Paul Birchall – Stage Raw In the 4th century B.C., a villainous thug, Herostratus, set fire to the tomb of Artemis. His reason? He had been a nonentity his entire life, and by committing this crime, he knew he would be remembered. Of course, the Greek judges, in their wisdom, executed him, and passed a law … Read more
Bob Verini – Variety Playwright Ken Ludwig’s work thrives at regional theaters coast to coast, despite only intermittent New York appearances since 1989’s “Lend Me a Tenor” and his 1992 book for “Crazy For You.” His latest entertaining outing get its West Coast premiere at the Old Globe with a title announced in the program as … Read more
Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly August Wilson’s plays are as much about the historical experience of African-Americans as they are about any one of his characters. This is certainly true of Fences, which begins in 1957, a year marked by federal troops on the ground in Arkansas and the forced desegregation of Little Rock Central High … Read more
Pauline Adamek – Stage Raw It’s a little difficult to get a fix on writer-performer John Posey’s solo show Father, Son & Holy Coach, which first premiered in 1993 at The Santa Monica Playhouse. Is it a true story? Is it about a real person? No and yes (I think). Although voicing numerous characters throughout the … Read more
Paul Birchall – Stage Raw For your evening of Difficult (but still Engaging) Theater, you might have done worse than attending the New Works Festival at REDCAT. Staged over the past three weeks, the festival has featured numerous performance pieces from promising local artists, fleshed out within the luxurious environs of one of the city’s … Read more
Dany Margolies – The Daily Breeze A producer, a director and a screenwriter are locked in a room for five days trying to churn out a script for one of filmdom’s biggest epics. What could go wrong is the stuff of playwright Ron Hutchinson’s “Moonlight and Magnolias,” onstage at Surf City Theatre’s 2nd Story Theater … Read more
Les Spindle – Frontiers L.A. This offbeat autobiographical piece by writer-director-performer Dr. Merle Conscious Soden, subtitled Homeless to Hollywood, makes up for lapses in technical polish with sly humor, heart and sincerity. Read more… Now running through September 19.
David C. Nichols – LA Times A skirmish of wit attends “Much Ado About Nothing” in Griffith Park, and it proves a notable argument. Independent Shakespeare Company concludes its summer season with an agreeably quirky, riotously funny take on the Bard’s evergreen romantic comedy. Read more… Now running through August 30.
Melinda Schupmann – Arts In LA Media exposure to the tumult in evangelical mega-churches brought about by the clash of money, power, and ego makes David Rambo’s 1999 cautionary tale a familiar story to modern audiences. The examination of faith, conscience, and ambition is great fodder for drama. Read more… Les Spindle – Frontiers L.A. Writer-director … Read more
Dany Margolies – The Daily Breeze Since it premiered in 1992, Frank McGuinness’ “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” hasn’t lost its plausibility. It takes place in a windowless cell in Lebanon, where three men of differing nationalities are held hostage. Read more… Now running through Sept. 2.