Pamela Roberts - Page 5

Laugh, making its world premiere at Studio Theatre, is the latest from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley. With its designations of "slapstick" and as an homage to silent movies we expect movement and pace to be at the forefront, yet Laugh is far more rooted in language. But why box Laugh into a genre? There is little else like it. It is with her heightened language and quirkiness that playwright Beth Henley is at her best. Though flawed and in need of a trim from its current 2:15 running time, the comedy has some fine moments particularly in the final scenes that highlight Henley's unique style and unexpected choices.

Shakespeare may not have known Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in his time, but Director Tom Prewitt sees all the classic symptoms in Othello. With this lens of PTSD, WSC Avant Bard's current production becomes an examination of civilian vs. military life, generational differences, differing life experiences and, at its core, the terrible ravages of war. Race, the central feature in so many interpretations of Othello, is almost incidental here.

Dunsinane, presented by The Shakespeare Theatre Company through February 21, shows us that the precarious balance among victor, vanquished, and peace-keeper is a timeless dilemma stretching from Macbeth's heaths to the Iraqi dessert. Dunsinane picks up where Shakespeare's Macbeth leaves off, when the English army, camouflaged as forest trees, kills the tyrant and takes the seat of power. But in the confusion of the skirmish a critical and messy mistake is made: the Queen of Scotland, Lady Macbeth, remains alive. With the queen living and with a claim to the throne, many in the country will refuse to accept a newly-installed king.

In Love and Warcraft, a new play by Madhuri Shekar at No Rules Theatre Compan,y is full of heart, overflowing with warmth and good humor to balance the challenges of intimacy in a world that does not respond logically to strategy and commands. The production, directed by No Rules Theatre Company Artistic Director Joshua Morgan, features a strong and engaging new script by award-winning playwright Madhuri Shekar. But it is the cast that makes the play so memorable. There is a connection and warmth among them that draws us in despite the characters' quirky foibles that make them so human and relatable.

Hip hop is the beating heart of Forum Theatre's tender coming-of-age story of three suburban teens honing their talents and searching for acceptance and authenticity. How We Got On brings us back to the late 80s hip hop scene when Yo! MTV Raps was the authority of what was cutting edge in music and a rap battle could settle a score. The teens balance their growing friendship and mutual respect with the threat each poses to the others' authority and skill.

In a visually stunning production, Constellation Theatre Company's Absolutely! {perhaps} explores questions of privacy, reality and truth. Gossip and insinuation run rampant in a small town when the new government official, his wife and his mother-in-law move to town and upset the cultural norms. Set gloriously in the mid-century, the production elements are a delight.

Toast playfully explores innovation, technology, crowd-sourcing and the very roots of inspiration. You don't 'see' a show at dog & pony dc, you become part of it. Dog & pony is committed to "Audience Integration" or participatory theatre - that means when you attend a show you are intimately knit into all that is unfolding. Dog & pony takes great delight in shattering the fourth wall that supposedly separates actors and audience. The Toast ensemble actively engages everyone in the room - questioning, touching, nudging, mumbling, seeking a reaction.

Words are indeed the star of this production as much as the Devil himself in Marcus Kyd's ambitious The Devil in His Own Words stitched together from more than 30 literary works ranging from the Quran to the Book of Revelations, from Twain to Bulgakov to C.S. Lewis. Like a patchwork, the pieces contrast vividly in tone, pace and intensity, highlighting Kyd's artistic range and strength.

"It's just like... singing, with your body," says Happy Feet film penguin Mumble. Savion Glover, who created the movement of that beloved character, needed no movie magic to show audiences exactly what it is like to unite motion and music in the first of three performances at Washington, DC's Howard Theatre. Throughout the night, Glover's feet conducted a conversation: percussive, playful, insistent.

Abominable delves deeply into what is hidden on the inside versus what is visible on the outside. What is needed? What is safe? What is seen? What is missed? What is not to be missed is Abominable, a masterful world premiere at The Hub Theater; a poignant tale of fear, connection and humanity told with humor and compassion.