Written by Brian Friel. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA A study of language and identity, Irish playwright Brian Friel’s Translations charts the beginning of a grim passage of Irish history where the imperialism of the brutish British government threatened to wipe out their culture.Read more… Neal Weaver – LA Weekly Brian Friel’s 1980 play is set in 1833. … Read more
JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE by August Wilson. Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly For this critic August Wilson has always been eloquent on the page, a bit wordy on the stage. This second in his 10-play chronicle of the African-American experience takes place in 1911, a bare 46 years after the Civil War ended. Wilson’s vibrant characters … Read more
THE ROYALE by Marco Ramirez. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA A ferocious cast giving their all in a powerful play—Marco Ramirez’ The Royale is a tremendously satisfying evening of theater, now playing at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Set in the world of boxing during the early 1900s, we meet a tough young fighter Jay “The Sport” Jackson (David … Read more
MISS JULIE by August Strindberg. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA Turn-of-the-century Swedish playwright August Strindberg’s naturalistic drama Miss Julie was remarkable in its day for its scandalous subject matter and frank dialogue exchanges. With its scathing commentary on the entrenched class system, passion and power, the play was banned in Britain for nearly fifty years after its publication. … Read more
ANNAPURNA by Sharr White Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA In playwright Sharr White’s quirky two-person drama, directed by Bart DeLorenzo, a formerly married couple reunites and tries to make sense of their estrangement. Married in real-life actors Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally face off in this odd-ball drama of lost love and recriminations.Read more…
FELA! Book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA Pounding rhythms, colorful tribal costumes, exquisitely light and authentic African choreography, visually stunning staging and politically charged lyrics – Fela! is a biographical funk concert musical that is not to be missed! Add a charismatic and gifted performer as the central subject (Adesola … Read more
THE PARISIAN WOMAN by Beau Willomon. Deborah Klugman – ArtsBeatLA In the title role Dana Delaney transforms Beau Willomon’s middling comedy into a crackling satire that makes trenchant commentary on the abuse of power. Delaney plays Chloe, the wife of an ambitious lawyer (Steven Weber) on the short list to be the President’s pick for attorney general. … Read more
SLIPPING by Daniel Talbott. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA Dealing with the emotional highs and lows of adolescence is tough enough, but in Daniel Talbott’scoming-of-age drama, Slipping, the lead character Eli also has to contend with the sudden death of his father, grapple with his sense of self-worth within an abusive sexual relationship and cope with starting at a new … Read more
The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter. Deborah Klugman – ArtsBeatLA In Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale, Charlie (Matthew Arkin) an obese gay man confronting his own mortality reaches out to the daughter he walked out on years ago. Like Hunter’s play A Bright New Boise (produced to justifiable acclaim last year by Rogue Artists in Los Angeles), this drama is set in Idaho, … Read more
Billy & Ray by Mike Bencivenga. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA Boasting a superb clowny performance by Kevin Blake as Hollywood filmmaker Billy Wilder, Billy & Ray is a light comedy about the making of the groundbreaking motion picture Double Indemnity. Mike Bencivenga’s enjoyable new play is currently running at the Falcon Theatre in Toluca Lake. A producer at Paramount Studios, Joseph Sistrom (Anthony Starke), has just … Read more