Waiting in the Wings @ WILL GEER THEATRICUM BOTANICUM

  Ed Rampell – Hollywood Progressive In his 1960 play “Waiting in the Wings,” Coward bravely took aim at the one foe no human can overcome: Death. In addition, the bold British bard dared tackle another thing avoided like the plague by our youth obsessed culture but which anyone who lives out his/her natural life … Read more

The Great Clown Bank Show @ OPEN FIST THEATRE COMPANY

  Elaine Mura – Splash Magazines Delightfully directed by Jacobs, THE GREAT CLOWN BANK SHOW features a cast of 12, including Ringmaster Hank Jacobs, Gary Greedy (Matthew Goodrich) and Glenda Greedy (Clara York), the founders of the bank, and their sons Gus (Davis Barber) and Glenn (Kevin Brennan). Several talented circus specialists – aerialist (Avery … Read more

Romeo and Juliet @ WILL GEER THEATRICUM BOTANICUM

  Martín Hernández – Stage Raw Teenagers Hagler and Scheppner make a sparkling couple, their commitment to the dialogue, coupled with a youthful exuberance, belying the fate of their characters. Read more… Elaine Mura – Splash Magazines The entire cast sweeps the cobwebs from this Shakespearean classic and makes it exciting and understandable to the … Read more

Phantom of the Opera @ HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES THEATRE

  F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw More than four decades after its premiere, Phantom of the Opera remains one of the greatest of theatrical experiences. This touring production honors that legacy, reminding us why the masked and pitiable Phantom continues to haunt the Paris Opera House — and our imaginations. Read more…

Treasure Island @ WILL GEER THEATRICUM BOTANICUM

  Ed Rampell – Hollywood Progressive Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic pirate novel Treasure Island is absolutely good fun. Audiences today are used to watching action stories on screens, but beholding the WGTB troupers leap off of the page onto the stage to enact duels, chases, pistol, musket and cannon … Read more

Painted Ponies @ RUSKIN GROUP THEATRE

  Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA A provocative character study that unfortunately offers little to learn or ponder beyond the tragic realization of what a sad life one broken person has lived. While Rachel Sorsa’s powerhouse performance and Elina de Santos’ clear, symbiotic direction make it a compelling watch, the unrelenting hopelessness of the script … Read more

Grangeville @ RUSKIN GROUP THEATRE

  Terry Morgan – ArtsBeatLA The world seems to be suffering an empathy shortage lately, or at the very least the lack of that quality in our current leaders. Worse, there is an impression in some parts of society that empathy is simply another word for weakness: they don’t have it, they don’t want it, … Read more

Brigadoon @ PASADENA PLAYHOUSE

Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA This production is richly produced, newly balanced with a remarkable updated script, and acted with exceptional clarity and heart, proving you don’t have to break a Golden Age classic to make it matter to modern audiences—you just have to find its heartbeat. Read more… F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw … Read more

Primary Trust @ CENTER THEATRE GROUP

Terry Morgan – Arts Beat LA One never knows where inspiration will strike. Eboni Booth’s play, Primary Trust, is partly set in a tiki bar that is its protagonist’s favorite place on Earth. Although the story is set in New York, Booth mentioned in an interview that her inspiration for that bar was Damon’s, an … Read more

Antigone @ ANTAEUS THEATRE COMPANY

Martin Hernandez – Stage Raw Despite a puzzling Orientalist bent at times, this update of the Greek tragedy remains a pungent critique on governmental repression and the hubris it fosters; woe to those who fail to heed its message. Read more… Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color Kenneth Cavander’s translation & adaptation of the … Read more