Putting on a show for charity
Judy Kahl, Jody Duke, and Deb Wilson rehearse for the Paint and Powder Club’s upcoming performance on June 2 and 3. The club, which was founded in 1893 and puts on shows to benefit charity, is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the United States.Photo by Jason SaulerBaltimore has many nicknames, including the “city of firsts,” with such claims to fame as the first... READ MORE
Funny? Serious? ‘Well’ is hard to describe
Well, now. How to describe Well — the quirky, perspective-shifting, serio-comic play from New York actor and writer Lisa Kron? That, as they say in the theater, is the question. What you see at 1st Stage, a non-profit theater in Tysons, Va., may depend on what you bring into the theater with you.It’s a mother-daughter play for some. Others may see it as an examination... READ MORE
Venus Theatre focuses on women writers
Deborah Randall says her audiences have an “immersion experience” at the Venus Theatre in Laurel, and this could include, as it recently did, sharing a dinner being cooked up on stage.In Soft Revolution, a play about Afghans in Australia, Venus founder-director Randall felt the recent production needed a sign of authenticity, so a pot of Kabuli palaw, the Afghan national dish,... READ MORE
Novels help heal war’s trauma
For Ellicott City resident Tom Glenn, 80, “Not to write would be to accept damnation. If I gave up writing, my spiritual life would come to an end. I would be a husk, and cease to be a human being.”For Glenn, you see, writing is not only a compulsion — “I’ve been writing since I was 6 years old” — but also a therapy. It eases the post-traumatic... READ MORE
Local writer imagines a Baltimore suburb
St. Bart’s Way could be any affluent suburb in America: rich with the histories — and the secrets — of the families who believe that their opulent homes with well-manicured lawns, and the high-powered jobs that keep the lights on, will somehow protect them from the seedier side of life.However, this well-to-do Baltimore ‘burb comes straight from the imagination of... READ MORE
Shifting shapes at renovated Center Stage
Those coming to Center Stage to see award-winning playwright Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of The White Snake, an ancient Chinese fable, may expect to see dazzling lights and remarkable transformations on the Head Theater stage. But they will also be surrounded by the transformations wrought by the theater’s recent $28 million renovation.The entrance, the lobby, the box office,... READ MORE
Annette Bening moved by her current film
In 1979, Annette Bening was 21 years old. A year earlier, she had moved from San Diego to San Francisco to study classical drama. She remembers it as a time of tremendous change and uncertainty — and big moments, like the day Harvey Milk and George Mascone were killed. But for the most part, her head was in Chekov and Shakespeare and Shaw and Arthur Miller.So when she read the... READ MORE
A top-notch Show Boat cruises at Toby’s
With its the soaring score, complicated love stories and realistic portrayal of racism, Show Boat, now on stage at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, treats the audience to an epic story that is both fun and dynamic, but also serious.Show Boat tells the story of those living aboard the Cotton Blossom, a 19th century show boat travelling the Mississippi River. The musical follows the... READ MORE
Women named to Hall of Fame
Without exception, the five women who will be inducted into Howard County’s Women’s Hall of Fame in March credit others for the support and encouragement that led to their success.The county’s Commission on Women has inducted its honorees each year as part of Women’s History Month since 1996. The women are heralded for their community service. “Once again, I am so impressed by... READ MORE
Sykesville couple design an artistic life
Julie and Ken Girardini are married not only to each other, but to their art as well. The husband and wife design team have been creating contemporary metalwork pieces since 1990, working out of a studio on their 3½ -acre property in Sykesville.The Girardinis met when both were living in Colorado. They’ve been married for 30 years, and designing and crafting together for... READ MORE
