Terry Morgan – Arts Beat LA One never knows where inspiration will strike. Eboni Booth’s play, Primary Trust, is partly set in a tiki bar that is its protagonist’s favorite place on Earth. Although the story is set in New York, Booth mentioned in an interview that her inspiration for that bar was Damon’s, an … Read more
Ed Rampell – Hollywood Progressive If cinéma vérité filmmakers such as D.A. Pennebaker, Richard Leacock, Jean Rouch or the Maysles Brothers had cameras inside of the Trump White House (that is, what’s left of it), their fly on the wall footage would likely reveal lunacy akin to that of “Exit the King’s” court. I’m sure … Read more
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix Perhaps the only thing that could make a Shakespeare play better is staging it in a historic Long Beach house with full tea service and, yes, maybe shortening some parts. Read more…
Patrick Chavis – LA Theatre Bites Podcast 8.2 out of 10! Good Show! Listen here… Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix Van Valin makes a convincing doctor hiding a deep hurt, Scoufaras embodies financier David in a tailored suit (costumes by Kim DeShazo reinforce each character well) and Del Carmen brings a delicate sweetness to … Read more
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix If the title alone of “Millennials are Killing Musicals” intrigues you, know that the show fully delivers on its suggestion of theatrical fun. With a talented, high-energy cast and a story that reflects our digital times using immersive projections, this world-premiere musical by Nico Juber at The Colony Theatre … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania Back in the 1950s, a famous novel-turned-play-turned-film asked whether nature or nurture made little Rhoda Penmark a Bad Seed. Now Lolita Chakrabarti’s Hymn asks a related question: does having your father in your life lead you down the right path or not? Read more… Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix … Read more
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix A new commissioned play by Matthew Salazar-Thompson that recently premiered at North Coast Rep, “The Maltese Falcon” sends up Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel while remaining faithful to its story — perhaps a little too faithful, hence the play’s more than two-hour run time. Read more…
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw The superb actors, many of whom have been with the Latino Theater Company for years, deliver on all levels, from the funny to the devastating. The ease of their long association is apparent in director José Luis Valenzuela’s staging, which establishes an authentic family dynamic of liveliness, humor, and … Read more
Ed Rampell – Hollywood Progressive In “Master Harold”…and the Boys, which was set in 1950 and written circa 1982 when apartheid was still enforced in South Africa, playwright Athol Fugard seems to have dramatized Frantz Fanon’s theories about the psychological impact of racism and colonialism on the human mind. Through action, dialogue and character, Fugard, … Read more
Anita W. Harris – Long Beach Post Long Beach Playhouse executive director Madison Mooney recently said that “Harvey” is just the sort of play we need right now. And she’s right. If you are among those trading your smartphone for a flip phone, resisting ChatGPT and wondering where common decency went, “Harvey” is all that … Read more