Local 10-play festival is short and sweet
Did you know the average human attention span is about eight seconds? That’s less than that of a goldfish. So, the prospect of having to sit through a play that might run two or even three hours? Egad, pass the Benadryl and good night! Fortunately for drama enthusiasts, the Fells Point Corner Theatre (FPCT) has an alternative: the 10x10x10 Short Play Festival, which will take place... READ MORE
My latest birthday is setting records
Another birthday has crept up and landed. So has the oldest cliché. Yes, I have considered the alternative. No, I’m not ready to embrace it. But while rummaging through the usual birthday emotions — ho-hum, boo-hoo, bah-humbug, just-another-day — I suddenly got zapped by a bolt of reminiscence. I just turned 78. What does that number evoke? Why, 78 RPM records, of... READ MORE
Murder, mystery and more for summer
The Bibliophile Many readers prefer short bursts of creativity in short story form. This summer, enjoy these selections. Reader, I Buried Them & Other Stories, by Peter Lovesey, 384 pages, Soho Crime paperback, 2023 Murder most efficient is the theme of this superb anthology by an octogenarian award-winning mystery writer. Follow along as each crime is solved with speed and... READ MORE
Macbeth’s outdoor set adds atmosphere
Summer evenings are the perfect time to watch a Shakespeare play outdoors. This month, the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company — in particular, its Black Classical Acting Ensemble — presents an outstanding outdoor version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, directed superbly by Lauren Davis. The ensemble was established in 2021 “for Black artists to find and nurture their authentic voices in... READ MORE
Chita Rivera publishes her first memoir
It’s hard to imagine Anita, Rose Alvarez and Velma Kelly without Chita Rivera, who first breathed life into these beloved Broadway characters. At a time when there was limited Latino representation on stage, this young woman of Puerto Rican, Scottish and Irish descent was taking Broadway by storm and ensuring everyone knew her name. The dancer-turned-Broadway legend reminisces in... READ MORE
Recalling what our lives were like in 1968
He walked up to me at an academic conference wearing an inquisitive expression. I said hello and introduced myself. He did the same. Then this student said to me: “I’d like to know more about 1968. Can you help me?” My reply: “How much time ya got?” For all of us who waded, wandered, worried and worked through that epic year of American history, 1968 remains an obvious... READ MORE
Local authors tell of murder, satire, more
The Bibliophile These accomplished writers will mesmerize you with their fascinating accounts of true crime, the life of a beloved local figure, and a forgotten chapter in aviation history. Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America, by Mark A. Bradley, 368 pages, W.W. Norton & Company paperback, 2021 On December 9, 1969,... READ MORE
Honoring volunteers for decades of work
For the past 25 years, Montgomery County, Maryland, has chosen two older adults to receive the annual Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award for their lifelong commitment to volunteer work. The awards, named after former County Executive Neal Potter, are co-sponsored by the Montgomery County Commission on Aging and the Beacon Newspapers. This year, the county selected Dr. Carol Garvey, ... READ MORE
Play highlights Hollywood compromises
It turns out that pairing a Midwestern historian who writes a bestselling book on the Chinese Exclusion Act with a Hollywood producer who wants to turn it into television gold is a recipe for a hilarious and moving comedy. At least, this is true for Exclusion, the 10th production in a series of works Arena Stage theater commissioned for its Power Plays initiative. It is also longtime... READ MORE
Artist Hal Boyd makes ‘art that is mine’
Baltimore artist Hal Boyd’s paintings give observers the feeling that they’re in a dream: People dressed to the nines are waltzing in the moonlight while a gazelle looks on nearby (“Gazelle,” 2012); a bride and groom pose for a traditional wedding portrait, while candles dance behind the bride and two ghostly figures kiss in the background (“Bride & Groom,” 1989);... READ MORE
Arts 2024
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