27 stories by "Larry Bangs"
Adapting a classic movie for the stage is normally a reversal of sorts. To adapt a beloved Christmas classic, It's a Wonderful Life, as a "radio play" is unique and presents fascinating poss…
Strange that a play with the credentials of Arthur Miller's All My Sons is not produced nearly as often as some of its much better known "contemporaries." It won the New York Drama Circle Cr…
There remains to this day a good bit of controversy regarding the character of Richard III, the historical figure. The Tudors who laid claim to the throne of England when Richard was killed …
As a celebration of youthful exuberance and a medium for entertaining young people, Â P.Nokio is first-rate. Imagination Stage already has a well-deserved reputation for supporting new pla…
Suspense and intrigue reign supreme at the Unexpected Stage Company's summer offering of two one-act plays. In some ways, pairing The Dumb Waiter, an early work of Nobel Laureate Harold Pint…
Paul Gonsalves holds a place in the pantheon of jazz artist heroes for the brilliant performance he gave at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956. Fortunately it was recorded and is immortalized…
The City of God is an ambitious new opera written, directed and conducted by Josh Armenta who also takes a leading role in the piece. The Shop at Fort Fringe might possibly be the worst venu…
While billed as a professional storyteller, Ellouise Schoettler's performance entitled, Pushing Boundaries, is much more of a politically driven persuasion piece than it is real theatre. Sto…
Imagination Stage lives up to, in fact exceeds, its name, its mission and all manner of lofty expectations with their splendiferous production of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. Just…
The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's production of Romeo and Juliet is a bold and daring adventure that stretches the traditional boundaries of one of the classiest of the classics. In place…
Over the past seventeen years, the Young Playwrights' Theater has reached over 8,000 elementary, middle and high school students throughout the greater D.C. area with free, in-depth playwrit…
The Merchant of Venice is rightfully considered one of  Shakespeare's "problem plays" with its dark overtones of anti-Semitism and a feud between a Jew standing obstinately with the Ol…
The Young Playwrights' Theater is a revelation. Originally founded by playwright Karen ZacarÃas seventeen years ago, YPT's After-School Playwriting Program won the National Arts and Human…
The Compass Rose Studio Theatre in Annapolis is the zealous undertaking of Lucinda Merry-Browne, who co-founded The Bay Theatre Company in Annapolis and was its Artistic Director and Managin…
You want funny? Keegan Theatre has funny. Laughter on the 23rd Floor. They killed it, nailed it, knocked it out of the park. Neil Simon is easily the most prolific and highly awarded (Emmys,…
Paul Morella, backed by the Olney Theatre Center, has done something wonderful with Charles Dickens’Â A Christmas Carol. He has taken it back to its roots by returning to the novella…
There is magic afoot in Ellicott City, specifically at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park (PFI for short), often referred to simply as "The Ruins." PFI, which once housed a girls…
Toby's Dinner Theatre in Baltimore pulls out all the stops with this production of Dreamgirls. From top to bottom, beginning to end, everything about it is larger than life. Â The vocal pe…
Fela! is all about the music and the tragically inspiring story of the legendary Nigerian musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.  Immensely stirring and emotional, it was a hit on Broadway, w…
In the very first scene of Clifford Odets' The Country Girl, the lead character, Frank Elgin, is auditioning for a play. In the course of improvising a character, he says: "I have to like hi…
Not everything at the Fringe Festival is "hungry" " produced on a dime for the sheer joy of creating live theatre. F#@king Up Everything (let’s call it FUE), in spite of what the title…
Marilyn Kulick is a mensch. Now I probably should not be using that term for a woman because I think it's supposed to just be used for men. Â But here is the relevant definition as far as …
Last night, four very fine actors lit up the stage with some magnificent acting for two hours in John William Schiffbauer's new play, Live Broadcast. I was riveted to my seat for every secon…
Patrick M. Doneghy of the Dominion Stage had a good idea. Why not write a sketch about a gay men's support group and use it as the platform to feature the men singing songs written for women…
In addition to providing the space and freedom for wild and crazy stuff, The Capitol Fringe Festival offers a tremendously important opportunity for plays in development to be staged and get…
