Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. --It was a busy weekend for one theatre goer in Washington as I attended three plays and a cabaret. The weekend started off at The Studio Theatre where their Millennium Project: Part One continued with the new adaptation of the 1950s comedy The Desk Set.

The play is set just after the McCarthy trials and before the Sputnik crisis when America was in a period of relative calm. Everybody liked Ike and television was exploding around the world bringing classics like Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, Texaco Theatre and The Honeymooners into American homes. Behind the scenes, the cold war brewed and technology was ready to play a major role in the lives of people everywhere.

This sublime new production, penned by Studio Theatre writers Michelle T. Hall and Patricia Smith Melton, combines the best of the original William Merchant play and the screenplay for the film written by Phoebe and Henry Ephron and the issues originally addressed in the 1950s still ring true in our Y2K world.

Anxiety about new technology, corporate mergers, careers, and relationships serves as the ever pertinent foundation of this rollicking romantic comedy. A good dose of hilarious humanity cures the nervous tension created by wars between the sexes, sciences, and super-powers. In this new production, Bunny Watson, played by Holly Twyford, leads a group of workers in the research department at Federal Broadcasting which is about to be tuned upside down by a brand new computing brain called Emmarac or "Emmy" as her caretakers affectionately call her.

Bunny and her coworkers like their job and she especially likes her boss and long-time boyfriend Mike Cutler (T.J. Edwards). When Richard Sumner (Brian Robert Mani), the "efficiency expert" is assigned to install Emmarac in the Reference Department, Bunny and her charges are thrown into a tizzy. With so much on the line, Bunny and her co- workers decide to take on Emmy and in the process they learn something about life and love.

The cast of The Desk Set is strong from end to end and even those in "smaller" roles make their mark. Twyford, a four-time Helen Hayes nominee, heads this fine cast and plays the sharp, yet vulnerable Bunny to perfection. Carver Hudson's wisecracking Peg is a force in the production and the timing between her character and Twyford's is impeccable. Makela Spielman (Sadel) and Susan Lynsky (Ruthie) rounds out Bunny's team to perfection. These "girls" are smart and resourceful but are they able to outsmart the computer age?

T.J. Edwards (Mike) is the picture of the 1950s male executive who does not quite comprehend what his staff can accomplish and also does not appreciate what Bunny has to offer in a personal relationship.

Brian Robert Mani (Richard) begins the show as the man out to transform Federal Broadcasting into a computerized monolith and winds up appreciating the staff and winning the heart of their leader. When "Emmy" enters the picture in Act III, she threatens to steal the scene from her human counterparts with all the whistles, buttons and gadgets the "new" technology had to offer.

Special kudos to set designer Daniel Conway whose 1950s office sets the perfect mood for the production and J.R. Sullivan's direction which makes use of the set to move characters on and off without confusion.

The Desk Set runs in the Mead Theatre at Studio through June 6th with lighting design by Marianne Meadows, Costumes by Kaye Voyce, Sound by Gil Thompson and props by Sue Senita Bradshaw.

WASHINGTON, D.C. --The Cabaret scene here in Washington D.C. is not nearly as strong as it is in New York City or in my former hometown of Philadelphia. So I was supremely pleased to receive an invitation to the premier of Joseph Perna: I'm a Stranger Here Myself at the Phoenix Theatre at 1409 Playbill Café, around the corner from The Studio Theatre.

Perna, who has been praised by The Washington Post as "one of the city's strongest and most distinctive musical talents," is sharpening his act here in Washington before his debut at Manhattan's venerable cabaret room, Don't Tell Mama.

I'm a Stranger Here Myself is not your average cabaret show because Perna is more than a simple singer. While blessed with a good voice, the power of his performance comes in the expressiveness of the character he portrays throughout the show which is defined by his opening number, "The Gypsies, The Jugglers and The Clowns" (Mel Mandel/Norman Sachs).

Perna never falls out of character as he steers the audience through his 14-song set. Dressed in baggy-legged pants, brought together by a tiny waist and topped with a clown-like shirt (complete with big buttons) and suspenders, Perna offers us an inside look at this sometimes funny, sometimes sad, character.

The classic Ogden Nash/Kurt Weill number "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" is followed by Kander and Ebb's "Mister Cellophane" from the hit show Chicago. The set includes a wide range of material which allows Perna to stretch both his vocal and acting talents. From the definitive clown song, Charlie Chaplin's (along with John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons) "Smile" to "The Gypsy in my Soul" (Moe Jaffe, Clay Boland) and "If You Love Me" (Edith Piaf/Geoffrey Parsons/Marguerite Monnot) to "The Accordionist" (Michael Emer/Richard Murphy), Perna uses his music to further his character.

He also performs rousing renditions of the Sondheim classics "Marry Me A Little," and "Anyone Can Whistle" along with Kander and Ebb classics "When You're Good to Mama" from Chicago and "But The World Goes Round" from New York, New York.

As an indication of the seamlessness of this show, Perna goes from the hilarity of "One Meatball" (Hy Zaret/Lou Singer) to the ethereal "Not Earthbound" without missing a beat, performing the latter before the songwriter, Roz Freund, who was seated in the first row. Skinny little Perna, who looks like he never ate a piece of cake in his life, finished with a raucous rendition of Kander and Ebb's "Sara Lee."

Perna has performed cabaret around Washington at Mr. Henry's Capitol Hill workshop, the Banana Café and Piano Bar, Windows and the critically acclaimed In Series at Mount Vernon College. As an actor, Perna has been seen in Philadelphia and Washington area in Hello Dolly, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story and The Winter's Tale.

Phoenix Theatre was founded in 1996 by H. Lee Gable and Stephanie Wallis and is committed to presenting original theatrical works and fresh, new interpretations of older plays. They have taken up residence at 1409 Playbill Café which is owned by Elsayed Mansour and Jeffrey DeMontier. I am so pleased to see this kind of commitment to cabaret and theatre in a town where theatre space is at such a premium. I hope to watch it grow in years to come.

Joseph Perna: I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Makeup by David Scott, costumes by Lea Umberger, directed by Andy Torres and musical direction and accompanist by Alex Tang. Joseph Perna: I'm a Stranger Here Myself is performed through June 26, Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays t 8:30 p.m. Call (202) 745-0643 for tickets.

WASHINGTON, D.C. --Sunday was another busy day as I wanted to see two plays being performed in repertory at the Folger Shakespeare Library, The Knight of the Burning Pestle and Macbeth.

The first of the productions presented by the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express (SSE) was an afternoon performance of Francis Beaumont's The Knight of the Burning Pestle.

Beaumont, a contemporary of Shakespeare's, wrote this comedy as a play within a play which has at least four levels of storylines. A troupe of actors is putting on The London Merchant, a conventional middle-class romance, when a grocer in the audience (George, played by Michael Glenn) and his wife (Nell, played by Wyckham Avery) come onto stage and bully the actors into allowing their apprentice (Rafe, played by Clint Brandhagen) to play the Knight in The Knight of the Burning Pestle. Soon the two shows are on one stage: the original story about young lovers, and the increasingly fantastic story of Rafe, the "Grocer Errant."

Because George and Nell keep interrupting the proceedings and because Rafe's adventure requires the help of the actors, Beaumont created another story involving how these actors manage the intruders. The fourth story is that of George and Nell themselves as told throughout the play.

After some initial confusion, the audience became clearly enamored with the story and the characters. Glenn, Avery and Brandhagen actually entered the theatre with the crowd and were seated. I noticed them as soon as they entered because of their tacky and flamboyant costumes. However, after looking around the audience, I thought there were more actors in the audience than those three but it turns out they were simply fashion disasters.

The Shenandoah players were exceptional throughout, but Avery and Brandhagen stole most of the scenes they were in. The SSE tries to present shows in a style as similar to the original as possible. For that reason, the lighting does not change and actors often have to play several parts. However, unlike plays of the era, SSE does use women performers, but there is still a bit of gender bending including Jason Stiles who plays, among other parts, Pompiona, who works his/her wiles on the men.

The SSE uses modern music in this production much as Beaumont would have used the music of the day to get the meaning across. So, when Jasper (Jay Postell Pringle) and Luce (Chaon Cross) proclaim their love for each other, it is with the pop tune "Endless Love" which was a hit for Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. In that particular case and several others, it works. Other times, however, the injection of pop melodies can be a distraction.

While the use of one person for a variety of parts in a play with four different levels can be very confusing, the audience seemed to get it and they were clearly pleased, interrupting the dialogue with laughter and applause throughout. I also found The Knight of the Burning Pestle a most enjoyable experience.

The Knight of the Burning Pestle is directed by Ralph Alan Cohen

WASHINGTON, D.C. --Sunday evening, I returned to the Folger theatre to see SSE's second show, Shakespeare's classic tragedy, Macbeth.

Going from comedy in the afternoon to tragedy in the evening is never easy, but the performers of the SSE made the transition beautifully.

Now if you don't know the story of Macbeth, smack yourself in the head and pretend it is from me. This is one of THE classic stories in all literature and has been performed thousands of times around the world.

As presented by the SSE, Macbeth is given a fresh look and invigorated by the youthful performers. Particularly compelling are the performances of the leads, Walter Elder as Macbeth and Cross as Lady Macbeth. There is an undeniable chemistry between the two, especially as the madness sets in. Other performances of note include Stiles as Macduff and Brandhagen as Malcolm. Pringle's performance as Banquo is outstanding, especially after his death when he appears only to haunt his murderer, Macbeth.

Macbeth is a violent and bloody play and, if it were written today, might be on someone's list of productions which should be banned because of the violence. However, as written by Shakespeare, the violence of the play is necessary to further the plot and is not performed without consequence.

Macbeth is directed by David W. Johnson with costumes by Kathleen Conery and sword fight choreography by Joseph Martinez.

About the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express: Since the SSE began in 1988, the company has developed a reputation for excellence as a traveling troupe. Having performed in 38 states and five nations, the group is raising money for a planned trip to perform at the Globe Theatre in England. SSE is under the artistic direction of Jim Warren.

The 11-member troupe is composed of Wyckham Avery, Clint Brandhagen, Kila Burton, Chaon Cross, Gwendolyn Druyor, Walter Elder, Michael Glenn, Jason Stiles, Tom Summers and Jay Postell Pringle and they all shine during various parts of the two shows. Both shows continue through June 6th. For scheduling information or tickets, you can contact the box office (202) 544-7077.

The life of bisexual comedian and actor Andy Dick makes for great drama. Dick was recently in the headlines for drug problems (He was arrested May 15 for possession of marijuana and cocaine after running into a telephone pole) and his sitcom Newsradio was canceled two days later due to low ratings. Dick was also seen partying with Suddenly Susan star David Strickland the night Strickland hanged himself in a Las Vegas motel. But Andy is not dwelling on his problems. He has drawn on the details of his life to create the autobiographical musical, The Big Dick Show.

The show, according to Dick's publicist, is all about the "trial and tribulations of being Andy Dick." It covers his adoption, his struggles with drug addiction and the loss of friends. According to the publicists, the show will not address the issue of Dick's bisexuality, although "it may include a few references to it."

Originally considered for a run off-Broadway, the musical, with Dick playing himself, will instead be touring the nation later this summer. Expect dates to be confirmed after Dick's upcoming court hearing but you can expect the show to wind up in Washington, D.C. sometime in the next six months, the publicists said.

AT AREA THEATRES: To see a partial listing of shows in and around Washington D.C. in the coming weeks, please visit The Capital Calendar .

Also see this year's winners and nominees for the 15th Annual Helen Hayes Awards.

-- Tony Swanick