Aidan O'Connor

Certain facets of the human condition are foundational to our very existence – change, connection, desire. One such particularly toxic universal truth is a constant need to be something more than we currently are. To search for happiness in external achievement rather than within ourselves, in our simple joys. Pippin at Signature Theatre breathes within that precise virulence, relatively orchestrated by a troupe of impeccably costumed and choreographed players. A feast for the eyes in all senses, Matthew Gardiner’s production surpasses even the highest of expectations.

The story of Cinderella is a classic known and beloved across the world for its rags-to-riches plot. Over the years, Charles Perrault’s 17th-century tale has taken many forms – films, various literary iterations, stage plays – but none more exquisite than Sergei Prokofiev’s Cinderella, Op. 87 ballet. Edwaard Liang’s rendition of the fairy tale at the Washington Ballet is nothing short of a revelation, packed with entrancing choreography throughout all three acts. Here, a classic tale is reinvented to somehow exude even more elegance.

Picture former United States President Ronald Reagan as a demon drag queen summoned to the Chicago apartment of a group of twenty somethings. A bit bizarre to think about. On paper, the far-fetched, extraordinarily unique pitch shouldn’t work. Yet, in the world premiere production of Everything, Devoured, playwright Katherine Gwynn has created a superbly demonic play rooted in pure humanity.

Faction of Fools’ production of the beloved piece chaperones fresh connotation to the prose via masked physical comedy.

Many of us, if we’re lucky, will find physical spaces in a disingenuous world that embody our essence, the core of who we truly are. These sites and our development within them are nurtured by kindred spirits of both present and past.

Nostalgia is a funny thing. It catapults the ordinarily rational into webs of what-ifs and immobilizes presence in the now. But what if you could turn back time to fix that one regret or evaluate outcomes of disparate decisions. Would you do it, or would you choose to accept your past as part of you. Safety Not Guaranteed at Signature Theatre takes that exact journey and winds up in an alt-indie-rock concert with a semblance of sci-fi and human connection. Much like most time machines however, it’s transcendent in theory but lacks flawless execution in reality.

How far would you go to keep your loved ones happy? To ensure the very thing that binds you when all else fails, has a satisfactory ending? In the Kennedy Center’s World Premiere Commission, The Sea Beyond the Ocean, 9-year-old Scooter (Ty’Ree Hope Davis) tests those limits to help his sick father in the only way he knows how. The Sea Beyond the Ocean sets off on an eyecatching magical journey with an equally captivating message for all ages.

What did our critic think of DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS AT CONSTELLATION THEATRE COMPANY at Atlas Performing Arts Center?