Oral history becomes performance art
For many thousands of years, cultural storytelling traditions have united generations through the wisdom and oral histories passed down from elders.In the 21st century, a D.C. theater group is drawing on the same ritual in order to help teach older and younger people how to better understand and communicate with each other.The multigenerational, multiracial Double Nickels Theatre Company... READ MORE
Valerie Harper’s riff on real-life characters
You know her as self-deprecating, big-hearted Rhoda Morgenstern. But Valerie Harper has also portrayed former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and author Pearl S. Buck on stage.Currently, she channels actress Tallulah Bankhead at Arena Stage, nailing her smoky contralto slur.In a phone interview, Harper lowers her voice an octave or so and intones, “Hello, dahling. Let me tell you... READ MORE
Artist-owned gallery showcases local art
The Artists’ Gallery operates as a co-op. Among its members are (left to right) Diane Dunn, Nancy Davis, John Stier and Bonita Glaser, who both display their art and work at the gallery.Photo by John StierColumbia’s founder James A. Rouse was a daily visitor when the Artists’ Gallery first opened in the lobby of the American City Building on Wincopin Circle in the heart... READ MORE
Sites, sights and delights on tasting tour
Food tastings at a variety of dining establishments mix with a guided walk highlighting local art, history and culture in a pleasing blend provided by a unique new business in the valley.Desert Tasty Tours launched last January to lead small groups of residents and visitors through two of the valley’s most popular destinations — El Paseo in Palm Desert and downtown Palm Springs. ... READ MORE
Local stages abound with holiday cheer
Feel like taking some time out from the holiday hustle and bustle for a few hours? There’s no better refuge than indulging yourself in the current offerings of Washington’s theater companies. You can immerse yourself in holiday spectacle and sentiment, maybe with kids in tow, or choose to experience something completely different.What the Dickens?Tradition, tradition.... READ MORE
BMA shines spotlight on dance in artwork
Matisse’s “Seated Dancer,” 1925-1926, from the series Ten Dancers.BMA: The Cone CollectionWhen it comes to dance as an art form, Baltimore gets short shrift. But a new exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) may make up for that, at least temporarily…or, then again, leave us yearning for more.“Matisse’s Dancers” is an intimate exhibition of... READ MORE
Retro-Rockets keep audiences dancing
"Sentimental Journey," "Misty," "Rock Around the Clock" — most of the couples on the dance floor were in their teens and 20s when these tunes were topping the weekly Hit Parade selections.The dancers are smiling, but they’re concentrating on their moves, too. Swinging arms high, hands clasped with their partners, they sway, twirl and dip. A few... READ MORE
An assemblage of varied artistic interests
An 88-year-old working artist in Palm Springs with a long history of exhibitions and awards has found an ideal way to combine all of her creative interests into one art form — assemblage.Peggy Vermeer, who spent several decades painting in oils and acrylics while occasionally venturing into sculpture, batik, papermaking and print making, discovered four years ago that her fascination... READ MORE
Delightful Pygmalion much more than fair
Well, you certainly have your choice here, as Eliza Doolittle has come to town in two strikingly different vehicles. Arena Stage has the Lerner and Loewe musical classic My Fair Lady, based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion. Meanwhile, Washington Stage Guild is presenting the source material itself, Shaw’s original 1913 play.Many theater lovers will see both, of course, as My... READ MORE
Making and living modern women’s history
For a young college graduate in the 1960s with admittedly no clear vision for her future, writer and editor Suzanne Braun Levine ended up on a career trajectory that has made her one of the most accomplished authorities on women and family issues.Her long list of professional achievements includes having been the first editor of Ms., the groundbreaking magazine that launched 40 years ago... READ MORE
