You cannot starve the people and not expect to pay.
You cannot lie to the people and not expect to pay.
You cannot ignore the people and not expect to pay!
A poignant and potent message coming to you at the pinnacle finale moment of Happenstance Theatreâs Barococo, though thatâs gettingâŠa-headâŠof myself. Devised and written by the ensemble, just one of several signature stamps upon any Happenstance show,
author Chris Pence
Think Outside The Shadow Box: âJuxtapose: A Theatrical Shadow Boxâ at Baltimore Theatre Project
In 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey hit movie theatres shortly after the original novel was released. Sir Arthur C. Clarke, author of the original novel, when asked what exactly the film and novel were about, replied âIf you understand 2001 completely, we failed. We wanted to raise far more questions than we answered.”
As aboveâ so below. From the profoundly deep to the oddly absurd, Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly, the latest live stage performance from Happenstance Theater, has it all. And also a strawberry. Appearing for a limited two-weekend engagement at Baltimore Theatre Project, this newly devised work comes the masterminds of Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, Gwen Grastorf, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, and Alex Vernon, with their inspirations set âadriftâ on stage from the works of Hieronymus Bosch (amongst others) and will fill you with an oddly enlightened sense of wonderment,
Many may have moved away from Vaudeville but not Happenstance Theatre! Fresh off their whirlwind-tour of New York Cityâs off-Broadway, they have returned to Charm City in true Happenstance fashion bringing with them a jubilant and bubbly new showâ Pocket Moxie. As ever, the performance is collaboratively devised by the ensembleâ Gwen Grastorf, Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, Alex Vernonâ and it brings the delights of a bygone era to vivacious and zany life for everyone at Baltimore Theatre Project to enjoy.
Is this the end? A deep and troublesome question that a great many found themselves asking for many, many unending months as a global pandemic forced all signs of life as we know it to cease. In a thrilling and curiously strange, wondrously curious, and uniquelyâ well, Happenstanceâ piece of theatre, which pre-dates the global Covid-19 pandemic, BrouHaHa comes to the stage foreshadowing an existential apocalypse of sorts. A Happenstance Theater collaborative production,
Did the devil make the world while God was sleeping? Do you
have a little drop of poison coursing through your veins? Then come, dark
denizens of Baltimore and areas surrounding, and delight in this autumnal treat
that appears every so often on the stage of Baltimore Theatre Project. What Gorey
work am I speaking of, you ask? Why, Happenstance Theatreâs Cabaret
Macabre, now in its most current rendition. Like a cherished memory,
Oh workers, builders, and destroyers of the world! Heed the
callâ it is your destinyâ in seats at Theatre Project for your bodies to beâ feel the sweetness of Eurydiceâ and rest
assured the showâs lyricist (Craig Jaster) is far better at this rhyming stuff
than meâ and to prove it you must take yourself forth and seeâ Pantheon. The latest in the Happenstance
Theatre realm of fantastical fabrications, this iteration of theatricality
revolves around Greek Mythology.
Whatâs inside the box? More like what isnât inside the box when it comes to Alex & Olmstedâs latest production: Homebodies. An original devised work that is gloriously magnificent in its own right, Homebodies explores the life of two individuals and their ordinary, everyday life. Inside their box. Devised and performed by Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas this quaintly quirky, highly expressive, physical exploration of movement and life has a little bit of something for everyone.
Dada: (noun) an avant-garde art movement of the early 20th century centered in Zurich, New York, and Paris developed in reaction to Word War I, consisting of artists who rejected logic, reason, and aestheticism of modern capitalist society, promoting instead anti-bourgeois ideals through irrationality and nonsense.
For those who the parameters of the art form seem slightly vague (or for those who just plain slept through that particular art history class),
Like an old friend autumn greats Baltimore with its crisp chilly nights, its darkened spirits and shades of Halloween, and its spine-tingling tales of doom and gloom. So too does Happenstance Theater great its faithful followers on its annual return to Baltimore Theatre Project. Cabaret Macabre: The Return Visit materializes from the theatrical ether to haunt, mesmerize, and enchant its audience, both newcomers and fond friends. A living theatrical collage of macabre inspiration in fluid,
A quick glance to a dictionaryâ or in our technologically adept modern day world, Merriam-Websterâs websiteâ reveals the simple definition of the word Moxie to be: the ability to be active; courage or determination. And by golly, if Happenstance Theater doesnât have the ability to be active and have plenty of courage and determination, Iâll eat my hat! Presenting, as only Happenstance Theater can, a theatrical collage of movement, mystery, marvel, and magic: Moxie: A Happenstance Vaudeville comes to the main stage of Round House Theatre this summer to delight,
Those folks have Moxie! And we ainât talking nerve tonic, kid, though boy oh boy do them Happenstance Theater folks got plenty of nerve! And gumption. And chutzpah! And, wellâ Moxie! A brand new theatrical collage arrives this summer for the ensemble-based performance company, and if you havenât already guessed, itâs going by the title of Moxie: A Happenstance Vaudeville. The company has taken their much cherished vintage aesthetic and much celebrated performance nature and steered it in the Vaudevillian direction.
âThe theatre community here <Washington DC> is something other cities can only dream of.â An earnest and rewarding quote pulled directly from the lips of David Ives, this yearâs recipient of âOutstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptationâ at the 32nd Annual Helen Hayes Awards Ceremony. Just one of 236 nominees being celebrated over the course of the evening, Ivesâ statement captured the tone of the evening early on with the aforementioned quote given during his award acceptance speech.
Is this the place?
Let me check. The map says Baltimore Theatre Project and the ticket says Happenstance Theaterâ this is the place! The place where imaginative engagement meets clowning around, there place where BrouHaHa happens! A fluid convergence of bodily poetry and auditory movement, this episodic clownesque escapade devised by the ensemble is making its Baltimore debut. Inspired by Samuel Beckett, and a treasury of footage from inspiring films like La Strada and The Seventh Seal as well as Edwardian works and the imagery of refugees escaping on foot,
Passing time is painful. So what could be more titillating than other peopleâs hell when it comes to distracting the mind from its own personal grief? In a powerfully evocative stage adaptation of David Grossmanâs novel, Theater J brings Falling Out of Time to the stage as the penultimate production of their 2015/2016 calendar season. Directed and Adapted by Derek Goldman, this strikingly emotional drama hones in on the potent power of grief and its ability to transform the lives of an entire village.
Christmas comes but once a year, but when it comes it brings good cheer! Celebrating its 33rd year in marvelous merriment the Washington Revels are proud to present The Christmas Revels of 2015, a medieval celebration of the winter solstice in music, dance, and drama. Directed by Roberta Gasbarre with Musical Direction by Elizabeth Anne Fulford, this wondrous seasonal tradition is filled with fun for the whole family. Featuring performers that span generations upon the stage,
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 âA Film Noir Inspired Theatrical Montage,â Cabaret Noir rides in on the successful coattails of the last several years work, Cabaret Macabre.
Impossible is only in the mind. That is, of course, until it takes to the stage with Happenstance Theatre. Remounting their very successful Impossible! A Happenstance Circus, the movement-based ensemble companyâs show is received to great acclaim at Round House Theatre Bethesda this summer. Truly investing the imagination of the audience into their work, the companyâ consisting of the two co-founders and four additional core performersâ scales new heights with their mime work,
 Itâs creepy and itâs kooky! Mysterious and spooky! And it isnât The Addams Family! When so many other theatres are mounting musicals or late night zombie shows, Happenstance Theatre is presenting their 4th Annual Cabaret Macabre to delight audiences all over Baltimore. The deliciously âGoreyâ show is a series of darkly comic vignettes created by the Happenstance Theatre company ensemble, featuring inspiration from all sorts of fantastically dark and dreary places including the tales of Edward Gorey.