Interesting plays in Washington DC and Durham, NC

As an appendix to my last entry, I thought I would mention two interesting plays which are starting their respective runs at Arena Stage in Washington DC and Man Bites Dog Theatre in Durham, NC, respectively. As of tonight, Arena Stage is producing "Nine Parts Desire" a one-woman show by Heather Russo about nine Iraqis and one Iraqi-American who talk about how their lives have changed since the outset of our invasion/occupation/liberation of Iraq. Russo was interviewed about the production on NPR's "All Things Considered." Alas, Washington D.C. is four and half hours from Reidsville, NC.

Durham is slightly closer, but I'm not sure I can make this one either. Nevertheless, it is worht mentioning that Man Bites Dog Theatre will be performing an 'all African-American" version of Anton Chekov's play "The Cherry Orchard," which as perhaps many of you know takes place in Russia during the outset of the 20th century. One has to applaud the theatre for deciding not to have the play take place in the American South, as they had rationally contemplated. I think this play would have been even more interesting if my friend Agnetta, who recently got married and moved to Chicago, was in it. She had performed in a Showtimers production of "The Crucible" in Roanoke, Va. I say this because Agnetta is from Kenya.......! If any of you have any black friends named Vladamir be sure to mention this production to them............

Since most of my friends are still in Roanoke, Va., and can not watch the stars hovering over the barns here in Rockingham County, NC, with me.......I do hope some of you can make the time to check out NoShame Theatre... a weekly late-night dose of improve and over-the-top skits. I am hoping to come back err...... soon. I need to finish a skit or two though!

 

Useful links.....

Arena Stage: http://www.arenastage.org

Man Bites Dog Theater http://www.manbitesdogtheater.org (I hope!)

And, lastly, Mill Mountain Theatre (where NoShame is performed) is http://www.millmountain.org

I think millmountain.com is the web site for the coffee shop just down the street from it!