Before it was Vegas, the place for passionate romantic affairs was the beach. The churning tide and soft sand under warm skies does something to the body, bringing up unknown depths of longing. In The History of Kisses, writer, director and actor David Cale summons up stories and songs inspired by such scenery. more ›

There's a kind of lilting elegance to the language of Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, a powerful portrayal of one man's coming of age, now being staged at Studio Theater. more ›

The musical A Chorus Line has a song, "Nothing," in which the character Morales shares her past struggles in theater class. She was asked to be a table, feel the motion of bobsledding down a hill, pretend she's an ice cream cone. Morales really tries, but she can't quite get past the eye-roll stage. more ›

Mark Whitney is a convicted felon. The door-to-door vacuum salesman turned (somewhat willing) victim of predatory lending tells the audience his tale in the one-man Fringe Festival performance Fool for A Client. The story, naturally, is more than just his time in the clink; it's a scathing look at modern society's Zero Tolerance culture that's responsible for everything from the notoriously critiqued Federal Sentencing Guidelines (a calculator decides your fate) to school district rules that expel children for having a couple of aspirin pills. more ›

When you buy a ticket for something billed as a "musical comedy" involving drag queens, a Christian televangelist and a beauty pageant, you come expecting a raucous, fabulous, over-the-top, and -- let's be honest -- a quite filthy good time. Instead, the Fringe Festival's The Miss Teen Jesus Pageant commits the worst sin for this type of production: meekness. more ›

Seven months after former Washington City Paper editor Erik Wemple smacked around Washington's arts press corps for failing to report Studio Theatre founding Artistic Director Joy Zinoman's announcement at a retreat for Studio employees in 2005 that she'd be stepping down this year, Zinoman's successor has at last been identified: David Muse, currently associate artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre, was named the new boss by the theater today (you can download the announcement from Studio's website). more ›

There's a cliché out there that an opening number can make or break a show. Unfortunately, the first song in , now being staged by Studio Theatre, contributes to the "break" side of the equation. more ›

The Studio Theatre made an ambitious move when choosing to open their season with Harold Pinter's Moonlight. At the performance I attended, the house lights came up to hesitant, confused applause and the most common refrain among those leaving was a simple "I didn't get it." Pinter is not a playwright who readily lends himself to "getting"; his name is most closely associated with menace and the awkward, bizarre moments of humor that arise from such tension. (The Studio Theatre advertises the script's ambiguity and occasional incoherence as "poetic.") more ›

Tom Stoppard set his 2006 play, , in the dual locations of Cambridge and Prague during the time of the Soviet takeover of Czechoslovakia (1968-1987). His protagonist is Czech-born Jan, living in England at a time of turmoil in his homeland, much like Stoppard himself was. Unlike the playwright, however, Jan (Stafford Price-Clark) chooses to return to his country during this time of strife. Stoppard chooses to embody the conflict between Western-style democracy and communism within a college student, Jan, who loves rock music, and hardline professor Max (Ted van Griethuysen). As a symbol of freedom, Jan clings to his music throughout the time he is surveiled and, eventually, imprisoned. more ›

can be a tense, devastating play, but it comes most alive when its characters are laughing. more ›

at the Capital Fringe Festival, is a fascinating story performed by a compelling performer. more ›

, playing at Studio Theatre for the Capital Fringe Festival. more ›

"Reefer gets you raped. And you won’t care!" Such is one of the hilariously overwrought statements blasted across the screen, 30s public service announcement-style, during Studio Theatre's hysterical production of Reefer Madness: The Musical. Based loosely upon the 1938 anti-marijuana propaganda film of the same name, the show’s setup involves a high school theater troupe dramatizing the devastating effects of reefer, using the tale of one high school sweetheart couple’s demise as its center.... more ›

FRIDAY: >> Even though Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is an obvious choice for the movie-going crowd this weekend, the Avalon Theatre -- just north of the Potter madness at the Uptown -- is showing Talk to Me, the new biopic on the life of famed Washington, D.C., talk-show host and activist Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. 5:50 and 8:30 p.m. >> Unbuckled alumni The Vita Ruins celebrate the release of their... more ›

In their coverage of the Capital Pride Festival, which kicked off yesterday and will culminate in a parade and street festival this weekend, the Post gives an account of a town hall meeting on GLBT issues last night at Studio Theatre where Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said he plans to introduce a bill legalizing gay marriage in the District within the next two years. Graham appeared on the panel with several other openly... more ›

Tonight, the D.C. theater community will descend on Warner Theater, decked out in tuxes, kilts, ball gowns and whatever else the artsy crowd comes up with to approximate “black tie” attire. It's the night each year they get the chance to party their brains out and recognize the outstanding contributions they've made this year; it's the Helen Hayes Awards. As busy theater critics with day jobs, we don’t get the chance to attend and review... more ›

This post by DCist contributor Rawn James, Jr. This week’s Five O’Clock Meeting takes us to a happy hour that runs Mondays through Fridays from 5-7pm, but on Tuesdays, lasts until 11pm. The spotlight this week shines on Viridian, located north on 14th Street, NW just north of the Studio Theatre in Logan Circle. Viridian’s space is a unique combination of polished concrete and unobtrusive modernity. On this early evening, large paintings catch angled sunlight... more ›

With poignant lines such as "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye," who couldn't love The Little Prince? A French classic by Antoine de Saint Exupery, it has been translated into more than 160 languages and has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, and I was excited to hear that the Washington Ballet was bringing their adaptation to the stage. With choreography... more ›

So if October's the month for spooky productions and December is the time to get in the holiday spirit, what does November mean for D.C. Theater? Looks like this month, it means a diverse catalogue of everything from Chinese Elvises to Katie Couric (ok, maybe some theaters are apparently still thinking "scary"). Actors' Theater of Washington has the camp-tastic Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy, which will serve as a late-night follow-up to its current production,... more ›

. more ›

George Sand is undoubtedly a fascinating subject for literary treatment. Whether it is her status as a groundbreaking woman, inspiring revolutionary, or the lover of famous, glamorous men, there is certainly material aplenty for a story here. more ›

, you may find yourself asking your friend to walk you to your car after the show, fearful that some predator is stalking about. You may wake up at 5 a.m., the victim of eerie dreams prompted by the show's imagery. But the creep-out factor is worth it – Frozen, both in content and execution, is exceptional. more ›

DCist theater critic Missy Frederick contributed to this report. Signature Theatre's production of Urinetown took top honors at last night's Helen Hayes Awards, D.C.'s local theater awards ceremony, taking home 8 prizes including director of a musical (Joe Calarco), choreographer (Karma Camp), four different acting awards (Will Gartshore is pictured right accepting his award for lead actor in a musical, which he shared in a tie with Michael McElroy from Big River), and outstanding resident... more ›

is certainly a much more cautionary tale than some of its contemporaries, Studio Theatre's production, largely because of a lackluster lead, does nothing to solidify its place in the canon. more ›

Damn you, Neil LaBute. Damn you for getting your audience caught up in your clever dialogue, your complex, well-drawn characters and compelling plotline, and then making us leave the theatre feeling defeated about the state of humanity. more ›

December may have been classic musical central, but January brings a new year and host of exciting options, heavy topics and renowned playwrights showcased by local theatres. Opening this week is Studio Theatre's anticipated Neil LaBute Festival, highlighting the work of the often-caustic man responsible for, among other things, The Shape of Things and In The Company Of Men. The festival kicks off with Fat Pig, which explores whether a man can overcome his friends'... more ›

Written by DCist contributor Rob Birgfeld While stories are often traded about "that guy" who made millions because he was ahead of the real estate curve, few match that of a Brazilian family interested in little more that auto repair. Just one year after riots decimated much of downtown Washington in 1968, Pedro Petrovich opened an auto repair shop on 13th Street, one block north of Logan Circle. Soon after, he moved Petrovich Auto Body... more ›

October is here, and it's inevitable that local theater companies would try to haunt us with some spookier fare. Here's a look at who's obliging our more macabre sensibilities next month: >> Don't tell Mom, well, anything about the babysitter? Studio Theatre has Marie Ndiaye's Hilda, a horror story about a mother's growing obsession over the woman she hires to care for her kids (Oct 5). >> There's double, double, toil and trouble over at... more ›

Five pseudo-historical, pseudo-literary feminist icons from widely different eras are brought together by a modern-day executive for a dinner party. more ›

Plays by women; plays about women. The fairer sex captures the imagination of many D.C. theaters this September, offering works by celebrated female authors and performing plays that focus on female characters. And if that's not your thing, well, there's always Kafka. more ›