Actors Co-op

TORNADO at Actors Co-op

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Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw. As written, Tornado is easy to relate to, with well-drawn characters, believable dialogue and a point to make about how people from different backgrounds misread each other. The play mirrors some of the divisions that beset our nation in a clear illustrative way. It eschews caricature and unneeded exposition while … Read more

THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP – A PENNY DREADFUL at Actors Co-op

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Terry Morgan  –  Stage Raw  In today’s parlous theatrical economy, more must be done with less, which explains the proliferation of one-person shows on some of our larger stages. This is understandable in a pecuniary sense, if regrettable in an aesthetic one — one misses the dramatic interplay between actors. A nice compromise is the … Read more

ROPE at Actors Co-op

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Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw Rope, Patrick Hamilton’s 1929 suspense thriller at Actors Co-op, commences with an electrifying moment — the sort of cleverly crafted theatrics one might expect from director Ken Sawyer. In a pitch-black theater, the soft strains of a popular love ballad (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”) can be heard.Read more… Rob … Read more

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER at Actors Co-op

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Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw Director Linda Kerns and a spirited cast do an excellent job with this old “chestnut” by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. It’s rarely produced and tricky to stage successfully because of its dizzying carousel of characters and dated strain of humor. This production is a welcome addition to … Read more

LUCKY STIFF at Actors Co-op

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Neal Weaver  – Stage Raw It’s hard to imagine a more far-fetched plot than the one that animates this zany musical by Lynn Ahren (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music), based on The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo by Michael Butterworth. Read more… Rob Stevens – Haines His Way Lucky Stiff is a … Read more

CAT’S PAW at Actors’ Co-op

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Neal Weaver  – Stage Raw An obscure warehouse in Washington, D.C. is the headquarters of a shadowy organization that claims to be devoted to the preservation of the planet. The leader and mastermind of the group is the flamboyant and self-dramatizing Victor (Sean McHugh). Read more… Rob Stevens – Haines His Way Playwright William Mastrosimone is … Read more

33 VARIATIONS at the Actors Co-op

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Rob Stevens – Haines His Way 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda appeared on Broadway in 2009 and played the Ahmanson Theatre in 2011. Now Actors Co-Op in Hollywood is offering the area’s first intimate production. Read more… Neal Weaver  – Stage Raw This play by Moises Kaufman is an extraordinary piece of work — rich, multifaceted and … Read more

OUR TOWN at Actors Co-op

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Lovell Estell III – Stage Raw It’s been nearly eighty years since Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning paean to small town America was first performed, yet it still retains a mysterious charm. Perhaps it’s the play’s evocation of a less complicated time and place, or maybe it’s Wilder’s simple exploration of what is common and … Read more