“BALTIMORE — FREE SHOW — MAY 10 — RAISING DONATIONS FOR HCH”

On May 2, Turnstile, a hardcore punk band that started in Baltimore in 2010, posted this graphic on their social media. The hometown heroes brought a concert to the Wyman Park Dell for free and created an incubator for community, dancing, moshing, stage diving, and donations for Healthcare For The Homeless.

For the thousands who converged upon Wyman Park Dell, the opening roar of Turnstile’s new single  “Never Enough” wasn’t just the start of a free concert; it felt like a collective exhale, a vibrant declaration that Turnstile Summer had unequivocally arrived in Baltimore. 

If you’ve followed their rise, this concert felt like a significant milestone. I recall documenting their electrifying energy at the Clifton Park Bandshell in 2021. To witness this band, born and bred in our city’s fervent hardcore scene and now Grammy-nominated, offering such a massive free show feels particularly resonant in these unprecedented and very scary times. In a time when the cost of everything seems to climb relentlessly, this act of generosity underscores their unwavering connection to the roots that nourished their explosive growth. Turnstile and Unregistered Nurse Booking formed a moment that felt like a meticulously curated moment of pure, unadulterated energy. 

From Baltimore basements and DIY spaces to their upcoming June 29 performance at Glastonbury Festival, Turnstile’s trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. And with even pop visionary Charli XCX proclaiming it a “Turnstile Summer” at Coachella earlier this year, their Wyman Park Dell homecoming felt like a celebratory coronation, a moment to bask in the glow of their well-deserved ascent. 

Turnstile began their performance around 6:50 PM, opening their set late with the live debut of “Never Enough” and concluding with the first live performance of “Seeing Stars/Birds.” The setlist featured energetic performances of popular tracks such as “ALIEN LOVE CALL” and “MYSTERY,” both from their Grammy-nominated album “Glow On.”

The setlist was a journey through Turnstile’s evolution, a seamless blend of the raw intensity of their early work and the expansive, genre-bending sounds of their breakout album “Glow On.”

Their upcoming album, “Never Enough,” scheduled for release on June 6, marks the first album with Turnstile’s new guitarist, Meg Mills, alongside Brendan Yates (singer), Pat McCrory (guitarist), Franz Lyons (bassist), and Daniel Fang (drummer). Baltimore is the first city in which Turnstile performed songs from “Never Enough” live. This will be their first album in six years. 

Through the lens of photographer Jarett Loeffler, this photo essay captures not just a performance, but a moment — a vibrant testament to the enduring bond between Turnstile and Baltimore, a city that rightfully and fiercely calls them their own. (Teri Henderson) 

Brendan Yates, Meg Mills, Daniel Fang, and Pat McCrory (clockwise from top left)

The post Photostory: The Start of Turnstile Summer appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

At Everyman Theatre, a hazy purple and tangerine sunset lights the stage as the three-pane backdrop conjures the image of a mountainous Vermont skyline. Under the supervision of dedicated ushers, the crowd settles in for the opening night of “Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains.” The play is the final show in a trilogy of solo performances from playwright Caleen Sinnette Jennings. This final entry, performed in front of a live audience for the first time this month, chronicles the journey of Jacqueline Marie Butler at Bennington College from 1968-1972. 

In this run, Deidre Staples stars under the thoughtful direction of Danielle A. Drakes. As a solo performance, the play focuses the audience’s eyes on the comedy and conflict of building a self-identity in a world full of wars and political violence. 

Jennings’ playwriting offers a solo performance made up of many different voices. The result is a collage of characters with dynamic personalities where no interaction or chronological detail is taken for granted. Each conversation, whether aloud or within the confines of Butler’s inner monologue, is evidence of the strife that comes with building a self in a world dominated by U.S. imperialism. Throughout the production, the play’s historical frame features discussions of the Biafran War in Nigeria, Malcolm X’s assassination, the Vietnam War, and the May 4 assassination of four Kent State students at the Democratic National Convention in 1970. And the inspiration for this is the real life of the work’s playwright. 

“Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains” is a piece of autobiographical fiction derived from parts of Jennings’ life and events of the late 1960s and early 70s. In her own life, Jennings earned her bachelor’s degree in drama from Bennington College in 1972 before receiving her MFA in acting from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Furthermore, before the play begins, Vincent Lancisi — founder and artistic director of Everyman — reminds audiences that Everyman Theatre’s connection to this final play is strong. “Queens Girl: Black Girl in the Green Mountain” was originally commissioned and produced here. 

Under Drakes’ direction, Staples embodies over ten distinct characters. In the show’s 72 minutes, she enters the skin of college administrators, eccentric professors, and many more to deliver a story about Butler’s young adulthood. The Memphis native is a comedic triumph throughout the show. Her sense of timing and mastery of proxemics, meaning the distance she places between herself and another iteration of herself, is a joy to watch. Drakes and Staples credit using rasa aesthetics, an Indian artistic concept that encourages artists to consider the essence of a work, as a key component in their practice of building each character and moment in the production.

While Butler is the dramatic nucleus of the performance, the play is a comedic volley filled with the voices of parents, peers, and elders who shape Butler’s worldview. As a piece of a larger three-part vision, “Black Girl in the Green Mountains” is just one entry in Jennings’ coming-of-age trio. This fact means that each edition in the trilogy is tasked with spanning years at a time with little room to settle into one moment and stay. 

As the production progresses, audiences will come to know many different voices. The interpersonal conflicts between characters catalyze discussions of integration, sexuality, and geopolitics. One moment we’re learning that Butler’s lover is in exile from Apartheid South Africa and the next we’re watching Butler grapple with virginity and women’s sexuality workshops.

My favorite character of the night was Staples’ characterization of Aunt Maisie, a scotch-drinking, chosen elder who isn’t scared to cuss up a storm. While Butler’s parents are away in Nigeria treating victims of war wounds, Aunt Maisie serves as her “mother on this side of the Atlantic.” The character is a nod to the found families that Black people across the diaspora create with each other to keep children safe and cared for when labor may take caregivers far from home. This performance requires Staples to execute varied dialogue, tone, and delivery. And in each regard, Staples is a skilled lead. No line feels lost or redundant in the sea of conversations (a commendable feat when characters cross cultures and ages within seconds). 

As a solo performer, Staples commands the stage with the help of other artists on the Everyman roster. With the support of a crew of talented dramaturgs, set designers, and other creatives, Staples brings us into the world of Bennington and 1960s life. The work of set designer Daniel Ettinger and lighting designer Harold F. Burgess II, both resident company members at Everyman, deepens the performance before any lines are spoken. The design work is incredible as the space transforms from a small stage in a black box theater into collegiate dorm rooms, Vermont mountainsides, and New York City streets. The details of spotlight hues, bookshelf placement, and visual projections ground the play without distracting from Staples’ character work. The balance struck between the visuals is harmonious. 

In addition to the visual offerings of the design crew, Staples’ performance is accompanied by incredible sound design. Sarah O’Halloran’s work shines throughout the performance. O’Halloran’s use of musical refrains, like the recurring instrumental refrain from Moon River when Butler mentions her lover, Gilliam, complements Staples’ acting and Drakes’ direction wonderfully. Moreover, with the number of references to musical talents like Sly and the Family Stone, Aretha Franklin, Sonny Rollins, and others throughout the play, music is a key textual element layered into the production. The inclusion of John Coltrane’s instruments and Otis Redding’s soulful vocals in “I’ll Be Loving You” (1965) further immerse audiences in the world Jennings builds. 

With the trilogy format in mind, this production left me yearning for more insight into Butler’s political commitments. From various conversations throughout the play, we learn that she struggles with her role in political organizing and art as the daughter of a middle-class Black family and yet, we get little insight into what she truly thinks of the wars, protests, and art around her. By the play’s end, I wondered: “What does Butler think about the U.S.’s war in Vietnam? Does Butler dive into political ideology? Where does she align herself in political struggle?” In the wake of the show, I’m still wondering about her journey as an artist amid the Black Arts Movement of the 60s and 70s. 

Despite my hope for more time with Butler’s political ideology, I commend Jennings for crafting work linking political struggles in and outside the United States. Through Butler and her loved ones, we watch a play about how life in New York City connects to the Biafran War and the anti-war protests of the 20th century. This production is one reminder that the contemporary anti-war organizing being done in the U.S., spurred by ongoing funding of genocides in Palestine, Sudan, and Haiti (among others), is a continuation of a long legacy. 

The collective efforts of the playwright, cast, crew, and director skillfully fill out this production. After this performance, I am curious about the other two plays in the trilogy and their thematic journeys. At the reception following the show, I spoke briefly with Drakes about the challenges and triumphs of solo performances. With this production, Drakes has been a part of 10 solo shows in her career (serving as both actor and director across her experience). 

“I’m glad this show is impactful,” she told me. “There’s heavy themes throughout and it takes work to convey that to an audience.” 

Queens Girl: Black Girl in the Green Mountains is showing at Everyman Theatre through November 17. 

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“You get to be mayor, is you gonna be mayor of the black folks or the white folks,” Sterling Johnson,  a resident of Pittsburgh’s majority-Black Hill District asks Harmond Wilks, the main character in August Wilson’s “Radio Golf,” which runs at Everyman Theatre through November 17.

In Blackness and politics you have to choose sides: are you with us or are you against us? Everyone in “Radio Golf”—the last of Wilson’s 10-play The American Century Cycle—seems to know this except for Wilks.

“He is battling morality,” says actor Jamil A.C. Mangan, who portrays Wilks in Everyman Theatre’s production of the play. “He is a real estate developer that comes from a family who have…made and done well for themselves and are very affluent black family and so he sort of grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth.”

It’s the late 90’s and middle-class Wilks wants to redevelop the Hill District and thinks gentrification is the way forward. He also wants to be the first Black mayor of Pittsburgh, and thinks that by transforming the community for the better, he can improve his hopes of getting into office. He wants to do the right thing, it seems, but things get more complicated when he tries to make his vision a reality. It’s a reality lots of politicians must struggle with: is all money good money? Is there a way to balance corporate funds with good intentions?

“He wants to bring the Starbucks, Whole Foods, and what have you, but he’s battling with the fact that he still wants to try and preserve the community and the heritage that was there, you know before the development comes,” Mangan explains. 

On one hand, there’s his fellow Black-and-bougie companions, his wife Mame (Resident Company Member Dawn Ursusla) and his friend and business partner Roosevelt Hicks (Jason B. McIntosh). On the other, there are the poor, Black people of the Hill District who have seen it all and side eye Wilks’ pie-in-the-sky dreams, like Johnson (played by Anton Floyd) and Elder Joseph Barlow, also known as Old Joe (Charles Dumas).

“He is approached by other members of the community — other characters like Old Joe and Sterling —  who are the indegenous, who are the original inhabitants of that community that are saying ‘look, don’t kick us out. We don’t mind that you are here, but see us. Recognize us.’”

As Black Baltimore well knows, nothing is free and the process of bringing outside forces into a community of color can come with all types of baggage. The ramifications of the bargain you make when you gentrify are as true in Wilson’s Hill District as they are in Baltimore City. Here, we watch the Cherry Hill area nervously, knowing how close it is to Kevin Plank’s planned Port Covington. In “Radio Golf”, a piece of property that is scheduled to be torn down represents the kind of change actually coming to the community.

Wilson famously set the plays in this series in working class Pittsburgh, but director Carl Cofield says that the back and forth pull that Willks feels applies here, too. 

“I think one of the geniuses, one of the many geniuses of August Wilson is the existential questions that face the black community but basically affect all of us,” says director Carl Cofield. 

“That is a major sort of tenant in the work and I think it’s going to resonate profoundly with people in Baltimore. August did set this in the Hill District, but that could very well be Baltimore today which is super exciting because it adds to the urgency of why we’re doing the work, you know, talking about gentrification, And what are the collateral damages that gentrification has?”

Radio Golf runs until November 17 at Everyman Theatre (315 W. Fayette St.).

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“Animal Farm.” A stage adaption of George Orwell’s allegorical story of a group of farm animals who revolt against man. March 1-April 1, Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., (410) 332-0033, centerstage.org, $20-$79.

BWC’s Gin & Jokes Presents: Drew Michael. Actor and former writer for “Saturday Night Live” Drew Michael headlines Baltimore Whiskey Company’s recurring comedy night. Hosted by Umar Khan. March 1, 8:30 p.m., Joe Squared, 33 W. North Ave., (410) 545-0444, pros.brownpapertickets.com, $7.

“Count Down.” As part of the 2018 Women’s Voices Theatre Festival, The Stand present Dominique Cieri’s interdisciplinary piece about girls growing up in the child welfare system. Through March 4, Strand Theatre, 5426 Harford Road, (443) 874-4917, strand-theater.org, $10-$25.

Drunk Shakespeare. Single Carrot Theatre and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Associate Artistic Director Lizzi Albert present the first installment of the new Drunk Classics series. Actors will perform fully rehearsed scenes from the Bard, but wasted. March 3, 8 p.m.; Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St., (443) 844-9253, singlecarrot.com, sold out (standing room tickets available for $5).

“Gertrude Stein and a Companion.” The love story of writer Gertrude Stein and her life partner and Parisian avant-garde member Alice B. Toklas as told by Win Wells. March 2-25, Fells Point Corner Theatre, 251 S. Ann St., fpct.org, $19-$24.

“Hand to God.” Stillpointe Theatre presents Robert Askins’ Tony-nominated play about a grieving widow who runs a Christian-ministry puppet club, her teenage son, and his possessed puppet. March 2-17, St. Marks Lutheran Church, 1900 St. Paul St., stillpointetheatre.com, $20.

Huggy Lowdown and Chris Paul. The Tom Joyner Morning Show personalities co-headline. March 4, 6 p.m., Magooby’s Joke House, 9603 Deereco Road, (410) 252-2727, magoobys.com, $20.

“I Hate Hamlet.” An actor who hates “Hamlet” takes on the title role and encounters the ghost of John Barrymore. Through March 4, Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St., (410) 752-1225, spotlighters.org, $10-$22.

Jeanne Robertson. The veteran performer and former Miss North Carolina performs family-friendly comedy. March 3, 7 p.m., Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave., (410) 685-5086, modell-lyric.com, $31-$51.

“Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” Eugene O’Neill’s autobiographical drama spans one day in the life of a family troubled by addiction and the inability to let go of the past. Through March 4, Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St., (410) 752-2208, everymantheatre.org, $43-$65.

Nephew Tommy. The co-host of the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show performs. March 1-3, Baltimore Comedy Factory, 5625 O’Donnell St., (410) 547-7798, baltimorecomedy.com, $30-$40.

The Peking Chinese Acrobats. The internationally renowned troupe performs gravity-defying feats. March 6-7, Goucher College, Kraushaaur Auditorium, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, artsonstage.org, $10.

“The Pillowman.” A writer becomes the focus of a police interrogation when his macabre short stories are linked to a series of actual child murders. Through March 18, Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway, (410) 563-9135, vagabondplayers.org, $10-$20.

Prim and Proper. Alexa Sciuto hosts an all-women comedy showcase featuring Kristy Belich, Alyssa A. Cowan, Robin Hazel, He He, Diana Keating, and Cristina Payne. March 2, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

“Skeleton Crew.” In the third play in Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit trilogy, four workers at the city’s last exporting auto plant face down an uncertain future. Through March 4, Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., (410) 332-0033, centerstage.org, $20-$79.

Slapstick Jukebox. Happenstance Theater presents a physical comedy mash-up inspired by  19th Century European Circus entrées, Vaudeville, silent film, and early television. March 1-4, Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St., (410) 752-8558, theatreproject.org, $15-$25.

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Bald & Boujee. Comedy duo Malik S. and Torrei Hart (Kevin Hart’s ex-wife) perform. Feb. 22-24, Baltimore Comedy Factory, 5625 O’Donnell St., (410) 547-7798, baltimorecomedy.com, $20-$40.

The Beanie Bros Tour. L.A. comics Pete Buchbauer and Chip Nicholson perform with support from local comedians including host Nikki Fuchs. Feb. 27, 7 p.m., The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St., (410) 625-4848, facebook.com/TheCrownBaltimore, $10.

BIG Time with Jen Marsh. Baltimore Improv Group performs a totally made up and unprepared tribute to Baltimore Beat’s associate publisher, Jen Marsh. Feb. 23, 8 p.m., The BIG Theater, 1727 N. Charles St., (888) 745-8393, bigimprov.org, $5.

Camp Adventure. Alexa Sciuto hosts a night of improv, stand-up, and sketch from Silversmith, Bad Karaoke Experience, and OLGA, followed by an improv karaoke jam. Feb. 23, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

“Count Down.” As part of the 2018 Women’s Voices Theatre Festival, The Stand present Dominique Cieri’s interdisciplinary piece about girls growing up in the child welfare system. Through March 4, Strand Theatre, 5426 Harford Road, (443) 874-4917, strand-theater.org, $10-$25.

“The Death of Walt Disney.” The regional premiere of Lucas Hnath’s biographical play about the megalomaniacal mind of Walt Disney. Through Feb. 25, Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St., (443) 844-9253, singlecarrot.com, $25-$29.

Demetri Martin – The Awkward Tour. The stand-up comedian, writer, actor, and director performs. Feb. 23, 8 p.m., Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St., (410) 837-7400, baltimorehippodrome.com, $58.

“A Disappearing Act.” Single Shoe Productions presents a memorial tribute to the deceased fictional magician Philip Winterbottom. Feb. 22-25, Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St., (410) 752-8558, theatreproject.org, $15-$25.

“Everybody.” Theatre Morgan presents a modern riff on the 15th-century morality play following a character named Everybody (played by a different cast member each performance) as he or she travels down a road toward life’s greatest mystery. Feb. 22-24, Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center, 2201 Argonne Drive, (443) 885-4440, murphyfineartscenter.org, $5-$15.

Everything Will Be Okay (A stand-up comedy show) [#39]. Chris Hudson hosts a night of stand-up featuring Bryan Preston, Pete Musto, Sahib Singh, Michael Furr, and Natalie McGill. Feb. 22, 8 p.m., The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St., (410) 625-4848, facebook.com/TheCrownBaltimore, $5.

“I Hate Hamlet.” An actor who hates “Hamlet” takes on the title role and encounters the ghost of John Barrymore. Through March 4, Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St., (410) 752-1225, spotlighters.org, $10-$22.

Katt Williams. The veteran comedy icon returns to Baltimore, having most recently co-starred in “Father Figures.” Feb. 23, 8 p.m., Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., (410) 347-2020, royalfarmsarena.com, $55-$128.

“Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” Eugene O’Neill’s autobiographical drama spans one day in the life of a family troubled by addiction and the inability to let go of the past. Through March 4, Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St., (410) 752-2208, everymantheatre.org, $43-$65.

More Laughs: The Annual Big Fred Birthday Comedy Show. Baltimore native Fred “Big Fred” Watkins, best known as a member of “The Empire” on Oxygen TV’s “Last Squad Standing,” performs stand-up. Feb. 25, 8 p.m., Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place, (410) 244-0057, baltimoresoundstage.com, $20-$35.

“The Pillowman.” A writer becomes the focus of a police interrogation when his macabre short stories are linked to a series of actual child murders. Feb. 23-March 18, Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway, (410) 563-9135, vagabondplayers.org, $10-$20.

“Red Velvet.” The biographical play from Lolita Chakrabarti tells the story of the 19th century African-American Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge. Through Feb. 25, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 S. Calvert St., (410) 244-8570, chesapeakeshakespeare.com, $16-$43.

“Skeleton Crew.” In the third play in Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit trilogy, four workers at the city’s last exporting auto plant face down an uncertain future. Through March 4, Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., (410) 332-0033, centerstage.org, $20-$79.

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Baltimore Concert Opera presents a two-nights-only operatic production of Stephen Sondheim’s horror musical. Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 25, 3 p.m.; Baltimore Concert Opera, 11 W. Mount Vernon Place, Suite 307, baltimoreconcertopera.com, $29.50-$71.50.

Talkin’ S%\T: A Roast Battle. A comedy tournament in three rounds to find the champion of being nasty, featuring “The Legend” Sonny Fuller, Mike Storck, Kim Ambrose, Leeland Clayton, “Sweet Sweet Baby Boy” Matt Brown, Ian Salyers, Rose Vineshank, and Ben Broedel. Feb. 25, 6 p.m., Magooby’s Joke House, 9603 Deereco Road, (410) 252-2727, magoobys.com, $10.

Totally ’80s, Totally Murder Interactive Dinner. The Murder Mystery Company in Baltimore presents an interactive, ‘80s-themed production alongside a three-course meal from Blue Agave. ‘80s concert attire encouraged. Feb. 21, 6-9 p.m., Blue Agave, 1032 Light St., (410) 576-3938, blue-agave.ticketleap.com/totally-80s-totally-murder-interactive-dinner, $60 or $115 for two people (includes show, meal, and pre-show cocktail).

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BROS & Arena Players Present: Constellations & Crossroads. The Baltimore Rock Opera Society and Arena Players team up for a double feature: “Determination of Azimuth” about NASA pioneer Katherine Johnson and “The Battle of Blue Apple Crossing” about bluesman Robert Johnson. Feb. 9–11 and 16–18, Arena Players, 801 McCulloh St., baltimorerockopera.org, arenaplayersinc.com, $20.

Chippendales. The all-male strip revue returns to Baltimore on its About Last Night Tour, just in time for Valentine’s. Feb. 7 and 8, 9 p.m., Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place, (410) 244-0057, baltimoresoundstage.com, $35-$50.

Club Orbit. Improv, stand-up, and sketch followed by an all-comedy open mic. Feb. 9, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

“The Death of Walt Disney.” The regional premiere of Lucas Hnath’s biographical play about the megalomaniacal mind of Walt Disney. Through Feb. 25, Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St., (443) 844-9253, singlecarrot.com, $25-$29.

Godfrey’s Valentine’s Day Special. The actor and comedian has appeared in the films “Zoolander,” “Soul Plane,” “Original Gangstas,” and more. Feb. 14, 8 p.m., Baltimore Comedy Factory, 5625 O’Donnell St., (410) 547-7798, baltimorecomedy.com, $25-$50.

“I Hate Hamlet.” An actor who hates “Hamlet” takes on the title role and encounters the ghost of John Barrymore. Feb. 9-March 4, Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St., (410) 752-1225, spotlighters.org, $10-$22.

Jeff Dunham. “America’s favorite ventriloquist” stops in Baltimore on his Passively Aggressive Tour. Feb. 10, 5 p.m., Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., (410) 347-2020, royalfarmsarena.com, $54.50.

“Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” Eugene O’Neill’s autobiographical drama spans one day in the life of a family troubled by addiction and the inability to let go of the past. Through March 4, Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St., (410) 752-2208, everymantheatre.org, $43-$65.

Mortified Baltimore: Doomed Valentines. Everyday adults read from their most cringe-worthy adolescent love letters, poems, locker notes, and diary entries. Feb. 10, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., The Ideal Arts Space, 905 W. 36th St., (443) 529-5937, mortifiedbaltimore-feb2018.eventbrite.com, $17-$20.

My So Called ‘90s Comedy and Trivia. Seven comedians and seven rounds of trivia celebrating nostalgia. Feb. 8, 8 p.m., The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St., facebook.com/TheCrownBaltimore, free.

“Out of Darkness: Two Remain.” The Peabody Chamber Opera presents Jake Heggie’s 2016 opera with a libretto by Gene Scheer inspired by the true stories of two Holocaust survivors. Feb. 8-11, Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St., (410) 752-8558, theatreproject.org, $10-$25.

“Red Velvet.” The biographical play from Lolita Chakrabarti tells the story of the 19th century African-American Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge. Through Feb. 25, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 S. Calvert St., (410) 244-8570, chesapeakeshakespeare.com, $16-$43.

The Second Saturday S#!t Show. John Conroy headlines Ottobar’s monthly stand-up show hosted by Mike Quindlen. Featuring Alexx Starr, Maria Sanchez, Carlos Garcia, Scott Seiss, Kim Ambrose, and Brock Snyder. Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m., The Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St., (410) 662-0069, theottobar.com, free.

The Short Cutz Show: V-Day Edition. A short form oral storytelling slam and party jam starring professional African-American barbers. This month’s story theme is “A Love Supreme,” featuring celebrity storyteller Ladawn Black (from New York’s 107.5 FM WBLS). Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Motor House, 120 W. North Ave., (410) 637-8300, motorhousebaltimore.com, $10.

“Skeleton Crew.” In the third play in Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit trilogy, four workers at the city’s last exporting auto plant face down an uncertain future. Through March 4, Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., (410) 332-0033, centerstage.org, $20-$79.

“The Sleeping Beauty.” The State Ballet Theatre of Russia performs the Grimm fairytale choreographed by famous choreographer Marius Petipa. Feb. 9 and 10, 7:30 p.m., Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St., (410) 837-7400, baltimorehippodrome.com, $61-$83.

Sputniks Cabaret. Baltimore and D.C. artists participate in a night of slam poetry, comedy, music, sideshow, and burlesque. Feb. 14, 8:30 p.m., The Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St., (410) 662-0069, theottobar.com, $8.

Tassels & Champagne: Love By Any Other Name. Gilded Lily Burlesque brings an evening of classic burlesque and variety featuring Oca O’Leary, Maria Bella, Nona Narcisse, Mourna Handful, Ruby Spruce, Gigi Holliday, Sophia Sunday, and Valeria Voxx. Feb. 10, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave., (410) 276-1651, creativealliance.org, $22-$28 for single ticket, other ticket packages available.

When ___ Met ___ : An Improvised Romantic Comedy Starring You. Baltimore Improv Group stages a fully improvised Valentine’s Day rom-com with two leads played by audience volunteers. Feb. 10, 8 p.m., The BIG Theater, 1727 N. Charles St., (888) 745-8393, bigimprov.org, $6.27.

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“Red Velvet”

Feb. 2

As the first successful African-American actor to perform internationally, Ira Aldridge is described by his biographer Bernth Lindfors as “the most visible black man in a white world in the middle of the nineteenth century.” And still relatively little is known about his life—and still, even after Aldridge’s groundbreaking performance as Othello in London in 1833, Shakespeare’s black tragic hero continued to be played by white men in blackface well into the next century. In her biodrama “Red Velvet,” opening this week at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, playwright Lolita Chakrabarti imagines scenes from Aldridge’s private life as he prepares for the role, all while London riots over the abolition of slavery. Through Feb. 25, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 S. Calvert St., (410) 244-8570, chesapeakeshakespeare.com, $16-$43. (Maura Callahan)

BIG Mainstage. Baltimore Improv Group hosts two troupe performances every Friday and Saturday night. Jan. 2 and 3, 9 p.m., The BIG Theater, 1727 N. Charles St., (888) 745-8393, bigimprov.org.

Born This Way. Dani Ciscell hosts a night of all-women improv, stand-up, and sketch from Ladies All Stars, Blood Pact, Synched, Lesbiguous, and Liz Curtis. Followed by an all-comedy open mic. Feb. 3, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

“The Death of Walt Disney.” The regional premiere of Lucas Hnath’s biographical play about the megalomaniacal mind of Walt Disney. Feb. 2-25, Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St., (443) 844-9253, singlecarrot.com, $25-$29.

“Inherit the Wind.” Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s courtroom drama chronicles the Scopes “monkey” trial. Through Feb. 4, Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway, (410) 563-9135, vagabondplayers.org, $10-$20.

Prim and Proper. Eva Mozena Brandon, Tiffany Cain, Nicki Fuchs, Marlenas McMahon-Purk, Kasha Patel, Lisan Wood, and host Cecily Alexandria perform in Charm City Comedy Project’s all-women stand-up showcase. Followed by an all-comedy open mic. Feb. 2, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

“Red Velvet.” The biographical play from Lolita Chakrabarti tells the story of the 19th century African-American Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge. Feb. 2-25, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 S. Calvert St., (410) 244-8570, chesapeakeshakespeare.com, $16-$43.

“Skeleton Crew.” In the third play in Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit trilogy, four workers at the city’s last exporting auto plant face down an uncertain future. Through March 4, Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., (410) 332-0033, centerstage.org, $20-$79.

“The Tempest.” The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory presents the bard’s shipwreck drama featuring an original score. Through Feb. 4, St. Mary’s Outreach Center, 3900 Roland Ave., baltimoreshakespearefactory.org, $19-$24.

TK Kirkland. The comedian and actor has appeared in a number of films as well as HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and BET’s Comicview. Feb. 1-3, Baltimore Comedy Factory, 5625 O’Donnell St., (410) 547-7798, baltimorecomedy.com, $20-$23.

“Waitress.” Featuring original music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, the musical based on the film by Adrienne Shelly tells the story of a waitress and expert pie maker who sets out to rebuild her life. Through Feb. 4, Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St., (410) 837-7400, baltimorehippodrome.com, $42-$214.

The post Stage: Jan. 31-Feb. 7 appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

An Evening Of Music And Comedy With Creed Bratton

Jan. 25

Yes, that Creed Bratton. Once the guitarist of ‘60s sha-la-la hippie band The Grass Roots until he dropped his pants onstage and was asked to leave, Creed Bratton became better known as the Dunder Mifflin quality control guy with the same name on NBC’s “The Office.” Like all of the show’s supporting characters, Creed periodically broke Dunder Mifflin Scranton’s fluorescent light bubble with suggestions of life beyond the office’s suffocating walls, narrative offshoots that in part make “The Office” endlessly rewatchable to the point that Netflix will have a riot on their hands if they ever take it offline. Since Creed Bratton the character was loosely based on Creed Bratton IRL (“loosely” being the operative word here), this meant tangential sketches of a sketchy guy with a storied, drug-fueled past—a kleptomaniac, former cult leader and follower, fake ID provider, and probable serial killer with enough wisdom to fill a lengthy, hidden Word document. “You ever notice you can only ooze two things? Sexuality and pus.” 8:30 p.m., Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place, (410) 244-0057, www.creedthoughts.gov.www\creedthoughts, check it out, $22-$24.20. (Maura Callahan)

BIG Mainstage. Baltimore Improv Group hosts two troupe performances every Friday and Saturday night. Jan. 26 and 27, 9 p.m., The BIG Theater, 1727 N. Charles St., (888) 745-8393, bigimprov.org.

Camp Adventure. Ian Salyers hosts a night of improv, stand-up, and sketch from Silversmith, Peach Pit, Toe Money Improv, and Lance Curran, plus a bonus improv jam. Jan. 26, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

Everything Will Be Okay (a stand-up comedy show). Chris Hudson hosts a night of stand-up featuring Archie Jamieson, Garrett Hardy Harvest, Beth Haydon, Ahmed Vallejos, and Ivan Martin. Jan. 25, 8 p.m., The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St., (410) 625-4848, facebook.com/ewbocomedy, $5.

“Inherit the Wind.” Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s courtroom drama chronicles the Scopes “monkey” trial. Through Feb. 4, Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway, (410) 563-9135, vagabondplayers.org, $10-$20.

Murdered Word III. Over 30 artists from Baltimore and beyond doing whatever they want: performance, musical sets, video, and interdisciplinary work all in one place. Jan. 27, 8 p.m.-4 a.m., E.M.P. Collective, 307 W. Baltimore St., empcollective.org, $10.

Shen Yun. The acclaimed classical Chinese dance spectacular features scenographic effects and all-original orchestral works. Jan. 26-28, Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St., (410) 837-7400, baltimorehippodrome.com, $91-$112

“Skeleton Crew.” In the third play in Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit trilogy, four workers at the city’s last exporting auto plant face down an uncertain future. Jan. 25-March 4, Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., (410) 332-0033, centerstage.org, $20-$79.

The Smoking Lounge. Kathleen Williams hosts a night of improv, stand-up, and sketch from Trampus, Thighmeat, Moonbot, Siberia, and OLGA. Jan. 27, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

“The Tempest.” The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory presents the bard’s shipwreck drama featuring an original score. Through Feb. 4, St. Mary’s Outreach Center, 3900 Roland Ave., baltimoreshakespearefactory.org, $19-$24.

TotaShiSho Episode One. A new game show from Feral Woman. Featured panelists for episode one are Jana Hunter, Rahne Alexander, Christine Ferrera, Mike Smith, Jordan Card, and Molly Margulies. Jan. 26, 8 p.m., The Mercury Theater, 1823 N. Charles St., facebook.com/FeralW0man.

“Trouble in Tahiti.” In Leonard Bernstein’s one-act opera, the troubled marriage of a young suburban couple presents a critique of post-war American materialism. Through Jan. 27, StillPointe Theatre, 1900 St. Paul St., stillpointetheatre.com, $25.

“Waitress.” Featuring original music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, the musical based on the film by Adrienne Shelly tells the story of a waitress and expert pie maker who sets out to rebuild her life. Jan. 30-Feb. 4, Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St., (410) 837-7400, baltimorehippodrome.com, $42-$214.

The post Stage: Jan. 24-31 appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

January Puppet Slamwich

Jan. 20

Originating as early as 3000 years ago, puppetry is still alive and well today, and not just on Sesame Street. Baltimore’s own Black Cherry Puppet Theater hosts a monthly showcase of local and out-of-town puppet artists and troupes bringing adult-friendly acts wherein sculpture and assemblage, often impressive even when not in motion, command the stage. This month, see Schroeder Cherry, a Baltimore-based museum educator and artist whose puppets actually seem more real than some people—you’ll have to check it out to see what I mean. Also performing tonight (there are two shows) are String Theory, Rachel Kotkin, Josh Hne, Meredith Faid, Daniela Hernandez-Fujigaki, and special musical guest The Flowery (aka Allison Clendaniel and Connor Kizer). 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., 1115 Hollins St., (410) 752-7272, blackcherry.ticketspice.com/january-20th-puppet-slamwich, $8-$10. (Maura Callahan)

Alex Hooper. Best known for his appearances on Comedy Central’s “Roast Battles” and “New Girl,” Alex Hooper performs stand-up with support from Mike Moran, Nikki Fuchs, and host Eric Navarro. Jan. 17, 9 p.m., The Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St., (410) 662-0069, theottobar.com, $5.

Badass Comedy. Improv and comedy from Bear Trap, Imaginary Friends, Bad Karaoke Experience, and Scrapple. Jan. 20, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

Centurion Comedy. Ian Salyers hosts exactly one hundred minutes of stand-up comedy from local comics. Jan. 20, 9 p.m., Atomic Books, 3620 Falls Road, (410) 662-4444, atomicbooks.com, $5.

“First Date.” A blind date newbie and a serial dater get set up on a date that turns out to be much more than they bargained for. Through Jan. 21, Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St., (410) 752-1225, spotlighters.org, $10-$22.

Impropourri. The Baltimore Improv Group (BIG) hosts a weekly bring-your-own-troupe improv and sketch showcase. Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m., The BIG Theater, 1727 N. Charles St., (888) 745-8393, bigimprov.org.

“Inherit the Wind.” Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s courtroom drama chronicles the Scopes “monkey” trial. Through Feb. 4, Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway, (410) 563-9135, vagabondplayers.org, $10-$20.

Mucking About. Long form improv from Bandicoot, Topiary, and Synched followed by an improv karaoke jam. Jan. 19, 8 p.m., Charm City Comedy Project at Zissimos Bar, 1023 W. 36th St., charmcitycomedyproject.com, $5.

The Passing Zone. Comedy-stunt duo Passing Zone, aka Jon Wee and Owen Morse, finished in the top 10 on “America’s Got Talent.” Jan. 20, 9:45 p.m., Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., (410) 783-8000, bsomusic.org, $36-$125.

“The Tempest.” The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory presents the bard’s shipwreck drama featuring an original score. Through Feb. 4, St. Mary’s Outreach Center, 3900 Roland Ave., baltimoreshakespearefactory.org, $19-$24.

“Trouble in Tahiti.” In Leonard Bernstein’s one-act opera, the troubled marriage of a young suburban couple presents a critique of post-war American materialism. Through Jan. 27, StillPointe Theatre, 1900 St. Paul St., stillpointetheatre.com, $25.

Women’s Performance Workshop. A two-day workshop open to all women-identified community members to hone performance work, culminating in a performance for the community. Workshop Jan. 19, 7-9:30 p.m. and Jan. 20, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; performance on Jan. 20, 8 p.m; Strand Theater Company, 5426 Harford Road, (443) 874-4917, strand-theater.org, free.

The post Stage: Jan. 17-24 appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Two of the most striking works of social criticism hitting local stages this season are musical theater pieces more than 50 years old. And they’re both informed by the political imagination of one largely overlooked composer, librettist, and playwright. Marc Blitzstein was the musical prodigy of a rich Philadelphia banker, gay and leftist in a mid 20th-century America hostile to both. He adapted Lillian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes” into an opera, translated and adapted Kurt Weill’s and Bertolt Brecht’s “Threepenny Opera” for the American stage, and became a close friend to Leonard Bernstein. In 1964, Blitzstein was on holiday on the island of Martinique, where he was robbed and beaten by three sailors, who he had picked up in a bar. He internally bled to death at the age of 58.

Blitzstein was also deeply committed to the idea that art should have political imperative, which shaped his output. “Music must have a social as well as artistic base,” he wrote, “it should broaden its scope and reach not only the select few but the masses.”

That spirit expanded the possibilities for musicals ever since, and Blitzstein’s own political commentary is as pertinent today as it was in his time. Baltimore’s Iron Crow Theater kicked off its season last fall with an updated and stripped-down production of Blitzstein’s most infamous work, 1937’s “The Cradle Will Rock,” and StillPointe Theater begins its new season this week with Leonard Bernstein’s “Trouble in Tahiti,” which is dedicated to Blitzstein.

Both are sprightly, popular entertainments that are uncompromisingly critical of the America of their times, and ours. “Cradle” tells the seriocomic story of a businessman, Mr. Mister, completely taking over the make-believe Steeltown, U.S.A. He uses his wealth to corrupt law enforcement, the political establishment, the press, and artists; the only thing that stands in his way are unionizing steelworkers. Its original 1937 production, produced by John Houseman and directed by Orson Welles, was legendarily quashed by the Works Progress Administration that funded it, leading to a celebrated performance by Blitzstein solo onstage with cast members joining him from the audience.

“This unabashedly anti-capitalist 1937 piece was the first musical ever shut down by the federal government for fear of societal revolt and is a defiant indictment of capitalism and socio-political corruption,” writes Iron Crow’s artistic director Sean Elias, who also directed the company’s version, in an email interview. Elias was part of a “Cradle” production as an undergraduate at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, and has been a fan ever since. “It’s as much an attack on wealth and the political power it unjustly wields, as it is an homage to those with nothing, fighting to survive. Could this be any more relevant to the election of 2016 and this current administration?”

“Tahiti,” which premiered in 1952, is a one-act opera about a troubled marriage in the suburban, shining-city-on-a-hill imagination of postwar America. The cast is small—the husband Sam and wife Dinah, and a stylish vocal trio that represents the idealized version of America that was being advertised in radio jingles—and the story takes place over one day. That day unpacks a wealth of turmoil roiling just beneath the surface of the couple’s lives—Dinah’s in therapy, Sam is having an affair with his secretary—and they, perhaps futilely, seek the temporary escapist balm of a movie called “Trouble in Tahiti.” The idea of marital discord as a metaphor for American anomie can feel like a well-trod theme (see also: everything from John Cheever short stories up through “Mad Men”) but in 1952, the paint was barely dry on Levittown’s first picket fences and Bernstein was already calling bullshit on this latest lie of American exceptionalism.

David Schweizer, who is directing StillPointe’s production, appreciates the way Bernstein “upends the whole shiny ’50s American dream,” he says. Schweizer, who grew up in Baltimore, started directing plays in the early 1970s at Joe Papp’s Public Theater in New York, and has been an imaginative director for hire ever since. He began regularly returning to Baltimore to direct plays at Center Stage in the late 1990s, where he met StillPointe co-founding creative director Ryan Haase, who assisted him more recently. In recent years Schweizer has been working on premiering new opera projects for companies around the country, and when Haase approached him about working with StillPointe, Bernstein’s “Tahiti” came to mind, as 2018 is the 100th anniversary of Bernstein’s birth.

“Bernstein’s works are more emotional than political in a conventional sense,” Schweizer says, adding that by dedicating “Tahiti” to Blitzstein, a larger American critique is imbued in the opera. “Blitzstein has a much more obviously lefty, quasi-Kurt Weillian and Brechtian thing going on, but I think Bernstein purposely alerted us that in case we were imagining that he was amusing himself with this easy target of suburban satire, he did see a relationship between that climate and the damage it did to people’s lives. He doesn’t buy the bright and shiny American dream stuff. And by dedicating it to Marc Blitzstein, he was saying, pay more attention than you might think you need to.”

For anybody whose first exposure to musicals was only catching touring versions of popular Broadway fare—a “Cats” here, a “Starlight Express” there—paying more attention than you might think you need to is good advice with which to approach musical theater in general. As America’s first mass entertainment, musicals can be too easily dismissed for being as opportunistically superficial as blockbuster movies and mainstream television, the song and dance to wrap around advertisements for consumption. But unlike independent movies or small-market television series, the scale of musical theater, and the ideas it can advocate, makes it much more economically accessible. DIY theater companies can and do mount ambitious musical projects on nonexistent budgets all across America, creating imaginative experiences that movies and TV can’t touch.

“I think what makes musical theater an ideal platform for radical or even non-mainstream ideas is that it happens live, in front of you, in the now,” Elias says. Iron Crow’s production of “Cradle,” he says, was a direct response to and protest against the current administration and evils of unregulated capitalism, but notes that the musical had lost the comedic edge it had for 1930s audiences.

“I think audiences were experiencing this story as possibility rather than fact,” he says. “Now, with 80 years of history behind us, it’s harder to see the humor in what we know has happened, or what we think is happening, or what we fear could happen again. There’s something about history repeating itself for us as audience members that didn’t exist in the same way in 1930s, and that gives ‘Cradle’ it’s dark and sharp edge today.”

Elias notes that how Blitzstein infused a political critique into his hummable scores provided a path for later composers/librettists to follow (see also: “Chicago,” “Cabaret,” “Hair,” “Spring Awakening”) and Schweizer says the past decade or so has witnessed a rekindled interest in what he calls music-driven theater, a catch all for operas, musicals, and narrative musical performance.

“I think that part of it is that there are young artists who want to create in this mode and they’re no longer scared off by the economics,” he says. “They’re just figuring out ways around it.”

He also notes that even big opera companies and musical producers are embracing new, edgier works that are finding both commercial and critical success. “Fun Home,” the musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir of the same name about growing up young and lesbian in a dysfunctional home, won three Tony awards in 2015 and went on to a national tour. Schweizer directed the debut of “The Long Walk,” an opera based on Brian Castner’s book about his experiences commanding an Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit in Iraq and his transition home, which is beginning to be produced around the country.

“Politics comes in a lot of different forms,” Schweizer says. “‘The Book of Mormon,’ a wild commercial success, is also highly political. I think people today, not in any concerted effort, are turning to this music-driven format to tell a very wide range of challenging stories.”

“Trouble In Tahiti” opens Jan. 12 at St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and runs every Friday and Saturday through Jan. 27. For more information, visit stillpointetheatre.com.

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