{"id":367236,"date":"2025-04-20T13:20:43","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T17:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=367236"},"modified":"2025-04-20T13:20:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T17:20:43","slug":"reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/","title":{"rendered":"Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny &#8216;The Producers&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It was outrageous, offensive, and insulting, not to mention over-the-top silly, and I loved every minute of it. Reston Community Players has mounted a brilliant, uproariously funny, and intricately detailed production of Mel Brooks\u2019 <em>The Producers. <\/em>It\u2019s a must-see event on your local theater calendar, many aspects of which I fully expect to show up at the next Watch Awards.<\/p>\n<p>The plot outline is by now well-known. Formerly successful producer, now flop-meister, Max Bialystock (Stephen Yednock) is desperate, reduced to <em>schtupping<\/em> old ladies to raise funds for his next show. Enter highly nervous accountant Leo Bloom (Jonathan Grygiel), whose life ambition is to become \u2014 wait for it \u2014 a Broadway producer.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_367242\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-367242\" style=\"width: 801px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-367242\" src=\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"801\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg 801w, https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1-460x345.jpeg 460w, https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1-768x575.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-367242\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Yednock as Max Bialystock with the Ensemble in Mel Brooks\u2019 \u2018The Producers\u2019 at Reston Community Players. Photo by Heather Regan Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Leo has a brainstorm: if you play it right and keep two sets of books, a flop can make more easy money than a hit. So he and Max set out to find the world\u2019s worst play, hitting upon <em>Springtime for Hitler, <\/em>by pigeon-fancying neo-Nazi Franz Liebkind (Steve Cairns). After enlisting uber-gay, gloriously incompetent director Roger DeBris (Adam Gurson), they open the show. To their dismay and legal peril, the show is a surprise smash.<\/p>\n<p>Getting there is where the fun occurs. The path to show business perdition is paved with one spectacular production number after another. There\u2019s \u201cI Wanna Be a Producer,\u201d as Leo and the ensemble manifest his theatrical dreams. Roger and his flamboyant entourage take over the stage in \u201cKeep It Gay.\u201d The first act finale, \u201cAlong Came Bialy,\u201d features a group of randy old ladies, tapping their walkers in time to the music. And to top it all, the now-iconic \u201cSpringtime for Hitler\u201d shows the happy, tap-dancing delight of celebrating the Third Reich.<\/p>\n<p>The choreography (Jolene Vettese) is lively, precise, well-executed, and a delight to the eye throughout, whether in the large ensemble pieces or smaller numbers like \u201cDer Guten Tag Hop-Clop\u201d featuring Franz, Leo, and Max, or \u201cIt\u2019s Bad Luck to Say Good Luck on Openin\u2019 Night,\u201d involving Leo, Roger, his assistant Carmen Ghia (Connor Myrna), and Franz. Not even a romantic moment can escape the show\u2019s comic movement. \u201cThat Face\u201d shows Leo and Ulla, a Swedish bombshell he adores (Andie Matten), mostly hidden behind an office sofa, with arms and legs rising and falling out of sight as their fun proceeds.<\/p>\n<p>There isn\u2019t a weak link anywhere in the cast. Yednock\u2019s Max is, as he needs to be, bombastically larger than life, with a bit of a Zero Mostel vibe. The strength of his voice, already evident in his first-act numbers, is tested in the marathon of \u201cBetrayed\u201d in Act 2. He aces the test. Leo has the widest character arc in the show. Grygiel gets Leo\u2019s initial scaredy-cat persona, his ambition, his growing self-confidence, his falling for Ulla, and his ultimate bond with Max. He displayed the vocal and movement skills needed to shine in all parts of the role.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_367244\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-367244\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-367244\" src=\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-Producers-RCP-800x1000-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-Producers-RCP-800x1000-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-Producers-RCP-800x1000-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-Producers-RCP-800x1000-1-368x460.jpg 368w, https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-Producers-RCP-800x1000-1-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-367244\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">TOP: Stephen Yednock as Max Bialystock and Jonathan Grygiel as Leo Bloom; ABOVE: Steve Cairns (center) as Franz Liebkind with Jonathan Grygiel and Stephen Yednock, in Mel Brooks\u2019 \u2018The Producers\u2019 at Reston Community Players. Photos by Heather Regan Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If I had to pick out an audience favorite in this stellar cast, it would be Cairns\u2019 Franz, who came close to stealing the show more than once. As Ulla, Matten was a winning combination of sexy, sweet, and competent, and sang well in her belt number, \u201cIf You\u2019ve Got It, Flaunt It,\u201d as well in the romantic \u201cThat Face.\u201d As Roger, Gurson took gay stereotypes to a new level, as well as portraying a very relatable Fuhrer in \u201cSpringtime for Hitler.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The depth of RCP\u2019s cast is evident in the smaller roles played by members of the ensemble. Examples include the first of Max\u2019s old ladies we see, Hold-Me-Touch-Me (Marrisa Q. Dolcich); Mr. Marks (Jeffrey Mouritzen), Leo\u2018s unpleasant accounting firm boss; and the Lead Stormtrooper (Christian Rogers), whose tenor solo leads off \u201cSpringtime for Hitler.\u201d Virtually all the members of the ensemble have individual bits; they all work.<\/p>\n<p>Brooks\u2019 script builds to its peak in \u201cSpringtime for Hitler.\u201d The rest of the second act, while well enough written and well performed here, is intrinsically anticlimactic, with Leo\u2019s final reconciliation with Max having a sentimental tone somewhat at odds with much of the rest of the play.<\/p>\n<p>The technical side of the production is every bit as strong as its cast. Set designers Dan and Sheila Widerski created a multi-set masterpiece, taking full advantage of the theater\u2019s fly space in depicting various locales, as well as a variety of pieces that move smoothly in and out, my favorite being Franz\u2019s pigeon coop (complete with moving pigeons). One lovely touch was providing two versions of Max\u2019s office walls, the first looking rather disorganized and down-at-the-heels, the second in neat neutral tan after Ulla has tidied it up and painted. (Max asks her when she did it. \u201cIntermission,\u201d she replies. This, like all the jokes in the show, lands with perfect timing. The setting for \u201cSpringtime for Hitler,\u201d with its swastika-laden red banners, made a picture that Leni Riefenstahl would have loved to take.<\/p>\n<p>The lighting design (Ken and Patti Crowley) made effective use of area lighting, specials, and dual follow spots. A nice moment for the sound design (Elizabeth Shaher) came when Franz, disgruntled with the way his play was adapted, comes in shooting. The gunshot effects were perfectly timed with his trigger pulls, even down to a misfire when he pulls the trigger without effect.<\/p>\n<p>The show involves a multitude of costume changes, especially for the ensemble, for example as old ladies, showgirls, Nazis, accountants, or members of Roger\u2019s gay household. In the design by Lori Crockett and Lisa Leary, the principals get distinctive outfits as well. Max\u2019s baggy suit contrasts with Leo\u2019s neat one. Franz is equipped with camo lederhosen. Roger first appears in a flowing black gown. Ulla gets stunning white and red dresses. Wigs (Sue Pinkman) and other headgear are prominent as well, with Roger\u2019s Chrysler Building headpiece getting its own round of applause.<\/p>\n<p>Under Andrew JM Regiec\u2019s direction, every movement, every detail, is intentional and specific. Clarity is a byword in this production, which flows smoothly and quickly, notwithstanding the show\u2019s overall scale and length.<\/p>\n<p>One of the things that has made <em>The Producers<\/em> as funny as it has been to its audiences since the original movie came out in 1967 is that it was created at a time when the Nazi era was securely in our rearview mirror, making it safe to laugh at its absurdities. With homegrown fascism resurgent, the humor lands a little less comfortably today. That said, this is a marvelous production that allows the audience, as Regiec comments in his program note, to \u201csit back, relax, and enjoy a few hours of unfiltered, laugh-out-loud entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Running Time: Three hours and 5 minutes, including one intermission.<\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"font-family: Verdana, BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\"><em>The Producers <\/em><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Verdana, BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">plays through May 10, 2025, presented by <\/span><a style=\"font-family: Verdana, BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.restonplayers.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reston Community Players<\/a><span style=\"font-family: Verdana, BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\"> performing at the Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Hunters Woods Plaza, Reston, VA. Tickets ($25\u2013$30) are available <\/span><a style=\"font-family: Verdana, BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etix.com\/ticket\/online\/viewPerformanceGroup.jsp?group_id=2564\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>online.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The playbill for <em>The Producers<\/em> is downloadable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.restonplayers.org\/_files\/ugd\/d9195e_a91d8f7fbe29422b9f660a3e43f080f4.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>The Producers<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nA Mel Brooks Musical<br \/>\nBook by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan<br \/>\nMusic and Lyrics by Mel Brooks<br \/>\nProduced by Eileen Mullee<br \/>\nDirected by Andrew JM Regiec<br \/>\nMusical Direction by Mark V. Deal<br \/>\nChoreography by Jolene Vettese<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There isn\u2019t a weak link anywhere in the cast, and the technical side of the production is every bit as strong.   By BOB ASHBY<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":367242,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,22],"tags":[442,443],"class_list":{"0":"post-367236","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-community-theater","8":"category-virginia","9":"tag-andrew-jm-regiec","10":"tag-mel-brooks"},"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.0 (Yoast SEO v26.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny &#039;The Producers&#039; - DC Theater Arts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There isn\u2019t a weak link anywhere in the cast, and the technical side of the production is every bit as strong.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny &#039;The Producers&#039;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There isn\u2019t a weak link anywhere in the cast, and the technical side of the production is every bit as strong.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"DC Theater Arts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-20T17:20:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"801\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bob Ashby\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bob Ashby\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/\",\"name\":\"Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny 'The Producers' - DC Theater Arts\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-20T17:20:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#\/schema\/person\/6b8d2ca7654f6b3edcbc1eff574ad946\"},\"description\":\"There isn\u2019t a weak link anywhere in the cast, and the technical side of the production is every bit as strong.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg\",\"width\":801,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Stephen Yednock as Max Bialystock with the Ensemble in Mel Brooks\u2019 \u2018The Producers\u2019 at Reston Community Players. Photo by Heather Regan Photography.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny &#8216;The Producers&#8217;\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/\",\"name\":\"DC Theater Arts\",\"description\":\"Washington, DC&#039;s most comprehensive source of performing arts coverage.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#\/schema\/person\/6b8d2ca7654f6b3edcbc1eff574ad946\",\"name\":\"Bob Ashby\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cropped-Bob-Ashby-96x96.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cropped-Bob-Ashby-96x96.jpeg\",\"caption\":\"Bob Ashby\"},\"description\":\"Bob Ashby is a longtime participant in the DMV theater world, having worked over many years for numerous companies as actor (often portraying lawyers, doctors, preachers, and villains), director, backstage worker and, more recently, dramaturg. He has reviewed professional and community theater productions since 2012. A semi-retired lawyer, he now lives in Western Maryland.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/author\/bob-ashby\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny 'The Producers' - DC Theater Arts","description":"There isn\u2019t a weak link anywhere in the cast, and the technical side of the production is every bit as strong.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny 'The Producers'","og_description":"There isn\u2019t a weak link anywhere in the cast, and the technical side of the production is every bit as strong.","og_url":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/","og_site_name":"DC Theater Arts","article_published_time":"2025-04-20T17:20:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":801,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Bob Ashby","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Bob Ashby","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/","url":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/","name":"Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny 'The Producers' - DC Theater Arts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-04-20T17:20:43+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#\/schema\/person\/6b8d2ca7654f6b3edcbc1eff574ad946"},"description":"There isn\u2019t a weak link anywhere in the cast, and the technical side of the production is every bit as strong.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/RCPProducers4-800x600-1.jpeg","width":801,"height":600,"caption":"Stephen Yednock as Max Bialystock with the Ensemble in Mel Brooks\u2019 \u2018The Producers\u2019 at Reston Community Players. Photo by Heather Regan Photography."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/04\/20\/reston-community-players-mounts-uproariously-funny-the-producers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Reston Community Players mounts uproariously funny &#8216;The Producers&#8217;"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/","name":"DC Theater Arts","description":"Washington, DC&#039;s most comprehensive source of performing arts coverage.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#\/schema\/person\/6b8d2ca7654f6b3edcbc1eff574ad946","name":"Bob Ashby","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cropped-Bob-Ashby-96x96.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cropped-Bob-Ashby-96x96.jpeg","caption":"Bob Ashby"},"description":"Bob Ashby is a longtime participant in the DMV theater world, having worked over many years for numerous companies as actor (often portraying lawyers, doctors, preachers, and villains), director, backstage worker and, more recently, dramaturg. He has reviewed professional and community theater productions since 2012. A semi-retired lawyer, he now lives in Western Maryland.","url":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/author\/bob-ashby\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=367236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/367242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=367236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=367236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=367236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}