223 stories by "William Powell"
Who could guess that a play about the life of the renowned comic book artist, Jack Kirby (August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994), would be filled with so much humor, pathos and fact-dropp…
The city of Chicago is "Hog Butcher for the World… City of the Big Shoulders," as poet Carl Sandburg wrote just over a 100 years ago. Much the same could be said of certain elements of…
Scandals, sibling rivalry, adultery and divorces represented daily living for England's royal Plantagenet family, which held the dynastic reigns of power from approximately 1120 to 1490. The…
Imagine this scene. You're on a paddle steamer on the Nile River in Egypt. It's the mid-60s. You find yourself surrounded by an off-kilter cast of characters: Miss Ffoliot-ffoulkes on holida…
We've all heard the cliches about aging: Life begins at 40. You are not getting older, you are getting better. Age is just a number. Once a man, twice a child. The inspiring dance repertoire…
Shakespeare in the park is a long-held American tradition. From venues in places such as New York City's Central Park and Washington, D.C.'s Carter Barron Amphitheater, watching the Bard's w…
William Shakespeare wrote memorable female characters, many of them laced within male-dominated plays. The Rude Mechanicals' She Speaks came about when director Leanne G. Stump realized that…
A musical murder-mystery who-done-it is a strange bird indeed. But it can work if expertly executed. Something's Afoot, with book, music and lyrics by James McDonald, David Vos and Robert Ge…
The late self-taught playwright and poet August Wilson's ten-play Century Cycle has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, with movie star Denzel Washington committing to bringing that cycle…
Packed with pizazz, energy and downright sizzle, A Chorus Line, as performed by Tantallon Community Players (TCP) and directed by Christopher Gerken, is the MVP of musicals on D.C. area stag…
As part of its 30th anniversary season, Scena Theatre has offered a stage adaptation of of late German film auteur Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1974 film Fear Eats the Soul, translated and…
Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is an American theater classic. At its center a story about a shattered family, the show is timeless in its themes. Parlor Room Theater (PRT) Di…
Apropos to Mother's Day, and a magnificent button to the end of its 63rd season, Arena Players' Crowns: A Gospel Musical is, among many things, a celebration of Christian and African religio…
If you're looking for a musical of Broadway quality in the Baltimore area, look no further than some of the work being produced by Memorial Episcopal Church's drama ministry, Memorial Player…
Some plays invite audiences to ask themselves vexing questions: What is the meaning of life? How long is a life well-lived? As King Solomon wrote in the Old Testament: "I have seen all the t…
Poetry can be the seed of music, and music the seed of love. Music may even be used as a form of protest—and ultimately a promoter of peace. This is evidenced by the music of composers…
The characters in the oldie and much appreciated allegorical goodie The Fantasticks (The off-Broadway incarnation ran for 42 years, and it is reportedly the World's most performed musical) f…
What's the impact of war on the common man? Do the sins of leaders trickle down to their soldiers? Is patriotism dead? What does it mean to be a leader? These are just some of the themes exp…
Americans don't know much about the details of the myths and folklore of the Middle and Far East. Many of those stories, which can be found in Sir Richard Burton's translation of "One Thousa…
"I am a giant surrounded by ants!" exclaimed Walter Lee Younger in a scene from A Raisin in the Sun. Walter is the embodiment of how society, family members, and internal struggle can defer …
There is a profound depth of directing and acting talent in the Baltimore-Washington area. Much of that talent was on display at 10x10x10, a collection of plays by area playwrights, which is…
In a scene of fierce confrontation between Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell in Providence Players' production of To Kill a Mockingbird, Ewell insults Atticus in such a vicious way, that one wonde…
Wiseguys, also known as those certain individuals the U.S. Government considers a bit more organized than they should be, descended on the quaint restaurant Germano's Piattini in Baltimore, …
Legendary entertainer Loretta Mary Aiken, aka Jackie "Moms" Mabley saw and endured a lot in her 81 years. Born in 1894 in Brevard, North Carolina, Aiken saw racial, sexual and political oppr…
What defines parenthood? Are children always a gift? The adoption-themed Hip Hop musical Not My Baby by Alexandria, Virginia-based playwright Jason A. Ellis, explores those questions and mor…
