Interview: The American Shakespeare Center doubles down

The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton reached two milestones this season: the quarter-century mark and the completion of Shakespeare’s canon. All but two of the 38 plays we attribute to Shakespeare were published in the First Folio in 1623, and with its current production of Timon of Athens, ASC can claim performances of all of […]

ARTS Pick: War Horse

A young boy and his beloved horse Joey are plucked from tranquil farm life in Devon and thrust into the depraved and violent landscape of World War I. Such is the tale of War Horse, adapted for the stage from the book by Michael Morpurgo, and broadcast live from the National Theatre in London. In […]

Wake up call: Comic Bill Burr stands up for himself

With notable TV appearances on Comedy Central, three standup recordings, and several film roles under his belt, Burr is on track to become the next household name in comedy. Not to be overlooked is his work as a dramatic actor, like his role as Patrick Kuby on “Breaking Bad.”

ARTS Pick: Museum

If you’ve ever joined the hundreds of New York City spectators that flood the MoMA on Free Friday Nights, you know half the fun of modern art is watching the audience react. Tina Howe’s 1976 play Museum paints a meta-picture in bright, absurdist colors that details the chaos and conversation of 30-plus patrons during the […]

ARTS Pick: Getting Near to Baby

The setting is 1960s rural North Carolina and two little girls have come to stay with their batty Aunt Patty in the wake of a younger sibling’s death. Y. York’s play adaptation of Getting Near to Baby offers a poignant look at grief through the eyes of children and adults, as Willa Jo and Little […]

ARTS Pick: Songs in the Cellar

For one weekend, Four County Players transforms its intimate 50-seat Black Box Theater into an upscale cabaret for Songs in the Cellar, a broad musical revue featuring an all-star local cast in gender-swapped roles. Imagine Little Orphan Annie as a boy with a hard knock life, or picture the infamous barber Sweeney Todd as a […]

ARTS Pick: United Nations of Comedy

Lots of funny things happen when the United Nations of Comedy brings its talent-filled lineup to a local stage—and most are courtesy of Funnyman Skiba. The Washington, D.C. comic has become a repeat player in the UN of C’s effort to promote diversity through the common ground of laughter. He returns along with the “Taiwanese […]

ARTS Pick: 24/7

Set the timer, choose your topic, write the script, select your cast (random drawing), rehearse, lights, action, and it’s show time. So goes the frenzied creative collective of 24/7, a wild theatrical ride that brings together a wide network of local talent in writing, directing, and acting to produce seven finished plays in 24 hours. […]

ARTS Pick: MarchFourth

Known to fans as M4, MarchFourth re-imagines a traditional marching band through world music influences and big top visual spectacles. Electric bass, diverse percussion, and brassy horns mingle with Eastern European gypsy, samba, funk, Afrobeat, jazz, and rock. Meanwhile, Cirque du Soleil-style dancers and acrobats perform stilt routines, play with fire, and toggle hula hoops […]

ARTS Pick: Big Blue Door Grand Slam

Local artists, speakers, and writers compete at the Big Blue Door Grand Slam by telling true stories on the theme of schemes and dreams. Previous jam winners and runners-up will call on memory to riff on ideas like escaping summer camp, planning cons, and eternal love. Audience members vote for their favorite story and the […]