Week of May 14, 2023
1. “In the Heights” at NextStop Theatre Company
“…vibrant…a production on a scale with the best of the region…Every member of the cast is magnificent.” – Peter Orvetti
READ review.
Synopsis: In the vibrant Latino neighborhood of Manhattan’s Washington Heights, residents encounter joy and loss over three sweltering summer days. Seen through the eyes of bodega owner Usnavi, who longs to return to his home in República Dominicana, Washington Heights is a dynamic community of dreamers just trying to make it to the next day. Told through hip-hop, salsa, and merengue, In the Heights invites everyone to celebrate home.
Oscar Salvador, Jr. and Cristian Bustillos. Photo courtesy of Nexststop Theatre Company.
2. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” at Vagabond Players
“It’s been a long wait for this cast and production team, but audiences will find the finished product well worth it. The show is highly polished, energetic, and provocative.” – Max Garner
READ review.
Synopsis: Finally coming to the stage after a three-year delay! Renegade criminal Randle P. McMurphy wages a titanic battle against his arch nemesis, Nurse Ratched, and the state-sanctioned tyrannies of the American psychiatric establishment in the not-so-distant 1960s. Funny and gripping, this thought-provoking story of a rebel with an outrageous cause is a great American classic.
Adam Garrison, Lauren Jackson, and Stephen M. Deininger. Photo by Audra M. Mullen.
3. “Good Bones” at Studio Theatre
“…a powerful show with themes and messages that refuse to just ‘play nice.’ It’s real, at times it’s raw, and it’s definitely going to get you thinking.“ – Anne Valentino
READ review.
Synopsis: Aisha’s moved back to the block, but the neighborhood’s changed. She’s an urban planner, returning to her hometown, renovating a townhouse that’s seen better days. Aisha tries to convince her husband to spring for crown molding and endures the noise that blares from the street all night. But when their contractor is caught up in an act of violence a block away, Aisha’s homecoming becomes more complex than she expected. A Studio-commissioned play by 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames, Good Bones explores gentrification and belonging, displacement and upward mobility, and being haunted by a legacy you’re only just beginning to understand.
L-R: Cara Ricketts as Aisha, Joel Ashur as Travis, and Johnny Ramey as Earl. Photo by Margo Schulman Photography.
4. “Exclusion” at Arena Stage
“…the play’s ample laughs, fast pacing, and polished technical design add up to a successful premiere.” – Charlotte Selton
READ review.
Synopsis: In Exclusion, an award-winning historian is thrilled when her best-selling book about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 is optioned for a mini-series by a Hollywood mogul. Her euphoria turns to disillusionment as she finds herself constantly defending its authenticity in the struggle between what’s true and what sells.
Karoline (Katie) in Exclusion at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Photo by Margot Schulman.
5. “Ravenscroft” at The Colonial Players of Annapolis
“…magnificent…fabulous and funny…a must-see!” – Susan Nolan
READ review.
Synopsis: On a snowy night, Inspector Ruffing is called to a remote house to investigate the headlong plunge of Patrick Roarke down the main staircase. In doing so, he becomes involved in the lives of five alluring and dangerous women. They lead him through a bewildering labyrinth of contradictory versions of Patrick’s demise and that of the late Mr. Ravenscroft. There are ghosts on the staircase, skeletons in the closet, and much more than the Inspector bargained for. His investigation leads into his own tortured soul and the nature of truth itself. You will not guess the ending, but you will be teased, seduced, bewildered, amused, frightened, and led to a dark encounter with truth or something even stranger.
Richard A. Miller as Photo by Brandon Bentley.
