Author Archive: Glamour

Theatre Review: Stone Heart

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In a style resembling Latin American literature, Playwright Georgina Escobar presents a story set in the bordertown of Juárez in the late 80s, where drugs, alcohol, addiction, and suicide corrode the cohesiveness of a family facing the ravaging effects of the drug trade.

Hector Zermanis (Markuz Rodriguez) is reluctant to accept money from narcos to buy his ranch. His wife Birdie (Valeria Vega) is experiencing mental issues. His daughter JoJo (Vanessa Flores Cabrera) is in a bitter relationship with her cheating husband. His other daughter, Mage (Adriana Cuba Cuentas), is getting addicted to Quads. Witnessing the tension is Samara (Lourdes Arteaga), a native exchange student staying at the Zermanis’ home.

The Zermanis belong to the upper class, so their attitudes toward Samara reflect the pervasive opinions on race and class. As the money runs out, Hector faces the pressure to accept money from the narcos. Their economic tribulations are especially hard on the family, as they are used to a privileged position. Despite her elitist perspective, Birdie starts to develop an intense attraction to Samara, who gets caught up in the intrafamilial drama.

One of the most intriguing symbols of the story is the relationship between the Zermanis and the Mesoamerican figure of Chac Mool, a representation of the rain spirit which holds a container believed to be used to place human hearts in it. Escobar connects the human sacrifice aspect of the ancient rituals with the brutal bleeding of Mexican society as a result of the turf war among the various cartels vying for the control of the lucrative drug corridor of Juárez-El Paso.

Stone Heart also explores the role of women in the family and society. The women in the play experience the tragic consequences of the Zermanis’ implosion. This is significant in the context of the multiple rapes and murders of women in the border region. Unnerving and devastating, those cases served as an example of the moral decay of a society left to cope with the violence and impunity of the criminal organizations running the region.

Birdie’s mental decline and her family’s deterioration represents the decadence of the social fabric of a city as a result of the drug trade.

Persecution, forbidden love, drugs, alcohol, suicide, addiction, and curses are effectively displayed in this production helmed by Director Daniel Jáquez. For this staging, he used non-professionals actors from the San Diego-Tijuana area. Even though they’re amateurs, Jáquez manages to bring the best of them to capture the tension and sense of danger implied in the script.

Stone Heart is presented as part of the Encuentro 2024: We Are Here – Presente!, a theatre festival presented by the Latino Theater Company.

Stone Heart

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

Oct 25 – Nov 9, 2024 ( see link below for schedule)

Tickets: latinotheaterco.org

Written and translated by Georgina Escobar. Directed by Daniel Jáquez.

Cast: Valeria Vega (Birdie), Lourdes Arteaga (Samara), Vanessa Flores Cabrera (Josefina aka JoJo), Adriana Cuba Cuentas (Magdalena aka Mage), Markuz Rodriguez (Hector), Lester Isariuz (Cowboy/Ricardo), Andrea Agosto (Voice Over Narrator).

Creative team: Original sound design Salvador Zamora, Co-sound designer Estefania Ricalde, Lighting designer Elba Emicente, PSM/Co-sound designer/Video designer Estefania Ricalde, Assistant director/Company manager Laura Reynoso Jimenez.

Theatre Review: Four Top

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In a mostly linear style, except for scene 3, Playwright Michael B. Kaplan presents the romantic lives of five characters who are charming, insecure, and can’t seem to figure out the meaning of life.

If you like romantic movies and dating shows, then seeing Four Top should be in your to-do-list. Brian (Jack Menzies) and Liz (Jackie Shearn) engage in an intense hookup, meet puke included, only to break up the same day. A year later, Brian has moved on and is in a relationship with Megan (Rosie Byrne), whose work husband is Tony (Luke Rampersad). Tony is now dating Liz. Brian is suspicious about the platonic relationship between Megan and Tony. Megan doesn’t know about Brian’s hook up with Liz a year prior. The four meet for food and drinks, but insecurities, jealousy, and the feeling of missed connections make the two couples rethink their respective relationships. While this is happening, the server (Cassidy LeClair), an aspiring writer, introduces her own story to the audience. The server is a motif throughout the play, interacting with the couples and instigating discord among them to amuse her creative bent as a writer.

The couples navigate their love lives going back and forth, hooking up, breaking up, and just trying to find themselves while experiencing the thrill of romance and the challenges of adulthood. Nihilism? Could be. Projection? Maybe. Alternate reality? It’s possible. Therapy might help. But it’s expensive. Just be careful with the ferret. 

The play analyzes the ups and downs of romantic relationships and the desperate search for deeper and more meaningful connections. To translate those engaging themes on stage, Director Kathleen R. Delaney adds sexiness and physical comedy to the production, adding dynamism to the story and pushing the characters out of their comfort zone for an effective comedy effect. Her five actors are engaging and they all deliver their lines with excellent timing, highlighting the cleverness and hilarity of the script. 

Love always triggers an interesting conversation. If you add heartbreaks and comedy, then you have a winning combination. This play’s production is not extravagant, but it’s probably that simplicity that makes Four Top a hit with the audience. The only drawback is that it feels too short. But, hey, with a younger audience’s attention span, shorter might be better.    

Four Top

Lonny Chapman Theatre – Upstairs Stage (Second Floor)
10900 Burbank Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601

October 17 – November 17, 2024
Thursdays at 7pm, Saturdays at 4pm and Sundays at 7pm
“After the Show Talkbacks with cast, author and staff” Sundays 10/20 and 10/27

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Written by Michael B. Kaplan. Directed by Kathleen R. Delaney. Produced by Denise Downer.

Cast: Rosie Byrne (Megan), Cassidy LeClair (Server), Jack Menzies (Brian), Luke Rampersad (Tony) and Jackie Shearn (Liz).

Creative team: Daisy Staedler (Set Designer), Nick Foran (Lighting & Sound Designer), Clara Rodríguez (Scenic Painter), Caleb Aaron (Assistant to the Director), Karla Menjivar (Stage Manager).

LOS ANGELES NEW PLAY PROJECT’S ANNUAL GRANT

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LOS ANGELES NEW PLAY PROJECT ANNOUNCES 2024 RECIPIENTS

OF THE 4th ANNUAL GRANT 

Los Angeles, CA (October 22, 2024) – Celebrating outstanding talent in the Los Angeles theater community, the Los Angeles New Play Project (LANPP) is thrilled to announce this year’s grant recipients whose work pushes boundaries and engages audiences in profound conversations. This will be the fourth annual grant ceremony, which to date has supported thirteen new plays.

Playwright Winners of LANPP Grant 2024.jpgThis year’s recipients are Shualee Cook for CERCLE HERMAPHRODITOS, to be produced by After Hours Theatre Company (Graham Wetterhahn, Artistic Director); Roger Q. Mason for HIDE AND HIDE to be produced by Skylight Theatre Company (Producers Gary Grossman and Armando Huipe); Ankita Raturi for नेहा & NEEL to be produced by Artists at Play (Marie-Reine Velez – Producer); Amy Tofte for RIGHTEOUS AMONG US to be produced by Little Fish Theatre (Suzanne Dean and Stephanie Coltrin, Co-Artistic Directors).

CERCLE HERMAPHRODITOS by Shualee Cook: Set in 1895, a trans man enters an famed underground social club for trans femmes, with the goal to find a wife in order to play the roles expected in public while pursuing the life they want in private. A wry and compelling love letter to the trans community based on true historical events (Scheduled for production in Spring 2025 at LGBT Center in Hollywood).

Shualee Cook has a wide range of work including full-length plays, musicals, plays with music, and opera.. Shualee is the recipient of 2023 Nancy Dean Lesbian Playwriting Award, the 2021 Chesly/Bumbalo Award, The 2020 RAC Artist Fellowship, and the 2019 Parity Commission. She has been a resident playwright in the Confluence Regional Writers Project, Stage Left Theatre, and Tesseract Theatre,  a finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Her work has been developed by About Face Theatre, Breaking the Binary Festival, The New Coordinates, Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble, Mustard Seed Theatre, The Road Theatre, The Idle Muse Athena Festival, Campfire Theatre Festival, National Queer Theatre, and the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, among others.

HIDE AND HIDE written by Roger Q. Mason: Along the Coast of California, two lost souls collide while chasing freedom and the right to be an American… a queer rent-boy on the run from Texas police meets Constanza, a Filipina immigrant with a visa about to expire. Hide and Hide is a Homeric Odyssey that disrupts and rebuilds the American Fantasy, an Ironic, funny and dystopian odyssey. (Scheduled for production in Spring, 2025).

Roger Q. Mason (they/them) is a writer who satirizes and revises history to disrupt the biases that separate rather than unite us. Their playwriting has appeared on Broadway; Off/Off-Off-Broadway; and regionally, garnered five Barrymore Award nominations in Philadelphia, a Jeff Award Recommendation in Chicago and the San Francisco Chronicle’s prestigious Datebook Pick. Mason’s Lavender Men, first produced by Playwrights’ Arena & Skylight Theatre Company, was lauded by the Los Angeles Times as “evoking the mingled visions of Suzan-Lori Parks, Jeremy O. Harris and Michael R. Jackson.” They received 2024’s Playwrights’ Center McKnight National Playwright Commission, the inaugural Dramatists Guild Foundation Catalyst Grant Award, a Hermitage Residency, a Lucille Lortel commission, a Kilroys List nod, and the Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award.

नेहा & NEEL written by Ankita Raturi: Neha (नेहा) is a single woman raising a son, now 17, in America, who seldom speaks their native Hindi or caring about India’s famed past.  On a cross country college tour, both confront the differences between them and who they want each other to be. B, नेहा and Neel asks what is lost with every generation in America and is it ever too late to connect to one’s roots (Scheduled for production at Latino Theatre Co. in downtown Los Angeles).

Ankita Raturi (she/her) writes hyper-theatrical works in Hindi/Urdu, English, and Bahasa Indonesia, about living between cultural identities and contending with the ongoing legacies of colonization. She grew up in capital cities, pediatric gastroenterology offices, and the bisexual closet. New play development: Theater Mu, New York Theatre Workshop, Roundabout, Ma-Yi Theater Company, South Coast Repertory, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Playwrights Realm, Berkshire Theatre Group, Cygnet Theatre, Artists at Play, The COOP, Atlantic Pacific Theatre, Theater Masters, Fresh Ground Pepper, Hypokrit Theatre Company, New York Shakespeare Exchange, Pete’s Candy Store. She is 2022 Ollie Award Winner.

RIGHTEOUS AMONG US written by Amy Tofte: An African American researcher working at a civil rights museum collecting oral histories from ancestors who saved Jewish children during the Holocaust has to set straight a hero legend,coming to terms with the urgent need to follow the truth and her own need to find heroes among regular people. (Scheduled for production in Spring 2025 at Shakespeare by the Sea, in Redondo Beach).

Amy Tofte received a Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her play Righteous Among Us (2020 Todd McNerney Award) had a staged reading at Urban Stages (off-Broadway) in 2023. She was recently a playwright with the Evolving Playwrights Group at Circle X Theatre (Los Angeles) where she completed a new play, Rain Dog War, about the climate crisis. Amy is currently developing her new play, BloodSuckingLeech, at Nashville Repertory Theatre as part of their Ingram New Works Project.  Residences at the Autry Museum of the American West, Brush Creek, Monson Arts, The Kennedy Center, Headlands Center for the Arts, and Yaddo with work produced and developed throughout the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and twice at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Los Angeles New Play Project supports new and original works presented on small stages within Los Angeles County. Each playwright receives a grant of $20,000. Each of the submitting producers will receive an additional $20,000 to help offset the cost of producing. But there are many steps in between that rely on the facilities and input of the various theatres within the LA theatre community. Clearly, it takes a village!

By helping to support new and original work with the financial grants, LANPP is hoping to help usher in quality new writing for the vibrant and evolving Los Angeles small and midsize theatre community, and to encourage the production of exciting, untried plays.

LANPP was founded in 2021 by director Paula Holt. For information regarding the Los Angeles New Play Project please consult the website: http://lanpp.org/

Theatre Review: The Importance of Being Earnest

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Oscar Wilde‘s The Importance of Being Earnest is a captivating comedy and a clever social commentary. Bunburying around town, John (Alex Barlas) and Algernon (Jay Lee) use a fictitious name, Earnest, to hide their real identities in an attempt to avoid social responsibilities. But falling in love is complicated, and fake identities just make things worse.

The characters reflect Victorian England, a transformative period when the upper class saw their status challenged by the expansion of education and the possibility of a revolution. In that respect, Director Gigi Bermingham turns the stage into a faithful representation of the English aristocracy and the pressing issues afflicting them. The actors nail their roles and create a delightful expression of tea time with the characteristic wit of British comedy.

Lee and Barlas are a terrific duo that add depth and dynamism to their characters. Barlas as the gentle aristocrat John Worthing and Lee as the charming dandy Algernon Moncrieff. Their female counterparts, Jules Willcox as Gwendolen Fairfax and Alessandra Mañón as Cecily Cardew infuse vivacity to their charming and bitchy frenmity. The supporting cast also do a great job capturing the conflicting social norms prevalent during Wilde’s life. Bo Foxworth plays Rev. Canon Chasuble, a man who tries to uphold British morality while suppressing his own romantic feelings for Miss Prism (Julia Fletcher). And to satirize Victorian society even more, Wilde uses Lady Bracknell as the figure that represents the selfishness of the upper class. Anne Gee Byrd plays the role with hilarious wickedness, an attribute that complements the heart of the play and Wilde’s biting animosity towards a vain and conservative society.

The sumptuous costumes and creative set design are in themselves an attraction to enjoy. The tailored Victorian dresses and the elegant suits add an air of sophistication to the production that match perfectly with the decoration of the set design. The china sets reveal the attention to detail, a characteristic of real professionals.

With attractive visual elements, a group of extraordinary actors, and excellent direction, this production honors the conflicting feelings of a playwright who defied conventions and advocated for free will in a time when doing so would result in ostracism and the loss of freedom.

The Importance of Being Earnest

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

Oct 13, 2024 – Nov 18, 2024

Tickets: antaeus.org

Written by Oscar Wilde. Directed by Gigi Bermingham.

Cast: Alex Barlas, Anne Gee Byrd, Julia Fletcher, Bo Foxworth, Jay Lee, Alessandra Mañón, Jules Willcox, and Michael Yapujian.

Creative team: Scenic Designer Angela Balogh Calin. Lighting Designer Ken Booth. Properties Designer John McElveney. Dialect Coach Paul Wagar. Production Dramaturg Rachel Berney Needleman. Costume Designer Julie Keen. Sound Designer Salvador C Zamora. Intimacy Director Jen Albert. Production Stage Manager Talya Camras. Assistant Stage Manager Casey Collaso.

Musical Review: ¡Pasaje!

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In a Hallmark or La Rosa de Guadalupe style, ¡Pasaje! brings a story of identity and self-discovery to the stage. Playwright J Quiroz sets the characters and story in South El Monte.

18-year-old Andy (Seth Keller) was raised by his single mom Angela (Sandra Dar) in Flagstaff, Arizona. Angela has never told him anything about his father. Believing they’re White, Andy decides to find out who his father is. Finding a letter and an address, Andy ends up in South El Monte, California, where he comes across a series of peculiar characters that help him find and embrace his newfound relatives and identity, once the family secrets are revealed.

The musical deals with topics of race, identity, and culture assimilation. Marcelina (Ixchel Valiente), Andy’s love interest, explains the discrimination she experienced when trying to become a ballerina. Hustlers Uno (Karol Avila) and Dos (Daniel Moises) pull tricks on people to survive, although their surprising goals are revealed at the end. Don Miguel (Joshua Duron) turns out to be the piece that links Andy to his past.

¡Pasaje! is a developmental work, so it’s a musical that still needs some work. The imagery, the costumes, and some of the attitudes exhibited by the Hustlers and Huicho (Noah Peralta) come off as trite and derogatory, especially for an educated Latino or Hispanic audience—the play also mentions the controversy around which term is the accurate one.

The musical might divide opinions in its current form. For a non-Latino audience, we’ll use Latino for simplicity, the production might seem like a light comedy with a happy ending. For a Latino audience, however, the story might be just another production with the never-ending stereotypes, although with some positive depictions: Angela is a lawyer, Marcelina doesn’t give up, and the Hustlers are not simple thugs.

Director Benjamin Perez works with what he has available and tries to present a positive message. Again, this is a developmental work, so is expected to have some flaws. The tense situations have a quick resolution without much conflict, like when Huicho and Freddy (Maximiliano Garcia) are arrested. Such scenes require more elaboration to get the audience invested in the characters and their perils. According to the information provided, the musical is on its way to Broadway. With this in mind, it is understood that J Quiroz will go back to the drawing board and rework the details. The intention is honest, and bringing South El Monte to Broadway would be a phenomenal achievement, so depicting a relegated community in a more developed manner will be far more meaningful and have a greater impact for sure.

¡Pasaje!

Sierra Madre Playhouse
87 W Sierra Madre Blvd
Sierra Madre, CA 91024

October 4, 2024 – November 3, 2024

Tickets: sierramadreplayhouse.org

Written by J Quiroz. Music by Asdru Sierra. Directed by Benjamin Perez. Music director is Greg Porée.

Cast: Itzel Ximena Gonzalez, Lisa Rodriguez, Andrew M. Garcia, Sandra Dar, Ixchel Valiente, Seth Keller, Joshua Duron, Maximiliano Garcia, Daniel Moises, Karol Avila, Luzma Ortiz, Pablo Milla, and Noah Peralta.

Creative team: Choreographer is Tania Possick. Costume Designer is Diana Gomez. Set Designer is Tiffany Anguiano. Lighting Designer is Grace Berry. Script Doctor is Alex Luu. Vocal Director is Rae Shrum.

Band: Greg Porée (guitar), Joey Navarro (keys), Adan Alonso (bass).

Theatre Review: Heading Into Night

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Boxing and unboxing your brain, one memory at a time. Daniel Passer delves into the onset of dementia using the figure of a clown.

With music, projections, and pantomime, Passer symbolizes the disruptive changes in a person’s brain when the sense of time and space start to fade. There are repetitive behaviours, memories that come and go in a matter of seconds, and the usual risks associated with mental decline. For God’s sake, don’t forget the popcorn in the microwave!

Synapse loss leads to hoarding, sleep disturbance, and withdrawal into a world of confusion and fantasy. And yet, there is joy in that world. The forgetness of misery, the hopeful sympathy of the people around, the realization that is time to go, with flashes of childhood and loved ones. The memories are still there, just disorganized. Heading Into Night is a visit to that mysterious space, it’s a journey to the final destination, bumping into objects, humanizing the demise.

Inspired by the Hogeweyk model of dementia care villages in some countries, Passer explores the intersection between clowning and dementia. As irrational as it might sound, clowning is about repetition, a common behaviour of people living with dementia, thus the connection. But it’s also a confirmation that, sometimes, humor comes from a place of pain. Despite the challenges, Passer validates the sense of joy triggered by the cherished memories that come back in sporadic moments of lucidity. In the Hogeweyk model, the patients enjoy a more compassionate care in a community that emphasizes a more independent lifestyle, while keeping them safe in the hands of relatives and professional caregivers.

Passer and Director Beth F. Milles communicate the intricacies of a devastating medical condition with cleverness, removing the stigmatization associated with dementia and allowing the audience to see the character as a human being rather than an obstacle.

The play is abstract with little words. It’s a unique style to tell a story, relying mainly in Passer’s ability for pantomime and the emotional atmosphere provided by the music and the projections. In that sense, this production feels more like a silent film. There is poignancy in the simplicity when talent and conviction express a serious subject matter with comedy and the musicality of movement.

Heading Into Night

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

Performances: Oct. 5 – Nov. 17

Wednesdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 16 and Nov. 6 ONLY
Fridays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 18, Oct. 25; Nov. 1, Nov. 8, Nov. 15
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 5 (opening), Oct. 19, Oct. 26; Nov. 2, Nov.  9, Nov. 16
Sundays at 2 p.m.: Oct. 6, Oct. 20, Oct. 27; Nov. 3, Nov. 10, Nov. 17

Tickets: odysseytheatre.com

Devised by Beth F. Milles and Daniel Passer. Directed by Beth F. Milles. Produced for the Odyssey by Beth Hogan. Presented by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. Ron Sossi, Artistic Director.

Cast:  Daniel Passer, Peter Mark, and German Schauss.

Creative team: Costume designer Márion Talán de la Rosa; lighting designer Jackson Funke; projection designer Gabrieal Griego; video designer (Amazing Race segment) Wei-Fang Chang; aerial designer and rigger Bianca Sapetto; sound designer (additional sound) Christopher Moscatiello; production coordinator Jenine MacDonald; technical consultant Pierre Clavel; and graphics designer Luba Lukova. The assistant directors are Taylor Bazos and Samantha Occhino, and the stage manager is Katie Chabot.

Musical Review: The Orphans’ Revenge

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All Alice White (Jessica Kent) wants is to find a good man to marry. Instead, she gets a creepy marriage proposal from Victor Van Rooper (Joseph Eastburn), a saloon owner with a questionable reputation, who offers to save the orphanage if Alice takes his offer.

The revival of this musical, originally produced by the Rep Group more than 40 years ago, is an excitingly crafted production with a creative way to allow audience participation. The story, which might seem like a devastating drama, turns into an epic melodrama where even death is fun to watch.

Orphans in dire need, a saloon troupe lead by a villain, and even a preacher are some of the odd characters that turn Alice’s world upside down. There’s also a character that appears to be the hero, Jack (Tack Sappington), who has the money to save the orphanage. But just as Alice contemplates the possibility of a happy life with him, Jack loses the money to a card game with Victor, and after a few drinks, falls prey to the evil ways of seductive vixen Carlotta (Kristin Towers Rowles), a performer with the troupe. The next morning, broke and regretful for betraying Alice, Jack becomes a pathetic image of utter defeat, with a blistering hangover, to add insult to injury. A hero no more. Virtuous Alice is then left to the whims of sinister Victor, with the risk of losing the orphanage as well.

At this point, the story becomes a race against time. Will Rose (Janet Wood), Victor’s companion, feel pity for Alice? Can half-hero Jack become a full hero? Maybe Uncle Ned (Brad Kahn) can help. To move the story along and bring the saloon feel to the stage, the musical numbers add a whimsical tone to the play. The actors get a chance to shine with their voices and dance moves. Likewise, Director Stan Mazin gets creative with the special effects. The snow might give you chills, the beer might get you thirsty, and watch out for the incoming train. Also pay attention to Uncle Ned’s speed, you blink and you might miss him. 

Mazin combines the creative elements effectively to present an appealing musical that is fun and lively. The cast is an amalgam of seasoned performers and newcomers. Once again, Joseph Eastburn graces the stage with his magnificent performance. He is a thespian with rich qualities and a valuable asset for the Group Rep. His comedy verging on sinisterness and vice versa is something you need to experience live to fully appreciate it. Also impressive is the sizzling Kristin Towers Rowles in her role of Carlotta Valdez, a Spaniard femme fatale who endangers the happiness of the hero and heroine. 

Mazin also introduces new faces: The orphans Arden Shia, Scarlett Strauss, Jackson Bethel, and Hannah Sun offer solid performances; a new generation of thespians in the making. Experiencing this musical with its melodramatic style is like going back in time to the 1800s, when this type of theatre was so popular. It is refreshing to see the Group Rep’s efforts to revive one of their most successful productions in their 50-year history.    

The Orphans’ Revenge

Lonny Chapman Theatre – Main Stage
10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood 91601

October 4 — November 10, 2024
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm; Sunday Matinees at 2:00pm

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Book by Suzanne Buhrer and Gene Casey. Music by Gene Casey, Suzanne Buhrer and Jan Casey. Directed by Stan Mazin. Music direction by Andy Howe. Produced for The Group Rep by Linda Alznauer.

Cast: Sean Babcock, Jackson Bethel, George Bufford, Joseph Eastburn, Lareen Faye, Brad Kahn, Jessica Kent, Hisato Masuyama, Casey Murray, Tack Sappington, Rob Schaumann,
Kyra Schwartz, Arden Shia, Suzan Solomon, Abigail Stewart, Melissa Strauss, Scarlett Strauss, Hannah Sun, Kristin Towers Rowles, and Janet Wood.

Creative team: Mareli Mitchel-Shields (Set Design), Shon LeBlanc (Costume Design), Frank McKown (Lighting Design), Nick Foran (Sound Design).

Musical Review: Guys and Dolls

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Nathan Detroit (Justin Anthony Long) needs money to set up the biggest craps game in New York City, so he turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson (James Byous). But Sky falls for religious missionary Sarah Brown (Elizabeth Eden). Adding to Nathan’s misfortunes, Adelaide (Margaret Spirito), his girlfriend of 14 years, demands marriage and kids. With the cops closing in on him and his gang of gamblers, the clock is ticking for Nathan to come up with the money and save the day.

Despite a delay due to a technical glitch with the lighting system at the beginning of Act II, the cast deliver an outstanding rendition of the beloved musical that has had a successful run around the world since its opening in 1950. Music Director Chris Wade leads a fantastic band that energizes the music numbers; the “Guys and Dolls (Reprise) at the end of Act II is an eye-catching display of dance and music. For the signature 11 o’clock number “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat”, the music sets the tone for a captivating performance by Nicely Nicely (Jalen Friday), showing off his singing and dancing skills.

The customs by Michael Mullen also contribute to the overall feel of the play, bright and dark colors for the guys, and fancy dresses for the dolls. The costumes capture the elegance of the 1920 and 1930s, years that defined a glitzy and glamorous time in fashion.

The chemistry among the actors playing the four main characters is paramount to the success of this musical, as their interactions are the main focus of the story. In that sense, the connection between Sky and Sarah, played by James Byous and Elizabeth Eden is evident from the beginning. Their meeting sets off a moral question and sparks a romance that will change the course of things. Throughout the play, Byous and Eden build up the emotions and conflicting differences between them to create a dynamic relationship that draws the audience into the story. Similarly, the relationship between Nathan and Adelaide, played by Justin Anthony Long and Margaret Spirito, creates conflict and unleashes a series of comedic situations depicting the faithful devotion of the female character and the usual hesitation of the male character. Spirito thrives on her role. Her voice and comedic skills create a delightful character; Her performance is magnetic and memorable.

Director Doug Kreeger revives this musical with a colorful display of costumes, lighting, and excellent acting. The pacing and the music make it a dynamic staging that brings back the hustle and bustle of the underworld during the prohibition era in NYC.

The incipient adventure of Altadena Music Theatre into musicals continues with another well-developed staging of a classic production, showing their commitment to bring successful and meaningful musicals to the local theatre scene. Led by its Founder and Artistic Director Sarah Azcarate, Director Oliver Azcarate, Music Director Chris Wade, and Choreographer Melissa Schade, Altadena Music Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to live musical theatre, arts advocacy, and developmental youth programs.

Guys and Dolls

Altadena Music Theatre at the Charles Farnsworth Amphitheater
568 E Mount Curve Ave
Altadena, CA 91001

October 10 – 20, 2024

Thursday – Sunday at 7:00 PM

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/altadena-music-theatre-50505137413

Based on the story and characters of Damon Runyon. Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser. Directed by Doug Kreeger. Choreographed by Nico O’Connor. Music direction by Chris Wade. Produced by Sarah Azcarate.

Cast: James Byous, Elizabeth Eden, Justin Anthony Long, Margaret Spirito, Jalen Friday, Robert Manion, Scott Van Tuyl, Brian Drummy, Cesario Perez, Will Kohlschrieber, Benita Scheckel, Zach Macdonald, Scarlet Sheppard, Abby Loucks, Kasey Hentz, Courtney Macmillan, Leonel Ayala, Sage Cabos, Andrew Pantazis, Jacob Rushing.

Creative team: Lighting and sound director JC Lara. Sound engineer Brian Celestino. Lighting designer Billie Oleyar. Costumer Michael Mullen. Set designer Andrew Hull. Prop master Darcy Hull. Hair and wing design Carter Thomas. Fight director Gabrielle Perrea. Intimacy coordinator Alexa Lowery.

Musicians: Keys, Bandmaster Chris Wade. Violin Erin Tompkins. Sax/Clarinet/Flute Jordan Guzman. Trombone Rebecca Buringrud. Bass Holly Barber. Keys Genie Cheng. Keys swing Bella Suot. Winds swing Daziel Rodriguez. Trombone swing Carlo Bonelli. Trumpet Andrew Rodman.

‘The Children’ Takes the Stage at The Wayward Artist

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The Children Takes the Stage at The Wayward Artist

In the aftermath of a nuclear disaster three friends come together

 

SANTA ANA, CA, October 8, 2024 – The Wayward Artist, Santa Ana’s own ensemble theatre company, will present The Children from November 8th through the 17th at its exclusive theater venue at the Grand Central Art Center in Downtown Santa Ana, 125 N. Broadway #E.

 

The Children, by Lucy Kirkwood, is a thought-provoking play that  delves into the complexities of accountability, guilt, morality, and human actions. Set in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, the story centers on two retired nuclear physicists, Hazel and Robin, who have isolated themselves in a remote cottage on the British coast. Their quiet life is disrupted when Rose, a former colleague, arrives, forcing them to confront the unresolved issues of their past and an uncertain future. As the play unfolds in real-time over the course of 90 intense minutes, they grapple with the ethical implications of their choices—both personal and professional—and how those decisions shape not only their own lives but the future of humanity itself.

 

“As we explore The Children, we’re reminded of the delicate balance between personal responsibility and the collective good,” said Director Craig Tyrl. “This play is not just about the consequences of the past but the decisions we make now, and how they ripple through the lives of those around us. It’s a haunting and powerful reflection on the choices we face in an uncertain world.”

 

CAST:

Juliet Schulein as Rose

Shelly Day as Hazel

Kelly Franett as Robin

WHERE:

The Wayward Artist

Grand Central Art Center

125 N. Broadway

Santa Ana, CA 92701

WHEN:

Friday November 8 at 7:30pm

Saturday November 9 at 7:30pm

Sunday November 10 at 2:00pm

Thursday November 14 at 7:30pm

Friday November 15 at 7:30pm

Saturday November 16 at 7:30pm

Sunday November 17 at 2:00pm

TICKETS:

https://www.thewaywardartist.org/children

ABOUT THE WAYWARD ARTIST:

The work of The Wayward Artist is edgy and unafraid to push the envelope of politeness, political correctness, and propriety. It doesn’t shy away from adult content, language and mature subject matter. It’s about innovation and re-invention and, wherever possible, delight in showing audiences a mirror to challenge pride, prejudices, and point-of-view. Its mission is to be the home for wayward artists – the lost, the naked, the vulnerable and to produce wayward works of a professional quality – works that are new, edgy and reimagined.

THE CIVIL TWILIGHT at the Broadwater Studio Theatre

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Plays With People Productions
in association with the Road Theatre Company
present the World Premiere of
THE CIVIL TWILIGHT
Written by Shem Bitterman
Directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky
Limited Engagement begins Friday, October 18
at the Broadwater Studio Theatre in Los Angeles

September 3, 2024…Los Angeles, CA…Plays With People Productions in association with the
Road Theatre Company present a world premiere play, THE CIVIL TWILIGHT, written by
Shem Bitterman, directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky (Mercury, Through the Eye of A Needle)
and starring Taylor Gilbert and Andrew Elvis Miller. THE CIVIL TWILIGHT will preview
on Wednesday, October 16 & Thursday, October 17 at 8pm; will open on Friday, October 18
at 8pm and run through Sunday, November 24 at the Broadwater Studio Theatre, 1076 Lillian
Way in Los Angeles.
A twisty thriller that takes place over a single night during a once in a century storm, THE
CIVIL TWILIGHT tells the story of what happens when a popular a.m. radio personality
winds up trapped in a motel room in the Midwest with his biggest fan.

Opens: Friday, October 18 at 8pm
Runs: Friday, October 18 – Sunday, November 24, 2024
Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm.
Previews: Wednesday, October 16 &
Thursday, October 17 at 8pm
The Broadwater Studio Theatre
1076 Lillian Way., Los Angeles, CA
Tickets: $45.00
Previews: $20.00
Seniors: $25
Students: 20.00
For tickets – theciviltwilight.ludus.com or email
ctbroadwaterstudio@gmail.com for more information.