Author Archive: Glamour

Theatre Review: Gaslight

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With an outstanding performance by Jaxon Duff Gwillim as Jack Manningham, Gaslight brings comedy and a bit of thriller to the stage.

Jack and Bella Manningham (Tania Getty) live in London. The year is 1880. They have two servants, Nancy (Miranda Wynne) and Elizabeth (Rita Obermeyer). Jack flirts with Nancy as a plan to drive Bella insane and get her money. Additionally, Jack is also trying to find the jewels from Alice Barlow, a wealthy lady who lived in the apartment above and was murdered years ago. The murderer was never found.

Jack disappears at night without telling Bella where he’s going. Mysteriously, Bella hears steps in the apartment above, which is now unoccupied. The gaslight also dims minutes after Jack leaves the house and brightens right before he comes back. All of that and Jack’s constant belittlement are taking its toll on Bella to the point of making her feel as though she’s losing her mind. Jack’s plan is working…if he could only find those damn jewels. Meanwhile, Bella receives the visit of detective Rough (Stuart W. Howard), who worked on the case of the lady murdered in the apartment above.

The play as a whole works fine, but the thriller aspect seems to be missing in Act One and Act Two Scene 1. It shows pretty much in Act Two Scene 2, when Jack returns home, notices his desk drawers have been forced open, and faces Bella to reveal his true self. It is in this scene that Gwillim brings out convincingly the violent and dangerous side of his character. The thriller element then fills the stage and Jack’s aggressive outburst puts Bella in a vulnerable position that makes for great suspenseful action. It is at this point that Director Michael Rothhaar puts all the elements together to capture the darker tone of the play. The characters become alive and thrive in the face of danger.

The lighting by Michael Franco is clever and cast an amber tone to match the dramatic themes of the play. The same goes for the scenic design and the costumes by Taubert Nadalini and Shon LeBlanc respectively.

The audience keeps reacting positively to the staging of this play that originated the term gaslighting, so widely used in the romantic—or not so romantically—relationships nowadays. The play combines comedy and thriller, which might be the clue to the continuous production, including podcasting, of this play. It was written in 1938 by a playwright whose life was marked by tragedy: a disfigured face due to a car accident and the death of his mother by suicide. As usual, from a place of pain, artists create great works of art.

Gaslight

Pacific Resident Theatre
705 1/2 Venice Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291

Opening: June 21, 2025
8pm Thursdays – Saturdays; 3pm Sundays
(no performances July 17–25; 3pm matinees added on August 2, and 5)
Closing: August 10, 2025

Tickets: pacificresidenttheatre.org

Playwright: Patrick Hamilton
Director: Michael Rothhaar
Executive Producer: Marilyn Fox
Presented by Pacific Resident Theatre

Cast: Tania Getty as Mrs. Manningham, Jaxon Duff Gwillim as Mr. Manningham, Stuart W. Howard as Rough, Rita Obermeyer as Elizabeth, and Miranda Wynne as Nancy.

Creative team: Taubert Nadalini (Scenic Design), Michael Franco (Lighting Design), Claire German (Sound Design), Shon LeBlanc (Costume Design), Cybelle Kachler (Stage Manager).

Theatre Review: Nice Girl

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She attended Radcliffe (technically, Harvard). She had a brilliant future in front of her. She had the world at her feet. Just like Marlon Brandon said On The Waterfront, she could’ve been a contender, she could’ve been somebody. Instead, Jo (Anaïs Fairweather) is now 37, still lives with her mom, works as a secretary, has no boyfriend, and sometimes she looks like a schlump.

The occasional fun Jo enjoys is going out with her mom Francine (Susan Peahl) for a movie and some ice cream. Jo seems wrapped up in a mental stupor, standing still while life passes by at the speed of light. The monotony of her existence is sucking her spirit into oblivion, one day at a time. But there’s hope. Jo starts to hang out with her co-worker Sherry (Bailey Humiston), a firecracker who motivates Jo to go out and fix herself.

There’s also Donny (Jeff Lorch), the butcher who asks Jo to go to their high school reunion together. He even gifts Jo some fresh beef cuts, courtesy of the house. Flirting and steak sound like an irresistible combination to fill up an empty life and an empty stomach. But, is it too good to be true?

Right when the universe is aligning for Jo, Melissa Ross introduces a powerful element in creative writing: Irony. By this time, the audience is already hooked, rooting for the protagonist. Ross develops her characters to make them feel relatable. Jo wants to escape, longing for a spark to set her life in motion. This triggers emotions, feelings, and memories, transforming Jo into an entity of strength and vulnerability that make her disarmingly appealing.

The supporting characters take a life of their own, longing for a better life, and just like Jo, suffering the dreadful feeling of being left behind. Peahl, Humiston, and Lorch are fantastic; they capture the entrapments of apparent stability and the exciting new opportunities opening up for Jo. What fascinates about Ross’ writing is her ability to create those suspension periods; the three supporting characters will either unlock Jo’s happiness or shatter her life once and for all.

Attuned with the excellent writing and the exceptional direction of Ann Bronston, Fairweather’s performance is simply magnetic. Her transformation leads the audience to a journey of passive acceptance of her fate to the active search of possibilities, mainly triggered by the chance of love. She takes her character to that crossroad where there’s only one turn, left or right, ultimate realization or utter misery.

Making the most of the stage, Bronston matches the action with a unique lighting and great 80s fashion. The blocking adds dynamism that pairs up well with the sharp dialogue, making this a thrilling production that translates faithfully the essence of the story. Do not miss the opportunity to experience the enchanting trinity of script, acting, and directing. It will make you think, cry, and laugh. It’s theatre at its best, another big win for the creative minds of Rogue Machine Production.

Nice Girl

Rogue Machine Theatre (Upstairs at the Henry Murray Stage in the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Opening: 5pm on Saturday, June 7, 2025
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Mondays; 5pm Saturdays, Sundays
(no performances on June 9, 13, 14, and July 4)
Closing: July 20, 2025

Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org

Written by Melissa Ross
Directed by Ann Bronston
Producers: Lexi Sloan, Guillermo Cienfuegos, Athena Saxon
Associate Producer: Chisom Okoye
A Rogue Machine Production

Cast: Anaïs Fairweather as Jo. Bailey Humiston as Sherry. Jeff Lorch as Donny. Susan Peahl as Francine.

Creative team: Rachel Frost (Assistant director), Barbara Kallir (Scenic and Lighting Design), Christopher Moscatiello (Sound Design), Christine Cover Ferro (Costume Design), Lauren Lovett (Dialect Coach), Grant Gerrard (Technical director), Victoria Hoffman (Casting), Rachel Manheimer (Production Stage Manager).

The Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival

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The red carpet gala at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills opened up The Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the power of film to express the extensive Jewish experience throughout the world.

The red carpet featured some of the stars of the films that will screen during the festival. Glamgical had the opportunity to interview two of the actors of “Midas Man”, Jay Leno and Jonah Lees. The film is a tribute to Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles. Leno plays TV host Ed Sullivan and Lees plays John Lennon.

We also interviewed the Vice Major of Beverly Hills, John A. Mirisch, who delivered a moving message to the audience, stressing the importance of supporting the Jewish community in times of need.

We also talked briefly with the creators of “Guns & Moses”, a film that will open up in theaters on July 18 across the America. Writer and Director Salvador Litvak and Writer Nina Litvak encouraged our viewers to support this film, which depicts a Rabbi who decides to fight back when his community gets attacked.

To find out more about the festival and the times and places of the screenings, please visit lajfilmfest.org

Theatre Review: Strife

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With riveting performances by Franc Ross and Gerald C. Rivers, Ellen and Willow Geer give Strife a renewed sense of urgency, adapting the play to the 1890s in Pennsylvania, but reflecting some of the concerns of today’s job conditions.

From the trade guilds of ancient Rome to their transformation into Labor Unions as we know them today, these associations have tried to achieve economic and social justice by balancing the employer-employee relationship through group bargaining. Social activist John Galsworthy explored the tensions derived from intransigent positions by the two sides in the gripping story of the American Steel Corporation, led by its Chairman John Anthony (Franc Ross) and the Worker’s Committee, led by David Roberts (Gerald C. Rivers).

While the leaders of both sides refuse to give in, the families of the workers suffer the consequences. There is hunger and frustration, and the stakes are so high that the leaderships of Anthony and Roberts run the risk of coming to an end. Galsworthy’s writing is so relevant that his play still resonates today. It might be that the stubbornness of extreme positions have negative effects in more than just labor relations. Wars, trade disputes, and revolutions are clear examples of collateral damage suffered by innocent people at the mercy of leaders unwilling to compromise.

With the turmoil depicted and the dialogue, the cast have an excellent opportunity to shine. Ellen and Willow Geer do a fantastic job exploring the different layers of sensitivities displayed by the characters. Inflexibility, ambivalence, and desperation are embedded in the writing, and the actors make the best of it. If there were a Theatre Hall of Fame in Los Angeles, Ross and Rivers would certainly be inducted. They trigger your suspension of disbelief as soon as they hit the stage. Their portrayal of John Anthony and David Roberts is powerful and moving. They encapsulate the delusion of power and the desolation of its denouement.

The female characters add a significant weight and counterweight to the play. Annie Roberts (Earnestine Phillips) portrays the victim who pays the highest price of the prolonged strike. Enid Underwood (Emily Bridges) changes positions as a result of the unyielding stance of both sides of the conflict. Madge Thomas (Annie Reznik) embodies the frustration and powerlessness of the striking side; she’s a character who is protective and tries to mediate, only to see Roberts’ unwillingness to compromise and the indifference of Enid Underwood to the workers’ needs.

In this particular play, Galsworthy shares a similar style with George Bernard Shaw. To express their social commentary, both writers use long monologues, using dialogue as a tool to critique class divisions and the struggles of the poor. One distinctive detail in Strife, is that Galsworthy features Anthony and Roberts as opposites, one rich, one poor, but as the story unfolds, both end up as equals in their ambition to win the battle. The 180 degrees of separation eventually become 360 degrees of connection. Those nuances make this play timeless, resonating with the audience as any contemporary story would do.

The direction and the acting give a mesmerizing new life to Strife, a play that reflected the struggles of the working class during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, but whose universal themes continue to echo the clamor for economic justice and fair balance in labor relations.

Strife

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga CA 90290

Performances: June 21 – October 4

Tickets and schedule: theatricum.com

Written by John Galsworthy
Directed by Ellen Geer and Willow Geer
Presented by Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum

Cast: Franc Ross, Alan Blumenfeld, Ted Dane, Roman Guastaferro, Adam Mondschein, Andy Stokan, Gerald C. Rivers, Tom Allard, Hunter James, Cavin (CR) Mohrhardt, Rebecca Oca–Nussbaum, Sam Cowan, Brian Wallace, Emily Bridges, Clarissa Park, Earnestine Phillips, Annie Reznik, Aubrey Sage, Susan Stangl, Damon Rutledge, Marcus Andrews, Luke Bolle, Julius Geer–Polin, Mo Gordon, Danielle McPhaul, Kevin Rauch, Andrew Rodriguez, David Salper, Georgiana Swanson, Aralyn Wilson, Eliott Gray Wilson, Gabe Worstell, and Sammie Zenoz.

Theatre Review: Motel 66

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The Group Rep continues the road trip called Motel 66. This time, seven short plays explore the trepidations and hilarity of the human condition.

As it usually happens on a road trip, peculiar characters are found along the way, some carrying heavy weights of fear and regrets, while others just try to make the most out of life. Each of the seven plays is set in some of the cities connected by the famous Route 66, the stretch of highway going from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California.

The cities depicted in the plays are Flagstaff, Amarillo, Winslow, Hackberry, Wildorado, Barstow, and Albuquerque. The situations are varied and place the characters in challenging existential crises, forcing them to face the realities of life. As the plays show, the human experience is full of drama and humor, and that makes great entertainment for live theatre. Seven writers, seven directors, seven plays, and 19 actors make up this stretch of the road.

Four of the plays tackle dramatic situations. 45 Minutes And Counting, written by Julie Davis and directed by Lisa McGee-Mann deals with compassion and desperation to avoid a mistake that could ruin a marriage. Futures Passed, written by Fox Carney and directed by Todd Andrew Ball features the talents of April Audia and Anica Petrovic; both actresses excel in this strange interaction of two characters that share something special in life. This play is one of the highlights of the show. Wildorado written by Mimi Kmet and directed by Amy Shaughnessy is a trending story about abortion and abortion rights, exploring the tough and devastating decisions that have to be taken. Reunion, written by Kathi Chaplar and directed by Helen O’Brien presents the case of two characters’ reunion, years after a relationship went south. Success, failure, regrets; it’s all there. Still lingering. Still painful.

The three comedies presented are Forget Me Not, written by Denise Downer and directed by Barbara Brownell. A forgetful husband and a forgiving wife take a vacation. How about leaving your wife behind at a gas station in the middle of nowhere? This play features the exceptional Michael Mullen. Unfortunately, his character is too minor and he can’t show his talent. The Tour Guide, written by Phil Olson and directed by Doug Engalla. A 31-year-old takes a trip with his parents, who want him to grow up and move out of their home. He has a blog with no subscribers and no revenue (somehow it rings a bell). To get him out of the house, the parents set up a lie that, at the end, might not be a lie at all—well, it’s open to interpretation. What a creative and fun show. And lastly, Baby Day, written by Brent Beerman and directed by Lee Redmond. Three fans of comics interact with each other. Comic Con, costumes, and bodily fluids create this microcosmos of resistance to adulthood. Another fun situation to entertain your road trip.

The Group Rep is building a valuable collection of stories, connecting cities and characters in a string of plays that serve as an opportunity for creatives to expose their talents and giving the audience a chance to see multiple stories in one production.

Motel 66

Upstairs at The Group Rep Theatre
10900 Burbank Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

June 5 – July 13, 2025

Thursdays at 7:00pm
Saturdays at 4:00pm
Sundays at 7:00pm

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Cast: Ben Anderson, April Audia, Brent Beerman, Stephanie Colet, David Downs, Lee Grober, Jessica Kent, Angie Lin, Sam Logan, Melissa Lugo, Savannah Mortensen, Michael Mullen, Judy Nazemetz,  Seong Park, Lloyd Pedersen, Anica Petrovic, Ramona Reeves, Danny Salay, Rachel Speth, Neil Thompson, Troy Whitaker, and Sylvie Wiley.

Theatre Review: Peril in the Alps

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With his peculiar mustache and walk, Hercule Poirot (Omri Schein) solves another difficult case, this time in an exotic location up in the Swiss Alps.

Bella, the twin sister of Captain Hastings’ wife, gets kidnapped. At the same time, a new wealthy client reaches out to Poirot to help solve the strange abduction of her husband. Coincidently, the husband was seen with a woman that looks very much like Bella, right before his disappearance. Are both cases connected?

Playwright and Director Steven Dietz uses characterization, especially costumes and personal traits, as tools to deliver bombastic performances and excellent humor. The central character being Poirot, of course. It is not an easy task to repeat the successful portrayal of Poirot by David Suchet, who played the character for 14 years in Britain’s Channel 3 TV show. Schein, however, brings a fresh take on the Belgian detective. His accent and mannerisms seduce the audience in a way that only talented thespians are able to do.

Valerie Larsen as Captain Hastings delivers an outstanding performance as well. Her pose and overall characterization add a new approach to the loyal sidekick. Larsen exhibits the oddity and smartness of the character effortlessly, catapulting the essentiality of Hastings in the story arc.

Dietz’s ambitious production is also boosted by the impressive scenic, lighting, and costume design by Marty Burnett, Matthew Novotny, and Elisa Benzoni respectively. These elements highlight the farcical and comical nature of the play, turning the stage into an amusing visual spectacle.

At the end of some of the TV episodes, Poirot would recap through flashbacks how the mysteries unfold and how he solves them. In theatre, this would take more resources, so to solve it, Dietz uses puppetry to convey the summary of events; a clever device to deliver a creative comedy effect.

With fast-paced blocking and exceptional acting, Peril in the Alps honors the quirky characters and fascinating mysterious worlds of Agatha Christie, one of the most successful and revered writers of mysteries of the last century.

Peril in the Alps

Laguna Playhouse
606 Laguna Canyon Rd.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Sunday, June 15 – Sunday, June 29, 2025

Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Thursdays at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Fridays at
7:30pm; Saturdays at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm & 5:30pm.
There will be no performance on Sunday, June 15 at 1:00pm or Sunday, June
29 at 5:30pm.

Tickets: lagunaplayhouse.com

Written and Directed by Steven Dietz
Based in part on “Poirot Investigates” by Agatha Christie

Cast: Gabbie Adner as “Woman Two,” Valerie Larsen as “Captain Hastings,” Brian Mackey as “Man Two,” Omri Schein as “Hercule Poirot,” Amanda Sitton as “Woman One,” and Christopher M. Williams as “Man One.”

Creative team: Scenic design by Marty Burnett; costume design by Elisa Benzoni; lighting design by Matthew Novotny; composer and sound design by Rob Witmer; props design by Rai Feltmann; hair & wigs design by Peter Herman. The Production Stage Manager is Vernon Willet.

Fringe Review: Dolores

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Three abortions, a trail of failed relationships, and a black eye. Dolores (Davonna Dehay) is in real trouble, so she turns to her sister Sandra (DeeDee Woche) for help. 

Playwright Edward Allan Baker provides a picture of working-class families and the roots of violence. It starts in childhood and continues through adulthood. Violence against animals is a premonition of violence against partners. How to push back? 

Dolores and Sandra represent the consequences of psychological and physical abuse. They both suffer in silence, normalize violence, and seem to accept their misery as the only option. But there’s a limit, and Dolores shows what happens when someone is pushed into a dead-end street. 

Dolores is peppered with humor, but sometimes the jokes land flat, a result of both their misplacement in the dialogue and the delivery. For the most part, however, Dehay and Woche do a great job portraying the two broken characters, especially Dehay, who has a more extensive theatrical experience. Woche is doing her theatrical debut, and this play presents a positive challenge. This is the right way to cut one’s teeth, playing roles with complex emotional layers. 

Director Stephanie Feury shows her experience at the helm, highlighting the emotional charge each character is carrying, and excels in building up the tension, leading up to the surprising climax of the story. The set design also adds to the vibe of the environment, a nice touch to the staging of this play.

This is another solid production with a committed cast and a creative director that are effective in translating the grittiness of the story and the desperate need of family support to survive the cycle of domestic abuse. 

Dolores

Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre
5636 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Sunday June 8 2025, 4:30 PM
Thursday June 12 2025, 7:00 PM
Monday June 16 2025, 8:30 PM
Friday June 20 2025, 7:00 PM
Monday June 23 2025, 5:30 PM
Saturday June 28 2025, 11:30 AM
Sunday June 29 2025, 2:30 PM

Tickets: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/12036?tab=tickets

Written by Edward Allan Baker. Directed by Stephanie Feury. Produced by Davonna Dehay. Co-Produced by DeeDee Woche. 

Cast: Davonna Dehay and DeeDee Woche.

Creative team: Stage Manager: Spencer Frankeberger. Set Construction: Matthew Brown. Costume Design: Nora Wilde. Publicity: Bertha Rodriguez.

Fringe Review: Venus in Fur

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An audition takes an interesting turn in Venus in Fur, a power exchange masterclass with splashes of foot worshipping and diabolic feminism.

Thomas Novachek (Bryan McKinley) is adapting Venus in Furs, the famous novella by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. Thomas is exhausted from auditioning mediocre actresses all day. He is about to leave when Wanda Jordan (Rachael Meyers) storms into the audition room, late, and without an appointment. Thomas refuses to audition Wanda. She refuses to leave. A perfect recipe for a chemical reaction.

Playwright David Ives delves into the psychological aspects of female domination and male submission, taking from the original Sacher-Masoch’s novella and giving an updated meaning to the story and the characters. Using an unpredictable female character, Ives develops a mirror image of Wanda von Dunajew, but with a twist. Ives’ Wanda is apparently less cultivated. However, as the story unfolds, this updated Wanda becomes more of an enigmatic figure with an increasingly darker side.

The dynamics between the two characters intensify as they continue to read the script. Thomas’ initial hesitation gives way to an unexpected attraction. Wanda might seem to lack sophistication, but when she gets into character, she becomes a devilish sadist, an irresistible goddess. Too much for poor Thomas to resist.

Ives’ play is witty and fast-paced. Meyers and McKinley get the best out of the dialogue, exploring brilliantly the sexual tension and the surrender to one’s primal desires, a mystic and powerful element of the BDSM experience. Venus in Fur is another win for Meyers and McKinley, a couple recently seen in Let Me In, a dark comedy play about grief.

With a basic stage design, Director Amir Korangy achieves an attractive and professional production, a serious contender for this year’s awards. Korangy’s creativity sets a high bar for the rest of the productions; a reminder that all you need is a great script, solid performances, and excellent direction to stage a great show.

Pain and degradation are more fun when you add to the mix a mysterious woman, a susceptible man, and an invocation to Aphrodite, with unexpected consequences.

Venus in Fur

The Broadwater (Main Stage)
1076 Lillian Way
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 8:30 PM.

Sunday, June 15, 2025, at 10:30 PM.

Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 6:30 PM.

Tickets: hollywoodfringe.org/projects/11657?tab=tickets

Written by David Ives

Directed by Amir Korangy

Produced by Rachael Meyers and Bryan McKinley

Cast: Rachael Meyers and Bryan McKinley

Dance Theatre Review: Gatsby Redux

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Walking through the manicured landscapes of the Greystone Mansion, Mixed eMotion Theatrix recreates the extravagance and class struggles depicted in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s famous novel published in 1925, exactly 100 years ago.

Since this is a dance performance with no dialogue, the audience should be familiar with the novel or the films, otherwise, the scenes won’t make sense. This is a brief description of the story:

Nick relocates to New York to work as a bond salesman. He rents a bungalow next to the mansion owned by Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who throws extravagant parties. Gatsby is in love with Nick’s cousin, Daisy, but she is married to Tom, a white supremacist millionaire. Tom has an affair with Myrtle, a woman married to George, a mechanic. In the story, Nick lives in the wealthy neighborhood of West Egg, where he is trying to fit. George and Myrtle live in the poor neighborhood of East Egg.

I hope my three readers get the condensed version of the story. Likewise, Gatsby Redux is a short version of the novel. Due to the changing of locations from scene to scene, the whole story has to be shortened. The Greystone is also a large state, so it takes time to go from one location to the next. Part of the experience is to walk around and enjoy the breathtaking architecture and green areas this mansion has to offer, so every scene is set in a different area of the house.

One of the most spectacular numbers is where Goddess (Jaqueline Hinton) and company start the lavish soirée in the opening ceremony, a dazzling flow of dance and movement.

With a combination of dance styles such as Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and burlesque, this production offers a sizzling display of sexiness and kinetic storytelling. At times, the dancers are right next to you, making this staging a truly immersive experience. With the skills of the dancers and experience of the creative team, Gatsby Redux achieves to convey the complicated nature of human relationships depicted in the novel. Even a dog in the audience reacted when Tom (Andrii Strelkivskyi) slapped Myrtle (Sarah Wines)—the canine was on a leash, fortunately.

In this production, the audience helps to move the story forward, literally. With spectacular city views as a background, the change of scenes becomes a shared experience between performers and audience, adding an air of complicity to the ambiance.

Colorful birds, playful geckos, and other creatures hiding behind the lush vegetation of the Greystone Mansion observe from a distance the exciting recreation of the roaring 20s, an era that offered both great hopes of the American Dream and a reality check of the insidious effects of class struggle.

Gatsby Redux

Greystone Mansion
905 Loma Vista Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

June 5 – June 14, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
Thursday, June 5; Friday, June 6; Saturday, June 7; Sunday, June 8; Wednesday, June 11 (special “Pride Night” performance); Thursday, June 12; Friday, June 13 & Saturday, June 14, both inside and outside of the historic Greystone Mansion.

Tickets: beverlyhills.org/1327/Gatsby-Redux

Mixed eMotion Theatrix creative team: Janet Roston, Artistic Director/Choreographer. Ryan Bergmann, Executive Director. Joe LaRue, Producer. Sarah Mullis, Marketing Director. Kate Coleman, Associate Choreographer. Mixed eMotion Theatrix.

Dancers: Tiffany Wolff (Daisy Buchanan), Timothy Lewis (Jay Gatsby), Andrii Strelkivskyi (Tom Buchanan), Sarah Wines (Myrtle Wilson), Donny Collinson (Nick Carraway), Alana Gregory (Jordan Baker), Natalie Oga (Catherine, Ensemble), Jaqueline Hinton (Goddess, Ensemble), Melissa Barrow (Ensemble), Nick Young (Ensemble), Deven Fuller (Nick/Tom Swing).

Theatre Review: Fostered

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Remember the 60s? Peace and love, togetherness, sexual freedom, etc.? Chaya Doswell brings back some of those characteristics in Fostered, a family saga with lots of shenanigans.

Karen (Terry Davis) and Sandy (Tony Pasqualini) are planning to sell their house and retire to Hawaii, thinking that their four adult kids are fully independent to be on their own. But their plans change, as one by one, the kids return home, all of them with either stagnant careers or broken relationships, or both.

Maggie (Jillian Lee Garner) is broke and has been kicked out of her apartment. Alice (Katy Downing) is married to a man she doesn’t love and she’s now drinking heavily, especially vodka, straight from the bottle. Jeremy (Taubert Nadalini) is married to a woman, but he’s gay. Rachel (Hope Lauren) is a successful lawyer, trying to make partner at the law firm. She’s having a major nervous breakdown, including a suicide attempt, over a fight with her partner Daniel (Hiram Murray).

Just like that, the four kids are back to the family home, trying to figure out their lives. And just to spice it a little bit more, a Syrian/Lebanese refugee, Shafeek (Satiar Pourvasei), comes out of the blue, explaining that he has been adopted by Karen and Sandy. Shafeek is willing to give a hug, a kiss, and anything else to anyone, anywhere. A refugee, an adopted son, or an escort?

Doswell turns the family into an eccentric Wild West of ménage à trois, cheatings, and revelations. To blend all of these elements into an entertaining staging, Director Andrew D. Weyman brings out the rhythm of the script with a mastery display of movement and dialogue, creating an excellent blocking that delivers the comedy with a punch. Weyman comes from the world of TV, having spent his career working on some of the biggest shows of the last decades. Even though the mediums are different, he shows his talent on timing and physical comedy to create a visually entertaining spectacle.

Another aspect of the success of this play is the cast. Executive Producer Marilyn Fox continues to select talented actors that offer stellar performances. The eight actors deliver their lines with excellent timing to create the hilarious absurdity of the story. In this case, there is a fantastic recipe, mixing script, direction, and performance to give this play an irresistible allure.

Like in many instances art, Fostered was also conceived out of a place of pain and loss. But laughter is, after all, a good start to begin the healing process.

Fostered

Pacific Resident Theatre
703 Venice Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291

Opened: 8pm Saturday, April 26, 2025
8pm Thursdays – Saturdays; 3pm Sundays
No performances on Thursdays after June 25 or on 4th of July weekend. 2pm matinee added on Saturday, June 28
Closing: July 20, 2025

Tickets: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=277723

Playwright: Chaya Doswell
Director: Andrew D. Weyman
Executive Producer: Marilyn Fox
Assistant Director: Lily Brown
Presented by Pacific Resident Theatre

Cast: Terry Davis as Karen Foster, Katy Downing as Alice Foster, Jillian Lee Garner as Maggie Foster, Hope Lauren as Rachel Foster, Hiram Murray as Daniel, Taubert Nadalini as Jeremy Foster, Tony Pasqualini as Sandy Foster, and Satiar Pourvasei as Shafeek.

Creative team: Rich Rose (Scenic Design), Michael Redfield (Lighting Design), Keith Stevenson (Sound Design), Audrey Eisner (Costume Design), Bianca Martucci Rickheim (Stage Manager).