Stage Raw: Lease Subsidy Program Gets Another Lease
NEW THEATER REVIEWS
CURRENT FEATURE ON BORN TO BE ALIVE and THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE
LEASE SUBSIDY PROGRAM GETS ANOTHER LEASE
A recommendation by L.A.'s Chief Administrative Officer Miguel Santana to restructure (eliminate) the city's Lease Subsidy Program for non-profit organizations ran aground Tuesday when the City Council voted to send the proposal back to the Arts, Parks Health and Aging Committee. City Council members including Tom LaBonge, Richard Alarcon and Janice Hahn felt they didn't have enough information to gut a program that offers a $1 year lease subsidy for various non-profits, from after-school youth centers to the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. Arts advocates regarded this as a victory.
THE GHOSTS OF HOLY GHOST
L.A. Weekly theater critic Neal Weaver offers the following reflections on seeing Theatre of NOTE's recently closed production of Holy Ghost, which concerns German prisoners of war on U.S. soil during World War II:
"I was terribly glad to see it as it linked up in unexpected ways with my own personal experiences. During World War II my cousin Bob Blackburn was serving, as a buck private, in a POW camp in Ipava, Illinois, and we visited him there. It was very strange for this 7- year-old, in the middle of a war, to see the enemy being marched to their work assignments in their drab grey POW uniforms, under armed guard, or standing sullenly about behind wire fences. They seemed far too depressed and beaten down to have much belief left in the Master Race.
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Then, later, I was doing some soldier shows, in which I did readings from a Broadway comedy called Make a Million. I found myself summoned by the CO and informed that in 10 days, I would do the piece in German at a dinner for German officers from the local Kaserne. My German wasn't remotely good enough to allow me to make a colloquial translation. But fortunately, the civillian secretary from the Regimental Special Services Office agreed to make a German version for me, which she did, with the assistance of a couple of actors from the local Stadttheatre. Her name was Lil Heinrich, and she was still an ardent Nazi, but they did an actable translation. I discovered to my dismay that the characters couldn't be played the same way in German as in English. The General, a southern good old boy, became, in German, Eric von Stroheim. And a line like "Son, you'll never get to be a general doing things the army way," became "Mein Sohn, Sie werden nie General wenn Sie alles nach HDF machen!" (HDF was the German military code.) Afterwards the German commandant asked me where I learned my German,, and told me I had a Hannover accent. Berlitz must have been written that way. He also asked me if I was a draftee or a volunteer. I told him I was a draftee, at which point he advised me to get out as soon as I could. (His wife was a prominent German theatre actress.) I did my best to follow his advice.
I was also impressed with the choice of music for Holy Ghost. I Remembered every one of those songs in very particular contexts. "We must be vigilant!" was performed on Sunday afternoon radio by Phil Spitalny and his all girl orchestra, featuring Evelyn and Her Magic Violin.--Neal Weaver
COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS for June 4-10, 2010
Our critics are Paul Birchall, Lovell Estell III, Rebecca Haithcoat, Martin Hernandez, Mayank Keshaviah, Deborah Klugman, Steven Leigh Morris, Amy Nicholson, Tom Provenzano, Bill Raden, Luis Reyes, Sandra Ross and Neal Weaver. These listings were compiled by Derek Thomas
Productions are sequenced alphabetically in the following cagtegories: Opening This Week, Larger Theaters regionwide, Smaller Theaters in Hollywood, Smaller Theaters in the valleys , Smaller Theaters on the Westside and in beach towns. You can also search for any play by title, using your computer's search engine.
OPENING THIS WEEK
DINNER WITH FRIENDS Donald Margulies' self-described "rueful comedy" about middle age and divorce. La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada; opens June 5; Sat., June 5, 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; thru June 20. (562) 944-9801.
HAMLET By William Shakespeare. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga; Sat., June 5, 8 p.m.; Sun., June 13, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., June 19, 8 p.m.; Sat., June 26, 8 p.m.; Sat., July 3, 4 p.m.; Sun., July 11, 3:30 p.m.; Sat., July 17, 8 p.m.; Sat., July 24, 8 p.m.; Sun., July 25, 3:30 p.m.; Sat., July 31, 4 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 1, 3:30 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 7, 8 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 8, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 14, 8 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 21, 4 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 28, 4 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 18, 4 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 19, 3:30 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 25, 5 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 2, 4 p.m.. (310) 455-3723.
IRA WITHOUT GEORGE: THE LYRICS OF IRA GERSHIN Starring Rex Reed, Linda Purl, Kurt Reichenbach, Gregg Edelman, Sally Mayes, and special guest star Polly Bergen, backed by a five-piece pop-jazz combo. John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., L.A.; June 4-5, 8 p.m.. (323) 461-3673.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM In rep with Hamlet. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga; Sun., June 6, 3:30 p.m.; Sun., June 20, 3:30 p.m.; Sun., June 27, 3:30 p.m.; Thurs., Aug. 5, 8 p.m.; Thurs., Aug. 12, 8 p.m.; Thurs., Aug. 19, 8 p.m.; Thurs., Aug. 26, 8 p.m.; Mon., Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 18, 8 p.m.. (310) 455-3723.
THE SOCIALIZATION OF RUTHIE SHAPIRO Barbara Nell Beery's memory play about a mother and son. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, L.A.; opens June 4; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru July 11, (No perf July 4.). (323) 851-7977.
3 TRUTHS Cornerstone Theater Company, in partnership with Grand Performances, presents the world premiere by Naomi Iizuka, the conclusion to Cornerstone's Justice Cycle, a four-year series about "how law and the pursuit of justice shape and disrupt L.A.'s communities.". California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., L.A.; opens June 4; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 12. (213) 687-2159.
ALL MY SONS asatch Theatrical Ventures presents Arthur Miller's first play. Raven Playhouse, 5233 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; opens June 5; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru July 25. (323) 960-4420.
ANGLES 4 ANA Benefit for Ana Adame, now fighting late-stage lymphoma, with performances by Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty), Megan Hilty (Wicked), Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World), Valerie Perri (Evita), Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast) and more. Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena; Mon., June 7, 8 p.m.. (626) 683-6883.
BABY Music by David Shire, lyrics by Richald Maltby Jr., book by Sybille Pearson, based on a story by Susan Yankowitz. Lonny Chapman Group Repertory Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood; opens June 4; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru July 11. (818) 700-4878.
BOTANICUM SEEDINGS Free outdoor reading of The Rose Gardener by Sara-Ashley Bischoff. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga; Sun., June 6, 11 a.m.. (310) 455-3723.
CASH ON DELIVERY Michael Cooney's farce about a Social Security cheat. Theater Palisades' Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road, Pacific Palisades; opens June 4; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru July 11. (310) 454-1970.
DRUNK TALK Thomas Blake's full-immersion comedy about a local bar's closing night, "where you're not just an audience member, but a cast member, playing the part of an unsuspecting patron subjected to the antics of the drinking establishment's regular cast of zany characters.". Dragonfly, 6510 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; opens June 6; Sun., 8 p.m.; Sun., 8 p.m.; thru Aug. 1, brownpapertickets.com/event/111874. (910) 367-6735.
FABULATION: OR THE EDUCATION OF UNDINE Lynne Nottage's satire of social stereotypes. Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; opens June 4; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6 p.m.; thru June 13, tix.com. (800) 595-4849.
THE GOOD WOMAN OF SETZUAN Re-imagining of Bertolt Brecht's classic, translated by Eric Bentley, with original music by Elizabeth Swados. Open Fist Theatre, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; opens June 4; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru July 17. (323) 882-6912.
HEPBURN SINGS! Kevin Dulude IS Katharine Hepburn!. Macha Theatre, 1107 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood; opens June 5; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru July 18, plays411.com. (323) 654-0680.
I MADE OUT WITH HIM ANYWAY Evie Peck and Kirstin Eggers' outrageous collection of dating stories., plays411.com. Lost Studio, 130 S. La Brea Ave., L.A.; opens June 4; Fri.-Sat., 8 & 10:30 p.m.; thru June 26. (323) 960-1055.
MAGNUM OPUS THEATRE: SURF DOGS UNITE! It's SoCal Christian surfers versus Hell-bent bikers. Sacred Fools Theater, 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., L.A.; opens June 4; Fri., 11 p.m.; thru June 25. (310) 281-8337.
A MEMORY OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN Zombie Joe presents Robert Riemer's romantic new thriller. ZJU Theater Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; opens June 4; Fri.-Sat., 8:30 p.m.; thru June 26. (818) 202-4120.
SCREWED WORDTHEATRE presents Carla Gugino performing a story by James Salter, Gary Cole performing a story by Tod Goldberg, and Adrian Pasdar performing a story by T.C. Boyle. M Bar, 1253 Vine St., L.A.; Sun., June 6, 7 p.m.. (323) 856-0036.
UN DOMINGO EN LA ALAMEDA/ A SUNDAY IN THE ALAMEDO Diego Rivera's mural come to life, by Lina Montalvo and Margarita Galban. Bilingual Foundation of Arts, 421 N. Avenue 19, L.A.; June 4-5, 8 p.m.; Sun., June 6, 3 p.m.; Mon., June 7, 8 p.m., bfatheatre.org. (323) 225-4044.
WALK THROUGH WALLS Caleb Hammond's installation/performance piece exploring life as "an expressionistic landscape of continually disappearing experiences of agony and ecstasy.". Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; June 4-5, 8:30 p.m.. (310) 315-1459.
WOMBMAN, THE PLAY "Four girls become their own wombmen in a world of masculine dominance." Written and directed by poet/playwright Evy Trezvant. The Complex, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; June 10-12, 8 p.m.; Sun., June 13, 2 p.m.. (818) 917-9142.
YELLOW WORLD Premiere of Del Shores' drama of intolerance. Coast Playhouse, 8325 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; opens June 4; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; thru June 27, yellowbydelshores.com...
CONTINUING PERFORMANCES IN LARGER THEATERS REGIONWIDE
A CHORUS LINE The Broadway blockbuster, book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics by Edward Kleban, music by Marvin Hamlisch. Pantages Theater, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 6:30 p.m.; thru June 13. (213) 365-3500.
NEW REVIEW CRIMES OF THE HEART
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Photo by Henry DiRocco/SCR
GO DEMENTIA Anyone who survived the deadly HIV plague years of the '80s, when the best and brightest of the arts community were wiped out by the disease, can't help but be moved by the pathos of playwright Evelina Fernández's AIDS melodrama. While the play's urgency might have diminished somewhat in the intervening years of antiretroviral successes, director José Luis Valenzuela's restaging of the Latino Theater Company's acclaimed, 2002 production has lost none of its rousing panache or theatrical luster. Sal López reprises his tour de force performance as Moises, a flamboyant theater director drifting in and out of consciousness on his deathbed in 1995. He spends his lucid moments planning his final exit scene in a party to be attended by his close associates, which include his lifelong friend, gay hairdresser, Martin (the excellent Danny de la Paz), best straight friend/writing partner, Eddie (Geoffrey Rivas), and Eddie's wife, Alice (Lucy Rodriguez). Moises' less-coherent spells are spent in phantasmagoric dialogues with his conscience and drag-queen alter ego, Lupe (Ralph Cole Jr. in a showstopping performance), who belts out disco dance hits in between haranguing Moises about coming clean with his ex-wife, Raquel (Fernández), on the circumstances surrounding their 15-year-old breakup. A first-rate production design, including Francois-Pierrcs evocative lights, Nikki Delhomme's Mackie-inspired gowns and Christopher Ash's expressionist-surrealist set, underscores Fernández's Eros-trumps-conventional-morality theme with elegance and eloquence. A Latino Theater Company Production. (Bill Raden). Los Angeles Theater Center, 514 S. Spring St., L.A.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 27. (213) 489-0994.
THE EMPORERS NEW CLOTHES Audience-participation musical for children and their families, music by Phil Orem, book and lyrics by Lloyd J. Schwartz and David Wechter. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, L.A.; Sat., 1 p.m.; thru July 10. (323) 851-7977.
NEW REVIEW GO IT AIN'T ALL CONFETTI! |
Photo courtesy of El Portal Theatre
"Rip Taylor? Isn't he dead?" opined an unkind family member upon learning that this weekend I was reviewing the new one man show written and starring Rip Taylor, the legendary comedian and popular culture "character." TV viewers of A Certain Age (and older) will doubtless recall Taylor, an omnipresent fixture of the 1970s, familiar from countless appearances on game shows like Match Game and Password, and also a Vegas go-to opening act for stars like Sammy Davis Jr., Judy Garland, and Eleanor Powell. With his masterfully mugging shtick, bugging eyes, waggling tongue, and silly one liners, Taylor's style wasn't for anyone - and it was easy to dismiss his "character" as a rube. And, yet, as his solo effort (directed by David Galligan) aptly indicates, any performer who has managed to have as huge career for as many decades as he has clearly possesses a mighty amount of talent, and steel willpower. In the opening moments of Galligan's fast moving, intimate production, Taylor strides onto the stage, clearly somewhat frail but still every inch the showman. His flapping toupee perches hilariously askew, as his pointy mustache waves. Next, he whips out a thick pile of file cards, each containing an individual one liner - and, in a dizzying display of jaw-dropping gagsmanship, he goes through every one, over 80 in all, within the first 10 minutes. From there, Taylor rips off his toupee, tosses it behind him, and switches over to more serious subject matter (with barely a joke in sight), as he describes his troubled childhood, his early successes as an MC at the Atlantic City strip club circuit, his subsequent discovery for the Ed Sullivan Show while performing at the Catskills, and the gradual honing of his carefully calculated stage persona, which has been his bread and butter for over half a century. Many of Taylor's revelations are fairly surface level, dealing with his interactions with the stars he's come across - and he often seems so in control over what he's saying, you could starve to death waiting for any "behind the mask" information about the performer. Yet, the show is ultimately a compelling presentation of a life - and it's as much a must see for students and historians of the comedy of a certain era as it is for folks who just want to share a warm laugh with a thoroughly amiable performer. El Portal Theatre, 11206 Waddington Street, North Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 6. www.elportaltheatre.com (866) 811-4111. (Paul Birchall)
GO LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE Ilene Beckerman's book, on which Delia Ephron and Nora Ephron based their "intimate collection of stories," is the kind you'd grab from the display near the register at a Barnes and Nobles, to serve as a dressy envelope for a birthday check to your goddaughter or an upgraded Mother's Day card. But if the recipient read it instead of tossing in onto a pile of similarly gifted minibooks, she'd find a classy little number, a J. Peterman catalog minus the pretentiousness. With sparse text and barebones sketches, Beckerman records her history through the clothes she and her female relatives wore. Director Jenny Sullivan constructs the stage version in much the same way: The star-studded ensemble wears black (there's an ode to the color, every woman's old faithful) while sitting in a straight line; and Carol Kane, who reads as Beckerman, handles the main prop, a "closet" full of the book's renderings situated on wire clothes hangers. But this is Nora Ephron, and chumminess quickly trumps austerity. The scenes themselves are ruminations on relationships thinly veiled as (mostly) funny riffs on clothes -- Tracee Ellis Ross almost runs away with the show every time the spotlight's hers but particularly so with "The Shirt." Kane, who must be one of the most endearing actors ever, dances her monologues' transitions so delicately and adroitly you can only marvel. There are a couple of moments ("The Bathrobe," "Brides") during which all but those with a particularly voracious emotional appetite will find themselves choking on the syrup. Fortunately, though, the Ephron sisters have nimbly stitched together the scenes so that there's far more head nodding than eye rolling. (Rebecca Haithcoat). Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; thru July 3. (310) 208-5454.
GO 1951-2006 Writer-director Donald Freed's romance about a military veteran, Dave (Michael Matthys), who, in 1951, finds himself confined to a wheelchair in a grubby fourth-floor New York City walk-up, and the woman, Meg (Debra De Liso), who moves in across the hall. Fran<0x00E7>ois-Pierre Couture's set shows the hallway with its grimy tile floor and slats emerging through the edges of the cement walls, offering an intersection of realism and surrealism that will play itself out in the drama -- nicely aided by Christopher Ash's lighting schema. If you recall Bernard Slade's comedy, Same Time, Next Year about an adulterous affair that is sliced into scenes occurring at regular intervals through the decades -- as the culture ages along with the characters -- that's pretty much the template here. Sound designer John Zalewski serves up a soundscape of scene transitions that will stir any number of associations in people who have lived through them -- the McCarthy hearings, news reports of the unfolding details of the JFK assassination, Nixon's resignation, Ronald Reagan's speech celebrating the continuity of our political process as the Carter administration handed over the reins of power. Dave is a Jewish anarchist who, in one scene, draws the attention of the FBI (Christopher Fairbanks), when he harbors a Black Panther Party member accused of shooting a police officer. Dave's is a sort of attraction of opposites to Meg, a lapsed Irish Catholic. The drama has far more literary and political resonance than dramatic momentum, largely because -- with the exception of the FBI raid, when the characters must decide something in the moment -- director Freed isn't entirely successful in drawing out the emotional tugs and pulls that lie beneath his very intelligent, often snappy and largely reflective dialogue, which says that this politically charged and appealingly smart couple have a deeply abiding love; I just got the sense that they were very friendly neighbors who enjoyed talking about politics. When Meg turns 86, a couple of hours after we saw her as a late-20-something, it's more than evident that time is the protagonist here, and we're seeing the aging of the progressive wing. I just wish that the romance were as persuasive as the history is poignant. Produced by Latino Theater Company. (Steven Leigh Morris). Los Angeles Theater Center, 514 S. Spring St., L.A.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 13. (213) 489-0994.
GO PALOMINO The title of writer-performer-director David Cale's solo performance about -- among other people -- a horse-drawn carriage driver in Manhattan may refer to the breed of horse that the womanizing driver, named Kieren, is steering. But the story he unfurls could just as easily be called Cougars. The 30-year-old Irish protagonist begins with a reference to his 1940s "come fly with me" fedora, boasting that it all starts with the hat. The man he's filling in for will later hear that reference in a written memoir penned by Kieren, and describe the author as an "asshole." And he's sort of right, but that certainly doesn't make Kieren's story any less engaging. Kieren tells of being approached by a woman named Marsha, who has a business proposition, for giving a "good time" to some female friends of hers, and he certainly gives them a ride. Cale is an unprepossessing yet hypnotic storyteller with a bald pate and slender build that belies the physical attraction his clients see in him. Yet when he leaves Kieren behind, and retells the story from the points of view of the various women whom Kieren seduces, with all their potent observations of his charisma, his sexual style, as well as his romantic inadequacies, the event isn't so much about any one character as it is about a world that's conjured in slices, and how the story is a slow reveal of an ever-more expansive world. This is, in some way, a one-man variation of Brian Friel's Faith Healer, somehow blended into Lady Chatterley's Lover. The piece constantly evokes the knot of romance and lust and commerce that are infinitely fascinating and impossible to untangle. Jason H. Thompson's projections are just perfect in their subtlety, offering a sense of place by being literary rather than literal, which matches many of the subtly embedded images in Cale's story. One recurring motif is a bird -- one in a painting that's gifted to Kieren, which he later tries to sell; another is a pigeon, captured in Thompson's projection in flight. Not only does the literary/visual image have inexplicable beauty, but it's an emblem for the state of being embodied in all of Cale's characters, and an image for how we all push through life, on a wing and prayer so to speak, with the help and hindrance of the winds. Center Theatre Group. (Steven Leigh Morris). Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 6:30 p.m.; thru June 6. (213) 628-2772.
NEW REVIEW GO ROAD TO SAIGON You don't need to be a devotee of theater lore to enjoy director Jon Lawrence Rivera's assemblage of show tunes, pop standards and showbiz anecdotes. (But it helps.) You don't even need to be familiar with songs from the blockbuster musical, Miss Saigon, the source of the evening's theme and reminiscences. (Because none are present.) All you need is an appreciation of big talents, and Rivera has gathered three of the biggest. Besides being Filipino-American actresses, Joan Almedilla, Jennifer Paz and Jenni Selma all cut their musical-theater teeth playing Miss Saigon's tragic heroine, Kim, on Broadway or in a national touring company. Their memories of winning the coveted role become the "book" for what Rivera clearly hoped would have the appeal of a real-life A Chorus Line. And while the results feel more like a talky cabaret revue, what's not to like about a trio of powerhouse singers belting out beloved Broadway favorites under Nathan Wang's rousing musical direction (musical staging by Kay Cole). Almedilla's soulful covers of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" and Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "I Say a Little Prayer" are sensational; Paz proves her mettle on comedy numbers like "Here I Am" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and "In Short," from the musical Edges; and Selma sizzles on inspirational anthems like "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl, and Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," as well as more wistful ballads like the Kelly Clarkson hit, "Beautiful Disaster." East West Players at the David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Little Tokyo; Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru June 13. (213) 625-7000. (Bill Raden)
SOUTH PACIFIC The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, presented by Lincoln Center Theater. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A.; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 6:30 p.m.; thru July 17. (213) 628-2772.
THE VAULT Latino Theater Company presents a cabaret-style show for the 21st century. Los Angeles Theater Center, 514 S. Spring St., L.A.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 8 & 10 p.m.; thru June 12. (213) 489-0994.
CONTINUING PERFORMANCES IN SMALLER THEATERS SITUATED IN HOLLYWOOD, WEST HOLLYWOOD AND THE DOWNTOWN AREAS
BEHIND THE GATES Annika Marks delivers a mesmerizing performance as an angry American teenager whose exposure to an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect in Israel revolutionizes her life. A crack baby who grows into a problem child, the 17-year-old punkish Bethany (Marks) harbors venomous rage toward her adoptive middle-class parents. Unable to cope, they ship her off to an Israeli boarding school for girls, where they hope she'll absorb some modesty and discipline. One day, wandering the Jerusalem streets, Bethany encounters a rabbi (Oren Rehany) from the fundamentalist Haredi community; he invites her home for Shabbas dinner. The susceptible girl is struck by the seeming harmony within his family; later, she undergoes a ritualistic conversion and joins their sect. All this emerges at the top of playwright Wendy Graf's discrepant drama: The central character turns out not to be Bethany but her mother, Susan (Keliher Walsh), whose psyche radically transforms as she searches for her lost daughter within the strangulating confines of the Haredi ghetto. Directed by David Gautraux, the play deals with the spell ancient Jerusalem casts on some; most fascinating is the glimpse it offers into a cultish antifeminist society -- measuring its values against the strengths and weaknesses of our own. Unfortunately, these thematic virtues are undermined by a soap-operatic element that plays out around Susan's marital problems and her personal insecurities. Walsh offers a sensitive portrayal, but other performances are weaker and less nuanced. Ultimately, the narrative never recoups its initial power, despite Walsh's efforts. (Deborah Klugman). Lee Strasberg Institute, 7936 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru June 27. (323) 960- 5772.
BORN TO BE ALIVE "Diminutive actress/writer/burlesque artist/stand-up comic/fashion model/activist" Selene Luna stars in the story of her life. L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Davidson/Valentini Theatre, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru June 27. (323) 860-7302.
BROOKLYN, USA A true story based on real events of Murder Incorporated, the enforcement arm of America's crime syndicate. Write Act Theater, 6128 Yucca St., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru July 31. (323) 469-3113.
CANNIBALS From the endless material regarding the dreams and disappointments of stardom comes this comedy by veteran TV scribe R.J. Colleary about trying to survive in Hollywood. "I act, therefore, I am," is the motto of the United State of Actresses -- a quartet of 40-something thespians who gather weekly to salve their delicate egos and share stories about dwindling job prospects. Mo (Amy K. Murray) is a plus-size mother of three; Elizabeth (Jackie Debatin) is a half-glam, owner-operator of a school for child actors; Linda (Caryn Richman) is a married woman who can't give up the dream; the mouthy Carole (Dale Dickey) keeps finely tuned on antidepressants. The toxic admixture of personalities is good for laughs but doesn't quite offset the play's lack of action, leading to tedious stretches. A ray of light emerges when a "notable" director (Ray Abruzzo) taps the gals for a documentary, but the project is threatened when he brings his accomplished wife (the stellar Robin Riker) along, and investors insist on the participation of a younger actress (Brittany Ross). The saccharine finale holds no surprises. The cast is uniformly fine under Kathleen Rubin's direction. (Lovell Estell III). Zephyr Theater, 7456 Melrose Ave., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru June 6. (323) 960-7745.
CARMEN MIRANDA: THE LADY IN THE TUTTI FRUTTI HAT World-premiere musical tribute to the Brazilian film icon. Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 27, plays411.com/carmen. (323) 960-7740.
NEW REVIEW CHASING MONSTERS |
Photo by Armando Molina
The eruption of
laughter that opens Gabriel Gomez's drama is one of the few light
moments in what is otherwise a relentlessly bleak tale. Dominic
(Richard Azurdia) is celebrating his pending nuptials at his favorite
bar with his friend Sandra (Deborah Geer), anticipating a happy future.
In the next scene, with a vicious, alcohol fueled argument between
Dominic and his bride-to-be Amy (Carolyn Zeller), the bottom drops out
of the future, and the play. Utilizing an overlay of dreamy flashbacks,
Gomez attempts to provide context to this story of generational family
dysfunction. We learn of Dominic's early dependency on alcohol, his
conflicted relationship with his emotionally unstable mother Vanessa
(Monica Sanchez) and brother (Xavi Moreno), and his confusion and rage
toward his absentee father. Gomez and director Armando Molina show us
what lies behind this family's torments, but fails to eloquently or
convincingly probe underlying causes that address the "why." More
importantly, he fails to establish emotionally vibrant, credible
connections between these characters, which makes empathy next to
impossible. Dominic becomes nothing more than a hard-luck, loser drunk,
and everyone else just people plagued by nasty problems. Things turn
painfully melodramatic after one character's terminal medical
prognosis, transforming the play into a lugubrious vigil. There's no
argument with the performances, which are uniformly good. Rounding out
the cast is Natalya Oliver. Company of Angels at Son of Semele Theater,
3301 Beverly Blvd.; Los Angeles; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m., thru
June. 13. http://www.SonOfSemele.org (Lovell Estell III)
THE CHERRY ORCHARD Oasis Theater Company presents Chekhov's classic, produced as an interactive theater piece at a private home. Private Residence, 1417 Ridge Way, L.A.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 6 p.m.; thru June 20, brownpapertickets.com. (800) 838-3006.
THE DEVIL'S EYE Even among avowed Bergman-philes, the late Swedish auteur's 1960 film, The Devil's Eye, is considered a middling effort, a footnote, really, to a financing deal for Virgin Spring (1960), which required him to deliver a comedy in addition to the austere, medieval morality tale he wanted to make. While the movie is deceptively theatrical, it must have been an act of sheer hubris that led director Michael Moon to separate even a minor Bergman script (translated by Moon and Anna Lerbom) from the eloquence of the maestro's cinematic mise-en-scéne for the Demon Theater's inaugural production. The result is an occasionally amusing though oddly flat, pseudo-Shavian story about the confrontation between innocence and worldliness. Tormented by the impending marriage of a chaste minister's daughter (Lerbom), Satan (a Broderick Crawford-like Craig Patton) sends Don Juan (Dave Buzzotta) and his manservant, Pablo (Omar Leyva), back to Earth to claim the country maiden's virginity. Juan sets about seducing the girl by using sophisticated wiles, as Pablo makes a more direct assault on the marital fidelity of the minister's disaffected wife (Jolene Adams). While virtue eventually triumphs, albeit in ironic ways, it is no thanks to Moon's anemic staging and an almost cripplingly indifferent production design (Lerbom's bedroomless, bedroom-farce set, Matt Richter's problem-plagued lights). Inspired comic turns by John Combs as the simpleminded father and Ebb Miller as a mincing, Edward Everett Horton-esque demon aren't enough to salvage this fundamentally misguided endeavor. A Demon Theater Production. (Bill Raden). Arena Stage at Theater of Arts (formerly the Egyptian Arena Theater), 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 12. (323) 960-7863.
DISILLUSIONED: CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL MAGICIAN Matt Marcy has been entertaining people with his trademark blend of comedy and magic for decades. He showcases his skills in this 90-minute production, which features some amazing feats. Marcy's charm and wit are matched by his self-effacing humor. If you think you've seen card tricks, you're in for a few surprises. Early on he performs what he calls "the world's simplest card trick," which will leave you scratching your head in wonder. Ditto for the trick he performs at show's end, with a sword he fashions from a balloon, then uses to cut an apple in half and spear a card from a deck thrown into the air -- which happens to be the exact one selected by an audience member minutes into the show. Marcy also gives us a brief, sketchy account of his life, touching upon his childhood in Santa Monica, high school crushes and antics, and his early years as an amateur magician. He and director Nicole Blaine aren't nearly as effective here, as many of these narrative digressive segments are gratuitously silly; they also rely too heavily on video media. But these shortcomings pale in comparison to Marcy's mind-blowing sleights of hand. Jules Hartley is equally engaging as Marcy's assistant. (Lovell Estell III). Imagined Life Theater, 5615 San Vicente Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 19. (800) 838-3006.
AN EVENING WITH ELEANOR, THE TOUR WHORE Rich Fulcher's one-(wo)man show. See GoLA., $15. The Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A.; Through June 4, 8 p.m.. (323) 655-2510.
FORBIDDEN ZONE: LIVE IN THE 6TH DIMENSION "What was banal can, with the passage of time, become fantastic," Susan Sontag famously noted. At least such is the hope of adaptor Michael Holmes and director Scott Leggett in their anarchic musical tribute to film director Richard Elfman and composer Danny Elfman's failed, 1980 dadaist sci-fi fantasy, Forbidden Zone. A crude, lewd and urgently outré attempt at a John Waters-like burlesque of middle-class mores, the movie stands as an exercise in clownish impudence; its story of a Venice Beach family's adventure in a bizarre, Alice in Wonderland dimension they enter via a portal in their basement, is almost beside the point. Holmes happily excises some of Elfman's more gratuitous racial and anti-Semitic caricatures while contributing judicious narrative tweaks, primarily in expanding the character of Satan (a leering Marz Richards) into a lipsticked, vamping, Tim Curry-esque narrator/emcee. Leggett and his talented production-design team provide the polish, including the glam dazzle of Wes Crain's costumes and Kat Bardot's makeup, and the cartoon razzle of Tifanie McQueen's scatological set. The pleasure comes courtesy of musical director Ryan Johnson and his 14-piece band, Natasha Norman's Max Fleischer-inspired choreography, and an enthusiastic cast that sings and dances the collection of mainly early-20th century pop tunes only lip-synched in the movie (Bryan Krasner's rendition of the Yiddish Theater classic, "Giter Brider Itzik, is a standout). The problem is in Holmes' cultist fidelity to his source, which carries over into Elfman's sneering contempt for his characters, thus robbing the show of the heart and pathos it so desperately needs. (Bill Raden). Sacred Fools Theater, 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., June 13, 7 p.m.; Sun., June 20, 7 p.m.; thru June 26. (310) 281-8337.
FACEBOOK $5. Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, 5919 Franklin Ave., L.A.; Wed., 9:30 p.m.. (323) 908-8702.
GO FOUR PLACES The family outing on display in Joel Drake Johnson's unsettling comedy resembles a gathering of ornery, wounded jackals. Siblings Warren (Tim Bagley) and Ellen (Roxanne Hart) motor to their parents' Chicago home to take their diminutive, gray-haired mother Peggy (Anne Gee Byrd) out for a what is presumably a pleasant lunch. At first blush, this seems innocent enough, but something about Ellen's painful, labored smile as she hugs the wheel, and Warren's cold, mummified expression, suggest that something is amiss. It isn't long before the moral underbelly of this clan emerges along with some ugly revelations. Mom's harmless exterior drips away with each rum and Coke she knocks back (and every trip to the bathroom, where she pees blood), and there emerges a subtly vicious female, a practiced manipulator who delights in tormenting her children with reminders of their lacerating miseries and failures. But an even darker secret surfaces concerning Peggy's alcoholic, invalid husband (who never appears onstage but is a towering presence, nevertheless), and rumors that she is abusing, and even attempting to murder him. The manner in which Drake tells this story -- blending humor and stark ugliness, while exploring themes of sibling rivalry, marital infidelity and even euthanasia -- is thoroughly engaging and held in sharp balance by director Robin Larsen. The characters are fully fleshed out, both in the writing and the performances, as disturbing for their and their vulnerabilities as for their anger. Rounding out a superb cast is Lisa Rothschiller. (Lovell Estell III). Theatre/Theater, 5041 Pico Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru June 13. (323) 422-6361.
GROUNDLIGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT In a departure from the Groundlings' trademark irreverent, take-no-prisoner sketch comedy that made laughing as involuntary as breathing, this new show, directed by Karen Maruyama, is distinctly low-key and only funny in patches. The evening's biggest disappointment were the two improv segments that bracket the show, where comedians do routines based on audience suggestions. The absence of ease, craft and imagination was palpable. These failings were apparent in other sketch routines as well. "Caltech" has a crew of seismic scientists engaging in silly wisecracking and a overwrought spate of physical comedy and demolition derby with their chairs. "Next Step" finds Charlotte Newhouse and Scott Beehner as teenagers trying to get their sexual desires in sync, but there isn't much wit. A husband becomes vexed trying to relate to his wife in "I'm Listening," which is equally unfunny. "Concert Footage" is a pleasant surprise. After a Taylor Swift concert, Damon Jones playing a P.R. guy interviews and coolly insults members of the audience. Michael Naughton is still one of the funniest guys around, and his talents are evident in "Mirror Image," where a special software program allows you a glimpse of what you'll look like in the future, and "Animal Stars," where he is one of a pair of animal trainers. (Lovell Estell III). Groundling Theater, 7307 Melrose Ave., L.A.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 8 & 10 p.m.; thru July 10. (323) 934-9700.
THE HAPPY HAPPY SHOW April Hava Shenkman hosts this anything-goes comedy cabaret., free. El Cid, 4212 Sunset Blvd., L.A.; Thurs., 8 p.m.. (323) 668-0318.
HARLOW GOLD: EAST "Sexy, witty and gritty" cabaret created by choreographers Dominic Carbone and Tracy Phillips., $10-$25. The Bordello, 901 E. First St., L.A.; Sun., 10 p.m.. (213) 687-3766.
IT'S A MUSICAL WORLD Bob Baker's 1978 marionette revue, with stops at an Enchanted Toy Shop, a teddy bear's picnic, and an Independence Day finale. Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., L.A.; Tues.-Fri., 10:30 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 2:30 p.m.; thru July 11. (213) 250-9995.
KEEP IT CLEAN Comedy Hosted by JC Coccoli., free. 1739 Public House, 1739 N. Vermont Ave., L.A.; Mon., 9:30 p.m.. (323) 663-1739.
THE KING OF THE DESERT Solo performer Rene Rivera delivers an energetic performance in this quasi-biographical work about a Mexican-American boy from the barrio who defies low cultural expectations to become a professional actor. Written by Stacey Martino, the piece derives its title from tales of Rivera's father, about their people's rich cultural heritage -- stories that filtered into the boy's imagination to become part of his identity, along with the more raw experiences of violence, racial prejudice and domestic strife that shaped his everyday life. Eventually the narrative travels to New York (later Hollywood), where Rivera's alter ego awakens to a broader landscape that includes women, drugs and alcohol. Directed by Valentino Ferreira, the densely layered chronicle moves at a swift pace that later becomes hypersonic, with few quiet moments to set off the increasing number of melodramatic highlights that culminate in a rather conventional declaration of personal pride and acceptance. Throughout, Rivera undertakes all roles with professional adeptness and the vocal power of a trained actor. What's missing, paradoxically, is the sense of a vital connection between this performer and the experiences he is relaying -- a disconnect that detracts from the play's emotional punch. Constrained by limited resources, designer Tony Sanders' lighting fails to underscore the numerous transitions of time and place, and set designer Danuta Tomzynski's backdrop is also something of a cluttered distraction; this piece might more effectively play on a barer stage. A CoActive Content Production. (Deborah Klugman). El Centro Theatre, 804 N. El Centro Ave., L.A.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; thru June 11. (323) 960-5774.
GO L.A. NOIR UNSCRIPTED After years of perfecting their sharply honed craft of improvising parodies of highbrow masters such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Stephen Sondheim, Impro Theatre decides to slack off a bit with this less demanding satire of film noir. A lot of wordy, mixed metaphors, some cheesy suspense music, a few light gobos representing the shadows of Venetian blinds and voilá: Sam Spade and gang of hard-boiled cynics are ready to roll. Well the gambit worked, the easy clichés and furtive looks of the genre flow out of these improvisers so fast and with such surety that they barely have time to listen to each other before letting the next hilarious banality fly. Actually this opening night the folks did get a bit sloppy in their listening -- especially to names -- but their caricatures and situations were so fun that no one was keeping track of improv rules. Company artistic director Dan O'Connor is in his element as the bitter detective, Edi Patterson looks perfectly askance as the sardonic beauty, and Lisa Fredrickson is delightful as an over-the-hill movie star; you may never see them in these specific characters, but you will see them at their comic best. (Tom Provenzano). Theatre Asylum, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Sun., 7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 13, plays411.com/lanoirunscripted. (323) 401-9793.
GO LIFE COULD BE A DREAM This affectionate doo-wop jukebox musical by writer-director Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes), with clever choreography by Lee Martino, handsome set by Tom Buderwitz, and spectacular lighting by Luke Moyer, is designed to incorporate hit songs of the 1960s, ranging from the goofy "Sh Boom" and "Rama Lama Ding Dong" to anthems like "Earth Angel," "Unchained Melody," "The Great Pretender," and "The Glory of Love." In small-town Springfield, the local radio station is sponsoring a rock-and-roll contest, and go-getter Denny (Daniel Tatar) is convinced he can win and become a star. He enlists his klutzy, nerdish, endearing friend Eugene (Jim Holdridge) and church-choir singer Wally (Ryan Castellino) to join him. Needing a sponsor to provide the $50 entrance fee for the contest, they apply to the proprietor of the local auto chain. He sends his top mechanic, handsome, hunky Skip (Doug Carpenter), and his pretty daughter Lois (Jessica Keenan Wynn), to audition the guys, and by the end they're incorporated in the new group, Denny and the Dreamers. This is pure fluff, and the terrific ensemble makes every note count in this rousing good-time musical. (Neal Weaver). Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 20. (323) 960-4412.
THE LOST TOMB OF KING SUNDAY All-new sketch and improv, directed by
Karen Maruyama. Groundling Theater, 7307 Melrose Ave., L.A.; Sun., 7:30
p.m.. (323) 934-9700.
MAN VERSES MOON In a theater, a playwright-director named Federico Lorca (Adrian Kaley) is trying to work actors through an interpretation of a play that looks very much like Blood Wedding, while being warned that soldiers are poised to arrest him as a dissident. This theater is no haven. And writer-director Dan Oliverio's collage of Lorca's play, his poems, classical mythology and homegrown surrealism sends Lorca and his company into netherworlds and moonscapes. The "theater" itself is claustrophobic and barren -- compared to when the set's "walls" roll away to reveal a dreamscape of cascading sheets and kaleidoscopic lighting. Designer Chris Covics employs rigs and pulleys and actors to move drapery and flats into some scintillating compositions. And Dan Mailley's costumes -- grounded in the 1930s but also taking off into flights of fancy -- front-load the event with exotic appeal. This is conspicuously a labor of love on Oliverio's part, an homage to Lorca and the various agonies he suffered -- including what's generally believed to be his execution at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. But the portrait and the purpose are lost in the coming together of texts and styles, so that the result is less an understanding than a feeling: one of lunacy (to borrow from the play's dominant image of the moon) that's nonetheless locked in one of the prisons of 1930s Spain. The event presumes a depth of knowledge that would be better teased out in the piece itself. The kind of romantic/surreal horrors Lorca wrote about are no strangers to our century. What's so odd about this production is that they appear to belong to place and time far away and long ago. (Steven Leigh Morris). Unknown Theater, 1110 N. Seward St., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6 p.m.; thru June 20. (323) 466-7781.
GO MORE LIES ABOUT JERZY This West Coast premiere of David Holmes' fascinating drama about whether truth lies in facts or in fiction hangs on the title performance of Jack Stehlin as Jerzy Lesnewski -- obviously based on the late Polish novelist-screenwriter Jerzy Kosinski, and the scandals surrounding what he eventually claimed was his fictional Holocaust memoir, The Painted Bird. Either by omission or design, Kosinski neglected to clarify at the outset that the memoir was anything but autobiography -- until, according to Holmes, Poles from his past (Jordan Lund and Cameron Meyer) showed up in New York, peeved that the famous author was discrediting the very people who had protected young Jewish Jerzy from the Nazis. Aside from a swirl of wives and mistresses (Meyer and Kristin Malko) orbiting the womanizing author, the play drives along the investigation by journalist Arthur Bausley (Adam Stein) -- once a fan and eventually an investigator -- clearly troubled by Jerzy's continuing penchant to play fast and loose with the facts. They won't ask if he lying, Arthur goads him, They're only going to ask why is he lying. Holmes plays just as nimbly with the facts as Kozinski did, which would be an affront if Holmes were really out to discredit his protagonist, as the Village Voice did in 1982. (That discrediting is a central issue in the play, which anachronistically unfolds between 1972 and 1974.) In the Voice, Geoffrey Stokes and Eliot Fremont-Smith published an article accusing the five-time best-selling author not only of having denied co-authorship or editor credit to the English "translators," who may have actually written The Painted Bird, based on Kozinski writings in Polish, but they also claimed that Kozinski plagiarized his short story (made into film), Being There, from 1932 Polish best seller The Career of Nicodemus Dyzma -- which few people outside Poland knew about. Holmes' Jerzy has a potent defense and an almost tragic downfall -- made all the more so by Stehlin's gregarious, petulant and charismatic interpretation, with just the right tinge of Polish dialect. Argues Jerzy: Truth does not lie in facts but in symbols and myths and legends -- an argument he could have lifted from W.B. Yeats, who said much the same. Holmes' journalist tries to psychoanalyze why Jerzy would make stuff up so habitually -- perhaps a war trauma or something -- and Jerzy ridicules that process as petty psychoanalysis. The degree to which Jerzy may be right is the degree to which this play gets very interesting, veering from its dangerous trajectory of celebrity bashing. David Trainer directs an efficient production with enough momentum to compensate for its tangled relationships. But it's the play, and Stehlin, that are stage center. And speaking of truth, they probably shouldn't clink those plastic champagne tumblers when toasting. That rings even less true than many of Jerzy's excuses. (Steven Leigh Morris). Hayworth Theatre, 2511 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 26. (213) 389-9860.
OJALA Jennifer Barry's play about a young, Mexican nanny (Claudia Duran) in 1960s Los Angeles helping a young affluent white woman (Lindsay Lane) care for her accidental child is best when it gets away from its cliché beats and delves into the fragile relationship between its two protagonists. A standout performance from Duran urges the play toward this, and Elizabeth Otero de Espinoza's direction favors the scenes of intimacy between employer and employee. But the plot definitely works against this, pushing the story toward disappointing melodrama. And Barry steps conveniently around the language-barrier issue, which could have helped layer the class tension supposedly at the center of this piece. The play's most beautiful moment is an interstitial that features three Mexican maids engaged in their repetitive domestic labor while one of them sings a doleful song in Spanish. If only the rest of the play could have been consistently as conscious of its theme. (Luis Reyes). Casa 0101, 2009 E. First St., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.; thru June 6. (323) 263-7684.
GO POINT BREAK LIVE! Jaime Keeling's merciless skewering of the 1991 hyper-action flick starring Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey is loaded with laughs, as well as surprises, like picking an audience member to play Reeves' role of Special Agent Johnny Utah. It's damn good fun, cleverly staged by directors Eve Hars, Thomas Blake and George Spielvogel. (LE3). Dragonfly, 6510 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Fri., 8:30 p.m.; Sat., 8 p.m.. (866) 811-4111.
SERIAL KILLERS - THE PLAYOFFS! Eight serials face off, with a time limit of five minutes each, and only two will be chosen, by your vote, to continue. Sacred Fools Theater, 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., L.A.; Sat., 11 p.m.; thru June 26. (310) 281-8337.
SEX, RELATIONSHIPS, AND SOMETIMES . . . LOVE Monologues on all of the above, by Joelle Arqueros. Renegade Theatre (formerly the Actor's Playpen), 1514 N. Gardner St., L.A.; Sun., 6, 7:30 & 9 p.m.; thru Sept. 26. (323) 769-5566.
SMALL CRAFT WARNINGS Tennessee Williams' story of a community of Southern California outsiders. Fiesta Hall, 1200 N. Vista St., West Hollywood; Sun., 2 p.m.; Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 7:30 p.m.; thru June 12. (800) 838-8006.
SODA POP 1950s musical comedy spoof by The Knightsbridge Theatre's Youth Company. Knightsbridge Theater, 1944 Riverside Dr., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru June 27. (323) 667-0955.
SPIKE HEELS Theresa Rebeck's four-sided love triangle.". Theatre 68, 5419 Sunset Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 27, facebook.com/spikeheels. (323) 467-6688.
GO SUPERNOVA Mabel (Bonnie Hunt), a naive Des Moines housewife, calls a graveyard-shift salesman named Joe in Los Angeles (Timothy McNeil), to order an expensive watch for her son's 18th birthday. She can't yet go through with the purchase -- her loutish husband (Tony Gatto) says the boy (Edward Tournier) doesn't deserve it, and once we meet him, we agree. But these two strangers both have a black hole of loneliness, and she keeps calling Joe back until both allow themselves a sharp sliver of hope that they might still redeem the mess they've made of their lives. McNeil's play flags under slow plotting, but he has a merciless, intuitive ear for how bullies manipulate their prey. In nearly every scene, Gatto, Tournier and a sales boss played by Micah Cohen (alternating the role with James Pippi) destroy these two secret sweethearts, as well as Mabel's divorc<0x00E9>e neighbor Gina Garrison, who's insecure enough to start her own secret affair with the teen. These three villains are so terribly good, it's a miracle that a rattled audience member hasn't slashed the actors' tires during intermission. And when Mabel and Joe cling to each other on the phone, we're happy they're happy. Director Lindsay Allbaugh's fantastic ensemble sells us on each individual scene, even if the play as a whole doesn't add up to more then some well-acted catharses. Kelly Elizabeth and Joe Wiebe join in for the furious climax as two fellow high schoolers who bear witness to what even the adamantly optimistic Mabel admits is the world's worst birthday party. (Amy Nicholson). Elephant Space Theatre, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru June 20. (323) 962-0046.
THE TOMORROW SHOW Late-night variety show created by Craig Anton, Ron Lynch and Brendon Small. Steve Allen Theater, at the Center for Inquiry-West, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; Sat., midnight. (323) 960-7785.
NEW REVIEW GO TRACERS
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Thirty years after its Los Angeles debut, writer John DiFusco's anti-war drama retains its relevance and power. Written collaboratively in the 1970s by DiFusco and seven other Vietnam vets, and directed by Christina Howard with insight and skill, it portrays the trauma of young military recruits plucked from mainstream American life and thrust -- inadequately trained and poorly equipped -- into the nightmare of combat. Howard, displaying a metaphysical perspective, stages the production on a deep cavernous proscenium. Prior to curtain, an intense, almost suffocating, scent of incense permeates the theater; meanwhile, for perhaps 20 minutes, the six "trainees" jog in military unison, the rhythms of their booted tread being ominous and haunting. When at last the performers do, individually, speak, it's in a darkness resourcefully illuminated by handheld flashlights; indeed, throughout the play, the lighting design (consultant Tiger Reel) registers as a quintessential element of the spectacle. The talents of Howard's adept ensemble collectively emerge in a sequence depicting the recruits' initial training under the command of an abusive drill sergeant (the terrific Tucker Smallwood) who addresses them as "maggots" while forcing them to undergo arbitrary punitive discipline. Once in Vietnam, the men medicate their brutalized psyches with dope, alcohol and infantile horseplay -- understandable given their tasks, which include sorting through body parts to try to match limbs with torsos. While not every component of this production is unimpeachable -- the sound design (Howard) and vocal soundtrack, effective in part, can be intrusive -- the imaginative production is compelling. Loft Ensemble at L.A. Fringe Theatre, 929 E. Second St., Studio 105, L.A.; Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6 p.m.; thru June 27, LOFTensemble.com. (213) 680-0392. A (Deborah Klugman)
WHAT'S UP, TIGER LILY? Maria Bamford and Melinda Hill bring excellent standups every week -- really, like Blaine Capatch, Patton Oswalt, Matt Besser -- you get the idea., free. Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill, 6122 Sunset Blvd., L.A.; Mon., 8 p.m.. (323) 466-9917.
GO THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE In its many incarnations, Gloria Naylor's episodic novel about struggle and triumph among a disparate group of African-American women in a dilapidated urban project anywhere in the country, circa 1975, offers moving, character-driven drama, comedy and social commentary. Tim Acito's musical adaptation captures much of Naylor's storytelling brilliance through his series of mostly solo songs. These explore the women's individual lives in a structure that resembles Studs Terkel's musical, Working. The stories ultimately meet, as the women turn to one another both in anger and for support. Acito eschews the temptation to pigeonhole the music into 1975 black genres, instead allowing such rhythms to infuse his more classical 20th-century musical-theater styles. The result is a stirring hybrid of emotionally charged and simply fun songs that give the extraordinary cast of singer-actors exciting material to perform. Musical director Gregory Nabours works expertly with the strong cast, as he does with his skilled musicians, to create a production of immense scale in this tiny venue. Scenic designer Kurt Boetcher offers just enough set to suggest the slum conditions but stays out of the way of the actorsm and it's all nicely supported by Naila Aladdin Sanders' delightful costume design. (Tom Provenzano). Celebration Theatre, 7051-B Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 27. (323) 957-1884.
THE WOMEN OF JUAREZ Grupo de Teatro Sinergia presents Ruben
Amavizca-Murua's story of murder and corruption. Frida Kahlo Theater,
2332 W. Fourth St., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6 p.m.; thru June 6.
(213) 382-8133.
YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL Twelve plays by American teenagers. Schedule at youngplaywrights.com. Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru June 27, . (323) 661-9827.
ZOMBIENCE! An Improvised Zombie Musical Directed by Patrick Bristow and Jayne Entwistle. Asylum Lab, 1078 Lillian Way, L.A.; Thurs., 8 p.m.; thru June 10...
CONTINUING PERFORMANCES IN SMALLER THEATERS SITUATED IM THE VALLEYS
BARELY A BEAR A children's play about a bear cub raised by humans and a girl raised by bears who team up to save the forest from developers. Secret Rose Theater, 11246 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood; Sat., 2 p.m.; thru June 26. (877) 620-7673.
BOOM An underground lab, a central fish tank and an adjoining control booth with a timpani (meticulously designed by Kurt Boetcher) provide the setting for Julia Duffy's silent entrance in the L.A. premiere of Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's play. Duffy arrives filled with a sense of exasperated sarcasm as she peeks at the audience and then begins to manipulate computers, operate switches and pound on the drum. It is soon apparent that she is a godlike figure controlling the actions of a young biologist (Nick Cernoch) and the woman (Megan Goodchild) he lures to his lab through a sexual-encounter ad. She is naturally surprised when he announces his homosexuality, and doubtful as he predicts a worldwide catastrophe. Duffy then prevents any escape from this lunatic situation. The mood and situation quickly darken, as the nonsexual relationship deteriorates, but there is always a sense of sly comedy, and irony ultimately wins out in what is essentially an unsatisfying 90-minute sketch in the vein of The Twilight Zone. Still, the appeal and skills of the three actors under Dámaso Rodriguez's airtight direction create such an enjoyable theatrical evening, one might even forgive the script's many, probably purposeful holes. Furious Theatre Company. (Tom Provenzano). Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7:30 p.m.; thru June 20. (626) 356-PLAY.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Oscar Wilde's early experiment in Victorian melodrama; part satire, part comedy of manners and part intellectual farce. Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 12. (310) 645-5156.
IT'S JUST SEX Jeff Gould's comedy takes the underpinnings of sexual fantasy, fidelity and money and puts all of those nuances onstage in a contemporary comedy about three married couples. The wife-swapping plot is straight out of Hugh Hefner's pad, circa 1975. That the play resonates today, in the ashes of the sexual revolution, is one indication of how little has changed, despite how much has changed. (Steven Leigh Morris). Two Roads Theater, 4348 Tujunga Ave., Studio City; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7:30 p.m.. (818) 762-2272.
MADAGASCAR J.T. Rogers' story of three Americans -- at three different times -- who find themselves alone, in the same hotel room overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome. With Rogers' White People. Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 26...
ll)NEW REVIEW THE MAIDS
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Photo by Armina LaManna
French poet, playwright, novelist and thief Jean Genet, dubbed a criminal/saint by Jean-Paul Sartre, was an eternal outsider who embraced themes of oppression, betrayal, transgression, and opposition to accepted social values. Here, he tells the bizarre tale of two sisters, Solange (Rachel Kanouse) and Claire (Nicole Erb) who are employed by Madame (Meagan English) as maid-servants. Corroded with self-loathing, they bitterly resent their menial existence, and become enmeshed in an intense love/hate relationship with each other and with their employer, whom they hate, envy, adore, and fantasize about murdering. They have already, via an anonymous letter, sent Madame's lover to jail, and whenever she is out, they act out sadistic fantasies of murder and rebellion. Inevitably the end-game is lethal. Director Armina LaManna begins the piece with Edith Piaf recordings and a choreographic interlude that establishes the perverse erotic bond between the sisters. The actors skillfully and meticulously navigate the shoals of shifting fantasy and reality. J.C. Gafford provides a handsomely baroque set, all red velvet, flowers, and ornate porcelain. And Rachel Sachar designed the costumes, which cleverly dress the sisters in positive and negative variations on the same uniform. However, Genet is so subjective and personal that there are no apertures the mind can slip in through. The Eclectic Company Theatre, 5312 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Valley Village; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 7 p.m., and Thursdays June 17 & 24, 8 p.m., through June 27. (818) 508-3003 or http://www.eclecticcompanytheatre.org (Neal Weaver)
THE RAINMAKER The N. Richard Nash romantic comedy following a rural farm family during a drought. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 5. (626) 256-3809.
NEW REVIEW ROCKIN' WITH THE AGES II
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Photo courtesy of The Whitefire Theatre
Considering the paucity of employment opportunities for older performers, it's not surprising that they should band together to create their own show, cast entirely with singers and dancers over the age of 60. Most performers are eager for love and approval, but when it becomes too obvious, as it does here, it gets embarrassing. They've put together a lively show, consisting largely of show tunes, plus a few evergreen standards like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," performed by Susan Lacroix, Carmelita Pittman, and Bobbi Stamm, and "The Tennessee Waltz," given a heart-felt rendition by Sue Smart. "Puttin'on the Ritz" is a lively tap-dance number, featuring the Razzmatappers and Dennis Wickham. Raffi Mauro provides a sweetly funny version of "Mr. Cellophane," and joins forces with Stamm and Hallie Richman in an antic "Two Ladies," from Cabaret. Big ensemble numbers include "Hey, Big Spender," "Money, Money," and a raunchy "Cell Block Tango." With such a huge cast, it's impossible to single out individual performers, but most are able and thoroughly professional. One wishes some younger performers could see them and be reminded that with a little old-fashioned projection, one can be heard loud and clear without relying on body microphones. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., matinees Wed., Thurs., & Sun., 2 p.m. Produced by The Pink Lady and Senior Star Power Productions. (818) 606-6679 or mailto:PinkLady7@earthlink.net (Neal Weaver)
NEW REVIEW SKYLIGHT
Photo by Paul Skipper
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Along with his works Plenty and The Secret Rapture, David Hare's 1995 drama is one of his "Big Lady" plays, in which a strong willed female protagonist is ultimately hoisted by the petard of her own glittering ideals. In this case, the woman in question is sensitive Kyra (Erin Shaver), who has broken up with her former restaurant tycoon lover Tom (Stuart W. Howard), after his wife found out about their affair. Kyra, now punishing herself by living in a frosty flat in an unfashionable part of London, where she ekes out a living teaching inner city schoolkids, is unexpectedly visited by Tom, who, now that his wife has died of cancer, is eager to rekindle their flame. The romantic sparks start to sputter, though, when the piece sidelines into a fiery debate about the principles and flaws of Capitalism and Liberalism, which, frankly, is Hare's real concern. It's possible that in a few weeks director Ken Meseroll's stodgy production of the seething drama will gel to reflect the play's subtle emotional shifts and nuances in a more involving way. At this point, though, Meseroll's staging is merely workmanlike with flat line readings and stiff blocking, while also missing the psychological edge and layering implied by Hare's delicate, yet fiercely intelligent script. Shaver offers a likable, if emotionally restrained turn as Kyra, while Howard is nicely oily and pompous as Tom. However, it's hard to believe for a moment that the pair would have had an affair. In addition, the performers are often so hamstrung by their attempts to wrestle with the British dialect, you almost wish they had jettisoned it entirely. Set designer Joel Daavid crafts a beautifully detailed, warm, and intimate living room set which nevertheless feels utterly at odds with the frigid description of the location in the play itself. Fremont Centre Theatre, 1000 Fremont Ave, South Pasadena; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 20. (866) 811-4111. (Paul Birchall)
SUGAR HAPPENS A-lee Lulee Productions presents this one-girl show by Sherry Coben and starring Rachel Bailit comedy, based on Bailit's life about a nice Jewish girl's life choices and where they take her. Sidewalk Studio Theatre, 4150 Riverside Dr., Burbank; Wed., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru June 20. 800-838-3006.
TREASURE ISLAND Kids from the audience participate, playing the crew on the ship in this version of the classic pirate tale. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; Sat., 2 p.m.; thru June 5. (626) 256-3809.
GO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY WAY Based on a little-known incident in L.A. history, this thriller explores the collision of reality and fantasy as two actors juggle various roles to entrap homosexuals for "social vagrancy" in the public restrooms of 1914 Long Beach. Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru June 6. (626) 683-6883.
URBAN DEATH Zombie Joe's Underground's horror show. ZJU Theater Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Sat., 11 p.m.. (818) 202-4120.
USS PINAFORE In addition to directing this production, Jon Mullich also did the adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, H.M.S. Pinafore
to the Starship Enterprise. This obviously includes restringing the
lyrics and even song titles, so that "He Is an Englishman" becomes "He
Is an Earthling Man." The concept is a mash-up of Star Trek and Galaxy Quest
-- with accompanying jokes on both -- all played upon designer Tony
Potter's terrific starship brig set. The transference of Gilbert and
Sullivan's social satire into a few quips on our pop culture feels like
a reduction of scale but nothing compared to the reduction served up in
the tinny sound track. Delivering the goods with confident glee, this
excellent ensemble deserves better. In fact, this would be a sinking
ship were it not for the ensemble's charisma and the first-rate
performances and voices of some key players, including James Jaeger's
physically nimble, sonorously voiced Dick Deadeye -- imagine French
Stewart as a lizard man. Jesse Merlin's Captain Corcoran is also
magnificent, the embodiment of swagger, with facial muscles locked into
a smirk and a voice that just keeps going. Ashley Cuellar's musical
chops are similarly apparent as the Captain's daughter, Josephine. Her
stage presence is perfectly adequate, but her voice hits the moon.
(Steven Leigh Morris). Crown City Theatre, 11031 Camarillo St., North
Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru June 27.
1-800-838-3006.
Weird on Top Improvisational comedy by Danielle Cintron, Tiffany Cole,
Mason Hallberg, Kerr Seth Lordygan, Sarah McCann and Alex Sanborn.
Eclectic Company Theatre, 5312 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village;
Thurs., June 10, 8 p.m.; Thurs., July 15, 8 p.m.; Thurs., Aug. 12, 8
p.m.. (818) 508-3003.
YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN Based on the "Peanuts" comic strip; book, music and lyrics by Clark Gesner. Open Stage West, 14366 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., June 6, 2 p.m.; thru June 19...
CONTINUING PERFORMANCES IN SMALLER THEATERS SITUATED ON THE WESTSIDE AND IN BEACH TOWNS
GO THE ARSONISTSIn Max Frisch's trenchant work of surreal irony, which may be better known by its alternate (and perhaps more whimsically satisfying) title, Biedermann and the Firebugs, decent people invite evil into their homes, try to befriend it, ignore its obvious nature -- and, by doing nothing, are ultimately complicit in its wicked goals. When Frisch wrote the dark comedy in 1958, he was clearly attempting to craft a metaphor for the rise of Nazis amongst the otherwise sensible German population one to two decades prior. Alistair Beaton's new translation amplifies certain of the text's thematic undercurrents of moral blindness to put us in mind of the paranoia and impotence suffusing the so-called War on Terror. Mild-mannered hair-tonic dealer Biedermann (Norbert Weisser) has been told to be on the lookout for a band of diabolical arsonists sweeping through the neighborhood, setting houses ablaze. Yet, this doesn't stop him from inviting into his home a brutish goon named Schmitz (John Achorn), who shows up on his doorstep asking for food and lodging. We quickly deduce that Schmitz has a certain pyromaniacal bent -- and even Biedermann and his primly brittle, suburban wife (Beth Hogan) start to twig that something is wrong when Schmitz and his seemingly psychotic pal, Eisenring (Ron Bottitta), move huge barrels of fuel and bomb detonators into their home's attic. Yet, Biedermann, complacent in his "it can't happen to me" attitude, refuses to see what's happening right in front of him. The performances, as well as the flames, crackle in Ron Sossi's slyly sardonic staging -- performances that combine perfect comic timing with dense, rich personalities. Weisser's nervous (and increasingly delusional) Biedermann and Hogan's uptight wife are hilarious -- but the true scene-stealers are Achorn's rubber-faced, diabolical Schmitz and Bottitta's ghoulish Eisenring, who are simultaneously so chillingly funny and matter of fact, you almost want to invite them to dinner yourself, despite the potentially blazing ramifications. Set designer Birgitte Moos' beautiful two-level set (1950s-style living room and attic) is ingenious, while Sean Kozma's eerie sound design adds a beautifully sinister atmosphere to the goings-on. (Paul Birchall). Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.; Wed., June 9, 8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5:30 p.m.; thru June 20. (310) 477-2055.
BACKSTREET: THE MUSICAL Playhouse Jewish Heritage Series presents this family of Backstreet Ladies in a house of Jewish "working girls" in the New York ghetto, circa 1905. The Other Space at Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 Fourth St., Santa Monica; Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6 p.m.; thru June 20. (310) 394-9779.
CABARET The onstage and backstage action at Berlin's raunchy and satirical Kit Kat Klub in 1931. Macgowan Little Theater, 340 Royce Drive, L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat., June 5, 2 p.m.; thru June 5. (310) 825-2101.
THE CLEAN HOUSE Sara Ruhl's theatrical and comedic play abut class and
the nature of love. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.;
Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; Wed., 8 p.m.; thru June 16. (310)
477-2055.
HARLOW GOLD: WEST "Sexy, witty and gritty" cabaret created by choreographers Dominic Carbone and Tracy Phillips., $10-$25. Harvelle's, 1432 Fourth St., Santa Monica; Thurs.. (310) 395-1676.
THE ICE BREAKER David Rambo's play about a young geologist who sparks intellectual and romantic chemistry with her reclusive mentor. Theatre 40 at the Reuben Cordova Theater, 241 Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills; Wed.-Sun., 2 & 6 p.m.; thru June 6. (310) 364-0535.
JESSE BOY Plenty of writers have trodden down the thickets of dysfunction, which apparently overrun the rural South (my own little Southern hometown must be the lone exception). Certainly, there are families with histories of secrets buried so deep you'd need a backhoe to unearth them. But to cram a play to bursting with every last and most lurid of them, as does Robert Mollohan, playwright and star of this world premiere, feels like little more than shock value for the sake of shock value. Richie (Mollohan), an Elvis impersonator/car salesman and Abigayle (Jaimi Paige), his girlfriend/former lady of the night, live in a state of vague dissatisfaction dotted with bouts of uneasy peace. The tension in their trailer home is pulled rubberband-tight by Abigayle's live-in mentally handicapped brother, Jesse (the excellent Zach Book), Jesse's physically handicapped stripper/babysitter Mary-Lou (Kathleen Nicole Parker), and Richie's homeless uncle, Red (Chris Mulkey). The performances are, across the board, as impressive and nuanced as the range of Southern accents the cast employs. But as the second act hurriedly pulls tricks out of its hat and as the build to the predictable climax barrels toward the audience, the characters' emotional evolutions get lost. Richie's chance for at least a moment of sympathy is especially squandered -- if you're going to stack every card in the deck against a character, you have to give the audience a reason to care much earlier than the last 15 minutes of the play. Karen Landry directs. (Rebecca Haithcoat). Ruskin Group Theater, 3000 Airport Dr., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 12. (310) 397-3244.
GO JUST 45 MINUTES FROM BROADWAY Suffused with a near-Chekhovian mix of the wistful and the melancholy, playwright Henry Jaglom's world premiere comedy is a delight -- an intimate and thoughtful ensemble piece which is as much a paean to the theater as it is a meditation on the perils of living entirely by emotion. In a picturesque but run down country house in upstate New York (realized in Joel Daavid's beautiful detailed set), a theatrical clan spends what is probably for them a typical fall weekend of histrionics and melodrama. These are people who have lived their whole lives for art -- which, one might say, means that dinner is never on time and no one gets up before noon. Elderly thespian George (Jack Heller) and his beloved wife Vivien (Diane Louise Salinger) are in the twilight of their careers, but regret nothing about a life spent on the road performing small plays. Also staying in their home is their beautiful, unstable daughter Pandora (Tanna Frederick), who is taking a "rest" from acting after getting over a recent failed romance. The typically "artsy" family chaos turns even more tumultuous with the arrival of the family's estranged eldest daughter Betsy (Julie Davis), who has grown weary of her eccentric family. When Betsy introduces her lawyer fiance Jimmy (David Garver) to the family, sparks unexpectedly fly -- but the sparks are between Jimmy and free-spirited Pandora. Some overwritten sequences teeter on self indulgence, yet the piece is also wise to the follies of human behavior -- and director Gary Imhoff's subtle staging elegantly juxtaposes the warmth and frustration underscoring the relationships within so many families. The ensemble work is sensitive, yet comically charged, with Frederick's calculatedly daffy turn as the ever-performing Pandora smartly offset by Davis' increasingly angry Betsy. Heller's leonine elderly actor-dad and Salinger's actress mom, tender and sad, wonderfully craft the sense of elders who have never truly grown up, and are amazed by what has happened to their bodies while their minds remain youthful. A Rainbow Theatre Company production. (Paul Birchall). Edgemar Center for the Arts, 2437 Main St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.; thru July 31. (310) 399-3666.
LONDON'S SCARS The preshow announcement in the style of the London Underground's famous "mind the gap" admonition takes us to Thurloe Square, the site of a recent bus bombing in the world premiere of Richard Martin Hirsch's latest work. The bombing is discussed by psychologists Bronwyn (Imelda Corcoran) and Margaret (Ann Noble); the former is an art therapist and becomes saddled with Mary (Meredith Bishop), a young woman who witnessed the tragedy and is consequently a person of interest to MI5 field agent Dowd (Rob Nagle). In their sessions, Mary is initially reticent, responding only with book quotations. As Bronwyn uses art to delve into Mary's psyche, however, Mary opens up, revealing her occupation as a call girl and her association with Habib (Ammar Ramzi), the Pakistani man thought to be responsible for the bombing. Hirsch's ear for the British idiom, especially London slang, is undeniable, and his characters are fascinating -- especially the tortured souls of Mary and Habib. However the simmering tension Hirsch strives to build into "explosive" (sorry) moments unfortunately lacks the requisite danger and menace to keep us in anticipation. Director Darin Anthony employs creative staging of the numerous flashbacks and movements in space and time, aided by Christie Wright's nimble lighting, Stephen Gifford's flexible set, and Bill Froggatt's soundscape of London calling. The solid cast is punctuated by standouts Nagle, notable for his chameleonic shifts in playing two other minor characters as well, and Bishop, whose tortured intensity is palpable. A Coffeehouse Production. (Mayank Keshaviah). Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru June 27. (310) 477-2055.
GO THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Figaro (Troy Dunn) and
Suzanne (Janae Burris) are about to be wed. Figaro is valet to the
Count (David E. Frank), while Suzanne is chambermaid to the Countess
(Cynthia Mance). At play's start, Suzanne watches Figaro measuring the
proportions for a bed that's to be installed in their new quarters -
within earshot of the Count. A bit of a dolt, Figaro doesn't realize
(until Suzanne fills him in) that the closeness of the quarters to
their respective employers is actually in the service of the Count's
lechery. And so begins a series of traps to ward off the indignity of
the Count's attempted restoration of an old right called primae noctis,
in which the master of the house is entitled to deflower a bride from a
lower class before her wedding. Following the plot's intricacies is
like trying to follow the motions of moths around a lamp, though it
does sort itself out, not unlike the ribbons and bows in Josephine
Poisot's period costumes. And the new translation transfers the
subtleties of French idiom very smoothly into English -- with the added
delight of actors occasionally lip synching from excerpts of Mozart's
opera. The technique on display in Michel's production isn't yet
pristine, but on opening night, it was close enough to make its point.
The shenanigans unfold on Duncombe's production design of burgundy and
blue, accented by two suspended chandeliers. The set's symmetry and
elegance works in pleasing juxtaposition against the mayhem of
interlopers hurling themselves out of windows, or pretending to. The
solid ensemble works in tight conformity to the style: Frank's
lecherous count is a comic standout of barely concealed slime, offset
by the grace of Mance's weary, dignified Countess. And Maria Chirstina
Benthall offers vivacious delight as the libidinous niece of the
gardner. (Steven Leigh Morris). City Garage, 1340 1/2 Fourth St., Santa
Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5:30 p.m.; thru June 20. (310)
319-9939.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM William Shakespeare's comedy about the adventures of four young Athenian lovers. Hermosa Beach Playhouse, 710 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach; Tues.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 5. (310) 372-4477.
GO SARAH, SARAH In playwright Daniel Goldfarb's
family drama, the generation gap is not so much a gap as it is a gaping
crevasse. In 1961, fearsome Jewish mama Sarah Grosberg (played by
Cheryl David with battle-ax aplomb) invites the mousy
fianc<0x00E9>e (Robyn Cohen) of her beloved son, Artie (Patrick
J. Rafferty), for tea and strudel, ostensibly so the two ladies can get
to know each other but really so the possessive mamutchka can
talk the girl out of marrying her son. As the intimidating matriarch
tears into the younger girl like a glutton gnawing on kugel, it falls
to Sarah's kindly housekeeper (Bart Braverman) to save the day with an
unexpected revelation about his boss. Years later, Sarah's
granddaughter Jennifer (also played by David, in such a different,
breezy, open turn that she's almost unrecognizable) journeys to China
to adopt an orphan, who turns out to be ill and possibly mentally
handicapped. Goldfarb's play is mainly set dressing for David's
splendid tour de force twin performances as the steely matriarch and
her neurotic, insecure granddaughter, turns that are beautifully
nuanced and complex. As Sarah, David depicts an immediately familiar
type, who's as much a creature of her era as is the more
immature-seeming, emotionally drifting Jennifer. Director Howard
Teichman's deceptively simple production adroitly captures the mood and
feel of two eras, exemplified by different body languages and physical
behavior. Braverman is also deft in his two characters -- he excels as
Jennifer's supportive yet pessimistic father in the play's second half.
(Paul Birchall). Pico Playhouse, 10508 W. Pico Blvd., L.A.;
Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru June 27...
TWO FIGURES The Ahimsa Collective presents Matthew
Chester's play developed from hundreds of sexual fantasy submissions.
Powerhouse Theatre, 3116 Second St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sun., 8 p.m.;
thru June 20. (310) 396-3680.
NEW REVIEW A TYRANT'S TALE Pared down to 80 minutes, writer-director Lisa Wolpe's breakneck adaptation of The Winter's Tale opens with a fatal temper tantrum. King Leontes (Scott McRae) believes his wife (Heidi Rose Robbins) is hugely pregnant with the child of his friend -- and now, sworn enemy -- Polixenes (Andrew Heffernan). Inshort order, the king has banished or doomed nearly his entire court, though before she's hauled off and declared dead, Robbins, whose character is weak from torture and tall with dignity, commands the stage with a killer last speech. Miraculously, Apollo will set this night, but en route, the actors rush, shout and muddy their lines with neeedless accents, and risk losing the audience in so doing. In such a taut tragedy, Wolpe could easily cut the scene of comic relief between a shepherd (McRae) and his idiot son (David Glasser) and amp up the heat, especially in the steamy dance of love between a prince (Glasser) and a secret princess (Laura Covelli). With tweaks, this very likable staging could be a pocket-sized success. Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica; Thurs.-Sun..; thru June 27, brownpapertickets.com. (800) 838-3006. (Amy Nicholson)
THE WICKED WILDE SHAKESPARE FESTIVAL The Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company presents a five-week summer theater festival of gender-bent classics. Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica; Thurs.-Sun..; thru June 27, brownpapertickets.com. (800) 838-3006.
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