By Doug Rule on May 16, 2019 @ruleonwriting
You can tell from the title that Love’s Labor’s Lost is not going to end “happily ever after.” But far from being messy or depressing, actor Edmund Lewis finds this early William Shakespeare comedy to be refreshing and realistic.
“I think [Shakespeare] was trying to explore the idea of, sometimes it doesn’t work out,” he says. “Sometimes you wind up with that person you’re in love with. Sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you have to wait. Sometimes your heart is broken. It’s just a charming exploration of love in its many forms…and of wisdom. And how love can make us do these silly things when we’re…not being completely honest with ourselves, or when we’re following our heart rather than our mind.”
Lewis plays the clownish everyman Costard in what he calls “a really lovely, romantic, silly production” of the show at Folger Theatre. It marks the New York-based actor’s second gig in D.C., after appearing in last season’s St. Joan, also at the Folger. While in recent years the 49-year-old Lewis has been seen in classical productions — most by Shakespeare — none of it has been by design.
“Actually, Shakespeare was not something I have ever aimed to do,” he says. “It really wasn’t something I had trained for or had a huge desire to do. It just kind of happened, and then my love for it developed.” In addition to increasing forays in film and TV, Lewis hopes to stretch himself with more contemporary stage works — and the out actor would be eager to finally get the chance to play a gay character. “I really haven’t [played gay], but I would love to explore that and tell that story.”
For now, however, he’s enjoying treating Folger audiences to the Bard’s early battle-of-the-sexes comedy, directed by Vivienne Benesch. “This one’s always been considered one of his troubled plays, because there are certainly a couple of logic things that are strange,” he says. “And it’s not a terribly plot-heavy comedy. I’ve seen a couple of different productions of it that haven’t quite worked. I think this one gets pretty close to what it should be.
“I think Vivienne has done a really great job with it. And it’s a really great cast, and so it kind of keeps things fun and buoyant. We’ve taken a somewhat difficult play and just made it hugely entertaining.”
Love’s Labor’s Lost runs to June 9 at the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $42 to $79. Call 202-544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu.
By Doug Rule on May 4, 2022 @ruleonwriting
On the book jacket of Randy Rainbow's just-published memoir Playing with Myself, there are rapturous quotes about the viral video sensation and social media star from an assortment of the boldest of bold names, everyone from Patti LuPone to Carol Burnett.
"Brilliant.... As good as anyone writing lyrics today," reads one attributed to Stephen Sondheim.
"He was often far too generous with his praise," Rainbow shares with Metro Weekly about the late, great Broadway legend, who Rainbow became obsessed with as a budding gay kid growing up in South Florida with big, Broadway-sized dreams.
By Doug Rule on April 22, 2022 @ruleonwriting
With the tagline "No FOMO, Yes HOmO," one of the newest stand-up showcases in town takes place the last Sunday of each month at St. Vincent Wine in the bustling Park View stretch of Georgia Avenue south of Petworth.
Launched at the start of 2022, Yes HOmO! Comedy is a local collective focused on presenting LGBTQ performers and others who have been "traditionally marginalized within the comedy scene," providing them a safe space "to fully be themselves and tell their best jokes."
This month's showcase, hitting two days after Earth Day, is styled as a benefit for an "eco-conscious nonprofit" (yet to be announced), and the show will focus on finding the funny in the typically heavy and dead-serious realm of the environment and ecological issues.
By Doug Rule on April 15, 2022 @ruleonwriting
Over the past decade, Jonathan Rockefeller has made puppetry his calling card and the primary focus of Rockefeller Productions, the company he runs with his husband, Wilson.
"There are a lot of interesting shows that we do with all different styles of puppets," Rockefeller says. "as bizarre as The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show all the way up to Disney's Winnie the Pooh."
Yet one show stands out in the company's roster, one with special appeal to audiences of a certain age and persuasion. "The tagline is, 'Calling all girls, gays, and grannies,' because that's who love that show," Rockefeller says, referring to That Golden Girls Show!: A Puppet Parody.
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