1. ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ at Baltimore Center Stage.
“…an emotional spectacle of a romance trapped within a dysfunctional family.” – JV Torres.
READ review.
Synopsis: In this enduring American classic, family ties and layers of lies collide over the course of one simmering Southern summer night. Themes of morality, greed, and desire play across the stage in this explosive drama about what can happen when illusions begin to unravel. Brick, racked with guilt over his best friend’s death, numbs his pain with drink. Maggie, his wife, is determined to win even fleeting attention from her neglectful husband. But when three generations come together to celebrate a birthday—and discuss a will—all of the players start to crack under the pressure and the heat. How long can tensions build in a house boiling over with uncertainty, secrets, and maybe even love?
Pictured (top to bottom): Stephanie Gibson and Andrew Pastides. Photo by Bill Geenen.
2. ‘The Comedy of Errors’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company.
“A wonderful opening to their 2018-19 season, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s innovative rendition of ‘The Comedy of Errors’ is not to be missed.” – Kristen Waagner.
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Synopsis: Two sets of twins, each with the same name—what could go wrong? Everything, apparently. Leave logic behind and delight in the confusion of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, where servants misplace their masters, wives overlook their husbands, and sons forget their fathers. The blunders double, triple and cube until chaos reigns—and everyone is pretty sure that everyone else is completely insane.
Photo of the cast of The Comedy of Errors by Scott Suchman.
3. ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ at Aldersgate Church Community Theater.
“…an enjoyable presentation evoking fond memories of the book in a way which does not condescend to its audience.” – Dr. Mark Dreisonstok.
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Synopsis: Betrayal, obsession, and redemption provide the backdrop for this compelling adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel. While unjustly imprisoned, Edmond Dantes befriends a neighboring inmate who bequeaths him an enormous treasure. Dantes eventually escapes and returns to society disguised as the Count of Monte Cristo with plans to enact his revenge on those who betrayed him. But as Dantes becomes increasingly consumed with his quest for vengeance, he finds himself losing his humanity and any hope of reconciling with the love of his life.
Emily Golden, Steve Rosenthal, Ilyana Rose-Davilla, Tim Caron, and James McDaniel in “The Count of Monte Cristo.” Photo by Howard Soroos.
4. ‘Labour of Love’ at Olney Theatre Center.
“…a delightful journey and one well worth taking.” – Mary Ann Johnson.
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Synopsis: The winner of the 2018 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy is a delightfully clever mashup of the political gamesmanship of The West Wing with a war of the sexes that feels straight out of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Set in a member of Parliament’s district office, this wildly witty comedy is about the ups and downs of left-wing British politics over the past twenty-five years. Unfolding over decades, this wickedly funny clash of values and class reflects a shifting political landscape in the heartland that echoes similar developments in America as progressives seek the road back to power. Playwright James Graham is one of the U.K.’s hottest playwrights who recently had three separate works (including Labour of Love) running concurrently on the West End.
M. Scott McLean and Julia Coffey as David Lyons and Jean Whittaker in James Graham’s LABOUR OF LOVE at Olney Theatre Center. Photo by Teresa Castracane Photography.
5. ‘Nevermore’ at Creative Cauldron.
“The roles are beautifully sung, and the score exquisitely directed by Jenny Cartney…” – Mary Ann Johnson.
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Synopsis: Take a dark and mysterious journey into the life of Edgar Allan Poe. This fresh and imaginative musical uses Poe’s poetry and short stories as its base and his shifting obsession with the women in his life as its catalyst. With hauntingly beautiful melodies, Nevermore breathes new life into Poe’s work and explores a twisted true-life tale that is as bizarre as his classic stories of the macabre.
Sarah Hurley as Virginia and Stephen Gregory Smith as Edgar Allan Poe. Photo courtesy of Kx Photography.
