By Marcus Fisk

The Little Theatre of Alexandria has done yeoman’s work on their most recent production of the Agatha Christie mystery, Witness for the Prosecution, running through May 12 at the LTA.

Christie’s masterpiece, which was a hugely successful film as well as a long-running stage play, has been masterfully brought to life by director Eddie Page. He wrings every ounce of intrigue out of a dated script and provides the audience with an authentic taste of the British legal system down at the Bailey.

Director Page has put the audience in the role of jury and gallery onlookers. His characters address us as we watch the mystery unfold. Queen’s Counsel Sir Wilfred Robarts (Mark Lee Adams) has the unenviable task of defending Leonard Vole (Russell Silber), the man on trial for murder.

By Chuck Hagee

He wanted to be a surgeon, but that was not in the cards for a boy from a poor German family. His interests were so abundant that he went to what is known in Europe as "a specialist" to help him sort out his many talents and choose a life path.

The results of this consultation can now be seen throughout the world, from The White House to the palace of the Sultan of Oman; in the private residences of the rich and powerful; and in great hotels, restaurants, corporate offices, embassies and museums across this nation.

"He" is Horst Bohlendorf, founder of Custom Design Studios, Inc., Designer Workroom, and Horst Consulting Services, Inc. Bohlendorf, along with his staff of highly skilled, European-trained craftsmen, has created some of the most exotic and luxurious furniture and decorated living areas on the planet. All of it emanates from an inauspicious workshop on Wheeler Avenue in Alexandria, plus offices in Washington, DC, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

By Kris Gilbertson

After 39 years at 1721 West Braddock Road (catty-corner from the Bradlee Shopping Center), the Apple House Garden Center has been acquired by Greenstreet Growers of Lothian, MD. It is Greenstreet’s second location, owned by Ray and Stacy Greenstreet. I spoke with Stacy recently about the changes coming to the old garden center.

The Apple House property is much smaller (2.5 acres) than Greenstreet’s farm in Lothian (65-acres, including a 14-acre Greenstreet Garden Center), but it’s a prime location with a longstanding relationship with nearby residential neighborhoods. People living in Alexandria and Arlington are known for getting their hands in the dirt, from planting flowers in a few pots on a balcony all the way to heavy-duty gardening. (Parkfairfax and Fairlington both have active garden clubs.)

By Chuck Hagee

Johann von Goethe, in his "Proverbs In Prose," wrote, "Individuality of expression is the beginning and end of all art."

That statement is personified by Greg Knott who, through his photographic art work, captures the magnificence of life's everyday simple elegance much as did the paintings of Andy Warhol. A 38-year old entrepreneur, who works from his studio located behind his Del Ray home, Knott has pursued his dream from one coast to the other and back -- from adolescence to adulthood.