Arts & Entertainment
Staying on script
Current events infuse comic paranoia thriller with added punch
Maboud Ebrahimzadeh as Nick and Emily Kester as Marianne in ‘Edgar & Anabel.’ (Photo by Igor Dmitry; courtesy Studio)
‘Edgar & Annabel’
Through Jan. 5
Studio 2ndstage
1501 14th Street, N.W.
$15-$35
202-332-3300
Sure, lots of theater remains relevant over time, but typically a play doesn’t become increasingly topical in the years following its publication. Yet, that’s exactly what’s happened with young British dramatist Sam Holcroft’s “Edgar & Annabel.”
When her Orwellian comedy thriller premiered in London in 2011, the Edward Snowden N.S.A. leak hadn’t happened and western audiences felt removed from the notion of an oppressive government monitoring their every move. But today, for Studio 2ndStage’s post-Snowden audiences, it’s more relatable.
Holcroft imagines a contemporary-looking America where government surveillance is the norm. Big Brother is always listening and things are getting worse. People can be thrown into jail for telling an anti-government joke. Elections are approaching and the ruling party is predicted to win handily. Stakes are high. The minority, freedom-seeking opposition desperately needs to make some gains.
The plot turns on the relationship of young rebel operatives Marianne (the excellent Emily Kester) and Nick (Maboud Ebrahimzadeh) who stay under the radar disguised as conservative married professionals Edgar and Annabel. Like everywhere, the house where they live is bugged and what’s said is analyzed by a government computer. To maintain innocuous continuity, every afternoon Marianne and Nick are supplied a new script from Miller (Lisa Hodsoll), their cool-but-zealous handler. So evening after evening, they speak their banal domestic dialogue dutifully while anxiously awaiting orders from organization higher-ups on when to assemble the bombs whose makings are stashed beneath the floor boards of their white IKEA kitchen.
Acclaimed local actor Holly Twyford (who is gay) is new to directing, but you wouldn’t know it here. She has staged the production (a U.S. premiere) with a sure hand. At 95 minutes, the well-acted piece moves briskly without losing any of the comic bits or the more disturbing aspects of the play. The design team is assured too, from Debra Booth’s purposefully plain set to costume designer Kelsey Hunt’s pretty dresses and beige pumps for Annabel.
Living under constant aural surveillance can prove tricky, but the operatives learn ways around it. When assembling explosives, they use what’s available to drown out suspicious noises — an electric carving knife and the hand held vacuum work nicely. But for a really big job, it’s home karaoke. Most memorably, the couple engages is an evening of karaoke and bomb building with guests and fellow operatives Tara and Marc (Lauren E. Banks and Jacob Yeh). This longish scene is a tour de force of blocking (kudos Ms. Twyford) and concentration on the part of the talented and diverse cast.
What’s more, it’s during a karaoke duet (“Total Eclipse of the Heart”) that Marianne and Nick’s relationship noticeably begins to shift. I’ll stop there. No spoilers.
Holcroft’s play is about acting too. Because the protagonists must do a cold script reading every evening, there’s lots of opportunity for frustration and humor as they perform for the overhead government bugs hidden in the smoke detectors. Characters can be replaced without warning. Going off script is taboo. Sometimes props aren’t available — in one instance, their script calls for wine but they’re out, prompting Ebrahimzadeh’s Nick to impressively mimic the uncorking the bottle and pouring of its contents.
“Edgar & Annabel” kicks off Studio 2ndStage’s “British Invasion,” a showcase of notable plays by British playwrights under 40. Upcoming entrees include “Tribes” by Nina Rains and Mike Bartlett’s “Cock,” intriguing-sounding works to look forward to in the new year.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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