First timer’s musical looking for a stage
Four years ago, Columbia resident Gayle Westmoreland was watching the news when inspiration struck. Her television was filled with bleak news about the high unemployment rates in America and Europe, and suddenly the words “Just Soar” appeared in her mind.Those two words began an unexpected chain reaction for Westmoreland. After jotting them down, she developed them into what she ... READ MORE
Revisiting Wilder’s enduring Our Town
Billed as “America’s Oldest Continuously Performing Little Theatre,” the Vagabond Players in Fells Point is celebrating its 100th season by reviving plays “that were particularly successful in the past,” so sayeth their press release.One of these past glories is playwright Thornton Wilder’s thick slice of Americana, Our Town, which was previously produced ... READ MORE
Alexandria capitalizes on new PBS series
“Blood is not gray or blue. It’s all one color,” says Dr. Jed Foster in “Mercy Street” — the upcoming PBS Civil War medical drama set in 1862 in the war-torn border town of Alexandria, Va.The lives and cultures of two volunteer nurses on opposite sides of the conflict intertwine as they confront war’s agonies, injuries and deaths in a former hotel... READ MORE
Lunafest — a short feast of films for women
A film fest that’s fun, enlightening and benefits a good cause? That’s Lunafest, a morning full of short movies by, for, and about women. It’s billed for Saturday, Jan. 30 at Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs. It’s even affordable. Tickets for $15 include a petit dejuener of coffee and pastries at 9 a.m., with show time at 9:30. It’s hosted by Soroptimist International of Palm... READ MORE
Theater critic’s preview for the new year
With discretionary spending on theater tickets sometimes challenging for patrons to manage, some area companies have played it safe in recent years. They have been offering productions they know will fill seats, rather than experimenting with new plays and musicals.But with the economy on the upswing, 2016 offers the opportunity to move away a bit from the tried-and-true favorites that have ... READ MORE
