All posts by Amanda N. Gunther

A full-time theatre reviewer in the Baltimore, Washington, and surrounding areas; Amanda holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Maryland Baltimore County as well as a minor in Creative Writing. Having spent two of her five years at college studying abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, she has learned a great deal about improv, devised work theatre, and interpretive movement pieces. Striving to promote theatre of all types, she can often be found in a theatre of some type, even on her nights off.

Pondering Playwrights: An Interview with Susan McCully on Kerrmoor

Interviews November 1, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival has surpassed the boundaries of the nation’s capital and meandered over to Baltimore. A city thriving with theatre, it’s an honored opportunity to take part in the festival that has been occurring throughout the 2015 calendar season. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we sit down with playwright Susan McCully to discuss her work Kerrmoor, a Co-Production with Baltimore’s Strand Theatre and Interrobang Theatre Company. Susan McCully is a professor at UMBC where she teaches playwriting and dramatic literature.

(L to R) Happenstance Theater Company's Cabaret Noir featuring Karen Hansen, Sabrina Mandell, Mark Jaster, Alex Vernon, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, and Gwen Grastorf

Review: Cabaret Noir at Happenstance Theater

Reviews October 31, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Meaning is often found by happenstance. If you should be seeking a meaningful theatrical experience for the spooky autumnal season, look no further than Happenstance Theater as they take to the stage of the Baltimore Theatre Project with their newest work, Cabaret Noir. Described by the company as ‘A Film Noir Inspired Theatrical Montage,’ Cabaret Noir rides in on the successful coattails of the last several years work, Cabaret Macabre.

Review: Jesus Christ Superstar

Reviews October 31, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

To conquer death you only have to die. So tell us, oh great king of Nazareth, this Jesus Christ Superstar, do you think you’re what they say you are? Kensington Arts Theatre thinks that the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice Broadway pop classic is worth using to open their 2015/2016 season upon the mainstage. Directed by Craig Pettinati with Musical Direction by Stuart Y. Weich, this rocker-classic retelling of the bible’s most infamous tale explores the relationships and motivations of Jesus’ rise to fame and how like in all celebrity existences too much fame can bring about a downfall of epic proportions.

Dramatists Guild of America Presents: Baltimore Footlights Reading Series- The Quickening

News October 31, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

People take great comfort in proof, especially when it comes to the unknown. But sometimes the proof is the explanation. Baltimore-based playwright Mark Scharf debuts his newest work, The Quickening— a ghost story for the stage— as a part of the Baltimore Footlights Reading Series 2015-2016. Hosted by the Dramatists Guild of America, this reading series provides the opportunities for local playwrights to have staged readings of their new works, generating a chance for workshopping new ideas based on feedback given by the audience.

Review: Stop Kiss at How Do You Like Me Now? Productions

Reviews October 29, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

A moment can change your life forever. You go from being the blueberry muffin lady to the lesbian traffic reporter whose girlfriend got beaten into a coma. The powerfully evocative drama Stop Kiss comes to the stages of How Do You Like Me Now? Productions as their second official production since their inception a year ago. Directed by company Co-Founder Ed Higgins, the work is a remarkably astute encapsulation of the company’s mission statement to draw awareness to bullying and erase hate through art.

Review: Girlstar at Signature Theatre

Reviews October 27, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Move over, Maleficent! A new breed of sinister sins and exquisite evil is sweeping into Shirlington as the world premiere musical Girlstar settles into Signature Theatre this fall. A modern day fairytale with spunk and verve takes root in the Max Theatre of Signature’s two-stage performing arts complex and is ready to entice the world into a new-wave experience when it comes to fairytale enchantment and modern magical realism. With Book and Lyrics by Anton Dudley and Music by Brian Feinstein,

Review: Fences at Everyman Theatre

Reviews October 27, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

You got to take the crooked with the straights, roll with the punches, and prepare to tackle death when it comes. The August Wilson classic Fences slides into the second show slot of the 25th Anniversary season at Everyman Theatre. Directed by Clinton Turner Davis, the play articulates the age-long struggle of man versus death and throws in the American classic kitchen sink drama of love, loss, and family in the process.

Review: Assassins at Stillpointe Theatre Initiative & Spotlight UB

Reviews October 26, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Hey, pal! Come here and shoot a president— or maybe just watch Stillpointe Theatre Initiative and Spotlight UB do it instead with their production of Assassins. With complex Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Book by John Weidman, this edgy obscure musical is poignant and relevantly delivered for the current political climate and packs a powerful message to the audience. Co-Directed by Ryan Haase and Kimberly Lynne, the production sparkles with a twisted sense of patriotic pride amid a shimmering sea of talent.

Review: Raw at Venus Theatre

Reviews October 26, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Truth is not simply there for the taking. Truth requires proof. And the proof is in the pudding, well…in the milk rather, at Venus Theatre this fall season. Closing out the epic 15th season entitled Feral 15: Feminist Fables— No Strings Attached, a world premiere production of Amy Bernstein’s Raw brings sharp focus to the biting and unapologetic work achieved on the Venus stage throughout the season. Directed by company founder and Artistic Directed Deborah Randall,

Review: Betrayal at Fells Point Corner Theatre

Reviews October 24, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

An affair. A secret. A confession. A twist. Master classic playwright Harold Pinter holds the original drama in his words but they find an edgy and revitalized life in the new production now appearing on the Sokal Stage of the Fells Point Corner Theatre. Directed by Andrew J. Porter, this vivid incarnation of Betrayal is moved by a timeless verve that resonates the emotional simplicity and poignancy of Pinter’s story.

Review: Frankenstein at Maryland Ensemble Theatre

Reviews October 24, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

I saw a figure. Or was it a reflection? A brilliant shimmering glimpse of Mary Shelley’s core essence, captured in theatrical perfection upon the Maryland Ensemble Theatre main stage as autumn brings a new adaptation of Frankenstein into their season. Devised by the ensemble under the riveting Direction of Co-Artistic Director Julie Herber, this new concoction is a striking and tragically beautiful amalgamation of Shelley’s most poignant words of prose.

Review: Gimme a Band, Gimme a Banana! The Carmen Miranda Story at Pointless Theatre

Reviews October 22, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Ay! Ay! Ay! She’s the lady with the tutti-frutti hat on her head! Singing sensation, Brazilian beauty, Carmen Miranda has her whole story explained in Pointless Theatre’s world premiere production of Gimme a Band, Gimme a Banana! The Carmen Miranda Story. Directed by Roberta Alves and Matt Reckeweg, this show appears as part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival and is an intriguing examination of a popularized figure told through interpretive movement and song.

Jose de la Mar as Edgar Allan Poe in Poe's Last Stanza at Do or Die Productions

Review: Poe’s Last Stanza at Do or Die Mysteries

Reviews October 22, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Worldly goods come and go, but exceptional theatre lasts beyond its ephemeral nature in the recesses of the mind of those that attended. Poe’s Last Stanza falls into the category of ephemeral theatrical brilliance that will linger on and be remembered by those who were fortunate enough to encounter the performance produced by Do or Die Mystery Productions. Written and Directed by C.J. Crowe, the piece is a highly immersive and interactive involvement that makes Edgar Allan Poe and all of his mysterious gloom highly accessible to everyman,

Ghost Stories of the Stage: An Interview with Playwright Mark Scharf on his New Work The Quickening

Interviews October 20, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Is there life beyond death? An age old question that plagues the minds of the masses. Science has answers. Religion has answers. Should not the theatre also have answers? In a brand new work by Baltimore-based playwright Mark Scharf, The Quickening, perceived as a ghost story for the stage, dabbles into the uncharted territories of the unknown. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview we sit down with Mark Scharf to discuss his latest work.

Review: Zombie Prom at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews October 20, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Atomic adolescent angst rears its radioactive righteousness in a teenage nuclear zombie! Not a catchy enough hook? Think Grease meets The Walking Dead, but with more dancing and you’ll have the hysterically campy and hell of a good time musical, Zombie Prom now shambling onto the stage of the Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre just in time for the spooktacular season of Halloween. Directed by Kristen Cooley with Musical Direction by Michael Tan,

Review: From A Black Egg at Yellow Sign Theatre

Reviews October 19, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Rebelling against the self-satisfaction of our civilization, at the crossroads where film and theatre intersect, a world premier work has settled itself into The Yellow Sign Theatre for the Halloween season. Written and Directed by Aaron Travis, From a Black Egg is an edgy new approach to the way theatre is experienced. Settling into the notion of German Expressionism and silent films, the work— in true Yellow Sign Theatre fashion— does not show you a mere silent film work adapted to the stage,

The Truth Behind a Betrayal: An Interview with Andrew Porter Directing Pinter’s Betrayal at FPCT

Interviews October 19, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

A breaking or violation of trust of confidence; once a betrayal occurs can life ever be the same? Fells Point Corner Theatre continues its 2015/2016 with a riveting production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, directed by the newly appointed president of the board, Andrew Porter. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview we sit down with Andrew and discuss his intention behind the show.

If you could give us an introduction we’ll get things underway.

Review: Damn Yankees at Heritage Players

Reviews October 17, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Take me out to the ballgame! Take me out to the crowd! Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! I don’t care if I ever come back! And it’s root— root! Root for The Heritage Players as they pitch a wild one onto their stage at the Rice Auditorium with their production of Damn Yankees. Directed by Michael Hartsfield with Musical Direction by Stephen Michael Deininger, this classic musical with a time stamp of fond nostalgia slides into home plate under these two dedicated men and the company they plant onto the stage.

It’s Alive! The Director’s Brain of Julie Herber reanimated for MET’s Frankenstein

Interviews October 17, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

It’s alive! And rising up from the creative minds of Maryland Ensemble Theatre! Frankenstein, newly adapted for the stage as a part of the 2015/2016 season, the Mary Shelley classic finds its footing in an innovative new approach this autumn. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we sit down with Director Julie Herber to discuss the good doctor and his creature, learning and discover just who the monster is.

If you’d give us a brief introduction of who you are and what of your work the readers might recognize,

Vivisection: A Dissection of Playwright Mark Scharf’s Brain Over Newly Adapted Work

Interviews October 17, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Everything in existence takes its color from the hue of our surroundings. When the hue of your surroundings is shrouded in mystery and tingling chills the resulting artwork can be quite chilling this time of year. Debuting as a world premiere at The Twin Beach Players, The Island of Doctor Moreau as written and adapted by Baltimore-based playwright Mark Scharf arrives just in time for the spooky shades of autumn. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview we sit down with Mark to discuss the inner musings of his new work.

Review: Sweeney Todd at Milburn Stone Theatre

Reviews October 16, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

I have sailed the world, beheld it’s wonders, from the regions of the west to the regions of the east— and there’s no place like Milburn Stone Theatre. Devilishly embodying the holiday spirit of darkness, and continuing on their unyielding path to produce a season of Sondheim, under the skillful and edgy Direction of Artistic Director S. Lee Lewis, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street takes to the stage for a limited two-weekend engagement.

Review: The Island of Doctor Moreau at Twin Beach Players

Reviews October 16, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther 1 Comment

Sensational exposures. Strange sounds in the night. A spine-tingling chill has settled over the beaches of southern Maryland this October as the Twin Beach Players invite the world premiere of Mark Scharf’s adaptation of The Island of Doctor Moreau to their stage. Just in time for the unsettlingly spooky season of Halloween, this tremendous community theatre undertaking will set your nerves on edge as you hear the fancifully woven tale of one man’s attempt to escape the dark and sordid secrets of a mysterious island after being lost at sea.

A Dream Within A Dream: An Interview with the Co-Creators of The Mesmeric Revelations! of Edgar Allan Poe

Interviews October 16, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. A dream? A nightmare? A vision? A world trapped between worlds. Baltimore’s very own site-specific immersive experiential theatre show has returned to the Enoch Pratt House in time for the haunted Halloween season. Going inside the minds of the madness in a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we sit down with Co-Directors and Co-Creators Glenn Ricci and Susan Stroupe to better understand The Mesmeric Revelations!

Review: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Just Off Broadway

Reviews October 15, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther 1 Comment

WINNER— noun. “someone or something that wins a contest, prize, etc. one that wins.” Just being here at Just Off Broadway’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee makes you a winner. W-I-N-N-E-R. Directed by Robin Emrick with Musical Direction by Patty DeLisle, this zany and adorable musical is family fun for everyone and shows the true pride and spirit of just what the Just Off Broadway company has to offer when it comes to their annual fall musical.

Review: The Mesmeric Revelations! of Edgar Allan Poe- Revisited!

Reviews October 13, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Are you asleep? Good. Let us begin. Again. Darkness has once more descended upon your mind, crept into your dreams, and awakened a nightmare that you knew once before. A vestibule, instructions, the evening awaits— and you recall having been here before. Or have you? Fact and fiction, living and dead, waking and sleeping, the lines are blurring together once more in an evocatively immersive theatrical experience like no other. Returning to The Enoch Pratt House in time for the haunting season,

Review: Insurrection: Holding History at Annex Theater

Reviews October 12, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

It is time for the first to become the last and the last to become the first. A mantra that echoes through the words of playwright Robert O’Hara’s work Insurrection: Holding History. Making its Baltimore debut on The Annex Theater stage under the Direction of Kyle A. Jackson, this provocative work draws forth questions of historical importance in a time that is often called into question, particularly in the way it effects current events.

Review: Planchette

Reviews October 12, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

When the dead speak, they might be talking to you. The mystifying and spookily intriguing tagline for a new experiential theatrical installment that has crept its way into the shadowy nightlife of Charm City just in time for the haunting season. Debuting at the historic Carroll Mansion over near Harbor East, Planchette appears for a limited run engagement to conduct an engagement with spirits from the beyond. Directed by Deirdre McAllister, the new piece was a collaborative conception between area playwright Annelise Montone and local performance artist and magician Brian M.

Review: Maytag Virgin at Quotidian Theatre Company

Reviews October 11, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

The smartest thing you can ever learn is that you don’t have all the answers. Not to life, not to death, not to love. In a strikingly beautiful and evocative world premier work, playwright Audrey Cefaly debuts her new play Maytag Virgin at Quotidian Theatre Company as a part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival. Directed by Cefaly, this two-person heartwarming tale explores how fragile human life can be, and how even among the shattered debris of ruined life true beauty can be found.

Review: Cake Off at Signature Theatre

Reviews October 10, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Gotta bowl. Gotta whisk. Then there’s nothing else but the recipes and chemistry and you. It’s time for the 50th Annual Millberry Cake Off and the only missing ingredient is you in a seat at Signature Theatre this autumn to witness the spectacular new musical that is Cake Off. Debuting as a part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival, this stunning high-octane comedy is both hilarious and heart-warming, a true veritable rollercoaster of emotions in just 100 minutes of sensational singing and performing.

Review: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at The Kennedy Center

Reviews October 9, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Sometimes life goes the way you want it to. And sometimes it doesn’t. But when it doesn’t, sometimes you find something beautiful. And Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is what can be found on the Opera House Stage of The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts this October. Living up to its title, with Words and Music by the infamous Carole King, as well as Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil,