That sounds like an unsatisfying ending, and maybe it was a bit. Also, the show begins with someone rattling the doorknob on the theater’s fire exit to find it locked, which is frankly not something anyone wants to see in these theaters. But between that beginning and the ending, this is a very strong and well-acted show that’s very much worth a look.
The Girls Inside
Bodega
Remaining Performances:
Jul 19th 12 pm
Jul 25th 3:15 pm
They say: You didn’t even know we existed. But now? Now. You do. A new play that tells the spirited stories of four ‘juvie’ girls living on the inside
Suzyn’s take: “The Girls Inside,” Leayne C. Freeman’s new play about teenage girls in juvie, is memorable and [...]
It’s easy to blame the playwright, and I do, but really someone in the cast should have said: “Hey, my character is a total cliché, and so is everyone else’s, and we all whine a lot, even interrupting a wedding to do so. And the daughter’s friends are the mother’s wedding attendants with no explanation. And Emily slaps Sean’s ass while the audience probably still thinks he’s her brother. And the “perfect boyfriend” kisses his way up Mom’s arm for no reason. And if we’re going to write a song full of Yo Momma jokes, shouldn’t we at least use funny ones?”
The singing was the highlight, which is, of course a good thing in cabaret. The standout performances were the singers who added a bit of acting to their performance and managed to evince the emotions they were singing about. Joe Peck’s “Signs” was a standout. (Peck also got in some nice snark about the Fringe button.)
This show is not so much a performance as an interactive workshop. Mathews plays killer piano, and she did a (dare I say it?) miraculous job of turning a dozen or so hardy souls into a gospel choir. At one point, she instructed the three men in the group to “Give it an Usher-Michael Bublé sound,” and to my stark amazement, they did. Drummer Ricky Fishley, too, was always on hand for a wonderful solo or a rim shot when Mathews made a particularly silly joke.
On a basic level, Closet Land is the story of the interrogation and torture of an innocent woman. Jessica Hansen, playing the woman, sets just the right tone from the beginning, when her character insists the arrest is a mistake. Hansen sounds more like someone who has been in line at the post office than someone expecting to be jailed and tortured. She has a whiny, tiresome quality that beautifully sets up what is to come.
In which your trusty Fringe bloggers disclose sundrie facts — some of which may prove revealing — about their sensibilities. And their sordid pasts. In this installment: Suzyn Smith Webb.
The Passion of Persephone
Remaining performances:
Friday, July 25 @ 6 PM
Saturday, July 26 @ 11 PM
They say: “Hades has captured the Goddess Persephone and tied her up to keep her from leaving the Underworld. When her mother Demeter discovers why Zeus won’t rescue Persephone, Demeter wreaks a terrible vengeance . . . Greek myth updated to [...]
B.A.D (Black and Defiant)
DC Arts Center
Remaining performances:
Saturday, July 19 @ 1:00 PM; Thursday, July 24 @ 6:30 PM
Saturday, July 26 @ 1:00 PM; Sunday, July 27 @ 4:00 PM
They say: “A one man show that focuses on pioneering African American actors and athletes, B.A.D takes the audience on the journey as the artist tries to [...]
Abe Lincoln: A One-Man Show
at Cole Studio
Remaining Performances:
Saturday, July 19 @ 3pm
Friday, July 25 @ 7pm
Saturday, July 26 @ 8pm
They say: “You probably know that Abe Lincoln was the 16th US president, but did you know he was a joke teller? See Abe tell his amusing anecdotes and relate some of his historical decision-making moments [...]
