Moth at Studio Theatre

Moth

Studio Theatre
1501 14th St. NW Washington

Anime-obsessed Sebastian and emo-Wiccan Claryssa survive high school with a mix of imagination and belligerence. But then a horrific event on the school's athletic field sends Sebastian on an apocalyptic mission, changing their friendship forever. Unfolding in pitch perfect teenspeak by one of Australia's provocative young writers, this US premiere is directed by acclaimed DC actor Tom Story. A visceral exploration of the intimate, devastating betrayals of adolescence.

Thru - May 4, 2014

Wednesdays: 8:00pm

Thursdays: 8:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 8:00pm

Sundays: 7:00pm

Price: $20 - $35

Show Type: Drama

Running Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, no intermission

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Moth Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended

"...Director Story and set designer Colin K. Bills place Claryssa and Sebastian in the most recognizable of teenage settings: a school hallway lined with lockers. Cleverly, the lockers become portals through which Sebastian passes from the material world to a more ethereal plane. This movement is not sufficient, however, to cure “Moth” of its narratively malnourished condition."

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- Peter Marks

DC Theater Arts - Recommended

"... There’s more than a flickering of interesting technique and stimulating acting in the production (U.S.Premiere) of the play Moth by playwright Declan Greene currently playing at Studio Theatre’s 2NDSTAGE. Like the symbolic moth that flickers across the stage, one is drawn to the very relevant and intense theme of student bullying like “a moth to a flame.” The myriad moods of this seventy–five minute piece are fluidly directed by the accomplished actor Tom Story. The focus in this compelling production is on dazzling stage technique (movement, scenic/lighting elements, sound, projections) and two fine performances with one being a virtual knockout of explosive power."

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- David Friscic

Washington City Paper - Somewhat Recommended

"...Director Tom Story appeared seven years ago in Studio’s production of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman, a much better-realized play about the fuzzy but frightening link between violent impulses and violent behavior. This one suffers basic problems of narrative clarity. Much of it seems set inside poor Sebastian’s fevered mind, but it’s difficult to know how much. Why does Sebastian cough up blood into a handkerchief every so often? Is this sloppy foreshadowing, or is he suffering from tuberculosis? Does he assault his mother or just imagine that he does? The play is even opaque on whether he actually attempts to build a bomb or merely says he has—a monumental distinction, given where this thing is headed."

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- Chris Klimek

Washingtonian - Somewhat Recommended

"...Of the two performers, Villarreal has less to work with when it comes to the disaffected Claryssa, defined largely by her tendency to lash out. The actress, however, shows range, particularly when embodying one of the school’s more vicious bullies, Clinton (the performers slip in and out of characters in a way that nods to adolescents as unreliable narrators). Goldman, for his part, is working with a character who may have some stereotypical qualities, but is nevertheless an unfamiliar and well-realized creation. There’s a wiry physicality to Goldman’s performance that helps propel the sad, erratic nature of the troubled Sebastian, and his fate is no less disturbing for its seeming inevitability."

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- Missy Frederick

MD Theatre Guide - Recommended

"...It is in the telling of their story – with each actor lapsing into other characters or critiquing the narrative – where their disturbing tale emerges. That makes it a challenge for Tom Story, the longtime local-actor-turned-first-time-director. But he is aided mightily by a couple of great young actors. David Nate Goldman is terrific as Sebastian, the exuberant, annoying, damaged kid who finds a dark purpose in life from a weird, imagined superhero named St. Sebastian. He may be named after the persecuted martyr of an earlier age, but this St. Sebastian lives in the guise of a red-eyed moth kept in a jar."

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- Roger Catlin

DCTheatreScene - Somewhat Recommended

There is a good story within Moth’s eighty minutes, and director Tom Story and his two-actor cast tell it in bold, powerful strokes. It is a story of compassion, bullying, and betrayal, and the moment of truth hits with the impact of a Manny Pacquiao body punch.

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- Tim Treanor

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Moth at Studio Theatre

Moth

Moth Reviews

Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Recommended

Washington City Paper - Somewhat Recommended

Washingtonian - Somewhat Recommended

MD Theatre Guide - Recommended

DCTheatreScene - Somewhat Recommended

Moth Photo Gallery

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