Philip Brandes – Stage Raw In the eclectic, intricately-constructed theatrical confections of L.A.’s prolific playwright Tom Jacobson, the dialectics around salvation and damnation and the role of sacrifice are never far from the surface. Hell Mouth,in its world premiere from The Road Theatre Company, is no exception — though in approaching those themes it marks … Read more
Philip Brandes – Stage Raw Where the typical jukebox formula pre-selects a catalog and reverse engineers enough plot to thread the songs together, Sternin and Fraser started with four fully imagined characters and a dramatic structure tracing the adult arcs of a generation that came of age partying to the music of the ‘70s and … Read more
Philip Brandes – Stage Raw In every good chase thriller, an unsuspecting bystander is suddenly called on to save the day by improvising, adapting, and ultimately prevailing against a ticking clock through sheer resourcefulness, the grace of unlikely allies, and coincidences that couldn’t possibly happen — but somehow do. Against all odds, Rubicon Theatre Company’s … Read more
Philip Brandes – Stage Raw With unsentimental precision and authenticity, Martyna Majok’s deceptively simple drama humanizes the immigrant experience in Ojai Theatre Festival’s promising inaugural production. Read more…
Philip Brandes – Stage Raw Linda Purl deftly handles instant transitions between 16 clearly differentiated characters who appear in the course of the narrative, some with only a few lines of dialog. Her finest achievement, however, is in adapting the narrator’s delivery and tone to her stages of life—we feel we’re taking a life journey … Read more
Philip Brandes – Arts Beat LA The possibilities are endless” is a turn of phrase typically used for hyperbolic effect. But for British playwright Nick Payne, it’s the literal premise of his multiverse-hopping love story that eloquently appeals to both the head and heart in a razor-sharp staging. Read more…
Philip Brandes – Stage Raw A production that freshens the familiar with some subtle but surprising departures that can help engage even jaded Hamleteers. Read more…
Philip Brandes – Stage Raw A rowdy, bawdy, over-the-top production of the Off-Broadway hit spoofing Bram Stoker’s seminal 1897 gothic horror novel. Imagine a theatrical love child between Charles Ludlum’s flamboyant gender-bent, cross-dressing antics and Mel Brooks’s spot-on genre parodies and you’ve got the general idea. Best of all, it doesn’t suck. Read more…
Philip Brandes – Stage Raw While “achingly beautiful” may be a far-too overused trope nowadays, it’s an entirely apt description for the current pitch-perfect revival presented by Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre Company. For anyone who’s only seen the film, or even another stage production, Once is not enough. Read more…
Harker Jones – BroadwayWorld While WENDY’S PETER PAN would be better served by trimming the fat, focusing on more sharpened performances, and allowing its performers room to breathe, children, despite its evening start time, will likely appreciate the show more than adults who will take notice of its distracting bumps and peculiarities. Read more… Philip … Read more