Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw The inspiration for this show was drawn from Letters to a Young Poet, the famous tome by the great Austrian romantic poet, Rainer Marie Rilke. Rilke wrote the letters to a young Austrian Army cadet who had sought advice on whether he should pursue a career in the army, or … Read more
Neal Weaver – Stage Raw As the story goes, someone — a friend, a roommate or a lover — said to Mr. Albee, “Edward, you will be thirty years old tomorrow, and you don’t have a damn thing to show for it.” Stung by this comment, Albee sat down and, overnight, wrote a long one-act … Read more
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw As its title implies, Married People: A Comedy concerns the ups and downs of two married couples. Written by Steve Shaffer and Mark Schiff, both long-time standup comics, it’s less a play than a compilation of sitcom shtick with a sizable sprinkling of borscht-belt humor. Read more… Now running through April 2
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw The folks at Zombie Joes continue to expand the theatrical palate with this engaging two-character psychological drama, written and directed by Emily Charouhas. Read more… Now running through March 11
Neal Weaver – Stage Raw When I was in college, I decided I should take some psychology courses to better understand myself and my fellow man. I signed up for Psych A, and discovered to my dismay that it was entirely concerned with statistics and testing methods, with nary a useful insight to be found. Read … Read more
Frances Baum Nicholson – The Daily Breeze Sometimes one goes to the theater for something profound. Sometimes one goes for something that will leave behind an underlying message to be chewed over a bit for its power or its emotional impact. Read more… Now running through March 25
Margaret Gray – LA Times Ngozi Anyanwu stars in the first play she wrote herself, “Good Grief,” in its world premiere at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. She plays Nkechi, a medical-school dropout who has returned to her childhood home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, after the accidental death of a friend plunges her into intense … Read more
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw Collective Rage, whose poster features a gal with soft eyes, a flexed bicep and a clenched fist, is subtitled “a play in 5 boops” because all five characters are named Betty Boop, after the cartoon figure conceived by Max Fleischer in 1930. Read more… Frances Baum Nicholson – The Daily Breeze … Read more
Neal Weaver – Stage Raw Cross-dressing actor-comedian Charles Busch wrote this glossy movie parody as a vehicle for himself in the central role of has-been movie star, Angela Arden. He performed in the play in Los Angeles several years ago, and his Angela was subtle and elegant. But now actor Drew Droege is giving him … Read more
Paul Birchall – Stage Raw According to director/performer Ronnie Marmo, this production of Sam Henry Kass’s comedy is a 25th anniversary staging of a show that he remembers fondly from when he acted in it many years ago. To my mind, however, the play’s mix of calculatedly quirky romantic situations and abrasively eccentric characters has … Read more