Articles Tagged With: theatre

Shakespeare Bites with Theatre Students of Brooklyn Park Middle School (Apex Arts)

To Play Or Not To Play: An Evening of Performance with Apex Arts

News May 15, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Shakespeare is a thief. Theatres are haunted. Live theatre is best served with comedy. This year’s spring showcase for the Theatre Students of Brooklyn Park Middle School (Apex Arts program) has a bubbly mixed-bag of topics presented in two parts— the sixth graders performing Live Theatre and the seventh and eighth graders performing Shakespeare Bites, both written by CJ Crowe, a teaching artist working with theatre students as a part of the Apex Arts program.

Joshua Grosso (left) as Nick Carraway, Lila Coogan (center) Myrtle, and Will Branner (right) as Tom in The First National Tour of The Great Gatsby 📷 Evan Zimmerman

The Great Gatsby at The National Theatre

Reviews May 14, 2026 Steven Kirkpatrick

author: Steven Kirkpatrick

Based on the iconic Jazz Age novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby rolls glitteringly into the National Theater from May 12th-24th. This 2023 musical adaption features music and lyrics by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen and a book by Kait Kerrigan. It opened on Broadway in 2024, then had its European premiere in 2025, followed by this North American tour in 2026. Should you attend?

Rent at Street Lamp Community Theatre

Reviews May 11, 2026 Lisa Standish

author: Lisa Standish

Entering Street Lamp Community Theatre is always a treat, but their current production of Rent takes their signature intimacy to a whole new level. The beauty of this venue lies in how the creative team transforms a modest space into a completely immersive experience. As you walk in, the set greets you with a surprisingly childlike quality—featuring a slide and scaffolding—that serves as a reminder that despite the heavy themes of the story,

The Mouse That Roared at Salem Players

Reviews May 8, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Has your country gone broke? Are you about to have to go back to the ‘dark times’ where only one pomegranate per household per year? Are you on the verge of total extinction in your five-mile by three-mile country that NATO likely doesn’t recognize? Then have we got a solution for you! Why, declare war, of course! On the United States! Because there’s no conceivable universe— past, present, future, or otherwise— where you could win that war,

Hadestown (Teen Edition) at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland

Reviews May 5, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

They will make you see how the world could be, in spite of the way that it is. They will sing you a song so beautiful that it brings the world back into tune. And where are you going? You’re going way down— Hadestown (Teen Edition) – way down under the ground. 21 young performers, one old, sad song— and they’re gonna tell it. They’re gonna tell it again. Children’s Playhouse of Maryland is living it up on top with their stellar and sensationally charged production of Hadestown (Teen Edition) and it will move your heart,

Livin’ It Up On Top: The Graduating Seniors of 2026 from Children’s Playhouse of Maryland Chat About Their Final Show- Hadestown

Interviews May 2, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Way down… Hadestown… way down under the ground. And it’s the show that has swept the nation, captivated the hearts of my generation and their generation and the graduating seniors (class of 2026) at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland could not be more enthusiastic and passionate about getting to perform in it as their final production with CPM. In the fourth annual “Graduating Seniors Interview” we’ve sat down with this year’s group— a total of five individuals,

Shakill Jamal (top) as Trinculo, with Vince Eisenson (center) as Caliban, and Matt Harris (below) as Stephano in Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's The Tempest 📷 Kiirstn Pagan Photography.

The Tempest at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Reviews April 30, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a Duke o’er-thrown

That ended him and his daughter dear, on an island all alone.

Though not so alone as they thought they were— among spirits of earth and air

And then a conjured-magic sea-spun storm that brought their en’mies there.

The plot then thickens there, my friend, and there’s so much more to say

About the entities and denizens that populate this play

Magic.

Ann Morrison (left) as Kimberly and Marcus Phillips (right) as Seth in the National Tour of Kimberly Akimbo📷 Joan Marcus

Kimberly Akimbo at The Hippodrome Theatre

Reviews April 29, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

It’s Saturday night— in Baltimore City— and there’s parties everywhere— but we’d rather be at Kimberly Akimbo! Which is in Baltimore City, at The Hippodrome Theatre, through Sunday evening, truth be told! And this is the ugly-cry-feel-good musical that you didn’t know you needed. Evocative and tender, filled with the mots profound emotional expression of laughter-through-tears, this stunningly realistic musical that highlights familial and life-living dysfunction without glorifying it or shying away from it is exactly what the world needs right now;

You Can’t Take It With You at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews April 29, 2026 Chris Pence

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,

4am Friends at Endangered Species Theatre Project 📷 Michael Mason Studios

4a.m. Friends at ESP Theatre

Reviews April 24, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

We’ve all got our crew. Our people, our peeps, our “I need help moving a body”— Grey’s Anatomy defined it as “our person.” And several of us have a small army or contingency, but we’ve all got our ‘4a.m. friends’ as the tile of Endangered Species Theatre Projects’ newest work blatantly states. The takeaway from the play is that friends are important. The relationships that you cultivate over the years (and not all good friendships take decades to cultivate) are the ones that float you through life.

Jagged Little Pill at Scottfield Theatre Company

Reviews April 18, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

You’ve already won me over, in spite of me, and don’t be alarmed if I fall, head over feet. The album I played so many times in middle school I scratched the CD and had to ask for it for Christmas. Twice. ANd then it became a stage musical. And now it’s making its area debut at Scottfield Theatre Company in Havre de Grace. And isn’t it ironic– don’t you think? It’s a ferocious piece of theatre that is evocative and visceral and way too relevant for the world we live in;

Remember The Ladies at Hood College & Arts@FCC

News April 17, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

“I desire that you would remember the ladies…” ~Abigail Adams, March 31st 1776 in a letter to John.
And sure, Abigail Adams is easy enough— she’s one of just two female roles in 1776 the musical. But what about Sybil Ludington? The 16-yo female Paul Revere, and maybe she gets more of a notice because she had a male-counterpart to be compared to, but I bet most of you coming out to this wonderfully new devised piece called Remember The Ladies (written and directed by Suzanne Beal) won’t recognize most of the other names dropped into the piece,

Bus Buddies at Endangered Species Theatre Project

News April 14, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

You ever ridden a bus? Taken it just because it was there? Or maybe you’re one of those regulars who depends upon the bus route for your day-to-day operations? Maybe you get to know the people on the bus as a part of your community, they become like your family, and are woven into your story as much as your daily cup of coffee? That’s the notion or at least the essence that playwright Nancy Luse is aiming for with her new work Bus Buddies,

Moon Over Buffalo at MAD

Reviews April 13, 2026 Rick Bergmann

author: Rick Bergmann

Comic Chaos at its Finest: Moon Over Buffalo at MAD

There are certain classics in community theatre that, when done well, always bring joy to the stage. Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo is one of them. This fast-paced comedy follows fading stage couple George and Charlotte Hay as they perform repertory theater in Buffalo while desperately hoping for a big Hollywood break. When they learn that a famous director might attend their show,

Her Portmanteau at The Strand Theatre 📷 Shealyn Jae Photography

Her Portmanteau at The Strand Theater

Reviews April 13, 2026 Chris Pence

author: Chris Pence

Photographs & Memories: Her Portmanteau at Strand Theatre Company

Culture shock is a very real side effect of immigration, to which family can be both a cure and an agitator, in varying degrees. As a first-generation Nigerian-American storyteller and educator, Mfoniso Udofia knows these struggles intimately, sharing her understanding through Her Portmanteau, a profound dive into the hearts and minds of a family working to find connection despite a divide carved by 30 years and 5,300 miles of distance.

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,

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,

Rapunzel (A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fairytale) at Stand Up For…Theatre

News March 25, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

So you think you know Rapunzel, huh? Fairytale about the princess trapped in the tower with the really long hair and the prince and the witch? Betcha didn’t know she had two other village girls trapped up there with her. Or that the evil witch had a good twin. Sounds like Fractured Fairytles gone goofy, right? Sort of! And it’s got music! It’s Stand Up For…Theatre and their production of Rapunzel (A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fairytale) and while calling it ‘rock-n-roll’ may be a bit of a stretch,

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,

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 &

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.