Theater
Breaking the ‘Rules’
Two-year-old gay-helmed theater company takes unexpected approach
‘Touch’
Feb. 4-7
No Rules Theatre Company
H Street Playhouse
1365 H Street, N.E.
$25

Director Joshua Morgan watches a rehearsal of 'Touch,' the current production of No Rules Theatre Company. (Photo by C. Stanley Photography, courtesy of No Rules)
Starting a new theater company is daunting. To start up with a dual-city operation is downright loco.
But thatās exactly what the founders of No Rules Theatre Company did, and after almost two years of mounting productions in both Washington and Winston-Salem, N.C., they are off and running. Lead by three 20-something University of North Carolina School of the Arts alums (managing producer Anne Kohn and co-artistic directors Brian Sutow and Joshua Morgan, who is gay), the burgeoning company is striving to fulfill its mission of presenting broad-spectrum, high quality theater and making plans for a third, vastly expanded season.
Initially, actor/director Morgan was uninterested in being part of a new theater company. āThere were so many already. I wasnāt so sure that the world really needed yet another one,ā he says.
But after Kohn, Morgan and Sutow decided to move their North Carolina production of John Cameron Mitchellās trans-glam-punk rock musical āHedwig and the Angry Inchā to Washington for a second run in June of 2009, the trio (who are now all D.C.-based) was so encouraged and embraced by the local theater community that Morgan rather speedily changed his mind.
Soon after, the newly formed groupās dual city model began to take shape.
āAt first I thought it was crazy to focus on two markets, but now I see it as a major advantage in building strong projects through longer runs and being able to tap into more than on market for fundraising,ā says Jeremy Skidmore talented D.C. director and No Rules board member. “Another advantage is that No Rules was started by a group of people who all spent years in school together. Jumping into a venture with an ensemble of people who actually share the load and know how to work together is huge.ā
Morgan says, āPlaying in two cities is challenging both logistically and in terms of the plays we present. What flies in Winston Salem isnāt necessarily going to be as well-received in Washington. For instance, earlier this season some D.C. theatergoers turned their noses up to our production of āYouāre a Good Man, Charlie Brown.’ Similarly, some audience members in Winston-Salem have had problems with the sex scenes in ‘Touch’ (the companyās current production directed by Morgan and opening next week at H Street Playhouse) which are incredibly tame by D.C. standards.ā
At first, the young company shied away from tackling āTouch,ā Toni Press-Coffmanās drama about a young astronomer who attempts to rebuild his life with a vulnerable prostitute after his wife is brutally murdered. The 15-member groupās leadership agreed that it was a difficult play that required incredibly special actors; it was something they thought they might want to revisit after a few seasons. But when it came time to select a play to follow their frothy fall musical (āYouāre Good Man, Charlie Brownā), they reconsidered.
āBecause our mission is truly to present broad programming for a wise audience base thatās experiential and visceral and we are serious about challenging ourselves,ā Morgan says. āWe decided the time was right.ā
Morgan became interested in theater as a high school freshman in Montclair, N.J. Around the same time, he met his first boyfriend. Morgan wasnāt too concerned what his mother would he think. He remembered her telling him when he was a little boy: “If you were gay, Iād be swinging from the rafters.ā Today, she regularly calls from home offering to set up her son with prospective boyfriends.
āMy work takes me to a lot of different cities and towns, and it seems to me where there are gay people, there is life, culture and understanding,ā Morgan says. āI think being gay helps me to be more open and that makes me a better director and actor.ā
Next season, No Rules plans to produce four yet-to-be-announced plays (two exclusively for D.C., one for Winston-Salem, and another to play in both cities).
āWeāre excited about the future,ā Morgan says. āLike Michael Kaiser [Kennedy Center President], NRTC believes in good art, well marketed. We stand by what we do and look forward to more opportunities to take it to the public.ā
Theater
Celebrated local talent Regina Aquino is back on the boards
Queer actor starring in Arena Stageās āThe Age of Innocenceā

āThe Age of Innocenceā
Through March 30
Arena Stage
1101 Sixth St., S.W.
Tickets start at $59
Arenastage.org
Actor, director, and now filmmaker, celebrated local talent Regina Aquino is back on the boards in Arena Stageās āThe Age of Innocence,ā staged by the companyās artistic director Hana S. Sharif.
Adapted by Karen ZacarĆas from Edith Wharton’s 1920 masterpiece novel, the work surrounds a love triangle involving New York scion Newland Archer, his young fiancĆ©e, and the unconventional beauty Countess Olenska. The Gilded Age-set piece sets up a struggle between rigid societal norms and following oneās own heart.
Aquino ā a queer-identified first-generation Filipino immigrant who grew up in the DMVā is the first Filipino American actress to receive a Helen Hayes Award (2019). She won for her work in Theater Allianceās āThe Events.ā
In āThe Age of Innocence,ā Aquino plays Newlandās mother Adeline Archer, a widow who lives with her unmarried, socially awkward daughter Janey. No longer a face on the dinner party circuit, she does enjoy gossiping at home, especially with her close friend Mr. Sillerton Jackson, a āconfirmed bachelorā and social arbiter. Together, they sip drinks and talk about whatās happening among their elite Manhattan set.
WASHINGTON BLADE: Do you like Mrs. Archer?
REGINA AQUINO: Thereās a lot of joy in playing this character. Sheās very exuberant in those moments with her bestie Sillerton. Otherwise, thereās not much for her to do. In Whartonās book, it says that Mrs. Archerās preferred pastime is growing ferns.
BLADE: But she can be rather ruthless?
AQUINO: When it comes to her family, yes. Sheās protective, which I understand. When she feels that her familyās under attack in any way, or the structure of the society that upholds way of life is threatened, she leans hard into that.
The rare times that sheās out in society you see the boundaries come up, and the performative aspect of what society means. She can be very mean if she wants to be.
BLADE: Can you relate?
AQUINO: I come from a large Filipino matriarchal family. Mrs. Archer is someone I recognize. When Iām in the Philippines, Iām around people like that. People who will do business with you but wonāt let you into their inner circle.
BLADE: Did you ever imagine yourself playing a woman like Mrs. Archer?
AQUINO: No. However, in the past couple of years diversely cast TV shows like āBridgertonā and āQueen Charlotteā have filled a need for me that I didnāt I know I had.
With stories like āThe Age of Innocenceā that are so specific about American history, they arenāt always easily imagined by American audiences when performed by a diverse cast.
But when Karen [ZacarĆas] wrote the play, she imagined it as a diverse cast. What theyāre presenting is reflective of all the different people that make up America.
BLADE: You seem a part of many groups. How does that work?
AQUINO: For me, the code switching is real. Whether Iām with my queer family, Filipinos, or artists of color. Itās different. The way we talk about the world, it shifts. I speak Tiglao in the Philippines or here I may fall into an accent depending on who Iām with.
BLADE: And tell me about costume designer Fabio Tabliniās wonderful clothes.
AQUINO: Arenāt they gorgeous? At the Arena costume shop, they build things to fit to your body. Itās not often we get to wear these couture things. As actors weāre in the costumes for three hours a night but these women, who the characters are based on, wore these corseted gowns all day, every day. Itās amazing how much these clothes help in building your character. Iāve found new ways of expressing myself when my waist is cinched down to 26 inches.
BLADE: Arenaās Fichandler Stage is theatre-in-the-round. Great for costumes. How about you?
AQUINO: This is my favorite kind of acting. In the round thereās nowhere to hide. Your whole body is acting. Thereās somebody somewhere who can see every part of you. Very much how we move in real life. I find it easier.
BLADE: While the Gilded Age was opulent for some, it wasnāt a particularly easy time for working people.
AQUINO: The play includes commentary on class. Never mind money. If youāre not authentic to who you are and connecting with the people you love, youāre not going to be happy. The idea of Newland doing what he wants, and Countess Olenskaās journey toward freedom is very threatening to my character, Mrs. Archer. Today, these same oppressive structures are doing everything here to shutdown feelings of liberation. Thatās where the heart of this story lands for me.
Theater
New D.C. theater season offers āInheritance,ā āVanya,ā more
Be sure to check out Baltimore, Rehoboth, Va. venues

As the crocuses burst, hereās some of whatās happening on the spring stage.
Clear Space Theatre in Rehoboth Beach presents Rodgers and Hammersteinās āOklahoma!ā (through March 23), the classic āwhere the wind comes sweeping down the plainsā story about a bucolic love triangle circa 1906. This production of the always [to me] surprisingly enthralling musical makes for the perfect early spring uber gay-friendly getaway. Clearspacetheatre.orgĀ
Closer to home, try taking a break from the unpleasant everyday and see āGolden Girls: The Laughs Continueā (March 16) at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Va. Enjoy Rose, Blanche, Dorothy and Sophia, those beloved characters (here played by actors in drag) lifted from the beloved sitcom. Livenation.com
GALA Hispanic Theatre presents the world premiere of āSucede hasta en las mejores familias (Choke)ā (April 24-May 18), a timely story about an older couple and their adult daughter whose family medical crisis unleashes intergenerational conflict that mirrors the battle that theyāre forced to fight against a corporation. Galatheatre.orgĀ
For one performance only, the Alden Theatre in McLean, Va., presents āForbidden Broadwayā (Sunday, March 16, 2 p.m.). Filled with Broadway talent and tunes, and off-Broadway humor, this long-running New York favorite parodies current plays and musicals. Mcleancenter.org
Thereās still time to catch Sara Bareillesās āWaitressā at Olney Theatre Center (extended through April 6). The show is headlined by the Helen Hayes Award-winning out actor, single-named MALINDA who plays Jenna, the showās titular server/baker in this story about love and self-exploration. Staged by Tony-nominated director/choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge. Olneytheatre.orgĀ Ā
At Arena Stage, itās āThe Age of Innocenceā (through March 30). Helen Hayes-winning actor Regina Aquino (a queer-identified first-generation Filipino immigrant) plays society stalwart Mrs. Adelaide Archer in Karen Zacariasās adaptation of Edith Whartonās classic Gilded Age New York-set novel. Arenastage.orgĀ
Signature Theatreās production of Lin-Manuel Mirandaās āIn the Heightsā (through May 4) stars esteemed queer actor Ćngel Lozada as the pulsating musicalās protagonist, the hardworking and awkwardly appealing Usnavi. Signaturetheatre.org.Ā
Baltimoreās Hippodrome Theatre presents the national tour of āShuckedā (April 1-6), a queer comedy poised to deliver laughs and big talent. Its publicity reads: āWhat do you get when you pair a semi-neurotic, New York comedy writer with two music superstars from Nashville? A hilarious and audacious farm-to-fable musical about the one thing Americans everywhere canāt get enough of: corn.ā Hilarious.
At National Theatre, thereās āKimberly Akimboā (May 20-June 1), the Tony Award-winning musical that portrays a quirky teen romance with a supporting quartet of queer characters. Broadwayatthenational.com
Historic Fordās Theatre presents a staged reading of out playwright Matthew LĆ³pezās Tony-winning, two-part milestone play, āThe Inheritanceā (May 28-June 1) inspired by E.M. Forsterās complex novel āHowards End.ā LĆ³pezās critically acclaimed epic explores the lives of three generations of gay men as they chart divergent paths to forge a future for themselves in an ever-changing America in the decades after the AIDS crisis. The staged reading is helmed by out director JosĆ© Carrasquillo. Fords.org Ā
Round House Theatre presents the premiere of Sharyn Rothsteinsās āBad Booksā (April 2- 27), featuring out actor Holly Twyford and Kate Eastwood Norris as opposing forces. āTwyford plays The Mother whose genuine love for and concern about her children propels her to seek out the local librarian to discuss āappropriateā reading material. Norris plays The Librarian, a woman who is equally committed to her calling and profession.ā Round House artistic director Ryan Rilette directs. Roundhousetheatre.orgĀ
At Constellation Theatre, itās āHead Over Heelsā (May 1-June 1). A jukebox musical featuring music of 80ās rock band The Go-Go’s. This celebration of self-discovery and queer identity, weaving together Renaissance romance and Greek comedy. The companyās artistic director Allison Arkell Stockman directs. Constellationtheatre.orgĀ
The last time I saw Anton Chekhovās āUncle Vanyaā was in 2011 at the Kennedy Centerās Eisenhower Theatre featuring Cate Blanchett in a stunning turn as Yelena, a glamorous young woman married to an older processor. And now, the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) presents the heartbreaking comedy āUncle Vanyaā (March 30-April 20) starring Hugh Bonneville from TVās āDowntown Abbeyā as Vanya, the besotted brother of the professor’s late first wife. Shakesearetheatre.orgĀ
And finally, hereās something from the department of silver linings. After Trumpās Kennedy Center cancelled āA Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride,ā a concert featuring the Gay Menās Chorus of Washington, D.C., the International Pride Orchestra will present the same concert at the Music Center in North Bethesda on June 5. Letās make it sell out. Internationalprideorchestra.org
Theater
‘Kunene and the King’ makes US premiere in D.C.
Play takes place in post-apartheid South Africa

āKunene and the Kingā
Through March 23
Shakespeare Theatre Companyās Klein Theatre
450 7th St., N.W.
Tickets start at $35
shakespearetheatrecompany.org
Yes, itās an apartment redolent with nostalgia and gin, but beyond the clutter and disorder, thereās evidence supporting the existence of a celebrated career that hasnāt entirely ended.
Set in contemporary South Africa, famed artist/activist John Kaniās two-hander āKunene and the Kingā (now making its U.S. premiere at Shakespeare Theatre Company), has a lot to say in a little over 90 minutes.
The playās characters are vestiges of their countryās past, and in 2019, 25 years after the end of apartheid, they express reaction to change in markedly different ways.
Jack Morris is an esteemed white Shakespearean actor (played by STC stalwart Edward Gero) whoās focus is drink and work. After being offered and accepting the title role in āKing Lear,ā a longtime goal, he is diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.
Undeterred, the irritable actor quits the hospital for home (a flat in an affluent Johannesburg suburb) where he can learn Lear and imbibe undisturbed. Increasingly unwell, heās compelled to employ Lunga Kunene, a black South African nurse (Kani) to provide live-in care.
From the start, itās clear this isnāt going to be an easy relationship. Jack suggests Lunga sleep outside of the apartment in the cleanersā quarters, and casually shoots off offensive terms like āyou peopleā and āhelperā rather than nurse, a title thatās a point of pride for Lunga.
Kaniās dramedy unfolds a little clunkily before hitting a smooth stride. And while the men possess very different temperaments, they make disparate yet well-matched adversaries and occasional friends.
Costume designer Karen Perry has thoughtfully outfitted both men for the ride.
Lunga first appears in teal-colored scrubs with red epaulets covered in badges signifying a long and accomplished career in care, while Jack wears a lordly, velvet dressing gown that might have been culled from an old costume shop, but conveys a shabby grandeur nonetheless.
When Lunga spies a framed show poster featuring a dashing younger Jack as Richard II, heās impressed. Itās here where the two men experience a bit of bonding over their mutual admiration for the Bard. Lunga’s exposure has been minimalāin the segregated education system of his youth, the Shakespeare reading list was limited to āJulius Caesar,ā an historical tragedy that can be interpreted as a warning against the dangers of rebellion.
At one point, Jack recites a famous bit from the play (āfriends, Romans, countrymenā) in English, and Lunga repeats the monologue in his native Bantu language.
After learning that Jack aims to take on Lear, Lunga tackles the tragedy. Reading āKing Learā over several weeks serves as an entry into aspects of Jackās life. They have never been closer.
Other times, the employer and employee revert to old habits. Theyāre often at odds with Jack unwarrantedly threatening to fire Lunga over mostly imagined infractions and affronts.
Director Ruben Santiago-Hudson brings out both the workās comedy and the drama.
As Jack, Gero is mostly buoyed along by an enduring ambition and gulps of alcohol. There is humor along with harshness and the glaring indignities of ravaging illness. Kaniās Lunga is fully aware of the gravity required by his profession, but he canāt seem to resist lapsing into jokes and easy smiles. Itās a keen and interesting portrayal of a character whoās seen a lot.
There have been disappointments. Lunga was on his way to becoming a doctor when the apartheid government put a stop to those plans; he became a nurse instead.
Just when Lunga takes a day off from work to check on his tidy little home in Soweto, a predominantly black township, Jack shows up unexpectedly. And heās more than tipsyāyes, heās still drinking. Ostensibly heās come to have his nurse snap a promotional photo for āKing Lear.ā Despite circumstances, Jack yearns for a final triumphā heās hellbent on playing the old king before his ghost light goes out.
The scene is partly funny, but itās here that aspects of the lack of parity in the menās relationship goes on full display.
STCās production incorporates exciting scene transitions with statuesque singer Ntebo, garbed in a vivid gown and headwrap, musically conjuring the spirit of Africa.
While Lunga is able to embrace tradition, the ancestors, and modern medicine, Jack regards deference to that kind of cultural custom as so much hokum, beneath the dignity of an educated nurse.
Their worlds are different. While Jackās ethnocentricity may prevent him from tangible change, thereās a lot here for the rest of us to consider.Ā
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