Sleep with the Angels is a Latino Theater Company production. The playwright is Evelina Fernández and the director is José Luis Valenzuela, who is also the LTC artistic director.

Juana (Esperanza América) is hired by Molly (Elia Saldana) to work as a nanny. Juana’s job is to take care of Molly’s kids, 13-year old Alex (Saul Nieto) and his older teen sister Cindy (Victoria Tamez). Molly’s estranged husband, John (Randy Vasquez), comes back home occasionally to check on the kids. Molly’s mom is Rose (Tina D’Marco) and the family gardener is Pablo (Eduardo Roman), who recommended Juana for the job.

This play contains elements of magical realism, a literary form featured in some of the most memorable works by Latin American writers like García Márquez, Rulfo, Allende, Garro, Pietri, and many others. In Fernandez’ script, she uses this element to emphasize the value and contribution of the Latino culture to the US landscape. Juana just arrived from Mexico, bringing some superpowers that touch the lives of the people around her. Her faith in saints and teas is the solution to mostly everything, finding lost jewelry, curing hiccups, taming big mouths, and making your love interest fall for you. The wind also adds to the magic of the story, as Juana explains: “The wind brought me here”. Using Mexican folklore as part of that magical realism, Juana represents the efforts, sacrifices, and hopes of many immigrants who have come to the US in search of a better life.

The play also delves into the challenges of the LGBT community in its search for acceptance. Alex finds himself at an intersection of choosing his own ways or following the expectations of society and his father. Alex connects with Juana almost instantly, as she has her own story to tell.

Cindy experiences an important transformation as a teenager with anger issues. With the help of Juana, Cindy is able to re-connect with her own heritage and funnel her angst into positive energy that lets her see her own worth.

Molly, the busy attorney trying to make partners at the law firm, is an excellent character who represents something not seen very often in media: Chicanas and their lives and struggles. Molly, at the end of the day, has to be the one making the most important choices for the family.

At a turning point in the story, Molly and Juana, two brave women from both sides of the border, have to make decisions that will change their lives forever, as painful as they might be.

The presence of the guitarist (Robert Revell) as a spectral character throughout the play and linked to Juana as revealed at the end, adds a special touch to the story. The music becomes a character on its own (music by Robert Revell and lyrics by Evelina Fernández and Esperanza América).

The stage of The Los Angeles Theatre Center is pretty spectacular, ample with high ceilings. This allowed for an impressive display of dramatic lighting and special effects (Emily Anne MacDonald & Cameron Jaye Mock, Scenic, Costume, Lighting & Projection Design). The sound effects (John Zalewski, sound design) also created an atmosphere that enhanced the emotional aspects of the story.

Valenzuela’s direction had the actors move in and out of the stage in different directions, offering dynamic performances. The blocking of the telenovela scene was specially creative; the actors upstage and downstage center delivered one of the most hilarious moments in the play, much to the delight of the audience.

Sleep with the Angels is a powerful story that presents harsh realities to reminds us of the challenges of the American dream and the paradox of the immigration system. The play also features some of the cultural contributions of immigrants to this vast tapestry called the United States of America.

Sleep with the Angels

Written by Evelina Fernández, directed by José Luis Valenzuela. Starring Esperanza America, Tina D’Marco, Saul Nieto, Robert Revell, Eduardo Roman, Elia Saldana, Victoria Tamez, Randy Vasquez. Produced by Latino Theater Company

The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013

Performances: May 27 – June 26
Thursdays at 8 p.m.: June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23
Fridays at 8 p.m.: May 27 (Opening), June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18, June 25
Sundays at 4 p.m.: May 29, June 5, June 12, June 19, June 26

Tickets: https://www.latinotheaterco.org/sleep-with-the-angels

The Antaeus Theatre Company brings a new version of Hamlet, playing at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, CA. The play is directed by Elizabeth Swain.

The cast consists of Ramón de Ocampo (Hamlet), Gregg T. Daniel (Claudius/Ghost), Veralyn Jones (Gertrude), Peter Van Norden (Polonius/Gravedigger), Jeanne Syquia (Ophelia/Osric), Michael Kirby (Laertes/Player Queen), Adam J. Smith (Horatio), Sally Hughes (Guildenstern/Voltemand/Reynaldo/Fortinbras), Lloyd Roberson II (Rosencrantz/Barnardo/Player 3&4/Priest/Courtier), and Joel Swetow (Marcellus/First Player/Captain).   

One of the challenges of playing Hamlet is the necessity of portraying his theatricality and inwardness throughout the play. A great deal of knowledge and details of the epoch, not disclosed in the play’s text, is of utmost importance to understand Hamlet’s life and deliver his dialogues accurately. For example, the famous “To be or not to be“ monologue seems to be the result of the leccio, meditatio, and questio, a common scholastic methodology taught in the universities of the time, suggesting that Hamlet was a university student. Ramón De Ocampo seems to be aware of those characteristics when delivering the monologues during his stellar performance. His movements as well as his expressions, both facial and vocal, project the intricacies of Hamlet’s tribulations, doubts, and madness. De Ocampo’s charisma portraying Hamlet is a result of his extensive experience playing Shakespeare’s characters, some of the most challenging in theatre history. 

Also exceptional is the performance of Peter Van Norden, portraying Polonius and the Gravedigger. He contributed to some of the most hilarious passages of the play.  

Swain’s take on Shakespeare’s masterpiece presents a modification to the costumes and characters’ genders. The costumes combine the Renaissance with the contemporary. Also, the original male characters Guildenstern and Fortinbras are played by actress Sally Hughes. These changes are intended to introduce a classic story from the 16th-17th century to a contemporary audience.  

For this production, there was no suggestion of the Freudian Oedipus complex hypothesis. This version advocates for a more typical son-mother relationship with no sexual overtones. 

The lighting (Jared A. Sayeg, Lighting Designer) offers some crucial ambiance to the play. The Ghost is bathed with a bluish hue that adds mystery and coldness to this pivotal character. The warm, white, and other times directional light contributes to tell the story, magnifying the characters and the diversity of their states of mind. The sound (Cricket Myers, Sound Designer) is also a key factor to create the dramatic effect of the story and the characters. Since the beginning, the sound of thunders set the mood of the play. The eerie voice of the Ghost, the actor’s voice projection in some of the most dramatic scenes keep the play even more interesting and the audience more engaged. The mise-en-scène (Stephen Gifford, Scenic Designer) with the dark floor and columns also add to the dramatic effect, as a latent prelude of tragedies to come. Complementing the production are Costume Designer Dianne K. Graebner, Props Designer Shen Heckel, Violence Designer Ned Mochel and Choreographer Liz Lamura (excellent teamwork to create those sword fighting scenes).

Hamlet, a Renaissance play, continues to intrigue and amuse scholars, producers, directors, actors, and audiences all over the world. Directors like Elizabeth Swain contribute to the richness of the story by adding new insights and interpretations to this timeless masterpiece that feels as new and exciting as it did more than 400 years ago. 

Hamlet

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed Elizabeth Swain
Starring Gregg T. Daniel, Ramón de Ocampo, Sally Hughes, Veralyn Jones, Michael Kirby, Lloyd Roberson II, Adam J. Smith, Joel Swetow, Jeanne Syquia, Peter Van Norden
Sponsored in part by Rosemary A. Hernandez
Presented by Antaeus Theatre Company

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

PARKING:
First 90 minutes free, then $2 per hour in Glendale Marketplace garage located at 120 S. Artsakh Ave. (between Broadway and Harvard)

Fridays at 8 p.m.: May 20 (Opening), May 27, June 3, June 10, June 17
Saturdays at 2 p.m.: May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18 (no matinee on Saturday, May 21)
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: May 21, May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18
Sundays at 2 p.m.: May 15 (preview), May 22, May 29, June 5, June 12, June 19
Mondays at 8 p.m.: June 6, June 13, June 20 (dark May 23 and May 30)

Tickets: https://antaeus.org/productions/hamlet/

Mary Zimmerman‘s Metamorphoses opened Saturday May 14 at the A Noise Within stage in Pasadena. This production is directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. The original Metamorphoses, written by Roman poet Ovid, dates back to the year 8 AD. The poem has inspired countless of influential figures such as Boccaccio, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Cervantes to name a few.

The moment you step into the theatre, you can sense the lavish production you are about to experience. The stage, the pool, and the lighting set the mood for this epic story. For such a literary work and relevant production, Dr. Miranda Johnson-Haddad consulted as a dramaturg.

The play starts with the concept of Cosmogony, presenting Zeus, Woman by the Water, and Scientist, all of them describing the beginning of humans and the chaos of the universe. What follows is a series of Greek myths, but with a contemporaneity that feels fresh. The story captures the various passages of the human experience, represented by deities and humans alike. Special attention is stressed on the metamorphoses, or transformations, of the characters involved.

In a way, the play presents the idea that no matter what time in history they live in, humans have always had the same ambitions, feelings, passions, and desires. As the concept of eternal life is introduced by Silenus, Midas also embodies a duality seen in many humans, in this case, greed but also the unconditional love of a father for his daughter. After his wish of turning everything he touches into gold is granted by Bacchus, Midas accidentally touches his own daughter, turning her into a statue of gold. Bacchus then tells him that the only way to reverse his action is to find a mystic pool far away that will restore his daughter back to normal. Midas is willing to give up his possessions and start his journey in search of the mystic pool.

A constant in human life is the search for love, characterized by the vignette of Vertumnus and Pomona. As Vertumnus tries unsuccessfully to get Pomona’s attention, he disguises in different costumes to avoid showing himself. In one of his attempts, he tells Pomona the story of Mirrha, who punished by Aphrodite, is cursed with falling in love with her own father, King Cyniras. Overwhelmed by her lust, Mirrha devises a plan to consummate her forbidden passion. The climax of this story within a story, framed by dramatic lighting, sound, water, and excellent acting, creates one of the most intense scenes of the play.

A touching story in the play is when a poor couple, Baucis and Philemon, receive Zeus and Hermes in heir humble house with a feast. As a result, they are granted a wish. Baucis and Philemon only ask for one thing: To die together to avoid the pain of mourning each other. Unconditional, endless love, a continuum in history, poetically portrayed in Metamorphoses.

Many other characters and scenarios are depicted, all showing the dedication of the creative team behind this production. Director Julia Rodriguez Elliott re-creates fantastic worlds such as oceans, rivers, the underworld, voyages, and journeys. She is able to convey the idea that humans’ yearnings, behaviors, and experiences haven’t changed much since the beginning of time. That’s one of the reasons why the audience connects so well with this play, the characters are a reflection of ourselves, one way or another.

As for the actors, the play is a physical demanding production, working around water has many challenges, walking around slippery surfaces without loosing concentration, shits of water temperature over the course of the play, etc., but the cast delivers powerful performances, touching the audience’s fibers with drama, tragedy, and humor. The lighting (Ken Booth, Lighting Designer) became a character on its own, wrapping the actors in stunning hues of reds, blues, greens, and yellows, and combined with water (Françoise-Pierre Couture, Scenic Design) and sound effects (Robert Oriol, Sound Design), created memorable artistic images, perfect for such an epic play.

Metamorphoses

A Noise Within
3352 E Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107

Written by Mary Zimmerman
Based on the myths of Ovid, from the translation by David R. Slavit
Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott
Starring DeJuan Christopher, Geoff Elliott, Rafael Goldstein, Nicole Javier, Kasey Mahaffy, Sydney A. Mason, Trisha Miller, Cassandra Marie Murphy, Erika Soto
Presented by A Noise Within, Geoff Elliot and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, producing artistic directors

Performances May 14–June 5:
Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.: May 11 ONLY (Preview)*
Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.: May 12 (Preview), May 26, June 2 (dark May 19)
Fridays at 8 p.m.: May 13 (Preview), May 20**, May 27**, June 3**
Saturdays at 2 p.m.: May 21, May 28; June 4
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: May 14 (Opening Night), May 21, May 28; June 4
Sundays at 2 p.m.: May 8 (Preview), May 15, May 22**, May 29; June 5
*Pre-performance symposium with noted scholar at 6:45 p.m. on May 11 (included in ticket price)
**Post-performance conversations with the artists on May 20, May 22, May 27, June 3 (included in ticket price)

In addition, there will be six student matinees at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11; Tuesday, May 17; Wednesday, May 18; Thursday, May 19, Tuesday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 25. Interested educators should email education@anoisewithin.org.

For tickets: https://www.anoisewithin.org/play/metamorphoses/

Kids Benjamin and Henry got into a fight at school. Benjamin attacked Henry with a stick, injuring Henry’s teeth. Henry’s parents decide to invite Benjamin’s parents to their house to work thing out in a civilized manner. That was the idea, but…

That’s the premise of God of Carnage, a hilarious play where parents behave more like kids than adults. Michael Novak (Matthew Downs) and his wife Veronica Novak (Lisa LoCicero), Henry’s parents, invite Alan Raleigh (Jack Esformes) and his wife Annette Raleigh (Leilani Smith), Benjamin’s parents, to have a conversation about the incident with their kids and find a zone of possible agreement to clear things up. What seems to be a normal conversation with manners, turns into a train wreck, fueled by glasses (and bottles) of rum. Veronica and Michael insist in painting Henry as a victim of the savagery of Benjamin, only to be reminded by Annette and Alan that Benjamin might have acted in self-defense. The whole finger-pointing conversation was constantly interrupted by Alan’s tendency to answer his cell phone to tend to business.

As the conversation continues, the jobs and personalities of the four parents are revealed. Alan is the lawyer of a pharmaceutical company involved in a legal battle due to the dangerous side effects of its marketed medicine, which is the same medicine used by Michael’s mom. Michael sells hardware and was fed up with Henry’s hamster, so he released it into the street, with little possibilities to survive on its own. Veronica is a photographer and an art lover and her attitude has undertones of cultural appropriation and racism. Annette seems to be the most civilized of the four, until the effects of alcohol kick in. It turns out that rum brings the best and the worst of each of the characters, setting off recriminations in all directions, at times unveiling cracks in the relationships of both marriages, with tulips, cell phones, and pieces of art caught in the middle. 

With God of Carnage, writer Yasmina Reza and director Peter Allas are able to achieve the three fundamental concepts of theatre: Conflict, emotion, and entertainment. The story is a string of situations that lead to hilarious and intense exchanges among the characters that make this play highly enjoyable. The stage direction is excellent. The actors make great use of the stage, adding dynamics to the story.

Lighting Designer Gavan Wyrick and Scenic Designer Tyler Scrivner have created a space with rich details, adding a warm ambiance to the story, perfect for a homely setting. The lighting is a subtle play of hues and intensities that bring up the comedic nature of the play and space.

God of Carnage is a masterful combination of writing, directing, and technical elements that make a delightful night of great theatre in Los Angeles.

God of Carnage

Written by Yasmina Reza, Translated by Christopher Hampton, Directed by Peter Allas, Produced by Racquel Lehrman, Theatre Planners, Presented by Foursome Productions

A Visiting Production at the
Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025

Tickets: https://www.onstage411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=6184 

Wakings! consists of four stories whose characters experience a variety of disruptions to their wakefulness and awareness.

The first story is called Victoria Station, by Harold Pinter. A taxi cab dispatcher (Ron Bottitta) instructs a driver (C. J. O’Toole) to pick up a customer at Victoria Station. However, the driver is in a confused state of mind. He keeps telling the dispatcher that he is next to a park, to later change it to Crystal Palace. He is also in love with the female passenger sitting in the back seat. The conversation between the dispatcher and the driver becomes a hilarious interaction as the dispatcher grows impatient in view of the driver’s inability to think coherently.

The second story is Rip Awake, by Robert Coover. This story is an expansion of Washington Irving’s classical fairytale Rip Van Winkle. Rip (Darrell Larson) wakes up after 30 years to find himself in a world different than the one he knew. Trying to get away from his nagging wife, Rip decides to take a walk up the mountains with his dog and falls asleep after drinking a strange beverage. Once he wakes up, with a long beard, ripped clothes, and a rusted musk, he finds out that the place where he used to hang out has changed it’s name, no one knows him in his town anymore, his wife has passed away, and he missed the American Revolution. Is this a dream? A hallucination? Or has he descended into madness?

Next is another Harold Pinter’s story called A Trip to Alaska. Deborah (Diana Cignoni) has been in a coma for 30 years, She suddenly wakes up, with Hornby (Ron Bottitta) next to her bed. As she regains consciousness, she talks and behaves like the 16 years-old girl she was when she fell into the coma. As her memories come back, her sister Pauline (Kristina Ladeggard) comes to visit and Deborah’s dynamic relationships with her family and Hornby are revealed.

The last piece is called Siddhartha, by German writer Hermann Hesse. This is a piece featuring Siddhartha (C. J. O’Toole), a man that left behind his material possessions to embark in a journey of spiritual awakening. Living by the river and practicing meditation, Siddhartha embraces the teachings of the Buddha and is able to see and experience the completeness of the circle of life. For this section of the play, Cignoni, Ladeggard, Bottitta, and Larson read excerpts from Herman Hesse’s novel.

Wakings! is a trip to the darkest, brightest, and most intriguing states of the human mind, a step into the unknown so fascinating that might motivate director Ron Sossi to explore the possibility of Wakings! Part Two.

Wakings! 

Written by Robert Coover, Hermann Hesse and Harold Pinter
Directed by Ron Sossi, presented by Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Ron Sossi Artistic Director, in association with Isabel and Harvey Kibel

Performances: April 30 – June 5
Wednesdays at 8 p.m.: May 11* and May 25 ONLY
Fridays at 8 p.m.:  May 6, May 13, May 20*, May 27**, June 3
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 30 (Opening), May 7, May 14, May 21, May 28, June 4
Sundays at 2 p.m.: May 1, May 8, May 15, May 22, May 29, June 5
*Post-show discussions
^**Wine Night: enjoy complimentary wine and snacks and after the show.

Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025

Tickets: https://odysseytheatre.com/whats-on/awakings/

Three Tables is a play written and directed by celebrated playwright Murray Mednick, who has been writing for theatre for the last sixty years.

The play shows two waiters, Sol (Richard Sabine) and Joe (John Fantasia) occupying a table while attending to the other two tables. The conversation between Sol and Joe reveals their concerns of another hate wave and the search of an explanation of Jewish history and beliefs, as they seem to be descendants of Holocaust survivors.

In the other table three actors are conversing about a play they are rehearsing. There is a tension conversation between Rodger (Michael Uribes, Theatre Review: Detained) and Christen (Laura Liguori). The other actor sitting with them is Mike (Corey Rieger), who suggests to imagine a well and use it as a concept for the play they are rehearsing. Rodger shows some vulnerabilities such as having an uncontrollable nervousness that disappears once he is on stage. Christen shows a tendency to express her sexuality publicly much to Rodger’s discomfort.

Three other actors Don (Dennis Renard), Casey (Eric Stanton Betts), and Margie (Raquel Cain) show up and seat on the other table where they seem to comment on a play they are rehearsing. At one point, Margie moves in coordination with Christen’s movements.

The actors deliver lines that express deep concepts related to love, sex, fears, history, and the meaning of life. Since Murray Mednick is a poet, his writing style is very lyrical, it’s a poem, a very powerful one. Poets use emotions, sensitivity, and imagination to write about history, values, ideas, but also to protect life against threats and stand up to dictators. In Three Tables, Mednick references history, in this case the Holocaust, to imply that the danger is not over, it is still there, lingering in the shadows. The sound design and original music by John Zalewski is excellent in conveying the latent sense of danger. The constant sound in the background that is heard throughout the play builds up the tension. The noises of riots and the knock on the door, all announce trouble. The lighting design by Azra King-Abadi Theatre Review: TEA combines intensities and colors to add a dynamic element to the message of the play.

Three Tables is a dramatic combination of words, lighting, colors, sound, and music that turn the stage into a poetic space in the form of theatre.

Three Tables

Written and Directed by Murray Mednick, produced by Racquel Lehrman, Theatre Planners, presented by Padua Playwrights

Zephyr Theatre
7456 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Performances: April 23 – May 22:
Fridays at 8 p.m.: April 22 (Preview), April 29, May 6, May 13, May 20
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 23 (Opening Night), April 30, May 7, May 14, May 21
Sundays at 3 p.m.: April 24, May 1, May 8, May 15, May 22

Tickets: https://www.onstage411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=6177

TEA is a play that has been in production for the last 40 years. Written by Velina Hasu Houston, the story is a photograph of the lives of Japanese women that married American soldiers during the American occupation of Japan.

Adjusting to the American way of life proved to be a challenge for the five women portrayed in this play. It wasn’t just moving to America, it was moving to rural Kansas in the late ’60s, not exactly the most welcoming environment for Asians, specially the ones coming from Japan. This was the time and place where they had to face not just racism but also the consequent isolation that comes with it.

After Himiko (Tomoko Karina) kills her husband and commits suicide, the other four wives come together to clean her house and perform a tea ceremony. It is then that the individual stories and personalities of these women are revealed in great detail. An arrogant Atsuko (Hua Lee) thinks that because she is married to a Japanese American, she is better than the rest, Chizuye Juarez (Elaine Ackles) married a Mexican American and is the most assimilated of the group, Teruko (Olivia Cordell) married a white man, and Setsuko (Hiroko Imai) married an African American. The challenges to assimilate to America included things such as falling off the bed because is inches above ground level, learning how to use an American style toilette, learning how to drive a car into an automatic car wash, etc. Aside from those nuisances, the most disturbing side of the experience was Americans’ attitudes toward these Japanese wives. They were seen as a trophy to the triumph over Japan, some sort of second class citizens that were not welcomed, as they represented the enemy.

Under those circumstances, the tea ceremony was a connection to Japan to these women, even if the American assimilation meant to shed their Japanese identities. Meeting over tea was a way to pick up their pieces and honor the memory of Himiko, whose real struggles both in Japan and America are revealed during the meeting. The five actresses portray the point of view of the wives, husbands, and kids of these interracial marriages.  

We can see some hints of traditional Japanese theatre, specifically Nō, throughout this western contemporary play. The mask, the spirit of Himiko, the kimonos, the singing, and perhaps even the stairs working as the bridge are beautiful elements of Japan and its legendary theatre that has enriched the culture and lives of people in Japan and all over the world. The work of lighting designer Azra King-Abadi is extraordinary. The contrast in lighting reinforces the dramatic lives of these five women; the use of blues, reds, and oranges mirror the conflicts and emotions experienced by the characters. The costume design by Maggie Dick is also excellent as it offers a glimpse to the ’60s fashion in America and the meaningful monochromatic Japanese kimonos. The music and sound design by Dean Harada highlight the suspense and drama of the various stages of the characters’ lives both in Japan and America, making the audience more involved in the story. 

TEA   

Written by Velina Hasu Houston, directed by Rebecca Wear, produced by Gabe Figueroa, and presented by Hero Theatre, artistic director Elisa Bocanegra.   

Hero Theatre, company-in-residence at the
Rosenthal Theater
Inner-City Arts
720 Kohler Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021

Performances: April 23 – May 15
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: April 21 (Preview), April 28, May 5, May 12
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: April 22 (Preview), April 29, May 6, May 13
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 23 (Opening Night), April 30, May 7, May 14
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: April 24, May 1, May 8, May 15
• Sundays at 7 p.m.: May 1, May 8, May 15 (dark April 24)

Tickets: http://www.herotheatre.org/tea.html