Carlos R. Hernandez
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw
Long before it disappeared, the Old West cast a spell on a certain kind of person — men (although a few were women) who savored the possibility of wide-open country and a better, freer life unshackled from the demands and hypocrisies of social convention.
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Now running through August 31
Rachel Rambaldi
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw
The Brontë sisters were part of a talented, tightknit family whose contributions to the canon of English literature included Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, by Charlotte and Emily respectively. Tragically, none of the siblings lived long; Charlotte died at 38, surviving her brother and four sisters, none of whom made it past 30.
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Now running through January 20
David Rodriguez
Terry Morgan - Stage Raw
It could be said that Sam Shepard perfected the strain of poetic realism that runs in American playwriting, particularly in works such as True West and Buried Child. Symbols abound, from characters representing civilization and wilderness to bushels of corn growing from a dead field.
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Now running through November 9
(Photo by Kate Danson Photography)
Erin Conley – On Stage & Screen
“Fifteen years ago I killed my sister.” This shocking line opens Nocturne by Adam Rapp, an acclaimed play that first debuted in New York in 2001.
Now running through August 13
(Photo by Aaron Epstein)
Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly
There are many fine elements in Giovanni Adams’ autobiographical solo show, and it’s hard to decide which to mention first: the cadenced flow of his beautifully detailed 80-minute spoken word poem, the open and disarming manner of his delivery, or the production’s flawless pacing under Becca Wolff’s accomplished direction. Read more…
Erin Conley – On Stage & Screen
In the home where Giovanni Adams grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, sex was never a dirty word.
Now running through July 15
Stephanie Fishbein Photography
Lovell Estell III – Stage Raw
This world premiere comedy from Los Angeles playwright Jennie Webb has its moments of glorious insanity and humor, but not enough of them to make it a full-on success. Read more…
Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA
Jennie Webb’s hilarious new play Currency, is a sly commentary on modern relationships — both the intimate kind and familial ones. It begins in the abundantly chintzy yet palatial bedroom of Helen (Dale Waddington) – scenic design is by Krystyna Loboda. It’s the morning after her boyfriend Dan (Warren Davis) has spent the night and, judging by their awkward but friendly banter, it’s the first time he has done so. Read more…
Now running through May 21
Photo by Azul Delgrasso
Bob Verini - Stage Raw
The premise of William Donnelly’s No Wake is straightforward enough — the throwing together of a divorced couple after the suicide of their long-estranged daughter. With the addition of a third character, the wife’s new husband who has come along for moral support, the action could proceed in any number of ways, most of them likely to be pretty emotional if not downright fraught.
Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly
The pivotal event in William Donnelly’s digressive three-character one act No Wake is the suicide of an angry young woman named Suki, long alienated from her middle-aged parents for reasons they’ve never understood.
Now running through March 19
Photo by Ed Krieger
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw
Itamar Moses’ Completeness is chockfull of discourse about protein processes and algorithmic probabilities, and if, like myself, you’re not of a scientific bent, you could drift off amidst the disquisition and the theory. Chances are you won’t, however. As directed by Matt Pfeiffer, VS. Theatre’s current production is so smart and the ensemble so crisp and so charming that despite the yaddiyadda, one stays engaged.
Now running through December 7.
Photo by Lew Abramson
Pauline Adamek – Stage Raw
Louise Munson’s meandering and nostalgic family drama is set in Italy during a summer holiday. Two American siblings touch base with their Italian mother’s parents and brother, discussing poetry and philosophy while drinking and dining, reading, playing board games, singing songs and telling stories. Much of the conversation is in Italian, with some translation here and there. Read more…
Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly
The simple candor and unruffled presence of performer Erin McIntosh is perhaps the most likable thing about Luigi, Louise Munson’s aggravatingly kitschy and predictable family drama. McIntosh portrays Anna, a thoughtful thirteen year old who reaches out to her elderly uncle (Ray Xifo, in the title role) for answers to the questions that vex her about life and love. Read more…
Dany Margolies - Arts In LA
A sullen 13-year-old sets in motion this world premiere, by Louise Munson. That’s the playwright’s first mistake. Uninteresting and unlikeable, young Anna doesn’t anchor the audience’s interest. Munson introduces her in the midst of the American teen’s visit to her great-uncle Luigi at his villa in Italy. Read more…
Now running through August 16.