The Snake Can by Kathryn Graf. Hoyt Hilsman – The Huffington Post Kathryn Graf’s paen to the perils of middle-aged dating has a solid premiere under the skillful direction of Steven Robmanand a very talented ensemble of actors. Set in the romantic jungle of New York City, Graf’splay focuses on the lives and loves of Harriet (Jane Kaczmarek), widowed with … Read more
The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris. Pauline Adamek – LA Weekly The season brings with it enough Christmas- and holiday-themed fare to set your teeth on edge from sugar overload. Fortunately for the cynics among us, the Blank Theatrehas brought back its not-safe-for-children, one-man hit show for the fourth year running. Based on comedian David Sedaris’ sardonic radio segments on NPR’sMorning … Read more
Slipped Disc by Ingrid Lausund. Mayank Keshaviah – LA Weekly Bertolt Brecht, in defining his vision of “epic theater,” coined the term Verfremdungseffekt, or “alienation effect,” which implied that in order to be effective, theater should keep an audience from fully losing itself in the story being told. Playwright Ingrid Lausund, also German, seems to have embraced … Read more
Hah Nah by Joy Cha. Mayank Keshaviah – LA Weekly A Korean U.S. Army field nurse trying to track down her missing father while encamped in his hometown during the Korean War seems like fertile ground. Butthe tree that emerges from it, nurtured by writer and performer Joy Cha, unfortunately never bears fruit. Read more…
Their Eyes Saw Rain by West Liang. Pauline Adamek – LA Weekly Playwright West Liang also stars in his astonishingly intense ensemble drama, set in a fictitious small country town. The specter of tragedy hangs over the townspeople of Castle, emblematized by an ever-present decay caused by months of relentless rain. Or is that really the cause? Stern and … Read more
Finding Barb by Barbara Heller. Pauline Adamek – LA Weekly Barbara Heller has taken her personal quest for her spiritual path and turned it into an earnest and sweet musical. The show’s pretty songs – beautifully sung – are composed by Avi Avliav who performs live on electric piano, conveying a sensitivity and flair. (Two songs are credited to co-composer Katie … Read more
KONG: A Goddamn Thirty-Foot Gorilla by Adam Hahn. Pauline Adamek – LA Weekly Adam Hahn’s spoofy homage to King Kong, the 1933 creature feature about a colossal gorilla that is captured and runs amok in New York City, is an ambitious undertaking. Just how do you depict a giant ape on stage without stop-motion animation trickery and cinema … Read more
Build by Michael Golamco. Dany Margolies – ArtsInLA.com Technology and human relationships combine to warmhearted effect in Michael Golamco’s world premiere. Even his not terribly likeable two characters turn universal, sympathetic, and somewhat heroic by play’s end. Read more… Mayank Keshaviah – LA Weekly For those more familiar with ‘World of Warcraft’ than Waiting for Godot, Michael Golamco’s newest play may appeal as … Read more
The Doctor’s Dilemma by George Bernard Shaw. Pauline Adamek – LA Weekly George Bernard Shaw’s turn-of-the-century play is a platform for his diatribe against doctors. Shaw’s passionate distrust and satirical takedown of the medical profession is wrapped up in a slightly dull, five-act drama that’s enlivened by mildly comedic undercurrents and interesting discussions on contemporary morality. Read more…
Seminar by Theresa Rebeck. Hoyt Hilsman – The Huffington Post Plays about writers and writing present major challenges for both audiences and playwrights. Because writing is such an internal process, full of grinding frustration and occasional exhilaration, it is a tough subject to portray on stage. Playwright and film/TV writer Theresa Rebeck makes a valiant but flawed assault on … Read more