THESE SHINING LIVES at the Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre

The award-winning Actors Co-op Theatre Company is proud to present

THESE SHINING LIVES
Written by Melanie Marnich, directed by Thom Babbes and produced by Crystal Yvonne Jackson.
In These Shining Lives, women in the 1920s are thrilled to earn high wages doing the delicate work of painting iridescent dials on watch faces in a factory in the Midwest. Catherine, a mother of twins, eagerly joins the workforce, but as she grows older, she and her coworkers discover that they all suffer from radium poisoning. Despite their deteriorating health, they courageously take action against the watch company.

THESE SHINING LIVES
February 21 – March 30, 2025
Fridays and Saturdays 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm
Additional Saturday Matinees March 1 and March 15 at 2:30pm
Tickets: Adults: $35, Seniors (60 & over) $30, Students w/ ID: $25.00, Union Members:
$25.00. Student Rush Tickets available Friday Nights (except opening nights), Group Rates, and Season Subscriptions are available. For ticket information visit www.actorsco-op.org or call the box office at (323) 462-8460.
Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre is located at 1760 N. Gower Street, Hollywood 90028 (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood). Free Lot Parking on Carlos.

CRAZY MAMA at Rubicon Theatre Company

Rubicon Theatre Company of Ventura Presents

the World Premiere Drama

CRAZY MAMA

A True Story of Love & Madness

By Sharon Scott Williams

March 26th – April 6th, 2025

Starring Acclaimed Stage & Screen Actress Linda Purl

Directed by Golden Globe Nominee Anson Williams

March 6, 2025 (Ventura, CA) – RUBICON THEATRE, Ventura County’s premier professional not-for-profit theatre company, committed to providing entertainment, enrichment and educational opportunities for local residents and visitors, continues its blockbuster 2024/2025 Dare to Dream Season with the World Premiere of CRAZY MAMA: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE & MADNESS, written by Ojai resident SHARON SCOTT WILLIAMS. This deeply personal, darkly funny, and profoundly moving solo play will run March 26 – April 6, 2025, at Rubicon’s intimate Karyn Jackson Theatre, 1006 E. Main Street, located in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District. The production is directed by Golden Globe nominee ANSON WILLIAMS (“Happy Days” and “Melrose Place”/”Beverly Hills 90210” as director), and stars celebrated stage and screen actress LINDA PURL (“Happy Days”, “Matlock,” “The Office,” “Homeland,” “True Blood”). Purl returns to Rubicon for her ninth production with the company, calling the theatre her “West Coast artistic home.” This one-woman, 16-character, tour-de-force is about a daughter’s decades-long dream of saving her mother from the soul-crushing grip of mental illness. A testament to the steely resilience of the human heart and the enduring nature of hope, Crazy Mama will leave audiences breathless, moved, and inspired.

MARCH 26 – APRIL 6 (Low-Priced Previews Mar. 26 – 28/Press Opening Mar. 29)

 
Perf. Schedule: Wed. at 2 and 7 p.m., Thurs. at 7 p.m., Fri. at 7 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 7 p.m., Sun at 2 p.m. 
 
Prices: $25 – $84.50 (price includes $5 processing fee); Discounts for Subscribers, Students, Military and Equity
Tickets: (805) 667-2900 www.rubicontheatre.org  
Rubicon Theatre Company is located in The Karyn Jackson Theatre at 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura’s
Downtown Cultural District.
For more information about Rubicon Theatre Company, or to purchase tickets, call (805) 667-2900 or go to
www.rubicontheatre.org.
Supported in part by the SHERI AND LES BILLER FAMILY FOUNDATION
 
Acclaimed actress Linda Purl plays 16 characters in this tour-de-force about a young girl’s decades-long dream of saving her mother from the soul-crushing grip of mental illness. Laced with humor and pathos, Crazy Mama is a true story inspired by Ojai resident Sharon Scott Williams’ award-winning memoir, directed by veteran stage and television director and producer Anson Williams. A testament to the steely resilience of the human heart and the enduring nature of hope, Crazy Mama will leave you breathless, moved, and profoundly inspired. 

CABARET at Scherr Forum Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center

5-STAR THEATRICALS
Presents the First Show of its 2025 Season…
CABARET
Book by Joe Masteroff
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Based on the play by John Van Druten and the stories of Christopher Isherwood
Musical Direction by Gregory Nabours
Choreography by Clarice Ordaz
Directed by Michael Matthews

“In Here, Life is Beautiful…” beginning Friday, March 14 in the
Scherr Forum Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center!

OPENS: FRIDAY, MARCH 14 at 7:30pm (press opening) and runs through
SUNDAY, MARCH 30 at 1:00pm
Performances are Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 1:00pm and
7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm
BANK OF AMERICA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER –
SCHERR FORUM THEATRE
2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd, in Thousand Oaks
Tickets range from $68 – $95
For tickets, please call (805) 449-2787.
For theatre information, call (805) 449-ARTS (2787) or buy online at
www.5startheatricals.com.
Student, Senior and Group discounts are available.

Musical Review: Bat Boy: The Musical

A boy with pointy ears and fangs found in a cave, a seductive mother mourning her kids, and a disturbing case of sexual abuse by a colony of bats. Hey, the story comes from a supermarket tabloid, what can you expect?

If that’s not bizarre enough, the story has been turned into a musical. But do not expect a production with the vampiric and Gothic looks of Tim Burton’s style. Director Pat Towne chooses a more vanilla approach to present the story. The color palette leans more towards the pastel tones, moving away from the dark colors usually associated with horror or mystery themes. The choices in this case bring out the comedic aspect of the play. The hilarity is present even in the most dramatic scenes.

Ron (Isaac Council), Rick (Ethan RemezCott), and Ruthie (Sandra Kate Burck) are exploring a cave when they find Bat Boy (Ben Raanan), hiding in the shadows. Bat Boy bites Ruthie, who is taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, Ron and Rick take Bat Boy to Dr. Parker (Scott Mosenson), the local veterinarian. Moved by compassion, Meredith (Robyn Roth), Dr. Parker’s wife, takes Bat Boy under her wing and teaches him English, how to dress, and how to behave politely. She also gives him a name: Edgar. As for Shelley (Bethany Koulias), Dr. Parker’s teenage daughter, she feels disgusted by Edgar’s appearance and screams. But just like King Kong, Beauty and the Beast, and The Shape of Water, the pretty girl and the monster fall in love with each other. Shelley and Edgar let sexual instincts take over, without realizing the tragedies that lie ahead.

Even though the story might not be that compelling—all it’s a fantastical tale—the director and his actors make sure to deliver a visceral comedy with hints of humanism and compassion. At the end, the production proves to be a decadent display of dark humor, presenting themes of religion, discrimination, and ferality in humans.

The musical numbers lighten the darkness of the topics depicted in the play. The music is rather poppy, something similar to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, a pop song mocking the horror genre. In Bat Boy: The Musical, not only the horror genre is mocked, religion and society at large are also targeted.

For example, the gathering for the revival, a celebration to renew Christian devotion, is an opportunity for the residents of the small town to practice some good Christian heart and accept Edgar without any fear, ending his punishing ostracism. Encouraged by the benevolent Reverend Hightower (Chima Rok), the residents seem to finally accept Edgar into the community.

However, a jealous Dr. Parker turns the residents against Edgar, blaming him for the death of Ruthie. In a strange form of “baby envy”, Dr. Parker can’t stand the fact that his wife Meredith is now paying more attention to Edgar. In a fit of rage, Dr. Parker kills Ruthie with a lethal injection, blaming Edgar’s biting as the cause of her death. Long story short, the Christian revival turns into a fight, a renewed call to kill Edgar, and the killing of Rick by Dr. Parker. Yes, two and counting for him. Adding bizarreness to the scene is the dramatic, almost orgasmic mourning of Rick and Ruthie’s mom, Mrs. Taylor (Rebecca Larsen), who demands the immediate killing of Edgar. Revival of Christian values? Not so much. It’s so chaotic that even the Reverend takes flight, but not without his lectern.

The set. Minimalist. The attention here is the excellent acting and the sensationalist story. The lighting. The contrast and the hues add mood and intensity to the story, highlighting the emotional state of the characters. The special effects show the creativity of the team to impact the comedy of the play. Even the gang bang by the bats is hilarious.

Towne brings the absurdity of Weekly World News to the stage in mesmerizing fashion. His cast and creative team achieve a one-of-a-kind production, with excellent live music to energize the ambiance in every musical number. This musical is a testament that even tragedies can be highly entertaining. Add bats and fangs to the mixture and you have a hybrid of Batman and Dracula. And that’s a proven win.

Bat Boy: The Musical

Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
• FREE parking in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) lot one block south of the theater.

Performances: March 1 through April 6:
• Click here to view the performance schedule, which varies throughout the run.

Ticketsopenfist.org

Book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming. Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe. Directed by Pat Towne. Amanda Weier and Christian Lebano co-produce for Open Fist Theatre Company. Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director.

Cast: Ben Raanan, Sandra Kate BurckIsaac CouncilHutchins FosterCarmella JenkinsBethany KouliasMichael LanahanRebecca LarsenAmir LeviScott MosensonEthan RemezCott,  Ziare ReneBeth RobbinsChima RokRobyn Roth and Grace Soens.

Creative team: Scenic designer Brad Bentz; lighting designer Brandon Baruch; sound designer Christopher Moscatiello and mixer Alex Hix; costume designer Michael Mullen; and graphic designer D. Morris. The production stage manager is John Dimitri.

THE BAND:
Mike Flick – Bass
Jim Miller -Drums
Sean Paxton – Keyboards
Kevin Tiernan – Guitar

Theatre Review: Four Women in Red

During the 90s and 00s, the world centered their attention on the hundreds of women murdered in Ciudad Juárez, right on the U.S.-Mexico border. However, there is less media attention on a similar situation that has been altering the lives of many families here in America.

Playwright Laura Shamas exposes the traumatic ordeal of the families who navigate the bureaucracy and indifference of the authorities when Native American women go missing. During the opening scene, four women are sitting at the Sheriff’s office, waiting for news about their loved ones. Lynda (Carolyn Dunn) and her daughter Jo (Harriette Feliz) have reported the disappearance of Sara, Lynda’s daughter. Sadie (Zoey Reyes) is expecting news about her former girlfriend, Becky, who went missing recently. And Marie’s (Jehnean Washington) niece and a cousin are also missing.

From there, the exposition of the characters tells us that Sadie still cares about Becky. Marie has a a podcast, and Lynda is also very concern about the safety of her daughter Jo, a young woman who is also at risk of being kidnapped and murdered. The women complaint about the so-called “man camps”, the temporary housing units set up by oil companies near Native American reservations. The workers living in these man camps are rarely prosecuted if they commit crimes against Native women. But there’s more than just man camps that are troubling for these women. In the case of Lynda’s missing daughter, there is something far more sinister and complicated, something that involves international organized crime.

Left pretty much alone by the authorities, the four women decide to take matters into their own hands. With some leads, they collaborate with other women to organize search expeditions. These expeditions are similar to the ones undertaken by the families of the missing women of Juárez and Mexico in general, where more than 60 collectives of relatives have found multiple bodies of murdered people, originally reported as missing.

The four women in the play try to help each other, but under duress, even the best intentions are put to the test and their unity is soon replaced by distrust and resentment. Lynda and Jo receive some news from the Sheriff’s office, but they need to keep it to themselves. Unable to share the news with Sadie and Marie, their relationships start to crumble. The conflict and emotions are effectively used by Harrison to display the disruption of human behavior when faced by uncertainty.

Director Jeanette Harrison uses the limited elements available—The Victory is an intimate theatre, so there’s not much space for props or set design, although there a few creative set changes in between—to convey the different scenarios in the script, the search missions being the most challenging scenes to stage.

Harrison and her thespians are able to recreate the tension, drama, and anxiety depicted in Shamas’ story to magnify the epidemic of violence and murder afflicting the Native communities. The play references some laws that have been enacted to protect the Native women and enhance their safety. One of those laws is Savana’s Act, passed in 2020, aimed at improving the government’s response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. This law was enacted after the murder of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a pregnant member of the Spirit Lake Tribe who was killed when her baby was ripped from her womb. Savana died, but her baby girl survived miraculously and is now living with her father.

Underfunding, discrimination, indifference, and lack of media attention are some of the reasons why people don’t know much about the missing and murdered cases of Indigenous women. To complicate things even further, when searching and solving cases of missing Native women, authorities and families have to navigate the intricacies of federal government, state government, and tribal government, a jurisdictional maze that causes many cases to just fall into oblivion.

Four Women in Red is a powerful story that contributes to raise awareness of this critical issue. The four actresses deliver a moving message of empathy and solidarity in a time of need. It’s a play that has to be seen to really understand the nature and urgency of the situation. And hopefully, like in the case of Marie’s podcast, this play can help spread the word and call for action.

Four Women in Red

The Victory Theatre Centre
3326 W Victory Blvd
Burbank, CA 91505

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. / Sundays at 4 p.m.
• Previews: Feb. 8 and Feb. 9
• Performances: Feb. 14 (International Day of Action for #MMIW) through March 23

Tickets: https://thevictorytheatrecenter.org/

Written by Laura Shamas (Chickasaw Nation). Directed by Jeanette Harrison (Onondaga). Produced by Maria Gobetti and Evan Bartoletti. Presented by The Victory Theatre Center.

Starring Carolyn Dunn (Tunica-Choctaw/Biloxi, Mvskoke), Harriette Feliz (Chumash), Zoey Reyes (Dinéh and Chicana), Jehnean Washington (Yuchi, Seminole and Shoshone)

Creative team: Costume designer Lorna Bowen (Muscogee Creek NationSeminole and Cherokee); lighting designer Grayson Basina (Ojibwe); production designer Evan Bartoletti; sound designer Jose Medrano Velazquez; graphic designer Nipinet Landsem (Ojibwe and Michif, descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation); dramaturg Gail Bryson; and photographer Tim Sullens. The associate producer is Lisa Lokelani Lechuga and the stage manager is Ngan Ho-Lemoine.

Theatre Review: Tick, Tick… BOOM!

When to quit? When to keep fighting? Luc Clopton shines as Jon, the struggling artist pursuing a career in musical theatre in Jonathan Larson‘s Tick, Tick… BOOM!

Director H. Adam Harris has a script and three actors to create a full production. Throughout the play, he demonstrates a special talent to make his actors radiate the excitement of big dreams and the unnerving desperation of unrealized success. The three actors show their mastery in singing, dancing, and acting, delivering a dazzling performance to remember.

Clopton digs deep into Jon’s insecurities, making the audience feel the anguish of a latent failure that would shatter his dreams into pieces. As music and singing are instruments to express and amplify the hopes and insecurities of the human race, Clopton hits all the notes to display the conflicting emotions inside an artist who feels his success so close, but so far at the same time. As for Lena Ceja as Susan and Mario Houle as Michael, their performances exhibit the richness of Larson’s skills to elevate the main character, giving him the encouragement and the challenges needed to develop the drama and get the audience emotionally invested. Ceja is exceptionally lively, adding dynamism to her character. An actress ready to take a protagonist role on stage.

Harris succeeds in building the crescendo to reach the pivotal scenes where Susan tells Jon she’s leaving and Michael reveals he’s dying. Those circumstances push Jon to the limit and forces him to make a decision. This is a master class on getting the audience drawn into the story and invested in the characters. By the time Jon sings “Why”, the audience is already fully immersed in Jon’s struggles, rooting for him. A consolidation of the great work of writer, director, and actor.

Much of the success of this production is the direction. Harris connects all the elements to create a seamless flow, giving the three characters the necessary richness to form a solid case to make them interesting and likable.

The play is moving for a variety of reasons. The story travels. People feel easily identified with the characters. Jon is happy pursuing his dreams, but the elusive success keeps haunting him so much that he’s on the brink of giving up. Susan is a supporting girlfriend, but she’s also getting older and wants to settle down. Although Michael gives up his acting dreams, he is a great friend to Jon, always there for him to help him and encourage him to keep fighting. But as it happens often, life can be a cruel irony. Theatre reflecting life.

Although the themes of fighting for a dream and losing someone dear make this story highly relatable, it’s Harris’ direction what ensures that the artistic elements are finely calibrated to capture the emotions, anxieties, and hopes of the characters, mirroring the captivating integration of song and story as written so effectively in Larson’s poignant script. This production is another example of the Chance Theater’s commitment to bring meaningful and exceptional stories to the stage.

Tick, Tick… BOOM!

CHANCE THEATER
Bette Aitken theater arts Center on the Cripe Stage
5522 E La Palma Ave
Anaheim, CA 92807

Opening Night: Saturday, February 1 at 8 p.m.
Performances: January 24 – February 23, 2025
Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. & Sundays at 3 p.m.

Ticketschancetheater.com

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Script Consultation by David Auburn
Vocal Arrangements and Orchestrations by Stephen Oremus

Direction by H. Adam Harris, with music direction by Lex Leigh and choreography by Niko
Montelibano
Executive Producers are Susan Bowman & Freddie Greenfield and Steven & Louise Koch

Cast: Luc Clopton as Jon. Lena Ceja as Susan. Mario Houle as Michael.

Creative team: Scenic Designers Fred Kinney and Mio Okada. Costume Designer Bruce Goodrich. Lighting Designer Jacqueline Malenke. Sound Designer Hunter Moody. Stage Manager Jordan Jones. Dramaturg and Assistant Director Jane Broderson. Sound Engineer James Markoski.  Assistant Director Aaron Lipp. Intimacy Coordinator Shinshin Yuder Tsai.

Theatre Review: Evanston Salt Costs Climbing

With its mixture of reality, fiction, and loose ends, Evanston is not an easy play to stage. However, under the brilliant direction of Guillermo Cienfuegos and a talented cast, Will Arbery‘s characters come to life to offer an amusing story about…salt and technology.

There is, of course, more than just salt and technology. Basil (Hugo Armstrong) and Peter (Michael Redfield) work in the Department of Public Works, salting the roads during snow season in the city of Evanston, Illinois. Peter seems depressed and thinks about death constantly. Basil is from Greece. He has a secret that bothers him a lot. Their boss is Jane (Lesley Fera). Basil and Jane are engaging in some sexual shenanigans.  Jane has a 31-year-old daughter, Jane Jr. (Kaia Gerber), who is insecure and suicidal. Basil talks about a lady in a purple hat who appears at times during the play. The story sounds simple and straightforward, until it doesn’t.

The scenes then turn topsy-turvy, jumping from reality to the surreal. And that’s where our imagination kicks in. The minimal exposition of the characters and their existential crises converge to make some kind of sense, but it’s up to the audience to connect the dots and find the explanation of the mayhem seen on stage. And that might be the value of this play. It seems as if Arbery didn’t just write a play to hypnotize the audience. Arbery wants the spectator to collaborate with him to write the story together. The relationship then becomes a clash between writer and audience. As an agent provocateur, Arbery shakes the spectators to get them out of their comfort zone and allow them to construct the drama and find the solution of the story. The dramatic elements are scattered around in an open form, and it’s the audience who solves the puzzle. An amusing challenge to say the least.

The play could’ve been flat and boring as an experimental piece. Fortunately, Cienfuegos excites the elements and the characters become a spectacular display of dysfunctional personalities on the verge of self-destruction, with plenty of drama and comedy in between to engage and entertain. To heighten the experience, Scenic Designer Mark Mendelson uses a variety of elements and effects to convey the snowy surroundings and the fantastical allusions described in the play.

One can imagine that the director and actors had to work a bit harder to find the motivations that drive the story and the characters. This is because the play looks like an open story, somehow like Luis Buñuel‘s films and Edward Albee‘s plays, with absurdist situations and strange characters with no apparent direction. But with his usual magic touch, Cienfuegos takes the script and turns it into a dynamic expression that uses physical and verbal comedy as a vehicle to express the abstract truths of the story and infuse the characters with a thrilling aura of surrealism to compliment Arbery’s fantasy-reality dualism.

One of the themes in the play is the advancement of technology and the displacement of certain jobs. As a new technology with heated roads threatens Basil and Peter’s jobs, Jane tries to save their jobs, although she gets a better position for herself. Not much hope for Basil and Peter, but that’s how the story goes, at times reflecting our pressing reality, such as AI, a threat for some, an opportunity for others.

In a series of scenes, Arbery gives his characters some kind of backstory to justify their actions. Those revelations however, are not detailed enough to project Peter and Basil as fully developed characters. This might be intentional to force the audience to fill in the blanks in that exercise of solving the puzzle together.

To emphasize the absurdist tone of the play, Arbery adds a strange case of entity fusionism. Basil tells Peter of a dream where he and his grandma experience a close encounter with each other. The description is shocking and surreal, a symbolic instance similar to the one experienced by Montero in Carlos Fuentes‘ fantastical novel Aura, a bit different, but using sexuality as a projection of grander themes.

One aspect that makes this production an exciting experience is the superb acting. The four thespians play their parts with passion and give the characters a suspenseful sense of despair and hope, always holding on for dear life. Armstrong, Redfield, and Fera are a display of talented stage experience, contributing to create emotional, dysfunctional, and engaging performances to make this complex story work. As for Gerber, she exhibits depth and commitment to the craft. She has a commanding stage presence, moving easily between drama and comedy, delivering her lines with conviction and offering a moving performance, hinting even a career in music? She’s a rising stage star and a refreshing addition to the theatre scene.

In trying to define Evanston, we can say that the play features themes of new technology, guilt, insecurities, suicidal tendencies, human relationships, and a whole lot of salt. But it is the audience who build, define, and find the beauty in the abstract world of Will Arbery.

Evanston Salt Costs Climbing

Rogue Machine (in the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Opening: 8pm on Saturday, January 25, 2025
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays; 3pm Sundays
(No performances on Monday January 27, February 10)
Closing: March 9, 2025

Ticketsroguemachinetheatre.org

Written by Will Arbery. Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos. Assistant Director: Hall McCurdy. Produced by Justin Okin. Associate Producer: Athena Saxon. A Rogue Machine Production.

Cast: Hugo Armstrong as Basil. Lesley Fera as Jane Maiworm. Kaia Gerber as Jane Jr. Michael Redfield as Peter.

Creative team: Mark Mendelson (Scenic Design), Dan Weingarten (Lighting Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Christine Cover Ferro (Costume Design), Jenine MacDonald (Prop Design), Michelle Hanzelova-Bierbauer (Projection Design), Victoria Hoffman (Casting), Myrna Gawryn (Movement Director/Intimacy Coordinator), Rachel Ann Manheimer (Stage Manager), Grant Gerrard (Technical Director).

Theatre Review: The Seagull

Director Bruce Katzman‘s staging of this classic play offers comedy and intrigue, framed by an impressive naturalistic scenic design.

The Seagull is a play where Anton Chekhov uses spoken and unspoken language to convey the intricate emotional layers of the characters living by the lake. The words and the silences combine to create tension and express the complicated relationships of Treplev (Parker Sack) with the people around him. The beauty of the lake casts a spell on the people who live around it, bringing both romanticism and tragedy.

In Katzman’s production, the characters are surrounded by an eye-catching scenic design that represents the lake and the woods of Chekhov’s magical place. The blue and green hues used by Carlo Maghirang capture the vividness of nature and the intensity of the feelings experienced by the characters.

Katzman honors the comedic aspect of the play. There is plenty of drama, but the production highlights the humorous characteristics of Chekov’s writing. The excellent performance of Carlos Carrasco as Shamrayev, is an example of Katzman’s commitment to present Chekov’s intention to write a comedy rather than a drama. The result is a balanced production that adds dynamism to the characters and the situations portrayed on stage.

The music and sound effects by Clare Marie Nemanich also contribute to the attraction of this staging. Lukas Jann as Yakov and Hannah May Howard as Maid make great use of the sound effects playing their respective instruments, adding an air of mysticism to the scene.

The acting of the leading actors leaves room for improvement. It feels as if Cece Kelly as Nina and Parker Sack as Treplev only scratch the surface. Although they offer good performances, they don’t reach the depths of their characters. Both Nina and Treplev are complex characters with layers of ambitions and traumas that could be explored more intensely in this production to broaden the dramatic effect of the story. Both Kelly and Sack seem to have the skills to achieve greater heights. The supporting actors with more experience leveled up the play. Sasha Alexander as Arkadina and James Tupper as Trigorin delivered solid performances, playing their characters convincingly and adding the necessary tension for an effective striking impact to move the story forward.

Overall, Katzman presents a visually exuberant production of a play that shows Chekov’s keen observation of human nature and the volatility of humans when pushed to the limits. As a traveling doctor through the Russian territory, Chekov saw first hand the sublimity and misery of the human condition. His experiences are ingrained in his writing. Katzman captures the nuances of the human behavior witnessed by Chekov and infuses an interesting combination of drama and humor to express the verbal and silent symbols present in the story.

The Seagull

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

Jan 18 – Feb 9 2025

Thursdays @ 8 p.m. / Fridays @ 8 p.m. / Saturdays @ 8 p.m. / Sundays @ 2 p.m.

Ticketsodysseytheatre.com/tickets/

Written by Anton Chekhov. Directed by Bruce Katzman. Produced by James Tupper and Carolyn Crotty.

Cast: Sasha Alexander as Arkadina. James Tupper as Trigorin. Cece Kelly as Nina. Parker Sack as Treplev. Carlos Carrasco as Shamrayev. Carolyn Crotty as Polina. Brianna Bryan as Masha. Will Dixon as Dorn. Joe Hulser as Sorin. Matthew Hartley as Medvedenko. Lukas Jann as Yakov. Hannah May Howard as Maid.

Creative team: Nicole Ohara Production Manager. John Levey Additional Casting. Roella Dellosa Stage Manager. Carlo Maghirang Scenic Designer. W. Alejandro Melendez Lighting Designer. Eva Zapata Costume Designer. Clare Marie Nemanich Sound Designer. Dana Schwartz Props Designer.

‘Comedy Night’ at the Odyssey featuring Kevin Flynn & Friends

Kevin Flynn & Friends headline
‘Comedy Night’ at the Odyssey

One performance only: Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.
 

LOS ANGELES (January 9, 2025) — Everything is funnier at the Odyssey Theatre, where “Comedy Night” is fast becoming one of the top spots to see comedy in Los Angeles. Next up: series curator, writer, actor and comedian Kevin Flynn will be joined by stand-up pal Al Ducharme and a special surprise guest for an unforgettable night of comedy on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.

The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 SSepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. All tickets are $20, with an additional $3 per ticket fee if using a credit card.

For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310477-2055 or go to OdysseyTheatre.com.

“BOKSHI” To Premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam

Bhargav Saikia’s Folk-Horror Epic “BOKSHI” To Premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam

Rotterdam, Netherlands) – January 15, 2025. “Bokshi”, the highly anticipated directorial debut from Indian genre filmmaker Bhargav Saikia (Awakenings, The Black Cat), will make its world premiere at the renowned International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in the Netherlands, on January 31st. This marks a milestone for Indian genre cinema, as Bokshi is one of the few independent Indian films to debut at a Top-Tier festival in recent years.

Bokshi follows Anahita, a young woman struggling with the trauma of her mother’s brutal disappearance. Finding solace in Shalini, her compassionate history teacher, Anahita joins an unconventional school excursion to a mysterious prehistoric site. There, she encounters ancient forces rooted in the region’s mythology that force her to confront her terrifying destiny. Bokshi is a chilling coming-of-age story that blends supernatural folklore with themes of ecology and female empowerment.

SCREENINGS (Rotterdam’s IFFR, Netherlands):

World Premiere: Friday January 31st, 8:30pm, Cinerama 5, with Q&A

2nd screening: Sunday, February 2nd, 2025, 2:15pm, LantarenVenster 5, with Q&A

3rd screening: Saturday, February 8th, 2025, 1pm, Pathé 6

“It’s an honor to premiere ‘Bokshi’ in Rotterdam, a festival celebrated for showcasing bold and original voices in global cinema,” said director Bhargav Saikia. “This film is deeply personal to me, blending my love for genre storytelling with the unique cultural heritage of the region where I’m from. I’m thrilled to share it with an international audience.”

TEASER-TRAILER (YOUTUBE): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nKLfpXRuEM