Reviews

Sweat at Greenbelt Arts Center

Reviews April 13, 2026 Rick Bergmann

Powerful Acting Carries Sweat at Greenbelt Arts Center

author: Rick Bergmann

We often imagine theater audiences as “predominantly white, affluent, middle-aged or older, and highly educated,” and the stories on stage as far removed from everyday struggle. Lynn Nottage’s Sweat, now playing at the Greenbelt Arts Center, dismantles that assumption. Centered on flawed, hard-working individuals clinging to the promise of the American Dream, the play lays bare how quickly that promise can unravel—and how easily anyone can break.

The Heidi Chronicles at Vagabond Players

Reviews April 11, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

You either shave your legs or you don’t. Radical, albeit limited, that approach to feminism circa the 70’s. And we’d like to think we’ve come so very far from that myopic viewpoint and the circumstances that forced it into existence in the first place. We’d like to think. And there’s plenty to think about— drink in, really— when you catch the penultimate production of the Vagabond Players 110th season— Wendy Wasserstein’s The Heidi Chronicles.

Cal Mitchell as The Lion, Phoenix Assata LaFreniere as Dorothy, D. Jerome as The Tinman and Elijah Ahmad Lewis as The Scarecrow in the North American Tour of THE WIZ. 📷 Jeremy Daniel

The Wiz at The National Theatre

Reviews April 9, 2026 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

author: Charles Boyington & Steven Kirkpatrick

“Success, fame, and fortune, they’re all illusions. All there is that is real is the friendship that two can share.”- The Scarecrow

If your favorite evening is one where you attend the theatre and just have a really good time, then you’ll be lucky enough to have that experience at The Wiz at National Theatre in DC. If you can,

The Crucible at Maryland Ensemble Theatre

Reviews April 6, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

We are here to discover what no one has ever seen.

And The Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s penultimate mainstage production of 2025/2026— Arthur Miller’s The Crucible— is unlike any Crucible you’ve ever seen before. It’s a disquietingly innovative hot-take on the production that universally presents it as an everyman tale, wholly investing the ensemble in the story’s narrative burden whilst simultaneously reflecting the harsh reality of the present-day world in which we live— but subtly,

Assassins at Laurel Mill Playhouse

Reviews April 6, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Free country: means your dreams can come true here. Right?

Not exactly an accurate reflection of the country in which we currently live. And if anyone tries to tell you that politics don’t belong in theatre and you believe them? I’ve got some oceanfront property in Nebraska to sell you. Once belonged to Abraham Lincoln too. It’s a fiery, unprecedented world in which we currently live and Laurel Mill Playhouse is stepping up to the plate with their current production of Stephen Sondeheim’s Assassins,

Megan Anderson (left) as Sonia, with Bruce Randolph Nelson (middle) as Vanya, and Beth Hylton (right) as Masha in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Everyman Theatre 📷 Teresa Castracane Photography

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Everyman Theatre

Reviews March 31, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

You must always get your hopes up— it’s wise but scary— though not in this case! If you’re getting your hopes up for a fantastic evening of theatrical entertainment, then you’re winning at life and Everyman Theatre is the place to be! They will delight you, they will tickle your funny bone, they will enchant you with their penultimate production of the 25/26 season (celebrating 35 years in Baltimore), and they will remind you that life is beautiful,

The Prince of Egypt at Woods Memorial Presbyterian

Reviews March 21, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Who knows what miracles you can achieve when you believe? Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church and their annual theatrical production is in and of itself, a true miracle of theatrical excellence. And this year, they’re tackling the newly released DreamWorks musical, The Prince of Egypt. Directed & Musically Directed by David Merrill with Choreography by Elysia Merrill (and Matthew Walter serving as assistant to both offices) this stunning retelling of Moses’ story is an extraordinary example of theatrical excellence at its finest,

Kyra Belle Johnson and Fergie L. Philippe. Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Photo by Matthew Murphy. ©Disney

Beauty & The Beast at The National Theatre DC

Reviews March 20, 2026 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

author: Charles Boyington & Steven Kirkpatrick

A tale as old as time… almost. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has enchanted audiences for over 35 years, from the 1991 animated film to Broadway, international productions, and now a new 2026 National Tour directed and choreographed by Matt West. Playing at the National Theatre, this production successfully recaptures the magic that longtime fans remember while delighting new generations.

In case you are unfamiliar with the story: A wealthy young man is cursed after refusing shelter to an elderly beggar,

The Prince of Egypt at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore

Reviews March 17, 2026 Chris Pence

author: Chris Pence

When You Believe: The Prince of Egypt at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore

Anyone who has ever set foot in a church knows the story: a mother fearing for her firstborn’s safety sets the baby in a basket to flow down the Nile toward Egypt, and towards his fate. The baby grows into the most influential prophet of Judaism, as well as one of the most important in Christianity,

As You Like It at Folger Theater 📷 Brittany Diliberto

As You Like It at The Folger Theatre

Reviews March 16, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

From the court to the country— Arden is your stage! And your stage of Arden is currently being staged at The Folger Theatre. Oh, look— unicorn! As You Like It is sliding onto The Folger Theatre stage just in time for spring and it’s as refreshing and revitalizing as the much-needed warmer weather in the nation’s capital. Directed by the insanely talented Timothy Douglas, this production of one of Shakespeare’s more popular comedies— as envisioned by The Folger Theatre’s Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels— is effervescent in its existence,

Frozen at Third Wall Productions

Reviews March 15, 2026 Leonard Taube

author: Leonard Taube

If you’re like me, you’re tired of this weird Maryland weather we’ve had this winter. A month ago, we were gripped in an ice age for what seemed like forever, and the snow from a major storm did not melt for weeks. Then last week Mother Nature gave us a taste of summer, with a few 80+ degree days, but what a tease Ms. Nature is because then we flipped back to cold.

Alex Vernon (left) and Sarah Olmsted Thomas (right) in Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms 📷 Gwen Grastorf

Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms with Alex and Olmsted at Baltimore Theatre Project

Reviews March 14, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

The Pulley. The Lever. The Wheel and Axle. And I promise it sounds much more lyrical and entertaining when being chant-call-and-responded by Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas in their latest Alex and Olmsted production, Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms appearing now through March 29th 2026 at Baltimore Theatre Project. Devised by Alex and Olmsted (with lighting design by John McAfee and Board Op by Nicholas Boone) this whimsically wonderful explorative piece of puppet-forward theatrical engagement is a remarkable adventure that starts off with simple machines,

The Importance of Being Earnest at UPStage Artists

Reviews March 13, 2026 Wes Dennis

author: Wes Dennis

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is often referred to as the funniest play in the English language. While I may not entirely agree with that assessment — comedy can be quite subjective and often derives from specific cultural contexts, such that objective qualifiers like “funniest” should be regarded with a certain skepticism — many people are saying that the play remains decidedly amusing and culturally relevant even 130 years after its publication date.

Fun Home at Silhouette Stages

Reviews March 13, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Caption: Live theatre production on stage for month of March.

No.

Caption: Emotionally evocative musical theatre show happening in heart of Columbia.

Or—

Caption: Fun Home making area community theatre debut with Silhouette Stages at Slayton House Theatre under direction of Stephen Foreman and musical direction of Dave Foley.

That’s the one.

This expressive and emotionally visceral musical (Lisa Kron- book &

Murder on the Orient Express at Dundalk Community Theatre

Reviews March 12, 2026 Kenny Sigal

author: Kenny Sigal

Whodunnit? Whodunnit? By golly whodunnit?!? That is exactly what you will find out at the end of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (directed by Joey Hellman) at the Dundalk Community Theater. This murder mystery is chugging down the tracks with an amazing cast for your enjoyment that is sure to keep you entertained throughout the entire show.

The show revolves around Hercule Poirot (Greg Guyton) who’s commanding stage presence was strong enough that even I almost confessed to the murder!

Antigone at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews March 10, 2026 Chris Pence

author: Chris Pence

Fate Works Her Own Dread Work: Antigone at Spotlighters Theatre

“Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waver” – Sophocles, Antigone

Man versus woman, government versus people, morality versus legality. These themes have forever been debated on the theatrical stage, though no discussion has been more powerful than Sophocles’ Antigone, currently in production at Spotlighters Theatre. One of Sophocles’ most cherished works,

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Other Voices Theatre

Reviews March 10, 2026 Steven Wilson

author: Steven Wilson

Themes of mortality, sexuality, ambition, dishonesty, and greed take center stage as Other Voice Theatre presents Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Tennessee Williams’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play brings us into the plantation home of the Pollitt dynasty, wealthy Mississippi cotton planters. The family’s watchword seems (unintentionally) to be “mendacity,” the quality of dishonesty and, more specifically, living a lie. And lies abound. Big Daddy Pollitt is dying of cancer,

Women Playing Hamlet at Bowie Community Theatre

Reviews March 10, 2026 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

author: Charles Boyington & Steven Kirkpatrick

The Questions: If in Shakespearean times, all the roles in his dramas were played by men, should we not have dramas today where all the roles are played by women? If Hamlet is arguably the best character Shakespeare has ever written, should not every woman want desperately to play him? Should you spend your money to see this community production? Yes.

In Women Playing Hamlet,

A Year With Frog and Toad at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland

Reviews March 9, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

When is soon? Well, sometime between now and later, of course! But you’d better not wait until later— because the time is NOW! To get your tickets to see the delightfully heartfelt production of A Year With Frog and Toad (TYA-edition) at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland. Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans, and Choreography by Lauren Stuart, this quaint and charming little musical details its namesake based on the illustrated children’s books by Arnold Lobel.

The Wizard of Oz at Phoenix Festival Theatre

Reviews March 8, 2026 Lisa Standish

author: Lisa Standish

There’s a certain magic that happens when a beloved classic finds a fresh stage to call home, and that is precisely what occurred as Phoenix Festival Theatre followed the Yellow Brick Road to the newly renovated Chesapeake Theater. Bringing the 1939 MGM masterpiece to life with vibrant energy, this production of The Wizard of Oz manages to bridge the gap between silver-screen nostalgia and high-spirited live performance. Based on the timeless story by L.

Next To Normal at Iron Crow Theatre

Reviews March 8, 2026 Leonard Taube

author: Leonard Taube

Do you know what it’s like to die alive? That may be a heavy question, but it’s one that Diana asks and sets the stage for an evening of intense, raw, gut-wrenching drama. Iron Crow Theatre’s production of Next to Normal opened at the beautiful M&T Bank Exchange this evening to a large house and more than a few wet eyes. You simply cannot be unmoved by its subject matter and,

City of Angels at Colonial Players

Reviews March 6, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

People never see themselves as other people write them. And when you write them walking into a tangled web of film-noir meets golden-aged Hollywood with musical theatre camp and coziness all cuddled up together on the squarish stage of Colonial Players, well that’s one script you just have to see to believe. City of Angels— that rarely produced hybrid gem of show-inside-a-show like a nesting doll of page-to-screen-to-stage— is now playing as the penultimate production of the 77th season at Colonial Players of Annapolis.

A View From The Bridge at Greenbelt Arts Center

Reviews March 5, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

If you say something, you know it. If you don’t say something, you don’t know it. So many people keeping their sayings to themselves so that they— what? Get to remain unknown? Anonymous? Ignorant? Blood may be thicker than water but betrayal— that can cut deeper than any bond. Arthur Miller and his seemingly ageless drama A View From The Bridge is painting a bloody and brutal— and tragically still relevant— picture of the American condition.

Spring Awakening at Tidewater Players

Reviews February 28, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

What serves each of us best is what serves all of us best. Right? Radical idea, no? Tidewater Players is serving up a liberal dose of teenage angst and heartache with their current production of Spring Awakening (based on the play by Frank Wedekind with book & lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik.) Exploring the topics of growing up and simply yearning to learn outside of what’s being forcibly presented as knowledge within the confines and strictures of the institutions of schools and churches,

By The Way, Meet Vera Stark at Laurel Mill Playhouse

Reviews February 25, 2026 Rick Bergmann

author: Rick Bergmann

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark Balances Screwball Comedy and Sharp Cultural Reckoning

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage, now showing at Laurel Mill Playhouse, sets out to do a lot—and nearly pulls it off. First produced in 2011, the play examines the legacy of African Americans in Hollywood, skewering racial stereotypes while reveling in the conventions of classic cinema and theater.

The First National Tour of Back to the Future: The Musical 📷 McLeod9 Creative

Back to the Future at The Hippodrome

Reviews February 25, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Great Scott! 1.21 gigawatts!? Where are you going to get that kind of power in 2026!? At Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre, of course! Back to the Future: The Musical is proof positive that you can achieve anything if you just put your mind to it! Based on the film by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale (book), Back to the Future (with music & lyrics by Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard) is zooming at 88 miles per hour into Charm City— but for one week only!

Arsenic & Old Lace at Vagabond Players 📷 Shealyn Jae Photography

Arsenic and Old Lace at Vagabond Players

Reviews February 21, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Do you long for a simpler time? A time when things weren’t so complicated? A time, perhaps, when simpler virtues— things like candlelight, good manners, and poisoned wine were on offer in every Old Spinster household? Vagabond Players has got just the show for you, my friends, but whatever you do— DO NOT DRINK THE WINE! That tried and true comedic classic, Arsenic and Old Lace, written by Joseph Kesselring, is now appearing at Vags under the direction of Katie Sheldon and it’s a doozy!

Small Mouth Sounds at Maryland Ensemble Theatre

Reviews February 14, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Once you see the ocean you may never be able to return to the well. Once you say a thing, it’s said and can never be unheard. Once you see Small Mouth Sounds at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre, the first production on their mainstage for the 2026 calendar year, you will certainly never be able to unsee it, and you may find yourself wondering if you need to be on the path of enlightenment.

The First National Tour of Stereophonic 📷 Julieta Cervantes

Stereophonic at The National Theatre DC

Reviews February 11, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Music isn’t supposed to be perfect. It’s supposed to be about making something together. Theatre too. And that’s what makes Stereophonic so perfect. It’s no wonder it took home five Tony Awards, including best play, in 2024. The imperfections. The rawness. The realness. The ugly, gritty truth of desperation seeking to be perfection guised as making music— that is theatrical perfection incarnate. Stereophonic is a transformative theatrical experience— a true rare bird amidst the era of “Oprah Musicals” (you get a musical,

Dawn at Everyman Theatre

Reviews February 11, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

“No one understands their mother!” That was the line that got the most relief-laden laugh during the 82-minute run time of Dawn, a new play by Tuyết Thị Phạm, currently making its world premiere at Everyman Theatre. And while the sentiment may indeed be very true, its placement and timing were the exact break of levity that was required in the heaviness of the work as a whole. Directed by Seonjae Jim,