjects knowing they were the subjects.

Other photographers in the show are Harry Callahan (1912-1999), Walker Evans (1903-1975), Robert Frank (b. 1924), and Philip-Lorca diCorcia (b. 1951). Bruce Davidson (b. 1933) was on hand for the exhibition’s opening.

Curator Sarah Greenough talks about the photography exhibition at the National Gallery of Art/Patricia Leslie

Walker Evans took his famous subway pictures from a camera hidden inside his coat. Frank took photographs of people on the streets in New York in 1958 while he was riding a bus. DiCorcia sheds light in spectacular fashion upon unsuspecting New Yorkers, the most striking to me, the businessman.

Davidson was the only artist who asked his subjects for permission to be photographed, and the responses were not altogether positive but gruff and unfriendly at times. 

But it is Callahan’s singular shots of women’s faces which are the most upsetting.  There in black and white taken on the streets of Chicago in 1950 are the women who walk by, not knowing they are the center of the camera's attention, not inclined to reveal a different demeanor from what they felt inside, showing in their honesty and unconscious appearances, the repression, unhappiness and trepidation they lived during that lonely decade. The few near smiles are stilted and wan. Pain is evident.

Harry Callahan, Chicago, 1950, collection of Randi and Bob Fisher, copyright, The Estate of Harry Callahan/Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York

Nothing was staged or rehearsed for this show. Evans wanted his subjects to be unconscious of the camera, and he waited 20 years before he published his pictures, concerned about the invasion of privacy.

They are us. In solitude, this is how it is? And how we are? There is something to be said about the loneliness of the individual and how unnatural a state it is.

The exhibition is made possible through the support of The Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation and the Trellis Fund. Tru Vue provided in-kind support.

What: I Spy: Photography and the Theater of the Street, 1938-2010

When: Now through August 5, 2012, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building, Washington, D.C., between Fourth and Seventh streets at Constitution Avenue, NW

How much: No charge

For more information: 202-737-4215 or www.nga.gov.

Metro stations: Judiciary Square, Navy Memorial-Archives, or the Smithsonian

'Lettice' Alexandria's stars entertain you again

From left, Patricia Nicklin is Lettice and Rachael Hubbard is Lotte Schoen in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Lettice and Lovage/Matt Liptak, photo

Patricia Nicklin is a frequent actor on stage at the Little Theatre of Alexandria and she's up there again, this time as the star of Lettice and Lovage, a British comedy Peter Shaffer wrote for Dame Maggie Smith.

In 1990 Ms. Smith won the Tony Award for her performance of the daffy lady whose circumstances bring her together with another goofy woman, Lotte Schoen (Rachael Hubbard), their conversations, frictions, and relationship the story describes.

Whew!

And that's what you might say after listening to these two swat word circles for a while.

Ms. Nicklin is Lettice, a tour guide at an historic English country house where the detailed Ms. Schoen objects to Lettice's embellishments of events, and away they go.

Naturally, common ground is found between them and a common drink which Lotte consumes a lotte of the concoction Lettice brings to the table.  

Ms. Hubbard's portrayal of a increasingly drunk lady is spot on!

When it all goes pear-shaped, you know something's up!

Joan Lawrence has fashioned dowdy costumes to fit these two whose characters need no more sparkle anyway. 

Indeed, they are jolly good sports at chin-wagging.(?)

For a fan of British humor, this script will tickle your fancies, I dare say. 

As they say across the Atlantic, Lettice is "a picnic short of a sandwich."

Other cast members are James Blacker, Tegan Cohen, Colin Davies, Nicole "Nicki" Gray, and Nicole Lamberson.

The production crew:  Hilary Adams, dialects; Kirstin Apker, set decoration; Juli Tarabek Blacker, director; Julie Fischer, set design; Allison Gray-Mendes, properties and technical director; Kira Hogan and Ramah Johnson, stage managers; and JK Lighting Design.

Also, Janet Kennelly, assistant set painter; Chanel Lancaster, hair and makeup; Manuel Medina, sound; Dan Remmers, master carpenter; sheri ratick stroud and Griffin Voltmann, producers; Mona Wargo, set painting; Robin Worthington, wardrobe coordinator; and Russell M. Wyland, rigging.

When: Now through March 18, 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, weekdays; $27, weekends (These prices include fees.)

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

Language:  Rated "G" 

Duration:  About 2.5 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: 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; Main Office, 703-683-5778 or boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com

patricialesli@gmail.com

Olney's 'Soprano' is a scream!

Carolann M. Sanita and Tom Patterson in Lend Me A Soprano at Olney Theatre Center/Teresa Castracane 

It's that good, that charming, that delightful! 

As my friend Sheila says:  "I don't want 'preachy' at the theater; just give me fun."  This, Sheila, is fun. 

From left, Rachel Felstein and Carolann M. Sanita in Lend Me A Soprano at Olney Theatre Center/Teresa Castracane 

Upon my arrival at the Olney Theatre Center and from the moment I spied the luxurious set, I was happy to have a few moments to sit and swoon a bit with no action on the stage, enthralled by the opulence, the exaggeration, to admire and take it all in, and catch my breath. 

A set which was fit for royalty with the chair rail, the arched doorways, chandeliers, the French provincial look of gay Paree, the view outside the windows, and the vases (pronounced vaaa-sis, darhling) overflowing with flowers, a heavenly contrast for my eyes fixated on the gray drabness of winter on my way to the Olney, awaiting spring and here it was!

"The rich are different from you and me." 

Say it again, Scott, but enough about Andrew Cohen's set, already!

From left, Tina Stafford, Rachel Felstein, Dylan Arredondo, and Carolann M. Sanita in Lend Me A Soprano at Olney Theatre Center/Teresa Castracane 

I loved, loved, loved Lend Me A Soprano! Hilarious and with the acting, the costumes, the plot, combined, it's absolutely smashing. 

Hometown playwright Ken Ludwig has done it again, written another fantastic play, this farce based on his successful Lend Me A Tenor, which won two of nine or ten Tony Award nominations (depending upon which Wikipedia site you read), and opening in London in 1986 three years before it reached Broadway. 

Tenor has been translated into 16 languages and has run in 25 countries, and it's not necessary to know a Tenor to enjoy a Soprano.

Soprano is a delightful escape with Shakespeare thrown in (both playwright and director are Shakespeare scholars, but don't let that keep you away), mistaken identities, doors opening, closing, mismatched persons, and the list goes on.  (Shakespeare knowledge is not required for pure enjoyment.)

Lucille Wylie (Tina Stafford), is a strong, domineering woman who's also the Cleveland Grand Opera's manager and absolutely beside herself with worry that the diva hired to sing the title role in Carmen for a "one night stand" will not show up. 

The time is 1934.  

Suddenly, there's commotion and ... boom!  

Enter, please, the diva Elena (Carolyann M. Sanita) and her perfectly stereotypical husband, Pasquale (Dylan Arrendondo), a big, robust fellow with a voice to match. 

Like the fiery Italians they are with passions inflamed, their ardor knows no bounds, and they continue their argument upon landing, surprise!

Elena becomes "incapacitated," unable to perform, and who's this?

Jo (Rachel Felstein) is Mrs. Wylie's assistant, an "understudy" who comes to the rescue and away we go.

Not only are we treated to hysterics, but beautiful singing, including duets by Ms. Felstein and Ms. Sanita (and how I wished for more! Musical direction is by Christopher Youstra).

In and out of bed(s) and couches they roll and one of the most hilarious characters is "Leo" (Tom Patterson), who struts his talents (in several ways), gathering more likes with every appearance as his apparel takes off (?). 

He is Jo's boyfriend, but wait, that is Jerry (skillfully acted by understudy Ben Topa when I saw Soprano), so maybe Leo belongs to Elena when her husband is "away"?

Sweet "Julia" (Donna Migliaccio) is the opera guild president, who makes a late arrival on set to temper things, dressed in a beautiful gown with a crown on top, reminiscent of New York's Chrysler Building.

Meanwhile, the impish, mischievous bellhop (Natalya Lynette Rathnam) pops in every so often, producing more audience laughter whenever she's on stage.

Soprano debuted worldwide in Houston in 2022 with the same Olney director, Eleanor Holdridge, and aren't we lucky to have her experience? ("Practice makes perfect"! She's also "local," chair of the Catholic University's drama department.)

Chandelier lights (by Alberto Segarra) dim and glow, depending upon who is where.  And the costumes!  Oh, la, la!  Sarah Cubbage has made them more than adequate for a Met gala, gowns, resplendent in exquisite designs. Larry Peterson was wig designer. 

Other members of the creative team are Ashara Crutchfield, assistant director; Matt Rowe, sound designer, and Ben Walsh, stage manager.  

Also, Robb Hunter, fight choreographer; Helen Aberger, intimacy choreographer; Melissa Flaim, dialect consultant; and Tori Niemiec, assistant costume designer.

At the end, Mr. Topa received special recognition from the cast while the rest of us wildly applauded the entire cast and team for a  marvelous show.    

What: Lend Me A Soprano

When: Now through Mar.10, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1:30 p.m.

Where: Main Stage, Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832.

Tickets: Start at $40 with discounts for seniors, students, military, and groups.

Ages: PG-13 

Refreshments available.

Parking: Free, lighted and plentiful on-site

Duration: About two hours with one 15-minute intermission

For more information: 301-924-3400 for the box office or 301-924-4485

patricialesli@gmail.com

Renwick sparkles with 40 at 40

 

 

Joseph Foster Ellis (b.1984) China Tree 2012, courtesy of the artist/Patricia Leslie

You will not be bored.

 

And your companions will thank you.

 

It's a fantastic show for all ages in celebration of the Renwick Gallery's 40th birthday.

 

What?  The Renwick is only 40 years old?

 

Yes, it does seem like it's been around much longer, doesn't it? But never mind and see the show.  The mental refreshment is more than worth it.

 

Okay, enough with the plaudits already, what's it about?

 

40 under 40: Craft Futures are works by 40 artists, all under the age of 40, whose pieces were chosen from 2,000 nominees for inclusion in the Renwick's anniversary special, and it features only art created since September 11, 2001. 

 

Fashion, silver, textiles, sculpture, jewelry, glass, whimsy, you name it, and you can probably find it in the exhibition. The galleries rebound with energy, excitement and imagination stimulation. 

The artist, Olek (b. 1978) is interviewed at her work, Knitting is for Pus**** 2005-2011 with living model in the background/Patricia Leslie

Mia Perlman (b.1974) One 2012, courtesy of the artist/Patricia Leslie

 

Mia Perlman (b.1974) One 2012, courtesy of the artist/Patricia Leslie

 

Unlike much contemporary art or what you might expect of productions created by young artists, harsh and bleak are not what guests will find at the Renwick, although war is a subject chosen by some who have grown up in "a nation perpetually on edge."  Many of the artists portray exuberance and contradict the dark vision one finds so often in venues with modern content.  The future is not as dim as some want us to believe.

 

Jeff Garner (b. 1978) Black Ostrich Dress 2011, courtesy of the artist/Patricia Leslie

 

Jeff Garner (b. 1978), Men's Quilted Coat 2011, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Elmerina and Paul Parkman in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery and the 30th anniversary of the James Renwick Alliance/Patricia Leslie

 

 According to a statement from the Renwick, the exhibition “reflects the changed world that exists today, which poses new challenges and considerations for artists."

 

The display embraces renderings which illustrate society's present romance with “sustainability” and  “handmade.”

Jenny Hart (b. 1972), La Llorona 2005, Smithsonian American Art Museum, gift of the artist in honor of Lyle C. and LeJean D. Hart/Patricia Leslie

 

 This is an excellent show to introduce children to art exhibitions for neither is it too large nor too overwhelming to grasp different materials and designs.  They will be intrigued (just like adults) by what all artists can do.  

 

And for as low as $10, donors can help the Renwick buy a piece by every artist featured in the show.  Click here for more information.

Joshua DeMonte (b. 1984), Aqueduct Collar 2008, courtesy of the artist, and Curtains and Balcony Bracelet 2008, Smithsonian American Art Museum, gift of Irene and Bob Sinclair/Patricia Leslie

 

This is the first time any of the artists have exhibited at the Smithsonian.  Joshua DeMonte told me he was absolutely floored when he was initially contacted by the Smithsonian about possible inclusion in the show.

The Renwick Gallery is the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s branch for contemporary craft and decorative arts.

 

40 under 40: Craft Futures is part of a biennial series which celebrates artists deserving broader recognition. Funding from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation Endowment, the James Renwick Alliance,  Fleur Bresler and the Windgate Charitable Foundation has made the exhibition possible.  Renwick curator Nicholas R. Bell organized the exhibition. 

Here's a Renwick calendar of upcoming related events:

September 19, 2012, noon, American Craft Masterpieces: Sergey Jivetin’s Poultry Accumulus
September 22, 2012, 8 p.m., A Dress to Change the World with Jeff Garner/Prophetik October 12, 2012, noon, Design Craft: DreamHome
October 17, 2012, noon, American Craft Masterpieces: Vivian Beer’s Slither.walk.fly
November 8 and 9, Symposium, Nation Building
November 14, 2012, noon, American Craft Masterpieces: Andy Paiko’s Spinning Wheel
November 27, 2012, noon, 40 under 40: Craft Futures Gallery Talk
November 29, 2012, 5:30 – 8 p.m., Craft Futures Handi-hour

 

What: 40 Under 40:  Craft Futures

 

When: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. every day (except Christmas Day)  through February 3, 2013

 

Where: 1661 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006 (at 17th St.)

 

Admission:  No charge

 

Metro stations: Farragut North or Farragut West

 

For more information:  (202) 633-1000

 

patricialesli@gmail.com

State societies party with the Goo Goos

The longest serving member of the Tennessee State Society, Mary Lou Collector, partied with Sederia Gray, the Mississippi Cherry Blossom Princess, left, and Ashley Kimery, the Tennessee Cherry Blossom Princess, last week at Bobby Van's Grill on New York Avenue in Washington/Patricia Leslie

 

The number attending the 2013 Tennessee and Mississippi joint state societies' fete for their cherry blossom princesses at Bobby Van's Grill Thursday night was about half what it was last year, probably due to the omission of a third state society which swelled the 2012 crowd (Alabama). 

 

And maybe it was again lack of any munchies anywhere (not even little nuts or crackers at the bar),

 

Excuse, please, but "Goo Goos" (?) from Tennessee graced the tables. 

 

For hicks unaware, Goo Goos are chocolate pieces loaded with nuts and marshmallows, sure to please most everyone, especially mixed with beer and wine (?). Guess you had to be there to taste.

 

Mary Lou Collector, one of the party people always present, said she has been a Tennessee delegate to the National Conference of State Societies for 49 years.  A former resident of Copper Hill, Tennessee, Ms. Collector is a longtime resident of Washington.

 

Tennessee's cherry blossom princess, Ashley Kimery, is from Pasadena, California, and attends Vanderbilt.  Apparently,  the Tennessee State Society couldn't find any qualified native women from the Volunteer State to fill the bill and had to look elsewhere.  Someone needs to contact Cong. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis).

 

 

patricialesli@gmail.com

 

 

 

 



Rating the Trump books

I haven't read the estimated 4,500 Trump books which is the amount the Guardian estimates has been published since he took office in 2017, but I have read a few which I rank for you below.

My choices are based on new information, style, interest, content, documentation, readability.

If you only have time to read one, the best, most interesting, the one which is most captivating, whose author still commands a daily audience (if you follow him on Twitter) is:

1.  Michael Cohen's Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump. It's short and fast. In retrospect (I read it last year), I can't believe it's 432 pages for it seems like half that, which gives you an idea of the speed per page.

2.  John Bolton's The Room Where It Happened:  A White House Memoir, filled with lots of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes glimpses of what went on when Mr. Bolton spent 17 months in the Wild House. Lots of unexpected humor by means of the author's snarky comments. 592 pages.

3.  Mary Trump's Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man.  She, of course, is his niece and a clinical psychologist.  Very quick. Short and not so sweet. 240 pages.

4.  Bob Woodward's Rage. A little dry in places, but, if you get this far, worth a read. 480 pages.

4.  (A Tie with Woodward's) Peter Strzok's Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump.  I listened to this book by a former FBI assistant director.  Why the author doesn't sue Trump for defamation is beyond me. Perhaps Trump's office at the time protects him who can say whatever he wanted since that's what his content is. 387 pages.

I read about half of Brian Stelter's Hoax:  Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth until I finally realized (dumb me!  Read the sub-title!) it really was about Fox and who cares about Fox? Mr. Stelter is the host of CNN's Reliable Sources which airs every Sunday at 11 a.m. and which I try not to miss. 448 pages.

If you have recommendations and/or comments, please write up!  Thank you.

I be done with Trump and his books (I hope!).

patricialesli@gmail.com

GALA's 'Tango' is out-of-this-world

Rosalía Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos/Their photo

There's no need for dance lovers to travel to Tokyo this summer since GALA Hispanic Theatre brings the Olympics of dance to Washington with astonishing  performances by professional tangoists, musicians and the costumer, Jeanette Christensen. 

Who needs a script when music, dazzling dance, and dress carry you to fantasyland? Like the swirling dancers, the music and costumes combine in Ella es tango to present an electrifying tango show.

Marcos Pereira and Florencia Borgnia/ Photo, Daniel Martinez

GALA's founding producing artistic director, Hugo Medrano, has written an original musical revue (that he directs) about some of last century's female composers/vocalists/tangoists who competed in the male-dominated world to make themselves seen and heard so they could advance in their chosen profession, even disguising themselves as men (not the first - nor the last - time this has been attempted).

Mariana Quinteros and Patricia Torres are the duo of  top vocalists in the show whose best melodies are their duets. 

Marcos Pereira and Florencia Borgnia/Photo, Daniel Martinez

The featured ladies are portrayed by GALA company members, Lorena Sabogal as Libertad Lamarque (1908-2000), Krystal Pou as Camila Quiroga (a fictional character); Patricia Suarez is Tita Merello (1904-2002), Cecilia Esquivel is Azucena Maizani (1902-1970), and the brief biography of another tango artist, Mercedes Simon (1904-1990), is included. 

In song and dance they tell us their sad stories to present what we came to see and to hear.

Rosalía Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos/Photo, Daniel Martinez

The dancing is what brought us to the spectacle and it, combined with music by members of the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, perform in tandem with the script to captivate the magic and allure of the night to star. 

World acclaimed choreographers and teachers, Alejandro and Rosalía Barrientos are the dancers accompanied at times by Marcos Pereira and Florencia Borgnia, world tango championship finalists, who have many of their own solos.

Swirling tails, dresses, legs, and arms flash by, leaving astonished theatregoers in their wake, happy to witness magnificence.

The numerous shimmering, glittering costumes alone make the price of admission well worth the cost, and it's not just the females who come dressed to kill: The men's costumes are equally as outstanding in their glimmering jackets and ballroom tuxedo whites.

Musical direction and orchestration are by Sergio Busjle of the PASO; conducting is Argentine composer Ariel Pirotti; choreography is by the Barrientoses; and texts are by Argentine playwright, Patricia Suárez Cohen. 

Claudio Gustavo Aprile, the assistant director, appears in various male roles.

Other creative team members are Clifton Chadick and Exquista Agonía, scenic design;  Christopher Annas-Lee, lighting; Dylan Uremovich, projections; Nicolas Onischuk, additional media; David Crandall, sound; P. Vanessa Losada, stage manager; and Tony Koehler, production manager.

Ella es tango is presented in Spanish with English subtitles. 

What: Ella es tango (She is tango)

Masks:  Required.  Temperatures taken at the entrance.

When: Now through June 20, 2021, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. with open milonga dancing after the show on Wednesday, June 16.

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

Tickets: $45; $30 for seniors (65+), military, and students; $30, group sales (10 or more). To purchase, call (202) 234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org. 

Handicapped accessible

Duration: About two hours with one intermission

Metro stations: Columbia Heights or McPherson Square and take a bus or the Circulator from McPherson Square up 14th, or walk two miles and save money and expend calories! Lots of places to eat along the way.

Parking: Discounted at the Giant around the corner and additional parking at Target, both on Park Road, NW.

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

The production was made possible with support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

patricialesli@gmail.com

Mosaic's 'Fabulation' is fantastic fabulous fable

Kevin E. Thorne II's performance as Flow was my favorite in Mosaic Theater Company's Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine. Watching from left are Grandma (Aakhu TuahNera Freeman) and Undine (Felicia Curry) /Photo by Christopher Banks

Undine undoes the audience.

At times the laughter at Mosaic Theater Company prevented my hearing all the lines in the uproarious production, the D.C. premiere of Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine.

The show is solid entertainment, sketching the no-nonsense life of a New York businesswoman, "Undine" (Felicia Curry), who becomes undone by a conniver named Hervé (Carlos Saldana).  

Hervé could convince a snake to fly. 

Girlfriends, Roz White, left, and Felicia Curry in Mosaic Theater Company's Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine/Photo by Christopher Banks

In program notes dramaturg Faedra Chatard Carpenter writes that "Undine" is a mythological "soulless creature" who can recapture her soul if she marries a mortal and bears his child. It's an unhappy union since the mortal does mortal things as we are wont to do.

With proclivities to trick, Hervé whirls Undine round and round the stage in a magnificently choreographed seduction. (Rashida Bumbray was the movement consultant, and Christylez Bacon, rhythm/musical consultant.) 

In a different scene in the solo spotlight, Hervé calls out the names of romantic cities, immediately conjuring bliss. (I, too, was captured in Hervé's spell.)

The manipulator, dast he, fells Undine, forcing her to return to her old home place and her people she hasn't visited in 14 years.  

"Brother, can you spare a dime?"

You laugh at the serious stuff in Undine telling yourself it's just not right, but it can't be helped and away you go.

Herve (Carlos Saldana) rocks Undine (Felicia Curry) in Mosaic Theater Company's Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine/Photo by Christopher Banks

The sad but riotous scene in the social services office ("the form!") is too real even for the imaginations of those who've escaped such an ordeal. Director Eric Ruffin builds frustrations to an hilarious apex of a welcome but unlikely exchange. 
 
Script for Undine's girlfriends Rosa (Roz White) and Devora (Lauryn Simone) brought lots of laughs. In their dual and triple roles, Ms. White and Ms. Simone had no trouble projecting their personalities for desired effects.

Ms. Curry, naturally, carries the fast-paced comedrama with flair and confidence as her life unwinds and awakens her to an existence she tried to ignore.

The actors handled their multiple roles with New York stage finesse, but the absolute knockout was Kevin E. Thorne II who is "Flow" in the show, Undine's brother and poet who fiercely protects his "territory" and decries his sister's laments about her life. (The D.C. resident and Howard University graduate was also an FBI agent in the show.)

Except for the long ending with too much melodrama, the script is brilliant, threaded with complex issues of African-American culture and history, most which bypassed me who was enlightened later by the program.
 
For quick scene changes, Mr. Ruffin's clever design of a "ring shout" has actors dressed in white moving in slow, shadowy circles to make African music by beating wooden and steel instruments.

Andrew Cohen's set and Willow Watson's props are nicely balanced and serve purposes more than adequately.

John D. Alexander's lighting chases quick movements and streams upon soloists on the darkened stage, mostly Undine who often turns and addresses the audience in monologues.

Wikipedia says critic Robert Scholes promoted "fabulation" (related to  "postmodernism") to describe contemporary novels of "magical realism" which veer from standard practice. In other words, Undine is a "disrupter" much like the world of disruption we experience daily.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for drama (the only woman to be so honored), Lynn Nottage (b. 1964), is the playwright. 
She was at least a decade ahead writing current disrupting literature. Undine opened off-Broadway in 2004. 
 
You can go home again, Undine, but, make sure you don't burn any bridges.

Other members of the cast are James Whalen, the accountant; Aakhu TuahNera Freeman, grandma/doctor/inmate; and William T. Newman, Jr., father/priest.

Other creative team members were Moyenda Kulemeka, costumes; Crescent R. Haynes, sound; Kim James Bey, dialect coach; Jared Smith, assistant director; April E. Carter and Laurel VanLandingham, stage managers.

A listing of post-show discussions may be found under "Dates" at this link.

What: Fabulation or The Re-Education of Undine

When: Now through Sept. 22 at 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday; 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 12 and 19. Check the calendar for accessibility and post-show discussions dates.

Where: Mosaic Theater Company, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Getting there: Riding public transportation from Union Station on the streetcar is easy and free, if you can find the streetcar behind Union Station since signage in the station is poor. Valet and parking options are available for those who drive to Atlas.

Tickets start at $20.

Language: Adult but not heavily laden

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

For more information: Please call the box office and leave a message: 202-399-7993, ext. 2.

patricialesli@gmail.com