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Stage and screen star Marsha Mason relishes ‘Rhine’ role

Arena’s Lillian Hellman festival continues

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Marsha Mason, gay news, Washington Blade

Marsha Mason, star of stage and screen, says theater offers something electric that can’t be found in film. (Photo courtesy Arena Stage)

‘Watch on the Rhine’
 
Feb. 3-March 5
 
Arena Stage
 
1101 Sixth St., S.W.
 
$40-90
 
202-488-3300

Stage and screen star Marsha Mason had never seen a production of Lillian Hellman’s “Watch on the Rhine” before agreeing to take on the role of complicated matriarch Fanny Farrelly in Arena Stage’s upcoming production.

“For several years (Arena Stage’s artistic director) Molly Smith and I’d been talking about working together,” says Mason, 74. “A year ago we did a reading of ‘Watch on the Rhine’ in New York. When she offered me the part, I jumped at it. Fanny’s back story is deep and rich in terms of human relationships and human emotion. She’s a well-educated woman from a good family who moves in D.C.’s most rarefied circles. She has a rigid attitude toward certain behaviors and what is correct for women. And she’s also a mother who hasn’t seen her daughter for 20 years.”

Directed by Jackie Maxwell, “Watch on the Rhine” (1941) is the second of two full productions that are part of Arena’s Lillian Hellman Festival. The first was “The Little Foxes” earlier this season.

Set on the brink of the U.S. entering World War II, Fanny’s daughter Sara Muller (Lisa Bruneau) escapes to her wealthy mother’s Washington, D.C. home with her children and her German husband Kurt Muller (Andrew Long) who’s involved in anti-fascist movements. Tensions rise when Fanny’s creepy houseguest, Teck de Brancovis (J. Anthony Crane), an impoverished Romanian count, makes it clear no one’s safety can be guaranteed either at home or abroad.

Fanny is similar to the playwright in various ways, Mason says.

“They’re both originally southern. Fanny has a line in the play about the magnolias having come of the tree. Hellman loved magnolias from her youth and she planted them wherever she lived. They’re both sharp minded. Of course Fanny is older than Lillian was when she wrote the play. She’s from a different time and can’t express herself as openly and fiercely as Hellman did.”

A longtime Democrat, Mason is acutely aware that she’s arrived in Washington at a sensitive time.

“There are lines about fascists in the play. The description is extraordinary. It definitely resonates.”

Though not an activist, Mason says she feels strongly about causes including breast cancer, college campus rape and equal pay for women.

“This is a time when women and men too can’t afford to let anything get by. I think we all have to be terribly vigilant. It’s time to speak out when something isn’t right.”

Born, raised and educated in Missouri, Mason sought success in 1960s New York where she worked in theater before landing a TV soap opera role playing a girl reporter. Dissatisfied with the part, she left the cushy gig to do theater with A.C.T. Theatre in Seattle. Soon after, she says, a movie career sort of fell into her lap.

An appealing actor adept at comedy and drama, Mason was a popular movie star in the ‘70s and ‘80s, garnering four Academy Award nominations  (“Cinderella Liberty” in 1973, “The Goodbye Girl” in 1977, “Chapter Two” in 1979, and “Only When I Laugh” in 1981), and frequently collaborating with her then-husband playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon. After the career cooled, she has continued to do movies, TV, and theater (both acting and directing).

“I’ve always loved the work, but the stardom came too fast,” she explains in her warm, utterly non-diva way. “I just wasn’t ready for it — it sent me back to therapy. But my professional relationship with Neil (Simon) was always good, very rewarding.”

Mason’s life hasn’t been defined solely by acting. After divorcing Simon, she relocated to New Mexico. At the suggestion of her friend Shirley MacLaine, she bought a working farm in beautiful Abiquiú where she successfully grew medicinal herbs and organic produce for 20 years.

Now based in New York City, she says, “I’ll always love New Mexico with its special air and light but I don’t miss running the farm and I’m very happy to be a part of the East Coast theater scene. Still there’s a bit of the farm girl in me. I recently bought a hay field in Connecticut where I’m building a house.”

For now, she’s present in the moment, enjoying her work, she says.

“Being onstage as part of an 11-person ensemble is a palpable and electric thing. Something you can’t necessarily get on film. And ‘Watch on the Rhine’ is a great play. It requires artistry and technique. Hellman wrote a couple of spectacular works, and we need to remember that, especially because she’s a woman.”

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Theater

Talented pair of local queer actors tackles ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

Ford’s production features terrific score

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Chani Wereley (Audrey) and Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) in the 2024 Ford’s Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. (Photo by Scott Suchman)

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ 
Through May 18
Ford’s Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$33-$95
Fords.org 

Ever since premiering off-Broadway in 1982, “Little Shop of Horrors” has drawn a devoted following of avid audiences as well as performers eager to act in the show. Now playing at Ford’s Theatre, the doo-wop, dark comedy features a terrific cast including a wildly talented pair of local queer actors who’ve longed to appear in the show since they were kids. 

Set in the urban 1960s, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s hit show with a terrific score follows the wacky rise of Seymour, a nebbishy florist in a Skid Row shop who changes his fortunes by unintentionally marketing an exotic, human eating plant.  

Chani Wereley, 28, who plays Seymour’s love interest Audrey, a hyper femme downtowner with an edge, has had her on eye the role for years. Wereley says, “Audrey’s been around the block more than once, but I approach her as a person who moves through the world with love and hope.”

The queer D.C. native adds, “On long trips to visit family in Canada or Florida, the first thing we’d do is pop a ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ video [film version] into the car’s VHS player. I’ve watched is so many times, I could quote the whole movie to you.”

After auditioning to play Audrey in director Kevin S. McAllister’s production at Ford’s, Wereley never thought she’d book the part, and when they said she got it, she cried.  

Similarly, Tobias A. Young, 34, the pansexual actor who voices the part of the bloodthirsty plant affectionately dubbed Audrey II, explains his intense interest in the work: “I started watching the film in ’86. Growing up as a little gay boy in Calvert County, Md., I wanted to be blonde Audrey [played by Ellen Green in the movie]. I didn’t know much about musicals at the time, but I was absorbed.” 

When asked by Ford’s to play the voracious plant Audrey II without auditioning, his reply was an unhesitant “yes.” 

Voicing a role requires Young to sing from backstage in a black box rigged with monitors and a mixing board. He says, “people ask if I’m singing from inside of the ever-growing, scary plant. No, I’m not, and that’s fine. But let’s face it, actors love to be seen on stage, but I don’t feel entirely unseen as Audrey II.”

He’s worked hard and successfully with formidable puppeteers Ryan Sellers and Jay Frisby to bring parts of himself to the carnivorous plant — his sassiness, own movements, and even a tilt of his head; their efforts have drawn the actual Young into the show. 

Both Wereley and Young possess gorgeous, emotive voices as evidenced by Wereley’s striking rendition of Audrey’s “Suddenly Seymour,” and Young’s soulful “Feed Me (Git It).” Additionally, both actors are also big on queer representation in theater. 

When her young pals were listening to Britney Spears, Wereley was dancing to retro tunes like “Mashed Potato Time,” and her favorite song to this day, the Shirelle’s girl group anthem “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” As Audrey, Wereley eschews the character’s usual platinum hair for a bouncy brunette, cherry-streaked wig, tight pencil skirts, swing coats, and her very own half-sleeve tattoo. 

“It’s important for people to see themselves on stage,” she says. “Seeing me or someone like me is inherently interesting. Being that person on Instagram or with the institution, cast, or audiences is meaningful. It’s important.”

In 2011, a couple years after finishing high school, Young landed a part in “Dream Girls” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and he’s been working professionally ever since. Growing up, he didn’t see a lot of himself – Black and queer – on social media. He now wants to be open and honest for those out there who might not feel seen, he says

An introvert who lets everything loose on the stage, Young says, “theater is a safe space for queer people. That’s the first place we feel safe, particularly in school. And this is why we need theaters in schools, now more than ever.”

He adds, “What’s great about Ford’s is its surprises, especially when they switch up casting. It’s meaningful to see the shows you love, but why not see them with a twist? Using unexpected actors and incorporating queer people just makes it that much better.”

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Woman crashes ex-girlfriend’s wedding to a man in new play

Nonbinary playwright Bryna Turner brings ‘At the Wedding’ to Studio

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Playwright Bryna Turner (Photo by Lila Barth)

‘At the Wedding’
Through April 21
Studio Theatre
1501 14th St., N.W.
$45-$99
Studiotheatre.org

For nonbinary playwright Bryna Turner, the way to theater was first as an actor. But as gender non-conforming, they couldn’t really see a future in it, so they decided to write their own plays.

“At the Wedding,” Turner’s play about a woman named Carlo who crashes her ex-girlfriend’s wedding to a man, is currently making its area debut at Studio Theatre with a production staged by out director Tom Story.  The comedy made its world premiere at LCT3 at Lincoln Center Theater and was featured in the New York Times Best of 2022 “Unforgettable Theatrical Moments” category. 

Brooklyn-based Turner, 33, is inspired by experience, storytelling, and language. With “At the Wedding,” they humorously explore loneliness, estrangement, and a love for living.

WASHINGTON BLADE:  How do we meet Carlo? 

BRYNA TURNER: In the opening monologue, Carlo is at the kids table at a wedding reception telling them not to make her mistake. You’ll fall in love but that will only break your heart. That kicks the show off and this is who we’re dealing with.  

BLADE: How was falling in love for you? 

TURNER: My experience when I fell in love was that I was joining the human race. But then comes heartbreak…. that other thing everyone was always talking about. Poems and music took on new meaning. 

BLADE: But you can find a laugh in pain? 

TURNER: Comedic tone is important to me because that’s how I view the world. I like to have a laugh when things are hard or sad. 

Also, I feel like it’s a way to bring people in. You relate to a character who makes you laugh. Two of my plays begin with a lesbian yelling at the audience. It’s almost like crowd work.

BLADE: Were you ever hesitant about writing queer plays? 

TURNER: I was lucky at Holyoke [Mount Holyoke College where Turner was an undergrad]. Director Brooke O’Hara was teaching there when I attended and she brought in some queer plays; she showed me there was a canon to join and that was exciting.

BLADE: When did you first identify as nonbinary? 

TURNER: In 2022. I’d been butch-presenting for over a decade. Then during the pandemic, I began spending more time alone. When alone, you grant yourself more permission to think. 

For me, I’d always wanted to be independent and not ask for anything, to be butch on my own. As nonbinary, suddenly I had to ask people to use my pronouns. Also, it granted the opportunity to allow people to surprise me in mostly positive ways.

BLADE: Was becoming a produced playwright tough?

TURNER: I wanted to be a playwright at 21 and I had a play produced when I was 27. Now, looking back, I can see it happened pretty quickly, but at the time it felt like forever.  

While doing my MFA in playwriting at Rutgers University, I was working in the box office at the Public Theater in New York where I managed to see things like “Fun Home” and “Hamilton.” 

If I wasn’t working, I was commuting to Rutgers in New Jersey, and I was always writing. I had to be diligent. I’m a perfectionist, but I got things done. I wrote scenes in between waiting for customers at the box office or on the train. It took a lot of energy; drive pushes you. 

BLADE: A while before “At the Wedding,” you wrote “Phases of the Moon” about lesbian poet Elizabeth Bishop. What sparked that interest? 

TURNER: It’s about her time at Vassar College when she fell in love with a woman. It’s set in the 1930s but it’s bit anachronistic. There’s a scene with a Tegan and Sara song. 

Bishop identified as a socialist vegetarian while at one of the most expensive women’s colleges during the height of the Great Depression. I thought to myself, ‘I know that girl, too.’ I love how we can know this person across nearly 100 years.

BLADE: Can you describe your formative years? 

TURNER: I grew up the youngest of four in a small coastal town surrounded by redwoods. It was pretty rural but included an enclave of hippies. Despite being a shy kid, I developed an interest in theater. My parents were relieved. I had tried a lot of things and quickly lost interest: soccer, ballet, Tee-Ball. I remember striking out and all my family laughing. I threw down the bat and that was it. 

BLADE: Do you think about who you’re writing for? 

TURNER: I do. I’m thinking of a queer audience, and writing things that I want to see. In doing that, I’ve been happily surprised that straight people want to come along too.

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Theater

D.C.’s spring theater scene offers ‘Macbeth,’ ‘Peter Pan,’ Sedaris and more

Queer themes well represented in season’s productions

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Out actor Adam Chanler-Berat to play Andrew the archivist in ‘Unknown Soldier’ at Arena Stage (March 29-May 5). (Photo courtesy Arena)

There’s a lot on for theater this spring. And here’s a queer heavy sampling. 

If it’s “Company” you’re after, try the Kennedy Center. The national tour of the Tony-winning, gender-swapped revival of out legend Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical withBritney Colemanas forever single Bobbie is moored to the Opera House through March 31. Kennedy-center.org 

Signature Theatre in Arlington presents “Penelope” (through April 21), a one-woman musical featuring out Broadway star Jessica Phillips. With glass of bourbon in hand, Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, gets a few things off her chest. Think Trojan War. Sigtheatre.org

At Studio Theatre, nonbinary playwright Bryna Turner’s “At the Wedding” is currently making its regional debut in a production helmed by out director Tom Story. It’s a queer comedy about a woman crashing her ex’s wedding with the intention of not making a scene. Good luck with that. Out actor Holly Twyford plays Maria, mother of the bride. Studiotheatre.org

At Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Helen Hayes Award-winning actor Justin Weaks is workshopping his new play “A Fine Madness” (March 17-24)). The solo piece is inspired by the talented out actor’s 2016 HIV diagnosis and the ensuing years he spent alone and processing. (Tickets are pay what you will – starting at $5.)

Also slated for Woolly is “Amm(i)gone” (April 20–May 12). Created and performed by queer theater maker Adil Mansoor, the personal story is about inviting his Pakistani mother to translate “Antigone” into Urdu as means of exploring the tensions between family and faith. Woollymammoth.net

At Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street, N.E., Mosaic Theater presents Rhiana Yazzie’s “Nancy” (March 30- April 21), a tale of ambition and ancestry soaked in ‘80s nostalgia. Staged by out director Ken-Matt Martin, the seven-person cast includes Lynn Hawley as Nancy, out actor Michael Kevin Darnall as Ronnie, and Anaseini Katoa is Esmeralda, a Navajo woman advocating for her community. Mosaictheater.org

Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va., delivers divas. Meow Meow, the post-post-modern phenom from down under, brings her globally celebrated act to the park’s Barns venue on March 21. And on June 8, a single show featuring both Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight promises to light up Wolf Trap’s cavernous Filene Center with legendary star power.Wolftrap.org  

Arena Stage presents “Unknown Solder” (March 29-May 5), Daniel Goldstein and Michael Friedman’s sweeping musical about a woman in search of her family’s past. The topnotch cast includes Lori Lee Gayer, out actor Adam Chanler-Berat, and Broadway’s Judy Kuhn. Arenastage.org

At 1st Stage in Tysons, Va., wonderful out actor Michael Rusotto plays the titular sissy in Douglas Carter Beane’s “The Nance” (April 4-21). Set in 1930s New York, the action follows a queer burlesque actor as he navigates his way through a world where it’s safer to be gay onstage than off. Nick Olcott directs. 1ststage.org

Broadway at the National moves musically into spring with “Peter Pan” (April 9-21). Playwright Larissa FastHorse’s fresh adaptation of the eternal boy’s classic tale feels fresh without losing the familiar including terrific tunes like “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow,” and “I Won’t Grow Up.” Broadwayatthenational.com

Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) presents “Macbeth” (April 9-May 5) starring movie star Ralph Fiennes as the Thane of Glamis, and Indira Varma as sleepwalking Lady M. Staged by STC’s artistic director Simon Godwin, the production won’t be performed in the company’s usual digs but rather a borrowed former BET soundstage (1301 W St., N.E.) where the world of the Scottish play will be created. Exciting stuff. Shakespearetheatre.org

Attention dance lovers! In Fairfax, GMU Center of the Arts presents Martha Graham Dance Company — the oldest modern dance ensemble in the country— for just one night (April 13) with a program that showcases the company’s legacy through iconic classics and new work. Cfa.gmu.edu

Also on April 13, bestselling gay author David Sedaris brings his inimitably hilarious take on life to the Strathmore in North Bethesda. Strathmore.org 

Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater presents Opera Lafayette’s modern premiere of “Mouret’s Les Fêtes de Thalie” (May 3 and 4), an opéra-ballet that broke with serious French operas by putting contemporary characters on stage. Renowned French conductor/musician Christophe Rousset conducts. Operalayette.org

At GALA Hispanic Theatre, it’s Gustavo Ott and Mariano Vale’s “The Return of Eva Perón: Momia en el closet” (May 9–June 9), a dark musical comedy filled with “historical intrigue and spine-chilling entertainment.” (Performed in Spanish with English surtitles.) Galatheatre.org

This spring, Creative Cauldron in Falls Church presents Kirsten Childs’ new musical “The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin” (May 16-June 9), the humorous and pointed story of a seemingly confident woman’s journey through racism, sexism, showbiz, and finally self-acceptance. Angelisa Gilyard directs. Creativecauldron.org 

For one night only, the Alden Theatre in Mclean, Va., presents “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now — The Three Leading Ladies of ‘Hairspray’” (Saturday, June 8) with Marissa Jaret Winokur, Kerry Butler, and Laura Bell Bundy. Broadway’s original Tracy, Penny, and Amber are staging a rare reunion to celebrate the hit musical’s 20th anniversary. Mcleancenter.org

And on time for Pride, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents what promises to be a beautifully rendered multidisciplinary event. Titled “Portraits” (Sunday, June 16 at Lincoln Theatre), the concert features visual art, music, and dance, representing a vibrant spectrum of sexual, gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural identities in a nine-movement commission combining the work of nine visual artists, nine composers, nine choreographers, and sung by the Chorus and featuring 17th Street Dance. Gmcw.org

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