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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hamlet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Metamorphoses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God of Carnage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wakings! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Tables

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

Zephyr Theatre
7456 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TEA   

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

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

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

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

Norway, circa 1894. Nora has returned home, 15 years later after leaving behind her husband and children to start a new life as a free woman.

In A Doll’s House, Part 2, playwright Lucas Hnath continues the story of Nora Helmer (Jennifer Shelton) and her relationships with husband Torvald Helmer (Scott Roberts), nanny Anne Marie (Eileen T’Kaye), and daughter Emmy (Nicolette Ellis).

In Henrik Ibsen’s original ending of his play A Doll’s House back in 1879, Nora slammed the door, leaving behind her house, husband, and kids to embark in a self-discovery journey as a free woman, with no money and nowhere to go. As expected, Ibsen’s play caused a great deal of controversy at the time, as a woman’s role was limited to being a good wife and a nurturing mother. It has been said that Nora’s slamming of the door was heard all around the world, triggering a feminist movement never seen before. Lucas Hnath’s play adds more substance to the story by introducing new elements such as Tovard’s decision not to file a divorce after Nora’s departure, nanny Anne Marie’s point of view, and daughter Emmy’s life as a grown up and soon-to-be wife.

A Doll’s House, Part 2 tells us that Nora became a successful author, writing about women’s rights. She was able to buy a house with her own money and explore relationships with various men. All of her achievements are now being challenged by a judge that sees her feminist standpoint as unacceptable and wants her to retract from all of her writings. Since Nora uses a pseudonym to write, the judge threatens with exposing her real identity so people find out that she is indeed a still married woman making contracts for her writings without her husband’s consent, a crime punishable with jail time in those days. This is how Nora finds out that Torvald never filed for divorce, as only the husband could grant a divorce back then. Nora now has to return home to convince Torvald to dissolve their marriage and avoid prosecution.

Why did Torvald never file for divorce? What is nanny Anne Marie’s opinion on having to raise the three kids without Nora around? What does Emmy have to say about Nora’s absence? Did Nora make the right decision leaving her family behind to pursue her freedom? The play does not answer the latter explicitly. Rather, it presents the facts and consequences of such an impactful decision, showing what each of the characters think based on how they lived through that experience. From Anne Marie’s loud “Fuck you, Nora”, to Emmy’s mordacious “I know nothing about marriage, you left. But I know about absence”, the insults show the negative effects of Nora’s departure on the lives of these two characters. On the other hand, Nora’s only choice at the time would have been to stay and fake a perfect existence, living in misery and sacrificing her own dreams and goals just to fit social conventions. Sounds familiar? For Torvald, Nora’s departure wasn’t only a blow to his ego, it was also a punch to his heart, as the play paints him as a human being with a wide spectrum of feelings rather than just a one-dimensional caricature of a macho. It is now time for Nora to face the people she left behind and try to strike a deal, tempting Anne Marie with a better life and expecting Emmy to change her destiny to avoid the same misery she went through as a married woman. Will Anne Marie and Emmy side with Nora? Will Torvald grant Nora’s freedom once and for all? 

One of Nora’s statements was that through her writings, she wanted to inspire women to experience freedom so in the future they wouldn’t have to be in a state of submission. Fast forward to 2022 and that statement lingers in the air as a rhetoric question: Are women really free at this time in history?

As for the technical aspects of the play, the lighting design by Donny Jackson is creatively striking, ranging from dramatic, to high key, to low key at times, used masterfully for such a big and airy stage with a very high ceiling. Scenic designer Yuri Okahana-Benson worked with a very basic design, a table, a few chairs, and a big door frame, a perfect setting where the script and the actors are the main focal point. Director Trevor Biship-Gillespie makes great use of the space, blocking the actors to move around the big, circular stage, placing Nora downstage center when delivering some of her most important statements.

A Doll’s House, Part 2 is a remarkable realistic play that will start a conversation for sure, just as the original did more than 140 years ago, with humor, emotion, and conflict in the mix.

The International City Theatre is an ample and elegant place that will make your attendance a pleasurable and special one.

A Doll’s House, Part 2

INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE
Long Beach Performing Arts Center
330 East Seaside Way
Long Beach, CA 90802

Performances April 15 – May 1

Wednesday at 8 p.m.: April 13 ONLY (preview)
Thursdays at 8 p.m.: April 14 (preview), April 21, April 28
Fridays at 8 p.m.: April 15 (Opening Night), April 22, April 29
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 16, April 23, April 30
Sundays at 2 p.m.: April 17, April 24, May 1

For tickets: https://tix6.centerstageticketing.com/sites/internationalcity/event-details.php?e=726

Rapunzel Alone was commissioned three years ago, right before Covid took the world by storm. As it turned out, the pandemic accentuated the already crisis of isolation among kids and teenagers due to the tendency to be so attached to electronic devices and social media.

Rapunzel Alone is set during WWII when thousands of kids from main cities in England were sent to the countryside to save them from the German bombings. These kids were hosted by families that took care of them until the end of the war. Some kids adapted well to the new environments in farms, while others became miserable, as many of them had never even seen any animal farm in their lives. Some were even exploited as farm workers, laboring for long hours without much things to do to keep them entertained.

In the case of the protagonist, Lettie (Tara Alise Cox), she was sent by train to an isolated farm with a single woman with no kids called Miss Pearce (Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield). The new environment took Lettie by surprise. The smells, the animals, the isolation of the farm, and the strictness of Miss Pearce made a negative first impression on Lettie. To add another nuance to her life, Lettie had to feed Gertrude (handled by puppeteer Matt Curtin), a grumpy goose who likes to chase her around with the occasional bite here and there. As the story unfolds, we learn that Lettie can neither read nor write. It seems that one of the subtexts of the play is some kind of Lettie’s learning disability, as Miss Pearce tried unsuccessfully to teach her to read and write. Miss Pearce then decided to write Lettie’s letters to her parents, not always verbatim as dictated by Lettie. Things start to take a turn when Lettie meets Conrad (William Leon), the mail kid who thinks Miss Pearce is a witch. Conrad’s attitude towards Miss Pearce is influenced by his parents’ own bias. It is in one of their meetings that Conrad compares Lettie to Rapunzel, thinking that Miss Pearce is keeping Lettie confined in the farm for malicious purposes, setting off Lettie to become more defiant to Miss Pearce. This triggers Lettie’s temptation to leave the farm and go back to London by herself.

The play is a magnificent story of how humans deal with adverse situations and the extend of people’s reactions when faced with biased and negative interactions, a topic as current today as it was more than 80 years ago. More surprising is the similitude between the feeling of isolation of those kids that were sent to the countryside and the isolation of today’s children, not due to a war but due to the connection to the internet and the subsequent paradoxical disconnection from the world around them. Playwright Mike Kenny, who also serves as the narrator, was able to re-create a WWII story and make Rapunzel Alone as fresh as any contemporary story dealing with today’s issues. The delicate relationship between Lettie and Gertrude, the unique circumstances of Miss Pearce, the turbulent times depicted in the story, and the resolution among all of the characters make this play an outstanding piece, as exciting and relevant as the original Rapunzel fairytale.

The technical aspects take this play to another level. Directors Debbie Devine and Jesús Castaños-Chima added a special visual element by working with talented video designer Matthew G. Hill. The projections on the three walls of the proscenium representing London, warplanes, and the farm itself make the imaginary scenes more appealing and aesthetic. Adding a puppeteer handling a goose make the play even more technically challenging, something theatre enthusiasts definitely appreciate. To add something extra, there are Spanish subtitles projected on the wall for the Spanish-speaking audiences.

Rapunzel Alone is a compelling story that makes sure that challenging times as the separation of families during WWII and the instances of racism and isolation do not sink into oblivion. But the play goes beyond that. It gives hope that despite our differences, we could learn from the mistakes of the past and move forward to a better life, co-existing peacefully, even if history repeats itself.

Rapunzel Alone 

April 9 – May 1:
• Saturdays at 3 p.m.: April 16, April 23, April 30 (no matinee on April 9)
• Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.: April 9, April 16, April 23, April 30
• Sundays at 3 p.m.: April 10, April 24, May 1 (dark April 17)

24th Street Theatre
1117 West 24th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007-1725

Written and narrated by Mike Kenny. Directed by Debbie Devine and Jesús Castaños-Chima. Starring Tara Alise Cox, Matt Curtin, William Leon, and Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield. Produced by Jennie Mcinnis.

Tickets: https://www.24thstreet.org/

A Death-Defying Escape is the personal story of Judy Carter, a magician turned comedian with a vast experience in the industry. This play it’s a journey that takes you into some pretty dark places, where life inflicts physical and emotional pain without discriminating age, race, or religion. It’s in those places where Judy learned how to cope with reality, using magic and comedy not only as a way to escape, but also as a way to connect with her loved ones.

Being a child with a severe speech impediment, having a sister with cerebral palsy, and having a father with drinking issues, taught Judy at a very early age that she needed to find a way to improve her situation and that of her beloved sister Marsha. If you add to the story the fact that being a lesbian was a scandal back in the day, then you have a perfect recipe for a storm. The beauty of this play is that Judy finds a very entertaining way to tell her story using the same elements she used to escape her reality, magic and comedy. From her early days at the family home, her days at the Magic Castle, to her experiences coming out and finding love, Judy delivers punch line after punch line that shows you that life can be fun even in the most adverse circumstances.

The script is a reflection of Judy’s experience performing on stage. Her perfect balance of magic, comedy, and storytelling, makes this a true gem of a play. Even when she reveals her lowest points in life, the lighting and background noises are carefully crafted to really make an impact. Yes, it s is a memorable play that will trigger a conversation on so many issues.

Joining Judy on stage are excellent actors Lyndsi LaRose (playing Mom and Samantha) and Kevin Scott Allen (playing Father, Grandma, and Assistant). The three of them deliver a magnificent performance where the script and their acting skills take over the stage, no fancy props needed.

A Death-Defying Escape is a play not to be missed. It might take you out of your comfort zone, it might show you the dark side of life, but it will move you, and it will inspire you to dream and to connect with the most important things in life.

A Death-Defying Escape

Written by Judy Carter, directed by Lee Costello, presented by Comedy Workshop Productions

Hudson Guild Theater
6539 Santa Monica Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Performances: April 2 – May 15:
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: March 26 (Preview), April 2 (Opening), April 9, April 16, April 23. April 30, May 7, May 14
• Sundays at 3 p.m.: March 27 (Preview), April 3, April 10, April 17, April 24, May 1, May 8, May 15

Tickets: https://deathdefyingescape.com/