Innocence is only wisdom in a world without evil. But why is it we are so quick to believe that of which we are not certain? Why are we so quick to judge? The most innocent interaction can see seem sinister to a poisoned mind. Why do we let our minds be primed so readily with poison? In a striking and evocative drama now appearing on the Vagabond Players’ stage as the penultimate production of their 108th season,
One might think that a play with a title like How I Learned to Drive would depict a story that goes places; and by its own design, this is a play that goes many places and goes in circles (while in reverse) at the same time. But that being said, while funny and well told, Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize winning play How I Learned to Drive is not for the faint of heart.
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? You can’t handle the truth! Though I might be mixing up my courtroom dramas as this one seemed to be skirting all around the truth, only revealing parts of the truth, and there was a lot of questionable truths floating in the ether. In true Agatha Christie style, Witness For the Prosecution splashes onto The Vagabond Players stage to kick of the 2024-leg of their 108th season.
Throw the rulebook right out the window. It won’t help you anyway. And forget what you think you know about Chess as that won’t help you here either. Can’t even say “not your Grandfather’s Chess” because there are so many different variations on this concept album-turned-musical-come-concert-album that it’s hard to pinpoint which one is the one for a standard basis of comparison. Based on an idea by Tim Rice, inspired wholly if not incompletely by historical events.
Plant a radish— get a radish! Never any doubt! Plant a musical— end your season— see what it’s about! The Fantasticks comes sweeping into Vagabond Players to close out their 106th season; the strangely forlorn and bittersweet musical about simple love gone wrong when the world gets in the way. Directed by Jimi Kinstle with Musical Direction by Mari Hill, with live on-stage orchestrations by Erica Rome and Stephen Deininger, this one-of-a-kind cobbled-together musical of love,
Order or justice? Henry Kissinger made a quote about it. That quote gets referenced by one of the characters in Ayad Akhtar’s volatile and evocative drama, Disgraced, which is now on stage at the Vagabond Players in Fells Point. Directed by Matthew Sean Mitchell, this 90-minute intense drama takes place inside one apartment on New York’s Upper East Side during the summer and fall of 2011, one decade after the terrorist attack on September 11th.
Nothing says ‘welcome back to live theatre’ like watching four-grown adults devolve over the course of 90-minutes into childish selfishness and chaotic dark humors. Finally reopening its doors after an almost two-year darkness, The Vagabond Players usher in their 106th season with Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage. Directed by Stephen Deininger, this curious and enigmatic story showcases the simplistic nature of humanity— childhood never truly ends and all your problems can be solved by shouting,
Everyone’s life is in danger inside Lord Dudley Rancour’s Estate that sits on a deserted island in the English Lake district. All of Director Eric Potter’s actors play a crucial role in the telling of this classically murderous tale. If one were to be familiar with Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, they might find the story of Something’s Afoot familiar. But stay until the end…and you will find that the writers of this musical piece have twisted the story even more.
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.
America is a promise. A promise of hopes and dreams and live theatre at your fingertips. The Vagabond Players are all American, not only because they’re approaching their 100th anniversary season, but because they’re participating in the 2015 Baltimore Playwrights Festival with an area premier of a political zinger. And as the play says— politics is theatre, all that matters is that you say “here I am! Look at me!” Mario Correa’s Commander takes hold of the stage giving local stage manager Chelsea Dove her full-length Directorial Debut in this poignant dramedy of sexuality in politics.
“The nature of marriage is that, through its enduring bond, two persons together can find other freedoms, such as expression, intimacy, and spirituality. This is true for all persons, whatever their sexual orientation.” ~Justice Anthony Kennedy, SCOTUS ruling 6/26/15. The nation has finally legally recognized gay marriage in all fifty states, but is the country ready for its first openly gay president? In a sit-down TheatreBloom exclusive interview with the cast and creative team of Commander,
Gin! When a woman sets her mind to it, she can accomplish great things, like beating Harry Brock at gin rummy for example. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we sit down with Baltimore area actress Anne Shoemaker to discuss her first major lead role in Born Yesterday at Vagabond Players.
If you could give us a little introduction and familiarize the readers with who you are and what you’ve been up to as of late,
Money talks. And in a city of few secrets and much chat it’s easy to see that Washington DC hasn’t changed in 70 years. The world can only be as good as the people in it, and the same goes for a play. Fortunately at the Vagabond Players, the talent thriving within the confines of Garson Kanin’s Born Yesterday is stellar, making the production a smashing success. Directed by Steve Goldklang,
Baltimore is a city full of charm and surprises. And one of the ever-present surprises is that just around the corner there is another theatre company popping up and doing something fascinating. Just Off Broadway Baltimore should be no exception to that intriguing surprise as they are a community theatre that falls under the heading of “for theatre people by theatre people.” Founded in 2011 and producing since 2012, the company is now opening their 7th production,
Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight! Phone rings, door chimes, in comes company! Does anyone still wear a hat? Vagabond Players is wearing a sensational hat of many flavors, providing you all the company you could ask for and giving you a comedy, with hints of heart-melting sorrow, with their production of Stephen Sondheim’s Side by Side by Sondheim. A truly one of a kind Sondheim musical revue, everything’s coming up Shannon, as Director Shannon Wollman makes her directorial debut with the company’s second musical of the 99th season.
While Into the Woods may be all the rave in the world of Stephen Sondheim right now, the Vagabond Players takes a step back to a simpler time in the musical master’s history. The earlier works all bound together in a magically enchanting evening; one musical revue to thoroughly enjoy an evening of intimate musical theatre is now opening on the stage as the second musical show in their 99th season.
Cinderella’s prince will wake up with soot on his face. Betrayal. Misery. Suspense. The unexpected and yet just desserts served with delicious vindication. An evening at the theatre never brought about such intrigue until The Vagabond Players dusted off a lesser-known Ira Levin work; Interlock. Not the edge-of-your-seat mystery thrillers the playwright often gets recognized for, this classic work simmers with sophistication under the skilled Direction of Roy Hammond. The third installment of the Vags 99th season,
Take a stroll through the square of Fells point any evening weekend this fall and you’ll hear the joint is truly jumpin’ over at The Vagabond Players. Their production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ has got the whole of Baltimore tappin’ its toes and stompin’ its feet! TheatreBloom took a quick break from doing the jitterbug waltz and sat down with Director Rikki Howie Lacewell to find out just what this crazy cool cat musical is all about!
When taking a chance on an evening out at the theatre just what one gets? Well, one never knows, do one? But one will certainly be having a toe-tappin’ foot-stompin’ swingin’ ringin’ good time down at The Vagabond Players as their 99th season continues on with Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Fats Waller Musical Show. Conceived by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr. this jazzy swinging sensation of a musical revue hits the stage a stompin’ and has the whole joint jumpin’ before all is said and done.
Friendships come and friendships go, and sometimes a disagreement in taste can be all the difference in the world between “best friends” and the end of 15 years of friendship. Taking a moment to dissect this concept, I’ve sat down with three seasoned veterans of the stage— Eric C. Stein, Mark Scharf, and Steven Shriner— who are currently performing in the Vagabond Players production of Yasmina Reza’s Art and gotten their opinion on the matter.
What is it that binds us to other human beings? On what do we base our friendships with others? And can something as insignificant as a disagreement in artistic tastes be the basis for ending a deep and lasting relationship with a best friend? All of these questions are answered as the Vagabond Players mount their 99th season with a production of Yasmina Reza’s Art. Directed by Howard Berkowitz,