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
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
Terry Morgan – ArtsBeatLA The phrase “for want of a horse” is most commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack from 1758, describing the cascading effect of how the absence of one small, necessary thing can affect many other, bigger things. The example of Richard III comes to mind, ready at the end to … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA Although people say the long-running 2023 Pulitzer-winning play, just opening for a too brief run at the Wallis, is being presented at a bad time, it’s something with which I could not disagree more strongly. This stunning masterwork lifts us from the discouragement and ugliness of the moment as it … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA Although I have to admit Julie Shavers’ rather predictable tale of a Fourth of July family reunion in the rural Tennessee backyard of the miserable Moon family womenfolk covers absolutely no new ground, she breaths glorious life into the familiar convoluted goings-on with her unique knack for creating lovable—though suitably … Read more
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw And when it comes to dynamic performances, the most winning of the evening is Sylvia herself, a huge red octopus puppet designed and directed by Emory Royston and manipulated by three nimble puppeteers, Zachary Bones, Perry Daniel, and Danielle McPhaul. Read more… Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color … Read more
Terry Morgan – ArtsBeatLA Sweeney Todd is my favorite musical. I’ve seen it onstage several times, watched the film, enjoyed a cast recording (Cerveris/LuPone), and loved the Angela Lansbury/George Hearn version blessedly preserved on video. This breadth of comparisons, however, can make me picky about the show. Can the performers do justice to the songs … Read more
Terry Morgan – ArtsBeatLA Gone are the days of yore when sex farces frolicked across the theatrical landscape like so many smarmy bunnies, slamming doors and likely featuring partial nudity, if one lived in a part of the country that didn’t frown upon such things. ’Twas truly a golden age, when… Oh, wait – most … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA Philip Kan Gotanda’s groundbreaking play, now in an electrically charged revival at East West Players chosen to honor the company’s prestigious 60th anniversary, was first performed at Berkeley Rep in 1988 before being brought to LATC and journeying on to a much-acclaimed run off-Broadway. The fact that all these years … Read more
Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color With the promise of Center Theatre Group‘s Hamlet (both adapted and directed by Robert O’Hara) being bold and daring for the new generation, it is odd to say that despite a very able & entertaining cast and some novel ideas, this production could do without the first half … Read more