Deborah Klugman

FOOL FOR LOVE at T.U. Studios

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Les Spindle – Frontiers L.A. The works of veteran playwright-actor Sam Shepard (True West, The Curse of the Starving Class, A Lie of the Mind) are largely thought of as brooding portraits of severe family dysfunction in America’s heartland. His characters often face an inescapable legacy of decline and despair. Their psychological baggage leads them … Read more

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY at the Secret Rose Theatre

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Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly In Sarah Ruhl’s smart and pointed satire, it’s not just middle-class Victorian women who are sexually clueless: it’s their men as well. The time is the 1880s, and man of science Dr. Givings (Michael Oosterom) is using a primitive electronic vibrator to treat “hysterical” female patients, who depart reinvigorated and … Read more

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER at Sierra Madre Playhouse

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Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly This polished and entertaining adaptation of Mark Twain’s coming-of-age classic is a rare case of family entertainment done well. Skillfully directed by Aaron Lyons from a streamlined narrative by Laura Eason, the story tracks the transformation of title character Tom (Mike Rosenbaum) from mischievous kid to thoughtful youth, a metamorphosis … Read more

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Ivy Substation

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Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly Developed through workshops under Tim Robbins’ direction, this inspired production of Shakespeare’s fantasia snaps and crackles with the comedic shenanigans of a dynamic ensemble. Visual spectacle, so often integral when this piece is produced, here takes a back seat; instead, the performers merrily cavort across a setless stage, relying on … Read more

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at Noho Arts Center

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Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly Easily the most poignant moments in this dramatized telling of the Anne Frank story come in its epilogue, when Holocaust survivor Otto Frank (Jack Kandel) returns to his family’s hidden dwelling to discover his youngest daughter’s diary and inform us of the demise of his family and friends at the … Read more

NICKEL AND DIMED at the Hudson Theatres

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Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly In her book Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich detailed her sojourn into the world of the working poor, illuminating (as no recounting of statistics ever could) the struggle, heartache and resilience of this often forgotten and/or disrespected class of Americans. Read more… Melinda Schupman – ArtsInLA Barbara Ehrenreich’s 2001 book, Nickel … Read more

JUST IMAGINE at the Hayworth Theatre

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Deborah Klugman – LA Weekly Although the wow factor is missing, aficionados of John Lennon probably will appreciate this tribute to the iconic musician, which juxtaposes renditions of his most famous songs with a narrative of his life. Read more… Melinda Schupman – ArtsInLA Tribute band concerts have become more and more common, particularly when the … Read more

SUBURBAN SHOWGIRL at the Noho Arts Center

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Deborah Klugman – ArtsBeatLA In her smart and funny show, solo performer Palmer Davis portrays alter ego Wendy Walker, a talented dancer who struggles to juggle a passion for her art with motherhood and the bread-and-butter jobs she needs to pay her bills. Read more… Pauline Adamek  – LA Weekly In this solo show conceived and … Read more