Encounter, East West Players in association with Navarasa Dance Theatre, David Henry Hwang Theater

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Encounter  by Aparna Sindhoor, Anil Natyaveda, and S M Raju. Dany Margolies, ArtsInLA The wisdom of the adage “Show, don’t tell” quickly becomes apparent in this dance-theater piece. And symbolic “showing” can be even more evocative than realism, which may explain why the storytelling here leaves the viewer shattered. In a universal tale about shortsighted despotism and evilly … Read more

The Book of Mormon, Pantages Theatre

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The Book of Mormon by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez andMatt Stone. David C. Nichols – Backstage With a subversive chortle and a heart bigger than the Great Salt Lake, The Book of Mormon hits Los Angeles and triumphantly becomes the hottest attraction in town. The joyous West Coast premiere of Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone’s Tony-winning gusher doesn’t just meet expectations; it … Read more

LADCC announces location & date for upcoming year’s awards show

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The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced that its awards for qualifying year 2012 will be held on Monday evening, March 18, 2013, at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 South Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. In addition, the Circle’s invitation-only nominees’ reception will be held at the same location two weeks earlier, on Monday evening, March 4, 2013. The Los … Read more

Euripides’ Helen, Getty Villa

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Euripides’ Helen, by adapted by Nick Salamone. Dany Margolies, ArtsInLA Nick Salamone is most gracious in crediting Euripides as the writer here, merely listing himself as adaptor. He has riffed on the Greek tragicomedy original, working with historical plot and characters but blending in elements of Hollywood movie musicals and characters from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Read more… Pauline Adamek – LA … Read more

Natalie Portman, the Musical!, The Attic

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Natalie Portman, the Musical!  Book and lyrics by Brittany Garms, music by Frankie Marrone and Tara Pitt. Dany Margolies, ArtsInLA “What were they thinking?”That’s the polite form of the question critics ask rhetorically when theater productions don’t work. Fortunately regarding this production, the answer is apparent from start to finish. Unfortunately another question hangs over it. “What’s missing?” we wonder. What is … Read more

Collected Stories, Odyssey Theatre

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Collected Stories by Donald Margulies. Dany Margolies, ArtsInLA The quality of this production is undoubtable. Much thought and skill and time have gone into the onstage product. But whether director Terri Hanauer and her duet of fine actors ring all the possible tones in Donald Margulies’s script is another think. Read more…

Silence! The Musical, Hayworth Theatre

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Silence! The Musical by Jon and Al Kaplan (music and lyrics) and Hunter Bell (book). David C. Nichols — Backstage The impending Book of Mormonnotwithstanding, it’s unlikely that Angelenos will see anything more scabrous or ham’s-holiday funny than Silence! The Musical at the Hayworth Theatre. This “unauthorized parody” of the Oscar-winning thriller is receiving a take-no-prisoners L.A. premiere and in the process decimates its source and … Read more

Focus Group Play, Katselas Theatre Company

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Focus Group Play by Carrie Barrett. David C. Nichols — L.A. Times The working title says it all in Focus Group Play. Carrie Barrett’s dark-tinged satire of nutritional marketing research gone awry skewers corporate product testing with agreeable, albeit predigested gusto.  Read more…

The Changeling, Long Beach Playhouse

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The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley, adapted by Dave Barton. Mayank Keshaviah – LA Weekly In pre-19th century plays, the language, culture and norms are far enough removed from their modern equivalents that only proper adaptation and direction foster true understanding. With Middleton and Rowley’s Jacobean tragedy, Dave Barton, who handles both, does a serviceable job in terms of comprehensibility, but the effect … Read more

Ghost Writer, International City Theatre

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Ghost Writer by Michael Hollinger. Shirl Gottlieb – Gazette Newspapers When the news got out several months ago, a big smile crept across my face.  International City Theatre is planning to produce the West Coast premiere of GhostWriter by playwright Michael Hollinger.” Having seen the Fountain Theatre’soutstanding production of Opus, which was extended several times; I was anxious to experience another work by its … Read more