My wife invited me and my teenage son to watch a work colleague perform in a fun community theater…read moreversion of Shakespeake's "Much Ado about Nothing". The 2-hour show (with intermission) was entertaining with the setting in New Orleans. This little theater had several pluses. First, the interior space is cozy and provides a fun vibe of live theater in which audience engagement is part of the experience. Second, it's only a few blocks away from restaurants on King Street. Street parking is not difficult to find if you arrive early. Third, the overall quality of individual theatrical performances was quite good. All the performers seemed to have regular day-jobs, but love theater for its own sake (perhaps from college). The only minus is the theater seats are very close to each other (think ballpark). Thus, if you happen to sit behind someone who is really tall, it may require a bit of peeking around to see parts of the stage. Hopefully, the folks in front of you will not be tall. Would definitely return for a future performance.

Cute, little quaint theatre! I was staying in the area and looking for something to do. I came upon…read moreA CHRISTMAS CAROL that was playing here on a tuesday evening. I reserved my seat online (got to choose my seat!) which was for E1 Street parking in the local neighborhood. I ended up parking and walking almost a block or so. not bad When I got in , there were ppl standing around waiting to be let in the auditorium. I checked in with a woman who had a printed list of ticket holder names. The seats were very close to one another and infront and back of you. I could see the stage very well It was hard to understand what the actors were saying at times, there is a speaker but in genera I couldn't understand some of the words (plus im deaf in my right ear, so theres that) Production was for an hour. Cute little theatre!

I came to see Pippin at this theater and cannot begin to express how impressed I was with the…read moretalent here. From singing to costuming to choreography, each performer gave everything to the audience. Since this is a theater in the round in a very intimate setting, I had my concerns that I would be in a section in which the performers had their backs to me. Quickly I realized that the seasoned cast is skilled at playing to each side and the staging wouldn't inhibit anyone's view. I purchased tickets with a partial view ( Row 4), and felt that my view from there was better than many Broadway shows I've attended. I did not find them to inhibit the show in any way, and the leg room was spacious. I really enjoy watching the support cast (chorus) and in this show particularly their roles were important to every element and integrated into the foreground. This is something you often don't see in traditional shows where the leads are foreground and the chorus is just left to be background noise. Great job by all. The theater is located near some eateries and an ice cream shop, but take advantage of this before the show. I felt every single person headed right to the ice cream shop after the show, and some of the eateries closed just as we exited at 9:00pm on a Sunday.

Now that the Signature Theatre is on my radar screen, I am happy to report that my 2nd visit - to…read moresee Pippin - reflects a live theater experience that is fantastic. I have already rated the theater facility/building as great so I won't go into much more detail about that. Although here goes - the building's entry is grand, the lobby is welcoming and exciting and the ushers/staff are friendly and first rate. The performance of Pippin that I saw was likewise first rate. Signature Theatre has taken a show I have seen multiple times in the past, and freshened it up. A lot! Presented in the round - which I normally do not like - it presents like live-action happening right in front of your eyes for the 1st time. And the theater is small enough that I felt immersed in the action! Indeed, several times, players would come right up into the seats and interact with me and other audience members. It really made the show seem like a story being presented for first time, spontaneously, right in front of me. And, the performances were so fresh, so intense that I felt that each and every emotion/action was directed only to me. Very nicely staged! The quality of talent in this show is also noticeable. Particular kudos to the man who portrayed Pippin. The ensemble too was Broadway caliber. The dancing in particular was exhilarating! I felt every kick and twist. Fosse lives in this production! This show is old, however, having been first conceived in the early 1970's. But there was very little that was tired or old or vintage. It was fresh and cutting edge. The Signature production was unlike any of the other presentations of Pippin I have seen. The actors' entrances came in from the audience entrances - all 4 corners of the theater - and it was enthralling. The close proximity made every actor seem like they were talking/singing just to me. It was the kind of show that you really need to see more than once because there is so much going on all at once. Bravo to the Signature Theatre once again!

I saw a play called In The Next Room here today. The play itself was pretty great! There were a…read morefew flubbed lines and missteps, but the recovery was spectacular in all cases. The venue left a little to be desired. This is a very small Playhouse in an old church that desperately needs renovation. I would say that it seats probably 40 or so, which made for a rather intimate experience. Still, despite the chill in the air and the boarded up windows, I was transported. I was very impressed by the production that was put on using what must've been bare-bones and shoestring type budget. I cannot recommend this place enough! The more support that this troupe receives, the better it is going to get. The set designer did a terrific job and I appreciated the transitions between acts. By all means, drop several hundred dollars to go see a show at the Kennedy Center. I know that I do. I also like to drop $20 or so to spend a few hours enjoying local artists honing their craft. I can't wait to see what comes from this small playhouse next! I hope that you'll take the time to check it out.

My friend and I went last night and saw "Shining City". We could not have been more impressed…read more From beginning to end this thought provoking performance was a believable slice of everyday challenges. The play was perfectly selected for the delightfully intimate venue. The small cast was totally engaging and quite professional. We are definitely looking forward to their next production. A special shout out to the actor that played "John"......Tom Flatt ~ He really delivered. Limited parking but ample street parking. Water/soft drinks and snacks for sale.

Just saw "Antony & Cleopatra." Fantastic! No dialog, only music and movement, but the stories are…read moreclear (we've also seen "Romeo & Juliet," years ago - also great!).

A true treasure. Their "The Immigrant" is so unbelievably timely. My family have been following…read morethem for years.

A historic building with an ostentatious name which has somehow eluded my attention until now. It…read morehouses a free (!) art gallery, which is just a big room with a little add-on at street level. The basement is open and is also visibly historic, but doesn't have much in the way of art. It does have cool air and a restroom. The scope of the art gallery clearly isn't large (bearing in mind that a free art gallery the size of a mansion is ho-hum by DC standards), but I enjoyed what they had and it was a perfect use of the time I had to spend on it. Surprisingly enough, they seem to allow people to bring their dogs inside.

All of the Athenaeum staff was excellent to work with. During the initial planning stages, Veronica…read moreand Richard were my main points of contact, both of whom were very helpful answering questions. They were happy to entertain our questions both via email and during the various trips to check out the space. The contract process was fairly straight forward and fortunately renting out the space includes both the art gallery and the outside garden (it rained on our wedding day and the ceremony was initially going to take place in the garden). A few days before the wedding, we were informed that Amanda would be the staffer on hand on the actual wedding day. I sent Amanda my proposed timeline and we reviewed it over the phone. She was willing to assist with flow of show and confirming chair and floral deliveries/set up. She advised us of some renovations that were taking place in the alley behind the garden, which is where the ceremony was originally going to take place. While the staff had not previously informed us of the planned renovation, it all worked out in the end. Amanda emailed me photos of the renovations, offered alternate solutions to ensure the scaffolding wouldn't be as visible, emailed the contractor to ensure they would be done with the renovations for the day prior to our scheduled photo time and ceremony start time, and offered to be at the venue early to ensure that everything was clean. When I realized it was likely going to rain on the wedding day, I emailed Amanda asking for a quick discussion on a rain plan. She contacted me right away to confirm a time and we spoke the morning of the wedding to come up with a rain plan. She handled the new set up with both the chair rental company and the florist. The set up came out beautifully. Also, one of the photographers left a water behind and Amanda emailed me about the item so I was able to retrieve it the next day. I would definitely rent this space again!

The theater is housed at The Lab, a multiuse facility housing classes, artist studios, performing…read morearts rehearsal space, theater productions (such as Brave Spirits Theatre), poetry readings, and open mic nights. The idea is fantastic and affordable for organizations that have limited amount of money to rent space for their events. My friend and I saw a performance of William Shakespeare's "Coriolanus" put on by Brave New Spirits Theatre troupe. When you have little or no budget for theater space, props, seating, stage, set, and decor, imagination is needed. The production made excellent use of space---in fact, the show spilled into the lobby area and began there. I've seen one other show in the past that did this, catching the audience by surprise and forcing an immediate immersion experience. Depending on where the audience members are standing, this yields a slightly different enactment every time, and different audiences enjoy different perspectives, which is smart. The theater is essentially a large open room with a carpeted floor and metal chairs arranged in a rectangular shape, with the four chairs on the edges turned the other direction so that the actors could sit when it wasn't their scene. There are multiple exits that make it convenient for actors to enter and depart the stage area. The props were just wooden pole. The actors put on a talented show; did not crash into each other's lines, have any awkward delays, or missed cue; and made excellent use of space and sound to deliver an engaging and meaningful performance. The actors sometimes sat right next to you and acted from the seats; others came close behind or in front of you. This is truly an intimate setting, and it would be very easy for a person in a wheelchair to find a spot to enjoy the show. There were some (likely newspaper) reviewers who were also at the show. I wonder how they perceived it; they were taking notes.

From the owner: Brave Spirits Theatre stages visceral and intimate productions of Shakespeare and his…read morecontemporaries with a focus on female artists and feminist perspectives.

This review is for the show at the Writers Center, Bethesda, MD, which doesn't seem to have a Yelp…read morepage of its own. I recognize that the Magic Duel takes huge pride in 5 star reviews on Yelp, which I deeply respect. But I did wish that we had seen the show in a different venue. I am no stage expert, but lights and sound do matter a lot in delivery of a magic show for a skeptic like me, going because the significant other loves magic shows. With better lighting, things would have been more "magical" (thinking bottles.) I was also surprised that a bubble artist, as good as she was in her profession, was considered a magician. After some quick research, you will end up at Magic Duel in this genre, so please go to Dupont or Georgetown.

The Magic Duel is just that...two Magicians competing to win the title of best of the night. You…read moredo actually vote on your phone at intermission. Mark Phillips and Ryan Phillips were both terrific. The one we voted for did indeed win, but they were both great! The Saturday we were there, there were two performances. We chose the 5pm one. It's a fast-paced show that kept us laughing, intrigued and highly entertained. A very fun, wonderful way to spend entertainment dollars in DC. Not a bad seat in the house! This is downstairs in the historic Mayflower Hotel, nice and close to the Farragut North Metro Stop. Definitely appropriate for all ages. Highly recommend!

Okay this particular location is very old. AC doesn't work well, very old seating, and some parts…read moreof the building are just dilapidated and closed off. If you're fine with an atmosphere of ancient times, then you'll actually be fine here. The screen and sound quality is top tier, and the staff can make and bring pretty much any appetizer fresh to your seat. Staff is kind and works hard. Came for a Nova Book Babes showing of Twilight and it was so worth it. (But there isn't much I won't put up with for Edward Cullen.)

This was an interesting venue. It kinda felt like being transported back in time which was neat…read more Seating was open, first come first serve, and it looked like most seats had a good view of the stage. The chairs were office style rolling chairs which I had never seen before but it did allow for convenient table arrangements and comfortable viewing of the stage. We saw Tim Meadows comedy and his show was great. We didn't get food or beverage (no minimum purchase) but from the looks of others plates, the serving sizes were good.

Great community theater ! Love the local troop ! Great version of foot loose ! We were visiting our…read moreson in Arlington!

A friend of a friend snagged a part in the chorus of "Thoroughly Modern Millie." I so love that…read moremusical, a bunch of us girlie girls went to check it out. The theater is actually part of TJ Middle School. It seats about 700 or so people. One of the ushers told me the makeup of the theater is called "proscenium" which means that it has a half shell arch at the front of the stage. In TJ's case, the arch is actually on the celing. The stage itself is raised above where we, the audience sat. We literally had front and center seats (second row). The orchestra pit was right in the middle of the stage. If you go to a show here, park near the Community Center which is to the left of the basketball court and all the way behind the school. The performance was great for an amateur filled show. "Like a squirrel, storing the nuts of life."