As the month of August arrives, everything slows down a bit. Outside, we drown in the humid air, dense as an ocean wave pushing against flesh. There’s little to do but laze away in air-conditioning or spend hours floating in the cool waters of a swimming pool. It’s the time of year when I used […]
As the month of August arrives, everything slows down a bit. Outside, we drown in the humid air, dense as an ocean wave pushing against flesh. There’s little to do but laze away in air-conditioning or spend hours floating in the cool waters of a swimming pool. It’s the time of year when I used […]
Grab some torches and pitchforks and prepare for Shrek: The Musical, when an ogre-turned-hero braves dragon fire and a tiny king to save his beloved Fiona. As Shrek adventures with his faithfully frustrating sidekick, Donkey, storybook creatures, and a musical score, an expert cast recaptures the magic of Long Ago and Far Away. Through 8/10. $16, […]
Tight improvisation, audience participation, and sharp-tongued hair dressers deliver new twists every night in Shear Madness, the longest running nonmusical theater production in U.S. history. Set in a unisex salon right here in town, the American adaptation of Paul Portner’s slapstick whodunit asks playgoers to help solve an off-stage murder. Locals can look forward to inside […]
“That sounds great, Leah,” a passing stage hand calls. “Are they going to let you use that in the show?” “No, but I wish,” Leah Partridge shrugs, then laughs. The strangely ethereal combination of the banjo, Partridge’s sweet soprano voice, and her sandals tapping the floor as she moves through the empty school hallway embody […]
Edmond Rostand’s classic French farce, Cyrano de Bergerac, satirizes the overly romanticized literature of the 1600s in the tale of an eloquent, talented, and brave young man whose unfortunate rhinophyma prevents him from garnering the love of the beautiful Roxanne. The plot twists hazardously as the fearless soldier tries to find a work around and […]
In a world where over-the-top productions dominate entertainment, it’s nice to find a theater company that relies on talent and imagination. Such is the mission of the Missoula Children’s Theatre. The Montana-based troupe hosts a cast comprised entirely of children grades 1-12 who share all of the responsibilities of production; assistant directors, actors, and choreographers […]
When Charlottesville’s tough and determined ladies go head-to-head in battles of the bicep you get CLAW—the Charlottesville League of Lady Arm Wrestlers. Next up on the wrist warriors’ docket is Hot Claw in the Summertime. Borrowing from roller derby and the eccentricities of the pro wrestling world, CLAW events are defined not only by feats […]
You know you have a calling when the son of a legendary American humorist hand-selects you to play his famous father. Such is the case for Frank Ferrante, who’s crafted a 30-year career around Arthur Marx’s play Groucho: A Life in Revue. Ferrante has rekindled the defining role in An Evening with Groucho, a new […]
Call out a suggestion and watch epic comedy unfold when Big Blue Door’s improv comedy team The Lady Pills tackle the Harold. Developed by actors Del Close and Charna Halpern in the ’80s, this longform improv game forces comedians to create and weave narratives on the fly, rapid-firing scenes and new story lines before tying […]
John D’earth was about 4 when his father—“a great listener, but not a musician”—taught him an important lesson about making music. He was at his grandmother’s house. He toddled over to the piano, climbed onto the bench, and started pounding away. He was having fun, just enjoying the noise of it, but he could hear […]