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The place for reviews of Maryland's Theaters

Baltimore Shakespeare Festival - - Baltimore Theatre Project - Bay Theatre Company - Center Stage - Chesapeake Shakespeare Company - Everyman Theatre - Fells Point Corner Theatre - The Heritage Theatre Company - Maryland Ensemble Theatre - Mobtown Players - Olney Theatre Center - Performance Workshop Theatre Company - Rep Stage - Spotlighters - Toby's Dinner Theatre - Vagabond Players

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Everybody Musn't Get Stoned- By Roxeann Knight

Stones in His Pockets
Rep Stage, Written by Marie Jones , Directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner

September 29, 2006

There are many good reasons to produce one-person shows. The economics of theatre is one good reason- it certainly cuts down on salaries. It also can be a nice showcase for talented actors and an invigorating experience for the audience. Rep Stage’s Stones in His Pockets is a sort of one person show times two. Two actors play all the characters- think of a higher brow Greater Tuna set in Ireland.

This production is way off-kilter. Bruce Nelson gives a pretty good performance, but I’ve certainly seen him give better. Michael Stebbins, the Artistic Director of Rep Stage seems to be trying to keep up with him, and doesn’t quite succeed. Neither of them seem to be able to do a convincing dialect. The direction by area favorite Lee Mikeska Gardner is kind of plodding. The production doesn’t really take us anywhere during the time we spend with it.

Apparently there was a lot of backstage drama in the production involving some of the design team. This can often be distracting and maybe that’s a reason the production seems unfinished. The video clips that sandwich the production are enjoyable. Perhaps they spent more time working on those than rehearsing the actual production.

The production also has the quality of feeling like it’s a vehicle to show off, to show off the talent of the two actors, the playwright and Rep Stage’s new performance area. The problem is, it feels like the wrong vehicle. The production is funny, but not that funny. The performances are good, but not that good. The entertainment seems acceptable, but not that acceptable. I don’t know. The whole experience is not one I can recommend.

Note: It’s hard to find Rep Stage unless you know where you’re going. The parking is confusing and once you park, it’s not easy to figure out where you’re going to see the play. Give yourself plenty of extra time.

Getting it Wrong- By Roxeann Knight

The Three Sisters
CENTERSTAGE, Written by Anton Chekov, Directed by Irene Lewis

September 22, 2006

One of the reasons I started writing these on-line reviews is because of the Baltimore Sun’s excruciating theater reviews. I have found that if J.Wynne Rousuck likes a production, chances are I will find it uninteresting and sluggish. If she pans a play, chances are I will find it worthy of attention and interesting. Her perception of CENTERSTAGE’s production of Three Sisters in no exception. We both saw the show the same weekend and, not-surprisingly, she found it to be wonderful and “immediate.” I found the play to be uninspired and innocuous.

The play deals with ennui, so there’s always the danger of having that sense of boredom rule over everything in the production. Director (and CENTERSTAGE Artistic Director) Irene Lewis does just that. The Three Sisters in the title of the play long to move to Moscow, but don’t. Like Godot’s clowns, they seem to be prevented by some sort of cosmic power.

Irene Lewis’ most interesting choice to is cast the show colorblind while placing the play in the traditional setting. But, I ached for the rest of the play to follow suit. What does it say if our sisters don’t look like sisters? We all know from the beginning that we’re not really in Russia at the turn of the last century. That’s interesting, but then it just sits there.

Irene Lewis’ least interesting choice is that she lets the actors wallow. Actors in plays like these love to spend a lot of time acting- at the detriment of the production. It’s like listening to a musician showing off – you might admire their technical skill, but it may do nothing to contribute to the piece of music.

Actors Mahira Kakkar, Stacy Rossa and Christine Marie Brown all do fine work and I can't blame them for the director's inability to energize the production, but I just can't get excited about their performances or anything about the play.

The Baltimore Sun critic seems to like this kind of work. She finds it vibrant and interesting. I don’t.

Getting it Right- By Roxeann Knight

Opus
Everyman Theatre, Written by Michael Hollinger, Directed by John Vreeke

September 14, 2006

When you’ve worked in the theater, sometimes it’s hard to just sit back and experience a play. Instead, you nit pick- you spend so much time watching the process that you can’t have the experience that’s been designed by the playwright and director. You think about the actor and the choices they’re making, you think about the designers and the effect their work is having on the evening and you think about ways in which you might improve the evening if it belonged to you.

So, when an evening of theater comes along that makes you forget all of that and allows you to be swept away to another world, it is truly special. The Everyman Theatre’s recent production of Pennsylvania Playwright Michael Hollinger’s Opus does just that. It’s good writing, good directing, good designing and good acting. How often do you see that?

The plays concerns a string quartet and their auditioning of a new member through to an appearance at the White House, the difficult to play Beethoven Opus 131 (hence the title of the play). It is a challenge to play and it works as a strong metaphor for the challenge these musicians face with their careers.

Directed by John Vreeke, the production is performed in the round. It’s a strong choice. An intimate space is best for intimate theater and that’s what Everyman does best. It’s a play about the creative process and what artists sacrifice in order to pursue their art. These are personal issues and best portrayed personally.

Kyle Prue and Stephen Patrick Martin lead a strong cast. I love to see an ensemble without a weak link, and that’s what you get in this production.

I am so impressed with Everyman. Not everything that they do is successful, but I can’t think of another theater company in the Baltimore/Washington area that is so consistently strong. It reminds me that the most important thing in live theater is to have good words and good actors to speak the words. I highly recommend this production to anyone who would like to see a company on the top of its game.

Summer Stock- By Roxeann Knight

SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES
Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre, Written by Del Shores, Directed by Terry Long

June 28, 2006

In the second half of the 20th century was the golden age of Summer Stock. All across the United States (and particularly in the Northeast) summer theaters thrived by producing seasons of light, but rewarding entertaining theater. For most, it was their exposure to the live theater. It has mostly gone the way of the automat, the tv dinner and drive-in theaters.

However, Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre has recreated the spirit of summer stock in their recent production of SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES. Well, sort of. No more do we have Noel Coward's inferences or Cole Porter's innuendo. Now, it's all in the open. That's good, right? Because we don't want anyone to pretend that they're something they're not. Sometimes however, it creates art that seems segmented for a very specific audience. Most theater-goers won't be shocked by this material. People who don't go to the theater anymore might.

It's touching and entertaining and light enough for summertime (there's a reason Hollywood doesn't release its powerful dramas during the summer). Director Terry Long has made a name for himself around here as the director to go to when you have a gay-themed play. His reputation seems well earned. Spotlighters is always a tricky place to stage a play, but Director Long seems to know his way around.

David C. Allen, Alex Peri, Andrew Syropoulos and Tony Viglione lead a cast of good performances. The actors give very sincere, funny performances.

Look, if the title scares you off, you probably wouldn't be comfortable with the play. If not, come see it and enjoy an old-style summer stock experience.

BroadwayWorld review

A Good King- By Roxeann Knight

King Lear
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Written by William Shakespeare, Directed by Ian Gallanar

June 18, 2006

The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company takes on King Lear as the second piece of their summer of repertory. It's a tough play and not many take it on in a season of "festival Shakespeare." I'm encouraged to report that they do a fine job.

The actors take on this play. There are unique performances all around. Frank B Moorman, in the title role leads the cast with a fully realized performance. He seems a bit healthy and young for the role, but what he lacks in age, he makes up for in energy. This is no moping Lear, but rather more like the tempest that follows him around during the middle of the play. This Lear truly rages against the dying of the light.

The daughters all make sense of their world. Lesley Malin as Goneril is a calculating devil while Jenny Leopold's Regan has the right level of sadism and seduction. Valerie Fenton gives a tender performance as the youngest Cordelia.

Wayne Willinger and Christopher Niebling as the two sons of Gloucester give youthful, exuberant performances. It is a particular pleasure to see Mr. Willinger take the stage as "poor Tom." He has great charisma and oozes it during his performance. Chris Graybill as their father gives us a very sympathetic Gloucester. Regret takes over and when he shows us glimpses of it, it can be heart-breaking. Steve Beall gives us a strong Kent and Bob Alleman does the trick as Lear's Fool and Brandon Shaffer brings a nice touch to the performance with his live percussion work.

A warning: The first fifteen minutes or so of the production are dangerous. It's dry and stagey and not much happens beyond a reading of the play. It does little to prepare you for the rest of the evening. It's almost as we're seeing two different productions. A wag of the finger to director Ian Gallanar (also the Artistic Director of CSC) for that misstep. Because the rest of the show is terrific. It is high-stakes drama, nicely acted, nicely paced and deeply human.

Aside from the beginning of the play, I don't have any qualms with this production. The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company bills themselves as "Maryland's Leading Classics Theatre." I would certainly agree with that in terms of the quality of their work, but I also would like to see them lead. This summer's productions of Taming of the Shrew and King Lear are very good, but neither challenge us. They are pretty traditional approaches to the plays and give us little new to think about. Directors Ian Gallanar and Patrick Kilpatrick show that they are good craftsmen, but what about big ideas? That's what really makes art special and while these shows are well-done, they hardly contain any big ideas. As they get ready to join the spotlight with national theaters, they will need to do more than be the Best of Baltimore, they will need to have some big ideas.

Almost Great - By Roxeann Knight

The Taming of the Shrew
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Written by William Shakespeare, Directed by Patrick Kilpatrick

June 8, 2006

This Taming of the Shrew is exhilarating. The actors leap about the stage with such pleasure that you think they may take off. There are hundreds of charming bits of comic business (sometimes happening at the same time). Every character on stage has something that they are trying to achieve. There are hardly any slow moments. The festivities zip along like an amusement ride. Often times Shakespeare comedies aren't funny. Actors and Directors who know Shakespeare, don't always know what's funny. This is a very funny production.

But, This Taming of the Shrew is also spotty. The production loses focus sometimes and you weren't sure what was important and what was incidental. It seems like a Robert Altman movie, but without the benefit of cameras to center the action. Luckily we know all about Taming of the Shrew for its many productions and the many knock-offs, or we might not know what it's about. It is a bit frustrating, because of all that this production has going for it.

The highlight of the production is not the acting, which is fine, but the verve, the dash, the sheer joy of the performances. But there's a drawback to that. Director Patrick Kilpatrick doesn't show much discipline. Therefore, the minor characters seem much more alive and important than in many productions of Taming of the Shrew. The drawback is that the main characters of Kate and Petruchio get less attention. BJ Gailey gives a charismatic, friendly performance as Petruchio. When it requires him to charm all those around him, it works wonderfully. When he is supposed to shock or disorient those around him, it is less convincing. Kate Michelsen-Graham gives us a controlled Kate. It makes her more human, but sometimes less interesting. Also, there are times when jokes fall flat on their faces. It happens more than once.

The supporting cast, led by Scott Graham as Lucentio and Ashly Ruth Fishell bring life to a group of stock characters with great aplomb. There are no spear-carriers in this production, only living, breathing, feeling characters. I am especially delighted to see the actors over the age of 40 giving as much energy to the performance as the younger actors.

The technical elements were very strong without being overbearing (Set Design- Chuck Leonard, Costume Design-Kristina Lambdin, Lighting Design- Dave Eske, Sound Design- Ian Gallanar). I especially admired the ability of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company to perform without amplified voices. Many outdoor Shakespeare use mics and it is always detrimental to the production. Not all companies should try it without, you have to have well trained voices. Thankfully, CSC does. It makes the experience all the more intimate.

There is also a feeling of watching a company on the verge of something exciting- there is so much interesting about this production and so much energy. They seem like they are truly having the time of their lives and it is contagious. If this is representative of the work of this company, they simply need to get a little more experience and tighten up bit and I think they could do some extraordinary work.

NOTE: Taming of the Shrew is being performed in repertory with King Lear. Look for my review of King Lear next week.

CityPaper review of Taming of The Shrew: http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=11889

Baltimore Sun review of Taming of The Shrew: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.shrew09jun09,1,2450395.story

BroadwayWorld review of Taming of the Shrew: http://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=10138

The Most Famous Ear in Art History - By Roxeann Knight

Inventing Van Gogh
The Mobtown Players, Written by Steven Deitz, Directed by Alex Willis

June 1, 2006

It's a little theater in an office building right near (part of) Hampden- Baltimore's funny neighborhood featured in Hairspray and Pecker. It has a history as the place for interesting work in the city. The Axis Theatre lived there for a decade providing work that was a bit above the usual Baltimore fare. They ran into financial trouble and closed. Since then, The Mobtown Players and Run of The Mill have been calling the theater home. They are the two theater companies in Baltimore with a strong repuation for cutting edge work, so the space is building a legacy of sorts.

The Mobtown Players latest production is Inventing Van Gogh, a fairly interesting contemporary piece about the painter and those who have been looking at his painters ever since. I thought the production was worthy. The two highlights were the acting and the lighting design. Reece Thornbery, Mark Squirek, Ryan Whinnem, Tiffany James and Loren Dunn all give fine performances. They have the right size of mania for the piece and for the space. Alex Willis shows an understanding of how to get the most out of his actors. Ryan Whinnem, the Artistic Director and co-founder of the Mobtown Players creates a wonderful trick or two with his lighting design. The work that is done in that small space is remarkable. This is a production that seems the right size for its space- not too big, not too small, just right.

The troupe does an admirable job with the material, but I'm not quite sure the play works as a whole. Steven Dietz's play is interesting, but flawed. It's as if he had a lot of interesting ideas, but not a unified way to tell the story. It doesn't quite hold up.Van Gogh is a figure who seems to fascinate critics, writers and other artists. His mental illness, his poverty and his innovative style attract a lot of attention and admiration. The play gives attention to his work and seems to admire it, but I don't know that it ever gives a cohesive reason why we should care about Vincent Van Gogh more than anyone else.

I am delighted, though, to report that the production is thought provoking. The company is described as "community theatre." So, in that sense, I see that "community theatre" can create valuable art. I should say that whatever they call themselves, the work is good.

BroadwayWorld review of Inventing Van Gogh: http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=9965

Baltimore Sun review of Steel Magnolias :http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.theatcol18may18,0,649995.column?coll=bal-artslife-today

A Dozen Chicks Sitting Around Talking - By Roxeann Knight

Steel Magnolias
The Vagabond Players, Written by Robert Harling, Directed by Steve Goldklang

Mamaleh!
Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre, Written by Mitchell Uscher & Roy Singer
Directed by Sherrionne Brown and Fuzz Roark

May 10, 2006

Baltimore has something unique in its theater scene. While most mid-sized cities are peppered with small fringe theaters, a few regional theaters, a grand touring house, maybe a professional dinner theater and the like, Baltimore’s community theaters have seemed to survive the evolution of theater in this country. Community theatre still thrives in small and mid-sized towns and the suburban sprawl, but you hardly see it existing beyond a footnote in most major cities. However, Baltimore boasts of four healthy community theaters: Fells Point Corner Theater, Mobtown Players, Spotlighters and the Vagabond Players.

Currently, shows are running at Spotlighters and Vagabonds that seem perfectly fitted for their respective organizations. Steel Magnolias is a community theater staple and has endured bad southern accents in thousands of productions across the country of ours. It’s got women of varying levels of strength, convoluting words to communicate feelings in a way only southern women can. It’s also got that drama favorite: cancer. It’s easy to play at one level, so it’s a good vehicle for actors with less training and experience.

I suppose Vagabonds give their audience what they want- a competently staged dramedy- a pretty formula play with happy and sad moments. The place is tiny, so you get to see the actresses’ sweat and cry so it may move people. An audience member may evaluate the skills of the actresses based on their frame of reference. For example, Holly Pasciullo as Truvvy doesn’t gives an exceptional performance, but perhaps of she would give the best performance as Truuvy of anyone on your block.. Binnie Ritchie Holum, who seems to be the grand dam of Baltimore community theater, understands the core of Ouisier, but plays it one a surface level. I suppose the whole cast gives entertaining performances, but there always seemed something missing to me.

On the other hand, the audience seemed to enjoy it. I mean, what’s not to enjoy? The experience feels sort of like a meal at Applebee’s. They get it sort of right, the food is fine, it’s not expensive and it feels familiar. I know a lot of people give up a lot of time to work on a show like this and I suppose we ought to be grateful for their effort, I’m just not sure whether it’s worth finding a babysitter for.

Mamaleh! at Spotlighters is a funny egg. It’s a musical with not much of a book. It’s a very, very sentimental musical performed by five women. Instead of Southern women, this time you get Jewish women. This time they’re played by Suzanne Young, Donna D. Davis , Deborah Miller , Bonnie Sarf and Sharon Kneebone. Sherrionne Brown and Fuzz Roark stage this play in the Spotlighter’s basement theater in Mount Vernon. The songs are nice and you can get caught up in the emotion (music’ll do that for you).

I just always got the feeling that I was watching something that everyone decided ahead of time didn’t have to be perfect. It’s as if it only had to achieve a certain level of competence and then it would be “good ‘enough.” The acting’s not bad, the singing’s not bad, the costumes aren’t bad, the sound’s not bad, it’s just that none of it is …well, very good. I suppose it might be “good for community theater.” But, what does that mean? I don’t know. It’s not adventurous, it’s not highly polished, it’s not provocative, what is this funny egg?

You can tell that I’m honestly perplexed by the whole notion of community theater in an environment where high quality theater is available inexpensively. Maybe it was just these two shows. I’ll have to give Vags and Spots another chance. After all, you can’t be all bad if you’re so familiar that people know your theater names by nicknames!

BroadwayWorld review of Mamaleh! :http://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=9349

BroadwayWorld review of Steel Magnolias :http://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=9306

CityPaper review of Steel Magnolias :http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=11785

Small is Beautiful - By Robert Butler

The Well of The Saints
Performance Workshop Theatre, Written by John Millington Synge, Directed by Marlyn G. Robinson

April 29, 2006

Live theater lives in a number of different ways. From giant venues that sell out performances of immensely popular musicals to regional "legit" theaters who offer a mix of contemporary and classic plays to high school and university productions and many variations in-between. One of the most fascinating is the hundreds of tiny theaters across the country that straddle the fence between professional and experimental. In these theaters, a sell-out may mean that they've managed to sell 20-50 tickets for the night. This is where some of the neglected classics of the theatre survive due to the persistence of serious theater artists who believe beyond hope that these plays must survive as live theater, not just as words in old drama anthologies. Thank God for them

The Performance Workshop Theatre is one such company. They have a small (and I mean small) home in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. They produce very infrequently so that not many people see or hear about their productions. It's a shame, because they really care about the work that they do and some very special moments happen as a result.Their recent production of John Millington Synge's The Well of the Saints is a good example of their work.

The Well of the Saints was written by an Irish playwright whose "famous" play is Playboy of the Western World- well known amongst theater-students and the like, but pretty much unheard of in the real world. It's a well-meaning, smart, funny play about small town Irish society. Two blind people are given sight (only to lose it again ala Flowers for Algernon. The two are played solidly by Katherine Lyons and Marc Horwitz. If good theater happens when empathy exists, then this is good theater.

I felt, however, that the supporting cast was not as strong. It felt like an opera where the famous tenor comes into town and sings with the locals. They're not quite up to it. The accents were also all over the Emerald Isle (and sometimes a bit in England or from a box of lucky charms)- but it only detracts a bit from this intimate evening of theater.

Baltimore should have more theaters like this- organizations that consist of serious minded, trained theater artists who care about their work no matter the audience. Purchase your tickets in advance as this small theater can sell out quickly.

Baltimore Sun review of The Well of The Saints: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/stage/bal-to.theatcol27apr27,0,1234077.column

Citypaper review of The Well of The Saints: http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=11735

RADIO FLIER- By Roxeann Knight

Radio Golf
CENTERSTAGE, Written by August Wilson, Directed by Kenny Leon

April 8, 2006

For anyone who thinks that America's playwrights stopped writing great plays when Edward Albee finished the last word in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?, I have only to remind them of August Wilson. Wilson, who recently passed away, wrote Radio Golf as the final installment of his 10-cycle play about the African-American experience.

Radio Golf was first produced by Yale Repertory Theatre in 2005 and by the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in the same year. Set in Pittsburgh's Hill District, Radio Golf tells of an ambitious entrepreneur with political aspirations who wants to get on the urban-renewal bandwagon but is torn between his future and his community's past. It receives a healthy production at Baltimore's CENTERSTAGE.

The Center Stage production does great service to the play. Center Stage is at its best with modern American drama rooted deeply in naturalism. Radio Golf is a perfect fit for Maryland's state theater. The actors are uniformly strong in this piece directed by Kenny Leon. He presents the play straight-forwardly and simply. Leon knows he can trust the strength of the material.

Rocky Carroll and Denise Burse (Harmond Wilks & Mame), Anthony Chisholm (Elder Joe Barlow)and James A. Williams (Roosevelt Hicks) give the kind of performances that make you believe in the reality of the play. John Earl Jelks as Sterling, reminds you that there is still such a thing as a great stage actor.

The play's title refers to a radio program that features golf tips- an absurd idea. The show is hosted by Roosevelt Hicks. Golf doesn't particularly fit thi medium and the show represents how far gone Roosevelt is in his social aspirations. He's stretched too thin, but Mr. Williams gives him such energy, you can see why.

The play is funny. I think that August Wilson could have become even greater with this late-in-life understanding of the mix between comedy and tragedy. Unlike many writers, his best work was not over in his thirties. He had a lot to offer in his last work. It is a wonderful end to the career of an American genius and Center Stage produces the play with ample proficiency and respect.

Baltimore Sun review of Radio Golf: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.radio30mar30,0,611947.story?coll=bal-artslife-today

Potomac Stages review of Radio Golf: http://www.potomacstages.com/Center_Stage.htm#Radio

Baltimore Messenger review of Radio Golf: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=812&NewsID=709058&CategoryID=9786&on=1

A Tale of Two Theaters- By Roxeann Knight

Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Rep Stage, Written by William Shakespeare, Directed by Kasi Campbell
Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by James Kinstle

April 3, 2006

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For Rep Stage, they welcome a new Artistic Director and a polished, thoughtful production of Hamlet while the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival's lethargic Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead may prove fatal. Both plays are about the same people in the same situations, but were written centuries apart. This is the tale of two theaters going in different directions and the proof of it being evident in everything about their productions.

Columbia's Rep Stage's new production of Hamlet, although far from flawless, has a lot to offer. Karl Miller's energized performance as the young (very young in this production) Dane pushes the world of the play forward at a nice clip. In fact, it doesn't seem like he really is waiting for any of the other characters in the play to keep up with him. That's too bad. The play is filled with interesting characters, but they say a production of Hamlet depends upon the Hamlet and Kasi Campbell's take on this play embraces that wholeheartedly. In fact, the other characters in the play get little focus. Sure, we get a crazy Ophelia (played by Kathleen Coons) and some anguish from Gertrude (Valerie Leonard). But characters like Claudius (Nigel Reed), Laertes (Daniel Frith) and Horatio (Aubrey Deeker) seem almost an afterthought.

The set designed by Tony Cisek is ominous, like the take on the play. We get to know Hamlet's turmoil right from the opening line, thanks to some re-arranging by director Campbell. The lighting is animate and does a nice job of reinforcing the emotions of the play. Lighting Designer Dan Covey seems to be working in tune with Miller's manic performance. It's all very interesting and helps us get through this very difficult piece.

Hamlet is probably the most challenging play in the English language. I'm not sure whether anyone can do a Hamlet that meets all of the needs of the play. What gives this production its strength is the thought, the craft and the expertise that went into it. It's a very capable, confident cast working with a director who knows a thing or two about directing a complex play. The company has done a good job of developing its audience- and I was joined by hundreds of patrons who have come to expect strong work from this theater group. This was a repeat of my experiences in the past with this company- they are serious about what they do and show a high level of proficiency.

The experience with Baltimore Shakespeare Festival's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead was very different. The play was not without merit. Area audiences know that Bruce Nelson will always deliver a strong and charismatic performance and he does so again here. The feeling, however, that permeates this production is incapacity. The performances are not wretched. Dana Whipkey and Joe Brady in the title roles are not without their moments, but not throughout or with any consistency. They don't seem quite up to the task of carrying a play- not with any depth anyway. There are some nice moments from some of the supporting actors, but that's not enough. This play is about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and they are just not up to it.

But, it's not just the two actors. It goes a lot deeper than that. Director James Kinstle's production makes the play seems inappropriately irrelevant. Kinstle doesn't make any enormous mistakes, but the whole play seems to toil along with no real purpose in sight. Pace seems arbitrary- not a good idea when approaching Tom Stoppard's work. The life in the play seemed, for the most part, to be injected by the enthusiasm of the performers, not from any kind of facility for the process or level of skill shown by the company. Kinstle seems to have a limited resume of directing experience and it shows. There were times that I thought one could gain more from reading the script and imagining a strong performance, rather than watching this weak version.

This is the third production I have seen from the fatigued Baltimore Shakespeare Festival. Each time I have attended a production, I am one of a few dozen audience members in their 200+ seat house. As you enter the theater/church in Hamden, you feel a forced eagerness coming from the staff. The uncomfortable pews fit right in with the uncomfortable atmosphere. The company seems to be filled with people who are very devoted to the Artistic Director James Kinstle, but the shows themselves have not delivered. I often get the idea that many of my fellow audience members are friends of the cast and company as the laughter is often forced and sporadic. It is exactly the kind of experience that makes non-theater people feel ill at ease.

This company hires a great many Equity actors for each of their performances. But, the quality of their work (and audience attendance) seem to be much more in line with some of Baltimore's beloved community theaters like Spots, Vagabonds or Mobtown Players rather than the other excellent union theaters in the area like Everyman, Olney and Rep Stage. Does the BSF have a place in the Maryland theater scene? With the arrival of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and their rapid success and attention, the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival's mediocre work just seems somehow unnecessary.

It's not to easy to see a company who has obviously spent so much time, effort and money to create a company that, well, doesn't live up to the challenge- but it happens in theater just like everywhere else. Nowhere is it more evident than with BSF's production of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern.

Washington Post review of Hamlet: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/27/AR2006032701572.html

Baltimore Sun review of Hamlet: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/stage/bal-ho.hamlet31mar31,0,6540120.story?coll=bal-artslife-theater

Columbia Flier review of Hamlet: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=658&NewsID=707746&CategoryID=9078&on=1

Potomac Stages review of Hamlet: http://www.potomacstages.com/RepStage.htm#hamlet

Broadway World review of Hamlet: http://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=8537

Baltimore Sun review of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.rosencrantz11apr11,0,2064189.story

Baltimore Messenger review of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=812&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1179335&om=1

City Paper review of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead: http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=11684

Not Everything Goes- By Roxeann Knight

Anything Goes - Olney Theatre Center, Written By Cole Porter, Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, Directed By Brad Watkins

April 3, 2006

Anything Goes is more than a throwback, it's a relic. That can be fine. The charm and simplicity of an earlier time can be endearing (did I just call the Great Depression charming and simplistic?). It can also be a complete simplification of an earlier time (which is very different) and verge on being camp. Anthing Goes is a tightrope to walk. Olney Theatre Center's production seems to lose it's balence and fall.

Anything Goes was based on an idea by a producer, Vinton Freedley, who was living on a boat in Panama, having left the USA to avoid his debts. He selected the writing team, and the star, Ethel Merman. As the show was in preparation, a passenger ship, the SS Morro Castle, burned and over 125 passengers perished. The plot, which concerned a shipwreck, was deemed insensitive, and the show was almost entirely rewritten.<

According to theatre legend, the show's new title, along with the title number, was born from the haste with which show was revamped: at a late night production meeting, an exasperated and over-worked member of the production team cried out "And just how in the hell are we going to end the first act?!"

"At this point," responded one of the producers, being more helpful than he realized, "anything goes!!"

The book is not the strong point of the musical, it never was. Even with seventy years of tinkering, the intigration of book and music is supect. So, if the acting isn't the strong suit of the production, no big whoop- and in this production it's not. The singing isn't all that bad. It just doesn't click. It's fun, but not all that much fun. The songs are pretty, but not all that pretty. Kevin Bernard leads a cast of singers and dancers who seem a bit under-rehearsed.

I blame director Brad Watkins for this middling production. It just never really takes hold.

Washington Post review of Anything Goes: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/09/AR2006040901033.html

BroadwayWorld review of Anything Goes: http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=9216

Take a Number- By Roxeann Knight

Everyman Theatre, Written by Caryl Churchill, Directed by Vincent M Lancisi

March 27, 2006

It's a short play, no doubt about it, but it's concise as well. It seems like it's over as soon as things get rolling. Maybe that's not such a bad thing in this era of three hour marathons. That is why I have decided to write a short, concise review. Caryl Churchill's play is an interesting, thought-provoking piece with certain flaws. But, it is the talented cast, crew and director that make this production such a joy to experience.

Bill Hamlin and Kyle Prue as the father and son team are outstanding. They are given complex concepts to spout, but do it in a very personal way. Everyman Theatre Artistic Director Vincent M. Lancisi, does what he does best- creates a world in which real human beings with real human emotions exist. It's not splashy, but effective. It shows why Lancisi continues to be one of the very best directors in the state of Maryland.

Daniel Ettinger's set is minimal and serves the play.
A Number won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play in 2002.

Broadway World's review of A Number: http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=8340

JHU Newsletter review of A Number: http://www.jhunewsletter.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/03/31/442ebebeebbcd

It's a Beauty, Really it is!- By Roxeann Knight

Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Toby's Dinner Theatre, Written by Alane Menken, Howard Ashman, Time Rice & Linda Woolverton, Directed by Toby Orenstein

March 19, 2006

What is Beauty and the Beast? Is it the musical that revived the Broadway musical as a vehicle for families and children to enjoy highly entertaining live theater or is it a banal piece lacking any originality or voice that dumbs down the medium to somewhere just this side of Nick Jr? Well, it's both. There is nothing in Toby Dinner Theatre's production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast that couldn't have been found in the movie by anyone who was a child when it was released or has had a child in the fifteen years since. But, that's okay. Sometimes it's okay if a musical is just fun, right? Right. Director Toby Orenstein doesn't drastically change the production by doing it in modern dress or as a deconstructed myth. No, she does what she does best- recreates a highly entertaining, exuberant production that has you leaving the theater (yes, I'm going to say it) humming the tunes.

By the way, the performers all do a nice job and David A. Hopkins and Samn Huffer do terrific work with the set and costume designs to help create a playground for the play. Everything is all very charming and fun to watch. The salad dressing is delicious.

The new Toby's Dinner Theater is Baltimore's newest theater and is located in the newly renovated Best Western Hotel and Conference Center on O?Donnell Street.

Potomac Stages review of Beauty & The Beast: http://www.potomacstages.com/TobysBaltimore.htm#Beauty

Broadway World's review of Beauty & the Beast: http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=8487colid=8487

Maryland Theatre's chief critic Roxeann Knight moved to Timonium from the Bay Area of California in 2001. She has spent the last decade away from the theater and is glad to be reunited in any capacity. She received her M.A. in Drama from the University of Washington and studied acting at ACT in San Francisco. She worked as a director and stage manager for theaters including Theatre Rhinoceros, The One-Act Theatre, The Village Theatre, The Empty Space Theater and Stagebridge. She has a particular passion for the works of the European Masters

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