Arts and Culture (All)

Article - Food and Drink; by Sandra Olivetti Martin - 4/5/12

The Prize Is in the Eating

You may think of the snakehead as an invading monster, but Chef Chad Wells urges you to embrace it as a delicacy

The best prize you can win for catching a snakehead is the fish itself. That’s Chef Chad Wells’ take on Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ much-ballyhooed snakehead fishing competition, opening a second season as warmer waters bring the toothy invasive into catching range. Wells, chef at Alewife in Baltimore, is an avid snakehead fisherman, which is how he came to be Maryland’s first chef to serve the fish commercially. ...

Article - Movie Reviews; by Diana Beechener - 3/29/12

The Hunger Games

And you thought your teens were tough

Adolescence is a difficult period. Wondering whether your crush likes you back. Picking out a cool Facebook profile picture. Trying to figure out txt spk. For Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence: X-Men: First Class) those troublesome teen years are a bit harder. She has to fight other teens to the death in the annual Hunger Games. Suddenly pre-calc doesn’t seem so bad, does it, kids? The Hunger Games are the biggest event in...

Article - Theatre Reviews; by Davina Grace Hill - 3/29/12

Colonial Players’ The Spitfire Grill

Slow change and a bit of redemption in Gilead, Wisconsin

The Spitfire Grill is a musical about redemption that isn’t preachy. Written by James Valcq (book and music) and Fred Alley (book and lyrics) it is a musical with only one dance number, albeit a very effective one. It has a comedic touch yet only a few laugh-out-loud lines. It has one powerful song about frustration, made so by the actor who sings it. Its storyline and ending are a bit contrived, yet there is charm in setting and characters. What to make of this play? ...

Article - Movie Reviews; by Diana Beechener - 3/22/12

21 Jump Street

Sometimes crass is all you need

21 Jump Street is an immature comedy, full of penis references, bodily function humor, comedic violence and drug jokes that appeal to the lowest common denominator. I laughed through the whole movie. Sometimes the best humor comes from rude places. But if you dislike strong language and sexual humor, you’ll have the vapors before the 20-minute mark. The movie focuses on two high school kids: insecure nerd Schmidt (Jonah Hill: The...

Article - Theatre Reviews; by Jane C. Elkin - 3/22/12

Bowie Community Theatre’s Art

An abstract painting sets cast and audience wondering how well you know your friends — and yourself

In 1994, French playwright Yasmina Reza wrote an intellectual comedy about friendship, the foundations upon which it’s built and the walls we erect to preserve it. Three Moliere Awards, one translation and a Tony later, Art entertains audiences with a message that seems more relevant than ever in this era of cyber friendships. Real friendships drive us to extremes and back again in the name of harmony, as anyone who has nurtured a connection for the long haul knows, and Bowie...

Article - Movie Reviews; by Diana Beechener - 3/15/12

John Carter

Beautiful effects and interplanetary drama isn’t enough to make up for a terrible lead

When confederate soldier John Carter (Taylor Kitsch: Friday Night Lights) realizes he’s on Mars, he is filled with wonder and amazement. I tell you this now, because it’s hard to decipher what Carter thinks or feels since Kitsch plays him with a slack-jawed blankness that makes you wonder if there’s enough air on the red planet to support brainwaves. This is a shame, as the movie has been in development for 79 years. Disney should have waited for an even 80...

Article - Arts and Culture; by Sandra Olivetti Martin - 3/15/12

And the Winner Is …

Bowie Community Theater earns three Washington area awards

Is it worth your while to invest $20 plus a couple of hours of your time in community theater? That evaluation is made each year by Washington Area Theatre Community Honors. Three dozen local companies make up WATCH, which reaches beyond the District into suburban and rural Maryland and Virginia. Last year, WATCH members evaluated 127 plays to recognize excellence in 38 categories. In each category, typically five nominees were chosen. ...

Article - Food and Drink; by Sandra Olivetti Martin - 3/15/12

Erin Go Eat

In Irish outposts, St. Patrick’s Day means more than green beer

Forty million Americans — about 13 percent of us — trace our roots to Ireland. But on St. Patrick’s Day, everybody’s Irish. We dress up like leprechauns, feast on corn beef and cabbage and drink beer green. Green beer? How Irish is that? “We don’t do green beer in Ireland,” says Dublin-born Colm Coyne, general manager of the Irish Channel in Crofton. “You’ll only find that in a...

Article - Movie Reviews; by Diana Beechener - 3/8/12

A Separation

Sometimes life won’t let you make good decisions

Nader (Peyman Moadi: About Elly) and Simin (Leila Hatami: Aseman-e mahboob) are in the middle of a bitter divorce and custody battle, made more bitter by the fact that neither wants to end the marriage. After years of paperwork and expense, the Iranian government has granted the couple visas so that they can emigrate. Simin has been dreaming of this day so that she can move her daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi in her screen debut) to a country that offers more opportunities...

Article - Theatre Reviews; by Experience a magical new place and discover a new site on the map of the human heart - 3/8/12

Dignity Players’ Almost, Maine

Davina Grace Hill

Journeys to familiar lands have a comforting appeal because you know what to expect. A different kind of interest comes from visiting new locations and experiencing new outlooks. This is true for vacations, as well as theater. In Dignity Players’ current superb offering of Almost, Maine, you get to experience a magical new place in theater and discover a new site on the map of the human heart. Kudos to director Mickey Lund for bringing this little sparkle, written by...