Lovell Estell III

LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR at the Garry Marshall Theatre

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Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw Before Neil Simon became Neil Simon, he got his first break as a writer working for Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca’s 1950’ TV series “Your Show of Shows.” On board were some big talents, with scribes like Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks and Joseph Stein churning out the laugh material on a … Read more

THE ART COUPLE at the Broadwater Black Box

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Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh and Neil Simon: two icons of the brush and canvass, another of the written word and stage, are all cleverly brought together in this striking world premiere by playwright Brendan Hurt.Read more… Now running through March 17

LEMONS LEMONS LEMONS LEMONS LEMONS at the Hudson Guild Theatre

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Lovell Estell III — Stage RawSam Steiner’s wildly eccentric two-hander follows the relationship of Bernadette (Brynn Alexander) and Oliver (Philip Asta) as they struggle to exist in an Orwellian world on steroids, where the government limits the number of words citizens can use daily. It’s an engaging premise with abundant potential, yet the playwright fails … Read more

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE RADIO PLAY at Theater Unleashed

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Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw Most of us are familiar with Frank Capra’s much-loved movie about George Bailey (memorialized in the film by Jimmy Stewart), whose life turns so desperately bad on Christmas Eve that he contemplates suicide, but is rescued by an angel from heaven.Read more… Now running through December 17

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER at Actors Co-op

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Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw Director Linda Kerns and a spirited cast do an excellent job with this old “chestnut” by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. It’s rarely produced and tricky to stage successfully because of its dizzying carousel of characters and dated strain of humor. This production is a welcome addition to … Read more

THE DANCE OF DEATH at the Odyssey Theatre

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Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw August Strindberg’s 1900 tale about a monumentally unhappy marriage has been neatly touched up in this adaptation by Irish playwright Conor McPherson. As bleak as it is funny, it unfolds on an island fortress in Sweden that was once a prison (nicely rendered interior of gloomy faux brick, arched … Read more

ALTERNATIVE ACTS at Theatre of NOTE

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Lovell Estell III – Stage Raw Aside from its pleasantly eccentric quality, one of the more entertaining components of this slate of one-acts is Bill Robens’ Transitions, where cast members skillfully perform an imaginative string of mime tableaus to segue from play to play. All are shrewdly directed by Sabrina Lloyd.Read more… Now running through … Read more

BLACKBIRD at Grove Theatre Center

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Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw David Harrower’s edgy psychodrama has had many successful iterations over the years (most recently at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival), and now comes to Burbank’s Grove Theatre Center for a limited run. It’s a cheerless account of love and sexual obsession, as well as a stark glimpse of the … Read more