All articles by Teniola Ayoola
“Sally Hemings didn’t have a choice. I do!” Luce hurls the words across the rehearsal room at her White boyfriend, Mike. They hang in the air. The room tightens. Their relationship fra…
On most nights in Washington, lawmakers debate legislation and journalists chase scoops. At Shakespeare Theatre Company’s (STC) annual “Will on the Hill” benefit last Monday night, …
In 2019, former Washington Post chief theater critic Peter Marks wrote about the theater of politics while following the presidential campaign trail. “44 The Musical,” written, compo…
There was once a time when art existed simply to enchant us, when audiences went to the theater not to see political realities reflected back at them, but to witness magic. With Edwaard Lian…
“It’s too woke.” Minutes into “Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders” at GALA Hispanic Theatre, a flamboyant British producer is on the phone with two Latino artists. He’s…
If there were no playbill framing Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels' vision for "As You Like It" as a "love letter to DC," would the production read that way? Would it make audiences swoon…
On a night shadowed by tornado warnings across the DC region, Signature Theatre pressed forward with its annual Sondheim Award Gala on March 16, 2026. The storm paused before the program beg…
There are rare moments in theater when you leave your seat thinking, What did I just watch? One came with "Go," a 2025 District Fringe performance. Another arrives with "On Beckett"Â the a…
From its opening fight sequence and throughout the many that punctuate nearly every scene, Synetic Theater's "Antony & Cleopatra" makes one thing unmistakably clear: power during the tri…
When you walk into a Jocelyn Bioh play, you don't just enter a theater, you enter a vibe. Before the lights dim, Afrobeats fill the space: Burna Boy, Wizkid, Asake, Fireboy, Tems, and Ayra S…
"The Sound of Music," directed by Jack O'Brien and currently at The Kennedy Center, is nothing short of heartwarming. From the abbey to the hills to the von Trapp mansion, the production lea…
Two figures step onto a large plastic sheet spread across the stage floor. There's no dialogue, no set pieces"just sound effects, silence, and suggestion. Somehow, this becomes a train platf…
A cool breeze rustled through the park as the orchestra struck its first shimmering chord for the fifth annual "Broadway in the Park," directed by Matthew Gardiner and hosted by Signature Th…
The world premiere adaptation of "El BotiquÃn de Boleros: Columbia Heights" at GALA Hispanic Theatre was written by Rubén León, adapted by Gustavo Ott, and directed and choreograph…
"It's not all the time you hear all four seasons together"so tonight is a treat. I could get a doctorate." Those words, spoken by philanthropist and first-ever NCE Arts Champion Awardee Nanc…
Hop on the 3 train and buckle up"Olney Theatre Center's world premiere of "Senior Class" is a joyful, unflinching ride through the intersections of youth, privilege, race, and dreams. With b…
A whip, a flogger (yes, there is a difference), a feather, nipple pasties, and a fishnet-clad male striptease ending in a ballroom "death drop""if homoeroticism be the food of love, then "Tw…
Whether it's a Baroque viol, a Renaissance bagpipe, or a trap beat, artists across time have used rhythm and rhetoric to speak truth to power. With its final concert of the season, "Kings an…
The show opens in pitch-black silence. A voice counts: "One. Two. Three." The lights flash on. Two women stand still. Then darkness again. "Four. Five." The women return, same figures, new p…
In Flint, Michigan, Thanksgiving dinner isn't measured in cups"it's counted in bottles. Sixty-six for the veggies. Twenty-four for the turkey. Thirty-two for the greens. This is life in a ci…
Once upon a time, a man walked into a barbershop, slapping backs and tossing out greetings, his words laced with the F-bomb"five times in a single breath"before finally pausing and demanding…
Valentine's Day already comes with plenty of sweets, and "The Love Birds: Chaucer's A Parlement of Foules" by the Folger Consort makes it even sweeter. It is a delectable delight amidst the …
On a crisp, cold evening in Washington, D.C., the historic H Street NE corridor buzzed with anticipation as attendees gathered for Mosaic Theater's Spark 2025 benefit celebration. The event,…
It's 1979, and Hester Ferris is deeply concerned about conservative Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. His policies and Supreme Court appointees could unravel fifty years of pr…
At the Folger Shakespeare Library's Reading Room Festival 2025, the air hummed with an energy that extended beyond the performances themselves. In Row J, as attendees settled in for the Day …
The first few days of Folger Theatre's The Reading Room Festival 2025 shows that theatre is constantly evolving through new perspectives, cultural lenses, and artistic interpretations. This …
 China recently surpassed the world in developing the world's most advanced AI engine, DeepSeek, achieving this milestone with fewer dollars too. Could ballet be next? In a mesmerizing f…
Too busy for hospice. We may have heard about people too busy for love, too busy to keep up with friendships, but too busy for hospice? It's a phrase that arrests the imagination"short yet p…
There was a meme circulating years ago with a crying girl asking, "Who fought for women's right to work?! Because that sh*t is pissing me off right now." Another meme joked about women going…
In 2017, Congresswoman Maxine Waters went viral for "Reclaiming my time," and now composer Kamala Sankaram is reclaiming her heritage, bringing the Indian culture and ethnic inspirations beh…
If theatre is indeed a reflection of society and offers insights into the culture of a place and its people, then what does Keegan Theatre's "An Irish Carol" reveal? Set in a cozy Dublin pub…
In the 1920s, archaeologists unearthed the world's oldest cookbook: ancient Babylonian recipes inscribed on tablets dating back to 1730 BCE. One recipe called for beer, but all beers today a…
To the Nazis, being born Jewish was synonymous with being "born devoid of honor." To be born with disabilities was to be deemed "unworthy of life." Fall into either of these categories durin…
Imagine you're a trendy, #blessed social media influencer. Your YouTube Gold Play Button"awarded to content creators with at least a million subscribers"hangs proudly over your fireplace. It…
If you need convincing to see Flamenco, the presence of Norberto Chamizo Garrido on any playbill should erase all doubts. His intensity is unmatched. With every movement"from the power of hi…
Scottish costumes, opulent banquet scenes, and powerful, evocative lines like "To arms!" and "Victory or Death!" are just a few of the highlights that make Verdi's "Macbeth," presented by th…
When does the very group that builds America's global competitive edge become a victim of its own creations? How will minority groups navigate the moral and ethical dilemmas of our data-driv…
For the first time in the DMV, Olney Theatre Center was one of a select few of regional theaters to bring the icy kingdom of Arendelle to life. It succeeds with ambitious staging, vibrant co…
Imagine young Frida Kahlo shedding her neck brace, completing her metamorphosis, and transforming into a butterfly with wings that stretch from stage right to stage left. In this moment, she…
Take it from "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"'s use of the word "Election" in a sentence: "One way to deal with the stress of the upcoming election is to watch a musical comedy."…
There are no announcements to silence cell phones and the lights do not dim. Instead, Robert Leembruggen's quiet stride onto the stage abruptly halts the side conversations of an audience st…
When I tell people that Folger Theatre's "Romeo and Juliet" is about the upcoming presidential election, their jaws drop because it seems like an unlikely connection. Yet under Raymond O. Ca…
The set unfolds in a whimsical setting, picking up where "Into the Woods" leaves off. It features Margie Jervis' tree stencil design adorned with musical notes, and a climber plant of sheet …
The Workhouse Arts Center's "Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors," a spin-off of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, takes a cheeky twist on the classic horror tale. Directed by Danilo Stapula and written by…
Just days apart, two plays have premiered in the DMV, each exploring themes of the African immigrant experience in America. The first is the vibrant "Jaja's African Hair Braiding" at Arena S…
A well-known chef once said, "It was God who created oysters and apples. And you can't improve recipes like that. But it is our job to try." In the case of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado Ab…
"Back to the Future: The Musical" is everything it's cracked up to be. When you think it couldn't get any better, it does. Now on its North American tour with a pit stop at the Kennedy Cente…
When the co-chairs of Shakespeare Theatre Company's (STC) "Will On The Hill" (WOTH), Gail McKinnon and Karishma Shah Page, ask the audience to stand if arts education has made a significant …
According to Pew Research Center, nearly 50% of Nigerian adults said they planned to move out of the country by 2025. If you want to know how the other half lives when they 'japa', this poet…
The McLean Community Players' production of "Heathers: The Musical" (book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe) is really good. Though it was hampered by some technical iss…
