Jordan Wright
February 2014
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts, Broadway Stars, and LocalKicks
Photo credit – Jordan Wright
Bistro Vivant Gets a New Chef
For those of us that crave the comforts of French country cooking, Bistro Vivant is a cozy McLean restaurant whose delicious food and solid wine list have beckoned me back since I first wrote about them last summer. Recently there has been a changing of the old guard and I wanted to see for myself if this hidden gem was still a contender.
 Bistro Vivant’s new Executive Chef Katie Busch Katie Busch, the restaurant’s new Chef de Cuisine, is a twenty-nine year old whiz kid with tons of experience from all the right places. Busch came to the 75-seat bistro bar via New York and Philadelphia where she honed her craft at Hospoda, Aureole by Charlie Palmer, Fishtail by David Burke and David Burke Townhouse, Eden South Beach, the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel and The Modern – all top drawer dining destinations. She’s also cooked alongside the big boys at Striped Bass Restaurant and Brasserie Perrier under chefs Georges Perrier and Christopher Scarduzio. Street cred? She’s got it in spades!
 Inside the cozy bistro Busch plans to keep classic starters on the menu – – French onion soup, escargots de Bourgogne and foie gras – – though her twist on the sumptuous standard is to partner it with Marcona almond crumble, poached quince and cider gastrique. And I’m fairly certain you can expect to see her version of hand-cut beef tartare stay on the menu. She’ll prepare it deconstructed if you prefer, which I do, allowing the quail egg yolk, capers, cornichon and shallots to be combined at table. Her take on the newly-ubiquitous grilled octopus is my hands-down favorite – – a harmonious dish of lightly charred octopus, fingerling potatoes, smoked paprika, chorizo and green olives.
 Foie Gras with Marcona almond crumble, poached quince and cider gastrique — Beef Bourguignon Also on the winter menu is boeuf bourguignon. Busch’s version uses wild mushrooms, red pearl onions and tiny heirloom carrots to complement the savory slow-cooked beef. Her use of the au poivre sauce is to use the familiar green peppercorn on pan-seared duck confit paring it with crusty cheesy potatoes dauphinoise.
 Steak tartare — Lobster Pasta with shellfish cream A consummate schmoozer whose knowledge of wines is impressive Turkish owner Aykan Demiroglu is over the moon with his new chef and the restaurant continues to exude the same friendly Euro vibe as the day it opened. General Manager Shannon Paretzski, who reminds this writer of the ever-gracious Diana Damewood of the old Dominique’s Restaurant in DC, makes sure you are coddled and satisfied.
Agua 301 Opens on DC’s Capital Riverfront
 Agua 301 along the Capital Riverfront The redevelopment of the Washington Navy Yard area and the impressive Yards Park along the Southwest DC waterfront is becoming the latest hip hangout for the city. Already Blue Jacket and Osteria Morini have made a home in the Capital Riverfront neighborhood and DC’s Ice Cream Jubilee is due to open any day. Latest on the scene and just in time for the start of baseball season is newcomer Agua 301 boasting a familiar local chef Antonio Burrell, formerly of Redwood and Masa 14. Burrell is rocking out modern Mexican cuisine with innovative twists on the traditional tacos, burritos and guacamole.
 Agua 301 Executive Chef Antonio Burrell Husband and wife team Stephen and Amanda Briggs have partnered with Stephen’s stepfather, former U.S. Congressman David Bonior in the new venture. As expected high on the bar menu’s long list of drinks are Margaritas, and there are over a half dozen to choose from. I liked one made from blood oranges, Milagro Reposado and Cointreau. It was a lot easier than trying to decide on one of a selection of sixty types of tequilas, from blancos and reposadas to anejos and mezcals that are spelled out on the bar’s menu. Depending on your mood you might just want to stick to an agua fresca “mocktail” made with hibiscus, watermelon and pineapple. With its sweeping view of the Anacostia River, Agua 301 should be a great place to celebrate – or drown your sorrows – after a Nats game.
2941 Lightens Up
 2941 Restaurant – Falls Church, VA Last week I enjoyed the new “lightened up” menu of Bertrand Chemel and the savvy pairings of Sommelier Jonathan Schuyler at 2941. Chemel was not in the kitchen that night but his trusted Chef de Cuisine Kyoo Eom prepared dish after delectable dish from the winter menu.
A polished new look and an updated menu have kept 2941 from feeling fusty and out of date. Banished are the jellyfish décor and white linens. Featured are two of artist Jose Alvarez’s massive psychedelic paintings and a rare and ancient life-size amethyst geode that gives the space some added bling.
The versatile Chemel rises to the transformation with a flotilla of alluring new dishes sacrificing neither stylish cuisine nor top tier ingredients. In addition prices have dropped from $200.00 for the tasting menu to a more affordable $85.00 for a five-course tasting dinner. Add $45.00 if Schuyler pairs your food from the vast wine cellar.
 Savoy Cabbage Soup — Smoked Burrata Ravioli Small bites run the gamut from escargot or Mangalica ham tarts to mushroom tartine. I loved the Savoy cabbage soup with potato truffle and the crispy sea scallop with cod, cannellini beans and razor clam. Pastas are made in house and you’ll be hard pressed to decide. But I found the ultimate swoon to be smoked burrata ravioli. Imagine oozy burrata meets Asian spiced duck breast and earthy escarole for a dance around the plate.
 Steamed Sea Bass — Sea scallop stuffed with bacalao and razor clam Another brilliant marriage is the chef’s steamed Sea Bass atop sushi rice and a raft of poached celery hearts brightened by scallion-lime salad. It’s as light as a feather and reminds me of Michel Guerard’s cuisine minceur and his radical lightening up of traditional French dishes.
Pastry Chef Caitlin Dysart continues to dream up new versions of old classics for a dessert menu whose header reads, “Never Say Never”. So many charms, so easily swayed. I enjoyed the elegant throwback dessert Mont Blanc served with chestnut and Calvados ice cream, cocoa-hazelnut dacquoise, chestnut cream and hot chocolate – most assuredly not the kind sipped from your morning mug. Even more intricate a confection is her gateau de crepes, a many-layered cake filled with pecan praline mousse, pumpkin coulis and rum-soaked raisins. Dysart makes all the ice creams too. Don’t come crying to me if you can’t make up your mind.
 Caitlin Dysart’s Gateau de Crepes Gourmet Delicacies
Over the past decade sophisticated home chefs have begun appreciating olive oils and vinegars that express the terroir of their origin, and the popularity of these artisanal olive oil shops has exploded. Ah Love Oil & Vinegar distinguishes itself from other stores with some of the most delicious and unique delicacies to be found.
 Cary Kelly owner of Ah love Olive Oil & Vinegar One of the ways world-traveler and owner, Cary Kelly, finds the very best for her shop is by scouring the New York Fancy Food Show each year sampling dozens of products and meeting producers from around the world. But she also takes an annual trek to California vineyards, where winemakers have recently begun getting into the olive oil business. On one of her trips to Sonoma Kelly found the B. R. Cohn Winery, a small boutique vineyard producing not just olive oil but also Chardonnay and Champagne vinegar made from their wines. Another company, the women-owned Grove 45 in Napa Valley produces a high quality olive oil made from olive trees grown from cuttings brought over from Italy.
 Three Little Figs jam But the bright Mediterranean-inspired décor of the shops features far more than fresh olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars. Himalayan salt block cooking surfaces share space with hand-carved Tunisian olive wood cheeseboards and bowls, and shelves are chock-a-block with delicacies like L’Epicurien’s Dark Chocolate Spread with Candied Orange Peel from France (sublime on a croissant) and Three Little Figs small-batch Balsamic Fresh Fig Jam made with whole sprigs of rosemary and aged balsamic vinegar – – perfect on brie or used as a glaze for salmon. The Pacific Northwest company’s Tomato Tapas Jam flavored with smoked pimentos, cumin, ginger and jalapeno is especially well suited for duck or lamb.
 BabyCakes gluten-free, vegan and kosher Chocolate Chip Cookie, Fudge Brownie mixes For the home baker there’s Brooklyn’s BabyCakes gluten-free, vegan and kosher Chocolate Chip Cookie and Fudge Brownie mixes, and Zocalo Gourmet gluten-free and organic Peruvian ancient grains products like purple corn flour, organic mesquite flour and sweet potato flour. Another wonderful gluten-free item are the DeCio pastas handmade in Arizona.
 Zocalo organic Peruvian ancient grains purple corn flour, mesquite flour and sweet potato flour This week Kelly will add a line of gourmet truffle products from La Rustichella. For the cook looking to elevate a risotto to new heights choose from white or black truffle oil or glam up pasta with the truffle paté spread or porcini mushroom spread.
In The Village at Shirlington, 4017B Campbell Avenue or in The Mosaic District, 2910 District Avenue, Fairfax, VA www.ahloveoilandvinegar.com.
Jordan Wright
January 23, 2014
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts, Broadway Stars, and LocalKicks
 Spain’s Ambassador Ramon Gil-Casares (right) chats with a guest Dozens of foodies and fashionistas crammed into the former residence of the Ambassador to Spain on 16th Street Thursday night to celebrate Spanish food and wine. “TAPAS, Spanish Design for Food” runs through March 23rd in what is now a cultural center. Current Ambassador Ramon Gil-Casares was clearly having a grand time receiving all guests. The exhibit celebrates some of the most unique contemporary cooking and serving implements from Spanish product designers, including the latest innovations used in molecular gastronomy by elBulli Chef Ferran Adrià, named by Time Magazine in 2004 as one of the “Ten Most Creative Figures in the World”, and his Harvard lecturing cohort, Chef Jose Andrés whose restaurant empire remains firmly footed in the U. S.
“Working with the best ingredients is how we create an astonishing dish. But in order to create a memorable experience, the best elements of design, from the kitchen, to the table, to the plate, all must come together to tell an exciting story,” Andrés concludes.
 Salmon crudo – Octopus tapas – Mussels with potato chips served in sardine cans To that end the show is organized to display over 200 items by leading the visitor through five separate rooms and passing alongside the ornately Moorish tiled room in the home’s interior courtyard. Each area delineates the categories of kitchen, food and table with a place of distinction for the country’s treasured Iberican hams.
 Iberican Hams – the pride of Spain The exhibition includes an audio-visual presentation that reveals a selection of restaurant interiors and a wine tower showing some of the most daringly designed wine labels on over 100 bottles of wine.
 A ten-foot wine bottle tower Executive Chef Javier Romero of DC’s famed Taverna Del Alabardero worked alongside of Head Chef Rodolfo Guzman Aranda of Andrés’ Jaleo to send out delectable tapas. Alas, the besieged servers were mobbed while exiting the kitchen door with trays of mussels nestled in sardine cans and topped with potato chips from Andrés’ new product line of gourmet Spanish delicacies. Those tapas had to share the spotlight with Iberican ham wrapped around a tiny breadstick with a tutu of white cotton candy, mashed potatoes as vehicles for bits of omelet, and a luscious cherry gazpacho that hit all the right sweet-to-tart notes. Viva España!
 Cherry Gazpacho – Iberican Ham in cotton candy tutus – An unusual way to serve olives The Spanish Cultural Center is at 2801 16th Street, Washington, DC. 20009. For further information visit http://www.spainculture.us/city/washington-dc/tapas-spanish-design-for-food-in-washington/
 Modern coffee mugs that create an animal face when sipped from – Nesting paella pans – Contemporary glassware shot through with 24 carat gold Photo credit to Jordan Wright
Thank you dear readers for pursuing life’s intriguing and ever-evolving adventures with Whisk and Quill in 2013. This December celebrates my sixth year as a food and travel writer and third year as theatre critic for the Alexandria Times. And though my life has gravitated more to the keyboard than cooktop, to the frequent inquiries about my work as a chef, I say, “Yes! I still enjoy catering private events.”
This year I shared my column, “Nibbles and Sips Around Town”, with the area’s most comprehensive theatre website, www.DCMetroTheaterArts.com. Since they share their content with www.BroadwayStars.com, I now have the only non-theatre column on both sites.
One of the biggest surprises of the year was when Indian Country Today magazine, where I have contributed pieces on American Indian Culture and the Arts for the last three years, chose my feature story on the discovery of the long-lost silent film, The Daughter of Dawn as one of their “Top Ten Best Stories of the Year”. And in keeping with neighborhood participation, in June I was chosen as the sole judge for the “Taste of Del Ray”, one of the most fun events I have ever participated in.
For www.TheCredits.org the website of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) I interviewed leading Hollywood directors Ariel Vromen and James Franco, Academy Award-winning Superman musical composer, Hans Zimmer, and writer-directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash of The Way, Way Back.
I even had the opportunity to interview a Cirque de Soleil artist and the Artistic Director of Cavalia when those shows raised their tents in town. Noted Jazz musicians Ski Johnson (Saxophonist), Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and Marcus Johnson (Keyboardist) were featured on our site this year too, as were interviews with songstresses Iris DeMent and Grace Potter.
There were articles on local, national and internationally renowned chefs, tons of restaurant reviews, food events, farmers, vintners (Barefoot Wine founder Michael Houlihan was featured in February), breweries, new food products (Jose Andres launched a line of Spanish delicacies), and cookbooks with so many local chefs publishing this year (check out December’s column). I even braved a chef-driven “Snakeheads at the Harbor” dinner in Georgetown…all in the name of research, don’t you know.
Travel took us from Oxford, MD along the Chesapeake Bay and Culpeper, Virginia to Airlie House and the Castleton Festival in the Virginia countryside, and later to Tallahassee and Wakulla County, Florida where we ate as many oysters and shrimp as the law would allow. All the while meeting innovative chefs, farmers, musicians and those whose spirits would raise ours to new heights.
Wines were especially high on the “To Do” list with tastings of Greek, Israeli, Brazilian, French, American, New Zealand and Serbian vintages. In celebration of her recently published memoirs, I shared a lovely lunch at Fiola with Margrit Mondavi, the “First Lady of Napa Valley” and “Grande Dame” of the Mondavi Winery. We also visited the Stillhouse Distillery to learn how they make their whiskey and bourbon, an experience I shared with readers in August.
In the “Travel” section posh properties were scrutinized or extolled, while in the “Theatre” section dozens of shows were picked or panned – all without one single advertiser on our Whisk and Quill website.
In July we were thrilled to welcome a very special guest contributor to Whisk and Quill. Cary Pollak is an accomplished chef and well-known DC area food writer. He’s also a successful attorney, but we won’t hold that against him. Pollak has already given us exciting stories on New York’s Fancy Food Show, DC’s Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show, a recipe for his glorious French Fruit Tarte (Pollak also hosts cooking classes on baking and East Indian cooking), a “Celebration of the Grape” at Zaytinya, a November piece on Ridgewell’s turning 85 years-old, and a comprehensive piece on his travels to Central Texas and the food scene there. Look for more terrific stories from Pollak in the upcoming months.
So here’s to 2014 and another year of reporting to inspire, tempt and dazzle you to create your own journeys. Let’s drink a cuppa kindness, or whatever lovely spirits you may have handy, for the auld year and for a scintillating, theatrical and scrumptious New Year!
Cheers!
Jordan
Jordan Wright
November 15, 2013
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts, Broadway Stars, and LocalKicks
Cedar’s Aaron McCloud Creates Amazing Dishes with Olives from Spain
 Olive salad at Cedar Restaurant As one of eight U.S. chefs selected to highlight the use of Spanish olives in their cuisine by Olives From Spain, Cedar’s Executive Chef Aaron McCloud staged a spectacular five-course luncheon last week using recipes he devised and pairing the dishes with Spanish wines. Among the other well-known chefs chosen are Seamus Mullen of New York City’s Tertulia; Michael Kornick, Chef/Owner of Chicago’s mk; Ethan Stowell, of Seattle’s Staple & Fancy and Anchovies & Olives; and Giorgio Rapicavoli of Miami’s Eating House. The concept was to show how non-Spanish chefs and home cooks can incorporate Spanish table olives into their recipes. Throughout the season McCloud will be featuring some of these dishes on Cedar’s menu.
McCloud, who gave up studying classical violin with Itzhak Perlman for a life behind the scenes, hails from Michigan and brings with him a farmer’s keen sense of natural ingredients in his approach to cooking.
 Smoked trout with Meyer lemon and olive relish At a luncheon last week the chef started the meal with a delicately crafted salad of spiced walnuts, arugula, Gordal olives, Manchego cheese and decorated the plate with nasturtiums. Our second course was smoked trout with pickled fennel, grapefruit supremes, preserved Meyer lemon and olive relish which was followed by Merino lamb loins crusted with olive powder and placed in a tart of olives with pickled royal trumpet mushrooms. Spanish Gordal olives made a second appearance stuffed into a roulade of wild boar loin and served with an olive salad and heirloom tomato salad dressed with bacon and olive vinaigrette.
 Merino lamb with olive powder and pickled Royal trumpet mushrooms Proving the versatility of the olive with meats isn’t as tricky as it is with sweets. But McCloud overcame the challenge by using the milder type of uncured black olives in a silky panna cotta. The smooth egg-less custard was enhanced with a sweet herb “soup” of made from pineapple sage, lemon verbena and sugar and cooked down to a light syrup and poured over the dish at table and served with a white chocolate olive cookie. McCloud explained, “I decided to make a cookie and thought of substituting the olives for the usual raisins.” Sliced almonds spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, fennel seed and cumin, and baked with maple syrup, provided the unique dessert with a delectable crunchiness. So delectable in fact that I secured the recipe along with a cache to take home.
www.CedarDC.com. And for more information on Spanish olives visit www.OlivesfromSpain.US.
Go With the FLO, Baby
 Jazz Master Marcus Johnson at FLO Wines party What pairs best with wine and friends? Why, jazz of course. So say DC-raised Contemporary Jazz Keyboardist virtuoso Marcus Johnson and his partner Winemaker and Co-Founder Rob Piziali. FLO stands for “For the love of…” and there was a lot of love flowing from the top floor of Georgetown’s chic Puro Café last week when the pair debuted their gently priced Red Blend, Chardonnay and 2011 Moscato wines, all of which are produced and bottled in Napa Valley’s St. Helena. Though the company was launched only a year ago, the popular wines can already be found around our area in stores like Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Giant, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Total Wine and Farm Fresh, and hotels like Marriott and Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC.
While guests enjoyed nibbles and sips Johnson tickled the ivories for his rapt fans – – one of whom won a lavish gift basket chockfull of gourmet goodies and bottles of FLO Wine. The company has teamed up with Thankfully Yours, a DC-based company, to create festive wine and food gift baskets for the holidays.
Johnson, a Billboard “Top 10” and NAACP Image Award-nominated jazz musician with 15 studio albums to his credit, will be at Blues Alley Jazz Club from December 12th to the 16th.
Visit www.FLOBrands.com to learn more about upcoming wine events in the area. To order their gorgeous gift baskets go to www.ThankfullyYours.com.
A Master Class in Brazilian Wines at DC’s Fogo de Chao
Coming from a family who bought a coffee plantation in Brazil on a whim, I can’t say I ever imagined in my wildest dreams I would be sitting among experts drinking fine wines from Brazil. But that’s what I was doing last week along with area buyers, wine consultants, fellow writers and local sommeliers at a large U-shaped banquet table in DC’s Fogo de Chao restaurant. A dizzying array of fifteen wines and thirteen “churrasco” style barbecued meats were served while Master Sommelier and Wine Educator, Evan Goldstein, kept the enthusiastic sippers engaged with a power point presentation of the regions of Brazil and the development of its industry.
 Brazilian wines and churrasco at Fogo de Chao After first reminding us that no less a wine connoisseur than British journalist and wine merchant Steven Spurrier (responsible for the legendary “Judgment of Paris”) had lauded Brazilian wines this year in an article featured in Decanter magazine, Goldstein urged us to begin with a delicate rose-colored sparkler before tasting more serious wines whose grapes are picked from vines brought to Brazil from early Italian and Portuguese settlers who arrived in the country in 1551.
One of the more intriguing factoids about the region’s wines is that Brazil has two harvest seasons every year. By applying a product called Dormex, growers can encourage early ripening that results in two seasons of picking grapes.
There are five dominant wine-growing regions in Brazil, though currently only three have certifications of origin. The main regions are Santa Catarina, Serra Gaucha, Serra do Sudeste and Campanha in the Southern region of the country, and Vale do Sao Francisco in the Northeastern Region near Bahia. Serra Gaucha is considered the most important and largest wine region within Rio Grande do Sul.
We sampled a 2009 Cave Geisse Terroir Nature, a glamorous sparkler made by Maurice Geisse, a Chilean winemaker who once worked for the house of Moet & Chandon and who is now using his considerable talents at his family’s vineyard in the Serra Gaucha region. But an appealing parvenu nipped at its heels. Retailing at half its price, Casa Valduga Brut 130 is a sassy sparkling wine once lauded by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a visit to Brazil.
As we progressed to the still whites, I was surprised to hear that Moscatos and Chardonnays dominate the whites. In fact Lidio Carraro Dadivas Chardonnay is made by fifth generation Italians and has been chosen as the “Official Wine of the World Cup”.
 The stellar Salton Pinot Noir Here are the wines that stole my heart and they were all reds. Salton Pinot Noir 2012 (young yet, but holding distinct promise); Salton Desego 2008, a Merlot aged in 50-50 French and American Oak; Perini Marselan 2010, another youthful vintage with the unusual cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache from a vineyard dating back to the 1870’s; Lidio Carraro, Quorum, a pricey Merlot, Cab, Tannat and Cab Franc blend from 2006; and Pizzato CONCENTUS 2007, a knockout at $25.00.
Look for these at www.FogodeChao.com
Iron Gate – History Restored
The much-anticipated opening of Iron Gate on N Street turned into one the most fabulous private gatherings for a restaurant opening ever. While many guests reminisced about their dining experiences in days past, there was no one present that could have said they were there when it was opened in 1923 by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. The group whose headquarters are in another historic building next door, is still the Iron Gate’s landlord. To this day the Federation Director’s private residence overlooks the restaurant’s garden from atop the third story.
 The wood fire oven at Iron Gate For those who may have dined here before the restoration slash remodel, the surprise will be an enclosed and two-story dining space and bar area inside the restaurant’s elegant carriageway. The entrance is now dominated by magnificent lead-framed windows that rise two stories up to meet the building’s original keystones. Iron lanterns, and a pair of repurposed chandeliers retrieved from an old theatre in Baltimore, light the old brick walls. In the bar a massive walnut-framed mirror that was discovered in a garage in Silver Spring, overlooks the 10-seat bar. The large bricked garden, adorned with century old wisteria and still-producing grapevines, sports an electronic awning for inclement weather. A romantic aura fills the main dining area where dark wainscoating, flickering candlelight and a roaring fireplace lend an air of charming intimacy.
The style of cuisine is drawn from the traditional dishes of Greece, Sicily and Sardinia with a menu arranged by category – “Garden”, “Water” and “Pasture”. Diners make their selection from a four- or six-course menu (with or without wine pairings). Some items are available a la carte at the bar or on the patio. Leading a trio of seasoned and award-winning professionals is noted Chef Tony Chittum who left Vermillion in Alexandria’s Old Town to showcase his creativity in this beautiful space. He is flanked by Mixologist Jeff Faile, formerly of Casa Luca and Fiola, and Wine Director Brent Kroll, formerly of Adour at the St. Regis.
At the friends and family opening, plates were piled high with everything from spit-roasted pig, broccoli bruschetta bright with house-made ricotta and garnished with a tiny sardine. Crispy sunchokes with yogurt dipping sauce and light-as-a-feather veal sweetbreads were delectable treats as were the grilled fennel sausages that had an insinuating way of demanding repeat attention. I loved an Ouzo Punch, made with rosemary, ouzo and Galliano. I haven’t seen Galliano in a cocktail since “Golden Cadillacs”, made with the herb-infused yellow Italian liqueur, crème de cacao and cream, were all the rage.
 Sweet things await at Iron Gate The sweets were playful – Campari marshmallows, loukamades, hot from the oven and dripping with orange blossom glaze, and Sicilian pistachio buckeyes coated in chocolate. Sheer ambrosia.
With classic architecture, intriguing history, celebrated chef, gorgeous garden, fireplace, separate bar, intimate dining room and sidewalk patio, Iron Gate is truly dressed to impress. www.IronGateRestaurantDC.com
Photos by Jordan Wright
Jordan Wright
November 11, 2013
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Nyla Rose DeGroat (Ranger Wilson) & Shaina Higgins (Lucy Gale) – photo credit Michael deBlois. Have you ever been curious about what goes on behind the scenes at battle reenactments? A type of “living history” that focuses on a singular moment in a particular battle and requires the participants to live outdoors, dress in hand-stitched period clothing, carry authentic arms, foodstuffs and field medicines, and speak in the manner of the day, it has become a popular pastime. In Shiloh Rules playwright Doris Baizly provides us not only with an intriguing behind-the-scenes interpretation of the type of people that participate in these activities, but also an exciting multi-layered script. As her character, veteran re-enactor Clara May Abbott (Jean Hudson Miller), puts it, “We play by Shiloh rules. There aren’t any.”
Factoid: Though there are more Civil War battlefields in Virginia than anywhere else in the country, the bloodiest of all the battles was the Battle of Shiloh in East Tennessee where 23,000 casualties were sustained. The hallowed land is now called the Shiloh Battlefield Park where the action takes place.
 Karen Lawrence (Cecilia) & Shaina Higgins (LucyGale) – photo credit Michael deBlois Director Mary Ayala-Bush has chosen to present the play in the round, a decision that creates a super-charged energy level. Drama and comedy converge when six women meet on the battlefield. Clara May, known as the “Angel of Antietam”, is on the Union side with young Meg (Jennifer McClean), a nursing school student. On the rebel front are Cecelia Delaunay Pettison (Karen V. Lawrence), the embodiment of the iron-fist-in-the-velvet-glove Southern woman, and Lucygale Scruggs (Shaina Higgins), a gung-ho first timer with a taste for blood in her youthful heart. Each describes a wartime profile of their character.
The rules of the re-enactors are created and overseen by the feisty Widow Beckwith (Adriana Hardy), the head of the “Authenticity Committee”, whose penchant for breaking the very rules she invents is outweighed only by her skewed sense of what is authentic. But Beckwith is outranked by Park Ranger Wilson (Nyla Rose DeGroat), a martinet whose adherence to the park’s rules threatens to upset the ladies’ adventures. Nonetheless it is Wilson, an African-American, puzzled by the women’s zeal to open up the old racist wounds of war, who raises the question, “Why keep fighting it?”
 Adriana Hardy (Widow Beckwith) & Nyla Rose DeGroat (Ranger
Wilson) – photo credit Michael deBlois When the battle begins before dawn before the bugler’s signal, all hell breaks loose. The rebels won’t “fall down”, real weapons are drawn and the action becomes all too real.
Ayala-Bush, who is also the Set Designer evokes the encampment with simple canvas tents on either side of the set – – one for the ladies of the North the other for the South.
 left to right, Jennifer McClean, Adriana Hardy, Shaina Higgins, Jean Hudson Miller, Nyla Rose DeGroat & Karen Lawrence – photo credit Michael deBlois Kudos to the entire cast who are in perfect synch in this outstanding production. Special recognition to Sound Designer Sean Doyle who does a “bang up” job recreating the fusillade of battle.
Highly recommended.
At Port City Playhouse at The Lab at Convergence, 1819 North Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302. Performances are on the following dates – Nov. 8, 19, 22, 23, 24, 27 & 28 at 8:00 p.m. Matinees on Nov. 16 & 23 at 2pm. For tickets and information visit www.portcityplayhouse.org.
Jordan Wright
October 29, 2013
Special to The Alexandria Times
The 39 Steps is a rollicking send up of and tribute to Alfred Hitchcock. References to his classics abound – – The Birds, Dial M for Murder, North by Northwest, Psycho, Rear View Window and more. You’ll have fun picking out some of your faves.
 Bob Cohen and Erik Harrison (Everyone else) with Jeff McDermott (Richard Hannay) and Elizabeth Keith (Pamela) – Photos by Keith Waters/Kx Photography We come upon our hapless hero, Richard Hannay (Jeff McDermott) in a state of high anxiety. His life is worthless, he claims, because nothing exciting ever happens to him. “Find something mindless,” he suggests to himself aloud. “I know – – a trip to the theatre!”, a remark which gives the audience their first clue that this is going to be a night of cooked-up hilarity. “It’s music hall and vaudeville – – pure theatricality,” Ted Deasy told me in March of 2010 when I interviewed him at DC’s Warner Theatre where he played the lead.
 Elizabeth Keith (Pamela) and Jeff McDermott (Richard Hannay) – Photos by Keith Waters/Kx Photography At the theatre Hannay sits beside a glamorous lady in red (Elizabeth Keith) who quickly insinuates herself into his uneventful life with a beguiling tale of German spies, an unsolved murder and a clandestine rendezvous in a castle on the Scottish moors. Intrigued he takes her back to his flat for a nightcap, where she is stabbed by a mysterious stranger. It becomes our hero’s challenge to solve this wacky whodunit.
The play is an adaptation of the eponymous Hitchcock classic. Borrowing on the 1935 film, writers Nobby Dimon and Simon Corble came up with a version to be played by four actors who perform between 130 to 150 roles. Some “roles” are actually inanimate objects and some of the actors change characters over and over, often playing three characters simultaneously.
The trick is to make the mayhem look effortless. The effect is achieved by piling on schticks from vaudeville, comedia and slapstick using old theatrical styles and even Shakespearean asides. The physical part is done in a supersonic pace that leaves the audience breathless.
 Jeff McDermott (Richard Hannay) and Bob Cohen (Everyone else) – Photos by Keith Waters/Kx Photography McDermott is on stage throughout giving the play its anchor, while Elizabeth Keith plays the three female roles (though there is a bit of cross-dressing in some of the roles) quite handily. Bob Cohen and Erik Harrison, whose comic timing is, shall I say, “drop dead” perfect, manage to portray the dozens of others.
The 1930’s mood is cleverly set by lighting designers Ken and Patti Crowley who created over 150 evocative atmospheres for this electrifying production using both a flat-screen TV and a projection screen for some of the images. How they manage to suggest bi-plane bombadiers is for me to know and for you to find out.
 Elizabeth Keith (Pamela), Bob Cohen (Everyone else) and Jeff McDermott (Richard Hannay) –
Photos by Keith Waters/Kx Photography Through November 16th at The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street. For tickets and information call the box office at 703 683-0496 or visit www.thelittletheatre.com
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