Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw The terminally damaged clan on display in John Bunzel’s dark comedy convincingly affirms that oft quoted adage of Tolstoy’s that “every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”. The play is set in a remote cabin in Puget Sound that was once the home of a famous author, … Read more
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw Shakespeare’s best plays are a rich source of complex, conflicted characters and readily lend themselves to creative, critical exploration or inspired adaptations. Of course, there are always risks when treading the path of the unconventional, but there are also creative successes. Director Matthew Leavitt’s updated take on the Bard’s … Read more
Terry Morgan – Stage Raw Plays taken out of the context of their own times can be troublesome. For instance, modern theatres have struggled to deal with the racist portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, to the extent that a recent production, Everything That Never Happened, revised the play’s events to relay them from Shylock’s daughter’s … Read more
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw Presented by the USVAA Vets Repertory and Revenant Stage (formerly the Elephant Theatre), Tommy Carter’s trio of one-acts is capably directed by David Fofi. All of them evoke disquieting recollections of the America of the 1960’s, a period like no other in our nation’s history….Read more… Now running through … Read more
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw The world of super heroes can be fun to satirize, and Greg Kalleres’ Meanwhile, Back at the Super Lair, directed by Jack Stehlin, is a potentially entertaining spoof, with enough irony and character-driven humor for an adept actor to play with. Read more… Now running through June 23
Jenny Lower – Stage Raw If its Pulitzer Prize nomination is any indication, Howard Korder’s Boys’ Lifemust have caught something in the zeitgeist when it debuted on Broadway in 1988. Read more… Now running through March 7.
Mayank Keshaviak – LA Weekly Bottom is the tops in New American Theatre’s take on the classic tale of love and mischief, here set in 1930s Greece. Director and company founder Jack Stehlin brings energy and cheeky wit to the character of Nick Bottom by fully exploring the hills and valleys of Shakespeare’s linguistic landscape.Read … Read more
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Dany Margolies – ArtsInLA.com Apparently this Shakespeareplay doesn’t need to be performed on the steps of a real-life city hall to impress. Here, a chamber version captures the story’s expanse while feeling immediate, near, and unfortunately modern. Add in the casting of women in traditionally male roles, modern-day business attire, and non-declamatory performances, … Read more