A Tale of Two Cities at Synetic Theater

A Tale of Two Cities

Synetic Theater
1800 S. Bell Street Arlington

Quacking like a duck, crawling on all fours, bouncing on an exercise ball while humming the theme from The Land Before Time -- adults have been known to go to ridiculous extremes to soothe a crying baby. But in the long and high-strung history of baby pacification, no one has gone out on a farther limb than Jerry in A Tale of Two Cities. A drag queen getting ready for a big gig, Jerry discovers an abandoned baby bawling on his front step. Desperate to calm him down, the natural performer decides to do the obvious thing: Act the entirety of Charles Dickens' sweeping novel of the French Revolution ... playing all the characters himself. An off-Broadway sensation, A Tale of Two Cities now comes to Synetic Theater in an all-new production starring Alex Mills.

Thru - Jun 21, 2015

Wednesdays: 8:00pm

Thursdays: 8:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:00pm

Price: $35

Running Time: 1 hrs, 50 mins

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A Tale of Two Cities Reviews

Average Rating based on 4 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Recommended

"...It’s not exactly a case of “Garbo Talks,” but the action masters at Synetic Theater — the wizards known for “silent” Shakespeare — are now cramming more than 90 minutes’ worth of speech into one actor’s mouth. “A Tale of Two Cities” feels like a grinding test drive: This campy 1989 tale about a drag queen entertaining a fussy baby by acting out a Dickens novel needs to fly down the road, but the blasted shifter’s stuck in first."

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- Nelson Pressley

MetroWeekly - Recommended

"...With this context in mind, now consider Synetic's interpretation. With their comic flair and comfort with the avant-garde, the piece would seem an interesting match. And it is, except for the fact that Synetic makes its own rather fabulous adaptation: they bring the baby to life. Played by Vato Tsikurishvili (or really just his head), the "problem" here is that he is just so damn funny he not only threatens to steal what is ostensibly a one-man show, he changes the entire conceptual emphasis."

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- Kate Wingfield

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...Synetic's A Tale of Two Cities is a fitting tribute to drag performance, which - when you get down to it - is simply an avant-garde, movement-based theatrical form that thrives on the creative subversion of traditional forms. The subversion here is possibly more radical than even some of Synetic's traditional fare; but for daring audiences, the show is not to be missed."

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- Andrew White

DCTheatreScene - Recommended

This “Tale” is something of a curiosity, and something of a relic (said with love) of the legendarily grimy and subversive queer theater of 70’s and 80’s New York. An inspired framing device finds drag queen Jerry starting to prep for a big show when a knock at the door reveals a bassinet containing infant Dorian (mostly the face of Vato Tsikurishvili) and a brief note wishing Jerry only the vaguest of good luck with his new charge.

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- Ryan Taylor

A Tale of Two Cities at Synetic Theater