![]() ![]() Batson is an obscure, long-deceased playwright active in the ’40s and ’50s with a handful of short-run Broadway titles (this not among them) and a few TV credits, but apparently with enough industry clout to get Tallulah Bankhead to play the lead. Frequently in addition to the contemporary musicals, old chestnuts, comedies, and holiday material, there’s a potboiler murder mystery - often Agatha Christie, occasionally not - complete with its own subset of tropes, many of which have not aged well.Īnd thus here we are at the opening night of Little Theatre of Alexandria’s production of George Batson’s Design for Murder, their season’s murder mystery. There will sometimes be some casting choices that result in some age-inappropriate relationships. There will likely be variation, sometimes wide, in talent and experience. ![]() That said, there are some tropes that even the best community groups can’t shake. They’re perhaps the quintessence of a successful community theater. They have a healthy budget, high production values, a playbill packed with ads from local businesses, a core of committed volunteers, and - judging from opening night, at least - a large and loyal audience. They’ve had their own building in the heart of Old Town for 60 years, which they own outright: a sumptuous 200-seat space that would be the envy of many small professional companies, especially given the number of venues that have disappeared in the past several years. Little Theatre of Alexandria has been around for nearly 90 years. James Lorenzin (David) and Kathy Ohlhaber (Celia) in ‘Design for Murder.’ Photo by Brian Knapp Photography. I note with some regret that I can count the number of WATCH-eligible productions I’ve seen on a single hand, and I’m as culpable as any in maintaining this schism. Some of these groups require membership fees, which is a line in the sand for some people (myself included). I’ve worked with hundreds of non-Equity DC-area actors who existed in various shades of the vast gray area of semi-professional theater, but only a few who have actually worked in local community theater. There is a tangible schism between the two worlds. Many have loyal audiences, robust funding, nice venues, and talented artists. They have their own support organization that gives out annual WATCH Awards, with 30 member organizations. In the greater DC region, an entire ecosystem of community theater exists and thrives largely outside of the professional and semi-pro sphere.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |