It’s officially December, so we find our thoughts turning to holiday shopping. Will you be giving the gift of local theater (or hoping to receive it) this season? Here are a couple of things on our wish list for the D.C. theatre community:
1. For tiny companies like Meat & Potato and Natural Theatricals to have their seats filled more frequently, and for small but innovative companies like Rorschach to get Helen Hayes nods this year.
2. For some local theatre to stage Chess: The Musical which we’ve never seen, but yet have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with. We’re thinking Signature? Also, if we could get a sneak peak at Jason Robert Brown’s new musical after Los Angeles has had its fill, that would be great.
3. For local treasures like Kate Eastwood Norris and Nancy Robinette to never be discovered by Broadway so that DC can keep them all to ourselves (Dammit, that’s probably not in the Christmas spirit, is it?)
4. For Neil LaBute’s new play premiering at Studio next month to delight and disturb us; our hopes are up, Neil.
What would be on your D.C. theater wish list? More comedy and less poltical theatre? To never see another production of Hedda Gabler again? Ponder that thought, and in the meantime, take a look at what’s playing in December.
Sure, between “Dilbert,” “The Office,” “Office Space”, and Bartleby at last year’s Fringe Festival, we’ve seen our share of satires on the cubicle life. But man, the life of a temp has to be worth some laughs, right? Studio Theater is betting on it with its production of Tempodyssey (Dec. 6).
Change is good; at least, Signature is hoping that its new, shiny facility in Shirlington will prove the cliché right. Watch them send off their current space with style in The Last Garage Hurrah (Dec. 13).
You gotta love Noises Off — the slapstick, the screwball quips, the late Christopher Reeve’s performance in the film version. Arena Stage will take their turn with the classic farce (Dec. 15).
The Light in the Piazza was the darling of the Tonys back in 2005. The Kennedy Center stages the romantic musical just before Christmas (Dec. 20).
