Week of January 8, 2023
1. “Two Jews Walk Into a War…” at Theater J
“It is a joy to watch these two actors…one is left with a sense of having been both entertained and also educated in regard to Jewish heritage and culture…a good night of theatre.” – Anne Valentino
READ review.
Synopsis: Ishaq and Zeblyan are the last remaining Jews in Afghanistan. They share the only remaining synagogue that has not been destroyed by the Taliban. They share a vital mission to repopulate the Jewish community in Kabul. And they hate each other. Can this cantankerous couple commit to one incredible act of faith to keep their community alive without killing one another first? Part The Odd Couple and part Waiting for Godot, Two Jews Walk Into a War… is a ripped-from-the-headlines, modern day vaudeville full of schtick, sorrow, and survival.
Sasha Olinick as Zeblyan and Bobby Smith as Ishaq in Theater J’s production of Two Jews Walk Into a War…, playing through February 5. Photo by Ryan Maxwell Photography.
2. “America’s Sexiest Couple” at Best Medicine Rep
“…a wonderfully surprising delight.” – Anne Valentino
READ review.
Synopsis: A pair of sitcom actors reunite after twenty years. Can they rekindle the spark that made them America’s Sexiest Couple, or was it all an act? Written by Ken Levine (the Emmy-winning writer of Cheers) and directed by Kathleen Barth. Starring Kari Luther* and John Morogiello.
Craig (John Morogiello) comforts Susan (Kari Luther) in Best Medicine Rep’s production of America’s Sexiest Couple. Photo by Mia Amado.
3. “English” at Studio Theatre
“…the production of “English” at Studio Theatre is an incredible display of how language and identity are connected and is highly recommended.“ – Camron Wright
READ review.
Synopsis: “English Only.” It’s spring, 2009 in Karaj, Iran and four adult students are studying for the Test of English as a Foreign Language, the key to their green card, medical school admission, or family reunification. Playing out in awkward lessons of word games and mistranslation, English is both a comedy of miscommunication and a look at the ways speaking a new language can expand your world and change your voice. A hit in its 2021 New York premiere, Studio presents playwright Sanaz Toossi in her Washington, DC debut.
Narges Kalogli, Tara Grammy, Nina Ameri, Nazanin Nour, and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh in “English”. The photo by Knud Adams.
4. “Crimes of the Heart” at The Colonial Players of Annapolis
“The energy this dynamic cast shares makes them believable as sisters struggling to come to terms with their family’s past and present dysfunction.“ – Susan Nolan
READ review.
Synopsis: “The scene is Hazlehurst, Mississippi, where the three Magrath sisters have gathered to await news of the family patriarch, their grandfather, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny, the oldest sister, is unmarried at thirty and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg, the middle sister, who quickly outgrew Hazlehurst, is back after an attempted singing career on the West Coast; while Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband in the stomach because she didn’t like his looks. Their troubles, grave and yet, somehow, hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by the awkward young lawyer who tries to keep Babe out of jail while helpless not to fall in love with her. Warm-hearted, irreverent, and imaginative, Crimes of the Heart teems with humanity. The question remains though, can you ever escape the past to seize the future?
Left to right: Kat Binney as Meg, Megan Henderson as Babe, and Emily Roberge as Lenny. Photo by Brandon Bentley.
5. “Broadway Bound” at Vagabond Players
“This production shows a trademark exquisite attention to detail, and a clear, logical sense of pace and placement.” – Max Garner
READ review.
Synopsis: Broadway’s King of Comedy brings his young alter ego, Eugene, back to Brighton Beach as he and his brother, Stanley hilariously struggle to break into show business as comedy writers for CBS, and watch helplessly as their parents’ marriage implodes. Simon’s Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated comedy provides a potent mix of laughter and tears.
Andy Belt and Isaiah Mason Harvey. Photo by Nicolle Walker.
