Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
The terminally damaged clan on display in John Bunzel’s dark comedy convincingly affirms that oft quoted adage of Tolstoy’s that “every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”.
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Now running through June 2
Karianne Flaathen
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Shakespeare’s best plays are a rich source of complex, conflicted characters and readily lend themselves to creative, critical exploration or inspired adaptations. Of course, there are always risks when treading the path of the unconventional, but there are also creative successes. Director Matthew Leavitt’s updated take on the Bard’s famous tragedy, though far from perfect, offers some enjoyable quirks and surprises.
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Now running through March 31
Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin
Terry Morgan - Stage Raw
Plays taken out of the context of their own times can be troublesome. For instance, modern theatres have struggled to deal with the racist portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, to the extent that a recent production, Everything That Never Happened, revised the play’s events to relay them from Shylock’s daughter’s point of view. In this era of #MeToo, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is a tricky proposition — relevant, on the one hand, for its depiction of men in power abusing women, but alarming on the other hand in its resolution of these issues.
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Now running through December 16
Joel Daavid
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Presented by the USVAA Vets Repertory and Revenant Stage (formerly the Elephant Theatre), Tommy Carter’s trio of one-acts is capably directed by David Fofi. All of them evoke disquieting recollections of the America of the 1960’s, a period like no other in our nation’s history….
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Now running through September 23
Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw
The world of super heroes can be fun to satirize, and Greg Kalleres’ Meanwhile, Back at the Super Lair, directed by Jack Stehlin, is a potentially entertaining spoof, with enough irony and character-driven humor for an adept actor to play with. Read more…
Now running through June 23
Photo by Ionna Meli
Jenny Lower – Stage Raw
If its Pulitzer Prize nomination is any indication, Howard Korder’s Boys’ Life must have caught something in the zeitgeist when it debuted on Broadway in 1988. Read more…
Now running through March 7.
Mayank Keshaviak – LA Weekly
Bottom is the tops in New American Theatre’s take on the classic tale of love and mischief, here set in 1930s Greece. Director and company founder Jack Stehlin brings energy and cheeky wit to the character of Nick Bottom by fully exploring the hills and valleys of Shakespeare’s linguistic landscape.
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Robert Cicchini and Vanessa Waters. Photo by Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin
Photo by Jack Stehlin.
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.
Dany Margolies – ArtsInLA.com
Apparently this Shakespeare play doesn’t need to be performed on the steps of a real-life city hall to impress. Here, a chamber version captures the story’s expanse while feeling immediate, near, and unfortunately modern. Add in the casting of women in traditionally male roles, modern-day business attire, and non-declamatory performances, and the production plays like an Aaron Sorkin series. Read more…