We open on a stretch of land somewhere in the midwest, where a family of three is living, homeless, underneath a billboard announcing the upcoming return of Jesus Christ. From this unexpected setting stems a series of questions and occurrences that will keep you guessing even after the story reaches its conclusion. Turtles, a play … More Theater Review: Red Cup Theatre Co’s Turtles
When Eugene O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape debuted in 1922, it caused quite a stir. The mayor of New York tried to shut down the original production, worried it would inspire labor protests, and even the FBI noted the work was dangerously close to being radical propaganda. Nearly a century later, this rarely produced, expressionist examination of class divides, … More Theater Review: The Hairy Ape at Odyssey Theatre
Near the end of Anton Chekhov’s classic play Uncle Vanya, Annie Baker’s adaptation of which made its west coast premiere this weekend at the Anateus Theater, one of the characters exasperatedly urges the others to “do something with your lives!” I have possibly never agreed with a character more—the eight other people in the dramatic comedy … More Theater Review: Antaeus Theater’s Uncle Vanya
“In American Falls, a doctor can live next to a shoe salesman, and a shoe salesman can be an Indian.” This line from American Falls, which opened this weekend in its west coast premiere at the Atwater Village Theatre, helps set the scene of the small Idaho town where the story takes place. As far … More Theater Review: Echo Theater Company’s American Falls
There are few better places to witness all the stereotypes Los Angeles has to offer than a Starbucks. Cafe Society, a new comedic play set in one of the ubiquitous coffee shops, examines our cultural obsession with technology and social media and how that is affected (or unaffected) by an actual real-life crisis. Produced by … More Theater Review: Cafe Society at Odyssey Theatre
I have been struggling to find a way to adequately describe Center Theatre Group’s production of Bent since seeing a preview performance nearly a week ago. I can’t remember ever leaving a theater feeling so utterly devastated and, essentially, at a loss for words. None of this is a bad thing—the production is extraordinary on every … More Theater Review: Bent at the Mark Taper Forum
It is always impressive when a work that is centuries old features themes that still manage to ring true today. That is definitely the case for The False Servant, a co-production of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and the Evidence Room that opened this past weekend. The False Servant is one of over thirty comedic plays written by … More Theater Review: The False Servant at Odyssey Theatre
I’ve always found there to be something magical about outdoor theater in the summer. Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, situated so deep into Topanga Canyon that it’s easy to forget you’re in Los Angeles, is the enchanting outdoor venue currently home to Lynn Riggs’ 1930 play Green Grow the Lilacs, which opened last night. While Green … More Theater Review: Green Grow the Lilacs at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum
When I revisited Matilda the Musical at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre last night after previously seeing it on Broadway in early 2014, I was hoping my initial issues would seem less glaring without the incredibly high expectations I held the first time. The movie Matilda is a childhood favorite of mine, and I remember how ecstatic I was when … More Theater Review: Matilda at the Ahmanson
While the setting of Picnic, William Inge’s classic play that first debuted on Broadway in 1953 and opened at North Hollywood’s Antaeus Theater last night, may be literally dated, its universal themes still ring almost unnervingly true. Works that deal with innate human needs and desires can be almost timeless—whether it’s Kansas in 1952 or Los Angeles … More Theater Review: Antaeus Theater’s Picnic
ON STAGE & SCREEN 