author: Lilou Von Kokoro
Friday night was cold, raw and blustery, but as I entered The Strand Theatre, I was warmly welcomed by Producer Elena Kostakis. I wasn’t sure what to expect but let me tell you— this was not just a performance; it was an experience. Interactive would be an understatement! To quote their program, “Welcome to the immersive production of alight, Sweet hearted.”
alight,
Curse, comfort, conjure; three words that Director Lee Conderacci uses in her “feminist practice and in her theatre art.” (words directly from Conderacci.) This time her artistic undertaking is Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin’s High School Coven, at The Strand Theater. Three words that individually bring forth a myriad of thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Three words that together allow us to see the world through the eyes of Conderacci, even for a brief two hours;
Sometimes it’s the little things in life that teach us the greatest of lessons. Sometimes we see things and think that everyone sees the same thing. Sometimes we need our eyes opened, to understand our experiences may not be the same as others, even if we have just been part of the same event. Director Aladrian Wetzel makes those sometimes a reality in The Strand’s latest production, Black Super Hero Magic Mama,
Every new beginning feels so heavy; only the trees know
everything. In life and death, in grief and suffering, we experience things
differently. Regardless of your cultural heritage, your geographical
upbringing, or your placement in life, grief and loss come to each in their
time in their own way. Debuting its 69th women-empowering script,
Venus Theatre is pleased and proud to present the Western Hemisphere and North
American premiere of The Finger,
I first became involved with
theatre in 1982. So, you can imagine that in 37 years I have seen and
experienced quit a few things in the theatrical world; and then came Sojourners. Sojourners is a play written by first generation Nigerian-American
playwright Mfoniso Udofia. It is currently showing at The Strand Theatre and is
directed by Cheryl J. Williams. It is well written, has a powerfully amazing
cast,
Everyone has their own story to tell. People are stories. Theatre is an extension of telling your story and no one knows and understands that more profoundly than Deborah Randall, whose story is far too complex and toeing the line of a theatrical goddess archetype to be summed up in a few mere words. Telling your story is what’s important. Embracing the joy in your story becomes critical for the darkest moments in your lives.
Beauty, truth, and rarity, grace and all simplicity; but what happens when Shakespeare is displaced in favor the sex-worker industry where beauty becomes filth, truth becomes the cold, hard reality of drugs and prostitution, and rarity is the kindness of a stranger from a world outside of unending night? In a visually poetic and evocatively moving new work, The Ravens— making its United States premiere— opens as script number 62 and the final production of Season17,
No woman has just one mood. No woman likes to be pegged as just one thing. When one road leads to the forest, another to the sea, logically the third road must lead to the only professional stage in the Washington DC area dedicated to promoting the voices of women and children in theatre for a lifetime. All roads lead to Venus Theatre as they continue on their 17th season— To a T! Love Notes to a Friend!— with Claudia Barnett’s latest work Aglaonike’s Tiger.
She wears a window on her heart, ellen cherry does. And if you’re fortunate enough to attend the limited engagement performance of Portraits in Song you’ll get to glimpse through this portal into a vast emotional galaxy of complex understanding when it comes to storytelling and setting flight to the voice of Gynaika. Making its Baltimore debut as a part of the She Speaks Second Series offered at The Strand, solo performer and creator ellen cherry,
Clutch your dreams in your screwed up fists and carry them out into reality. A mantra statement that Artistic Director and Founder of Venus Theatre Deborah Randall has abided by long before those words made their way into print in Alana Valentine’s script, Soft Revolution: Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah. Appearing as the perfect conclusion to season 16 and arriving as Script#58 at Venus Theatre, this evocative new work is receiving its DC-area premiere under the Direction of Deborah Randall and the timing could not be more poignant and relevant to the cultural and political upheaval in which the city and the nation,
Are you ready to rock, theatergoers? Because it’s time to get down to life and live at Venus Theatre as it enters the halfway point of Season16 with Kathleen Warnock’s work Rock the Line. Directed by Founding Artistic Director Deborah Randall, this edgy exploration of sex, love, and rock and roll teaches audiences a valuable lesson or two through the lens of musical fanatic devotion. Like all productions that make their way to the Venus Stage,
Truth is not simply there for the taking. Truth requires proof. And the proof is in the pudding, well…in the milk rather, at Venus Theatre this fall season. Closing out the epic 15th season entitled Feral 15: Feminist Fables— No Strings Attached, a world premiere production of Amy Bernstein’s Raw brings sharp focus to the biting and unapologetic work achieved on the Venus stage throughout the season. Directed by company founder and Artistic Directed Deborah Randall,
Words are everything. Everyone wants everything and words are everything. The profundity of such statements and similar can be found in Venus Theatre’s edgiest work to date. Concluding their 14th season with their 50th production, Venus is proud to present Virus Attacks Heart, a new work by Shannon Murdoch. In alignment with the company’s mission statement of setting flight to the voices of women, this production features a strong female character coping with life in the face of mortality.
It has happened before. It will happen again. Cats. Souls. Revenge. Samurai. Venus Theatre is taking a daring new leap in the middle of ‘Fierce14’ with their 49th production. Unlike anything previously staged at the Playshack, Director Deborah Randall is giving Daria Marinelli’s We Are Samurai its regional premier. As a promenade style performance, this ensemble piece takes place in five different locations set both inside and outside the theatre;