Keegan Theatre: Gruesome Playground Injuries

 A confession, the title and the playwright intrigued me.  So I bought a ticket.  Just before going to day I say that it was just a two person play.  The only thing more tedious than a mediocre performance by actors in a two person play is a mediocre performance of an actor in a one person play!  Upon entering the lobby--I was a bit early, I joined in with a couple and another man in a conversation about plays and actors we'd seen in productions both at Keegan and at 1st Stage and Olney Theatre Center.  It was a lovely conversation, and I got some nice scoop on a couple of actors.  As much as I feel like I know some of these actors, I am completely oblivious as to what they are up to when they are not on the stage.  This gave a nice ambiance to the start of the experience. 

Then I entered the theatre after the stage doors opened and was gobsmacked by the beautifully balanced set with a slightly over-sized swing set and jungle gym set smack dab in the middle, ensconced on a giant rotating circular platform in the floor.  Another level of excitement passed over me.  And then the lights went down only to rise again revealing the actors Lena (Kayleen) played by Irene Hamiltons and Doug played by Jimmy Bartlebaugh engaged in a vigorous swinging competition as there 6-year-old selves at a parochial school in some mid-western city.  Sitting in seat 2B I wondered whether one or both of them might soon end up in my lap!  The chemistry between the two actors was immediately obvious and electric and all my silly worries disappeared in that instance.

The play is a series of vignettes between these two friends that tells the story of how that friendship came to be, and more importantly why it remains the single most important thing in their adult lives.  While the first vignette has them at 6.  The others pop up with a lighted projection on the top of the wall stage rear and bounce around in a random eruption that takes us from 22 to 32 to 13 to 26 to 38 and others in between.  The writing is fresh and unpredictable in an authentic way.  The surprises make perfect sense as we weather the storms of their lives.  The pain is palpable at times leaving visual scars, and Doug is so accident prone that it's a wonder he's still alive at the end of the play.

The actors rose to the challenge of playing such flawed and vulnerable, lost and found, devoted and disappointed faithful friends.  The standing ovation at the end was richly deserved and now I have two more actors to be on the lookout for when selecting my next round of DMV theatre adventures.  Shout out to the entire production team: Scenic Design by Josh Sticklin, Properties & Set Dressing Design by Amy Kellett, Lighting Design by Hailey LaRoe, Sound Design by Brandon Cook (just the perfect soundtrack of angst ridden music from the 2000's and fireworks and first responder's vehicles and electrical storms that shook my seat!, oh my!), Costume & Hair/Make-up/Prosthetics Design by Alison Samantha Johnson.

As they actors bounced from one age to another, they effected costume and make-up changes dashing between clothing concealed in sandboxes, steel oil drums, cardboard boxes, as the playground rotated on its axis and the lights dimmed with music appropriate to the next year they were about to entered played under it all.  It was some of the most unusual and interesting choreography I've ever seen in pursuit of such a goal.  

Top to Bottom an excellent production.

Lena and Doug, age 6, on the swings at school.

Age 8, Doug pretends he's Evel Knievel and rides his bike off of the roof of the school gashing his cheek bone just beneath his left eye...  and so it begins.

At 19, Doug loses his left eye in a fireworks accident.  At the age of 28 he is struck by lightning and ends up in a comma.  Lena's life is pure shit by then.  Abandoned by her mother at age 14, and rejected by her father who dies when she is 18--facing the loss of Doug exposes her deeper feelings about their friendship.

At 16, Lena reveals that she is having sex with a boy named Tim.  Doug does not approve, and Lena reveals that she'd hoped it would fill the void in her life created by her parents, but it doesn't.  Then Doug discovers that she's been cutting herself and demands that she cut him, too.  If there was ever a moment in a play that had me on the edge of my seat so full of emotions that I just wanted to scream...this was that moment.

Doug, ever the master of perfect timing has knocked out a tooth on the day of Lena's father's funeral.  The scene ends with him leaving to ignite some fireworks...(and we all knew how that was going to turn out.)

LEGO: Medieval Village Rises Atop My File Cabinet.

 With so many LEGOs, I really do need to find more ways to enjoy the ones I already have rather than buy more!  Ergo, I recently cleared away the items that had called the top of my Ethan Allen Shaker Office File and replaced them with a slopping green LEGO incline making room for the creation of a Medieval Village and Viking Out Post.

Back around 1980, LEGO made the first of many decisions that would lead to its current global success.  Designers were allowed to diversify their creations around a series of themes.   The first included: Space Exploration, Medieval Kingdoms, Caribbean Pirates, and an exploration of Urban Life that branched out along many sub-themes like, Train transportation, Air transportation, Police, Fire Fighters, Harbors and Boats/Ships.  It was a heady start that in retrospect looks humble by today's LEGO diversity with franchise contracts and dozens upon dozens of diverse themes.  

Of the first three mentioned themes (Space, Kingdoms and Pirates) there was a deeply pugilistic element.  Sets were developed with two teams (good and evil).  There were soon Space Police.  Kingdoms and castles came with mascots (Wolves, Ravens, Lions, Elk, Dragons...) to help us create conflicts.  And for every (on average) male LEGO person, there was 1 female.  The odds were much better with the Urban sub-themed sets, but still skewed to male LEGO people.

Now, this new approach proved wildly successful, even if it took a few lean years to catch on.  LEGO is one of the most savvy corporations on the planet.  As more themes emerged, and first sets reflecting corporate sponsorships arrived (Indiana Jones, etc.) a growing movement to elevate girls found bloom in 2012 with the introduction of the "Friends" series.  By now, conflict between two opposing "teams" had also disappeared from the story-lines presented other themes.  

For the Medieval sets, this meant that Castles became more about commerce and social intercourse.  The Villages within and without the Castles took on an elevated presence.  

The blank slope foundation with the Viking Village to form a coast on the right side.

From the 2009 Medieval Village Market

Back to my office File Cabinet.  My construction focused on a Medieval Village rather than building a Castle, per se.  Though I have tons of bricks in storage from the multitude of castle sets.  I began with the two cantilevered buildings from the 2009 Medieval Market Village (10193) set.  I opened them up and placed them on the upper end of the slope along with a Cheese Mongers stand.  Next, it was 2011's Medieval Mill Village Raid (7189) set which came with both a Barn and a Windmill.

The Aforementioned Viking Village (21343) from 2023 was nestled up against the right edge and the barn.  This left a generous central space that I occupied with the two main structures from the 2024 Medieval Town Square set.  Once in place, I created from scratch a pig sty mimicking the same thematic design elements.  The final touches (still ongoing) bring in the people with their horses, cows, pigs, sheep and chickens.  The little mill creek even has a couple of ducks!  

Enjoy these pics!

The Chickens are pecking close to the barn.

The community windmill where all the grain is ground into sacks of flour.

Nextdoor is a garden with Carrots, Turnips and Pumpkins.

There's also a beehive where honey is harvested.

The remnants of an old castle watch tower is still guarded by a pair of old knights.

While a nearby herd of pigs is watched over by a village youth.

Morning breaks with horses awaiting the services of the blacksmith, and a young boy feeding the ducks.

Evening's final light falls upon one of the old knights atop the ancient watch tower.

Smithsonian National Zoo: Parting shots

 On my way down the hill I stopped to buy a pretzel.  Slathered it in mustard and reflected on the visit.  Anytime you visit a zoo you will never know what you will see and what you won't.  If you go expecting anything, and especially something iconic--like Giant Panda's or a certain Baby Asian Elephant calf; you may very well be disappointed.  You must always remember that you are a guest in their homes.  

On the upper region of the zoo, there is a longstanding hill with a circular trail around it.  It, along with another smaller adjacent area on the lower side has formed the heart of African Animals at the zoo.   This is an area that has been under renovation now for over a year.  Most recently home to a major Cheetah habitat, along with homes for Griffon Vultures, Addra Gazelles, Sitatunga, Lesser Kudu, Oryx, Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, and Grevy's Zebra.  

Over the privacy fence, you can get a sense of what the new habitats and holding structures will look like.  Of what I could see thrilled me.  Besides it's flagship public facility here at the National Zoo, the Smithsonian National Zoo also has a very large campus in nearby Virginia where it homes several Endangered species like Cheetahs, Oryx, Addra Gazelles, Przewalski's Horses, and others.  It's not open the public.  But it is where much of the actual work of breeding and transferring animals between zoos to ensure genetic diversity and thus the survival of critically endangered species occurs.  Similar satellite facilities are associate with other Zoos like the San Diego Zoo, the Columbus (OH) Zoo, the Pittsburgh Zoo, et. al.

Leaving the zoo the road passes by the opposite side of this renovation.  A similar privacy fence was in place, but you could still clearly see both holding buildings with the same design and lots more of the stylized shade umbrellas.  

Finally, reaching the bottom of the hill and visiting the Great Cat habitats, I found both Lions and Tigers napping away the warm, humid afternoon.  

For many years, a Dynasty of Lions held court at the National Zoo.  In recent years, the Alpha male and female have died.  The present Pride is clearly in flux.

Smithsonian National Zoo: Small Mammal House

 A concept that has grown out of fashion with many zoos.  The idea of placing smaller animals together under one roof seemed like a good one when it first appeared.  Now, most zoos prefer to keep smaller animals in configurations that reflect their conservation status.  As a result, the early 20th century Small Mammal Houses have been disappearing, being repurposed, transformed, or simply razed.  I am in the camp that loves to see zoos repurpose and renovate these often well-crafted and historically fascinating buildings.  

An example of a zoo that has retained this aspect of its heritage while creating state-of-the-art habitats for small mammals is the St. Louis Zoo; and another in the middle of making these upgrades is the Toledo Zoo.

The Smithsonian National Zoo is doing as well as any zoo in upgrading this building, which also has the advantage of being large with adequate to generous habitats.  In addition, as a result of previous upgrades, there are a handful of connected outside clement-weather habitats for some of the species.  The building was originally constructed in 1937 using PWA  (Public Works Administration) funds provided through President F. D. Roosevelt's New Deal post Great Depression initiatives.  In 1983, upgrades were made primarily to the building's aging electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems.  In 2010, a more comprehensive renovation designed to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2012 was undertaken.  The interior flow and design of habitats was re-imagined and retrofitted.  This created many new and larger habitats.  

A Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda), native to the region around the Sahara Desert in northern Africa.

A pair of male sibling Collared Lemurs (Eulemur collaris), Bentley and Beemer.  The boys are 5-years-old.  Collared Lemurs have a life-expectancy of 20 to 25 years in the wild, and up to 36 years under human care.  The zoo is also home to colonies of Ring-tailed Lemurs, White and Black Ruffed Lemurs and Red Ruffed Lemurs.  

A Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)

Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula)

Slender-tailed Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)

Emperor Tamarin (Sanguinus imperator)  Or...as I like to call them the "Lorax" Tamarin!

Olney Theatre Center: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

 I'm not sure what it was that I was expecting.  I really didn't past the name of the musical a damned thing about it, and what I had imagined it was about couldn't have been further off the mark.  The story starts on the day that our murderous protagonist's mother died.  Just in from the funeral a knock on the door.  One of his mother's dearest friends brings him news that he is not who he thinks he is.  He is heir, 8 times removed, from a fabulous fortune complete with an estate and titles!  A far cry from the hand to mouth existence that he and his mother had eked out over the years.  And all that stands in the way is nine untimely deaths...

Oh My God!  I can't remember when I've had such an amazing time at the theater!  It used to be...and I'm talking 10, 12 years ago...that summer meant the theatre season in the DMV was over.  Like all of France in August, everyone turned off the footlights and went on hiatus until school picked up again.  And for many companies, this is still true.  But a few have discovered that a 12 month season can be especially lucrative in the quiet summer months, and Olney Theatre Center is one of these winners.  And it's not just a knock-off to satisfy starving theaterphiles.  The production values of this show were as strong, beautiful and complicated as anything I have ever seen in the DMV  Super shout outs to John Coyne the scenic designer who gave a stage within a stage within a stage that morphed seem less and seemingly effortlessly from one unique tableau to another.  Brava! Sarah Cubbage for gorgeous costumes that transported the actors right into the heart of their story-telling as finely arrayed as if they were royalty.  And I'm going to go one further in recognizing behind the scenes folks by naming the Stage Managers and Assistant Managers who kept all the balls in the air all the time, right on time.  Well done! Ben Walsh, Rebecca Talisman, Sara Gehl, and Karen Currie.  

The cast: Again I'm just in awe of every single member.  The Chorus was absolutely delightful in both their delivery of some of the funniest numbers in the show, but also in executing the choreography.  Another shout out to Ashleigh King for her design of the movement, which never seemed to cease, but always stopped in just the right configuration.

Both Sumié Yotsukura as Sibella Hallward, the erstwhile protagonist, Monty Navarro's, adulterous lover, and Sadie Koopman as Pheobe D'Ysquith his cousin and up-right love interest were intense, committed polar-opposites who gave the murderously ambitious Monty a run for money with wit, passion and great humor.  Donna Migliaccio is a local legend with a respectable list of Broadway, touring, regional, and DMV productions to her credit.  If memory serves, I first saw her play the Nurse et. al. in a production of "Sunday in the Park with George," maybe 20-25 years ago now.  Her voice is powerful with an operatic range that playing the supporting role of Miss Shingle, the longtime friend of Monty's mother felt like a gift to the production.  Then she sings "You're a D'Ysquith" with Jacob Tischler who portrays Monty, and you realize just how much joy she took in taming this very challenging number and making the difficult seem a smooth as butter.

So this brings me to Monty, and the actor who brought him to life.  Jacob Tischler had barely completed his first sentence on stage and he had me!  He was every inch the full embodiment of Monty D'Ysquith Navarro with all of his discoveries, desires and dreams he gave us a tour de force performance.  It was physically demanding and yet his beautiful baritone voice flooded the theatre with all the warmth of well aged bourbon.  I knew he killing people!  And I couldn't wait to see how he offed the next candidate.  Like a rocket to the top of my watch list, I will look forward to seeing him perform again.

Which brings us to the roles of Asquith D'Ysquith, Jr., Lord Adalbert D'Ysquith, Reverend Lord Ezekiel D'Ysquith, Lord Asquith D'Ysquith, Sr., Henry D'Ysquith, Lady Hycinth D'Ysquith, Major Lord Bartholomew D'Ysquith, and Lady Salome D'Ysquith Pumphrey; ALL of which were played by Tom Story.  I have a rather complicated relationship with Mr. Story even though we've never met and he has no fucking idea who I am!  I first experienced Tom in a production of "Oliver!" at Arena Stage, around 2014, 2015 (?).  A delight performance.  And then I kept seeing him in other productions over the years at nearly all of the major (and some minor) DMV theatre companies.  Sometimes, he was good.  Many times he just was Tom (again in my "for whatever it's worth" opinion).  But once you see an actor's personality guiding in the same way their choices from one character to the next, you cease to see the character.  You only see the actor.  From the observer's perspective it would seem to feel like you've hit a ceiling in your craft so that technically, you've got this; but creatively...you're stuck.  It got to the point that I would avoid seeing a show if Tom was one of the principals, because I didn't expect anything new.

In all fairness, there are a couple of other actors in the DMV that I feel much the same about.

Then there was a time when I didn't see his name pop up in productions that I was interested in.  I knew he'd also been doing some directing for local productions.  In November of 2024, he was part of the creative team/cast that developed a play at Mosaic Theatre called "The Art of Caring."  Another actor, Susan Rome, was part of this, and I adore her work.  So I went.  It was a transformative experience.  The cast worked together to create an experience, one in which they wove their own journeys into a collective them.  My sense of Tom was renewed.  Based on his contribution to this production I forgave myself for my ensconced opinion and decided to stop my bias on his behalf.  I know, so self-serving, but let this be an object lesson for us all.  I share it in the spirit of transparency and with the hope that in way big and small, we can all engage in growth.  And scene!

Back to the play at hand.  Tom was magnificent!  I've never seen him better.  He embraced the range of characters with complete abandon and simultaneously gave each a plausible, distinct and engaging personality.  I'm just going to say it now:  If doesn't win "Best Actor in a Featured Roll in a Musical" this year--he will have been robbed!  To delineate the exclamation point on this, I have never seen an actor captivate an audience with their off-the-charts farcical physicality like he did in not one, but two grand dying scenes.  It was awe inspiring, once I wiped away the tears of shocked laughter.

In case it's not apparent; I LOVED this production.  Unfortunately, it closes tomorrow, Sunday, August 23rd.   

Jacob Tischler as Monty and Donna Migliaccio as Miss Shingles explaining Monty's true Family Tree...

Monty Navarro encountering on of his many D'Ysquith heirs played by Tom Story...all of whom he is committed to murder.

Tom Story portraying Lady Hycinth D'Ysquith to the sheer delight of EVERYONE!  She's so resilient that Monty has to kill her TWICE. 

Monty as Phoebe D'Ysquith (Sadie Koopman) with whom he becomes easily infatuated.

In the boudoir of Sibella Hallward (Sumié Yotsukura) is long-time lover who is also married to another man.

But even the best duplicitous life must come to an end.  In Monty's case it was down with the song, "I've Decided to Marry You."

A climactic scene at dinner with Monty as the guest and last D'Ysquith heir hosting!

We end where we began...a jail cell.

Smithsonian National Zoo: Aviary, part 3 of 3 - South American Coffee Plantation

 The heart of the new Bird House at the Smithsonian National Zoo is an open space full of tropical flora designed to mimic the environment on the South American end of New World Bird migration.  The former Bird House also featured a central aviary and some of the elements from the previous space remain.  But the variety and sheer joy you can experience in the midst of so many beautiful and lively creatures is hard to fully describe.  So like the previous post, I'll let the pictures tell the story, with this caveat.  I will do my best to identify the species; however, there was a whole lot of molting going on, so it was not always obvious.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Band-tailed Pigeon

Patagioenas fasciata

Blue Grosbeak (female)

Tennessee Warbler

Leiothlypis peregrina

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna autumn

Turquoise Tanager

Tangara mexicana

Blue Grossbeak

Passerina caerulea

A parting view of a male Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum).