A Union of Contradictions: "Confederates," reviewed.

Caro Dubberly and Nikkole Salter in Confederates. (Chris Banks)

My Washington City Paper review of Mosaic Theater Company’s strong production of Dominique Morisseau’s play Confederates is here.

Rebirth Until Birth: Mosaic Theater's "Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine," reviewed.

William T. Newman, Jr. and Felicia Curry in Fabulation. (Christopher Banks)

Lynn Nottage has won two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama in the 15 years since her play Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine was first performed; there is no Pulitzer Prize for Comedy. Mosaic Theater's production of Undine gets its weakest scenes out of the way early, though even in its most heart-rending moments I yearned for a little more variation in the rhythm of star Felicia Curry's speech. I've loved her in many other shows. My Washington City Paper review is here.

My colleague Jane Horwitz liked Fabulation more than I did, as you can hear her say in our brief Around Town discussion.

Apprentice v Apprentice: Vicuña & The American Epilogue, reviewed.

John de Lancie, Brian George, and Haaz Sleiman (Mosaic Theatre)

My Washington City Paper review of Jon Robin Baitz's already-anachronistic Trump satire Vicuña, which is getting a lavish second production at Mosaic Theatre after premiering in Los Angeles last year, is here.

Flying V Fights: The Secret History of the Unknown World, reviewed.

Noah Schaefer, Em Whitworth, and Tim German duke it out. (Ryan Maxwell)

Just because Flying V's latest fight-choreography-themed show, The Secret History of the Unknown World, is pandering to me even harder than other fight-intensive shows doesn't mean you won't enjoy it, too. Read all about it in this week's Washington City Paper. Also reviewed: Mosaic Theatre Company's U.S. premiere of Hanna Eady and Edward Mast's drama The Return.

The Man Trap: STC's The Taming of the Shrew and Mosaic Theatre's When January Feels Like Summer, reviewed.

Maulik Pancholy as Katherina and Peter Gadiot as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew. (Scott Suchman)

The cast and audience at the intermezzo of The Taming of the Shrew. (Scott Suchman)

Rick Hammerly as the Contessa, Peter Gadiot as Petruchio, Maulik Pancholy as Katherina, and Oliver Thornton as Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew. (Scott Suchman) 

Lynette Rathnam and Jason B. McIntosh in When January Feels Like Summer. (Stan Barouh)

Vaughn Ryan Midder and Jeremy Keith Hunter in When January Feels Like Summer. (Stan Barouh)

Shravan Amin and Jeremy Keith Hunter in When January Feels Like Summer. (Stan Barouh)

Directors have reckoned with the misogyny of The Taming of the Shrew in many ways. Ed Sylvanus Iskandar's fix — cast only men, and let the female characters express themselves via covers of old songs from Duncan Sheik, a man — is at least, and most, strange. I review Iskandar's perplexing boys-only Shakespeare Theatre Company Shrew in today's Washington City Paper.

Also reviewed: Mosaic Theatre of DC's When January Feels Like Summer, a shaky play featuring a rock-steady cast. Jeremy Keith Hunter apparently had a small role in Studio Theatre's Chimerica, a show I loved last year, but I don't remember him from that. He's brilliant in January, though.