13 Southwest Waterfront: Oklahoma!

After eating at Cantina Marina, Sam & I walked across the street to Arena Stage to see Oklahoma!, the production Molly Smith, Arena's Artistic Director, chose to kick-off the theatre's return to the newly renovated space.

And what better way to kick it off than with the musical that marked the beginning of a truly authentic, American art form, the musical.

This isn't to say that acting, dancing, and singing had never co-existed on stage, but Oklahoma! marked the first time all three elements worked together to advance the storyline, particularly the dance. This was marked by an epic 15-minute "dream ballet" which was originally choreographed by one of modern dance's matriarchs, Agnes de Mille.

Anyway, you can read more about this milestone in American history elsewhere. Let me move onto the space. The original two stages were preserved and enclosed by the structure you see in the pictures, the undulations of the facade meant to mimic the near-by river. A third stage and administrative spaces meant to house Arena's entire staff under one roof for the first time, were also part of this Capital campaign.

This effort also marks a milestone in theatre history, although this time it marks the end of an era as well as a beginning. This will probably be one of the last, great capital additions to performing spaces in the Metropolitan DC area. Without getting into it, changing trends in audience, fundraising, revenue, and the nature of art and entertainment, along with social media, and not to mention the economy, would make it difficult to see the kind of development we've seen recently (with Woolly, Signature Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre, and now Arena, to name the ones that come to mind) financially feasible and sustainable anytime in the near future.

This isn't to say that this is a good or a bad thing. If anything, Arena Stage's new space opens at a pivotal time not just for theatre in America, but for the arts. And if their first season is any indication as to how they plan to engage their audience and the community, both local and national, as well as the preservation and creation of significant American theatre, then this opening, and this show, also marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter of arts in DC and the US.


Oklahoma! is on Arena's Fichlander Stage, and has garnered a good bit of attention. Peter Marks, with the Washington Post, wrote a glowing review last week, and Patrick Healy commented on some of the buzz it's been getting on Broadway.

One of the first shows my mom introduced to me growing up, this production of Oklahoma! pays its respect to the musical theatre tradition, by an organization that is dedicated to the stewardship of American theatre, its artists, and its audiences.

See Oklahoma! if you appreciate musical theatre and would like to see a significant work skillfully revived. However, if musicals are not your cup of tea, I encourage you to take a look at the rest of the season, as there is something for everyone.

13 Southwest Waterfront: Cantina Marina

Note: I recommend checking out this place ASAP! Go before the weather gets colder!


Cantina Marina is the perfect place to grab a bite (or a drink) if you ever find yourself at the Southwest Waterfront. Surrounded by large family-style seafood restaurants, Cantina Marina's funky look - a hybrid between sailboat and cruiseship - is proof that DC's Food Scene has personality. Another plus: it's right across the street from Arena Stage where JR and I planned on seeing a show after dinner.

Cantina Marina will remind you of summer even if it's freezing outside. The restaurant embraces the pleasant feeling of the sea in it's design. It's also located on the Potomac River which serves for a stunning view of the District.

As soon as I looked at the menu I saw the Mini Corn Dogs. (Secret: I love corn dogs!). These were genuine but bite-sized versions of the cornmeal coated, deep-fried hotdogs (I'm so embarrassed). They are served with a side dip of Creole Aioli (garlicky and tangy) for those who like their corn dogs exotic.

I ordered the "Cantina Marina Famous Tacos". I've never had fish tacos before so I thought that dining out on the waterfront was the best opportunity to try them. The combination of soft tortilla and grilled halibut was very light and delicious. I wished the dish came with more than two tacos.

JR ordered the Jambalaya Pasta. As light as the tacos were, this dish was rich. JR and I both agreed that it was very creamy. Generously peppered veggies, chicken and sausage also added to the richness. I recommend a bottle of Corona to wash off this heavy dish.


A view of the gorgeous sunset made a great ending to a great meal. Cantina Marina (also a bar) was filling up as the night begun and I would've stayed longer but we were running late for the show at Arena. Luckily enough, the theatre is right across the street!

12 Crystal City: Hasar Masob

As Sam mentioned, we switched our roles for this evening out (something I believe is healthy to do, but also driven by necessity as I was in the production he saw).

So our originally scheduled program for the post-show entertainment was going to be Thai. However, the first Thai restaurant was not allowing late seating, and the second had already closed its curtains for the day.

On impulse, I suggested we attend a late-night dish at Hara Mesob, an Ethiopian establishment I had only been to once. Now, the mesob is a straw table unique to this culture, and encourages a means for all audience members to be engaged in an evening long improvisation.


Granted, they also have traditional, American restaurant tables (with corners and such), but the dish we ordered still encouraged the same interaction. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The prologue and exposition for the evening was provided by a wonderful woman by the name of Sunny. She was engaging above and beyond your typical server's performance. She made the evening personal by finding out about us, and informing her about herself. Not only that, she made it clear that late seating was allowed, particularly if there were still other patrons enjoying a savory performance.

That being said, the dish we ordered amounted to a one-act, in that we got a mixed platter. I can't even remember the particulars, but it was a delicious performance in the round. Instead of everyone having a individually ordered performance which others might sample, everyone at the table enjoyed a singular dish, simply from different points of view.

Now, the scenic design for this shared dish involved multiple meats and vegetables, resting atop one singular piece of injera, which was also used in place of utensils. The improvisation part comes when your hands start to dance, by tearing of pieces of injera, then navigating them to whichever dish you might want to try. The hands of you and your fellow dinner guests begin to weave in and out of each other, and when they land at their destination, a quick pinching motion captures the food and brings it back to your mouth.

It was never spoken, but this was mostly a silent dance, much like the production "Plate" saw and reviewed. There's no explicit portions, so you can't help but keep in mind making sure the other person still has an option to enjoy whatever you might. This proved not to be so much of an issue, as we were too full to finish everything on the platter.

Now for an encore, we enjoyed a bit of Tiramisu, which Sunny once more provided just a bit of personal insight about.
If you would like a unique, communal, engaging and personal dining experience, I would strongly recommend you consider checking out Hasar Masob.

Harar Mesob on Yelp

12 Crystal City: King Arthur

(Flyer from Synetic's website)

So we’re switching things up this time: I’ll review the Arts since the “stage” part of the blog is actually on stage. But I won’t go that far… my forever-hungry stomach was well engaged when I went to see Synetic’s King Arthur. It was a feast of kings!

Location:

Tucked in the middle of Crystal City buildings but very close to the metro station. The venue is more fancy than low-key, and not necessarily charming. But home is home so congrats to the theatre company (led by Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili) for finally finding a permanent venue for their shows!

Seating:

This show uses a “water stage”. The “splash zone” (first two rows for some, apparently first five for others) has been the Talk of the Town. So when you go buy your tickets ask yourself the same questions you do when you go out and dine: do I want a seat in the back and enjoy my meal quietly? Or do I want the exciting spot next to the open kitchen? It all depends on what you’re in the mood for; to be or not to be… splashed.

Starters:

Water is one of the main ingredients in this show. Some might presume that this causes the production to be gimmicky or a monotonous series of splish and splash, but don’t be fooled. The use of water is so creative and dynamic and you come to realize this right at the beginning: Merlin (Alex Mills) walks on stage creating ripples in the lake that are beautifully reflected on the background; a few minutes later, Morgan le Fay (Jodi Niehoff) emerges from that same lake causing a strong splash that disturbs the serenity of the scene.

Entrée #1:

Consistently strong, with a couple of traditional fighting scenes expected from an epic like King Arthur. What impressed me the most however was the cleaver use of lighting and “non-lighting”. Light and darkness, as water, are prominent parts of this production. They are put into great use in a scene where Uther magically morphs into king Cornwall as he sneaks into the castle to sleep with queen Ingraine.

Palate Cleanser:

The dancing sequences are refreshing after all the fighting and drama. The first was served on the Round Table when Arthur (Ben Cunis) is enshrined as king. The guys proved that they are not only good at the fight scenes but also excel at dance during this folklore-esque piece.
   
The second followed soon as Arthur and Guinevere (Brynn Tucker) celebrate their marriage. This seemed to be a favorite scene for many, including the actors themselves. The brilliant Celtic-Modern fusion music that infuses the ambient is most apparent here.

Entrée #2:

More fighting and drama. You also start to see the creative versatility of the set: a scene which introduces Lancelot (Vato Tsikurishvili) uses the “rocks” on stage as a bridge; before that, they were the Round Table; and later on, they will be turned into a mountain. Another showcase of creativity is in the “ménage a trios” scene between Arthur, Morgan, and Guinevere. Like a great complex dish, this scene plays with your senses as the three stand apart performing a series of well coordinated movements. Flavors then smoothly blend into one another; love and sensuality becomes hate and anger as Morgan rapes Arthur towards the end of the scene.

Dessert:

After this amazing feast of senses you are left looking forward to dessert. Unfortunately, there is no grand finale. However the lack of a powerful final impact is compensated by an elegant artistic touch. The final scene mirrors the first scene when Merlin appears with the Excalibur. This time around, the wizard disappears in darkness as the legendary sword returns back to the water, creating a full circle that marks the end of the show.

Final Comments:

King Arthur is as fantastic as previous shows that I’ve seen by Synetic. Although the “water stage” is a new concept to the company, they manage to make it work so well and so artistically that it doesn’t detract from the group’s amazing performance. If you are not yet convinced, I’ll leave you with this amazing trailer.

11 Chinatown: The Vibrator Play

So, this post is unbelievably late, and for that I apologize.

"In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play" was actually extended at Woolly Mammoth, and closed a couple of weekends ago. So while reading this might not serve as a review of a show you might see, hopefully it will give you an idea of what Woolly has in store for its audiences, this season.

The Vibrator Play by Sarah Ruhl, kicks of a season intended to provide a "striptease of the subconscious". The essence of the season is to be "a focused and poignant exploration of our attitudes toward gender, age, race, and sexuality in a manner that's uniquely Woolly". I could try to sum up the piece, by Woolly's synopsis will do just fine:

"At the dawn of the electrical age, a new medical device is developed to pacify “hysterical” women, but it produces a shockingly different result. Pulitzer Prize-finalist Sarah Ruhl, creator of Dead Man’s Cell Phone and The Clean House, returns with a richly textured comedy about marriage, motherhood, and the charged energy between our bodies"

Now, Woolly is by far one of my favorite theatre companies. Part of what I love (and this is the Arts Management lens coming in) is their mission:

. . . to ignite an explosive engagement between theatre artists and the community by developing, producing, and promoting new plays that explore the edges of theatrical style and human experience, and by implementing new ways to use the artistry of theatre to serve the people of Greater Washington, DC.

LOVE IT!!

And I definitely believe that's what they're continuing to do, and have done with this show.

Walking in, the set is definitely interesting, with some heavy duty medical lights hanging from the ceiling, as if saying that the stage is this giant operating table, yet the bulk of the scenic design incorporating wood, from walls to furniture. And just to add the audience into the mix, a viewing gallery of sorts, serves as the second floor of the house on stage.

Although the title of the piece is "In the Next Room", the only thing separating the living room from the...'operating' room is a door and its frame, which provides for some very interesting scenes with action and dialogue occurring in both rooms simultaneously.

The highlight of the play for me is the dialogue between two women, the doctor's first patient and the doctor's wife, when describing the completely different experiences each had upon treatment of the device. The insightful yet hilarious writing is the essence of what really drives the first act.

The second act, is less entertaining, which isn't to say it is less artful. It leaves the lofty and light-hearted canopy of the subject matter addressed in the beginning, and becomes mired in the weeds, trying to make philosophical and logical sense of emotional and sexual well-being and health.

Some of the musings it left me with were as universal and general as people not wanting to be alone, but then as personal as what do individuals look to for companionship.

All-in-all, a worthwhile evening, and a great start to an exciting season.

11 Chinatown: Burma

Once again, we found ourselves in DC's cute LITTLE Chinatown (Fake Chinatown, Chinablock, whatever people call it these days). JR and some friends and I went for dinner while we waited for a play to start. We chose Burma because we never really have Burmese food that often, plus, it's the only Burmese restaurant in the District!

The restaurant was not as dive-y as I thought. It was actually quite pleasant. Art that looked "Burmese" embellished the yellow walls. It was interesting to look around.

I ordered the appetizers part of our meal. We began with the Gold Fingers, which are sticks of calabash squash lightly battered and deep fried. They reminded me of Pumpkin Tempura... but unfortunately not quite as good.

Our next appetizer was the Green Tea Leaf Salad. Interesting concept but the table didn't enjoy it that much. I was wishing to get a taste of the green tea in the salad but it had a strong salty/hearty taste (MSG?) that overwhelmed the rest of the potentially tasty ingredients.

One of our friends ordered the Burmese Mango Pork. I usually love stewed pork but this was just fine. It was savory and tangy but didn't have that "thing" that makes you love stewed pork dishes. Sorry Burmese Mango Pork, I just don't think that there was a spark...

Another friend ordered the Kokang Chicken. This dish was colorful: white chicken breasts, green cilantro, red tomatoes, and yellow ginger, all soaked in brown soy/sesame sauce. The colors however didn't not reflect much of the taste and I thought that the dish was a little bit bland :(

But to end on a delicious note, we did actually have a good dish! The winner for the night was the Chicken Sauteed Kebab. JR was the one who ordered this (how does he do this all the time?! Am I not the foodie part of this blog?). Anyway, this was our favorite out of all. Well marinated chicken with sauteed veggies... what's not to love?!


Burma was a pleasant dining experience, but not so much for the food. I don't know if I'll go back but if I do, I'll definitely try out other dishes on the menu. Oh, and did I mention that they serve Singha Beer? I'll also go back for that.

10 Penn Quarter: Busboys & Poets and FroZenYo

I overheard a group of people trying to decide on where to go and eat after catching "The Sleeping Beauty Puppet Ballet" at Mount Vernon Church. "Let's go eat somewhere cool," they said. I wondered if they knew about Busboys and Poets. 

Busboys, as I like to say to some of my non-DC visitors, is one of the places where you see DC at its best. It's a place where a bunch of cool, diverse people come together for a yummy meal, as they wait for an independent movie screening to start, then buy a book about social change on their way out... to come back again and check out which artist or activist will be speaking at the venue next week. You will like Busboys if you appreciate the feeling of a satisfied tummy after a great meal at a great restaurant. However, you will LOVE Busboys because you wont only leave with a happy stomach, but an inspired soul as well.
 

After catching the Fringe show, JR and I walked to the Busboys and Poets on 5th and K for brunch (there are three locations...something that I have mixed feelings about). I got the Chicken Salad Sandwich. It was perfect for a Hot-DC-Summer-Day. The whole-grain bread came with light chicken salad (accented with apple, raisin, and walnuts), in addition to a generous amount of avocado and tomatoes, making the sandwich more fresh and summery.

JR went for a more traditional brunch option - Western Omelete and Grits. The eggs were normal but both JR and I thought that the grits were delicious. They were creamy and tasty... not like those bland grits that come on the side of your order but you never eat.

Good Food: Check. Good Atmosphere: Check. We had a great time at Busboys and I'll obviously come back again! But what about dessert?...

After a two hour break seeing "Avenue Q" at the Landsburgh Theatre, we stopped by FroZenYo for a Fro-Yo fix (short for "frozen yogurt" for anyone who's wondering). The place was crowded with people who mixed and matched from 16 fro-yo flavors, with toppings, of course.

JR satisfied his sweet tooth with dulce de leche fro-yo topped with walnuts in caramel sauce. I unsuccessfully attempted to balance out his very sweet combination with pistachio fro-yo topped with vanilla cookies...very very sweet! I told JR that we should rename our blog to "Plate2Stage: A Guide on How to Become Cultured and Fat". He ignored my comment and continued eating his fro-yo happily.

10 Penn Quarter: "The Sleeping Beauty - A Puppet Ballet" and "Avenue Q"

It's our 10th blog and this is a puppet special, apparently, although not intentionally.

Sam and I haven't seen performances as often as we'd like (much less to blog about) as things have been busy. I'm currently actually working on finishing my thesis, as partial requirement for AU's Arts Management program. I've also started my own production company and produced a show as part of this year's Capital Fringe Festival. This actually leads us to the first of two shows we caught today, as part of our 10th blog..."special".

We caught an 11am of Pointless Theatre Company's "Sleeping Beauty - A Puppet Ballet". This is actually only the 2nd Capital Fringe show I've caught this year, and the 2nd one I've seen at the Mountain in the Mountain at the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church. One of the more traditional stages, companies and performers that win the luck of the draw get a proscenium stage with curtain and permanent air conditioning. Don't get me wrong, part of the charm of the festival, are the temporary spaces set up in otherwise unused spaces.

[more pics to come once I get them from Sam, not of the show, of course, just of the venue]

Anyway, this production hold's a special place in my heart because it was produced by a company which was started last year, Pointless Theatre Company, by a collective of UMD Theatre students. Part of their mission including creating spectacle that was accessible and affordable, and they are part of a growing collective of next generation theatre companies in the DC area. Now even though I was a Dance major, once a Terp (UMD's mascot), always a Terp, I suppose?

As a dancer, though, this play was particularly fascinating as the puppets, which actually danced, utilized the coordination of three actors to appropriately locomote (I looked it up, and this seems like an appropriate use of the verb), the legs, the torso and head, and the arms. The pinnacle of these dance sequences was the pas de deux between the sleeping beauty and her prince, thus involving six puppeteers.

Puppet dancing aside, the story was also skillfully executed by a cast that was obviously having fun. You can check out more about the piece in DC Theatre Scene's review. What touched me was after the show, meeting the parents that traveled into town to support their kids, whether or not they see shows other than their kids' on a regular basis. What even touches me more is the community sentiment one of the cast members shared with me one previous night at the tent. He expressed no desire to go anywhere else, because it just didn't make sense, when he had an established community of actors that he wanted to work with and support.

Maybe this is the sign of change within the theatre company, feelings become less about how "I" can be successful, but more about how "we" can be successful.

Anyway, I'm getting in to thesis mode. You, however, can rsvp at their FB event page and buy tickets for the 3 remaining shows, on the 21st and the 22nd @ 6pm, or the 24th @ 1:15pm

So after grabbing brunch at Busboys & Poets' Penn Quarter establishment, we headed over to Shakespeare Theatre Company's older space, the Landsburgh Theatre, to catch the touring production of Avenue Q. This is actually the 2nd time I've seen it, and I probably can't really write anything about it that you don't either already know, or can't find out.

I will say, it's nice to see how it's grown since the original Broadway production. Having memorized that soundtrack by heart, the edits keep the experience of it fresh, and it's also interesting to see what choices were made for the good of the show. Also, the last time I saw it was when the touring production came through the National Theatre, and it was great experiencing it in a smaller space, actually.

Ultimately, it's content and messages were still timely and relevant, whether it was about racism, love, or internet porn, and more than once I was relatively emotional. Especially since the last time I saw it was back in 2008 (I think), it was interesting to see how important the thought of doing something you love was, but also (on a personal note) there were a certain reference to our previous president which would've been edited, and I was wondering how. All I can say is that I was thoroughly satisfied and laughing for a while that the show still has the balls to go there.

Whoever thinks that art can't be entertaining and isn't political, hasn't scene this show. Anyway, they've got the social media down, as you can like their Facebook Fan Page, subscribe to their YouTube channel, or follow them on Twitter.

What I loved about today was that this really is a perfect example of the two extremes of the artistic spectrum that we have available in DC. We have these Nationally known shows which tour and stop through but we've also got a local, homegrown scene that is thriving and just as deserving, if not more so, of the same support. After all, even shows like Avenue Q have to start somewhere. Theatre companies like Pointless Theatre Company and other noobs like it are definitely part of a growing number of organizations that will probably define the state of the performing arts for the next generation of theatre goers.

9 Shirlington: [Title of Show] at Signature Theatre

So we had another Plate 2 Stage outing a little sooner than we thought.

I received an email sent to alumni from Signature Theatre's Overtures program with a ticket offer to see their production of [Title of Show] a couple of weekends ago.

I suggested to Sam we turn it into a "blogging" afternoon, and that we eat at T.H.A.I. Shirlington beforehand.

[Title of Show] was originally presented in 2004, at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. In a nutshell, it's a musical about two guys trying to write a musical. Metro Weekly reviewed it back in April, and there's also a blog you can check out.

So instead of rehashing information that's already out there, I'll just share some personal thoughts.

First, this is one of those shows that puts me in my musical place. I think I know musical theatre, and then I see a piece like this and realize how little I know. That being said, even if you aren't aware of come of the conceits that might be used (such as choreography from the opening of A Chorus Line use in the opening number, appropriately titled "Untitled Opening Number") the actually plot and dialogue remain engaging, as Sam shared with me.

And the script doesn't just brake the fourth wall, they hit it out of the ballpark. Kudos to the cast, particularly their music director. There were so many moments, and choices which made each character particularly quirky, and endearing in different ways.

Also, after a good deal of what might seem like predictable and entertaining jokes and singing and dancing, for me in particular, the show dug a little deeper than I expected. Maybe it is because of my current endeavors in grad school for Arts Management, but genuine conflict started to creep in between characters, shifting from the initial struggle in the joint endeavor of simply getting a show up.

But when the show starts addressing what happens when success starts to beckon and you realize that not only do you have different understandings of success, but the different paths that you might have to take from partners and friends once thought to be quintessential and an inseparable part of your vision and life.

Not only looking at the danger when friendships are endangered by the professional relationships, but on a larger scale, look at the state of artists and new work in America, and the struggle between doing what we love and doing what we have to do to live. The irony is that while ideally the two are the same, until the arts are valued and supported the way that they should be, artists and the art that we create will be subject to the whims of economic hardship, paying bills, rent, health care, retirement, and all those things other sectors until recently might have taken for granted.

The ironic part is that the economic situation, while affecting arts organizations, have probably affected artists less than others, because we're used to juggling multiple jobs, of having to hustle to make ends meet, to stay busy and pay rent, of living within our means.

Yes, whether you realize it or not, if you've seen [Title of Show] and didn't understand the state of the artist before...well you learned a little something new, and maybe even had fun too.

And you have until June 27th to catch this; you can buy tickets here.

9 Shirlington: T.H.A.I

One of the few disadvantages of not having a car in DC is that nice places like Shirlington, VA are not very accessible. But thanks to JR, who does have a car, I was able to experience a day out in downtown Shirlington. The pedestrian area displayed a wide range of restaurants so choosing one was difficult. JR recalled a Thai place he used to go to after rehearsals with Synetic Theatre so we decided to go for lunch at T.H.A.I and experience the Food, this time, before the Art.

The weather was good enough to sit outside. T.H.A.I had a good outside-seating area for chilling and having a great meal in the middle of downtown. The restaurant was also nice from the inside (simple and elegant decor), but why have your meal indoors with such beautiful weather outside?

We started off with a couple of Thai Iced Tea. The black tea came with the milk and syrup separately. This is a great option for people who think that Thai iced teas are too sweet or too creamy and would like to add in as much milk or syrup as they like. Plus, adding the pure white milk into the brown-orange tea has some cool visual effects!

Now, to eating. The Spring Rolls we ordered as appetizers were lean and long and served with a side of sweet carrot sauce. God I love Thai Food! The spring rolls were hot and delicately crunchy. The sweet carrot sauce was delicious and I made sure that the spring roll was thoroughly covered with the sauce on every dip.

Again, I love Thai Food! (I love it so much that I forgot to take a picture of the dish above before digging in!). One of my favorite dishes is Thai Green Curry with Chicken. It's spicy, creamy, tangy, basily/gingery...what's there not to like? The green curry at T.H.A.I was yummy. To be more descriptive, the 'creamy' element was the most prominent of all. I wished that the dish had a stronger kick of 'spicy' but the generous amount of vegetables and chicken left JR and I very satisfied.

We asked for the check but I decided to take a look at the dessert menu in case I come again (and I will!). I saw something amazing - Thai Fried Roti Dough with Taro Ice Cream. I was already full but I'm always willing to make room from something like Thai sweet roti...and with taro ice cream? For that I'm willing to utilize my second, and third stomachs! The hot sweet roti came topped with a moderately sweet scoop of taro ice cream, towered with a taro chip. The combination was so good! I'm willing to come back to Shirlington just for this dessert. I better start saving for a car...

8 Rosslyn: Metamorphosis

So for the first time, Sam and I went to see a theater for the second time.

The last time we saw Synetic was back in february, for their production of Antony & Cleopatra.

This time, we caught them at the Rosslyn Spectrum, where they are the resident theatre company, for their production of Metamorphosis.

While I still have my book of Kafka short stories from high school, Metamorphosis still remains the only one I've read.

Never one to do things literally, turning this short into a full-length stage production involved adding an unexpected character, Kafka himself. Over the course of the piece, the story parallels events going on in his own life, including certain trials and tribulations embodied in George Samsa's dilemma.

The stage, turned the first floor vertical, providing the audience a birds-eye view of Samsa in his room, as he scuttled about providing us with Synetic's signature physicality.

However, the design limited the amount of ensemble movement, particularly the images of group dynamics and solidarity which the theatre company is known for.

While the show was Synetic-esque, it definitely proved to be the vision of a director who was not Paata Tsikurishvili, and nor should the two be compared. However when the work of a company has a specific feel and aesthetic over the years, it's hard not to.

All that being said, Metamorphosis was a strong work, and made for an artful, insightful, and entertaining evening out.

8 Rosslyn: Tomo Sushi

JR picked me up from work after a long day to go and see Synetic's production of Kafka's Metamorphosis at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre. I was mentally exhausted after a stressful day at work so I left the restaurant decision to JR. I told him that I'm in the mood for something light and healthy so he had a great idea to grab sushi at Tomo Sushi.


We walked in Tomo as it was closing but the staff was kind enough to accommodate our quick order. We didn't want to exploit their kindness so we decided to take our sushi back home. Plus, I thought my apartment was more Japanese-y than the restaurant (the setting and décor of Tomo was nothing special).


I started boiling water for green tea and Miso soup as soon as we got home. Both were warm and soothing – very satisfying especially for a rainy day. We started munching on the Edamame and I thought that they were fun, moist, and very good to eat between every sip of tea.

I'm not that big of a sushi person and the year I spent in Japan did not even change that. Sushi snobs cringe at the sight of Californian Rolls, but I say bring 'em on! Tomo Sushi also offered NY Rolls and Philadelphia Rolls, but at the end of the day, I really didn't see any difference between a roll and another – they all tasted alike. We also ordered some simple and "traditional" sushi – the Egg Sushi was my personal favorite. The egg offered a pleasant sweetness and the seaweed that tied the egg to the sushi rice was nice and slightly crunchy.

JR and I decided not to write about restaurants from which we do take-out but this was an exception since we wanted to be considerate of their closing time, and leave as soon as we got our order. I don't know though whether I would've enjoyed the experience if we ate at Tomo Sushi. As I previously mentioned, there was nothing special about the place. It was also nice to go back home and chill, especially after the intense Kafka play. Back at my small, cozy DC apartment, we had our Korean-made Japanese food while Bob Marley was grooving in the background. It was perfect. Sorry Kafka… but life is beautiful.

7 College Park: Plato's Diner

We planned another adventure outside of the District, this time to College Park to see Gesel Mason's amazing dance performance “Women, Sex, and Desire: Sometimes You Feel Like a Ho, Sometimes You Don’t” at UMD’s Kogod Theatre. The decision to go was last moment, so I didn't have time to do my research on good eats in the area. But a couple of UMD kids (including JR) suggested Plato's Diner so Plato's Diner it was!


As I was taking pictures of the banner outside, a guy came up to me and said that what I was doing was inappropriate since I haven't gotten any permission from the restaurant to take pictures. We later saw him inside the diner and he voluntarily added that if this were his house he would've shoot both us. There was a short silence after which he started laughing and said that we can take all the pictures we wanted. He then walked into the back kitchen of the diner. What a welcoming. We then pursued our way into the diner, passing some fake, tacky Greek columns and frescos. I know that a diner is not a place to expect high-end taste, but the potentially cute and funky concept of a ‘Greek Diner’ went the wrong way… for me at least.


I didn't feel like getting something heavy so I settled for the Greek Salad with the Greek Sausage. The salad greens were nothing special. The dressing that came on the side had pieces of salmon in them, which looked out of place and suspicious, so I decided not to add it on the salad. The sausage was the only ingredient that could've redeemed the salad but a plastic-y taste overwhelmed my taste buds as I took the first bite. I didn't want to give up but the second and third bites had that same awful taste of plastic :(


JR got the Baked Hellenic Moussaka (stuffed eggplant) with a side of salad (normal… actually, better than my salad) and soup (fine). The eggplant was actually good. I appreciated the rice and meat stuffing - it made the dish substantial. I gave up eating my salad so JR was kind enough to share his dish with me. I think that I might have actually eaten most of it :)


I believe in an ideal that all restaurants are good at the end of the day. Even though what we've ordered were mediocre and didn't make me want to come back to Plato's, I give the diner kudos for their complementary bread. They were really good! The soft and fluffy rolls were amazing with butter.

So in conclusion, we left College Park with two good things; a great dance performance and good bread. Sorry about the generally negative review… but to quote Gesel: Sometimes you feel like a ho, sometimes you don't.

7 College Park: Women, Sex & Desire

Actually, the full title of the piece is "Women, Sex and Desire: Sometimes You Feel Like a Ho, Sometimes You Don't."

You can check out more info for the piece and its process at Gesel Mason Performance Projects' site.

Anyway, although the majority of the audience was set up facing the stage, there were a select number of seats set up on the side giving the performance space a bit of a thrust feeling (no pun intended).

In addition to the dancers, there was a live singer/narrator giving voice to the piece. Dancers at times also interjected bits of dialogue among the movement. At one point a dancer took her seat on my lap, but that was as interactive as it got.

The two acts were separated into "The Show", and then "Home" (I believe...I'll have to check the program). It was a bit of a reflection on the front that women, and people in general, put up, and then that side of ourselves we show when we're in our element.

There was nudity which Gesel, herself, opened the piece with. Although, at first, the way the light hit her, you couldn't tell whether she was clothed or not, as she face upstage. It wasn't until she moved and the contours of her body shifted the shadows which might have hid the trace of fabric that you realized she was indeed naked.

Gesel's presence flits in and out of various other sections, becoming what I interpreted as a kind of Eve/all-woman figure.

A very interesting piece, I think it's essence was efficiently touched upon in the post-show dialogue. I'm going to botch the actual exchanged (which probably means I should right these a little more immediately after viewing a piece), but it equated to this. One question was asked about whether a woman could refer to herself as a ho, and Gesel responded in the affirmative. The questioner (a middle-aged, white haired, Caucasian man) then asked, if it would be permissible for him to call her a ho.

In a somewhat assertive, but not aggressive, manner, Gesel said something like, "We'd have to talk about that."

Forgive me my pun but, it isn't so simple as to simply say, "A ho is in the eye of the beholder".

Even just to have a conversation about being a ho, you have to dissect exactly what a ho means, and to whom.

An awesome piece and one whose growth I look forward to following!!

6 Logan Circle: The Commissary

I've gone out to eat at the trendy Logan Circle area a few times but never off 14th Street. Although P Street also has its good share of food establishments, I haven't made it to any (The huge Whole Foods in the middle of the block might have overshadowed the restaurants surrounding it). JR and I planned on catching a show at Studio Theatre one day so I thought that it would be a good opportunity to explore where's good to eat on P Street. We went for the Commissary.


As I stepped in, I wondered whether this place was a bar, a restaurant, or a café. The Commissary combined all three under one roof – Americana restaurant at its best. The crowd seemed diverse and the ambiance was cool. It's the kind of place where you can grab a beer with your friend then move to the sofas to plug in your laptops and chill. The menu was written on big boards that decorated the restaurant walls but we opted for checking out what the Commissary has to offer on their normal table menu.


We started off with the Guacamole & Salsa with Chips. They were just fine. They actually made me nostalgic for the excellent guacamole I had with some friends at Rosa Mexicano a few weeks ago (which so far, is the best guacamole I had in DC). The portion was also small and we were left with no more salsa nor guacamole for the extra tortilla chips early on throughout the appetizer :(


The Bowtie Pasta with Broccoli & Andouille Sausage looked really good but JR beat me to it – He decided the moment we walked into the restaurant :) It was really really good! The pasta was hot and moist, the sausage savory, and the broccoli on the side was buttery with just the right amount of salt. It was so good that the "one bite" I requested from JR ended up being two, three, four…you get the idea.


I am not a burger person and I don't usually order burgers unless someone recommends it, but I saw the Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomato Burger and thought it might be delicious (see, I'm not a burger person). I actually thought that the burger was vegetarian but the beef patty was topped with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes (or more accurately, a small piece of one sun-dried tomato). As I took a big bite out of the burger I was able to taste all the ingredients but the sun-dried tomatoes. It wasn't till I reached the very center that I got a taste the tangy yummy-ness of the tomato. But to be honest, the combination of all ingredients did not do anything for me. It was anti-climactic.


JR was craving for something sweet so he got a piece of the Apple Pie with a Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. It seemed to satisfy his craving but the "one bite" that I promised to take didn't make it to the second. The pie was just fine.

I don't know whether I'll make it back to the Commissary or not. It's definitely a convenient place to grab dinner at before seeing a show at Studio Theatre (or grabbing a drink afterward) but I personally have had more memorable dining experiences at other places around Logan Circle.