LADCC Critics 
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania In Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, Antonio Salieri may proclaim himself the patron saint of mediocrity, but Jefferson Mays, who plays him in this new Pasadena Playhouse production, is a patron saint of distinction. His transcendent performance will be remembered for shaping the character into someone sharp, broken, and unexpectedly hilarious. Read more… … Read more
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix Rising playwright Beth Hyland’s “Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia,” having its world premiere at Geffen Playhouse, is just what you’d want in a new play — ambitious and compelling in a well staged and performed production. Bringing to life poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes as they affect a current writer … Read more
Ed Rampell – The Progressive Magazine Poetry for the People vividly brings Jordan and her oeuvre alive using a variety of techniques. Film clips, including interviews with the poet and Angela Davis (who insisted that Jordan play tennis with her), are projected onto four screens (media design by Deja Collins). Six multi-cultural women thespians (America … Read more
Philip Brandes – Stage Raw During the infamously chaotic 1974 filming of “Jaws,” a continuously malfunctioning mechanical shark and other logistical delays leave the three lead actors stranded for long stretches between takes, with nothing to do but drink, bicker, and inadvertently reveal long-sunken wounds dredged from the depths of their respective psyches. Read more…
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Lanie Robertson’s play about the legendary jazz songstress Billie Holiday, has become a popular offering in theaters both large and small since its 1986 debut, with Audra McDonald winning a Tony for Best Actress during its 2014 Broadway run. Read more… Travis … Read more
Martín Hernández – Stage Raw While truth may be stranger than fiction, it is not always funnier, due to the show’s stereotyped characters, clunky exposition, and strained attempts at humor. Read more…
Patrick Chavis – The Orange Curtain Review Having trouble finding a loving commitment this Valentine’s Day? Aren’t we all? With a three-hour-plus run time and two intermissions, South Coast Repertory’s latest offering, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, is definitely a commitment. However, it’s worth pursuing because of a staging as brilliant as it ever was … Read more
Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color The Los Angeles independent remounting of Rajiv Joseph‘s Guards at the Taj (the last one was in 2015 at the Geffen Playhouse) is a strikingly well done and hauntingly relevant production that also utilizes fantastic genderbent casting and an endearing post finale that credits all crew involved, a … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA This is a phenomenal new achievement by local counter-culture hero Justin Tanner, ironically both selfish and unselfish at the same time. Still, I left the theatre not quite sure if I wanted to go home and write a review or to see if I could snag my monumentally talented though … Read more
Amanda Callas – Broadwayworld Once feels like a revelation, with all the delicate tenderness of a romantic ballad and the foot-stomping joy of a rustic Irish pub on music night. Read more… Patrick Chavis – The Orange Curtain Review Jacqueline Malenke’s haunting lighting set the tone of the show and brought it to a … Read more