Kristen Price

Colonial Players production of Lanford Wilson's play THE BOOK OF DAYS, is a creative take on one of the playwright's lesser known works. The piece, which tells the story of the townsfolk in Dublin, Missouri, is billed as a murder mystery, though I think it's less about the mystery of who, and more about how it came to this. Events in the work unfurl unusually, with characters informing the audience of each passing day. It's quite a different way to tell a story and allows the audience to see just how easily and quickly action escalates.

The new play RICHARD & JANE & DICK & SALLY, written by Noah Diaz and directed by Taylor Reynolds, had its world premiere at Baltimore Center Stage Thursday evening. The play is a simultaneously quirky and heartfelt look at grief, loss and accessibility.  While the Dick & Jane stories, the characters names and play's title have been derived from, have been around for decades, this play is entirely new and definitely of today. It depicts a family dealing with grief, past and future, and the struggles of those with differing abilities.

Few musicals make you smile, clap and sing along in your seat like JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. Through the years, I've seen many takes on this Andrew Lloyd Weber musical. As a fan of it, I'm here to tell you that the Just Off Broadway's production of JOSEPH a?" directed by Tammy Oppel - may be one of my very favorites. I've seen companies put all sorts of spin on the story. It's a great showcase for creativity, and I thought I'd seen them all. But JOB's spin is perfectly suited for the story and the show.

Just Off Broadway's (JOB) delightful production of Neil Simon's RUMORS includes exactly what we all need right now - an evening full of plenty of laughs. From the setup to the final pay off, this cast brings the chuckles (and a few guffaws) to a decades old script, that still holds up today. The story begins, how every great story should, with a party. In this instance, it's in a fancy house in New York, circa 1990. However, from the start, things seem a little off. The man of the house, may have tried to end his life, and the woman of the house is missing. Also, all of their closest friends are gathered for their anniversary party. From then on, things go spectacularly awry. Basically, it has all the makings of a fabulous farce.

As in most great mysteries, a murder has been committed. Yet in the case of Artistic Synergy of Baltimore's new show, a murder has also been announced. Their production of Agatha Christie's A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED is an enjoyable treat for any mystery-lover or fan of one of the great writers of all time. The play, adapted from the Christie novel of the same name, is set in a small village in England just after the war.

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Friday's opening performance of DINNER WITH FRIENDS was a family affair at Everyman, attended by many of the resident company, as well as season-ticket holders and friends of the theatre. The production of the Pulitzer prize winner is stellar; as one comes to expect from the talented team at Everyman. The play, by playwright Donald Margulies, tells the story of two married couples in the wake of divorce.

As the Candy Man himself said, "come with me, and you'll see a world of pure imagination." It seems the writers and creatives behind CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY playing at the Hippodrome took this phrase to heart. On the basis of pure creativity and theatre magic, this show is a hit for young and old. These days, it's fun to have at least a singular moment of "I don't know how they managed to do that", however in this show particularly from the magic of a soaring paper airplane, to a child gobbled into a television set, there are many of these moments of amazement. And I'm sure the numerous children in the audience were completely taken by the sheer wonder of it.

If there's anything more magical than a Christmas show at Christmas time, I don't know what it is. The theatre is pretty special all year long, but when you add in a little sprinkle of Christmas magic, it becomes something even better. Artistic Synergy of Baltimore (ASoB) understands this principle fully, meaning their choice of the classic MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET directed by Melissa Broy Fortson, provides the perfect evening for anyone looking to experience some holiday fun.

It seems fitting that I would attend Just Off Broadway's thrilling performance of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR on the 41st anniversary of the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber show. Their production was the perfect way to celebrate the beauty and importance of the piece. You could say that I was predisposed to love it since it is my all-time favorite show, but I don't think it's that. JOB's pared down production perfectly captures the story and allows this fantastic cast to shine.

A musical comedy starring a very funny leading lady winning her prince simply by being herself, is the perfect anecdote for these stressful times. That's why it's perfectly fitting that Artistic Synergy of Baltimore (ASoB) chose to present ONCE UPON A MATTRESS as the opening show to their 2018-2019 season. ASoB's production, which opened October 5 is a fun and funny musical romp back to medieval England. Prince Dauntless needs a wife, yet his overbearing mother only wants the perfect girl for her perfect son. Cue Winnifred, princess of the swamps. She's loud, brash and fun. In other words, a terrible match for Dauntless, who falls quickly head over heels in love with her. Chaos and comedy ensue.

Everyman Theatre traveled to Ireland for their first show of the 2018-2019 season, producing the Brian Friel work DANCING AT LUGHNASA. The piece revolves around a family living in 1930s Ireland, and the memories of one little boy and one particular summer. The cast, which included many members of the repertory company of Everyman and a few new additions are top-notch. They presented a work that was both beautiful and heartbreaking.

The 2018-2019 season at Everyman Theatre starts this month with the Irish play "Dancing at Lughnasa." The play written by Brian Friel is set in a small village in Ireland in the 1930s. The story is one of five unmarried sisters and is filled with memories of days gone by. Just before this Tony-award winning play opened on September 4, I had the chance to chat with two of the show's stars. Labhaiose Magee is making her Everyman debut in the role of Rose, while Tim Getman, a member of the Everyman company plays Michael.

OKLAHOMA! was not a show that I new much about before seeing it performed this week by the lovely cast and crew of Artistic Synergy of Baltimore. It's one of those classic 40s musicals that doesn't get revived much these days, but a classic becomes a classic for a reason. And while the show itself wasn't my idea of a great musical, the performances of this cast made me smile and dance along in my seat, which is always an indicator of a delightful evening.

Theatre has always been a lens through which to view the current world. Productions such as RENT, illuminated issues like the AIDS crisis in ways that hadn't been seen before on a stage. Audiences confronted these issues in a very real way, and one would hope that they learned and grew from the experience. We're in another turning point in time right now, in the midst of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements. Women are standing up and resisting in droves. It's a powerful statement on the endurance and the drive of women. So it seems only fitting, that for the third year, Everyman Theatre is producing a SALON SERIES of readings of plays written by women, and directed by women, allowing the women of the company to "stretch that directing muscle" and take a step outside of their comfort zone.

The National Tour of WAITRESS - playing at the Hippodrome until February 4, 2018 - is the best version of this particular show I've seen. I originally saw the show on Broadway last summer, but I just didn't get it. It seemed a little disjointed to me. The first act is all fun, while the second act gets dark. However, after seeing last evening's performance of this story played out by this fantastic cast, I'm fully on board with what the writers had in mind. These cast members are supremely talented and perfectly suited for their particular roles - able to bring the comedy, as well as the heart and every emotion in between.

It's not often you have the chance to preview a show that's shrouded in such mystery, that even the cast doesn't know the full story. But that's exactly what happened in the case of WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT. This solo play written by Nassim Soleimanpour, follows a simple, yet possibly terrifying formula. A different actor is scheduled to perform each evening. That actor is finally given the script the moment the curtain rises. They have no idea of the plot or the story until they're standing in front of an audience. Fittingly, most of the audience isn't sure what the show is about either.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a distinctive character in literature; one of those characters every great actor wants to tackle. He's a redeemable grump, whom you hate but by the end of the story you kind of love. I suppose that's why Leslie Bricusse chose to write SCROOGE, a musical version of this wonderful character's memorable Christmas Eve. What's a better way to expand on this curmudgeon than with song? And even though I call myself, a huge fan of musicals, I was not aware that this Holiday-themed musical romp existed, until Artistic Synergy of Baltimore decided to bring it to life.

Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL has been a considered a classic almost since the time when it was written. The story of Scrooge's haunted Christmas Eve is composed of everything that makes a story grand supernatural visions, likeable characters, heart and redemption. It's the perfect tale to read during the holidays, as well as throughout the year. So it only makes sense that Sally Boyett and Donald Hicken at Annapolis Shakespeare Company (ASC) decided to adapt a version of this classic during the Christmas season.

It's fortuitous that I'm publishing this review on #LoveTheatre day because it must be said - I loved LEADING LADIES playing currently at Salem Players in Catonsville. This particular show with this talented cast of actors was a pretty fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For some reason, this was my first experience seeing a Salem Players show. As I've learned, this theatre company has been around for nearly 50 years. Judging by the time I spent there, I can certainly see why.