“Tickets are $10, so I always say we should give them their $12 worth,” said actor Michael Clements of the Picnic Theatre Company, which has shaken up the Washington theatre scene over the last year with sell out productions of Moliere’s “The Imaginary Invalid” and An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe.
And this weekend’s “Evening with Anton Chenkov” was no exception, packing the prestigious Washington Club to benefit the Washington Theatre Legacy Project of the Helen Hayes Awards.
Clements, who “plays all of the crazy characters,” was featured in Chenkhov’s riotous short play, The Jubilee, “looking like a lunatic” with his pencil mustache – which he has considered keeping – and taking advantage of his wide-eyed wildness. “We didn’t have much time to practice these plays,” Clements admitted, “and Chenkov is pretty dark… but we chose the farcical ones on purpose, and hope they were as entertaining as anticipated.”
The company is planning a more lighthearted – and outdoor – performance in the next few months. “We ARE the ‘Picnic Theatre Company’, said Clements. “And a steal of a show!”
*Also available on Niteside.
*Also available on Niteside.
