Arts & Entertainment
Whatever happened to Baby June?
American Century production wreaks Havoc with ‘30s craze
‘Marathon ‘33’
Through Aug. 25
The American Century Theater
Gunston Arts Center
2700 South Lang Street, Arlington
$17-$35
703-998-4555
Steve Lebens, Frank Britton, Dan Corey, Ann De Michele and Chanukah Jane Lilburne in ‘Marathon ’33.’ (Photo by Dennis Deloria)
If you think the dance marathon craze made popular during the Great Depression was no different than other harmless passing fads like drive-ins, toga parties and pet rocks, think again.
As described in June Havoc’s “Marathon ‘33” (now playing at Arlington’s American Century Theater), the dance-‘til-you-drop contests were a pretty brutal pastime. In truth, they were torturous tests of endurance that kept hard-up participants sleepless on their feet for weeks, sometimes months, desperately hanging on for the guaranteed free meals and a shot at the prize money promised to the last couple left standing.
Havoc, the younger sister of legendary stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, was an actual veteran of the marathon circuit. She spent her childhood performing as vaudeville headliner “Baby June” (immortalized in the Broadway musical “Gypsy”) and later achieved Broadway and Hollywood success as an adult. But for three very lean years in between when the adolescent June eked out a living in marathons as a participant and featured entertainer (some marathoners sang, danced and did comic bits for extra tips). All in all, it was rough going, particularly for a girl who’d fallen so far.
“Marathon ’33” carefully illustrates the horrors of the endless event — unbending rules, dirty tricks, mandatory sprints to weed out weaker participants — and while these specifics are fascinating, the play’s thin plotline is not: down-and-out former child star makes it through bad times and comes out even stronger and somehow ennobled. And though the first act unfolds engagingly, the screechy second act is a letdown.
Staged by Jack Marshall, American Century Theater’s production best succeeds in recreating the marathon experience and transporting the audience back to 1933 (one of the worst years of the Depression). It looks and feels like the real thing. Throughout much of the two-and- a-half hour show there’s a live band playing and the marathon is always in progress. Two roustabouts are constantly mopping floors and moving chairs and tables. Seated as spectators, the audience gets a sense of the event with all its erratic energy and insanity. It seems Marshall has been faithful to the late playwright’s intentions (Havoc died at 97 in 2010).
Set designer Michael deBlois has transformed the big black box Gunston Theatre II into a period dance hall. The dance floor’s rail is ringed with café tables for two. The walls are papered with ads from local sponsors. There’s a cute concession stand and cot-filled rest area for contestants off to the side. Rip Claassen’s costumes add an appropriately tatty touch.
Of course, the autobiographical play’s central character is June Havoc renamed Jean Reed for the marathon. It’s hard to root for her. As played by Jennifer Richter, she scowls and sobs her way through the contest including her specialty act. You’d think a trouper like Baby June might exhibit a little star quality to make a buck. Not here.
Standouts in the large cast include Craig Miller as the marathon’s shady operator, and Bill Karukas as its smooth-talking emcee Ruddy Blaine. Daniel Corey is terrific as a ‘30s-style funnyman; Anne De Michele makes a great low rent Harlow wannabe and Deborah Rinn Critzer is a hoot as a well-off ringside spectator who takes maniacal delight in the more sadistic aspects of the entertainment.
Intermittently, musical director and pianist Tom Fuller leads the peppy six-person band in setting the mood with songs from the era sung by actors all in excellent voice.
Because Havoc’s 1963 work calls for about 30 actors and a band, it’s rarely produced, so kudos to American Century Theater for fulfilling its mission to promote 20th century theater by bringing Havoc’s firsthand account of this freaky slice of Americana to life.
The 2026 Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition was held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill on Sunday. Seven contestants vied for the title and Gage Ryder was named the winner.
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Theater
Voiceless ‘Antony & Cleopatra’ a spectacle of operatic proportions
Synetic production pulls audience into grips of doomed lovers’ passion
‘Antony & Cleopatra’
Through Jan. 25
Synetic Theater at
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre
450 7th St., N.W.
Synetictheater.org
A spectacle of operatic proportions, Synetic Theater’s “Antony & Cleopatra” is performed entirely voiceless. An adaptation of the Bard’s original (a play bursting with wordplay, metaphors, and poetic language), the celebrated company’s production doesn’t flinch before the challenge.
Staged by Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili, this worthy remount is currently playing at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, the same venue where it premiered 10 years ago. Much is changed, including players, but the usual inimitable Synectic energy and ingenuity remain intact.
As audiences file into the Klein, they’re met with a monumental pyramid bathed in mist on a dimly lit stage. As the lights rise, the struggle kicks off: Cleopatra (Irina Kavsadze) and brother Ptolemy (Natan-Maël Gray) are each vying for the crown of Egypt. Alas, he wins and she’s banished from Alexandria along with her ethereal black-clad sidekick Mardian (Stella Bunch); but as history tells us, Cleopatra soon makes a triumphant return rolled in a carpet.
Meanwhile, in the increasingly dangerous Rome, Caesar (memorably played by Tony Amante) is assassinated by a group of senators. Here, his legendary Ides of March murder is rather elegantly achieved by silver masked politicians, leaving the epic storytelling to focus on the titular lovers.
The fabled couple is intense. As the Roman general Antony, Vato Tsikurishvili comes across as equal parts warrior, careerist, and beguiled lover. And despite a dose of earthiness, it’s clear that Kavsadze’s Cleopatra was born to be queen.
Phil Charlwood’s scenic design along with Colin K. Bills’ lighting cleverly morph the huge pyramidic structure into the throne of Egypt, the Roman Senate, and most astonishingly as a battle galley crashing across the seas with Tsikurishvili’s Antony ferociously at the helm.
There are some less subtle suggestions of location and empire building in the form of outsized cardboard puzzle pieces depicting the Mediterranean and a royal throne broken into jagged halves, and the back-and-forth of missives.
Of course, going wordless has its challenges. Kindly, Synectic provides a compact synopsis of the story. I’d recommend coming early and studying that page. With changing locations, lots of who’s who, shifting alliances, numerous war skirmishes, and lack of dialogue, it helps to get a jump on plot and characters.
Erik Teague’s terrific costume design is not only inspired but also helpful. Crimson red, silver, and white say Rome; while all things Egyptian have a more exotic look with lots of gold and diaphanous veils, etc.
When Synetic’s voicelessness works, it’s masterful. Many hands create the magic: There’s the direction, choreography, design, and the outrageously committed, sinewy built players who bring it to life through movement, some acrobatics, and the remarkable sword dancing using (actual sparking sabers) while twirling to original music composed by Konstantine Lortkipanidze.
Amid the tumultuous relationships and frequent battling (fight choreography compliments of Ben Cunis), moments of whimsy and humor aren’t unwelcome. Ptolemy has a few clownish bits as Cleopatra’s lesser sibling. And Antony’s powerful rival Octavian (ageless out actor Philip Fletcher) engages in peppy propaganda featuring a faux Cleopatra (played by Maryam Najafzada) as a less than virtuous queen enthusiastically engaged in an all-out sex romp.
When Antony and Cleopatra reach their respective ends with sword and adder, it comes almost as a relief. They’ve been through so much. And from start to finish, without uttering a word, Kavsadze and Tsikurishvili share a chemistry that pulls the audience into the grips of the doomed lovers’ palpable passion.
Out & About
Love board games and looking for love?
Quirk Events will host “Board Game Speed Dating for Gay Men” on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at KBird DC.
Searching for a partner can be challenging. But board games are always fun. So what if you combined board games and finding a partner?
Picture this: You sit down for a night of games. A gaming concierge walks you through several games over the course of the night. You play classics you love and discover brand new games you’ve never heard of, playing each with a different group of fun singles. All while in a great establishment.
At the end of the night, you give your gaming concierge a list of the folks you met that you’d like to date and a list of those you met that you’d like to just hang out with as friends. If any two people put down the same name as each other in either column, then your gaming concierge will make sure you get each other’s e-mail address and you can coordinate a time to hang out.
Tickets cost $31.80 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
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