Author Archive: Glamour

Theatre Review: Twelfth Night

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Twelfth Night is presented by Actors Co-Op. Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Michael T. Kachingwe. Produced by Lorinda Hawkins Smith.

This production transfers the story from the Balkans to the South Pacific. It is also set in a recent past. This departure from the original setting gives the story a fresh look at Shakespeare’s themes of romance and European affairs. As expected, the costumes and the music reflect the change of place and culture.

The new setting allows Director Michael T. Kachingwe to give the characters in this production a historical context in relation to the location where the story takes place. The characters of Antonio and Sea Captain (Ben Kientz) have the look of pirates, outcasts that navigated the islands of the South Pacific in the past. Duke Orsino (Antwon Mason Jr.) and Maria (Britny Horton) have the looks of natives from the islands. Viola/Cesario (Mary Leeholland), on the other hand, has a European look, a hint to the European influence on those lands. This staging, however, does not seem to be a political statement on the history of the islands. After all, Twelfth Night is mainly a story with romance and comedy at the center, and Kachingwe keeps it that way. As for the sexual fluidity implied in the play, Kachingwe expresses this concept not only in the characters of Viola and Cesario but also in Feste, a male character played by a female actress, Chloe Babbes.

Talking about Babbes, her comedic and musical talents are engaging and add a playful and mischievous tone to the play. Along with Babbes, William Viriato is the other actor with a sensational sense of comedy. He does a fantastic personification of Malvolio, triggering the loudest laughs with his inventiveness and physical comedy, connecting with the audience immediately.

One thing to point out is that in the original script, Viola and Sebastian (Victor H. Rodriguez) are twins and look alike. In this production, however, Leeholland and Rodriguez do not necessarily look alike. This could be intentional, as this version of the play is modern rather than classical. This could or could not be noticed by the audience, depending on their familiarity with Twelfth Night.

This version highlights the comedy and musicality of the play. Except for the text, the costumes, setting, and music, give this staging a contemporaneous feel to Shakespeare’s story. This production feels closer to Antaeus‘ production of The Tempest, a version that also highlighted the musical aspect of the play.

Kachingwe’s production is a valuable rendition of a classical story with a twist more attuned to our times. It also serves as an opportunity to showcase a diverse group of talent that refreshes the theatre scene. At the same time, the major themes of the script are kept. intact. The love, the loyalty, the melancholy, and mainly the comedy are at the heart of this performance. Co-Op‘s offers another excellent play to explore new possibilities using one of the best comedies written by William Shakespeare.

Twelfth Night

Actors Co-Op’s David Schall Theatre

1760 N. Gower Street, Hollywood 90028

On the campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood

April 5 – May 12, 2024

Friday and Saturday Evenings at 7:30 pm

Sunday Matinees at 2:30 pm

Additional Saturday Matinees April 13th & May 4th at 2:30 pm

Tickets: actorsco-op.org

Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Michael T. Kachingwe. Produced by Lorinda Hawkins Smith.

Cast: Chloe Babbes, Freedom (U/S), Gavin Michael Harris, Britny Horton, Isaac W. Jay, Ben Kientz, Howard Leder, Mary Leeholland, Antwon Mason Jr., Nneka, Victor H. Rodriguez, Kevin Shewey, William Viriato, and Jessica Woehler.

Creative team: Scenic designer Hanalei Vasquez, costume designer Kelly Tsan, lighting designer Jesse Rodriguez, sound designer Thulani Kachingwe, hair and makeup designer Shelia Dorn, stage manager Kassy Menke, assistant stage manager Emmett Lee Merritt, choreographer Royce Correa, and set construction by Chris Winfield.

Music Review: Emaginario

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Emaginario (Ethan Margolis) performed on Wednesday 27 Mar 2024 at Sam First Jazz Club in Los Angeles, bringing his vibrant sound to the stage. Having spent time in Andalusia Spain, his jazz is influenced by the Romani culture and flamenco music, incorporating also the enigmatic sounds of Delta blues.

An accomplished world performer, Emaginario is joined on stage by a group of extraordinary musicians: Katisse Buckingham on sax and flute, Deron Johnson on piano, Luca Alemanno on bass, Chris Wabich on drums, and Munyungo Jackson on percussions. The unique blend of musical styles creates a rich and exuberant sonic landscape with an irresistible beat. The introspective lyrics are deep and poetic, adding an enigmatic aura to Ethan’s bluesy cantaor style.

Ethan’s guitar sounds nostalgic and romantic, with hints of the Caribbean, Spain, and a reflection of his Americana roots. Emaginario’s albums include Soleángeles, Arsa 100, En Madrid, Speakeasy Session, and Sonikete Blues. His new album is set for release on July 12, 2024.

You can find more about Emaginario’s eclectic music in the links below:

https://www.emaginario.com/

https://www.facebook.com/emaginariomusic

https://www.instagram.com/emaginariomusic/

The Fool by Emaginario video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ7saOkAyXs

 Listen to tunes from Emaginario’s 2023 Album: Songs of Mind: https://promo.theorchard.com/QkgKor0sD66cUf5Hh7Xc?skin=light 

Theatre Review: Could I Have This Dance?

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Could I Have This Dance? is presented by The Group Rep. Written by Doug Haverty. Directed by Kathleen R. Delaney. Produced by Brent Beerman for The Group Rep.

Could I Have This Dance? was developed at The Group Rep and premiered at The Colony in 1991. Since then, it has traveled the world. And now, more than 30 years later, it is produced for the first time at The Group Rep’s stage The Lonny Chapman Theatre.

Monica (Anna Connelly) runs Grapevine, a successful public relations company. She is dating Colin (Andy Shephard), a famous photographer who goes on assignments around the world. Monica’s sister is Amanda (Anica Petrovic), who is dating Errol (Sean Babcock, Motel 66), a much younger man. Monica and Amanda live with their parents Hank (Lloyd Pedersen, Harold and Maude, Morning’s at Seven, Motel 66) and Jeanette (Clara Rodriguez, Harold and Maude, Motel 66). Jeanette has Huntington’s disease, a rare and inherited condition that involves psychiatric, cognitive, and movement disorders (Jeanette has repetitive movements as if dancing).

The rhythm of the play with its tensions and resolutions creates a rich story with characters facing their strengths and insecurities in the face of uncertainty. Monica is a character with a profoundly human bent. She embodies an image of success and self-determination, but one of risk as well. Getting pregnant is like playing Russian roulette, risking the possibility of passing on the gene of Huntington’s disease to a child. However, the human factor is always present. The yearning of motherhood is almost impossible to resist. And risking it all, Monica decides to go all the way.

All of the characters go through a transformative experience, but Monica is perhaps the character that mirrors more closely the dramatic transformation of Jeanette. The diagnosis became a turning point for Jeanette, forcing her to face a whole new reality. For Monica, her biological clock keeps ticking, urging her to take drastic decisions that transform her expectations and commitments.

The script is brilliant and the six actors nail the dialogue and the action. Connelly and Petrovic are excellent, delivering a fascinating bantering between the two sisters and stressing the fears and hopes of a family dealing with a challenging situation. Shephard and Babcock also show their fine performance skills, contributing with their sharp comedic timing, much to the audience’s delight. These four actors are cleverly paired up with Pedersen and Rodriguez, two experienced stage actors that continue to deliver stellar performances on The Group Rep’s productions.

Director Kathleen R. Delaney brings alive the exhilarating rhythm of the play, creating a compelling blend of comedy and drama. Her work with the actors capture the poignancy of Doug Haverty‘s writing in a way that makes the audience get emotionally invested with the characters. And to add more value to this production, the beautiful set resembles the original 1991 staging at The Colony. Also, the costumes are a wayback machine to the 80s. These are details that show the level of commitment of the creative team and offer an attractive production to the audience.

Could I Have This Dance? is an extraordinary play with outstanding performances, a true gem in the theatre scene. It doesn’t fall into the trap of clichéd sentimentalism. Rather, it explores with humor and wit the beauty of human connections and the unbreakable bond of a family dedicated to care for one of their own.

Could I Have This Dance?

The Lonny Chapman Theatre – Main Stage

10900 Burbank Blvd.,

North Hollywood 91601

March 29 – May 5, 2024. Fridays & Saturdays 8pm. Sunday Matinees 2pm.
Sunday Talkbacks with the cast and staff March 31 and April 7, after the matinees.

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Written by Doug Haverty. Directed by Kathleen R. Delaney. Produced by Brent Beerman for The Group Rep.

Cast: Sean Babcock, Anna Connelly, Anica Petrovic, Lloyd Pedersen, Clara Rodriguez, and Andy Shephard.

Creative team: Set Designer Kathi Chaplar, Lighting Designer Frank McKown, Costume Designer Shon LeBlanc, Sound Designer Nick Foran.

Theatre Review: The Bespoke Overcoat

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Pacific Resident Theatre presents The Bespoke Overcoat. Written by Wolf Mankowitz. Directed by Marilyn Fox and Dana Jackson.

Fender (Harry Herman) is a poor Jewish clerk working in a cold clothing warehouse. He wears an old coat that is falling apart. He asks his boss, Ranting (Bruce Nozick), to let him purchase a coat from the warehouse and pay in installments. Ranting refuses and tells Fender that he would never be able to pay the coat. Fender then decides to ask his Jewish friend Morry (Robert Lesser), who is a tailor, to make him a bespoke overcoat. They agree on the cost and Morry starts working on the overcoat. Unfortunately, Ranting fires Fender after 43 years of service. Fender tells Morry to cancel the order for the overcoat as he no longer has money to pay for it. Feeling sorry for Fender, Morry agrees to finish the overcoat.

Before Morry can finish the overcoat, Fender dies of cold. When Morry comes back from the funeral, he finds Fender’s ghost sitting on his bed. The ghost tells Morry that he wants to go to Ranting’s warehouse at night and take a sheepskin overcoat as payment for all the years of service. They leave and enter the warehouse.

Wolf Mankowitz adapted the play from Nikolai Gogol‘s The Overcoat, a short story written in 1842 and set in St. Petersburg, the capital of Russia at the time. Mankowitz adapts the story to the impoverished East End of London, a neighborhood where many Jews worked in the clothing industry. In the play, a simple necessity becomes a symbol of the hardships of the poor. The overcoat, an essential item to survive the cold weather, represents the struggles and the dreams of those living in precarious conditions. Fender succumbs to the weather and dies without a new overcoat.

Directors Marilyn Fox and Dana Jackson recreate in great detail the grittiness and scarcity of the living conditions portrayed in the script. The extraordinary acting also projects the simplicity of the story, but also the depth of the characters. Herman is excellent as Fender. He explores poignantly the misery and the humble dreams of an old man at the twilight of his life, suffering the indignities of the working class. Lesser as Morry is exceptional as well, capturing the friendship and the regrets represented in his character.

Both Herman and Lesser transport the audience to a time of adversity for the Jewish community in London. The Jews living in London when Mankowitz wrote the script were still facing blatant and inconspicuous antisemitism by the British society, even when the Jews were contributing to the advancement of England’s culture and economy. Fender coming back to life to take a coat from Ranting’s business is a symbol of the right to demand a fair deal in life, whether by the Jews or the working class in general.

The story seems simple, but it contains a deep meaning when the historical context is taken into account. Ranting represents more than just an abusive boss. Fender represents more than just an old clerk. And Morry represents more than just a friend. Fox and Jackson stage a production that brings forward the humanity and hope of the characters and the resilience of a whole community living under adverse conditions in uncertain times.

The Bespoke Overcoat

Pacific Resident Theatre
703 Venice Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291

Opening: 8pm Saturday, March 9, 2024
Schedule: 8pm Thursdays – Saturdays; 3pm Sundays
Closing: June 2, 2024

Tickets: pacificresidenttheatre.org

Playwright: Wolf Mankowitz. Directors: Marilyn Fox and Dana Jackson. Presented by Pacific Resident Theatre. Cast: Harry Herman, Robert Lesser, Bruce Nozick, and Tobias Echeverria. Creative team: Rich Rose (Scenic Design), Leigh Allen (Lighting Design), Audrey Eisner (Costume Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Doug Prazak (Prop Design), Jody Fasanella (Assistant Director), Teak Piegdon-Brainin (Stage Manager).

Theatre Review: The Witness Room

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The Whitefire Theatre presents the World Premiere of The Witness Room. Written by Pedro Antonio Garcia. Directed by Bryan Rasmussen.

Four NYPD officers, Eli Torres (Dave Baez), Terrence Sampson (Moe Irvin), TJ Moretti (Louie Liberti), and Kevin Brennan (Mitch Rosander), are accused of fabricating evidence to arrest and convict a Puerto Rican man. Defending the cops is Prosecutor Andrea Volpi (Tricia Small), who is intimately familiar with the four cops and their shady record in the police force.

Playwright Pedro Antonio Garcia offers a glimpse of how the justice system works when police misconduct is involved. The code of silence does not apply to the mafia only, specially if planting evidence is in the mix. The immaculate image of justice in textbooks collides with reality in The Witness Room. The four cops searched for evidence, but what if the evidence is not found? Tampering seems to be the easy way to go. Except if a dedicated and inquisitive defense attorney finds inconsistencies in the cops’ testimonies.

One by one, the cops testify in court. And one by one, they start to break under pressure.  This is one of the highlights of Garcia’s writing. He worked as a criminal defense attorney and has plenty of material to work with. His play puts a human face to the usual unbreakable figure of authority that a cop projects in our culture. The four cops and the prosecutor are friends, colleagues, and brothers in arms, but they also have flaws and limitations that can jeopardize the integrity of the American justice system.

The play also shows the complicity of the judges to ignore blatant police misconduct, as if convicting corrupt officers would undermine the trust of the public in the authorities. In this case, the judge is willing to go along with the prosecutor’s strategy to save the cops’ positions, ignoring the defendant’s right to a fair trial.

Even though people know the occasional irregularities of the police actions, few people know the backroom deals happening in the courts in any given day. Whether those deals are a detriment to the justice system or an efficient way to clear the backlog of cases on file, that would be a personal opinion. What The Witness Room does is that it presents technical and little known details while bringing the police officers’ perspective to the regular citizen’s level. Much of what is seen in the play is happening in real life on a daily basis. Profiling, racism, corruption, and even cases of depression among police officers are common instances that may trigger aversion or sympathy, depending on who you ask.

The actors deliver gripping performances that convey the conflicting relationship between good and evil and the urgency to cover the basic necessities of life. Director Bryan Rasmussen creates a dynamic staging to marry action and dialogue, keeping the characters on the verge of total collapse. It’s a riveting production with engaging elements of conflict, emotion, and entertainment. Maybe we will have a different perception when we read the phrase “to protect and to serve”.

The Witness Room

The Whitefire Theatre
13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, California.

8 performances only. The play opens Saturday March 23, 8pm and will continue every Saturday night from March 30 through April 27, 2024, at 8pm.

Tickets: whitefiretheatre.com

Written by Pedro Antonio Garcia. Directed by Bryan Rasmussen. Cast: Tricia Small (Salem) as the Prosecutor and Moe Irvin (Ahsoka: Star Wars), Dave Baez (Greenleaf, Dexter), Louie Liberti (ER) and Mitch Rosander (Two Broke Girls) as officers of the NYPD.

Creative team: Set designer Jeff Rack, lighting designer Derrick McDaniel, sound designer Mitch Rosander, costume designer Laura Tiefer, graphic designer Michele King, fight choreographer Bonzai Vitali and casting director Victoria Hoffman.

Theatre Review: A Froggy Becomes

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The World Premiere of A Froggy Becomes is presented by Open Fist Theatre Company. Written by Becky Wahlstrom. Directed by Pat Towne. Produced by Martha Demson.

Bumpy Diggs (Sandra Kate Burck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) needs to complete her middle school project, but she can’t find anyone to help her with the assignment. She is somehow dating her classmate Pat (Kyle Tomlin), but she also develops a crush on her classmate Allen (Tom Sys), who is dating Karen (Kyra Grace). Bumpy’s father is a violent ogre (Peter Breitmayer) who spends the day drinking and smoking. And her mother (Johanna McKay) is having an affair with a priest, Father Angelo (Michael Lanahan). Yes, a lot of drama in the life of such a young girl.

Playwright Becky Wahlstrom incorporates elements of magical realism to symbolize the perspective of a girl going through the challenging years of puberty. Some of the fantastical elements are visual, like the large puppet in the form of an ogre. Some are psychological. Fantasies that only happen in Bumpy’s head, like her idealistic love for Allen or the idea that she and her mother could pursue a happier life with Father Angelo. Maybe the blending of fantasy and reality is a survival strategy for someone like Bumpy, a girl coming from a dysfunctional family.

Navigating through puberty proves to be exciting, frightening, and painful. Wahlstrom presents a character dealing with a teenager’s rite of passage: First love, first kiss, the pressure of school assignments, and the ups and downs of romantic relationships, including the dreadful heartbreak. How can Bumpy survive this rollercoaster of emotions? Maybe Madonna’s music can help a little bit. After all, this is the 80s, colorful clothes and all.

Director Pat Towne focuses on the performances of the actors and highlights the comedic aspects of the script, creating a play with a minimalistic set design and strong performances. Sandra Kate Burck does a fantastic job, carrying most of the play on her shoulders. She has excellent comedic timing and delivers a convincing performance throughout the play. The ogre adds much of the magical realism to the play, stressing both the comedy and the uneasiness of the story.

The play features the transition between the naiveness of childhood and the brutality of life, including intrafamily violence. Broken dreams seem to welcome Bumpy into adulthood, but also open up her eyes into the possibilities beyond the horizon, exploring adventure, growth, and new beginnings. Not bad for a story that starts with a simple seventh grade project, an ogre in underwear, a horny priest, and a self-determined teenage girl.

A Froggy Becomes

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 9–April 13
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: March 15; March 22; March 29; April 5; April 12
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: March 9 (Opening Night); March 16; March 23; March 30; April 6;
April 13
• Sundays at 7 p.m.: March 10; March 17; March 24; March 31; April 7

Tickets: openfist.org

Written by Becky Wahlstrom. Directed by Pat Towne. Starring Deandra Bernardo, Peter Breitmayer, Sandra Kate Burck, Kyra Grace, Jeremy Guskin, Ana Id, Carmella Jenkins, Michael Lanahan, Johanna McKay, Bradley Sharper, Tom Sys, Kyle Tomlin. Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director. Creative team: Scenic designer Jan Munroe, costume designer Mylette Nora, lighting designer Matt Richter, sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett, prop masters Bruce Dickinson and Ina Shumaker, and puppet designer Joe Seely. The production stage manager is John Dimitri, and the assistant director is CJ Merriman.

Film Review: Godzilla Minus One

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Godzilla Minus One. Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Produced by Minami Ichikawa, Shūji Abe, Kenji Yamada, Kazuaki Kishida, Gō Abe, and Keiichirō Moriya.

The 37th film in the franchise delivers a mutated Godzilla as a result of the radioactive sea spray contamination during Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll. The story is set in 1945, a tragic year in Japan’s history.

Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) seems to have failed his duty as a kamikaze pilot, bringing shame to his name. Due to shock and fear, he is also unable to shoot Godzilla when the monster attacks his garrison on Odo Island. The only survivors of the attack are Shikishima and Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), a lead mechanic who blames Shikishima for failing to shoot Godzilla.

Returning back home, Shikishima finds out that his parents were killed during the bombing of Tokyo—massive air raids known as Operation Meetinghouse. He finds a girl, Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe), who also lost her parents during the raids, and an orphan baby named Akiko, rescued by Noriko. Trying to rebuild his life, he decides to take care of them and live as a family.

As Godzilla continues his devastating path towards Japan, Shikishima finds a job as a minesweeper and his crew is commissioned by the Japanese government to stop Godzilla before the kaiju reaches the mainland.

The film includes two relevant elements. For one, its social and historical commentary. The story unfolds during WWII, few months before the detonation of the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The scene where Shikishima returns home captures the extensive damage by the Operation Meetinghouse raids. Napalm-carrying bombs were dropped over Tokyo, causing between 83,000 to 97,000 deaths and more than a million people left homeless due to the destruction of over 260,000 buildings. In the film, Shikishima, Noriko, and Akiko suffered the death of their parents. Noriko and Akiko were also left homeless. Shikishima rebuilding his house gives a sense of back to normality, a feature that might reference the Japanese efforts to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and its social fabric.

The other element is the visual effects. Godzilla Minus One is the Japanese style to create epic monster movies. 610 VFX shots, of which 100 were water shots, were created by a group of 35 artists, supervised by Screenwriter/Director Takashi Yamazaki and VFX Director Kiyoko Shibuya. The fluidity of movement, the eyes and body details, the destruction of Ginza, and the explosions are such a technical achievement that the film has received an Academy nomination for Best Visual Effects.

Another significant aspect of the film are the themes of guilt, redemption, and love, all of them universal attributes that connect strongly with the audience. The navigation of Shikishima through rejection, loss, and heroism, makes him a compelling character that gives him a human factor impossible to resist.

The question left in the air is: What lurks below Sagami Bay?

Godzilla Minus One

Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki and Kiyoko Shibuya. Produced by Minami Ichikawa, Shūji Abe, Kenji Yamada, Kazuaki Kishida, Gō Abe, and Keiichirō Moriya. Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki. Minami Hamabe. Yuki Yamada. Munetaka Aoki. Hidetaka Yoshioka. Sakura Ando. Kuranosuke Sasaki.

Cinematography by Kōzō Shibasaki. Edited by Ryūji Miyajima. Music by Naoki Satō. Production companies: Toho Studios and Robot Communications. Distributed by Toho.

Theatre Review: A Winter’s Tale

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The Winter’s Tale is presented by Antaeus Theatre Company. Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Elizabeth Swain.

With a minimalistic set, this staging The Winter’s Tale relies on the extraordinary skills of the thespians. Director Elizabeth Swain uses attractive costumes and the talent of her actors to present a story written in the 1600s. The themes, however, resonate with today’s audience in a moving and powerful way. Jealousy, based on facts or hypotheticals, is still a constant in our society, sometimes with deathly consequences.

The casting continues to be a decisive factor for Antaeus Theatre Company to create masterful productions. Actor Adam J. Smith portrays Leontes with passion and a convincing transformation into a man consumed by his inner demons. In a similar manner, he also morphs smoothly into the repented husband, father, and friend that is so eagerly looking for redemption. Ann Noble A Bella Incarceration, as Paulina, is also extraordinary. Strong and funny, she portrays the character that is not afraid to face an enraged Leontes. She speaks her mind, and fiercely opposes Leontes mistreatment of Hermione (Kaci Hamilton).

The combination of experienced actors with younger ones add a balance to the production that introduces Shakespeare to new audiences. The younger actors such as Peter Mendoza (Florizel/Lord I), Shannon Lee Clair (Emilia/Perdita), and Conlan Ledwith (Lord II/Shepherd’s son: Nathan Woodworth) blend effectively with the experienced actors JD Cullum (Autolycus/Lord III), Paul Eiding (Archidamus/Jailer/Old Shepherd), and Geoffrey Wade (Camillo/Mariner). 

This staging captures the festive scene of the play combining dance, music, and singing. It adds kinetics and shows the musical skills of the actors, blending brilliantly with the somber aspects of the story. 

Swain’s production features prominently the two themes that make this play a powerful and moving story: Jealousy with its lugubrious mood in the first three acts and redemption with a jovial tone in the last two acts. Bringing Hermione back to life is a poignant element used by Shakespeare to talk to the audience at an intimate level. Although impossible, resurrection has been a human desire since the very beginning. Steven Spielberg used it too in A.I. Artificial Intelligence. In The Winter’s Tale, at least for a moment, the impossible becomes possible.

The Winter’s Tale

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

February 4 – March 11, 2024

Tickets: antaeus.org

Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Elizabeth Swain.

Cast: Shannon Lee Clair, JD Cullum, Paul Eiding, Kaci Hamilton, Sabrina J. Liu, Brian Kim McCormick, Peter Mendoza, Ned Mochel, Ann Noble, Catia Ojeda, Claire Simba, Adam J. Smith, Geoffrey Wade, and Conlan Ledwith.

Scenic Designer: Frederica Nascimento. Costume Designer: Carolyn Mazuca. Lighting Designer: Vickie J. Scott. Sound Designer: Jeff Gardner. Choreographer: Annie Yee. Props Designer: Aaron Lyons. Composer: Donna Cribari. Production Stage Manager: Karen Osborne. Assistant Director/Production Dramaturg: Kaite Brandt. Assistant Stage Manager: Casey Collaso.

 

A Winter’s Tale poster
A scene from A Winter’s Tale
A scene from A Winter’s Tale

Theatre Review: Arrowhead

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The World Premiere production of Arrowhead is presented by IAMA Theatre Company. Written by Catya McMullen. Directed by Jenna Worsham. Produced by Quinn O’Connor and co-produced by Katharine Means for IAMA Theatre Company. 

Gen (Amielynn Abellera) has a problem: She got drunk, had sex with a guy, and got pregnant. But she’s a lesbian. Well, she decides to abort. It is during this time that Gen and a group of friends get together. Everything looks relatively normal until Levi (Nate Smith) and his friend Brody (Adrián González, Celestial Events, Kiss of the Spider Woman) arrive.

It doesn’t take long for some drama to unfold and turn things upside down. Gen and Levi had a romantic relationship in the past and seeing each other again complicates things even further, as Gen is currently dating Lily (Kathleen Littlefield). Maggie (Kacie Rogers, Celestial Events) is straight. Well, kind of. Cam (Lindsay Coryne) is lesbian and sees the group of friends as family. Stacy (Stefanie Black) is Levi’s sister and develops a special relationship with Brody.

Playwright Catya McMullen creates a world where a reunion of friends unveils the complications of love, sex, and identity. Taking from her own experiences, McMullen gives each character a world of possibilities. Identities, labels, and the struggles to cope with feelings, specially after a breakup, are explored in this play. It is a comedy that presents different points of view of some controversial issues around queerness and feminism.

One of the most valuable aspects of Arrowhead is that the seriousness of the topics exposed in the play are actually presented as a delightful comedy. The writing offers dialogue that gives the actors plenty of opportunities to shine. With the excellent direction of Jenna Worsham, the script is turned into a web of comedic situations that deliver entertainment on every scene.

Each character has a background that reflects the experiences of most of the people in the audience. The play is a journey of self discovery. A leap into the unknown. But you’re not alone—the characters are your co-pilots. They may not have all the answers to your questions, but they make you laugh all the way till the end. Lindsay Coryne, specially, delivers a phenomenal performance. We hope she/him gets nominated for an award this year; it’s a performance to be remembered.  

The attention to detail is always a reflection of the professionalism of the director, and for Arrowhead, Worsham uses the set design, lighting, and special effects as a menagerie of creative elements to enhance the comedic mood of the play. 

A love letter to queerness, Arrowhead is a play that grabs your attention and inspires to ask questions about identity, sex, love, and friendship. With humor, surprises, and a cat lady, what else can you ask for?

Arrowhead

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: Feb. 8 – March 4
• Thursdays at 8 p.m. Feb. 8 ONLY (Opening Night)
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 16; Feb. 23; March 1
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 17; Feb. 24; March 2
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Feb. 18; Feb. 25; March 3
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 19; Feb. 26; March 4 (dark Feb. 12)

Tickets: iamatheatre.com

Written by Catya McMullen. Directed by Jenna Worsham. Starring Amielynn Abellera, Stefanie Black, Lindsay Coryne, Adrián González, Kathleen Littlefield, Kacie Rogers, Nate Smith. Produced by Quinn O’Connor and co-produced by Katharine Means for IAMA Theatre Company. Presented by IAMA Theatre Company, Stefanie Black, artistic director. Creative team: Scenic designer Carolyn Mraz; sound designer Eliza Vedar; associate lighting designer/programmer Erica Ammerman; costume designer Danae Iris McQueen; properties designer Nicole Bernardini; intimacy director Celina Surniak; and casting director Jordan Bass. Rosalind Bevan is associate director; Daniel Cyzpinski is the technical director; and Zaira Paredes–Villegas is the production stage manager alongside assistant stage manager Isabella Gomez and wardrobe supervisor Athena Saxon.

Arrowhead poster
A scene from Arrowhead
A scene from Arrowhead

Theatre Review: A Permanent Image

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Pacific Resident Theatre presents A Permanent Image. Written by Samuel D. Hunter. Directed by Andrew Wayman.

Viola, Idaho. December, 2011. Bo (Scott Jackson) and Ally (Dalia Vosylius) visit their mom Carol (Terry Davis), after the passing of their dad Martin (Phil Cass). Nothing seems that unusual, except that Martin died of suicide. Oh, and that Carol painted the house with brushstrokes of white paint, including the furniture.

As the recriminations intensify, the family dynamics start to unveil the complexities of their lives. Education, negligence, and the despair of feeling left behind all play a role in the way the characters treat each other.

The busy schedules of Bo and Ally have prevented them from visiting their parents more often, taking a toll on Martin and Carol’s emotional state. It is the lack of formal education what seems to push Martin and Carol to get involved in some esoteric beliefs about cosmology. That philosophy leads them to some extreme views about life and death. It is now time for Bo and Ally to either accept or reject Carol’s decision about her own choices following Martin’s death.

Director Andrew Wayman uses the exposition of the character’s lives to convey the dramatic consequences of growing apart as a family and the psychological scars left by that fracture. In A Permanent Image, Samuel D. Hunter explores the effects of isolation and the efforts of family members to reconnect with each other. It is, however, the topic of voluntary euthanasia that raises the most ethical and philosophical questions. If life has no more value for someone, should that person be allowed to commit suicide with some assistance?

The four actors portray the vulnerabilities and resilience necessary to trigger deep and emotive reactions from the audience. Throughout the play, they build up the tension for that very last scene. It’s intimate. It’s emotional. It’s powerful.

A Permanent Image

Pacific Resident Theatre
703 Venice Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291

Opened December 2, 2023
Closing: February 25, 2024
Schedule:
Saturday, 2/10 – 8 pm
Sunday, 2/11 – 3 pm
Saturday, 2/17 – 3 pm
Sunday, 2/18 – 3 pm
Saturday, 2/24 – 8 pm
Sunday, 2/25 – 3 pm

Tickets: pacificresidenttheatre.org

Playwright: Samuel D. Hunter. Director: Andrew Weyman. Assistant Director: Susan Wilder. Presented by Pacific Resident Theatre. Cast: Phil Cass (Martin), Terry Davis (Carol), Scott Jackson (Bo), and Dalia Vosylius (Ally). Creative team: Michael Franco (Lighting Design), Andrew Weyman (Scenic Design), Susan Wilder (Costume Design), Keith Stevenson (Sound Design), and James Morris (Projection Design).

A scene from A Permanent Image
A scene from A Permanent Image
A scene from A Permanent Image