Articles Tagged With: Colonial Players

Agnes of God at Colonial Players

Reviews March 24, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

In his hyper-modern world what we have is logic and what we seem to have lost is faith. We lack a primitive sense of wonder and demand explanations for everything; miracles are dead. It’s no small miracle, however, that community theatres pulled through nearly two years of dark stages, surviving this pandemic where theatre artists were shuttered out of their existence. And bringing modern relevance to what could easily be considered a ‘dated’ piece is a theatrical miracle all its own.

(L to R) Carey Bibb as Charlotte Corday, Samantha McEwen Deininger as Marianne Angelle, Mary C. Rogers as Olympe de Gouges, and Ryan Gunning Harris as Marie Antoinette in The Revolutionists at Colonial Players.

The Revolutionists at The Colonial Players of Annapolis

Reviews September 20, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

Who are we without a story? Who are we without our power? Profound questions with moving answers, all of which will be explored in Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists, now appearing live on-stage at The Colonial Players of Annapolis. Directed by Jennifer Cooper, this evocative dram-com (because it’s hardly a rom-com but it’s not exactly a dramedy and if Lauren Gunderson can invent words…) takes audiences back to Paris circa 1793 and delivers an outrageous series of interactions between four impossibly powerful women,

The Merry Wives of Windsor at Colonial Players

Reviews March 10, 2019 John Nunemaker

The
Colonial Players of Annapolis have decided to mount a production of Shakespeare
for the first time in over 20 years and after seeing the production the one
question to ask is why have they waited so long? The Merry Wives of Windsor, running now through March 23rd
at the Colonial Players, is a fresh take on a classic Shakespearian Comedy and
a thrilling joy of a night of theatre!

The Babylon Line at Colonial Players

Reviews October 23, 2018 John Nunemaker

How would you write your story? Would you tell the truth or a lie? Can your story change someone else or even yourself? Do you truly remember your past or is your memory altered by your perspective? So many questions to ask, a multitude of outcomes, and for a show that last 2 hours and 20 minutes plus an intermission, too much time spent unnecessarily exploring how to transmit answers. The Babylon Line by Richard Greenburg and currently being produced by The Colonial Players of Annapolis has a strong cast that does the best that they can with a show that cannot find its voice and struggles to find a conclusion to the problems proposed.

Rumors at Colonial Players

Reviews September 12, 2018 Mike Zellhofer

“How do rumors get started, they’re started by the jealous people and….,” no wait, that was the Timex Social Club. We’re talking Neil Simon’s Rumors at The Colonial Players. The Maryland General Assembly may not be in session but Director Atticus Cooper Boidy has Annapolis all a buzz. Simply put, Mr. Boidy delivers perhaps the best production you’ll see in the state capitol this year. His understanding of comedic timing and how to navigate a farce is incredible.

Casa Valentina at Colonial Players

Reviews June 1, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

It’s bad and beautiful; it’s bawdy and bizarre! For just who is who and what is what is quite the question at— well— Harvey Fierstein’s other smash-hit show, Casa Valentina, making its community theatre area debut at Colonial Players. Directed by Mickey Lund, this edgy, inspiring, and potently poignant dramedy will give you, as the modern phrasing goes, “all the feels.” Despite its early 1960’s setting, the show’s relevance to the world of 2018 is remarkable;

Lucky Stiff at Colonial Players

Reviews April 12, 2018 Mike Zellhofer

“Well, I suppose there are two ways to look at this I mean, true I am here in a foreign country with a dead man in a wheelchair, trying to pretend that nothing is wrong, and having to do all sorts of things I don’t even want to think about. On the other hand, this is a chance to earn a great deal of money in a very short time. So, for once in my life I shall think positive I will think positive.” – Harry Witherspoon

I’m positive that you will have a wonderful time at Colonial Players’ Lucky Stiff,

Sex With Strangers at Colonial Players

Reviews February 28, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

Give one sentence that totally encapsulates who you are. Impossible. What if you’re an egomaniac? That’s simple. You don’t care what people say about you as long as they say something. What if you’re a deeply insecure and rapidly approaching middle-age writer whose rejection track record has kept your current literary prospects from being approachable? That’s a bit more complex. It might be best if you don’t try to find that sentence and instead venture to Colonial Players to see their production of Sex With Strangers.

Quartet at Colonial Players

Reviews January 20, 2018 Andrea Bush

“I was somebody once.”

“We were all somebody once.”

“I thought I was somebody now.”

What do you do when your life doesn’t pan out the way you thought it would? Do you mourn? Rage? Retreat to memory (at least, as long as your memory holds)? Or do you find the humor and accept life on life’s terms? Set in the solarium of an English country house turned home for the aging,

33 Variations at Colonial Players

Reviews October 26, 2017 Spencer Nelson 1 Comment

Theme and Variations as defined by Merriam-Webster “a standard form of musical composition consisting of a simple usually harmonized melody presented first in its original unadorned form then repeated several or many times with varied treatment so based on the theme that at least some semblance of its general melodic or harmonic form is evident”. While the definition pertains to music it can also be thought that our lives are a variation on a theme or ideal of what we imagine and hope it will be.

Shiloh at Colonial Players of Annapolis

Reviews September 12, 2017 Spencer Nelson

We live in a time in history where it is almost impossible to find a new take or a new viewpoint on anything, especially something as talked about and scrutinized as the Civil War. But this is Shiloh and if you have the opportunity to head to downtown Annapolis this fall that is exactly what you will get and you will even get some laughs along the way! In a small 360° theater just off State Circle,

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Colonial Players

Reviews May 24, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther 2 Comments

An actor knows his audience and what it wants. The actors of Colonial Players of Annapolis certainly know that their audiences want comedy. And they do deliver in the finale production of the 2016/2017 season. Directed by Steve Tobin, Colonial Players proudly presents Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-Winning play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Beware of presentiments! Beware of Hootie Pie! Be a wild turkey!

Chock full of Chekhov,

Nine at The Colonial Players of Annapolis

Reviews April 5, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

Cinema today is in crisis. That’s why we all prefer to go to the theatre for our entertainment. The Colonial Players of Annapolis has wondrous entertainment in their production of Nine. Directed by Ron Giddings with Musical Direction by Andrew Gordon, this edgy and strikingly beautiful piece of musical theatre is brilliantly performed, smartly directed, and overall a thrilling engagement for an afternoon or evening of entertainment!

Credited as the show’s Choreographer,

Review: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Colonial Players

Reviews October 24, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Do people learn nothing from history? Not that there is nothing to learn but that people actively learn nothing, for surely somewhere in the annals of recorded time there are couples who engage in dark play, where not everyone in the game knows the rules. That’s exactly the mechanism that snaps to life in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? now appearing on stage at Colonial Players as the second selection in their 68th season.

Review: The Cripple of Inishmaan at Colonial Players

Reviews September 13, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Ireland mustn’t be such a bad place if Colonial Players is willing to do a production that’s set there. Kicking off their 68th season with Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan, Colonial Players of Annapolis invites theatergoers into the world of a small island off the west coast of Ireland in 1934. Directed by Dave Carter, this moving piece of darkly humored theatre is quite the engagement, oh aye.

Review: Good People at Colonial Players

Reviews June 7, 2016 Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

Good people are all around us but sometimes, for various reasons, they can be hard to spot. However, you will have no problem spotting them at Colonial Players of Annapolis’ current production of Good People, written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Directed by Edd Miller. You may be familiar with Lindsay-Abaire’s work such as the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning drama Rabbit Hole and the clever and hilarious book for Shrek,

It’s Not That Kind of Thing: A “Love”-ly Interview with ASGT’s Director Mark Briner and Co-Stars Jamie Austin Jacobs and Hayley Briner

Interviews May 31, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

The year is 1985! The hair is big. The greed is good. The collars are up. And love is in the air. Actually, it’s 2016 and the hair is pretty flat, all things considered, greed is grody, and the collars are thankfully back down where they belong. Love is, however, STILL in the air and more potent than ever as Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre kicks off their 50th season with a production of the 80’s-themed The Wedding Singer.

Review: The Secret Garden at Colonial Players

Reviews April 14, 2016 John Nunemaker 3 Comments

When I was younger I read the book The Secret Garden. A few years later I watch the movie when it was released so I was very excited to get to see the musical adaptation of the story. Walking into the theatre at The Colonial Players of Annapolis I was transported by the stage decorations, painting, and lighting of their production of The Secret Garden with Book and Lyrics by Marsha Norman and Music by Lucy Simon.

Review: Boeing Boeing at Colonial Players

Reviews February 24, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Now boarding flight 1963, international Boeing Boeing departing from gate Colonial Players of Annapolis with layovers in love and humor, and a terminal destination of Parisian happy endings. Your flight’s pilot, Captain Scott Nichols, will bring this zany farce down the runaway for approximately two hours and fifteen minutes with one brief delay midflight to attend to all of your mile-high traveling needs. A fantastically romantic romp through the bumpiest of uproarious turbulences is guaranteed and if you aren’t completely satisfied with your hilarious flight for the afternoon or evening,

Review: Venus in Fur at Colonial Players

Reviews January 11, 2016 Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

In the mood for something sexy, thought-provoking, and fun? Then you need to get yourself down to The Colonial Players in Annapolis for their current production of Venus in Fur by David Ives, Directed by Jim Gallagher. This reviewer likes his shows to be a little fluffy with lots of comedy, some drama, and, usually, a happy ending, but there are exceptions and Venus in Fur was QUITE a PLEASANT surprise to me.

Review: Mornings at Seven at Colonial Players

Reviews November 29, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Where am I in life? What’s the meaning of it? In the eyes of the world, what does it mean to grow old? Colonial Players of Annapolis is answering those questions with a heartwarming comedy for the holidays. Paul Osborn’s Mornings at Seven is a delightful little theatrical engagement featuring the grand dames of theatre. A timeless, undiscovered stage treasure Directed by Rick Wade, the show is perfect for a family and friends gathering this festive season.

Review: Side Man at Colonial Players

Reviews October 19, 2015 John Nunemaker

Sideman: noun – a member of a band or orchestra and especially of a jazz or swing orchestra who is not the leader or a featured soloist.

Side Man written by Warren Leight is a memory play currently in production at The Colonial Players of Annapolis. This memory play is nicely Directed by Jim Reiter and features outstanding performances by Jason Vellon, Mary MacLeod, Ali Vellon,

Review: Sherlock’s Last Case at Colonial Players

Reviews September 11, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Matters of life and death are but flotsam and jetsam, but a riveting play packed with shocking twists and daring conclusions that, my dear readers, is a fine evening of theatre. Which, to put a finer point to it, one could call Colonial Players current production of Charles Marowitz’ Sherlock’s Last Case a resplendent recitation of theatrical trickery, mysterious mayhem, and vivacious Victorian debauchery all in one go and still be completely accurate,

#WEIRDFRANCE: An Interview with the Three Leading Actors

Interviews March 3, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Whet your appetite a little further on this curious cuisine of surrealist normalcy in an absurdist reality. In Part 2 of #weirdfrance, TheatreBloom continues its quest to learn about all the crazy things happening in the Cohesion Theatre Company production of 13 Dead Husbands. This time we’ve gathered the three leading men, Thomas Sinn, Bobby Henneburg, and Matthew Payne, to hear their take on #weirdfrance.

If you fellas can give us a quick introduction,