The Archeology of "Good Bones"

Multi-hyphenate theatermaker James Ijames, courtesy of the artist.

My Washington City Paper feature about Good Bones, Studio Theatre’s new world premiere from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Tony Award nominated playwright and actor James Ijames is here.

Karaj Band, or Iran So Far Away: "English" at Studio Theatre, reviewed.

Tara Grammy and Maboud Ebramhimzadeh in English. (DJ Corey Photography)

Here’s my Washington City Paper review of Sanaz Toossi’s play English, now in a fine production at the Studio Theatre.

Magic & Loss; Round House Theater's "The Tempest," reviewed.

Nate Dendy, Eric Hissom, and Meagan Graves in an illusion-spiked The Tempest. (Scott Suchman)

The Vegas-birthed production of The Tempest at Round House Theatre through mid-January has plenty to recommend it: jaw-dropping stage illusions, haunting Tom Waits songs, a truly beastly Caliban performed by two actors sweating in tandem. Co-adapters Aaron Posner and Teller have had to do some clear-cutting to make room for all this good stuff, but it’s a fair trade, says I, in my Washington City Paper review.

Post-Racial? Not Really. Woolly Mammoth's "Ain't No Mo'," reviewed for WCP

Shannon Matesky, Brandi Porter, Shannon Dorsey, and Breon Arzell in Jordan E. Cooper’s post-”post racial” satire. (DJ Corey/Woolly Mammoth)

“I quote [director Lil-Anne Brown] to acknowledge that, as a White person born during the Carter administration, I am by no means the primary audience for this, and that my modest critique must and shall be taken with a grain (or possibly a mine) of salt. For what it’s worth: I liked the show a lot. Cooper is a visionary writer, equal parts Jordan Peele and Tony Kushner.” That’s me on Jordan E. Cooper’s Broadway-bound satire Ain’t No Mo’ in the Washington City Paper.

StoryDistrict's 25th Anniversary Celebration

My Story District feature from the old newsprint days of WCP.

My contribution to the Washington City Paper’s Fall Arts Guide was a preview of Story District’s 25th birthday party at the Lincoln Theatre on October 2. I wrote a cover story on how the organization has grown up a million years ago back in 2017.

"The Outsider" at Keegan Theatre, reviewed

Michael Innocenti and Zach Brewster-Geisz are principled pols in The Outsider. (Cameron Whitman)

As satire, it’s yesterday’s news, but as farce, it works. My Washington City Paper review of Paul Slade Smith’s The Outsider at Keegan Theatre is here.

Hail to "The Hot Wing King"

Derrick Sanders III, Michael Kevin Darnall, Bjorn DuPaty, Brian Marable, and Blake Morris. (Jati Lindsay)

Wherein I beat my farm-to-table breast and yell at artisanal clouds about foodie folderol having summited the arts-and-culture food chain, and then eventually find my way into talking about how terrific Studio Theatre’s production of Katori Hall’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Hot Wing King is. For The Washington City Paper.

Pressing the (Pound of) Flesh: STC's "The Merchant of Venice," reviewed.

John Douglas Thompson’s revelatory and captivating Shylock is not the problem. (Henry Grossman)

I struggled with the John Douglas Thompson-starring The Merchant of Venice at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. I think director Arin Arbus intended that we should. There’s no arguing with Thompson’s revelatory Shylock, but I wonder if all that power could’ve been shaped into something more, well, directed had Arbus done some liberal cutting. That’s the précis of my WCP review.