Month: February 2019

Theater Review: Elan Ensemble’s How We’re Different From Animals

February 25, 2019

In How We’re Different From Animals, a world premiere play based on short stories by Miranda July, there is one common theme—romance. Romance is, after all, how July argues we are different from animals. For example, humans are the only animal that kiss. Presented by Elan Ensemble in their inaugural production at the Atwater Village … More Theater Review: Elan Ensemble’s How We’re Different From Animals

Theater Review: The Cripple of Inishmaan at Antaeus Theatre Company

February 20, 2019

Martin McDonagh’s plays are known for walking the line “between comedy and cruelty,” and this is certainly true in The Cripple of Inishmaan, a story where decent human beings are hardly anywhere to be found. Now playing at Antaeus Theatre Company’s Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, this 1997 play explores the … More Theater Review: The Cripple of Inishmaan at Antaeus Theatre Company

Theater Review: Ragtime at the Pasadena Playhouse

February 18, 2019

“Make them hear you” is one of the most well-known refrains in Ragtime, and the current production at the Pasadena Playhouse is in fact demanding to be heard—and it is well worth listening to. With lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty, and a book by Terrence McNally, Ragtime is based on the 1975 … More Theater Review: Ragtime at the Pasadena Playhouse

Theater Review: Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella at the Ahmanson Theatre

February 14, 2019

There are no carriages turning into pumpkins to be seen in Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella, an enchanting, contemporary ballet currently being presented by New Adventures at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Instead, this interpretation of the classic fairy tale takes place over a backdrop of a city in turmoil at the height of … More Theater Review: Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella at the Ahmanson Theatre

Theater Review: Hir at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

February 5, 2019

What happens when you return home after time away only to find the home you remember has been rendered virtually unrecognizable? In Hir, a play by Taylor Mac currently in its Los Angeles premiere at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, the concept of a dysfunctional family is taken to another level in a household where everyone is … More Theater Review: Hir at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble