author: Chris Pence
Do Not Be Stingy With The Blintzes: You Can’t Take It With You at Spotlighters Theatre
Now, stop me if you’ve heard this one: What do you get when you cross a tax-evading retiree, a wannabe playwright, a fireworks-obsessed husband and his best friend, a dancer, a xylophonist, a jealous housekeeper, a drunken actor, two Russians, a Scot, a Wall Street bigwig and his wife, some star-crossed lovers,
Death is fairer than life; it comes for everybody and does not discriminate. ‘Everybody got a time coming. Can’t nobody say they ain’t got a time coming.’ We all live on borrowed time from the start of our existence; nobody is getting out alive. On a play that opens with its conclusion in plain sight, driving you back through the events of how it ended up that way, August Wilson’s Seven Guitars is a harrowingly beautiful theatrical experience,
It’s a joy to be in the Mount Vernon area when that Christmas spirit takes hold. They light the monument, trees go up everywhere, and Spotlighters Theatre puts on a holiday show of some variety or other. (They’ve even thrown their hat in the ring in years past with their very own one-man A Christmas Carol.) But this year, they’re trying something a little different. Yes they are, they are, they are.
Smoky and zingy duck-egg salad, with chives, spread thick with pepperjack cheese, thick-cut heirloom-beefsteak tomato slice, and spicy brown mustard on a crispy baguette brushed with red pepper flake and chili oil. Mm. The first bite should be an invitation you can’t refuse. Spotlighters Theatre closes out their 62nd Season with that sumptuous first bite— Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage— and it’s as delicious as the advertisements have been leading everyone to believe. Directed by Rikki Howie Lacewell,
Everything is so outside of our control. Statement about life as we currently live it or direct quote from a Durang play that premiered in 1983? Why not both? And in case you weren’t satisfied with the level of absurdity pervading the daily news and the generalized existence of this country, The Audrey Herman Spotlighters’ theatre gives you even more absurdity with the penultimate play of their 62nd season. Baby With the Bathwater,
What do you do all day? Sound familiar? If you’ve ever worked in a corporate office with a raging, RBF-boss whose attitude can be felt permeating walls from miles away, it might be a little too familiar. Add in the antics of a smelly, obnoxious co-worker, and the fantasy scenario we all daydream about but have no idea what to do with once it becomes a reality and you’ve got the American premiere of Working For Crumbs,
Words have meaning. Precision of language is everything. When you wish to communicate an idea, you use your words. And Philadelphia-based playwright Erlina Ortiz has done exactly that with her play Honey Bee Baby, receiving its world premiere this January with Rapid Lemon Productions. Directed by Jalice Ortiz-Corral, this fascinating new work takes a futuristic deep dive into a plethora of timely, relevant topics that will leave you deeply pondering and questioning where you stand on the ethical side of the dividing line when it comes to things like natural resources,
Oh the weather outside is frightful— truly, we just finished having 80º days in mid-November— but the fire is so delightful— and it is, it looks so realistic you might think those are actual manuscripts going up in smoke— and they’re finally open so you can cheer and claps— go to Spots, go to see Deathtrap. The nature of live theatre being what it is, the grand opening of this Ira Levin stage thriller under the superb direction of Stephen Foreman,
author: Lilou Von Kokoro
I honestly haven’t ventured into the city in many years. But on the last day of summer, I spent the evening at Spotlighters Theatre, located in Baltimore City on St. Paul Street, seeing A Raisin In The Sun, written by Lorainne Hansberry, as directed by Rain Pryor.
Spotlighters definitely has an intimate feeling especially with its theater in the round staging. The crowd that night was small but you could feel the anticipation.
You know you’re going to be in for a night when the characters in the program don’t actually have names. Buckle up, bicycle kick, and get ready to go for— goal— with The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe now officially open at Spotlighters Theatre as the last main-stage show of their 61st season. Directed by Lanoree Blake, this 90-minute, no-intermission, theatrical exploration gives you glimpses into the lives of teenage girls and their indoor-soccer-dominated world.
The butler did it! In the conservatory! With the knife! Or was it Colonel Mustard? In the kitchen? With the candlestick!? Who kills people with a candlestick!? (Seriously, Parker Brothers, what were you thinking?) In a zany stage adaptation, Stand Up For…Theatre is mounting their latest production and it’s none other than Clue. Not a musical, not their standard bill of fare, and not exactly what you think you might be expecting when you come to see the show— you’re in for a high-laugh,
It’s a science fiction— whoa-ooh-ooh double feature— well… maybe just a singular two-act musical feature? It must be spooky season because Stand Up For… Theatre has got The Rocky Horror Show bouncing all over its stages! Directed by Ed Higgins with Musical Direction by William Zellhofer & Andy Kay Wojciehowski, and Choreography by Lilou Altman, this bawdy cult classic has all the iconic, recognizable numbers and some of your favorite Halloween characters to make your evening wild.