Shakespeare meets Ellington at Signature
“I can sing and speak to him in many sorts of music,” says Viola, the protagonist in Twelfth Night. In Shakespeare’s classic comedy, a shipwrecked young lady finds herself in the unfamiliar land of Illyria. To protect herself, she disguises herself as a page for Duke Orsino and tries to help him win the affections of the Countess Olivia. Riffing off the original play’s focus... READ MORE
Local art professor focuses on painting
Baltimore painter Barbara Epstein Gruber, 67, had a discouraging start to her art career. Her early artistic aspirations were interrupted when her mother discovered her, at age six, “going full-Rembrandt on the wall behind the living room couch. This Crayola-on-plaster endeavor went largely unappreciated,” according to Gruber’s biography on the Maryland State Arts Council... READ MORE
The tear-free way to part with possessions
They tiptoe up to you at a social event and start by apologizing. Then they confess. They are longtime marrieds. They have lived in their house for ages. And they are about to downsize. They are apprehensive, sentimental, wary. They’ve heard that Grandpa Bob and his longtime spouse accomplished the downsizing dance some years ago. Any advice? Shoulders on which to cry? Magic ways ... READ MORE
Anthology showcases voices of women
Joy, sorrow and hope are among the many emotions expressed by local women in a new compilation of their writing, Grit & Gravity. Published in May by American University, the literary journal is the 11th volume in the series devoted to women writers in the D.C. area. Since the anthology’s founding in 2004 by American University professor and publisher Richard Peabody, the project... READ MORE
Three summer reads about show business
Making it in show business requires talent and dedication from the producer, performers and writers. Recent biographies of three iconic individuals reveal the struggles behind creating enduring cultural monuments. Carson the Magnificent, by Bill Zehme with Mike Thomas, Simon & Schuster, 2024, 336 pages As we all remember, Ed McMahon opened “The Tonight Show” with his signature ... READ MORE
Painter says it’s never too late to be an artist
After working full-time for 50 years, Marty Spence stood in her office alone on her last day of work, staring at the closed door and thinking, “I wonder what I’ll be when I grow up?” So Spence, a retired nurse with a master’s degree in clinical psychiatric social work, transitioned into a full-time artist. Before fully committing to art, Spence had a fulfilling career focused... READ MORE
Cool off under the sea with ‘The Little Mermaid’
“We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand,” Hans Christian Andersen wrote in his 1837 fairytale The Little Mermaid. “For on this sand grow the strangest flowers and plants…Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches.” Fathoms below, of course, live the Sea King and his mermaid daughters. This summer, Toby’s Dinner... READ MORE
This is what 80 looks like — and feels like
I’m typing this on my 80th birthday. Who, me? Yes, Mr. Face in the Mirror, you. The Big Eight-Oh! Good heavens. Good grief. Eight decades. Let the adjectives cascade: Surprising. Glorious. Unexpected. Delicious. Amazing. But most of all, lucky. Lucky to have lived this long, obviously. But lucky to exist at all. Such Krazy Kids, my parents. Why in the world did they... READ MORE
Julius Caesar thrills in outdoor venue
One does not have to be a Shakespeare fan to know the tragic tale of Julius Caesar. The would-be emperor failed to beware the Ides of March and was felled by members of the Roman Senate after uttering the famed line, “Et tu, Brute?” Interestingly, the play’s titular character has, in fact, a rather small role in this production presented by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company... READ MORE
Golden Girls learn to surf at Studio Theatre
At a moment when change is abundant, Wipeout by Aurora Real de Asua — playwright, filmmaker and performer — reminds us that change, growth and reconciliation can come from stepping out of our comfort zones. The production is on stage at the Studio Theatre, located in D.C.’s Logan Circle, through July 27. In Wipeout, three longtime friends nearing their 70s gather on the Pacific... READ MORE
Arts 2025
