The Present

Presented as part of Round House’s Silver Spring Series
By Contradiction Dance
October 21 & 22, 2011

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Athletic, beautiful creatures ‑ the physical embodiment of energy and elegance.

Featuring lifts, dives, rolls, spins, and leaps to a conclusion of joy and laughter, The Present is a physical expression of the greatest gift ‑ this moment.  The Present is about the simple beauty of everyday objects, expansive elegance, and the athletic prowess of the dancers themselves.

Tickets $15 general admission, $10 RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, senior citizens, groups of 10+: click here or call 240.644.1100

Cabaret Macabre

Presented as part of Round House’s Silver Spring Series
By Happenstance Theater
October 28 ‑ November 13, 2011

Photo of Sabrina Mandell by Danisha Crosby

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Back for their second season after a sold out run last year, Happenstance Theater presents the ALL-NEW Cabaret Macabre. Inspired by Edward Gorey, Victorian nightmares, dangerous croquet, and ill-fated twins, the all-new Cabaret Macabre features melodramatic music played live and Happenstance Theater’s witty, visual theatrical collage. The cast includes Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, Karen Hansen, Matthew Pauli, Esther Williamson and Gwen Grastorf.

Cabaret Macabre is recommended for age 10 & up

Tickets $15 general admission, $10 RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, senior citizens, groups of 10+: click here  or call 240.644.1100

Sportaculture: The All Stars

Presented as part of Round House’s Silver Spring Series
By Active Cultures
November 18 ‑ 21, 2011

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Sportaculture: The All Stars reflects Active Cultures’ mission to create original professional theatre about local culture. This festival of short plays about local sports features:

• Catch by Michael John Garcés. A story about how the Nationals beat the odds, won the Series, and all was made right in the world.
• Long Shot by James Hesla.  At Rinaldi’s Bowling Alley in College Park, two lonely hearts meet cute while watching Chris Webber’s Washington Bullets.
• The Gridiron: Adventures from the Sideline by Thembi Duncan. The rookie has a few surprises for the coach during this high stakes touch football game.
• Medley Relay by Jessica Burgess & Mary Resing, music by Andy Welchel.  In this sports musical, four teen swimmers in the PrinceMont League team up to vanquish their rivals. Featuring the breakout hit, Freestyle.
• America’s Pastime by Mary Waters.  A look at the day Vice President Dick Cheney threw the first pitch for the Washington Nationals.
• To the Redskins with Love by John Xander Yi. Guys night out watching the ‘Skins is threatened when a girl invades the mancave.

Tickets $15 general admission, $10 RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, senior citizens, groups of 10+: click here or call 240.644.1100

lost, left, found & borrowed

Commissions of the MetLife Foundation Healthy Living Initiative at Dance Exchange
Presented as part of Round House’s Silver Spring Series
By Dance Exchange
January 13 ‑ 15, 2012

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Commissioned by the Dance Exchange and MetLife Foundation, these works feature intergenerational casts and were created to be performed both in traditional performance spaces, as well as in health care settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers. Themes include dementia, memory, and the shifting role of caretakers and caregivers.

Tickets $15 general admission, $10 RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, senior citizens, groups of 10+: click here or call 240.644.1100

Will Gartshore in All the King’s Men: Broken Ballads with a Stiff Upper Lip

Presented as part of Round House’s Silver Spring Series
March 19 & 26, 2012

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Will Gartshore returns to the Round House stage with this fun and fractured songbook of contemporary Broadway, well-known standards and pop/rock. With reinforcement from Christopher Wingert on piano and Joan Singer on violin, Will scales the musical heights of Sondheim, Porter, and Jason Robert Brown while stitching together pop-flavored fragments of Coldplay, Neil Young, and Stevie Nicks. The Washington Blade calls the show “smoldering and eclectic” with “sturdy, shimmery vocals, tight pacing and and well-chosen material that, with help from the sparse, somewhat unorthodox instrumentation, Gartshore manages to bring new perspective to.” It’s enough to make you fall to pieces.

Tickets $15 general admission, $10 RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, senior citizens, groups of 10+: click here or call 240.644.1100

The Gift

Presented as part of Round House’s Silver Spring Series
By Contradiction Dance
April 6 ‑ 14, 2012

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Pay-What-You-Can: Thur., Apr. 12 at 8pm. PWYC tickets on sale in person at the RHT Silver Spring box office at 7pm. Cash/exact change. Limit 2 tickets per order. Subject to availability.

Inspired by the classic tale The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, The Gift tells the story of a boy and a tree, and the intricate relationship that develops throughout the boy’s lifespan. Through the passing of time, their friendship naturally ebbs & flows, finally resting in a moment of mutual appreciation. The Kelly Mayfield Dance Company blends dance and theatre to bring this magical story to life. Bring your friends and family as we search to discover the ultimate gift…unconditional love.

Tickets $15 general admission, $10 RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, senior citizens, groups of 10+: click here or call 240.644.1100

The Giver

The Sarah Metzger Memorial Play 2012
March 23 ‑ April 1, 2012

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Jonas’ world is perfect. Everything is under control and safe. There is no war or fear or pain. There are also no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. But when Jonas turns 12, he is chosen for special training from The Giver ‑ to receive and keep the memories of the community. The Giver is the only person who holds the memories of real pain and real joy. Now Jonas will learn the truth about life ‑ and the hypocrisy of his utopian world. Through this astonishing and moving adaptation, discover what it means to grow up, to grow wise, and to take control of your own destiny.

The Sarah Play provides high school students from across the DC area the guidance and resources to mount a production at Round House under the mentorship of professional theatre artists and practitioners. It is the country’s only theatrical production, offered as part of a regional theatre’s regular programming, that is directed, designed, stage managed, and performed entirely by high schoolers. This production of The Giver marks the tenth anniversary of The Sarah Play.

Tickets $15 general admission, $10 RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, senior citizens, groups of 10+: click here or call 240.644.1100 ($10 The Giver tickets not available online)

The Sarah Play is made possible in part by The Sarah Metzger Memorial Fund, Jeffrey and Carolyn Leonard, The William S. Abell Foundation, and The Community Fund for the National Capital Region.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Washington, DC – Silver Spring is the official hotel sponsor of the 2012 Sarah Play.

Mad Forest

Presented by Forum Theatre
By Caryl Churchill
Directed by Michael Dove
September 22 — October 15, 2011

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

On the eve of the Romanian Revolution, and under the eternal watch of the secret police, two families (one poor and one wealthy) struggle to retain their friendship ‑ and to survive the winter. But once the violence has ceased and the euphoria has lifted, will anything have changed? A blend of journalism, fantasy, and harsh realism, Mad Forest delves into the madness and fervor of a society on the brink of upheaval.

Tickets $25 general admission, $20 senior citizens, RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, click here or call 240.644.1100

“Did We Have a Revolution?”

Presented by Forum Theatre
October 3, 2011 at 7:30pm

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Eight teams of artists have been given a single page with images, quotes, and death tolls of an historical revolution and asked to create a 10-minute reaction piece. The page does not name the revolution or its location, participants, and date. Come experience their responses and find out their revolution… at the same time that the artists do. Featuring Randy Baker, Ameneh Bordi & Amie Cazel, Richard Byrne, Tim Guillot, Aaron Jones, Jon Lee & Wyckham Avery, Ilana Silverstein, and Kelly Mayfield with members of Contradiction Dance.

This event is pay-what-you-can; email tickets@forumtd.org or call Forum at 240.644.1390 to reserve tickets.

DC Hearts the Arts

Presented by Forum Theatre
October 5, 2011 at 7:15pm

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

A showcase of all different forms of art along with a performing arts fashion show showcasing local fashion designers, local actors & dancers & actual performances throughout.

For more info on this event, email Forum at tickets@forumtd.org

The Normal Heart

Staged reading performed by Forum Theatre
By Larry Kramer
Directed by Jeremy Skidmore
Monday, November 7 at 7:30pm

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT of the 2011 Tony Award-Winning Drama.

Featuring Will Gartshore, Holly Twyford, Mitchell Hébert, J. Fred Shiffman, Gregory Gallhager, Jason Lott, KenYatta Rogers, Rick Hammerly, Michael Tolaydo, Ro Boddie, and Chris Dinolfo

The story of a city in denial, The Normal Heart unfolds like a real-life political thriller: a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians, and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic. A quarter-century after it was written, this outrageous, unflinching, and unforgettable look at the sexual politics of New York during the AIDS crisis remains one of the theatre’s most powerful statements.

Jeremy Skidmore, the director of Forum’s critically-acclaimed, Helen Hayes Award-winning Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, will stage this all-star cast in one of the most important plays of the past 30 years.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7th

Staged Reading of The Normal Heart at 7:30pm
Tickets:
$100 for Premium Seating – guaranteed first or second row seats with a table for your party
$75 for general admission
Hors d’oeuvres & drinks to follow

* All proceeds benefit the productions and artistic & community programming of Forum Theatre’s 2011/12 Season.

for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf

Presented by Forum Theatre and Colored People’s Theatre
By Ntozake Shange
Directed by Jamil Jude and featuring the original Capital Fringe cast
December 14 – 18, 2011

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Pay-What-You-Can performance: December 14. PWYC tickets on sale in person at the RHT Silver Spring box office 1 hour before curtain. Cash/exact change only. Limit of 2 tickets per person. Subject to availability.

This “heartfelt infusion of poetry, dance, and song“ (DC Theatre Scene) originally produced as part of the Capital Fringe Festival 2011 as Colored People Theatre’s inaugural production is making a fierce reappearance at Round House Silver Spring. It promises to be the perfect kickoff for Forum Theatre’s Female Voices Festival, celebrating women and discussing their voice.

Tickets: $15 general admission, $10 Forum Theatre members & RHT subscribers, click here or call 240.644.1100 ($10 tickets are only available by phone)

The Language Archive

Presented by Forum Theatre
By Julia Cho
Directed by Jessica Burgess
February 16 — March 10, 2012

Pay-What-You-Can: February 16 and 17. PWYC tickets on sale in person at the RHT Silver Spring box office 1 hour before curtain. Cash/exact change only. Limit of 2 tickets per person. Subject to availability.

Winner of the 2010 Susan Blackburn Prize. George is a brilliant linguist, consumed with preserving and documenting dying languages. But at home, he cannot find the words that will preserve his disintegrating marriage. His archival assistant is mute with adoration for him; and his newest subjects, an elderly couple who are the last speakers of an obscure language, refuse to utter a word to one another. A magically inventive comedy, The Language Archive asks whether love is a universal language or, like Esperanto, just a well-intentioned dream.

Tickets $25 general admission, $20 senior citizens, RHT subscribers, $15 patrons age 30 & under, click here or call 240.644.1100

The Illusion

Presented by Forum Theatre
By Tony Kushner
Freely adapted from Pierre Corneille’s L’illusion comique
Directed by Mitchell Hébert
May 24 – June 16

Pay-What-You-Can: May 24 and 25. PWYC tickets on sale in person at the RHT Silver Spring box office 1 hour before curtain. Cash/exact change only. Limit of 2 tickets per person. Subject to availability.

Desperate to reach his long-lost son, an aging father turns to a sorcerer for insight. As the sorcerer conjures three episodes from the young man’s life, his father is led deep into a maze of romance, intrigue, conspiracy, and murder. But just how much of it is true? In his witty and passionate adaptation of Corneille’s seventeenth -century classic L’illusion comique, Tony Kushner weaves illusion with truth – and theater with real life. Featuring Aaron Bliden, Joe Brack, Gwen Grastorf, Brian Hemmingsen, Nanna Ingvarsson, Dana Levanovsky, and Scott McCormick.

Anything But Rockford

Presented by Playwright’s Forum
Play Reading followed by a Discussion
By James Del Fiore
Directed by Stevie Zimmerman
October 10, 2011 at 7:00pm
PWYC – no reservations required

At the Round House Theatre Education Center

Master Class with Michael Bigelow Dixon: Breaking With Realism – Playwriting for the 21st Century

November 12 & 13, 2011, 11am to 3:30pmAt the Round House Theatre Education Center

The world has changed. Has your writing?

Join The Inkwell and Michael Bigelow Dixon for a challenging, provocative, and fun workshop for playwrights interested in exploring new forms for a new century. For more information, click here. Tuition is $100 per person. To register, email reservations@Inkwelltheatre.org

Crowded Eden

Presented by Playwright’s Forum
Play Reading followed by a Discussion
By Rich Amada
Directed by Kathryn Kelley
November 14, 2011 at 7:00pm
PWYC – no reservations required

At the Round House Theatre Education Center

Measure for Measure

Presented by Lumina Studio Theatre
December 3 ‑ 11, 2011

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Set in an imagined Middle East country overseen by Western powers, Lumina’s Measure for Measure examines the conflicts of culture, ethics, religion, and gender that arise in an occupied state. In a tense clash, the warring moral landscape in Lumina’s Measure for Measure examines current conflicts between western and eastern ideas of justice. Without any slant towards the “rightness” of either system, Lumina explores the dramatic conflicts inherent in a starkly divided community. Does a foreign culture have a “right” to impose its own ethics and legal systems on another? Is there a common ethos to these two very different cultures? Lumina seeks Shakespeare’s path to show differences without judgment.

Seasons of Light

Presented by Discovery Theatre
December 8 & 9, 2011

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

Discovery Theater’s seasonal favorite, celebrates the warmth of world holidays filled with light and love. We visit the traditions of Devali, Ramadan, Sankta Lucia, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Christmas, and a First Nations tradition of the Winter Solstice.

Back to the Present

Presented by Contradiction Dance
1^st Annual Benefit Performance featuring the Kelly Mayfield Dance Company
January 6, 2012Round House Theatre Silver Spring
6:30pm

A physical expression of the greatest gift – this moment.

The evening will begin as guests enjoy delectable fare and beverages while browsing our exciting collection of silent auction items.  There will be a one hour performance of The Present followed by an intimate talk-back with the artists.  The evening will also feature a special presentation of a new work by Kelly Mayfield & Melissa-Leigh Bustamante.

Tickets: $75 singles, $100 for two –  http://backtothepresent.eventbrite.com

A Salute to Storyville

“The King Buddy Bolden Story”
Presented by Live Garra Theatre
Book by Joe Walker (excerpted: stage reading)
December 30, 2011 at 8pm

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

On the eve of New Year’s Eve a soulful celebration! To reserve your seat in advance for this benefit performance and for more information, visit www.bonifanttheatrespace.org

Donation: $20 (accepted at the door) 

Tom Jones

Presented by Lumina Studio Theatre
January 28 ‑ February 5, 2012

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

When the good Squire Allworthy retires to his room after an arduous journey from London, he is amazed to find a new-born baby in his bed. So begins Henry Fielding’s great comic masterpiece, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. Our hero’s racy adventures with a host of larger than life characters are brought to life in an energetic new adaptation by John O’Connor. With a cast of over 30 Lumina actors, songs from that other 18th century masterpiece, John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, and musical accompaniment by the fabulous Blackjacks, Tom Jones is a bold and original staging of one of the funniest and most humane novels in the English language.

The Silver Spring Inclusive Company

Presented by Artstream
April 26 ‑ 29, 2012

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Presented by Lumina Studio Theatre
May 5 ‑ 13, 2012

Round House Theatre Silver Spring

SilverDOCS

Presented by The American Film Institute and Discovery Communications
June 18 ‑ 24, 2012

Now in its tenth year, Silverdocs is the most talked about documentary festival in the United States, called “Non-Fiction Nirvana” by Variety, the “Pre-eminent documentary Festival in the US” by Screen International and the “premiere showcase for documentary film” by Hollywood Reporter.

Silverdocs encompasses a seven-day international film festival and five-day concurrent conference that promotes documentary film as a leading art form, supports the work of independent filmmakers and fosters an atmosphere for public dialogue and civic engagement around the issues and ideas explored in the films.