When looking for a partner, keep the faith
Q: I’ve lived alone since August 2018 after a 30-year marriage. I’ve been actively seeking a partner since Covid and have been off and on the dating sites. I live in a very conservative farming area, and the men I found interesting were in the Philadelphia and NYC areas. I sent out dozens of short messages. They ignored me. I’m financially independent, own my own home, and am... READ MORE
Vagabond’s play dives into the making of Jaws
Half a century ago, theaters across the U.S. filled to capacity to watch a film about a giant man-eating shark that terrorizes a summer resort town in New England. The movie Jaws followed a series of similar disaster-themed films like The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure and Earthquake, all with a simple formula: something terrible (fire, flipped ship, shaking ground) befalls... READ MORE
In sixth book, author uncovers real Uncle Tom
At 80 years old, Marylander Susan Cooke Soderberg has published the latest in a line of six history books. In My Name Is Not Tom: The Life of the Reverend Josiah Henson, published last year by Georgetown University Press, Soderberg highlights Josiah Henson, who supposedly inspired the Uncle Tom character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. “History has always been a passion of mine; finding the ... READ MORE
Signature’s Fiddler on the Roof hits new heights
Fiddler on the Roof, the 1964 musical based on stories by Yiddish-language author Sholem Aleichem, is back. The theater-in-the-round revival at Arlington’s Signature Theatre, which runs through Jan. 25, is superb. Directed by Joe Calarco, Signature’s Fiddler on the Roof will win the admiration of those old fans as well as newcomers to this important staple of American musical... READ MORE
‘Deceived’ at Everyman delivers thrills
Baltimore’s Everyman Theatre has made it a bit of a tradition to start the holidays with a mystery, a work of suspense. Last year for instance, Everyman staged Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit And Then There Were None. This holiday season, Vincent Lancisi directs a stellar four-member cast in Deceived, Johanna Wright and Patty Jamieson’s adaptation of Patrick Hamilton’s... READ MORE
‘Elf’ brings holiday magic and fun to Toby’s
The plot of a mythical character encouraging a cynical Macy’s employee to believe again in the magic of Christmas will likely remind many of the holiday film classic Miracle on 34th Street. But the story of Buddy the Elf, now playing at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, is unique, timeless and adorable. Over the past two decades, Elf, the 2003 movie starring Will Ferrell, has... READ MORE
On the soccer sidelines as a grandfather
Grandpa gets there early. The Jaguars are warming up. About 10 parents are congregating along one sideline, including my son. Coffee is being sipped. Smiles are being shared. Six-year-old soccer is on stage, yet again. Thirty years ago, my son was the player and I was the congregant. The generations trundle on. The Jaguars aren’t having a very good season. In fact, they have lost ... READ MORE
Two nonfiction books for winter evenings
History Matters, by David McCullough, 192 pages, Simon & Schuster, 2025 The late Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough told an audience in 2012 that writing history was like working on a detective case. “And once on the case, you want to know more and more and more,” he said in remarks at Dartmouth College. “Follow your curiosity.” One thing that’s clear... READ MORE
Love — or at least friendship — in a hurry
Q: I signed up for a speed-dating event and have never done one before. I’m 75, never married, no kids, and am very happy with my life, but would like a companion to go places and do things with. My last relationship ended almost 30 years ago, and it’s way past time. Any suggestions would be welcome. —Robyn, Maryland A: Congratulations on taking the first step toward potential... READ MORE
Retired physician publishes her memoir
When Kay White Drew was in her early 20s, a close friend suffered the death of her premature son. That loss drove Drew to a career in neonatology. While attending medical school at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, and later completing a pediatric residency at the University of Maryland Hospital, Drew saw many injustices. Last year Drew, now retired, published her memoir of that... READ MORE
