Category: Adult

OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD

*A Regional Premiere*

Growing Up is Messy…Especially When You’re Summoning the Dead

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

Presented by 5th Wall Theatre

At: The Basement, 300 E. Broad St., RVA 23219

Performances: October 16 – November 9, 2025

Ticket Prices: $30/Adults, $15/Students

Tickets & Info: https://www.5thwalltheatre.org/ or email info@5thwalltheatre.org

5th Wall Theatre opened its 2025/2026 season in its new, permanent home, the former Basement, now 5th Wall at The Basement or 5th Wall/Basement. In alignment with 5th Wall Theatre’s mission “to provide insights into the human condition through theatrical expression,” the season opener provided new dimensions to the theatrical experience. Alexis Scheer’s Our Dear Dead Drug Lord is a dark comedy about 4 Miami teenaged girls, members of the Dead Leaders Club, who meet in a tree house where they hope to summon the spirit of Pablo Escobar.

In case that name sounds familiar, yes, “that” Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug trafficker and leader of the infamous Medellín Cartel. In addition to being one of the world’s most notorious narco-terrorists, Escobar was also known as a philanthropist who built housing complexes, parks, football stadiums, hospitals, schools, and churches in some of Colombia’s poorest neighborhoods. So, what about Escobar appeals to a club (or gang?) of teen girls in Miami?

It could be the allure of the illicit, the Robin Hood element of Escobar’s philanthropy, the need to replace the powerlessness of being young and female with the trappings of power, or a misplaced coping mechanism to deal with their own personal traumas. More than likely, it is some combination of these things, along with the normal teenaged tendency to rebel.

In an interview for TheaterMania.com (September 22, 2019), the author explains that Our Dear Dead Drug Lord was created as a way for her to connect with her own roots. The Miami-born, Columbian and Jewish writer’s mother emigrated from Medellín in the 1970s. “The Colombian cartels and Pablo Escobar is a weird part of my family mythology that I don’t understand, because I feel so distant from it. So that’s where that came from. I think it’s a very American play, and part of my experience as an American is trying to touch upon the generation or two before me that was outside of this country and what they fled to get here.” (https://www.theatermania.com/news/alexis-scheer-gives-us-the-dope-on-her-play-our-dear-dead-drug-lord_89801/)

Okay. So, there’s that. But there’s also witchcraft, a Ouija board, a séance, and a special dance choreographed in honor of . There’s a diverse cast, each with a heavy burden of her own. Pipe, the club’s president, is an upper-class Cuban-American and carries the burden of grief from her younger sister’s death. Pipe’s bestie, Squeeze, is Puerto Rican-Haitian who is allergic to cats. Her father committed suicide. Zoom, Pipe’s Jewish-American neighbor, is the baby of the group, and always trying to keep up. Perhaps in an effort to over-compensate for her youth and lower status, she is also coping with the possibility of a teen pregnancy – which factors in the play’s climax. And then there’s Kit, a Columbian-American newcomer with a mysterious past that makes the other girls speculate that she may be the actual daughter of their hero, Pablo Escobar.

The intersection of this combined chaos is where these girls meet to create a sacred space, a sense of community – perhaps much like the community some young people find in gang life. Director Kaitlin Paige Longoria describes is as “an incantation, a call to the ancestors.” In her notes, Longoria writes, “It lives in that delicate space between grief and rebirth, between the ache of what’s been lost and the hope of what might still be found.”

It is in this spirit that these girls, four young women on the cusp of adulthood, seek freedom, power, and self-worth. It is in this spirit that they chant the mantra, “I will not be good. I will be loud, loud, loud. I will make the world in my image and take what I mine!”

Kylee Márquez-Downie (Pipe), Marya Brice (Squeeze), Eva Linder (Zoom), and Mary Kalinowski (Kit) form a solid ensemble, intense and darkly humorous. The séance is unsettling and the sacrifice is positively horrific and scary. It’s the kind of cast where each member has a distinct role, but it’s almost impossible to single out anyone because each plays an integral part in the whole.

Joey Luck composed an original score using the cast’s own voices and William Luther created a uniquely isolated and compact tree house environment where all the action takes place.

Our Dear Dead Drug Lord is anything but predictable. It is weird, dark, disturbing, and it resonates with the truth that society is failing our young women and if we don’t do something to shape and direct them, they will find someone – or something – to fill that void.

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself and occasionally performs. Julinda was recently awarded the Dean’s Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award 2023-24 Academic Year by VCU School of the Arts and the 2025 Pioneer Award in Dance Ministry by Transformation International Worship Ministries, Newport News, VA.

———-

OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD

A Play by Alexis Scheer

Directed by Kaitlin Paige Longoria

CAST

Kylee Márquez-Downie      ……….           Pipe

Eva Linder                             ……….           Zoom

Marya Brice                           ……….           Squeeze

Mary Kalinowski                   ……….           Kit

UNDERSTUDIES

Natalie Tubia                        ……….           u/s for Pipe & Kit

Kylie Metheny                      ……….           u/s for Zoom

Jada Paul                              ……….           u/s for Squeeze

FEATURING

DJ Cummings Herdoiza     ……….           Pablo

Fio Lo Presti                          ……….           Pipe’s Little Sister

PRODUCTION TEAM

Directed                    ……….             Kaitlin Paige Longoria

Scenic Design          ……….           William Luther

Lighting Design       ……….            Corrine Manderino

Sound Design            ……….            Joey Luck

Costume Design        ……….            Emily Andrew Mateos

Choreography            ……….            Kayce Sullivan & Jamie Hollman

Intimacy Choreography   …..            Kerrigan Sullivan

Stage Management ………            Megan Wave

Technical Direction ……….           Chris Foote

Photography             ……….           @ivyandlacephoto

Performance Schedule:

Thursday, Friday, Saturday 7:30PM

Saturday, Sunday 2:30PM

Tickets: $30/Adult; $15/Student

Run Time: 95 minutes, no intermission

The World Premiere of Our Dear Dead Drug Lord was presented in September 2019 by WP Theater and Second Stage Theater, NYC, NY.

CONTENT WARNING: This play contains strong language, sexual content, depictions of drug use, and scenes of violence. The play also includes references to suicide, sexual assault, and other sensitive subject matter.

Marya Brice, Mary Kalinowski, Kylee Marquez-Downie, Eva Linder
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A STRANGE LOOP

Or, How to be a Big, Black, Queer-Ass Broadway Musical

Presented by: Richmond Triangle Players in Partnership with Firehouse Theatre

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre, 1300 Altamont Avenue,  RVA 23220

Performances: June 20 – August 9, 2025

Ticket Prices: $55

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

A Reflection on Theater and Things Relative by Julinda D. Lewis

———-

Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, A Strange Loop (2019) follows the life of Usher – no, not that Usher – a Black, queer writer who works as an usher in theaters while writing his own musical about a Black queer usher who is writing a musical…about a Black queer usher who is writing a musical…

“Who knew slavery, police violence, and intersectionality could be so lucrative.”

A Strange Loop is at once as new as the latest dance craze and as old as the theater itself. The chorus of six nameless characters referred to in the program as “Thoughts” draws on the ancient Greek chorus. The Thoughts personify Usher’s inner struggles with identity and purpose. At times they represent social issues and personal demons, and at other times they represent people in Usher’s life. Come to think of it, Usher is not so much the lead character’s name as his occupation; he works as a Disney usher while struggling to overcome his writer’s block. Sometimes, the people are the issues, and sometimes the issues are the people. And since Usher is a young Black queer individual, these inner struggles encompass issues of racism, identity, homophobia, and self-doubt. Since Usher is a writer, A Strange Loop is also an exploration of the mind of creatives.

In science and technology, “a strange loop” is a concept proposed by Pulitzer prize-winning cognitive scientist and author Douglas Richard Hofstadter in his book I Am A Strange Loop (2007). In this book, Hofstadter (the son of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Hofstadter) explores the sense of “I” or what is a “self” through the lens of self-referential systems. While these systems have different meanings in different fields, they most often are represented by a loop.

Playwright Jackson uses the term to refer to a self-referential thought structure or loop, in which an individual may find themselves trapped in a loop of thoughts – all too often negative thoughts – that keeps returning to the same point. For our protagonist, Usher, the loop circles around the themes of identify, self-doubt, and the writing process. Each theme in complete in itself, but in A Strange Loop the thoughts are compounded and complex, forming a never-ending loop that feeds on his insecurities which are, in turn, reinforced by social and familial pressures.

In a 2022 interview for Outreach: An LGBTQ Catholic Resource, Jackson said, “It’s very simple. The ideology is so intact that when you have that filter or that loop in yourself, nothing will break it until you break it or until your perception shifts.”  [https://outreach.faith/2022/06/interview-a-strange-loop-playwright-michael-r-jackson-talks-faith-compassion-and-sexuality/] A Strange Loop is a musical journey towards breakthrough and perception shift.

And yes, all this background may sound like technical, scientific mumbo jumbo to some, but it is key to understanding this play and this character. Who among us has not been affected by negative self-talk? And this play, this big, complex musical wonder, has been recognized many times over for its heartfelt message. A Strange Loop won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. It also won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama even before its Broadway run.  The Pulitzer committee recognized Jackson’s work as “a metafictional musical that tracks the creative process of an artist transforming issues of identity, race, and sexuality that once pushed him to the margins of the cultural mainstream” while acknowledging the universality of human fears and insecurities. There were other awards, too – Drama Desk, New York Drama Critics’ Circle, and numerous nominations in multiple categories. You can be intellectual and artistic at the same time. A Strange Loop is a lot of things, all at once, and probably deserves more than one viewing.

This Richmond production, under the masterful direction of the multi-talented Katrinah Carol Lewis, with musical direction by Ben Miller and choreography by Deandra Clarke boasts a stellar cast headed up by Marcus Antonio. Antonio was most recently seen at the Firehouse/TP production of Fat Ham [https://jdldancesrva.com/2025/04/17/fat-ham/] where he gave an alternately sly, philosophical, and just generally endearing performance as the main character Juicy, modeled after Hamlet. In A Stange Loop, you forget Antonio is acting. He embodies the character of Usher with authenticity, but also with grace – and I’m not just talking about the physical kind of grace, but the spiritual kind of grace as well. And did I mention he can sing his butt off? You need to see and hear it for yourself.

Each and every one of the “Thoughts,” deserves special mention, but I know I would omit something or someone important. At one point they form a parade of past heroes including Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, James Baldwin, Whitney Houston, Zora Neal Hurston. When Zakiyyah Jackson/Thought #1 takes on the persona of an older Black woman who shares her wisdom and advice with Usher, she reminds me of the fabulous Phylicia Rashaad. Her last appearance on the RTP stage was, in fact, in a production of How Black Mothers Say I Love You [https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19WrqXMdBi/ ] TeDarryl Perry/Thought #4 and the understudy for Usher simply nails it as Usher’s mother. The red dress, the mannerisms, the attitude that flips without notice from, “The bible says homosexuality is worse than murder” or “Why do you hate me; you’re selfish” to love reminds me of people in my own extended family. I’m sure we all know at least one like her, or him.

I couldn’t believe that Anthony Cosby Jr., most recently seen in last season’s Yes, And! Production of Pass Overand known for his fabulous Prince tribute shows, was just now making his RTP debut as Thought #5. Likewise, it was awesome to watch Keaton Hillman/Thought #6 add to his growing repertoire of memorable characters. I haven’t seen Todd Patterson/Thought #3 sing and dance this much since BootyCandy (2022) [https://jdldancesrva.com/2022/06/17/bootycandy/]. I am not yet familiar with the beautiful Nesziah Dennis/Thought #2 but thoroughly enjoyed her performance and look forward to seeing more of them in the future.

With all the trauma in A Strange Loop, there is no deficit of humor. The parents’ names are Serabi and Mufasa, and the granddaughter is Nyla. Besides paying homage to The Lion King, it seems a bit of an inside joke that they are also the King and Queen of the Pridelands.

There are plenty of biblical references as well, from things people think are in the bible but actually aren’t (e.g., AIDS is God’s punishment for not living right) to actual bible quotes (e.g., But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption – 2 Peter 2:12 NKJV).

Production-wise, A Strange Loop utilizes the space at RTP so well that the stage seemed wider and deeper than it actually is – in other words, bigger than life. Frank Foster’s scenic design consisted of strands of light, in curving bands like a roller coaster or strands of DNA, and 18 slim poles. Michael Jarett’s lighting was evocative, simple, and dramatic in turn.

This is a musical, so I would be derelict not to mention the music, which encompasses multiple genres including R&B and gospel – sometimes with full choir robes. The songs were fully integrated into the book, with lyrics that seamlessly expanded the storytelling aspects of the show. One of the most memorable, near the end, was “Memory Song,” a work that kind of summarizes the intent and direction of the entire work, touching on Usher’s childhood memories and relationships, his sexuality, and his faith. [See the lyrics to “Memory Song” below.] In his bio, TeDarryl Perry wrote that this performance is dedicated to “all those Black, gay boys who chose to go on back to the Lord.”

In the end, A Strange Loop, while frequently referred to by participants as “a big, black, and queer ass American Broadway show,” is not just a niche show. It is for Black, queer people. It is for people who are exploring their sexuality or identity. It is for people who care abut mental health and identity. It is for anyone who has ever experiences self-doubt or self-hate. It is for people who have been bullied and people who have bullied others. It is for people who love a good story. It is for people who care about other people. It is for people who care. A loop is never-ending. The only way out is to break through.

Here’s a link to a preview of A Strange Loop: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19WrqXMdBi/

Here are the lyrics to “Memory Song”:

Five foot four, high school gym
Sneaking a cupcake
These are my memories
These are my memories

Shooting hoops off the rim
Slow on the uptake
These are my memories
These are my memories

After gym, the locker room
My eyes photographing
Naked me measures in at four and a half inches
These are my memories
These are my memories

Of one lone, Black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back on the Lord
One lone, Black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back on the Lord

Guild and shame
Jesus’ name
Church every Sunday
These are my memories
These are my memories

Eat his body
Drink his blood
Communion buffet
These are my memories
Sweet, sour memories

After church we’re driving home to radio crackle
Jazz music or Motown blues
And skin is a shackle
For one lone, Black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back on the Lord
One lone, Black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back on the Lord

These are my memories
Sweet, sour memories
This is my history
This is my mystery

Mom is napping on the couch
And dad cuts the grass
While I watch TV all day long
Young & the Restless
Like one lone, black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back on the Lord
One lone, black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back on the Lord

Dad is drunk and on the couch
While mom eats a porkchop
Daily bread mill
Daily treadmill won’t ever stop
One lone, Black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back on the Lord
One lone, Black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back on the Lord

I am lying on the couch
I dream that I’m flying
Flapping both my wings so hard
To keep me from dying
With a crown of godforsaken thorns on my head
Like all those black, gay boys I knew
Who chose to go on
Back to the Lord (like all those black, gay boys you knew who chose to go on back to the Lord)

All those Black, gay boys I knew
Who chose to go on
Back to the Lord (all those Black, gay boys you knew who chose to go on back to the Lord)
All those Black, gay boys I knew
Who chose to go on
Back to the Lord! (all those Black, gay boys you knew who chose to go on back to the Lord)
And one lone, Black, gay boy I knew
Who chose to turn his back-
On the Lord- (chose to turn his back on, chose to turn his back on the Lord)
Instead

Source: Musixmatch |Songwriters: Michael Jackson | Memory Song lyrics © Kobalt Music Services America Inc.

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, minister of dance, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and currently resides in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself and occasionally performs.

———-

A STRANGE LOOP

Book, Music, & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson

Directed by Katrinah Carol Lewis

Cast

Marcus Antonio ….. Usher

Zakkiyah Jackson ….. Thought #1

Nesziah Dennis ….. Thought #2

Todd Patterson ….. Thought #3

TeDarryl Perry ….. Thought #4 & U/S Usher

Anthony Cosby Jr ….. Thought #5

Keaton Hillman ….. Thought #6

Understudies

Nia Frazier ….. Thoughts

Sydnee S. Graves ….. Thoughts

A Strange Loop Band

Conductor/Keyboard ….. Ben Miller

Guitar ….. Lake Stiles

Drums ….. Joe Lubman

Reeds ….. Jalen Wise

Creative Team

Scenic Design ….. Frank Foster

Lighting Design ….. Michael Jarett

Costume, Hair, & Makeup Design ….. Margarette Joyner

Sound Design …. Grace Brown LaBelle

Props Design ….. Tim Moehring

Production Stage Manager ….. Lauren Langston

Choreography ….. Deandra Clarke

Music Direction ….. Ben Miller

For This Production

Assistant Stage Managers ….. Christopher R. Smith, Finn Thomason

Intimacy Director ….. Nora Ogunleye

Gender Consultant ….. August Hundley

Technical Director ….. Emily Vial

Master Electrician ….. Griffin Hardy

Sound Assistant ….. Julie Vo

Set Construction ….. David Allan Ballas, Grace Brown Labelle, Todd Labelle, Emily Vial, Patrick Rooney

World Premiere by Playwrights Horizons, Inc. in association with Page 73 Productions in New York City in 2019.

Performance Schedule

June 20 – August 9, 2025

Sundays at 4:00PM

Wednesdays at 8:00PM

Thursdays at 8:00PM

Fridays at 8:00PM

Saturdays at 8:00PM, closing August 9

Tickets

Ticket Prices: $55

Run Time

About 2 hours with no intermission

Setting

A loop within a loop within a loop inside a perception of one man’s reality.

Photos from the RTP Facebook page

Keaton Hillman, Nesziah Dennis, Todd Patterson, Marcus Antonio, TeDarryl Perry, Zakiyyah Jackson, Anthony Cosby Jr
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A CAMPY CHRISTMAS

WITH BELLS ON by Darrin Hagen

WHO’S HOLIDAY by Matthew Lombardo

With Bells On and Who’s Holiday!

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre | Carpenter Foundation Stage, 1300 Altamont Ave, RVA 23230

Performances:  November 13 – December 22, 2024, 2024

Ticket Prices: $55

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

———-

For some, the holiday season is heralded by a performance of The Nutcracker ballet. For others, it may be the arrival of the Richmond Triangle Players’ annual Christmas play. This year’s offering is a double bill of one-act plays: Darrin Hagen’s With Bells On and Matthew Lombardo’s Who’s Christmas.

First up is a zany yet somehow heart-warming tale of an introverted divorcé and a towering drag queen who get stuck in an elevator a few days before Christmas. Wette Midler plays the “glamazon” Natasha, who is on her way to an important, life-affirming pageant, while Doug Schneider plays Ted, an accountant who is venturing out on his own for the first time since his divorce.

William Luther’s scenic design is a simple open sided box, providing a wide-angled perspective of an elevator car, while all the attention is on Natasha, decked out in a glittery green Christmas themed dress topped off with an illuminated fascinator. Kudos to Alex Valentin for designing the posh queenly garb.  

With Bells On is equal part light-hearted romp and entwined tales of self-discovery or liberation, in which Midler and Schneider’s characters gradually, warily warm up to one another, find a point of connection, and hang on for dear life. Along the way, they leave a trail of verbal gems the way Hansel and Gretel dropped breadcrumbs.

Natasha, feeling threatened by the more diminutive Ted, says, “I have fuchsia belt in whipping your ass.” (This reminded me of a line by the great poet James Brown: I don’t know karate, but I know ka-razor! from “The Payback.”) Later she says, “If you’re not standing out, you’re lurking.” Softening up, she parries with, “Do you know what drag queens call Halloween? Amateur night!” Midler is a force and a vision, but she and Schneider share space as equals who balance each other in sometimes unexpected ways. And, BTW, where can I get those green pumps in a size 10W?

Emily Dandridge held her own in a one-handed performance as a grown-up Cindy Loy Who, sharing just a tad TMI on her relationship with that mean old Grinch. (And yes, isn’t it a coincidence that, what with the near-simultaneous of the film version of Wicked, green is suddenly “in” as an identity (for lack of a better word).

This Cindy Lou Who has traded pink pajamas for metallic gold leggings and a Christmas-themed top – just the thing to wear while searching for tramadol in the couch cushions and washing it down with a cocktail of clear spirits (gin and vodka, I think). This Cindy Lou Who may be down on her luck, having spent time in prison and living in a well-worn trailer at the foot of Mount Crumpit, but she’s smart, exhibiting advanced critical thinking skills as each of her so-called friends calls to cancel their attendance at her holiday party, Highlights of Dandridge’s performance include an unexpected rap performance and sharing a very much real pan of pigs-in-blankets with the audience.

I don’t know if it was the luck of the draw or if a certain seat (whose location I will not disclose, just in case it’s part of the plot – I mean script) is always selected, but on opening night my husband Albert Ruffin was selected from the audience to join Cindy Lou onstage to be plied with alcohol and offered a little extra for dessert. It may have been all in good fun, but now I must live with the aftermath of him walking around talking about (a) how much fun he had and (b) how he always dreamed of a career onstage.

Thinking back, I think I like this version of Who’s Christmas more than I did RTP’s 2018 version. (See my review of the 2018 version here: https://wordpress.com/post/jdldancesrva.com/700). This parody has its dark moments, its alarming images, and it is not without valuable life lessons on the downside of mixed marriage, diversity, and who your real friends are. Dandridge did a decent job of interacting with the audience, as this play requires. So, grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy the show. No stress. No worries. No need to overthink.

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself, and occasionally performs. Her most recent (ad)venture was the premiere of a solo work, The Waters of Babylon or Psalm 137 Revisited: a Post-Exodus Reflection in Movement Choreographed From Collective Memories for the debut of the Critical Race Theatre Project, right here at RTP in August 2024.

———-

A CAMPY CHRISTMAS

Act One: WITH BELLS ON

Written by Darrin Hagen

Act Two: WHO’S HOLIDAY!

Written by Matthew Lombardo

Directed by Joe Pabst

Cast

Wette Midler as Natasha in With Bells On

Doug Schneider as Ted in With Bells On

Emily Dandridge as Cindy Lou Who in Who’s Holiday!

Understudies

Keegan Ferrell u/s for Natasha

Travis Williams u/s for Ted

CC Gates u/s for Cindy Lou Who

Production & Design

Playwrights – Darrin Hagen (With Bells On) and Matthew Lombardo (Who’s Holiday!)

Director – Joe Pabst

Scenic Design – William Luther

Lighting Design – Gabriel Beard

Costume Design – Alex Valentin

Sound Design – Lucian Restivo

Props Design – Tim Moehring

Hair & Makeup Design – Luke Newsome

Production Stage Manager – Lucian Restivo

Assistant Stage Manager – Finn Thomason

Gender Consultant – August Hundley

Master Electrician – Gabriel Beard

Technical  Director & Scenic Artist – Rebecka Russo

Backstage Crew – Adri Ulm

Scenic Construction – David Ballas, Hunter Keck, Marcos O’Connor, Katie White

Settings & Times

With Bells On – An elevator in a high-rise apartment building, a few days before Christmas

Who’s Christmas! – A dilapidated trailer at the base of Mount Crumpit, Christmas Eve

Run Time

Approximately two hours, with one fifteen-minute intermission

Schedule of Performances

Thursday, November 21 at 8:00PM – OPENING NIGHT

Fridays, November 22, 29 & December 6, 13 & 20 at 8:00PM

Saturday, November 7 at 2:00PM

Saturdays, November 22, 29 & December 6, 13 & 20 at 8:00PM

Sundays, November 24,  & December 1, 8, 15 & 22 at 4:00PM

Wednesday, December 18 at 8:00PM

Thursdays, December 5, 12 & 19 at 8:00PM

Ticket Information

$55, Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

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FIVE LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE

Respect the Egg

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre | Carpenter Foundation Stage, 1300 Altamont Ave, RVA 23230

Performances:  September 11 – October 5, 2024

Ticket Prices: $50

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

———-

NOTE: For the last review I wrote for this space, I confessed that I was unfamiliar with the play prior to seeing it, but someone kindly pointed out that I had actually reviewed the Richmond premiere several years prior. I  wasn’t caught off guard this time. I remembered seeing this play before – in the same theater! – and my review of that earlier production was published in the Richmond Times  Dispatch, February 20, 2015.

———-

September 13, 2024:

The leaders and members of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are gathered in the newly renovated community center for their annual Quiche Breakfast, but all is not as picture perfect as it appears on the surface. It’s 1956 and the country is uneasy about the prospect of impending nuclear attack and many – let’s be honest, all – of the widows (wink, wink) share a secret that no one dares speak aloud. When the security system signals a nuclear attack, everything changes.

The authors, Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood – and the artistic team at Richmond Triangle Players – were eerily prescient. Change the year from 1956 to 2024 and the political climate, the threat of terrorism, and the challenges (dangers?) of being yourself are pretty much the same. I’m sure it was accident, no mere coincidence, that this production was planned for this pre-election period.

William Luther’s near cartoon-style set and gorgeous 1950s style dresses with their swinging skirts – some fluffed up by crinolines – stunning vintage shoes, hair bows, fascinators, and lace gloves are a feast for the eyes. The very demure outer appearance only makes the underlying sexual tension, innuendo, and banter that permeate each scene that much steamier. When Ashley Thompson’s character, Ginny Cadbury, the over-eager newest member of the group ends up atop a table with her face buried in a plate of quiche it’s as if a group of church ladies had suddenly put down their needle point to engage in an orgy. But I’m jumping ahead.

Theater-goers aka members receive name tags on arriving at their seats. Everyone gets a “female” name. I was Virginia this time. There is a lot of audience interaction, and one front-seat viewer in particular – “Margery” on opening night – gets to have an on-going supporting role. Nora Ogunleye as Wren Robin is the club’s event chair. Ogunleye, looking fabulous in a purple ensemble with matching hat and shoes brings over-the-top optimism and a mile-wide smile to the role. Kendall Walker plays Dale Prist, a wide-eyed innocent who looks like an animated Barbie doll and serves as the group’s historian with a classic Eastman-type film using camera around her neck.

Rachel Dilliplane brings barely repressed butch energy to Veronica “Vern” Schulz, the group’s buildings and grounds manager. Vern is the only one of the five women bold enough to wear pants, and in spite of her tight control over just about everything in her immediate world, Vern is the one who dropped the ball when it most mattered. Ashley Thompson slays as Ginny Cadbury, the newest member and recent British transplant who serves as the secretary. We never learn why – or if we did, it went over my head – Ginny is ostracized by the rest of the leadership team. Last but not least, Donna Marie Miller has the role of the group’s President, Lulie Stanwyck. A stickler for rules and protocol, who lives by the motto “no men, no meat,” it is Lulie who drops the biggest bombshell (I actually did not know that pun was coming) after the five find themselves confined to the shelter – with the possibility they may have to remain there for four long years.

Everything was moving along according to plan, you see, although there is a hint that things are not as they appear – when suddenly the lights flicker, the alarm sounds, and the safety door locks everyone inside against a nuclear attack. With seemingly nothing left to lose, it’s time to finally let go of long-held secrets. It turns out that “widow” is used here as a euphemism for lesbian. Once that is out in the open – and some are more reluctant to name their truth than others, and not even the audience is not exempt from participating in the apocalyptic confession – the floodgates open to reveal all sorts of secrets and Dale has an opportunity to earn a special place in the history of the sisterhood.

This cast is bright and snarky and generally hilarious. The costumes and set are visually delightful. The lighting and sound effects are appropriately over-the-top. The audience’s immersion pushes the edge of an unnamed boundary that gives heightened meaning to the word inclusion. What other play do you know of that encourages the audience to sing along to the theme song of an elite society and have everyone shout out, “I am a lesbian!” The issues are real: nuclear warfare, loyalty, discrimination, oppression, same-sex marriage. The timing of lines by the ensemble and the overall pacing set by director Kelsey Cordrey never attempts to belittle any of this, while at the same time guaranteeing there is never a dull moment. In short, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche is breathlessly entertaining.

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself, and occasionally performs. Her most recent (ad)venture was the premiere of a solo work, The Waters of Babylon or Psalm 137 Revisited: a Post-Exodus Reflection in Movement Choreographed From Collective Memories for the debut of the Critical Race Theatre Project, right here at RTP in August 2024.

———-

5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE

Written by Evan Linder & Andrew Hobgood

Directed by Kelsey Cordrey

Cast

Rachel Dilliplane as Veronica “Vern” Schultz [Note: the program spells her name Dillaplane but I used the spelling I’ve seen virtually everywhere else including her own social media]

Donna Marie Miller as Lulie Stanwyck

Nora Ogunleye as Wren Robin

Ashley Thompson as Ginny Cadbury

Understudies

Kendall Walker as Dale Prist

Emils Berry u/s for Wren Robin & Veronica “Vern” Schultz

Sydnee Graces u/s for Dale Prist & Ginny Cadbury

Jen Hines u/s for Lulie Stanwyck

Production & Design

Playwright – Evan Linder & Andrew Hobgood

Director – Kelsey Cordrey

Scenic & Costume Design – William Luther

Lighting Design – Gretta Daughtry

Sound Design – Lucian Restivo

Props Design – Tim Moehring

Hair & Makeup Design – Luke Newsome

Production Stage Manager – Corrie Yarbrough

Assistant Stage Manager – Finn Thomason

Intimacy & Fight Director – Lucinda McDermott

Gender Consultant – August Hundley

Master Electrician – Griffin Hardy

Technical  Director & Scenic Artist – William Luther

Scenic Construction – David Ballas, Josie Carter, Becka Russo, Kendall Walker

Setting

A community center in middle America where the annual Quiche Breakfast of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein is being held. Today, 1956.

Run Time

Approximately 70 minutes without intermission

Ticket Information

$50, Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

Photo Credit: unattributed

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DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE

DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE*

“If one of us is brilliant, maybe it’s not you,” or

Four Queer Women Lift-off on the Eve of Sally Ride’s Historic First Space Flight

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

By: Yes, And! Theatrical Company

At: The Firehouse 1609 West Broad St., Richmond, RVA 23220

Performances: March 7-23, 2024

Ticket Prices: $37 general admission

Info: Email: yesandrva@gmail.com; Website: yesandrva.org; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yesandrva/

When I say that Liza Birkenmeier’s 4-character, one-act play, DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE is weird, please understand that is an observation, not a judgment. There is a reason  why the Yes, And! Theatrical Company – now in its second year of production –- chose this play. I suspect it has something to do with exploration (inner, and self, more than space) and identity (woman as subject, not object, as well as gender and sexuality), and history (personal history as well as the history of Dr. Sally Ride and the American space program).

Set on a rooftop in St. Louis in June 1983, on the eve of the launch of the Challenger space shuttle that carried Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman to go into space, DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE is both non-linear and non-conforming. Two long-time friends, both poetry majors who have apparently simultaneously run into a writing block, come to the rooftop for the weekly meeting of The Two Serious Ladies Book Club. The club is named for a novel by Jane Bowles in which two women explore – depending in which review you read – “living outside themselves” or descend in debauchery. After forming the book club, however, our leading ladies, Harriet (Ashley Thompson) and Matilda (Rachel Marrs) realize they don’t really like to read, so they spend the time drinking beer and talking.

One day, their complacent little world is shaken up when (a) Harriet shares a harrowing tale of a sexual encounter with a stranger – a bearded biker, no less – and (b) Matilda invites a new friend, Meg (Kasey Britt) whose insight sheds new light on the friends’ sexual tension and life in general, and (c) their lives are all shifted by the imminent space launch that is the main topic on their rooftop radio.

Harriet is high strung and annoying, but about two thirds of the way through we find out she has good reason to be, and in spite of her irksome character, we cannot tear ourselves away from the story she weaves throughout. Perhaps Harriet’s calling was not for poetry, but for fiction or drama…Matilda, who has a husband and a sick child at home, would rather spend her time with Harriet, and is given to bursting out in song – revealing that Rachel Marrs has a stunningly beautiful singing voice and can even attempt a decent Irish step or two.

Most intriguing, however, is Meg. Back stories and character development are not a main point of DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE, so we know that Meg works at a hospital across the street from where Harriet and Norma live, and may – or may not –- be a nurse. She does, however, provide some music therapy for Harriet in the midst of her breakdown, which leads to one of this play’s most delightful moments.

The fourth character is Norma (Jacqueline Jones) – who is either Harriet’s landlady or neighbor. At any rate, it seems that Norma is the caretaker of the Ivan Brock House, named for fictional poet and the house where Harriet lives. Norma is concerned with three things: safety, money, and Harriet’s leaky air conditioning unit. Jones’ two or three appearances are all too brief, as Norma, who seems to be on the far right of some spectrum or another, shares complaints and almost incidentally drops pearls of wisdom and insight on the younger women.

DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE is directed by Kelsey Cordrey with a light touch, a good dose of wit, and a loving respect for words. Cordrey and the cast make us see or at least ponder connections between barbecue and beer, a beach house and a rooftop, an astronaut launching into space and an ordinary person (is there such a thing?) exploring the unexplored landscape of their life. It’s only about 90 minutes long, and the first few minutes are rather slow going, but about midway through – and even more so afterwards – it becomes clear that there is more to explore here than at first meets the eye.

Cordrey explains at least part of the “why” in her director’s note: “Pretty much every queer person I know has felt the urge to “go away” before. To escape to a place, whether literal or figurative, what would be more. More accepting, more fulfilling, more exciting, or more loving”.

Adam Dorland has designed a simple but effective rooftop setting with a couple of chairs, some stacked crates that serve as a table, an HVAC unit, and lots of brick wall constructed at an angle that juts slightly off the edge of the stage. Candace Hudert’s sound design is mostly subtle, and makes use of the ubiquitous 1980s boom box and cassette tapes – remember those???

If you like your theater to have a clear beginning, middle and end, and to tie up all the loose ends with a happy ending, DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE won’t fulfill those needs. If you like theater that asks questions and challenges you to think about why things are the way they are, then this is your kind of play. And if you’re undecided, or not sure, I would urge you to give it a try and discuss it after – maybe with three friends, over a bottle of wine or some beers.

FUN FACTS ABOUT DR. SALLY RIDE

  • Sally Kristen Ride (1951-2012) was a physicist and the first female American astronaut
  • Sally Ride was married to Steven Hawley (1982-1987) and had a long-term partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy (1985-2012)
  • Dr. Ride did not publicly reveal her sexuality until her death, in a carefully worded obituary she wrote before she died
  • In 1972, while an undergraduate at Stanford University, Sally Ride played tennis great Billy Jean King in a mixed doubles exhibition
  • One morning, at breakfast, in 1977, while she was a doctoral student at Stanford University, Sally Ride read an article in the student newspaper that NASA was opening up applications to women for the first time, so she applied
  • Dr. Ride’s younger sister, Bear, is a Presbyterian minister – she is also queer
  • Sally Ride was a Trekkie
  • Sally Ride and her partner Tam O’Shaughnessy co-authored several science books for children
  • In 2013 Sally Ride was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom; President Barack Obama presented the award to Tam O’Shaughnessy                  Source: https://today.ucsd.edu/story/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-sally-ride

*ONE FINAL FUN FACT

  • The Astronaut Beach House is a two-story building located in Cape Canaveral, FL use to house astronauts prior to their launch. The house is also used as a conference center, and hosts barbecues for astronauts and their families prior to a launch

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself, and occasionally performs.

———-

DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE

Written by Liza Birkenmeier

Directed by Kelsey Cordrey

Principal Cast

Ashley Thompson as Harriet

Rachel Marrs as Matilda

Kasey Britt as Meg

Jacqueline Jones as Norma

Understudy Cast

Juliette Aaslestad u/s for Harriet

Amber James u/s for Matilda

Davis Erney u/s for Meg

Nicole Morris-Anastasi us for Norma

Production Team

Scenic Design – Adam Dorland

Costume Design – Amber Martinez

Lighting Design – Steve Koehler

Sound Design – Candace Hudert

Properties Design – Margaret Dodson-Cordrey

Intimacy Direction – Tippi Hart

Production Manager – Todd LaBelle

Production Stage Manager – Crimson Piazza

Asst. State Manager – Marcely Villatoro

YES, AND! THEATRICAL COMPANY

in residence with NEW THEATRE at FIREHOUSE

Artistic Director – Maggie Roop

Managing Director – Nicole Morris-Anastasi

Executive Director – Matt Shofner

Dr. Ride’s American Beach House

Commissioned and Developed by Ars Nova

Jason Eagan, Founding Artistic Director | Renee Blinkwolt, Managing Director

World Premiere produced by Ars Nova, New York City, October 21, 2019

Performance Schedule

Thursday, March 7, 2024    7:30PM          Preview

Friday, March 8, 2024         7:30PM          Opening Night

Saturday, March 9, 2024    7:30PM

Tuesday, March 12,2024    7:30PM          Industry Night

Thursday, March 14, 2024 7:30PM          Understudy Performance

Friday, March 15, 2024       7:30PM

Saturday, March 16, 2024  7:30PM

Sunday, March 17, 2024    2:00PM

Tuesday, March 19, 2024   7:30PM          Industry Night

Friday, March 22, 2024       7:30PM         

Saturday, March 23, 2024  7:30PM          Closing Night

Tickets

Ticket Prices: $35 general admission

Run Time

1 hour 36 minutes with no intermission

Notes

Please be aware that an herbal cigarette will be smoked for a brief moment onstage

Photos by Tom Topinka

The real-life NASA Beach House
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SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF

“I Smile for the People ‘Cause I Like to See Them Smiling Back”

and I Think to Myself, What a  Wonderful World*

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

By: Virginia Repertory Theatre (Virginia Rep)

At: The Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre | Marjorie Arenstein Stage

When: March 1 – April 7, 2024

Ticket Prices: $39-$59.

Info: (804) 282-2620 or www.virginiarep.org

I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

American trumpeter, vocalist, and jazz innovator Louis Armstrong died in New York City, July 6, 1971 at age 69 of a heart attack. Terry Teachout’s one-man play, SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF (2012),is a work of historical fiction set in a comfortably appointed dressing room at the Waldorf Astoria’s Empire Room a few months before Armstrong’s death. The VaRep production features Jerold E. Solomon, who catches us off-guard in the first 30 seconds of the play by (a) stumbling into the dressing room and heading straight for an oxygen tank, (b) speaking in an amazingly accurate approximation of Armstrong’s gravelly voice, and (c) immediately announcing, “I shit my pants.”

Although it is a work of fiction, SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF has so much historical truth that it is an educational experience. We learn of Armstrong’s four wives and how he finally got it right with his fourth wife, Lucille – the first dark-skinned Black woman hired by Harlem’s Cotton Club. We share the outrage when he talks about traveling in the south during the era of Jim Crow segregation when even internationally known starts like Armstrong could not stay in a hotel or eat in a restaurant. We hear about Armstrong’s long-tern symbiotic relationship with his manager, Joe Glaser, and the heartache the followed when all Glaser left him on his death – his best friend and client/business partner – was a “tip.” There was a time spent working for the notorious crime boss Al Capone. He had beef with jazz trumpeter and bandleader Dizzie Gillespie and unpleasant rivalry with the influential jazz trumpeter and bandleader Miles Davis, who called him an Uncle Tom. We learn of Armstrong’s wide-ranging and eclectic interest in multiple music genres, including classical, opera, and country.

I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Solomon arrives onstage carrying a trumpet, which he immediately places in its case. He does not attempt to play or portray trumpet playing, nor does he sing, although he does toss off a little scatting. Solomon’s depiction of Armstrong’s voice is unwavering and I kept wondering if it was painful. But wait, that’s not all. When portraying Glaser, Solomon seamlessly shifts to a stereotypical New York Jewish accent without missing a beat. The portrayals of the outspoken Davis are less outstanding – although I think the reason lies less with Solomon than with the script. For someone known to be so outspoken and independent, Davis is written as a flat, uni-dimensional.

The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying
I love you

Mercedes Schaum’s set is sturdy and well appointed with a makeup area, a lounge area, two carpets, a wardrobe, an offstage bathroom and all the amenities one would expect from an exclusive venue located in a five-star hotel. Joe Doran’s lighting is mostly non-descript, but occasionally reaches for some noteworthy effects. I was surprised by the short audience on a Saturday night, the second night of the run. I’m not sure if this was due to a lack of interest in the subject matter or to the political activity occurring in the nearby downtown area, or to the 7PM curtain, or the fact that this play is a one-hander (rare for a VaRep mainstage production), or a combination of factors. Granted, Louis Armstrong may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and – as I found out shortly after the show – not everyone knows that Satchmo, a contraction of Satchel Mouth, was one Armstrong’s nicknames.

I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more
Than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Ooh, yes

I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed Solomon’s performance and the impromptu history lesson of Satchmo at the Waldorf – it appealed to my artsy side and my nerdy side. What a wonderful combination.

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who recently had both knees replaced due to a manufacturer’s recall. Born in Brooklyn, NY, she now lives in Eastern Henrico County where she can be found kicking up her heels as best she can any day of the week.

———-

SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF

Written by Terry Teachout

Directed by Rick Hammerly

Cast

Louis Armstrong/Joe Glaser/Miles Davis             ……….         Jerold E. Solomon

u/s Louis Armstrong/Joe Glaser/Miles Davis ……….       David Watkins

Direction & Design

Direction ………………………….             Rick Hammerly

Scenic Design ……………………             Mercedes Schaum

Costume Design …………………             Sue Griffin

Lighting Design …………..………            Joe Doran

Sound Design ……………………..           Jonathan Pratt

Stage Management ………….…..          Donna Warfield

Ticket Information

Box Office: (804) 282-2620

www.virginiarep.org

Tickets range from $39 – $59

Run Time

The play runs for approximately 95 minutes; there is no intermission.

Lyrics to “It’s a Wonderful World”

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: George David Weiss & Robert Thiele

“What a Wonderful World” lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Concord Music Publishing LLC

Photo Credits: Aaron Sutten

Jerold E. Solomon. Photo by Aaron Sutten.
Jerold E. Solomon. Photo by Aaron Sutten.
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CLEVER LITTLE LIES

Find the Happy in That!

A Comedy by Joe DiPietro

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

Presented by CAT – Chamberlayne Actor’s Theatre

At: Hanover Arts and Activities Center, 500 S Center St, Ashland, VA 23005

Performances: February 23 – March 9. 2024

Ticket Prices: $24.00 General Admission. $22.00 Seniors

Info: http://www.cattheatre.com

Clever Little Lies is the second offering in Chamberlayne Actor’s Theatre’s season of comedy. (The first was Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower that ran at Bright Point Community College’s Lynn Theatre last September, and the final show will be Keep on Laughing in June at HATTheatre.) With Clever Little Lies, CAT has moved from Martin’s zany unpredictability to Joe DiPietro’s sitcom structured shenanigans.

Clever Little Lies seems to be the sort of play that is as much fun for the actors to perform as it is for the audience to enjoy. As with a traditional (i.e., televised) sitcom, the opportunity for audience members to anticipate and complete the actors’ lines is part of the fun. For example, Alice, a book seller, rants about the intrusion of technology into literature: “If you had told Jane Austen that someday her epic masterpiece would be read by people on their telephone, she would’ve said, well…”  That leaves an opening for an engaged audience to respond, “What’s a telephone?” The actual answer is the less crisp, “She wouldn’t have said anything, there were no telephones.”

CAT’s production featured a well-chosen, tight-knit ensemble with Scott Garka (yes, the president of Richmond CultureWorks, that Scott Garka), as Bill Sr, Amy Berlin as his wife, Alice, Austen Linder as their philandering son, Billy, and Michelle Lachapelle as Billy’s wife, Jane. DiPietro lets the audience in on the first big secret in the first scene, where we meet Bill Sr and his son in the locker room of the local tennis club after the father has uncharacteristically trounced his son on the court. Noticing Billy’s distraction, Bill Sr begins to pry until Billy confesses he is having an affair with his beautiful young personal trainer. Billy’s wife, home on maternity leave with their three-month-old daughter, is unaware.

The comedy comes into play when Billy’s mother, Alice, who has the discernment of a bloodhound, a detective, and a psychic all rolled into one, figures out what’s going on and decides to organize an intervention under cover of a family get together. At one point, Alice tells Bill Sr to play along, but this is where things get complicated, and not so funny anymore.

Alice launches into a story that may be an allegory to set Billy straight, or a confession of a long-ago indiscretion of her own. What’s true? What’s a lie? How do we know the difference? The play ends with a happy resolution that leaves the audience wondering what really happened. And Bill Sr? I think he’s still sitting in his chair, a glass of scotch close at hand, wondering what just happened. In the words of one of my favorite comedians, who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?

There are some things Clever Little Lies, under the direction of Zachary Owen, does exceptionally well. Early on Berlin and Garka establish a warm, loving relationship between a mature couple. Garka’s pauses and facial expressions are priceless – exhibiting a satisfying command of the comedic moment.

It’s difficult to know what to say about Linder because he plays such a despicable character – so let’s say he did that convincingly. I didn’t feel a bit of sympathy for him. Lachapelle maintained a balanced, even keel that made me think her character knew more than she let on. Her surprise announcement to Billy was both anticipated and devastating. Time and again, I almost cared about these people.

Scott Bergman’s modular set was equal parts effective and distracting. The furniture was sturdy, but the background was not and we could see too much of the structure. The off-stage babbling of the young couple’s baby was not at all realistic, and the plastic doll used for play wasn’t even one of those eerily realistic baby dolls – providing another easy laugh. Overall, Clever Little Lies was a delightful divertissement, liberally sprinkled with easily won laughter – plus a whole lot of f-bombs and TMI about Billy’s sex life – and seasoned with a touch of nostalgia.

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself, and occasionally performs.

CLEVER LITTLE LIES

Written by Joe DiPietro

Directed by Zachary Owen

Cast

Scott Gorka as Bill Sr

Austen Linder as Billy

Amy Berlin as Alice

Michelle Lachapelle as Jane

Creative Design Team

CAT Producer – Charles A Wax

Associate Producers – Kerrigan Sullivan and Jason Owens

HAAC Executive Director – Sara Wright-Holloway

Director – Zachary Owen

Rehearsal Stage Manager – Sue Howells

Production Stage Manager –  Becki Jones

Lighting Design – Alan Armstrong

Scenic  Design – Scott Bergman

Costume Design – Sheila Russ

Sound Design – Charles A Wax

Dates

February 23 – March 9, 2024

Ticket Information

www.cattheatre.com

Ticket prices: $24.00 General Admission, $22.00 Seniors.

Run Time

Approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission

Photo Credits: Daryll Morgan Studios

Amy Berlin & Scott Garka
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TORCH SONG

Do Four Wrongs Make a Right? – OR – Is She Still Gonna Make Us Dinner?

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre | Carpenter Foundation Stage, 1300 Altamont Ave, RVA 23230

Performances:  February 14 – March 2, 2024

Ticket Prices: $10 – $40

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

———-

I came late to the TORCH SONG party because of other obligations, but I am SO glad I made it! TORCH SONG (2018) is apparently a shortened and revised version of Harvey Fierstein’s original 1982 (pre-AIDS pandemic) production, Torch Song Trilogy – the production that earned Fierstein his first two Tony awards (Best Play and Best Actor). This version consists of three scenes in two acts (“The International Stud, June 1974,” “Fugue in a Nursery, Summer 1975,” and ”Widows and Children First, June 1980”) and runs about 75 minutes with one intermission. Whatever the version or length of the TORCH SONG, the  work remains one of the prolific* writer’s most enduring works.

Torch Song:

to carry a torch for someone

to keep aflame the light of an unrequited love

TORCH SONG was groundbreaking in presenting the intersectionality of Jewish and queer identities with authenticity, avoiding both stereotypes and dumbing down the difficult conversations. The former – avoiding stereotypes – was no small feat, considering that main character Arnold Beckoff (played by Richmond Triangle Players own Artistic Director Lucian Restivo) is a habitual complainer who does not hesitate to use guilt as a weapon of choice. (I would describe him as a kvetch, but don’t want to appear to be engaging in cultural appropriation, although I did grow up in Brooklyn and there were mezuzahs on the doorposts of my grandmother’s house.) In the first scene, we see Restivo as a smart-mouthed, fast-talking, somewhat jaded drag queen who despite all her words to the contrary is really looking for love – the same type of enduring love their mother experienced during thirty-five years of marriage.

The problem is that Arnold’s love interest, Ed (played by Axle Burtness) is bi-sexual and is torn between the safety of his girlfriend/fiancée/wife Laurel (Emily Berry) and Arnold. The tension is palpable, and comes to a head in a most amazing scene in which Laurel invites Arnold and his new young beau Alan (Zach Barnard) to spend a weekend with her and Ed in their country home. Wow. Each member of this queer quartet gets to spend one-on-one time with the other three, leading to any number of revelations, confessions, scandals, and ordinary little moments that both Arnold and Laurel refer to as, “this is so civilized.”

As amazing as that first act quartet may be, the real highlight of TORCH SONG occurs in Act 2 when Arnold’s mother pays a visit. Alan has died, and Arnold had adopted a teen son, David (Liam Storm) – but Arnold has not explained any of this to Mrs. Beckoff. Things really come to a head when the mother and son face off in a shouting match, to determine whose grief is more valid. It’s heart-wrenching to hear Mrs. Beckoff, who had appeared to accept her son’s homosexuality when he first came out to her at age 13, speak disparagingly of his life and tell him she’s too old to change.

On Thursday night, understudy Sara Heifetz stood in for Debra Clinton, and Heifetz wore the shoes – and the wig – well. It was a delicate balancing act not to cross over that line into the stereotypical Jewish mother – she was there, hoovering, waiting in the wings. To some extent, the humor of the stereotype was a necessary antidote to the harsh reality of the hopelessness of their relationship. Kudos to Restivo and Heifetz for establishing that balance.

For me, the highlight of Act 2 was Arnold’s newly adopted/about to be adopted son, David (played by Liam Storm in his RTP debut). Storm’s compact stature, unruly curls, and unrestrained demeanor were refreshing and brought humor and energy to the storyline and to the physical space.

Speaking of the space, there was a most amazing set change during the intermission. The minimalist backstage area, dominated by a brick wall, was transformed into a homey two-bedroom Manhattan apartment. The credit for this goes to scenic designer Daniel Allen – and the team who made this happen in fifteen minutes each night. I’m not one who always pays attention to the lighting and sound design, but the work of Michaeal Jarett and Nicholas Seaver, respectively, were subtle but effective collaborations that contributed to the overall magic of RTP’s TORCH SONG, under the able direction of Gary C. Hopper. My one complaint would be that – at least from my otherwise ideal seat in Row E, the second row from the back at RTP’s Robert B. Moss Theatre – there were far too many times when some of the actors’ words got swallowed up or were just unintelligible.

Even given that, the semi-autobiographical story of Harvey Fierstein’s TORCH SONG has you laughing, crying, and laughing to keep from crying. If it doesn’t reflect your own experience, it surely reflects the experiences of someone you know. It’s emotional, revelatory, cathartic, and honest.

*Fierstein is also author of Kinky Boots, La Cage aux Folles, and Newsies. He performed onstage in Torch Song Trilogy, Hairspray, and Fiddler on the Roof, and on film in Mrs. Doubtfire, and Independence Day, and on television in The Good Wife and Cheers to mention just a few of his accomplishments.

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself, and occasionally performs.

———-

TORCH SONG

Written by Harvey Fierstein

Director by Gary C. Hopper

CAST

Arnold             …..      Lucien Restivo

Mrs. Beckoff  …..      Debra Clinton**

Ed                …..      Axle Burtness

David             …..      Liam Storm

Laurel             …..      Emily Berry

Alan                …..      Zach Bernard

**Sara Heifetz played the roll of Mrs. Beckoff the night I attended

Understudies

u/s Arnold     …..      Keegan Ferrell

u/s Mrs.Beckoff…    Sara Heifetz

u/s David &Alan..     Billy Heckman

u/s Laurel      …..      Theresa Mantiply

Torch Song Production Team

Playwright: Harvey Fierstein

Director: Gary C. Hopper

Scenic Designer: Daniel Allen

Lighting Designer: Michael Jarett

Costume Design: William Luther

Sound Design: Nicholas Seaver

Props Design: Tim Moehring

Hair & Makeup Design: Luke Newsome

Production Stage Manager: Lauren Langston

Assistant Stage Manager: Nora Ogunleye

Intimacy Coordinator: Hannah Sikora

Dialect Coach: Erica Hughes

Dramaturg: Kendall Walker

Gender Consultant: August Hundley

Technical Director: Chris Foote

Scenic Artist: Becke Russo

Mural Artist: Liz Lundberg

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DRACULA

Not Just a Ballet, But a Cultural Event

A Dance Review & Cultural Excursion

By: The Richmond Ballet with the Richmond Symphony

At: Dominion Energy Center’s Carpenter Theatre, 600 E. Grace St., RVA 23219

Performances: February 16-18, 2024

Ticket Prices: $25 – $130

Info: (804) 344-0906, etix.com, or richmondballet.com

THE PROGRAM

DRACULA

Choreography by Ben Stevenson, O.B.E.*

Music by Franz Liszt, arranged by John Lanchbery

Staging by Dominic Walsh

Scenery Design by Thoms Boyd

Costume Design by Judanna Lynn

Original Lighting Design by Timothy Hunter

Lighting Supervisor: Christina R . Gianelli

Guest Piano Soloist: Douglas-Jayd Burn

Flying by Foy

World Premiere: March 13, 1997, Houston Ballet, Worthan Center, Houston, TX

Richmond Ballet Premiere: February 16, 2024, Dominion Energy Center, Richmond, VA

Costumes and Scenery courtesy of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

*OBE = Officer of the Order of the British Empire: a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, among other fields

The Cultural Excursion

I’d been looking forward to seeing the Richmond Ballet’s premiere of DRACULA for months. (See my preview for Richmond Magazine: https://richmondmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/richmond-events/richmond-ballet-dracula/) But even though I had read the press release and had obtained a quote from Associate Artistic Director Ma Cong about the ballet’s high production values and dramatic choreography, I was not prepared for what I saw – both onstage and offstage – when I arrived at the Dominion Energy Center for the final performance of the three day run. I am so glad I got to witness this event with my own eyes and ears. Ben Stevenson’s choreography was every bit as dramatic as promised. The set resembled a towering gothic fairytale. The music lured you in, and there was even a red-colored, vampire themed drink available at the bar. But more on the actual ballet after this brief detour. [You may avoid the detour by skipping the next three paragraphs.]

First, the event started even before I got inside the theatre. While searching for parking, and then walking to the Dominion Energy Center, I noticed a number of people who were clearly headed to see Dracula. There was a veritable fashion show of goth gear, black lace, pale foundation and black eyeliner. The number of capes – in black and red – was astounding. A car parked across from mine in the parking deck even bore a license plate with some variation of the word “vampire.” All of this made me wonder, does  Richmond have a vampire community? I know about the theatre community, the dance community, the spoken word community, even the drag community and the burlesque community – but a vampire community?

That brings us to the second point. Much to my surprise, a cursory online search turned up several articles on an urban legend known as The Richmond Vampire, also known as The Hollywood Vampire. (Am I the last to know?) There is a story, dating back to the 1920s, of a vampire entombed in Hollywood Cemetery, near Oregon Hill. The legend is linked to the very real and verified collapse of a railway tunnel in Church Hill, where the train engine, flatcars, and bodies of laborers remain to this day.

Another part of the legend identifies the Richmond Vampire as one W. W. Pool, whose tomb is located in Hollywood Cemetery, as a vampire who was run out of England in the 1800s. And then, my husband reminded me of someone we know who, a few years ago, was said to have been “studying” to become a vampire. While none of this is directly related to the ballet, it does explain some of the things I saw, and some of the cultural aspects that were attached to the theatrical experience. One final note before going on to my third and final point – a discussion of the actual ballet – vampires, or vampire allies, seem to be quite friendly.

The Review

Finally, there was the ballet itself – a three act production (The Crypt, The Village, The Bedroom) running approximately two and a half hours, including two intermissions. Make no mistake, Dracula is, indeed, a ballet in the traditional sense. There is plenty of classical technique, including pointe work, and partnering. The second act, set in an Eastern European village, includes the familiar characters (an innkeeper, a matriarch, a pair of innocent young lovers) and peasant costumes and folk dances that populate many story ballets.

Dracula is also quite different from most classic ballets. The women of the corps who dance the roles of Dracula’s brides may initially remind you of the Willis in Giselle. They have been tasked with dancing gracefully and on pointe while carrying their arms stiffly in front of them, affecting the posture of the ”undead.” To do this while maintaining flexibility and gracefulness throughout the rest of the body must have been a challenge. There are flying dancers in several scenes (Anne Sydney Heatherington and Valerie Tellman-Henning were credited in the program, but I thought there was a third as well) and some impressive pyrotechnics near the end when Dracula is finally hunted down and destroyed by Frederick, Svetlana’s innkeeper father (Gabor Szigeti), and the village Priest (Jack Miller) – and while these effects proved to be delightful for adults and children alike, there were many themes that dealt  with morality and sexuality that were not recommended for children under the age of 8.

For instance, Dracula’s henchman, Renfield (danced by Zacchaeus Page for the final performance) procures young women for his master. Come to think of it, Renfield’s status is little more than that of an indentured servant or slave, so there’s that issue of oppression as well. Dracula’s dozen wives would constitute polygamy by today’s standards, but then there is also the issue of them aiding and abetting the procuring of “fresh blood” which can only be obtained by kidnapping more women. If this were a TV show, I’m sure Capt. Olivia Bensen would be called in because this sounds like a case for “Law & Order: SVU.”

Irish author Bram Stoker published the gothic horror novel Dracula in 1897. British-born choreographer Ben Stevenson (who spent 27 years as artistic director of the Houston Ballet) created the masterful Dracula,the ballet, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Stoker’s masterpiece. (Stoker and Stevenson even share the same initials.) Given the differences in media, the two vampire tales are quite distinct, yet recognizably related.

Richmond Ballet rehearsed two complete casts for Dracula. Sunday evening, the lascivious vampire was danced by Christian Renforth, his newest bride Flora by Izabella Tokev, his henchman Renfield by Zacchaeus Page, and Svetlana, the innocent young villager on whom Dracula has cast his eye as his next prize, by Eri Nishihara. Aleksey Babayev danced the role of Svetlana’s beloved Frederick and the two of them had a wonderful chance to shine in a celebratory dance scene. After drinking too much, rather than losing his composure, Frederick demonstrated a stunning virtuosity, and Svetlana temporarily lost her shyness – turning not on her toes but on her heels.

Dracula’s cape is both a fashion statement and a work of art in blood red and black with tapestry-like designs. The brides’ white dresses, pale makeup and pale locks set a new standard for “undead” beauty. The set for Acts I and III (The Crypt and The Bedroom) are majestic and spooky, in contrast to the once-upon-a-time innocence The Village set of Act II. Last but not least, I must mention the dreadful carriage that Renfield uses to procure Dracula’s new brides. Drawn by two horses (Tekhylon Armour and Darius Mealy), the dark and ragged carriage with a hint of smoke at the top shouts “stranger danger” but even Svetlana’s strongest kicks and screams are no match for the evil that lies within.

The Richmond Symphony, under the direction of Erin Freeman, with guest pianist Douglas-Jayd Burn played Franz Liszt’s haunting and dramatic score arranged by John Lanchbery specifically for Stevenson’s ballet. Dracula is truly a collaboration of elements: the choreography, the music, the story, the set, the costumes all work together to create theatre magic.

The Richmond Ballet offered this production of Dracula the weekend after Valentine’s Day. I have often complained that Romeo and Juliet was not my idea of a proper Valentine’s offering, since they both end up dead. Cinderella has been a happier alternative. Dracula has many of the elements – both pros and cons – of other romantic ballets, but the addition of a vampire somehow makes it sooooo much more satisfying…

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself, and occasionally performs.

Dracula. Richmond Ballet.
Dracula. Richmond Ballet.
Photos courtesy Tulsa Ballet.
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Photo by Sarah Ferguson
Photo by Sarah Ferguson
Photo by Sarah Ferguson
Photo by Sarah Ferguson

ONE IN TWO

This is the play that has no end. . .

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre | Carpenter Foundation Stage, 1300 Altamont Ave, RVA 23230

Performances: September 20 – October 14, 2023

Ticket Prices: $10 – $40

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

———-

After seeing Donja R. Love’s phenomenal Sugar in Our Wounds, produced at Richmond Triangle Players (RTP) during April-May 2022, I was excited to see One in Two (2019) and I was not disappointed. One in Two is a three-person drama set in a waiting room, in the crossroads of “Now, until; Everywhere, nowhere.”

I was very intentional in my use of the word “crossroads.” While the literal meaning of a crossroads is an intersection, a place where two roads meet, it is commonly used figuratively and spiritually to refer to life-changing situations that require special attention, a decision, and are often marked by rituals of protection or transition.

One in Two is a masterful example of storytelling, but not the kind of story that is meant to entertain. This story is autobiographical – written by the playwright around the tenth anniversary of his own HIV positive diagnosis. It is not an entertainment, but rather a call to action, the urgency of which is suggested by the knowledge that Love began writing this play on the Notes app of his phone, from his bed. Presumably he, like the character Number One, was struggling with the need to define himself aside from a diagnosis that many considered a death sentence.

There is an experimental and inclusive nature to this work as well. Audience members are asked to take a number from a ticket machine as we enter. While the purpose is never explained, it eventually becomes clear that each ticket has been re-designated as either a “1,” a “2,” or a “3.” The three actors do not know, at the start of the show each night, which of them will be playing the role of “1,” “2,” or “3” until the audience chooses, by applause. [I applauded equally loudly for each because I know and admire Keaton Hillman and Tedarryl Perry as actors and was immediately drawn to Garrett D. Reese’s “extra-ness.”]

The actors begin to drift onto the stage one by one, about ten minutes before the show starts. They stand, stretch, linger. The action begins with a scream. On Friday, opening night, Perry was chosen to be Number One, and soon after a “safe word” was established. Overkill? No. It is, indeed, that intense.

One in Two is not lacking in humor. The three romp in a recreated memory of their youth. Perry progressed through the role of Dante from a carefree little boy to a young man exploring his sexuality until stumbling at the crossroads of an HIV positive diagnosis. Hillman played a number of roles, from bossy, king-of-the-hill kid to bartender to supportive [female] nurse, and even a member of an HIV support group – whose marriage was surrounded by secrecy and the unwillingness of his in-laws to accept their son’s marriage to another man. Reese also took on various roles, from the playground mediator to a streetwise booty call or, to put it more graphically,  trade, to Dante’s warm but worried mother.

Director Shanea N. Taylor pulls us into this world that unfolds in a non-linear, sometimes dream-like format that carries the audience from laughter to the point of tears in a matter of seconds. The stark white background, with a nurse’s station, a bathtub, and a bar hidden behind convenient cabinet doors, supports this fragile paradox – there’s nowhere to hide, while hidden in plain sight.

While it is impossible to know exactly how someone feels in this situation, One in Two takes us as close as humanly possible with a roller coaster of emotion including shock, shame, anger, depression and despair, compassion, fear, and more. The trauma is real. The acting, the play, is just an effective delivery vehicle.

Oh. That title? At the time this play was written, according to the CDC statistics: One in fourteen gay white men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. One I four gay Hispanic men will be diagnosed HIV positive. And one in two gay Black men will be diagnosed with HIV. That is why, at the end of this play, there is no bow. There is no applause. There is no end. Yet.

FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT: “There is still trauma that’s hard to write, there are still remnants of fear that tremble the voice found in my writing. I’ve gotten to a point where there are no words, characters, dialogue, or subtext to hide behind anymore. Fear can no longer overshadow truth.”

Bravo to this cast and creative team and to Richmond Triangle Players for moving past fear and presenting us with the cold, harsh truth.

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

———-

ONE IN TWO

Written by Donja R. Love

Directed by Shanea N. Taylor

CAST:

Keaton Hillman – Person on the Left

Tedarryl Perry – Person in the Middle

Garrett D. Reese – Perso on the Right

Understudies: Da’Rek Early Bennett and Larry Lewis, Jr.

CREATIVE TEAM:

Scenic Design – Dasia Gregg

Lighting Design – Michael Jarett

Sound Design – Nicholas Seaver

Projection Design – Lucian Restivo

Costume, Hair & Makeup Design – Margarette Joyner

Props Design – Tim Moehring

Production State Management – Lauren Langston

Assistant Direction – Dwight Merritt

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