Les Spindle – Frontiers L.A.
There’s a hint of Gone With the Wind and a touch of vintage nighttime soap opera, merged with appealing musical interludes, in this ambitious stage adaptation of Carole Eglash-Kosoff‘s sprawling historical novel.
Now running through Oct. 4.
Photo by Ed Krieger
Melinda Schupmann – Arts In LA
When Stars Align is a novel by Carole Eglash-Kosoff, chronicling conflicts between advantaged whites and black slaves in the Civil War–era South. Now adapted into a play (by the author, with co-writer and director John Henry Davis) spanning many years, it blends history with the story of young black Thaddeus (Jason Woods) and the daughter of a plantation owner, Amy (Haley McHugh), who form a friendship in a time when to do so would be death to Thaddeus.
Now running through Oct. 4.
Terry Morgan - Talkin’ Broadway
Theatre has many functions, and sometimes its job is to remind or teach people about history. The trick, of course, is to do it in such a way that the piece still works as theatre, so it isn’t essentially a PowerPoint presentation with actors instead of graphics. Playwright has an interesting and worthy story to tell in her apartheid drama The Human Spirit, but, unfortunately, her well-intentioned play doesn’t work as well as it might. Read more…
Dany Margolies - Arts In LA
Carole Eglash-Kosoff’s world premiere embodies the best and worst of storytelling. A fascinating, inspiring, informative slice of history is told with too-often ungainly craft, by the playwright and occasionally by director Donald Squires. Ultimately, though, because the audience cares for the characters, the result is uplifting. Read more…
Now running through June 29.