Arts & Entertainment
Power play
New D.C.-set play explores behind-the-scenes political pratfalls
‘Farragut North’
Through May 29
Olney Theatre Center
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Maryland
$26-$54
301.924.3400
Bruce Nelson, left, as Paul Zara, and Danny Yoerges as Stephen Bellamy in ‘Farragut North,’ on the boards now at Olney Theatre Center. (Photo by Stan Barouh; courtesy of Olney)
Named for the Metro station where lobbyists exit to their offices, Beau Willimon’s “Farragut North” offers a brief but unfiltered peek into the seamy world of politics.
Currently playing in Olney’s intimate Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre, this inside-the-Beltway story set in the Midwest follows power, lust and loyalty (or lack thereof) on the campaign trail. It’s freezing winter in Iowa and as the Democratic caucuses draw near, presidential campaigns begin to really heat up. The play focuses on 24 crucial hours in the goings-on of the campaign of Gov. Morris (whom we never meet), one of the Democratic nominee hopefuls.
The action kicks off in a Des Moines hotel bar. Over drinks, 25-year-old wunderkind press secretary Stephen Bellamy is busily regaling a small party with a tale from his short but marvelous (and sometimes shady) career. Seems when he was just starting out, Stephen helped his candidate win the election by falsely painting the opponent as an anti-Semite. His avid listeners – a New York Times political reporter Ida Horowicz (a wonderfully cold-blooded Susan Lynskey); Ben (Kevin Hasser), his newbie assistant; and Stephen’s boss, campaign manager Paul Zara played by Bruce Nelson who is gay – nod approvingly and chime-in occasionally as they thoroughly enjoy the sordid war story
Certain that his man is going to take Iowa (and eventually the nomination), Stephen is supremely confident, annoyingly so, but things begin to change when political veteran Tom Duffy, a rival candidate’s campaign manager asks Stephen for a meeting. Duffy, quietly played by excellent Olney veteran Alan Wade, leaks to Stephen that Morris is in fact not going to take Iowa or any other states (thanks to a host of dirty tricks) and suggests that Stephen jump ship ASAP. Complicating matters, Stephen gets involved with Molly (Elizabeth Ness), a sexually available young intern, and loses the support of the confreres whom he mistakenly thought were his friends. Meanwhile, it becomes apparent to Stephen that Ben, the earnest but promising gofer, has an eye on his job.
Playwright Willimon knows of what he speaks: Prior to penning plays, he worked in politics. His career kicked off as a volunteer for Charles Schumer’s first campaign in the Senate in 1998, and later included campaigns for Hillary Clinton and Bill Bradley. He was a press aide for Howard Dean’s 2004 campaign. As noted in the show’s program, Willimon stresses the play isn’t entirely a political drama. Its theme of could happen anywhere from Hollywood to a Home Depot.
Directed by Clay Hopper, the production moves briskly and is tidily staged. Hopper has elicited terrific performances from a fine cast that thoroughly understands its characters. Though the play is predictable – tragic hero scales heights, is overcome by own pride, and falls – it’s still fun to watch unfold. There is however a glaring flaw: If Stephen is in fact young Karl Rove savvy, why is he so easily caught in the first trap set for him? Yes, he’s tenacious and ultimately proves a street fighting survivor, but would a political prodigy of Stephen’s rank prove such easy quarry?
Yoerges plays Stephen with energy and likability that make his brilliant success all the more plausible while Nelson’s low-key Zara shows glimpses of anxiety and insecurity churning beneath a seemingly even-keeled surface. (Of course, Zara’s constant tobacco chewing and bad digestion are also a hint that all’s not well with him.)
Set designer Cristina Todesco’s neutrally colored panels on wheels combined with a few metal chairs and tables perfectly capture the essence of blah chain hotels and interchangeable bars and eateries encountered along the campaign trail. Ivania Stack dresses the cast in spot on street clothes from the campaign manager’s baseball cap and hunting jacket to the young communication director’s generically nice blue suit.
Politics is a dirty job but somebody has to do it, and here Olney acquits itself well.
Theater
Out dancer on Alvin Ailey’s stint at Warner Theatre
10-day production marks kickoff of national tour
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Through Feb. 8
Warner Theatre
513 12th St., N.W.
Tickets start at $75
ailey.org
The legendary Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is coming to Washington’s Warner Theatre, and one of its principal veterans couldn’t be more pleased. Out dancer Renaldo Maurice is eager to be a part of the company’s 10-day stint, the kickoff of a national tour that extends through early May.
“I love the respectful D.C. crowd and they love us,” says Maurice, a member of esteemed modern dance company for 15 years. The traveling tour is made of two programs and different casting with Ailey’s masterwork “Revelations” in both programs.
Recently, we caught up with Maurice via phone. He called from one of the quiet rooms in his New York City gym where he’s getting his body ready for the long Ailey tour.
Based in North Newark, N.J., where he recently bought a house, Maurice looks forward to being on the road: “I enjoy the rigorous performance schedule, classes, shows, gym, and travel. It’s all part of carving out a lane for myself and my future and what that looks like.”
Raised by a single mother of three in Gary, Ind., Maurice, 33, first saw Alvin Ailey as a young kid in the Auditorium Theatre in downtown Chicago, the same venue where he’s performed with the company as a professional dancer.
He credits his mother with his success: “She’s a real dance mom. I would not be the man or artist I am today if it weren’t for the grooming and discipline of my mom. Support and encouragement. It’s impacted my artistry and my adulthood.”
Maurice is also part of the New York Ballroom scene, an African-American and Latin underground LGBTQ+ subculture where ball attendees “walk” in a variety of categories (like “realness,” “fashion,” and “sex siren”) for big prizes. He’s known as the Legendary Overall Father of the Haus of Alpha Omega.
WASHINGTON BLADE: Like many gay men of his era, Ailey lived a largely closeted public life before his death from AIDS-related complications in 1989.
RENALDO MAURICE Not unusual for a Black gay man born during the Depression in Rogers, Texas, who’s striving to break out in the industry to be a creative. You want to be respected and heard. Black man, and Black man who dances, and you may be same-sex gender loving too. It was a lot, especially at that time.
BLADE: Ailey has been described as intellectual, humble, and graceful. He possessed strength. He knew who he was and what stories he wanted to tell.
MAURICE: Definitely, he wanted to concentrate on sharing and telling stories. What kept him going was his art. Ailey wanted dancers to live their lives and express that experience on stage. That way people in the audience could connect with them. It’s incredibly powerful that you can touch people by moving your body.
That’s partly what’s so special about “Revelations,” his longest running ballet and a fan favorite that’s part of the upcoming tour. Choreographed by Alvin Ailey in 1960, it’s a modern dance work that honors African-American cultural heritage through themes of grief, joy, and faith.
BLADE: Is “Revelation” a meaningful piece for you?
MAURICE: It’s my favorite piece. I saw it as a kid and now perform it as a professional dance artist. I’ve grown into the role since I was 20 years old.
BLADE: How can a dancer in a prestigious company also be a ballroom house father?
MAURICE: I’ve made it work. I learned how to navigate and separate. I’m a principal dancer with Ailey. And I take that seriously. But I’m also a house father and I take that seriously as well.
I’m about positivity, unity, and hard work. In ballroom you compete and if you’re not good, you can get chopped. You got to work on your craft and come back harder. It’s the same with dance.
BLADE: Any message for queer audiences?
MAURICE: I know my queer brothers and sisters love to leave with something good. If you come to any Ailey performance you’ll be touched, your spirit will be uplifted. There’s laughter, thoughtful and tender moments. And it’s all delivered by artists who are passionate about what they do.
BLADE: Alvin Ailey has been a huge part of your life. Thoughts on that?
MAURICE: I’m a believer in it takes a village. Hard work and discipline. I take it seriously and I love what I do. Ailey has provided me with a lot: world travel, a livelihood, and working with talented people here and internationally. Alvin Ailey has been a huge part of my life from boyhood to now. It’s been great.
Catfish Comedy will host “2026 Queer Kickoff Show” on Thursday, Feb. 5 at A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street, N.W.). This show features D.C.’s funniest LGBTQ and femme comedians. The lineup features performers who regularly take the stage at top clubs like DC Improv and Comedy Loft, with comics who tour nationally.
Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Arts & Entertainment
Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71
Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’
Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.
O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.
In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.
In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”
Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.
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