Candlelight Society celebrates 50 years
Almost five decades ago, a music teacher living in the newly established city of Columbia spotted an ad in the local paper. “In the fall of 1974, I saw a small notice in the Columbia Flier saying anybody who would like to see chamber music continue in Howard County, please come to an organizing meeting,” said Philip Press. “And that was the genesis of what became, a few months... READ MORE
Actor has world premiere as playwright
One winter day on a college campus in the Midwest, Tuyet Thi Pham fell in love with theater. The first show she ever saw, Angels in America, would set the stage for the rest of her life. To her amazement, despite the freezing weather, throngs of people were protesting the production. She was astonished that a show could produce such a public reaction. Eight hours later, following the... READ MORE
Thoughts of auntie and her pink Cadillac
I can still hear her upstate New York accent all these years later. “Robbit,” she said, “I just went and bought it.” “It” was a car. But not just any car. In her 83rd year, my aunt had gone and purchased a brand-new Cadillac. She knew every one of its virtues — power steering, power seats, air conditioning — that made Florida tolerable for the hottest half of the... READ MORE
Shakespeare transformed at the National Building Museum
In the Folger Theatre’s entertaining production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you might be forgiven for wondering if director Victor Malana Moag nudged Puck (Danaya Esperanza) to sprinkle a scattering of the director’s own magic over the characters and script. Or does the Bard resonate differently in the National Building Museum (NBM), where production designer Tony Cisek and... READ MORE
Mystery novels by prolific older authors
The Bibliophile This summer, enjoy these mysteries, which run the gamut from suspense to adventure to whimsy. The Therapist: A Novel, You’re Going to Need to Talk to Someone, by B. A. Paris, 298 pages, St. Martin’s Press hardcover, 2021 This thriller has all the elements of a classic Hitchcock movie: murder most horrid, a haunted house, forgery, rumor and gossip run amok,... READ MORE
Stand-up meets acting at Theater J show
Brad Zimmerman describes himself as being a late bloomer. With “My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy,” however, he appears to have at last come into his own: His one-man show is now on national tour, and visitors to Theater J at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, D.C., can enjoy his autobiographical performance, which runs through August 21. In his 81-minute show,... READ MORE
Wildlife adventures of children’s author
Bethesda retiree Rozanne Weissman had a lifelong desire to see the wildlife of Africa and Asia. After she returned from her travels, Weissman wrote a children’s book, Rozanne Travels to Africa to Kiss a Giraffe, utilizing her photos and experiences. Weissman, who suffers from debilitating pain (polyneuropathy), says she’s perpetually young at heart and wanted to share her experiences ... READ MORE
SpongeBob musical is great for families
Okay, full disclosure: Before I stepped into Toby’s Dinner Theatre to see the current production of The SpongeBob Musical, I didn’t know anything about the wildly popular animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. Not one thing. I figured I’d learn about it soon enough. And so I did. One thing is for sure: I am now better able to answer the question posed to me many times... READ MORE
You know your marriage is strong when…
When you (mis)spend your life as a writer, as I have, and when you’ve perpetrated millions of words, as I have, other writers always ask you the same question. Do you need silence when you work, or could you work in the middle of the Beltway at rush hour? I always answer Option Two, but for a very unusual reason. I share a study with my spouse. Our click-and-counterclick has... READ MORE
Summer fiction for escape and enjoyment
The Bibliophile Relax and enjoy these novels featuring older and relatable protagonists. The Return of the Pharaoh: From the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., by Nicholas Meyer, 272 pages, Minotaur Books hardcover, 2021 Septuagenarian author, screenwriter and film director Nicholas Meyer imagines this caper as a long-lost manuscript by Dr. Watson. In this novel, Watson is... READ MORE
