Author Archive: Glamour

PARENTS IN CHAINS at the Whitley Theatre in Hollywood!

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J. Todd Harris announces Casting for 

its Developmental Workshop Production of 

PARENTS IN CHAINS 

Written by Jay Martel

Directed by Andy Fickman


Jason Alexander, Kristen Bell, Yvette Nicole Brown, 
Tom Everett Scott, Jackie Tohn & Gary Anthony Williams 
 

Two Performances Only!  

Monday, September 30 & Tuesday, October 1 at 8pm

at the Whitley Theatre in Hollywood!

 

A new comedy about texts, treks, sex, and empty nests…

In PARENTS IN CHAINS, six L.A. parents exchange texts as their 17-year-old daughters drive home from a weekend in San Francisco during the approach of a hurricane. The trip and the inclement weather bring out both the best and the worst in the parents as they confront, as a group, as couples, and as individuals, what it means to let go of their kids. By turns viciously comic and poignant, PARENTS IN CHAINS is a valentine to the most difficult, most failure-prone job in the world…parenting.

PARENTS IN CHAINS

Written by Jay Martel

Directed by Andy Fickman

Produced by J. Todd Harris

 

Starring:  Jason Alexander, Kristen Bell, Yvette Nicole Brown, 

Tom Everett Scott, Jackie Tohn, and Gary Anthony Williams.

 

Performances: Monday, September 30 & Tuesday, October 1 at 8pm

 

The Historic Whitley Theatre

6555 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA  

 

Ticket: $35 (Prices subject to change)

 

For tickets – visit www.eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parents-in-chains-tickets-1009490923527?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

 

For more information, please visit www.parentsinchainsla.com.

Film Review: eVil Sublet

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Don’t mind the ghosts and the previous killings. How can you resist the allure of a cheap apartment in East Village (eVil) in New York? Oh, and it comes with a garden. Creepy faces appear behind you, and strange voices can be heard around the apartment in this scary film with a zesty touch of comedy. Allan Piper presents a unique story filmed in the apartment he used to live in, so the set is an actual apartment in New York. The story has the classical elements of horror movies: A pretty good scare with dark humor in the mix.

Alex (Jennifer Leigh Houston) and Ben (Charley Tucker) are looking for an apartment in New York. For $2000, they find one in East Village. But as it’s usually said, the devil is in the details. The previous tenants suffered tragic deaths. Can Alex and Ben survive the evil spirits haunting the apartment? The suspense builds up throughout the movie and the characters are thrown into an exhilarating race against time to beat the evil forces possessing the apartment. Also appearing in the film are Pat Dwyer, Stephen Mosher, Michele Ammon, Patrick Wang, and the always fascinating Sally Struthers.

The story is not only about horror. Piper uses this film as a social commentary about the housing crisis raging America and the pervasive ageism in the workplace as well. The movie is ultimately an entertaining production with good old horror and suspense, with great visuals to complement the fine acting and sharp script. It is a fun film to watch this Halloween season to awaken your fears of darkness and evil spirits.

Below is the interview with Writer/Director Allan Piper, Jennifer Leigh Houston, and a question for Sally Struthers.

Allan Piper

Glamgical: You wore a lot of hats in this movie. How did you organize your schedule?

Allan Piper: I was lucky to have the help of a ton of people on eVil Sublet — most of all producers Jennifer Leigh Houston (who’s also the star and my wife), Chris Pearson, and Beth Ann Mastromarino. But for most scenes I was a crew of one. This wasn’t so much for budget (although it definitely helped with that) as it was because we were filming right after covid lock-down, and it was important to keep the number of people on set to a minimum. 

Glamgical: Tell us about the technical aspects of the movie. What camera did you use? What kind of lenses? How about lighting?

Allan Piper: I primarily used the Panasonic GH5. I used a few lenses, but I particularly relied on the Meike 12mm T2.2 Wide Angle lens. It’s good for shooting in low light. A wide angle lens is practical for shooting in the confined spaces of a New York apartment, but it also creates a subtle distortion of space that is good for making an environment feel haunted.

I went for high contrast lighting because it is beautiful and spooky, and also true to the actual apartment where Jen and I lived. That apartment seemed to have an unnatural resistance to light. We used to walk around with flashlights in the middle of the day when all the lights were on.

Glamgical: Horror is a very popular genre. Why do you think people are so attracted to it?

Allan Piper: When the world is scary, people look to make-believe scares for catharsis. The first real boom in horror movies came in the 1930s amid the Great Depression and the rise of fascism in Europe. Cold War nuclear fears spawned the 1950s monster movie boom. During the social unrest of the Vietnam era, the great horror movies of the late 60s and early 70s were born. Our country has been through a lot in the last few years, so I’m not surprised we are again looking to scary movies to help us process it. I certainly am.

Glamgical: Is the set your actual apartment?

Allan Piper: Yes, we filmed eVil Sublet in our actual apartment. The movie was inspired by real strange occurrences that happened in that apartment. Doors would open and close on their own. Lights would go on and off. Jen repeatedly felt a cold hand touching her in the dark. She was often awakened by weird cries in the night, and once a voice screaming “MOVE!” In her ear. Not long after filming, we finally did move.

We managed to record some unexplained phenomena and edit them into the movie.

Glamgical: You make some important social commentaries on the movie. How is the housing crisis, discrimination, and racism shaping America today?

Allan Piper: Chris and I conceived of eVil Sublet more than a decade ago, when the idea that someone would choose to live in a haunted apartment just to save on rent seemed uniquely New Yorky. But now I think all Americans can relate to being forced to endure extreme conditions to keep an affordable roof over their heads. America’s affordable housing crisis is what makes the movie’s premise believable.

And this is also a movie about evil, and there’s nothing more evil or destructive in our society than racism and misogyny — which, in eVil Sublet, turn out to be as great a danger as anything supernatural.

Politics is a big part of my life. I was a filmmaker for both the 2012 Obama campaign and the 2016 Clinton campaign. I was the supervising politics producer for NowThis throughout the Trump years, and I’m now the head of content for Inequality Media, the nonprofit co-founded by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.

Glamgical: How did you find your actors?

Allan Piper: I wanted to work with people I love. I’m blessed to have talented friends, and for the most part, Chris and I created the roles around them.

We created the lead role of Alex for Jen. There are not enough multi-layered roles for women (particularly women out of their 20s and 30s). We wanted her to be funny, strong, sexy, and scary, and to play the full gamut of emotions from joy to terror.

Pat Dwyer (Ned) and Stephen Mosher (Lorne) were the subjects of my last movie, the documentary Married and Counting. In 2010 and 2011 (back when same-sex marriage was considered controversial), they traveled the country to get married in every state that would let them, and they entrusted me to tell their love story. Having seen how electric they are on-screen together, I was eager to put them there again. This is their first time on-screen together as actors.

I’ve admired Sally Struthers (Reena) all my life. We met her socially at a party at Pat and Stephen’s and became good friends. It turned out that doing a horror movie was on her bucket list. I was thrilled to get to work with her. Reena is a different sort of role than you’d expect to see Sally play, and that’s all I’ll say about Reena.

Glamgical: What challenges did you encounter while filming this movie?

Allan Piper: We were filming the first scene on March 7, 2020 — the day New York declared a state of emergency due to covid. We shut everything down, lost deposits, lost airfare, and put things on hold for over a year.

Since Jen and I lived together on the set, SAG gave us permission for me to film her with no one else while the rest of production was shut down. We ended up adding new scenes of Alex alone in the apartment, some of which are now my favorite scenes in the movie. Since I play the Great Manfredo, we also filmed the Alex/Manfredo scenes together with no one behind the camera.

Production resumed in September 2021. Beth was our covid safety coordinator. She made sure there were no infections on our set. 

Glamgical: Do you think it is more difficult today to find financing for film projects?

Allan Piper: Indie film is always hard to finance. I can’t say whether it’s easier or harder than when I made my first feature, Starving Artists in the ’90s.

eVil Sublet was partly financed with the offer that crowd-funders would have their faces turned into ghosts in the shadows and corners of the apartment. More than 200 ghostified faces are hidden throughout the movie. There are 13 in the trailer alone. Having hundreds of hidden faces makes the movie scarier. Viewers will jump in the middle of a scene when they realize there’s been a face peering out of the shadows the whole time.

Glamgical: How important is the festival circuit for independent films like eVil Sublet?

Allan Piper: Film festivals are one of my favorite parts of the process. The people I’ve met and the movies I’ve seen at festivals have shaped my career. On the festival circuit in the ’90s with my first movie, Starving Artists, I met Phil Leirness, the 2nd unit director on eVil Sublet and Jerome Courshon, whose company Lion Heart Distribution is eVil Sublet’s distributor.

With eVil Sublet wanted to premiere at the Coney Island Film Festival (and did) because Coney Island is such a big part of the movie. That was followed by Grossmann Fantastic Fest in Slovenia, HorrOrigins Film Fest, Haunted House FearFest, Another Hole in the Head, the New York City Horror Film Festival, the DC Independent Film Festival, and Independent Film Festival Boston. We won a total of 10 awards at these festivals.

Glamgical: As a film director, what is the most rewarding part of your job?

Allan Piper: I strategically loaded this movie with people, places, and things I love, so the most rewarding part was working with those people in those places. Thanks to Wonder Wheel Park’s Vourderis family, we got to film inside the historic Spook-a-Rama and on the Wonder Wheel! We got to have a musical number where Jen sings with award-winning cabaret star Leanne Borghesi! Nothing makes me happier than sharing the things I love with other people.

Jennifer Leigh Houston

Glamgical: What do you like the most about your character?

Jennifer Leigh Houston: I like that she’s brave.  Above all else, she’s brave. Much braver than I am.  I also like that, just like me, she’s a problem solver and goes headlong into fixing whatever is going wrong even if it means she may be in mortal danger. 

Glamgical: There is horror, comedy, and sexiness in this movie. How did you prepare for all of that?

Jennifer Leigh Houston: Hopefully, if I’m livin’ my life right, I’m ALWAYS prepared for all of that.  No, seriously, I prepared a lot. I made sure my body was in (ok) shape for all the running I was being asked to do, I tried to have my look right, and I did my homework on the script. I wanted to make the actual filming aspect as easy as possible by being really prepared when I got on set. And also, let’s be honest, the script was literally written for me and my ex, Charley Tucker to star in. I’ve known Charley for over 20 years, and we’re really comfortable around each other. Allan knew that when he wrote it for us, and hopefully, we easily gave Allan what he was after with the relationship. When the pandemic hit the month we started shooting, all of my good intentions about the way I was to look all went to hell in a handbasket. Continuity was a bitch, and some of it simply had to be reshot later because we simply didn’t look the same after lock down.  Thank god that for the majority of the film, I’m supposed to be a disheveled mess. Because I was. 

Glamgical: What do you think is the main message to the audience through your character?

Jennifer Leigh Houston: My message to the audience is twofold: always listen to your gut, and don’t ever let anyone else’s ideas about life and what IS and ISN’T possible sway you from what you know to be true.  

Glamgical: What is the main housing crisis in New York right now?

Jennifer Leigh Houston: Wow, well, that’s a complicated topic. Greedy landlords, for one thing, and I don’t know what we’re supposed to do about that, superimposed upon an ever-growing homeless population.  My heart breaks for folks that have their heart set on coming to live in NYC but ultimately being relegated to the way outer fringes because that’s all they can afford.  And usually with more roommates splitting the rent than is desirable.  

Glamgical: Is media doing enough to portray the LGBT community in a positive light?

Jennifer Leigh Houston: I think we’re getting there. But I still think it has to be less remarkable, ya know?  I mean, I think it’s important to keep peppering our stories with LGBTQIA folks throughout. Constantly.   And not every story that contains an LGBTQIA character has to be a huge drama. That is NOT to say that we don’t still need coming out stories and transition stories, and civil rights stories, because we haven’t fully arrived at equality.  Not by a long shot! But just like our movie, there are lots of queer folks in it, but this isn’t a movie about being gay, or bi.  It’s a story about people trying to live their lives, and unravel a very scary mystery. And as it turns out, they just happen to be queer.  I think we could use a lot more of that kind of representation. 

Glamgical: In a recent interview for Variety, Isabella Rossellini mentioned that Hollywood abandoned her in her 40s. How can actors—especially actresses—fight back against ageism?

Jennifer Leigh Houston: Well, the first order of business is having writers keep writing stories which include, or revolve around older women. I mean, let’s be honest, we can go on talk shows, or TikTok, or whatever, and bitch and moan about how invisible we feel and how underrepresented we seem, but until writers are willing to write stories for us, there’s not a damn thing we can do. I don’t know how to convince younger people who think that just because we’re older, we have no value. And to be honest, I think that type of ageism is really an American thing.  We’re seriously ageist here. 

One of the things that’s exciting about horror and sci fi films is their willingness to push boundaries, and we’re seeing them do that now in creating better roles for grown-up women, as we’re seeing with Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Curtis in the latest Halloween series, Heather Graham and Barbara Crampton in Suitable Flesh, and Crampton in Jakob’s Wife.

(Side note, Amy Schumer wrote the most fantastic skit about it being an actress’s “last fuckable day” with Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Patricia Arquette. https://vimeo.com/509440429

When I saw this, I laughed first, then cried a little because I knew it was true.)

Glamgical: How was your experience working with Allan and Sally?

Jennifer Leigh Houston: Well, I knew what working with Allan was going to be like, as he has directed my music videos and my online cake show, Jen’s Shut Your Cake Hole, and I had worked with him on his last feature documentary Married and Counting, so I knew we worked well together, and I knew what he expected of me. 

But I had never worked with Sally before, and although I was a bit nervous to work with this absolute ICON, she was so generous and lovely to work with that I literally cried when she wrapped because I didn’t want our scenes together to be over. (I also hacked up our first take together because she made me laugh so hard I couldn’t keep it together)  I certainly hope it won’t be the last time. I really hope so.

Sally Struthers

Glamgical: This is your full-length horror debut. How did you like the experience?

Sally Struthers: I’d rather be part of the scaring than be scared. Horror films frighten the poop out of me. And they stay with me. They’re like a side-of-the-road accident. You can’t look away.

I was thrilled that I got to be in this movie because when you’re a septuagenarian and you look back at your career and you say, ‘Is there anything I haven’t done that I would really like to do?’ being in a horror film, like Jamie Lee Curtis, was on my list. 

eVil Sublet is equal parts creepy and hilarious. And it never lets up.

eVil Sublet

Story by Chris Pearson & Allan Piper. Written Directed, Shot, and Cut by Allan Piper. Produced by Jennifer Leigh Houston, Beth Ann Mastromarino, Chris Pearson, and Allan Piper.

The Connie Converse Universe at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theater

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The Connie Converse Universe
The 2024 “Outstanding Musical” winner at the San Diego International Fringe Festival comes to the Hollywood Independent Theater Festival

Connie Converse, an American singer-songwriter active in the 1950s, was a pioneering figure in the folk music genre before Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Known for her haunting melodies and introspective lyrics, her work laid the groundwork for future singer-songwriters of the 1960s. But Connie’s life took a mysterious turn in August 1974, when she packed up her belongings in her VW Bug and disappeared, never to be seen again. Her music, however, found new life 35 years later when her 1954 demo recordings were rediscovered and went viral on Spotify.

WHAT: The Connie Converse Universe

WHO: Starring: Hope Levy. Music and Lyrics by Connie Converse. Directed by Tom Lavagnino. Presented by Hollywood Independent Theater Festival.

WHERE: Stephanie Feury Studio Theater- 5636 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

WHEN: Monday, October 16th, 7:00 pm

Running time: 55 minutes.

[Additional dates will be added in the upcoming months.]

TICKET PRICE: $25.00 per show.

TICKET LINK: Hollywood Independent Theater Festival – HITFEST (stagey.net)

ADMISSION: All ages.

THE ORPHAN’S REVENGE at Lonny Chapman Theatre

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The Group Rep Revives the Award-Winning THE ORPHAN’S REVENGE Oct. 4th

The Group Rep is proud to present the award-winning dastardly musical THE ORPHAN’S
REVENGE (or Abandoned at Cooper’s Crossing) with 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, and produced for The Group Rep by Linda Alznauer.
The well-received honky-tonk theatrical musical will run October 4 th through November
10 th , 2024, on the Main Stage of the Lonny Chapman Theatre located in North
Hollywood, CA.
The current crop of unstoppable Marvel-inspired feature films all got their start from
the tremendously popular melodramas of the 1800s with the heroine, hero and
dastardly villain. Our selfless heroine sacrifices herself to keep the orphanage from
being recycled into a saloon. And to make this even more enjoyable, all this fun is
wrapped in a musical format! Originally produced by the Group Rep, this was one of the
most successful productions in GRT’s 50-year history, eventually wending its way to the
Ford Theatre in Washington, DC. It is tongue-planted- ferociously-in-cheek with music
that is imminently hummable and lyrics that are wickedly whip smart.

October 4 — November 10, 2024
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm; Sunday Matinees at 2:00pm
After the Matinee: Talkback with Cast and Staff 10/6 and 10/13
General Admission: $40. Seniors & Students with ID: $35. Parties 10+: $30.00

Buy Tickets and Reservations: www.thegrouprep.com or (818) 763-5990
The Lonny Chapman Theatre is located at 10900 Burbank Blvd., N. Hollywood 91601
For more information about the show & the Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman
Theatre:
Website www.thegrouprep.com
Facebook facebook.com/TheGroupRep
Twitter https://twitter.com/thegrouprep
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thegroupreptheatre

 

PETER PAN AND TINKER BELL: A PIRATE’S CHRISTMAS at the Scherr Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks!

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PETER PAN AND TINKER BELL: 

A PIRATE’S CHRISTMAS 

Written by Kris Lythgoe

Directed by Bonnie Lythgoe

 

OPENS: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 at 7:00pm (press opening) and runs through 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 at 4:00pm

 

Performances are Thursdays & Fridays at 7:00pm; 

Saturdays at 2:00pm & 7:00pm; 

Sundays at 12:00pm & 4:00pm

 

There will be an added performance on Friday, December 27 at 2:00pm

 

BANK OF AMERICA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER – 

SCHERR FORUM THEATRE

2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd, in Thousand Oaks

Tickets range from $39.50 – $59.50

For tickets, please call (805) 449-2787

 

For theatre information, call (805) 449-ARTS (2787) or visit bapacthousandoaks.com.   

Buy tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.5startheatricals.com.  

Student, Senior and Group discounts are available.

Harry Shum Jr. To Play “Jesus” for Two Performances Only!

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KRISTEN BELL, CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL, ALAN CUMMING, ANDY FICKMAN, 

KEVIN MURPHY, AMERICA OLIVO and DAN STUDNEY 

ARE FILLED WITH “GLEE” 

AS THEY WELCOME “EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE” STAR

HARRY SHUM JR

TO THE ROLE OF “JESUS” FOR TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 & SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29

IN THEIR CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, SMASH-HIT PRODUCTION OF

REEFER MADNESS 

THE MUSICAL

Book by Kevin Murphy & Dan Studney

Lyrics by Kevin Murphy    Music by Dan Studney

Musical Direction by David Lamoureux

Direction and Choreography by Spencer Liff

 

The “MADNESS” CONTINUES through 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 at the Whitley Theatre in Hollywood!

 

PERFORMANCES: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm.

 Arrive up to 2 hours early to enjoy food and libations in the theatre adjacent “Victory Garden” restaurant and also enjoy a post-show live music in “The Reefer Den.”

 

The Historic Whitley Theatre

6555 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA  

 

Ticket Prices: $39 – $175 (with limited premium seats available)

Prices subject to change; Special group rates available for parties of 8 or more.  

 

For tickets – visit www.reefermadness.com

The Drop: Orville Peck at GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live

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Country superstar Orville Peck was interviewed by Tomás Mier as part of the GRAMMY Museum‘s The Drop program. This exclusive event took place on Tuesday Sep 17, 2024. It was an intimate conversation with Orville, where he talked about his beginnings in the music industry, his passion for country music, and his collaborations with other music stars. The event included a live acoustic performance by Orville, with an inspiring orange Harvest Moon shining in the sky and LA’s colorful downtown in the background.

Orville went over his beginnings, when he toured nonstop for 15 years for practically no money. His passion for music kept him going until he achieved the success and recognition he currently enjoys. He also mentioned his experiences collaborating with established and upcoming stars such as legend Willie Nelson, Kylie Minogue, and Noah Cyrus, among others.

With his impressive and alluring vocal range, Orville’s music has the nostalgic sound of the 60s and 70s, and his evocative voice and magnetic presence bring memories of an ebullient and captivating Elvis Presley. One of the hottest country stars out there, Orville is poised to become a trailblazer as one of the few openly gay singers in the scene, mirroring the winds of change in country music, a genre that is becoming more open to alternative voices.

Orville Peck continues to create and push boundaries in country music and beyond. Expect more surprises coming up and don’t miss the opportunity to experience the sensual and powerful voice of one of the most iconic superstars in the music scene today.

Links

Orville Peck: orvillepeck.com

GRAMMY Museum: grammymuseum.org

ROBBIN, FROM THE HOOD at The Road Theatre

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ROAD THEATRE COMPANY 

announces three performances for 

the deaf and hard of hearing communities 

added to the First Production of its 2024-2025 Season!

The World Premiere of 

ROBBIN, FROM THE HOOD

Written by Marlow Wyatt

Directed by Chuma Gault
Produced by Danna Hyams, Taylor Gilbert and Cherish Monique Duke

Previews:  Tuesday, October 8; Wednesday, October 9 & 

Thursday, October 10 at 8pm 

 

Opens: Friday, October 11 at 8pm (Press Opening) 

Runs: Friday, October 11 – Sunday, November 17, 2024

Performances are Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm

 

The Road will be adding three captioned performances for the deaf and hard of hearing communities on Friday, October 25 at 8pm; Saturday, November 2 at 8pm; and Sunday, November 10 at 2pm.

 

The Road Theatre, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 

10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

 

Tickets: $39.00 (General Admission) 

$25.00 (/Seniors)

$17.00 (Students)

$15.00 (Previews)

 

Tickets available online at:

ww.roadtheatre.org or call 818-761-8838.

Theatre Review: Clarkston

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In his exploration of characters in isolated areas, Playwright Samuel D. Hunter photographs the meeting of two young men at a critical time in their lives. Using a minimalist set design, Director Chris Fields centers the attention on the psychological and emotional state of the three characters that inhabit Hunter’s world.

Jake (Michael Sturgis) is trying to reach the West Coast to see the Pacific. Instead, he gets stranded in Clarkston, Washington. He finds a job at the local Costco, working the night shift with Chris (Sean Luc Rogers). The exposition reveals two individuals who are trying to overcome their fears, facing the darkest periods in their lives. Jake has been diagnosed with a debilitating disease that will end up killing him in a few years. Chris, fatherless, is coping with Trisha (Tasha Ames), his meth-addicted mother. Very much to the style of The Wrestler, Trisha is trying to stay clean to rebuild her relationship with Chris. She gets a job at Denny’s, and despite Chris’ distrust, she keeps looking after him. At work, Chris and Jake develop a romantic relationship. Little by little, Chris and Trisha appear to start rebuilding their mother-son connection. The stars seem to be aligning. But the apparent stability gives way to the real fragility of the characters.

Hunter lightens up the somber topics depicted in the play with humor when least expected. This device is used very effectively by Sturgis, who also showed his excellent comedic skills in Crabs in a Bucket. The three actors elevate the tension and despair of their respective characters with convincing performances. Ames continues to build her resume playing troubled and eccentric characters. This time, she embodies Trisha as a woman with the strength to better herself, only to succumb to her demons once again, jeopardizing her already precarious relationship with her son. As for Rogers, he aces the portrayal of a man who is permanently damaged by a broken family. His character takes center stage, as he is pushed to the limits, having to choose between Jake and Trisha, ultimately having to choose his own destiny.

Hunter sends his characters in a deep soul search. They need to find their real identity. Through their interactions with each other, they’re looking for a human connection; they’re isolated geographically and emotionally. They want to escape from their past, finding themselves trapped in the present with an uncertain future.

That’s the beauty of Hunter’ writings. He brings attention to people living far away from metropolitan areas. People with hopes, demons, and broken dreams, trying to escape the anonymity of their isolation. Fields and his cast give depth to the characters and achieve a relatable and moving production that relies mainly on the exceptional skills of the three actors.

Clarkston

Echo Theater Company
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Performances: Sept. 14 – Oct. 21
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 20, Sept. 27; Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 18
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 14 (Opening Night), Sept. 21, Sept. 28; Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 19
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Sept.  22, Sept. 29; Oct. 6, Oct. 13, Oct. 20
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 23, Sept. 30; Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21

Tickets: echotheatercompany.com

Written by Samuel D. Hunter. Directed by Chris Fields. Presented by The Echo Theater Company, Chris Fields artistic director. Chris Fields, Kelly Beech and Marie Bland produce for the Echo Theater Company.

Starring Tasha Ames, Sean Luc Rogers, Michael Sturgis.

Creative team: Scenic designer Amanda Knehans, lighting designer Matthew Richter, sound designer Alysha Grace Bermudez, and costume designer Dianne K Graebner. The production stage manager is Lisa Toudic.

Theatre Review: The Skin of Our Teeth

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The Skin of Our Teeth, an abstract play with hints of impressionism, is back on stage, this time at A Noise Within.

The three act play is an attempt to illustrate the complex and oftentimes turbulent history of humankind. Playwright Thornton Wilder used figures of speech to convey the spectrum of the human condition and the resilience to survive in the face of disaster, covering thousand of years of history. Obviously, this is a challenging task for a theatre director. To translate Wilder’s concepts, Directors Julia Rodriguez–Elliott and Geoff Elliott use lighting, visual effects, and background projections to frame the brilliant performances of Ann Noble, Trisha Miller, and Frederick Stuart, who facilitate the understanding of the philosophical elements of the play.

Wilder wrote the script in 1942, when the world was witnessing the horrors of WWII. Probably as a premonition of what lay ahead, Wilder wrote a play about the necessity to rely on each other to survive a disaster of epic magnitude. The three main events mentioned in the play are a new ice age, a great flood, and a devastating war. By the way, the casualties of WWII were 70-85 million, a catastrophic war, indeed. The Antrobus family, however, is able to survive each disaster, an allegory to the indestructible spirit of humans, especially the family, the fundamental block of society.

The text references three of the most influential philosophers in history: Plato, Aristotle, and Spinoza, a way to convey the idea that their teachings would help humans navigate the treacherous paths in life. This element is used breaking character and addressing the audience directly to bring down the fourth wall. Wilder didn’t use this for a comical effect only, he also implied that the survival of the human species depends on our ability to take personal responsibility, thus transferring rhetorically the action of the play onto the audience.

The excellent acting of Ann Noble as Sabina, Frederick Stuart as Mr. Antrobus, and Trisha Miller as Mrs. Antrobus make the deep philosophical ideas more digestible to the audience. They balance the dramatic tone of the play with a touch of comedy to lighten up the subject matter. In the third act, Christian Henley, amazing in King Hedley II, delivers a powerful and moving performance as a war survivor and resented son. Henley and Stuart offer a touching scene that captures the essence of the play during the resolution.

The ideas imprinted in the play are as relevant as they were 82 years ago. Whether we agree or disagree with Wilder’s points of view, the truth is that human history continues its turbulent path—economical crises, Covid, and more wars included. An analysis of The Skin of Our Teeth is a window to the building blocks of civilization, the wonders of the human experience, and the innate grit to survive adversity.

The Skin of Our Teeth

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

Performances Sept. 7 – Sept. 29
• Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.: Sept. 19, Sept. 26 (dark Sept. 12)
• Fridays at 7:30 p.m.: Sept. 20*, Sept. 27*
• Saturdays at 2 p.m.: Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Sept. 28 (no matinee on Sept. 7)
• Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.: Sept. 7 (Opening Night); Sept. 21, Sept. 28
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Sept. 15*, Sept. 22, Sept. 29
*Post–performance conversations with the artists take place every Friday (except the preview) and on Sunday, Sept. 15.
**A one-hour INsiders Discussion Group will take place prior to the matinee on Sunday, Sept. 8 beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Student matinees are scheduled on select weekdays at 10:30 a.m. Interested educators should email education@anoisewithin.org.

Written by Thornton Wilder. Directed by Julia Rodriguez–Elliott and Geoff Elliott. Presented by A Noise Within, Geoff Elliot and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, producing artistic directors

Starring Christian Henley, Mildred Marie Langford, Kasey Mahaffy, Trisha Miller, Cassandra Marie Murphy, Ann Noble, Frederick Stuart.
Ensemble: Anthony Adu, Stella Bullock, Julia Chavez, Jacob Cherry, Yannick Haynes, Amber Liekhus, Veronica McFarlane, David A. Rangel, Landon M. Robinson, Micah Schneider, Maya Sta. Ana.

Creative team: Scenic designer Frederica Nascimento; lighting designer Ken Booth; composer and sound designer Robert Oriol; costume designer Garry Lennon; wig and make up designer Tony Valdés; and dramaturg Miranda Johnson-Haddad. The production stage manager is Angela Sonner, assisted by Hope Matthews.