By Laurie Sara Oliver
Please Clap! is a request that’s straightforward to oblige when watching the so-titled play written, directed, and carried out by The Moon Ladies. The Moon Ladies are a brand new DC theater troupe made up of Cammiel Hussey, Charlotte Kim, and Ali Lightfield, who met and began making theater collectively whereas all learning at George Washington College. Now, they’re fortunately pursuing their dream of making artwork for an viewers on this, their debut play.
Consisting of 5 skits which are about 10 minutes every, Please Clap! appears like sitting in on an improv workshop. The women put on matching, easy black canvas jumpsuits, transfer round a couple of black folding chairs, and periodically dig right into a silver trunk stuffed with random props like wigs, water weapons, and a backpack of money. With nothing greater than this, they handle to inform 5 tales, every with totally different characters in a unique world. Between the numbers, they banter and scheme about how one can up their sport. Every skit will get sillier than the final in order that, by the tip, it truly feels extra like sitting in on a sleepover celebration of punch-drunk youngsters.
There’s a way of purity within the playfulness of this method, to not point out a very good dose of nostalgia. Hussey, Kim, and Lightfield appear to be having a incredible time. They begin as three bartenders arguing a few damaged AC unit (presumably a coincidence, however an extremely becoming selection for this venue in July). After that, they morph into three center faculty boys nervously ready to listen to their punishments within the principal’s workplace. With two extra skits about cowboys and knights, there’s a variety of good-natured making enjoyable of males, however the most effective skit is a tragicomedy a few bachelorette celebration that satirizes the acute tendencies of feminine friendship — proving the knowledge of the basic recommendation to jot down what you already know.
In every of the 5 skits, the plots escalate alongside a winding path with a stunning variety of twists and complexities for 10-minute skits, and even a couple of heartfelt moments. But, they don’t attempt to do an excessive amount of. The Moon Ladies are proficient. They absolutely lean into their manufacturing; they offer it their all, however they don’t make the error of making an attempt to show their viewers some large lesson or of taking themselves too significantly.
That is the great thing about native arts festivals like District Fringe. They create a venue for exhibits like this one that you’d by no means in any other case see. They create a venue for 3 girlfriends to behave out some wacky skits they wrote collectively for no different cause than it’s enjoyable, and that’s a phenomenal factor.
Laurie Sara Oliver is a author, journalist, and critic based mostly in Arlington, VA. An arts fanatic from the beginning, Laurie Sara grew up coaching in classical ballet. She then went on to check the intersection of arts, language, and tradition at Japanese College. She believes within the energy of artwork as a method to discover concepts, ask large questions, and convey folks collectively.
Please Clap!
By The Moon Ladies
Please Clap! Skits
“The Common”
“Money Out”
“Ghosted”
“The Bangin’ Bucket Shootdown Showdown Present”
“The Goblin Wars”
Working Time: 60 minutes
Dates and Occasions:
- Saturday, July 11, 2:00 PM
- Sunday, July 12, 10:00 PM (masks required)
- Wednesday, July 15, 7:30 PM
- Thursday, July 16, 7:30 PM
- Sunday, July 19, 8:00 PM
- Thursday, July 23, 10:00 PM
Venue: Phoenix – UDC Mainstage Venue
Tickets: $15
Extra Data and Tickets
Style: Comedy
Firm based mostly: Washington, DC
Directed by: Cammiel Hussey, Charlotte Kim, Ali Lightfield
Carried out by: Cammiel Hussey, Charlotte Kim, Ali Lightfield
The whole 2026 District Fringe Competition lineup is on-line right here.
The 2026 District Fringe Competition calendar is on-line right here.
