AT A TIME when the divide between the left and right seems ever-deepening, Arena Stage produces a play about irreverent and liberal West Coasters who meet one weekend with their distant cousins, who are conservative Midwesterners. "The Quality of Life," written by playwright and TV scribe Jane Anderson, examines how these couples cope with intense personal loss and even find common ground. Originally debuting in two West Coast productions — in Los Angeles and San Francisco, both directed by Anderson — the play makes its East Coast premiere at Arena Stage under the direction of Lisa Peterson.
» EXPRESS: Your writing seems to center on very human issues and struggles. How much of your own personal experience do you bring into your work?
» ANDERSON: I try not to use anything directly biographical. I'd rather use my plots as a metaphor for issues I'm going through … or that upset me.
» EXPRESS: What inspired you to write this play?
» ANDERSON: The play was inspired by a conversation with a very, very good friend in a long, long, loving, intense marriage. When he found out that his wife had gotten cancer, he was prepared to die with her. We seem to support the idea of assisted suicide for people in agonizing pain, but what about exquisite emotional pain because of grief? That made me think about how people in different parts of the country or of different beliefs grieve in different ways.
Continue Reading "In From Out of Town: 'The Quality of Life' Comes to Arena Stage" »
MONDAY: Finally, finally the superhero-themed outdoor movie series in Crystal City has gotten through all the inferior franchises and made it to Batman. Within this series lies one of the best superhero movies ever made ("The Dark Knight") and the funniest ("Batman Forever").
Tonight, see this truly ridiculous epic, complete with Jim Carrey as the Riddler and Val Kilmer as a plank of wood — er, Batman.
» 18th St. and Bell St., Crystal City; Mondays through Sept. 21, sundown, free; Crystalcity.org. (Crystal City)
Photo courtesy Warner Bros.
MONDAY: With all these angsty superhero movies abounding — we are looking at you here, Batman, yes, you — it's nice to go back to just a few years ago when a comic book flick could be all about camaraderie and explosions.
For a trip down nostalgia road, check out the free screening of "X-Men" in Crystal City, part of the 'hood's superhero movie festival. Or wait until September to see "The Dark Knight." If you must.
» 18th St. and Bell St., Crystal City; Mondays through Sept. 21, sundown, free, Crystalcity.org.
Photo by Attila Dory
MONDAY: It's time once again for Jose Andres' annual Paella Festival, when all three Jaleo locations (D.C., Bethesda and Crystal City) will offer innovative versions of the rice-based dish, cooked by guru Quim Marques.
So either hit one of Andres' restaurants in the next two weeks or head to the kickoff party tonight, where you can sample the new recipes. RSVP to crystalcity@jaleo.com for a spot.
» Jaleo Crystal City, 2250 A Crystal Drive, Arlington; Mon., June 8, 6 p.m., free; 703-413-8181. (Crystal City)
Photo by Alfredo Duarte Pereira
THIS WEEK: Karen Zacarias' new play, "Legacy of Light," tells the story of two female scientists, one living in 18th-century France and one in modern-day New Jersey.
Her work weaves themes of love and discovery with a gentle treatise on the difficulties women face in society when they have to choose between parenthood and career. This wonderful, original play is not to be missed.
» Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington; through June 14, $25-$66; 202-488-3300. (Crystal City)
TO THOSE FOR whom a play involving physics and calculus provokes glazed eyes and memories of high school trauma, fear not.
"There are no long, dusty speeches," says playwright Karen Zacarias of her new comedy "Legacy of Light," currently housed at Arena Stage in Crystal City.
Indeed, the play begins with a make-out session, then a sword fight. The duelists in question: philosopher Voltaire (Stephen Schnetzer) and St. Lambert (David Covington), lovers of Emilie du Chatelet (Lise Bruneau), a brilliant mathematician and physicist.
Continue Reading "Physics Gets Physical: 'Legacy of Light'" »
MONDAY: Arena Stage's free play-reading series starts off again tonight with "Harlan at the Rockpile," a historical drama about a 19th century explorer, Josiah Harlan, who was the first American in Afghanistan.
Oh, and he wanted to make himself king, in case you were confused about our illustrious foreign policy history in that region.
» Arena Stage at Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington; Mon., May 18, 7 p.m., free but reservations required; 202-488-3300. (Crystal City)
ONE TIP ON "A Delicate Balance": Don't call it Edward Albee's first Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
"It was my second," Albee corrected in a recent phone interview, citing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as his first. The jurors gave that play the prize, he said, but the board rejected it.
"I don't know; they thought the play was too good," Albee said, then amended: "I call it a half."
However one refers to it, the 1967 Pulitzer-winning "A Delicate Balance" takes the stage at Arena in Crystal City this month as part of Arena Restaged, a two-year festival featuring American playwrights.
Continue Reading "Spring Arts Preview: He Hears America Sniping" »
THIS WEEK: Mix a quiet, retired suburban couple with their drama-dragging divorcee daughter, and wait. Old trope, but Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance" still brings the laughter.
» Arena Stage, 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington; Feb. 6 through March 15, $25-$66; 202-488-3300. (Crystal City)
Written by Express' Nathan Martin
THIS WEEK: If constant replays of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" over local shopping centers' loudspeakers have lulled you into a haze of holiday joy, beware: watching "Next to Normal" will shake you awake.
A modern musical drama about a mentally ill mother, "Next to Normal" examines the effects of the disease both on the patient and her family. It's nuanced and sad and explosive, and while this production has some problems (it's overamplified, and the conspicuous headmics ruin the intimate effect), they're outweighed by five excellent performances and an artfully told story that never stops surprising the audience.
» Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S Bell St., Arlington; through Jan. 18, $25-$74; 202-488-3300. (Crystal City)
Photo by Joan Marcus
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