You think you know the erotic, athletic style of Synetic Theater. And then they go and throw water into the mix.

Can a prolonged state of blue balls save the world? Aristophanes seemed to think so. In his Lysistrata, given a spunky treatment from Synetic Theater and Georgetown’s theatrical program, a feisty female convinces her counterparts that their only recourse to stopping a war between Athens and Sparta is to withhold sex until peace is reached. Will the penis prove mightier than the sword? You get the idea. The collaboration is directed by Georgetown’s Derek…

Editorial Disclosure: DCist Jason Linkins has a supporting role in this production Quite a few interpretations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein have been gracing the D.C. stages lately. Round House Silver Spring has a take, and we were impressed with the lyrical, atmospheric vibe that Synetic Theatre’s production captured in September. While Rorschach Theatre’s most recent effort may not have the same melancholy moodiness that Synetic achieved through striking set design and choreography, the work still…

Just as it’s back-to-school time for area students, it’s back-to-the-boards time for the area’s theatre community. September brings with it a host of new productions to get you through the lingering heat. Arena Stage bids us Willkommen, Bienvenue and Welcome with their inaugural production of Cabaret (Sept. 8). The presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson was just crying for a Shakespearean take, at least according to American Century Theatre, who will stage Macbird! (Sept. 8). Two…

When the devil rises from a steaming bathtub in the center of the stage to a thrashing soundtrack and is joined by a group of vampiric club dancers who rhythmically deck him out in leather and hand him a cigar, you know this isn’t your father’s (or perhaps your great great-grandfather’s?) Faust. And in the case of Synetic Theatre’s gothtastic, gyrating and graphic production, we’re happier for it. A brief tutorial on the Faust story,…

In May, the D.C. theater community has devils, Dorian and the deformed — and in Round House Bethesda’s case, an affection for alliteration that we apparently share. We love the work that Actors Theatre of Washington does, and their latest effort is “Mondays In May”, where for three days this month, they showcase new talent. We Wildephiles are particularly interested in what they’re going to do with The Picture Of Dorian Gray on May 8….

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…