One of the most renowned plays from the Spanish Golden Age, Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s La Vida es Sueno (Life is a Dream), was initially published in 1636. In 1981, the “mother of Latinx playwrighting” María Irene Fornés adapted this classic into Life is a Dream, a production that has since been in a deep slumber, now awakened at Baltimore Center Stage. Cover photo: Segismund, portrayed by Jak Watson, is at the center of the narrative of Life is a Dream. (Photo by J Fannon Photography) Under the direction of Tony Nominee Stevie Walker Webb, Life is a Dream […]
Harvey Brings Joy to Baltimore’s Everyman Theatre
If you’ve ever revisited a story you remember from your childhood only to uncomfortably realize “Oh, that didn’t age well,” fear not. Mary Chase’s Pulitzer-winning play, Harvey, written in the 1940s, continues to shine a light on the timeless values of compassion and kindness, as showcased in this recent Everyman Theatre production. Led by resident company member Bruce Randolph Nelson as Elwood P. Dowd, the cast effortlessly brought the characters to life. Nelson’s portrayal of Elwood, with his infectious smile and unwavering kindness, immediately won me over. I couldn’t help but root for him, wanting to shield him from the […]
Lady First – A chat with Strand Theater director, Emma Hooks
America’s first celebrity isn’t a founding father. It isn’t even a man. The accolade belongs to Charlotte Cushman, a 19th century actress well-known for playing male and female stage roles from Romeo to Lady MacBeth. She was also openly queer. Keeping with their mission of creating theater by women for everyone, Strand Theater is telling Cushman’s story in Barbara Kahn’s play The Lady Was a Gentleman. Baltimore OUTloud spoke with director Emma Hooks about Cushman’s life, the technical challenges of the production, and the importance of acknowledging queer joy. This is the regional premiere of The Lady Was a Gentleman. […]
Edgar Allen Poe comes home to Baltimore and it’s Not a Midnight Dreary
In 2006, the musical Nevermore, with music by Matt Conner and book by Grace Barnes featuring lyrics adapted from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, made its live theatre debut. In northern Virginia. What’s wrong with this story? Ask any Baltimorean – Poe is ours. Yet somehow the musical ran in Virginia, England, and even Australia. Never Baltimore. After a 16-year wait, Stillpointe Theatre is to thank for Nevermore’s Baltimore debut. Director Ryan Haase, along with the talented cast and crew, have delivered a cryptic and immersive experience to finish their 13th season. Nevermore isn’t a full biography, but an […]
Angels in America’s Michael Kevin Darnall on Overcoming Fear and Avoiding Apathy
If you regularly attend live theatre in Washington, DC, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Michael Kevin Darnall perform onstage. Frequently spotted at the Hub Theatre and Spooky Action Theatre, Darnall recently made his Arena Stage debut in Tony Kushner’s epic play, Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches, which recently ended it’s run on the Fichandler Stage on April 23. Top image: Michael Kevin Darnall as Louis in Angels in America, Part One: Millenium Approaches. Photo by Margot Schulman. Darnall, who plays the role of Louis Ironson, spoke with Baltimore OUTLoud to share his thoughts on Arena Stage, the AIDS epidemic, […]