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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Hedwig and the Angry Inch Also see Susan's review of Bad Books
John Cameron Mitchell (text, original performer) and Stephen Trask (music and lyrics) created Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 1998, when the fall of the Berlin Wall was still a recent international issue. To be sure, the script's Cold War references were always largely symbolic, so the heart, the guts, and the raw emotion of the performance remain as timely as ever. (On the other hand, some of the more mundane references–e.g., eight-track tapes–may go right past younger audiences.) Hedwig makes her first entrance in an elaborate, if purposely amateur-looking, outfit referencing the now-destroyed wall (Erik Teague created the eye-grabbing costumes) and a towering, cantilevered, pastel-rainbow-tinted blonde wig (wig and makeup design by Ali Pohanka). She explains why she is performing at Signature: her one-time protégé, a rocker named Tommy Gnosis, is appearing at a much larger nearby venue before a sold-out crowd–and she has a few scores to settle with him. Director Ethan Heard maintains the propulsive pace of the 90-minute performance, which serves as Hedwig's personal manifesto and self-justification. (Many of the barbs are political in nature, and it's interesting to consider which ones land differently now than they did in earlier productions.) She tells her story with the necessary assistance of Yitzhak (Vanessa (V) Sterling), her husband, assistant, and fellow displaced person (Jewish and a native of the former Yugoslavia), along with the four exemplary musicians in the thrashing "Angry Inch Band"; Marika Countouris, on keyboard, also serves as music director for the production. If this sounds as if the production is all gimmicks and no heart, that is not true. The journey Hedwig takes is toward finding her own place in the world, which can apply to any person regardless of circumstance or situation. Hedwig and the Angry Inch runs through June 22, 2025, in at Signature Theatre, ARK Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington VA. For tickets and information, please call 703-820-9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org. Text by John Cameron Mitchell Cast: The Angry Inch Band: |
