Author Archive: Glamour

Theatre Review: The Glass Menagerie

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In a mesmerizing performance by Gigi Bermingham as Amanda Wingfield, The Glass Menagerie gets a new life at Antaeus Theatre Company, more than 80 years after its premiere in Chicago in 1944.

The scenic and costume designs act as memories of a bygone era, a period of pain and discovery by Tennessee Williams, who explored his family’s tribulations and his own personal yearnings as a frustrated young artist.

The play is set in St. Louis Missouri in 1937, a challenging time in America. The country was barely recuperating from the Great Depression of the late 1920s. There were droughts and massive dust storms that destroyed millions of tons of topsoil, affecting the income of thousands of families. As a consequence, poverty and hardships were common in those days. Experiencing first hand the difficulties of the times and a toxic father figure, Williams used the characters and Laura’s glass collection as symbols to represent the times and his own experiences.

Director Carolyn Ratteray and her cast honor the basic and more complex elements that make this play a masterpiece. In particular, Bermingham gives her character the depths of a conflicting mother who clings to her glorious past to escape her stagnant reality. She plays her character with wit and resolve, expressing the resilience of not just an abandoned wife, but that of a whole generation in the larger context of the story. It is a real treat to see how she delivers the different emotional and psychological layers of her desperate character.

One pivotal connection in the play is the relationship between Tom (Josh Odsess-Rubin) and Laura (Emily Goss). Both actors show the delicate dynamics that shaped the interdependence of the characters. Even as Tom tried to escape his home, Laura was a constant in his mind. Odsess-Rubin highlights the powerful strings that attach Tom to his fragile sister, a realization that she would never be able to be independent.

Goss hits all the notes to give her character the frailty that makes Laura so relatable. Her voice and movements expose the inner insecurities, unique beauty, and the complex dichotomy of weakness and strength, with a hint of hopelessness. Gross masters all of that on stage, a challenging character to play, for sure.

Alex Barlas brings the excitement and the false hope of Jim O’Connor, the potential suitor for Laura. Barlas does a fine job conveying the gentleman qualities of his character and also the intense disappointment of an unreachable goal, taking Laura and Amanda from the stars to zero in just one dinner, salmon and jonquils included.

Ratteray and her actors present a fresh and touching production of a timeless play. The acting and the design highlight the subtlety of the symbols and profound humanity of William’s characters. The glass menagerie is placed downstage center, a focal point to bring the symbol that means so much, closer to the audience.

The Glass Menagerie

Antaeus Theatre Company
Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center
110 East Broadway
Glendale, CA 91205
(between N. Brand Blvd. and Artsakh Ave.)

Apr 27, 2025 – Jun 2, 2025

Tickets: antaeus.org

Written by Tennessee Williams Directed by Carolyn Ratteray.

Cast: Alex Barlas, Gigi Bermingham, Emily Goss, and Josh Odsess-Rubin.

Creative team: Scenic Designer Angela Balogh Calin. Lighting Designer Karyn Lawrence. Props Designer John McElveney. Intimacy Director Emilia Ray. Fight Choreographer Jen Albert. Production Dramaturg/ Assistant Director Jenn O’Brien. Costume Designer Beryl Brachman. Sound Designer Jeff Gardner. Composer John Ballinger.

4th Annual Orange County Theatre Guild Awards

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In a lively and exciting event on Apr 28, 2025, the 4th Annual OC Theatre Guild Awards celebrated the best of local theatre at the Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California.

Performers and creative teams gathered to honor the outstanding achievements of the passionate community of theatre makers in Orange County California. A red carpet, live performances, and an enthusiastic audience energized this memorable evening.

Chance Theatre took 11 wins followed by The Wayward Artist with seven wins. Below is the complete list of winners:

Outstanding Production of a Play

The Motherf**ker With The Hat, The Wayward Artist

Outstanding Production of a Musical

Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical, Chance Theater

Outstanding Direction of a Play (two recipients due to a rare tie)

Michael Martinez Hamilton, The Motherf**ker With The Hat, The Wayward Artist

Katie Chidester, Tiny Beautiful Things, Chance Theater

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Casey Long, Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical, Chance Theater

Outstanding Ensemble of a Play

The Motherf**ker With The Hat, The Wayward Artist

Outstanding Ensemble of a Musical

Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical, Chance Theater

Outstanding Lead Performance in Play (two recipients)

D.X. Machina, The Motherf**ker With The Hat, The Wayward Artist

Aubrey Saverino, Tiny Beautiful Things, Chance Theater

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical (two recipients)

Naomi Groleau, All Shook Up, Yorba Linda Spotlight Players

Jocelyn A. Brown, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Chance Theater

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play (two recipients)

Oscar Emmanuel Fabela, The Motherf**ker With The Hat, The Wayward Artist

Will Martella, Gloria, Chance Theater

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Musical (two recipients)

Sadie Alexander, Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical, Chance Theater

Jeff Lowe, Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical, Chance Theater

Outstanding Music Direction

Patrick Copeland, Once, Curtis Theatre

Outstanding Choreography

Jennifer Kornswiet, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Wayward Artist

Outstanding Scenic Design

Kristin Campbell Coyne, Tiny Beautiful Things, Chance Theater

Outstanding Costume Design

Marci Alberti, The Motherf**ker With The Hat, The Wayward Artist

Outstanding Lighting Design

Kris Kataoka, Once, Curtis Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

Thor Fay, Once, Curtis Theatre

Outstanding Projection Design

Victoria Serra, 33 Variations, Costa Mesa Playhouse

Outstanding Fight Direction

Martin Noyes, Alma, Chance Theater

Outstanding Puppet Design

Sarah Leonard, Into The Woods, JStage Irvine

Outstanding Wig & Hair Design

Jeff Weeks, A Doll’s House, Part 2, STAGESTheatre

Outstanding Properties Design

Jim Lowe & Kelsey Lowe, Puffs, Alchemy Theatre Company

Theatre Review: To Each Their Own

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Somewhere in Ohio, five characters depict the painful decay of the working class in the Midwest, one drink at a time.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the Midwest has endured years of slow wage growth, slow job growth, public-sector employment shortfalls, and declines in unionization. These factors have contributed to the decline of the Industrial Heartland,  a once powerful and aspirational region with plenty of job opportunities for the working class. 

With that grim background, To Each Their Own tells the story of a trio of miscreants that plot a series of bank robberies in an attempt to make money and leave behind a life void of purpose. Playwright Travis Williams has a sharp ability to paint with a high degree of detail the struggles and yearnings of the people left behind, the forgotten ones. The script is written in the Midwestern Gothic genre, bringing to the stage an engrossing story with interesting twists and turns.

There’s humor, violence, hope, and despair, elements that make the characters appealing and relatable. Doug (William Wilson) and Benny (James Lemire) co-own a bar in a small town in Ohio. Doug has drinking issues; Benny is not the sharpest tool in the shed. But they’re each other’s support system, and so they go, even planning a series of successful bank heists that keep bringing some money. They work for a mysterious man who knows the bank’s employees schedules and the police movements. Guts and precision is all they need to rob and get away with the money without getting caught. 

Enter Bailey (Tabitha Trosen). Doug’s old flame, Bailey also takes part in the robberies. Everything looks fine until Bailey finds out that the mysterious man they’re working for takes 70% of the loot. Ambitious and determined, she tries to convince Doug and Benny to cut the middle man and work on their own. Why take 30 when they can take 100%?

The past keeps haunting the characters and the story starts to take a darker tone. Abuse, alcoholism, and drug addiction are some of the factors that have shaped their lives and the intense need to look for something better. They’re not only escaping the police; they’re also escaping their past.

The grittiness of the script is successfully translated by Director Brooklyn Sample into a stunning visual collage of low lighting and somber colors, framed by an extraordinary set design that heightens the dangerous and murky lives of the outlaws. Even though it is a small space, the production team put together an attractive stage that makes the story engrossing and captivating. 

The two characters in the second act, Billy (Jason Madera) and Irving (Travis Williams), are examples of fascinating supporting characters that contribute to expand the story and emphasize the oddity of opposing polarities, humor and violence. 

As the protagonist, Wilson gives his character that appealing sense of damaged goods. He is a man shaped by fear and guilt, driven by the ambition of becoming somebody, fighting the dreadful notion of being nobody in a land of broken dreams.

To Each Their Own is raw and aggressive, a faithful portrait of the harsh realities of unstable characters with limited opportunities. It’s a dark and poetic landscape of isolation and resilience, a fuzzy dream of a better life with the yearnings of going back to one’s roots. This play is a powerful and moving story that reflects contemporary issues affecting our fractured society. It’s a rare finding, don’t miss the opportunity to experience up close the witty talent of these dedicated artists.        

To Each Their Own

Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Opening Night: April 17, 2025 – 8:00 p.m.

Performances: April 18, 19, 25, 26, 8 p.m., April 27 – 6:00 p.m.

Final Weekend: May 2, 3, 8:00 p.m. and May 4, 2025 –  6:00 p.m.

Tickets: artcrush.la

Written by Travis Williams. Directed by Brooklyn Sample. Produced by Blind Toe Productions and Erin Coleman.

Starring: Jason Madera, James Lemire, Tabitha Trosen, Travis Williams, and William Wilson.

Creative team: Stage Manager Jade Santana, Lighting Designer Luke Moyer, Set Designer Thomas Brown, Sound Designer Carlos Flood.

Theatre Review: Corktown ’39

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Intriguing and visceral, Corktown ’39 portrays the risks of comingling political activism and personal feelings.

The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169 started a centuries-long history of oppression and revolts between England and Ireland, a fight that led to the formation of a handful of resistance groups, including the Fenian Brotherhood, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, Clan na Gael, and the Irish Republican Army (IRA). These resistance groups have launched several operations to inflict damage to English assets in an attempt to pressure for the end of the British rule in Ireland.

John Fazakerley fictionalizes one of the most radical ideas of Clan na Gael, the American-based Irish organization supporting the independence of Ireland. The year is 1939 and the leader of the Clan, Joe McGarrity (Peter Van Norden) along with Chief of Staff of the IRA Sean Russell (JD Cullum) set up a risky plan to kill England’s King George VI during his visit to the US. The planning takes place in Corktown, an Irish enclave in West Philadelphia.

To carry out the plan, the Clan and the IRA hire the services of Martin Connor (Jeff Lorch), a sniper who fought in Spain during the brutal civil war. Having lost her fiancée in the bombing of Guernica, Martin is willing to continue taking risks in life. This time, he accepts the mission of assassinating the King of England. The plan is relatively simple. Take a position, shoot the king, run to the alley, and escape in a car driven by Tim Flynn (Thomas Vincent Kelly), a supporter of the cause, but indiscreet at times.

Everything seems in place, except that Martin falls in love with Tim’s former girlfriend Kaitlin “Kate” Keating (Ann Noble), who is the daughter of Mike Keating (Ron Bottitta), the Clan member hosting Martin. Kate is tough and dedicated to the Irish cause, but you can’t rule the heart, and sure enough, she falls for Martin. The problem is that Kate is also pursued by the abrasive Sean, who is striking a deal with Mike for the leadership of the Irish resistance. To add more tension, Joe and Sean start to clash heads about the tactics of the resistance, especially when it is discovered that Sean might be seeking the help of the German Nazis.

Fazakerley’s dialogue is witty and fast-pace. He also builds up the conflict in a way that changes the dynamics of the relationships unexpectedly, bringing in the element of surprise to the gripping story. To match the extraordinary dialogue, the work of Director Steven Robman with his actors and creative team is a fine job of craftsmanship. The talent of the thespians is evident; they work the humor and the moral conflicts to explore their characters in depth.

Cullum is fantastic, his physicality and quirky personality capture the fire of a man devoted to the cause, but also the dangerous ambition of a leader who starts to show an uncontrollable hunger for power and self-promotion. Noble continues to deliver memorable performances. She shows the strength of a cold and dedicated soldier, but also the agony of succumbing to the heart. Her ability to delve into the vulnerabilities of the human experience is exceptional. The last scene is one of a kind.

It’s always refreshing to see new faces. In this case, Rogue Machine presents Tommy McCabe as Francis, son of Mike Keating. McCabe is a USC graduate, evidencing the institution’s commitment to prepare excellent actors through their School of Dramatic Arts.

The lighting and special effects are paired up with a detailed scenic and costume design to bring back the atmosphere of the time, filling up every inch of the stage with objects and designs typical of the 1930s.

The significance and relatability of this story is worth mentioning. The characters in the play were not fully aware of what was coming. New leaders with ambiguous agendas were taking the world stage by storm, sending mixed messages. Some people read through the lines and foresaw the calamities to come, some didn’t. The characters of Corktown ’39 are a microcosmos of the explosive realities that were about to unleash the most devastating war in human history, WWII. With his clever pen, Fazakerley questions whether the end justifies the means. A relevant concern in the Irish search for independence, and a valid question about the multiple other cases currently in development around the world.

Corktown ’39

ROGUE MACHINE (in the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
(street parking)

Opening: 8pm on Saturday, April 12, 2025
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays; 2pm Sundays
(no performance on Monday April 14, 21, and May 12)
Closing: May 25, 2025

Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org

Written by John Fazakerley
Directed by Steve Robman
Produced by John Perrin Flynn, Athena Saxon
A Rogue Machine Production

Cast: Ron Bottitta as Mike Keating. JD Cullum as Sean Russell. Thomas Vincent Kelly as Tim Flynn. Jeff Lorch as Martin Connor. Tommy McCabe as Francis. Ann Noble as Kaitlin “Kate” Keating. Peter Van Norden as Joe McGarrity.

Creative team: Mark Mendelson (Scenic Design), Dan Weingarten (Lighting Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Kate Bergh (Costume Design), Ned Mochel (Violence Design), Megan Trapani (Prop Design), Grant Gerrard (Technical Director), Lauren Lovett (Dialect Coach), Victoria Hoffman (Casting).

Alicia Carroll Recipient of Playwriting Commission

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IAMA THEATRE COMPANY NAMES 
ALICIA CARROLL AS 2025 RECIPIENT OF 
SHONDA RHIMES-SPONSORED 
UNSUNG VOICES PLAYWRITING COMMISSION

 

LOS ANGELES, CA (26 March 2025) — IAMA Theatre Company, committed to cultivating new voices and creating new, boundary-pushing work, has selected Alicia Carroll as the 2025 recipient of the Los Angeles-based theatre company’s The Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission, sponsored by IAMA Patron of the Arts Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “”Bridgerton”). Now in its eighth year, The Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission was created to nurture emerging playwriting talent with an emphasis on cultural inclusion and fresh creativity in theatre. This commission supports a writer from an underrepresented community, who has been minimally professionally produced, but not had a commercial, Off-Broadway, or Broadway production of their work.

“We are so honored to continue to support thrilling new voices such as Alicia’s;  it’s especially meaningful to support a writer who began her journey with us in our Emerging Playwrights Lab,” said IAMA Artistic Director Stefanie Black, “Alicia has been a valued member of the IAMA community and we are delighted to be able to continue our collaboration with her in this way. We can’t wait to see what she writes next.”

 

Alicia Carroll was a member of IAMA’s 2020-21 Emerging Playwrights Lab, an artistic home for early-career and emerging Los Angeles-based playwrights. Previous works written in the IAMA Emerging Playwrights Lab have seen various runs at theatres across the nation including the 2024 run of Max Wolf Freidlich’s JOB.

 

“There is no greater gift for a writer than the time and resources they need to create,” shared Carroll. “I’m so thankful for the opportunity to work on a new piece with the guidance and support of the IAMA team.”

 

Alicia Carroll is a playwright and TV writer hailing from Philadelphia and the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia area (DMV). Her writing credits include “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin” (Peacock), “The Watchful Eye” (Freeform), “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” (NBC) and Crooked Media’s comedic live show and podcast, “Lovett Or Leave It.” She has participated in several fellowships and labs across mediums as a writer, including Film Independent’s Project Involve Fellowship, Women In Film: Insight Fellowship, IAMA Theatre Company’s Emerging Playwrights Lab, ESTLA’s Ignite Lab, The Workshop Theater’s Winter Rewrite Intensive, and The Orchard Project’s Greenhouse Lab. When she’s not writing, Carroll teaches TV writing online at Story Brain Academy, Writing Workshops, The Writing Pad and Sundance Collab. She also works with Expand The Canon, bringing classics by underrepresented playwrights to the forefront. 

 

Past recipients of The Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission include IAMA Ensemble Member Brian Otaño; playwright and activist Geraldine Inoa; Iranian-American playwright Sanaz Toosi, who went on to receive a Pulitzer Prize; Obie-winning performer/playwright Ryan J. Haddad; Emmy-nominated writer, director and producer Larry Powell; celebrated actor, director and playwright June Carryl; and Chinese-Canadian playwright, TV writer, screenwriter Chloé Hung. In 2016, IAMA became a recipient of The Rhimes Foundation, led by legendary television producer and screenwriter, Shonda Rhimes. In turn, Rhimes, a frequent IAMA audience member and supporter, was named IAMA’s inaugural Patron of the Arts in 2017, committing funds for the commission as well as other important support for IAMA’s mission and programming through The Rhimes Foundation. The Rhimes Foundation was established in 2016 to support arts, education and activism, with a focus on promoting cultural inclusion and fighting inequality.

 

ABOUT IAMA THEATRE COMPANY
Founded in 2007, IAMA Theatre Company is a Los Angeles-based ensemble of artists committed to cultivating new voices, creating new works that push boundaries and take risks, and fostering an inclusive community that inspires a new generation of theatermakers and audiences. Designated by Playbill as “one of 20 regional houses every theater lover must know,” “an LA intimate theater gem” by KCRW, and a “creative force on the local theatre scene” by the Los Angeles Times, the award-winning company is dedicated to developing and producing new plays and musicals by emerging and established playwrights, including over 30 world, West Coast and Los Angeles premieres. This season’s Broadway productions that first started at IAMA include Max Wolf Friedlich’s JOB and Leslye Headland’s Cult of Love. The backbone of the company, IAMA’s Ensemble Members have been featured in numerous critically acclaimed TV shows and films as well as a vast array of theatre and live performances on and Off-Broadway, across the country, and around the world. IAMA is invested in challenging audiences with authentic experiences that reflect the complex modern world.

 

ABOUT RHIMES UNSUNG VOICES COMMISSION & THE RHIMES FOUNDATION
Sponsored and inspired by groundbreaking producer and writer Shonda Rhimes, and The Rhimes Foundation, The Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission supports a writer from an underrepresented community who has been minimally professionally produced but not had a commercial, Off-Broadway, or Broadway production of their work. Writers who are actively pursuing a career in the theatre are strongly considered.

The Rhimes Foundation was established in 2016 by writer/producer Shonda Rhimes and her family. The foundation was created to support arts, education, and activism with a focus on promoting cultural inclusion, fighting for equality, and standing up against bigotry of any kind.

ADANZA, Show Me Your Dreams: A Mash-Up of Breakdance, Circus, Ballet, and Musical Theatre

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With an experimental feel to it, Adanza: Show Me Your Dreams is a combination of circus and musical theatre, with special effects and video projections to tell a story.

Two characters (Bella Hamm and Alex Honorato) meet each other, fall in love, get married, and have a baby. As traveling artists, however, they start to drift away from each other. What comes next is a journey throughout the world, visiting exotic places, each one becoming a musical number with different artistic expressions that include dance, ballet, circus, and even bubbles with special effects, the latter created by Joseph (Jilbér) Ferri in a display of shapes, lights, and a sweet smell of bubble gum that fills the air. Have you ever heard of surface tension & elasticity, Marangoni effect, etc.? Don’t look it up, just come and see it with your own eyes, it’s much more fun in a live show.

While Gonsalo Bboy Chalo performs the break dance acrobatics on the floor, Aerialist Sharyn Scott performs some stunning acrobatics in the air on the aerial hoop, adding an impressive circus element to the show.

This is an innovative concept, where the dialogue is kept at a minimum and most of the story is told by musical numbers, relying mainly on music and movement. The troupe is composed of artists from America, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Vietnam, Peru, France, Spain, and New Zealand.

Adanza; Show Me your Dreams is an artistic endeavor conceived by Brooke Ferri and Jilbér Ferri. Brooke is an attorney, producer, songwriter, writer, and musician. Jilbér is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, bubble performer (yes, there’s a profession called bubble performer, one that defies the laws of physics, somehow), and dancer.

Adanza has a short run, so catch it before it’s gone. If circus and musical theatre are down your alley, then this is your show. And if you’re lucky enough, you might even catch a bubble and a plane.

ADANZA: Show Me Your Dreams

Eastwood Performing Arts Center
1089 N. Oxford Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90029

March 28 – April 5, 2025:
• Fridays at 7 p.m.: March 28, April 4
• Saturdays at 3 p.m.: March 29, April 5
• Saturdays at 7 p.m.: March 29, April 5
• Sunday at 2 p.m.: March 30
• Sunday at 6 p.m.: March 30

Tickets: adanzamusical.com

Written and Directed by Brooke Ferri and Joseph (Jilbér) Ferri.

Starring Joseph (Jilbér) Ferri, Bella Hamm, Alex Honorato; and Features Cristina Malakhai, Elizabeth Kate Hernandez, Jorchual Gregory Vargas, Melissa Carvajal, Sage Buchalter, Tate Navarro, Tristan Nguyen, Sharyn Scott, Gonsalo Bboy Chalo, and Christopher Yates.

Choreographed by Melissa Carvajal and Vicki Liv.

Music Composed and Written by Brooke Ferri and Jilbér Ferri.

Cellist Jennifer Novak Chun.

Musical Review: Drat! The Cat!

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There’s a cat lady in the play. No, not that kind of lady. This one likes to steal diamonds for fun. To make it worse, the cop who is supposed to catch her, falls head over heels for her. He’s the softie and she’s the tough cookie. It’s so bad that he ends up handcuffed, not the other way around. Not a good thing for the New York Police Department.

It seems as if the play was brought to this side of the country by a turtle. Sixty years later, Drat! The Cat! has finally arrived on the West Coast. The original play premiered on Broadway in 1965. It starred Lesley Ann Warren and Elliot Gould, who was married to Barbara Streisand at the time. And now, The Group Rep is staging this fun musical at the Lonny Chapman Theatre for a one month run.

This new production features two sensational rising stars: Sydney DeMaria as Alice Van Guilder, the audacious catgirl, and Alec Reusch as Bob Purefoy, the naive cop falling madly in love. With a fantastic supporting cast, an excellent band directed by Gerald Sternbach, and a dynamic choreography by Cheryl Baxter, Director Bruce Kimmel stages a vibrant performance that infuses new life to this hidden gem. 

Encouraged by his dying father (Lloyd Pedersen), police officer Bob Purefoy is tasked with finding the thief who has been stealing the diamonds of New York’s high society in the 1890s. Bob is committed to finding the burglar. But he is no match to the cunning Alice, a woman ahead of her time. She wants to be a career woman and get diamonds in her own way, without the help of any man. To achieve that and hide her identity, she uses a catgirl costume, striking at posh events and stealing the diamonds without leaving traces behind. When visiting Alice’s parents to arrange the police operation to find and capture the diamond burglar, Bob meets Alice, unaware that she is the burglar. As they talk, she touches him, and it becomes love at first touch. Poor Bob is hooked and his tribulations begin.   

One of the best decisions by The Group Rep is the casting of the protagonists. The mischievous characteristics of Alice Van Guilder are vivaciously played by DeMaria, who acts with such naturality that her leading performance shapes the narrative of the play and heightens the audience engagement, something that only truly committed thespians can do. DeMaria’s soprano voice, movement, and acting makes this catgirl a rich and exciting character to watch. She shows off her captivating voice in “Wild and Reckless” and “I Like Him”, her two solo music numbers. 

As for Reusch, a tenor, he’s fascinating with his rendition of “She Touched Me”, the song made famous by Barbara Streisand. Reusch is excellent at portraying Bob Purefoy’s conflicting spirit, fighting the dichotomy between law enforcement and uncontrollable infatuation. His awkwardness and naiveness make his character highly likeable and relatable. Reusch and DeMaria develop a convincing chemistry on stage, adding an aura of romanticism and playfulness.       

The connection with the play is not new to Kimmel. In 1997, he produced a new version of the play’s score and he interacted with Playwright Ira Levin and Composer Milton Schafer. Unfortunately, Levin and Schafer are no longer around to see this new production. But this is a special commitment by Kimmel, and he is now able to stage the play at the Lonny Chapman Theatre.

To enhance the production even more, Costume Designer Shon Le Blanc uses an impressive array of period costumes that offer an attractive visual element that shows the careful attention to detail, which is always a demonstration of the level of commitment by the production team.

This is a rare opportunity to see the talent of Ira Levin as a musicals writer. Combined with the fine musical taste of Milton Schafer, Drat! The Cat! is a fantastic display of dance, comedy, and music.        

Drat! The Cat!

The Group Rep Theatre
10900 Burbank Blvd.
North Hollywood 91601

March 21 through April 27
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm. Sundays at 2pm

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Book & Lyrics by Ira Levin. Music by Milton Schafer. Directed by Bruce Kimmel. Musical Director Gerald Sternbach. Produced by Koushik Chattopadhyay for The Group Rep.

Cast: Ben Anderson (Patrolman & Ensemble), April Audia (Kate Purefoy), Riley Croman (Ensemble), Sydney DeMaria (Alice Van Guilder), Lareen Faye (Ensemble), Amy Goldring (Ensemble), Lee Grober (Mayor), Doug Haverty (Pincer), Angie Lin (Ensemble), Constance Mellors (Matilda Van Guilder), Hisato Masuyama (Butler & Ensemble), Savanna Mortenson (Maid/Ensemble), Maxwell Oliver (Ensemble), Lloyd Pedersen (Lucius Van Guilder & Roger), Alec Reusch (Bob Purefoy), Rob Schaumann (Mallet), Melissa Strauss (Dowager & Ensemble), Nicole Slatin (Ensemble) and Steve Young (Judge & Ensemble).

Theatre Review: One Jewish Boy

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Sandra Bullock holds Brendan Fraser as soon as she sees two Black young men walking close to them in the 2004 film Crash. A similar scene takes place in One Jewish Boy, where an insidious distrust starts to shape the lives of two Londoners. They meet, fall in love, get married, and have a baby. Jesse (Zeke Goodman) is Jewish with White looks. Alex (Sharae Foxie) is mixed with Black looks. Can they survive the internal and external racism?

While living in London, Jesse is brutally attacked, leaving him with emotional and psychological scars difficult to heal. As Alex tries to help him recover his self-confidence, Jesse seems to implode to the point of becoming dysfunctional. What makes Stephen Laughton‘s story more complex is the exploration of the conditioning imposed on the two characters by the structural discrimination and negative views on diversity of the English society, often magnified and incited by the political parties.

The play exposes the popular idea of Jews enjoying a privileged life, sitting on piles of money, disconnected from the daily struggles of the less privileged sectors of society. It’s not a new perception, of course. It’s a revolving idea recycled time after time. In One Jewish Boy, Laughton presents the latest sentiment around the world. The physical aggression Jesse experiences is similar to the attacks suffered by the supporters of the Tel Aviv Maccabi soccer team in Amsterdam in November 2024. The names and places might change, but the entrenched hate feels the same.

The other interesting aspect of the play is the diversity of Jewish views on race, politics, religion, and even the emotional connection to Israel. In the diaspora, identity and allegiance might shift, closer or further away from the motherland, either as a reinforcement of the Jewish identity or a dismissal of the autochthonous myth. Jesse feels connected to his Jewish culture, but not so much to the state of Israel. Either way, he is targeted by society and even by the person who is supposed to love him. He is beaten up by strangers and slapped by his own wife.

That’s Jesse. But there’s also Alex. As a mixed-race woman with Black looks, she knows one or two things about struggles. She relates to Jesse’s insecurities, but refuses to see herself as a victim. She exhibits an attitude hardened by the tragic history of discrimination against Blacks. It is at this point where the two have to make a decision. Their marriage and the future of their baby are at stake. Laughton shows that even the best intentions have to overcome prejudice.

For this production, Director Chris Fields uses a minimalist set, enough for two characters; the focal point being the internal conflicts and the dynamic relationship between Jesse and Alex. Both actors delve into the great expectations of happiness and the disenchantment caused by unsurmountable differences. They both excel in the exhibition of human fragility and the isolation caused by deep-rooted misconceptions.

This play is timely and provocative. It is a picture of our times and another take on the preconceptions of race and privilege. Laughton generates a heated conversation on what happens when you scratch the fabric of society and discover the beauty and ugliness of human relationships. In the end, the question remains. In a racist environment, who is the winner and who is the loser?

One Jewish Boy

Echo Theater Company
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039

March 19 through April 28
• Previews: March 19–March 21: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.
• Performances: March 22–April 28: Fridays and Mondays at 8 p.m. / Saturdays at 7 p.m. / Sundays at 4 p.m. plus three Thursdays at 8 p.m.: April 10, April 17, April 24

Tickets: echotheatercompany.com

Written by Stephen Laughton. Directed by Chris Fields. Presented by The Echo Theater Company, Chris Fields artistic director.

Cast: Sharae Foxie and Zeke Goodman.

Creative team: Scenic designer Justin Huen, lighting and sound designer Matthew Richter, and costume designer Dianne K Graebner. The assistant director is Natalya Nielsen and the production stage manager is Bianca Rickheim. Chris Fields, Kelly Beech, Marie Bland and Hilary Oglesby produce for the Echo Theater Company.

Odyssey Theatre founding artistic director Ron Sossi passes away at 85

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Odyssey Theatre founding artistic director
Ron Sossi passes away at 85

LOS ANGELES (March 22, 2025) — We at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble are heartbroken to announce that founding artistic director Ron Sossi passed away on Wednesday, March 19, at the age of 85.

Born on November 22, 1939 in Detroit, Ron graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in writing for theater and television before moving to L.A. to attend UCLA film school. There, he supported himself as a wedding photographer and water filter salesman while earning his M.F.A. In addition to writing, Ron was an actor and a singer. He traveled to Korea, Japan and Guam, courtesy of the USO, with a college production of Carousel, where he met fellow student and co-star Bonnie Franklin, and the two were briefly married, from 1967 until 1970. After winning the Samuel Goldwyn Award for screenwriting at UCLA, Ron was hired as a program executive at ABC, where he oversaw productions of shows including Bewitched, The Flying Nun and Love American Style, among others.

In 1969, frustrated and bored by his work in the television industry, Ron founded the Odyssey Theatre in a former storefront church on the seedy end of Hollywood Boulevard. With the raucous sounds of the porn theater next door seeping through, the Odyssey opened its inaugural productions of A Man’s A Man by Bertolt Brecht, The Serpent by Jean Claude van Italie, The Threepenny Opera by Brecht and Kurt Weill, and The Bacchae by Euripides. Long runs of these four plays sealed Ron’s reputation as a maverick with critics and audiences alike. In 1973, he moved the Odyssey to a larger venue in West Los Angeles on the corner of Bundy and Ohio where, starting out with one 99-seat performance space, he gradually expanded it into a three-theater complex. Critically acclaimed, award-winning productions included Peer Gynt, Woyzeck, White Marriage, The Adolf Hitler Show, The Chicago Conspiracy Trial, Nightclub Cantana, Tracers, Mary Barnes, Master Class, Edmond, Rapmaster Ronnie, McCarthy, Idioglossia (later to become the Oscar nominated movie Nell), and Steven Berkoff’s Kvetch—the Odyssey’s longest running show at eight years. During the company’s 16-year tenure in that space, Ron produced and directed two thirds of the Bertolt Brecht canon, including Baal (in which he also starred in the title role), The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mother Courage and Brechtfest 1 and 2. When the building was sold in 1989, Ron moved the Odyssey to its current home on Sepulveda Boulevard, a city-owned warehouse formerly used to manufacture gas tanks. The new Odyssey opened its doors in 1990 with his production of Faith Healer.

Throughout the theater’s 56-year history, Ron remained dedicated to presenting edgy, risk-taking live theater experiences, including an eclectic mix of new work and boldly re-envisioned classics. He was always particularly drawn to work by German and Eastern European playwrights, as well as to plays exploring metaphysical and spiritual subject matter — part of a lifelong devotion that included studying and practicing Siddha Yoga, Hinduism, Sufism, Tibetian Buddhism, The Gurdjieff Work and, most recently, Bhakti Yoga and Advaita Vedanta. In 2001, Ron created KOAN, a resident ensemble dedicated to the regular creation of unique, devised works. (In Zen Buddhism, a Koan is a paradoxical anecdote or riddle used to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment.) Ron’s KOAN productions included The Faust Projekt, Kafka Thing and Buddha’s Big Nite!, as well as Sliding Into Hades, which received the LA Weekly Award for “Best Production of the Year” and Theater in the Dark, an LA Weekly “Best Production” award nominee. More recent productions included a revival of The Serpent for the Odyssey’s 50th anniversary; Wakings, an evening of short “mind excursions” exploring some of the many states of human awareness; and Elephant Shavings, subtitled “a lazy person’s guide to enlightenment,” which he also wrote.

At the helm of the Odyssey for 56 continuous years, Ron was the recipient of numerous awards, including the LA Weekly Career Achievement Award. He was twice honored with the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle prestigious Margaret Harford Award for “demonstrating a continual willingness to experiment provocatively in the process of theater,” as well as with the circle’s Ron Link Award for “consistent quality of direction.” According to a 1982 Los Angeles Times article by Lawrence Christon, “When the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle debated Ron’s merit as this year’s recipient of the Margaret Harford Award—they decided he deserved it—two adjectives that cropped up in discussion were ‘exasperating’ and ‘incorrigible.’” Christon went on to note that Ron “wished they had put ‘incorrigible’ on the award.”

Ron is survived by his wife, Séverine Larue, and by his sister, Nancy Foley.

In accordance with his instructions, no service or ceremony will be held. It was Ron’s wish that the ongoing vibrancy of the theater he built would serve as his only memorial. The Odyssey’s curtain will continue to rise, and every future performance will be a testament to Ron Sossi’s enduring legacy.

Theatre Review: Parents in Chains

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Scott DeVine, ETC’s Artistic Director, announces that the actors had only one day to rehearse. And that’s why at the beginning, the play feels like a stage reading. But when you have such a pool of talented and experienced actors, magic happens and the day is saved. 

In Parents in Chains, the typical concerns of any given parent become atypical, leading to a menagerie of feelings disrupting the peace and sanity of the six parents whose 17-year-old daughters are on a trip to San Francisco. As the teenagers are ready to come back to Los Angeles, an unusual hurricane is approaching, endangering their well-being and triggering their parents’ deepest fears.

While their daughters are away in San Francisco, the parents’ backgrounds are revealed. Muriel (Melora Hardin) and Rick (Matt Walsh) are going through a rough patch in their marriage, even thinking about a divorce. Mark (Pete Gardner) is a widow, having lost his wife five years ago. Winona (Sharon Lawrence) is still digesting the painful experience of her husband divorcing her. Diane (Jorja Fox) and Connor (Thomas Sadoski) are married, but a secret between Diane and Winona’s ex-husband threatens to stain their marriage.

So, how do parents of a certain age (Hollywood’s code name for people over 40) communicate when their kids are in danger? Texting, of course, typos included. As the text chain becomes more intense, their personalities, strengths, and vulnerabilities become more obvious. Who gives the green light for their daughters to either hit the road or stay at a hotel instead? Who takes control of the text chain? Who keeps their cool and who loses it?

The outstanding script by Jay Martel—who has won Emmy, Peabody, Writers Guild of America, and American Comedy awards as a writer—is a clever description of the parental anxiety of losing one’s kids, not in a storm, but in that dreadful time when they move away from home to start college, far from their parents’ watchful care. These six parents in the play are forced to face the inevitable, seeing their kids grow up, ready to start the adventure called life, on their own. 

Texting-wise, however, these six parents are awful. Connor, especially, is a disaster. Driving and texting is not his thing at all, and his typos heighten Muriel’s anxiety, sending her into panic mode. In Martel’s witty writing, the revelations of the parents’ personalities and secrets are intertwined with political and social commentaries. Topics of race, sex, and the pressure of success show the turmoil of today’s American society. Martel also exposes the tectonic shift in human connection. Paradoxically, the immediacy of connection through technology has led to an emotionally-disconnected society, increasing the sinking feeling of isolation that threatens to break apart friendships and even families.

For this production, Director Andy Fickman utilizes the extraordinary skills of his actors to deliver the chaos and comedy of the script. The scenic and lighting designs are kept at a minimum, focusing on the superb comedic talents of the actors, each one with a stellar list of stage, film, and TV credits. Fickman’s successful formula for this production is pretty simple. Put a group of great actors on stage with a remarkable script and they’ll work their magic to make it a vivid and exciting theatrical experience. Do not miss this one; it’s a rare opportunity to see all of these amazing thespians together on stage.         

Parents in Chains

Ensemble Theatre Company at The New Vic
33 W. Victoria Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Runs: Wednesday, March 12 – Sunday, March 30, 2025
Performances are Wednesdays at 2:00pm & 7:30pm, Thursdays at
7:30pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 3:00pm & 8:00pm, Sundays at
2:00pm. There will be added performances on Tuesday, March 18 &
Tuesday, March 25 at 7:30pm.

Tickets: etcsb.org

Written by Jay Martel. Directed by Andy Fickman. Produced by J. Todd Harris.

March 12-16 Cast: Jorja Fox, Pete Gardner, Melora Hardin, Sharon Lawrence, Thomas Sadoski, and Matt Walsh.
March 18-23 Cast: Melora Hardin, Gildart Jackson, Sharon Lawrence, Joshua Malina, Gina Torres, James Urbaniak.
March 25-30 Cast: John Ross Bowie, Rob Huebel, Sharon Lawrence, Loni Love, Jane Lynch, James Urbaniak.

Creative team: Lighting Design by Michael Rathbun; Sound and Projection Design
by Ben Crop; Casting by Michael Donovan Casting, CSA, Michael Donovan & Richie Ferris.