Design: Rich Anderson
Recovery is one of the most popular shows at the Capital Fringe!
A scene from Recovery
|
Recovery @ Capital Fringe was a hit among audiences"Recovery strikes a balance between humor and truth. Patients, all facing love and loss differently, tell stories of anger, denial and sadness, but also of hope and strength and support. There are plenty of witty comebacks, charm and comedy. Recovery is a reminder of the strength of human connections."
--Washington City Paper "A powerful exploration...feeling at times like an interwoven fabric of memory [that] allows us to see two people falling in love, forgetting for brief moments that they're patients, in an ongoing search for normalcy and control...within a Brechtian cycle of waiting rooms and relapses. The structure is smart...and defies expectations." --DC Theatre Scene "It's a shared belief that hope triumphs, even in the face of death, and that belief comes across strongly in Williams' work. Recovery uncovers the human desire to connect despite the uncertainty of our fate. It is funny, bittersweet, and delivered with great naturalism." -- We Love DC "Bright, heartfelt, moving...Recovery leaves you feeling grateful. It gives you the sense of many different worlds of experience and expands your horizons. FOUR stars" -- DC Metro Theater Arts And, here's a great example of the reactions we've been getting from avid Fringe-goers (taken from a transcript of the KOJO radio show recorded at American University) : KOJO NNAMDI I'd like to go to the phone and talk first with Barbara in Potomac, Md. Barbara, you're on the air. Go ahead, please. BARBARA I just love the Fringe Festival. And every year I look forward to it, kind of block out my July and try to get down to as many shows as possible. I saw a stupendous show last week called Recovery that just blew me away. It was just completely amazing, funny and beautifully written and directed. |
The cast of Straight Faced Lies: (from left): Thom Christensen, Hannah Logan Wolfe, Linda Blackstock, Danny Hilt. Also starring Josh Krebs (not pictured)
|
Straight Faced Lies sells out robert moss theater; earns rave reviewsThis work is extremely well written: one of those vivid, larger-than-life, tragicomedies where our emotions turn on a dime as the characters battle each other and, more fundamentally, themselves. This is definitely a piece you'll want to check out for yourself, especially if you're interested in tracing the great American Family Drama from the days of another Williams (Tennessee). This Williams (Mark Jason) spins his tale of archetypal mother, son, daughter, sister, and long-lost father with equal parts compassion, wit, and danger. A smart, well-written, humorous, and intricate script, Straight Faced Lies left me wanting more. The twists and turns in this hilarious drama is a testament to the strong writing of playwright Mark Jason Williams. "A relatable triumph...Secrets and delusions explode in clusters of drama and hilarity. Snappy dialogue, superior plotting, and powerful use of space make Straight Faced Lies a delight. Witty repartee leads to character development and audience investment. |
|
|
Select scenes from Recovery were part of a special reading at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital on April 8, which featured stars of Broadway and television reading works created by people with cancer, and those recovering from cancer. One scene, Bob and Amy, was adpated into a short film, starring Catherine Augier and Greg Kachejian, who also directed and edited the piece. Both actors appear curteosy of Actors Equity Association. |
Kat Ross as Amanda and Dan Hilt as James in Smiles to Saturn by Mark Jason Williams
|
Mark's one-act play, Smiles to Saturn, was a hit at STAGEfest, held March 22-24 at the historic Landmark Loews Theater in Jersey City, NJ.
Written and directed by Mark Jason Williams, the play is about brothers – one with Aspergers syndrome and his resentful neuro-typical brother. It brought both tears and smiles, its authenticity and humor providing a glimpse into the familiar and the unfamiliar. |