Category Archives: Theatre

Theatre Review: One Man, Two Guvnors

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Led by a sensational Kasey Mahaffy, One Man, Two Guvnors brings the fun with a flamboyant display of physical comedy, witty dialogue, and an evocative touch of retro style.

Francis Henshall (Kasey Mahaffy) gets lucky enough to land two jobs the same day. But that also means that he has two bosses, Rachel Crabbe (Christie Coran) and Stanley Stubbers (Ty Aldridge), so he needs to be careful not to mix things up. Francis tends to forget things and get easily distracted, especially thinking about food. The first half of the story is his pursuit of food, the second half is his pursuit of his love interest, Dolly (Trisha Miller).

As a subplot, a local wealthy mobster, Charlie “the Duck” Clench (Henri Lubatti) wants to marry his daughter, ingénue Pauline Clench (Cassandra Marie Murphy) to Rachel Crabbe, who is in a male disguise as her murdered twin brother Roscoe. But Pauline is in love with Alan Dangle (Paul David Story), an overdramatic amateur actor who, facing the impossibility of his relationship with Pauline, wanders the streets as a dude in distress, with a Shakespearean flair, of course.

Playwright Richard Bean places the story in 1963 in Brighton, England, the same city where more than 1,000 Mods and Rockers initiated a famous fight a year later, in 1964. For One Man, Two Guvnors, Bean uses the city as a bustling background for the hectic action of the play. To complement the tone of the story, Bean brings back the atmosphere of the swinging 60s with a live band that uses a variety of instruments, including a washboard.

Of course, a 60s story can’t be complete without dazzling costumes. Costume designer Garry Lennon and wig/make up designer Tony Valdés contribute with their talents to enhance the story and characters with a combination of Mod dresses for the ladies and slick-dressed attire for the gents. Even the set design (Frederica Nascimento) and lighting design (Ken Booth) make a striking statement about the geometric and fun patterns of that period.

Directors Julia Rodriguez–Elliott and Geoff Elliott capture the slapstick quality of the script with vaudeville-like kinetics that turn into a visual spectacle of humorous madness that keeps the audience fully engaged. Talking about the audience, the fourth wall disappears at times to make the play more interactive, catching the audience off-guard in a playful exchange of jokes and actions.

The cast is a stellar combination of resident and temporary actors. They all do a splendid job in bringing the comedy and movement to new heights. Mahaffy, as the leading actor, continues his ascending career showing his superb skills as one of the best in the industry. His timing and quirkiness are a perfect match for these energetic and unconventional characters. He keeps getting the opportunity, and he continues to shine.

With so much talent on display, this is for sure one of the best plays staged this year. It won’t be a surprise if A Noise Within adds more accolades to their long list of awards with this extraordinary production.

One Man, Two Guvnors

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

Performances Sept. 6 – Sept. 28:
• Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7: 30 p.m. / Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. (no Saturday matinee on Sept. 6)

Tickets: anoisewithin.org

• Written by Richard Bean
• Adapted from The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni
• Original songs by Gary Olding
• Directed by Julia Rodriguez–Elliott and Geoff Elliott
• Music director Rod Bagheri
• Presented by A Noise Within, Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott, producing artistic directors

Cast: Ty Aldridge, Lynn Robert Berg, Christie Coran, Luis Kelly–Duarte, Henri Lubatti, Evan Lugo, Kasey Mahaffy, Josey Montana McCoy, Trisha Miller, Cassandra Marie Murphy, Paul David Story.

Creative team: Scenic designer Frederica Nascimento; lighting designer Ken Booth; projection designer Nicholas Santiago; sound designer Jeff Gardner; costume designer Garry Lennon; wig and make up designer Tony Valdés; properties designer Stephen Taylor; fight choreographer Kenneth R. Merckx, Jr.; dialect coach Andrea Odinov; and dramaturg Miranda Johnson-Haddad. The production stage manager is Angela Sonner, assisted by Hope Matthews.

Theatre Review: Goldfish

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Playwright John Kolvenbach combines college, love, and addiction to build an endearing story that shows the conflicting nature of human connections.

Albert (Neo Barnes) is about to start college, but he needs to ensure his dad Leo (Will Kane) doesn’t spend the tuition money on gambling. They’re African Americans from a poor neighborhood. Once in college, Leo meets Lucy (Jillian Lee Garner), a White privileged girl whose mother Margaret (Lynne Mannino) is an alcoholic. Albert and Lucy fall in love with each other.

Eventually, Albert’s tuition is delayed due to Leo spending it on the tracks. To make things worse, Margaret doesn’t approve of the relationship between Albert and Lucy. Margaret doubts Albert can support Lucy, just like her husband couldn’t support the family.

Despite Albert’s tuition problems and the opposition of her mom, Lucy stands by his side, expecting him to rise to the occasion. But Albert worries about his dad losing the battle against his gambling addiction. Feeling defeated, Albert returns home and thinks about giving up, leaving college and Lucy behind.

A distinctive feature of the Noisy Nest is the rectangular stage with the audience seating on both sides inside the stage. This layout allows the audience to experience the play in an intimate setting, really close to the actors, so close that we could even smell Garner’s perfume as she walked by.

As for the story and dialogue, they appear simple, but they have a relatable essence, connecting with the audience at a raw and personal level. Goldfish delves into the core of society, the sacred space where our first impression of the world takes shape. Families can build or destroy. Sometimes kids can be a disappointment, but what happens when it’s the other way around? Kolvenbach shows both the fragility and strengths of the family members when they try to mend what’s been destroyed. What does it take to start over again? Are second chances possible, even for disadvantaged individuals? Is love enough of an engine to keep us going?

Director Amanda Bird extracts the power of human connection from the dialogue to create moving scenes that reinforce the importance of family in our development and how far some humans will go to take care of their own. The blocking makes great use of the intimate and unique space.

This production is still in the previews stage. The actual performances start on Sep the 12th. For what we saw in one of the previews, the writing, direction, and acting are creating an intimate and engaging play that adds a special touch to the theatre offerings this season.

Goldfish

Noisy Nest
148 S. Doheny Drive
Beverly Hills CA 90211

Previews: September 5th – 7th, 2025
Friday, Saturday performances 8pm
Sunday Matinee 2pm

Performances: September 12th – 28th, 2025
Friday, Saturday performances 8pm
Sunday Matinee 2pm

Tickets: thenestla.org/goldfish

Written by John Kolvenbach
Directed by Amanda Bird
Produced by The Nest

Cast: Neo Barnes, Jillian Lee Garner, Will Kane, Lynne Mannino, Enrike Llamas, Avery Bebon, Joshua Loren, and Paige Clark.

Creative team: Stage Manager – Katrina Zbegner. Set Design – Amanda Bird. Light Design – Isa Perez-Flores. Sound Design – Amanda Bird. Wardrobe + Prop Master – Amanda Bird. Production Manager – Lynne Mannino. Special Effects Design – Amanda Bird.

Theatre Review: Unsweet Perdition

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Delving into horror and science fiction, Unsweet Perdition explores the substance of reality in an experimental form.

Astrid Kelvin (Grace Nix) is the new hire at the Danbury Hydroelectric Power and Treatment facility, where she meets a string of eccentric co-workers and characters. Similar to Alice in Wonderland, Astrid enters a rabbit hole, a space so strange that even the facility becomes sentient. In that allegorical environment, she has to ask herself: Is this soluble? Am I soluble? Where Am I? 

Playwright Evan Spreen‘s play uses literary elements of the New Weird, an evolution of genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and horror. In Unsweet Perdition, spiritual awakening, filtration of pain, and dissolving memories are represented in numbers, items, and stories told by the characters. 

If you are not familiar with SCP Foundation, House of Leaves, or Annihilation, you’re missing out. They’re a whole separate universe with a considerable following. Spreen adds a special piece to the growing body of work of New Weird artists. He has created symbols to reflect realities in a poetic expression of otherworldliness. Highlighting the suspense and endearing memories depicted in the play, the music is an engaging character that deepens the connection between the characters and their experiences. Another factor to consider is the amazing performances of the actors, bringing alive the weirdness and quirkiness of the characters. 

Due to the abstract nature of the genre, the play is geared towards a niche audience, but within that commercial limitation, the play is a well-crafted example of experimental theatre. It’s evocative and surreal, just like a dream aimed to enlighten us.     

Unsweet Perdition

The Madnani Theater
6760 Lexington Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Thursday August 28 2025, 8:30 PM

Written & Directed by Evan Spreen
Produced by Michelle Belmont

Cast: Grace Nix, Sean James, Jeremy D. Thompson, Michelle Belmont, Naomi Melville, and Athena Reddy.

Music by Ian Sutherland. Lighting by Jeremy D. Thompson. Assistant Director Justine Lang. Graphic Designer Dan Mathis.

Theatre Review: Wine in the Wilderness

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The killing of an African American teenager by an off-duty White police officer caused some riots in Harlem that left a total of 1 person dead, 144 people injured, and 519 people arrested in 1964. Some businesses are looted as well. The action in Wine in the Wilderness takes place during the last day of the riots.

The turmoil of the riots is the background for Alice Childress‘ exploration of African American identity. Bill Jameson (Max Lawrence) is trying to define the essence of the African American woman in three paintings. So far, he has painted two of them, a little girl that represents innocence, and an attractive adult woman that represents divinity. He just needs to find the third model to represent the downfall, the messed-up chick, as he calls her.

Bill is a college-educated artist. So are his friends Cynthia (Sydney A. Mason) and Sonny-Man (Kameron J. Brown). A friend of theirs, Oldtimer (Alex Morris) comes into Bill’s apartment trying to hide some of the loot he grabbed during the unrest. Oldtimer seems to be a drunk and far less educated than Bill and his friends.

To Bill’s surprise, Cynthia and Sonny-Man call him to let him know that they have found the messed-up chick he is looking for to complete his third painting. That woman is Tomorrow “Tommy” Marie (LeShay Tomlinson Boyce), who is not college-educated and whose house has been burned down in the riots. She is unaware of Bill’s intention to find the messed-up woman for his painting.

Childress then goes on to convey the idea that the Black Arts Movement left some people behind, in this case female and the uneducated. As important as the movement was, some of the artists that led the tendency turned it into an elitist group that perpetuated the sexism and classism that was already permeating the social fabric of America. The fact that Bill, Cynthia, and Sonny-Man haven’t even bothered to know Oldtimer’s real name, is an indication of their condescending attitude towards the less educated members of society. In that sense, Tomorrow and Oldtimer are the two characters that represent the people left behind by the movement. At the same time, they are the image of resistance and humanity, virtues that allowed the African American community to survive in the face of adversity.

The actors deliver an exciting performance, bringing to life the pungent and profound words embedded in the script. Lawrence and Morris start the action with vitality. Their playful interaction sets the tone of the story and heightens the conflicting perspectives of the characters’ perceptions on African American identity.

Gerald C. Rivers shows his other artistic talent, this time as a director. He displays the nuances captured by Childress’ script about the Black Arts Movement and the attempt to understand the core of the African American experience through the arts. Rivers does a fantastic job with Boyce, challenging preconceived ideas and empowering the image of the African American woman as a critical element of society.

This production is not only informative; it’s entertaining. It’s also an invitation to compare the past against the present and analyze what replaced the Black Arts Movement. By doing so, we can reflect on how much advancement has been achieved since the writing of this play, and what else needs to be done to transform society through the arts.

Wine in the Wilderness

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga CA 90290

Performances: Aug. 9 – Oct. 12 (see website for full schedule)

Tickets: theatricum.com

• Written by Alice Childress
• Directed by Gerald C. Rivers
• Presented by Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum

Starring LeShay Tomlinson Boyce, Kameron J. Brown, Max Lawrence, Sydney A. Mason, Alex Morris.

Creative team: Wine in the Wilderness features original paintings by Zach Bones. The costume designer is Beth Eslick, with lighting designed by Hayden Kirschbaum and sound by Lucas Fehring. Shoshanna Green is the prop master. Lena Ford serves as assistant director and dramaturg. The production stage manager is Lacey Szerlip, assisted by Alex Penner.

Theatre Review: The Heidi Chronicles

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Wendy Wasserstein presents a realistic picture of feminism without the rigid perspective often depicted in the media, for better or worse.

Heidi (Amy Earhart) is a baby boomer. She’s also a feminist, joining the activism from the 1960s during Eugene McCarthy’s presidential campaign of ’68. McCarthy opposes the US involvement in the Vietnam war. Concurrently, a women’s liberation movement demanding equal pay and birth control rights is taking place. Professionally, Heidi wants to become an art historian.

Heidi joins a group of women that support each other in their pursuit of female liberation. The play follows the lives of these women through the decades. Wasserstein treats feminism without a Manichaean angle. Rather, she explores the subject matter trying to grasp the gray areas of life, when things like jobs, marriages, and society start to modify ideals. 

The play shows Heidi’s relationship with two men that become important influences in her life. Peter (Hudson Long), a gay doctor, becomes her close friend and supporter, “If we can’t marry, let’s be great friends” they tell each other. Scoop (Alex Scyocurka) an editor who tends to grade everything, becomes her lover and a kind of a subject in her study of male complexities. 

Heidi’s female friends become successful in their careers, some of them working within the male establishment to change the system. But the strength of that hope gets diluted with the passing of time, as they settle down in their careers, get married, and have children. Meanwhile, Heidi stays single and childless, working as an art historian and exploring different romantic relationships.

Director Brent Beerman and the main actors, Earhart, Long, and Scyocurka show Wasserstein’s point of view of looking at feminism as aspirational in the concept state, but a constant struggle as an achievement in real life. Earhart exposes Heidi’s underlying strengths and vulnerabilities. The same applies to Long as Peter and Scyocurka as Scoop. Beerman makes sure to have his three actors highlight the insecurities of the characters and the evasive pursuit of happiness. Costumer Shon LeBlanc does a fantastic job recreating the costumes of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

The script itself references historical figures of the art, political, and literary worlds. The language and humor are intellectual, limiting a wider reach, feeling more like a niche piece. Regardless, this play is relevant and a reminder that activism is a long run rather than a sprint, with mixed results in the end.     

The Heidi Chronicles

The Group Rep Theatre (Main Stage)
10900 Burbank Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

July 25 – August 31, 2025
Fridays and Saturdays 8pm; Sundays 2pm

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Written by Wendy Wasserstein
Directed by Brent Beerman
Produced by Melissa Strauss for The Group Rep.

Cast: Kathi Chaplar (Debbie, Jill, Lisa), Amy Earhart (Heidi), Amy Goldring (April, Betsy, Becky), Hudson Long (Peter), Michelle McGregor (Molly, Fran, Clara, Denise), Maxwell Oliver (Chris, Mark, TV Attendant, Waiter, Ray), Alex Scyocurka (Scoop), and Amy Shaughnessy (Susan).

Creative team: Brent Beerman (Director/Properties Design), Melissa Strauss (Producer/Alternate Stage Manager), Kathi Chaplar (Set Design), Robbie
Miles (Lighting Design), Shon LeBlanc (Costume Design), Krys Fehervari (Wig Design), John Harvey (Sound Design).

Theatre Review: The Opposite of Love

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In a display of intense emotions and desperate search for human connection, The Opposite of Love delivers a tantalizing story of the path to recovery, with a twist.

Eloise (Ashley Griffin) hires gigolo Will (Evan Strand) in an attempt to get over a past sexual abuse experience. The plan is simple, Will is going to have sex with Eloise a couple of times, she is going to pay him for his services, and the transaction will be done. They live in New York. She is wealthy. He is working-class. She is book smart. He is streetwise. At first, their differences seem stark, but as the story unfolds, it is obvious that their needs are pretty much similar.

In the cinema world, movies like American Gigolo and Pretty Woman depict prostitutes in two different lights, the former more realistic, the latter more romanticized. The Opposite of Love seems to fall in between, but it has a more realistic tone in the sense that it explores a deeper need of human connection in more relatable circumstances. One of the reasons why this production works so well is Melora Marshall‘s superb direction. She shows her extraordinary ability to understand the sadness, loneliness, and misery written in the script. Breaking down the layers and depths of the characters, she then guides her actors to deliver a touching display of raw emotions that flow back and forth between Eloise and Will, in a cathartic journey of sensual healing. Seeing two dissimilar and damaged characters getting closer and closer is like witnessing a train that will take them either to paradise or to an impending wreck.

Once the trust is built—some pizza and a few hundred bucks later—Eloise opens up about her traumas and needs. Lonely and inexperienced, she appears to start falling for Will. In turn, Will sees the opportunity to have some steady income coming his way while helping Eloise discover sex in a positive environment. Although the transaction seems to be going well for both, there is something growing inside of them that will change the course of their relationship.

Griffin explores issues of gender and social class. She explores the isolation and emotional detachment caused by sexual abuse. She takes her characters to a place where they lower their guards and feel their tears, unlocking the possibilities of sexual liberation, leaving a trace of bodily fluids and traumas behind. Griffin and Marshall create a stage where the audience see the facial and body expression of Eloise and Will, but more astonishingly is their ability to make the audience feel so palpably their emotional scars as well.

The story is enhanced by the background music, a selection that echoes Eloise’s sexual exploration and awakening. Just like the music, Eloise’s costumes contribute to tell her story. They show her transformation: First impression, confidence, and power. As far as character development, Eloise can be empowering, or an open question, depending on one’s take on life. The ending shows Eloise either as liberated or as an even more damaged person.

The blocking at the last scene could be perceived in different ways. Once the twist of the story is exposed, it leaves an aftertaste that deviates from the political correctness depicted in the media nowadays. Will’s posture in relation to Eloise’s is an image that exemplifies the power structure in our society. Can you tell?

The Opposite of Love

Hudson Backstage Theatre
6539 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Fri, Jul 25 – Sun, Aug 31
Thu, Fri, Sat 7:30pm
Sun 4pm

Tickets: onstage411.com/newsite/show/play

Written by
Ashley Griffin

Directed by
Melora Marshall

Produced by

Neil Gooding Productions

Cast: Ashley Griffin & Evan Strand

Creative team: Celina Lee Surniak (Intimacy Director), Omar Madkour (Lighting Designer), Marshall McDaniel (Composer/Sound Designer), You Chen Zhang (Co-Scenic Designer), Joyce Hong (Co-Scenic Designer), Sage Barrie (Costume Designer).

Theatre Review: Gaslight

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With an outstanding performance by Jaxon Duff Gwillim as Jack Manningham, Gaslight brings comedy and a bit of thriller to the stage.

Jack and Bella Manningham (Tania Getty) live in London. The year is 1880. They have two servants, Nancy (Miranda Wynne) and Elizabeth (Rita Obermeyer). Jack flirts with Nancy as a plan to drive Bella insane and get her money. Additionally, Jack is also trying to find the jewels from Alice Barlow, a wealthy lady who lived in the apartment above and was murdered years ago. The murderer was never found.

Jack disappears at night without telling Bella where he’s going. Mysteriously, Bella hears steps in the apartment above, which is now unoccupied. The gaslight also dims minutes after Jack leaves the house and brightens right before he comes back. All of that and Jack’s constant belittlement are taking its toll on Bella to the point of making her feel as though she’s losing her mind. Jack’s plan is working…if he could only find those damn jewels. Meanwhile, Bella receives the visit of detective Rough (Stuart W. Howard), who worked on the case of the lady murdered in the apartment above.

The play as a whole works fine, but the thriller aspect seems to be missing in Act One and Act Two Scene 1. It shows pretty much in Act Two Scene 2, when Jack returns home, notices his desk drawers have been forced open, and faces Bella to reveal his true self. It is in this scene that Gwillim brings out convincingly the violent and dangerous side of his character. The thriller element then fills the stage and Jack’s aggressive outburst puts Bella in a vulnerable position that makes for great suspenseful action. It is at this point that Director Michael Rothhaar puts all the elements together to capture the darker tone of the play. The characters become alive and thrive in the face of danger.

The lighting by Michael Franco is clever and cast an amber tone to match the dramatic themes of the play. The same goes for the scenic design and the costumes by Taubert Nadalini and Shon LeBlanc respectively.

The audience keeps reacting positively to the staging of this play that originated the term gaslighting, so widely used in the romantic—or not so romantically—relationships nowadays. The play combines comedy and thriller, which might be the clue to the continuous production, including podcasting, of this play. It was written in 1938 by a playwright whose life was marked by tragedy: a disfigured face due to a car accident and the death of his mother by suicide. As usual, from a place of pain, artists create great works of art.

Gaslight

Pacific Resident Theatre
705 1/2 Venice Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291

Opening: June 21, 2025
8pm Thursdays – Saturdays; 3pm Sundays
(no performances July 17–25; 3pm matinees added on August 2, and 5)
Closing: August 10, 2025

Tickets: pacificresidenttheatre.org

Playwright: Patrick Hamilton
Director: Michael Rothhaar
Executive Producer: Marilyn Fox
Presented by Pacific Resident Theatre

Cast: Tania Getty as Mrs. Manningham, Jaxon Duff Gwillim as Mr. Manningham, Stuart W. Howard as Rough, Rita Obermeyer as Elizabeth, and Miranda Wynne as Nancy.

Creative team: Taubert Nadalini (Scenic Design), Michael Franco (Lighting Design), Claire German (Sound Design), Shon LeBlanc (Costume Design), Cybelle Kachler (Stage Manager).

Theatre Review: Nice Girl

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She attended Radcliffe (technically, Harvard). She had a brilliant future in front of her. She had the world at her feet. Just like Marlon Brandon said On The Waterfront, she could’ve been a contender, she could’ve been somebody. Instead, Jo (Anaïs Fairweather) is now 37, still lives with her mom, works as a secretary, has no boyfriend, and sometimes she looks like a schlump.

The occasional fun Jo enjoys is going out with her mom Francine (Susan Peahl) for a movie and some ice cream. Jo seems wrapped up in a mental stupor, standing still while life passes by at the speed of light. The monotony of her existence is sucking her spirit into oblivion, one day at a time. But there’s hope. Jo starts to hang out with her co-worker Sherry (Bailey Humiston), a firecracker who motivates Jo to go out and fix herself.

There’s also Donny (Jeff Lorch), the butcher who asks Jo to go to their high school reunion together. He even gifts Jo some fresh beef cuts, courtesy of the house. Flirting and steak sound like an irresistible combination to fill up an empty life and an empty stomach. But, is it too good to be true?

Right when the universe is aligning for Jo, Melissa Ross introduces a powerful element in creative writing: Irony. By this time, the audience is already hooked, rooting for the protagonist. Ross develops her characters to make them feel relatable. Jo wants to escape, longing for a spark to set her life in motion. This triggers emotions, feelings, and memories, transforming Jo into an entity of strength and vulnerability that make her disarmingly appealing.

The supporting characters take a life of their own, longing for a better life, and just like Jo, suffering the dreadful feeling of being left behind. Peahl, Humiston, and Lorch are fantastic; they capture the entrapments of apparent stability and the exciting new opportunities opening up for Jo. What fascinates about Ross’ writing is her ability to create those suspension periods; the three supporting characters will either unlock Jo’s happiness or shatter her life once and for all.

Attuned with the excellent writing and the exceptional direction of Ann Bronston, Fairweather’s performance is simply magnetic. Her transformation leads the audience to a journey of passive acceptance of her fate to the active search of possibilities, mainly triggered by the chance of love. She takes her character to that crossroad where there’s only one turn, left or right, ultimate realization or utter misery.

Making the most of the stage, Bronston matches the action with a unique lighting and great 80s fashion. The blocking adds dynamism that pairs up well with the sharp dialogue, making this a thrilling production that translates faithfully the essence of the story. Do not miss the opportunity to experience the enchanting trinity of script, acting, and directing. It will make you think, cry, and laugh. It’s theatre at its best, another big win for the creative minds of Rogue Machine Production.

Nice Girl

Rogue Machine Theatre (Upstairs at the Henry Murray Stage in the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Opening: 5pm on Saturday, June 7, 2025
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Mondays; 5pm Saturdays, Sundays
(no performances on June 9, 13, 14, and July 4)
Closing: July 20, 2025

Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org

Written by Melissa Ross
Directed by Ann Bronston
Producers: Lexi Sloan, Guillermo Cienfuegos, Athena Saxon
Associate Producer: Chisom Okoye
A Rogue Machine Production

Cast: Anaïs Fairweather as Jo. Bailey Humiston as Sherry. Jeff Lorch as Donny. Susan Peahl as Francine.

Creative team: Rachel Frost (Assistant director), Barbara Kallir (Scenic and Lighting Design), Christopher Moscatiello (Sound Design), Christine Cover Ferro (Costume Design), Lauren Lovett (Dialect Coach), Grant Gerrard (Technical director), Victoria Hoffman (Casting), Rachel Manheimer (Production Stage Manager).

Theatre Review: Strife

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With riveting performances by Franc Ross and Gerald C. Rivers, Ellen and Willow Geer give Strife a renewed sense of urgency, adapting the play to the 1890s in Pennsylvania, but reflecting some of the concerns of today’s job conditions.

From the trade guilds of ancient Rome to their transformation into Labor Unions as we know them today, these associations have tried to achieve economic and social justice by balancing the employer-employee relationship through group bargaining. Social activist John Galsworthy explored the tensions derived from intransigent positions by the two sides in the gripping story of the American Steel Corporation, led by its Chairman John Anthony (Franc Ross) and the Worker’s Committee, led by David Roberts (Gerald C. Rivers).

While the leaders of both sides refuse to give in, the families of the workers suffer the consequences. There is hunger and frustration, and the stakes are so high that the leaderships of Anthony and Roberts run the risk of coming to an end. Galsworthy’s writing is so relevant that his play still resonates today. It might be that the stubbornness of extreme positions have negative effects in more than just labor relations. Wars, trade disputes, and revolutions are clear examples of collateral damage suffered by innocent people at the mercy of leaders unwilling to compromise.

With the turmoil depicted and the dialogue, the cast have an excellent opportunity to shine. Ellen and Willow Geer do a fantastic job exploring the different layers of sensitivities displayed by the characters. Inflexibility, ambivalence, and desperation are embedded in the writing, and the actors make the best of it. If there were a Theatre Hall of Fame in Los Angeles, Ross and Rivers would certainly be inducted. They trigger your suspension of disbelief as soon as they hit the stage. Their portrayal of John Anthony and David Roberts is powerful and moving. They encapsulate the delusion of power and the desolation of its denouement.

The female characters add a significant weight and counterweight to the play. Annie Roberts (Earnestine Phillips) portrays the victim who pays the highest price of the prolonged strike. Enid Underwood (Emily Bridges) changes positions as a result of the unyielding stance of both sides of the conflict. Madge Thomas (Annie Reznik) embodies the frustration and powerlessness of the striking side; she’s a character who is protective and tries to mediate, only to see Roberts’ unwillingness to compromise and the indifference of Enid Underwood to the workers’ needs.

In this particular play, Galsworthy shares a similar style with George Bernard Shaw. To express their social commentary, both writers use long monologues, using dialogue as a tool to critique class divisions and the struggles of the poor. One distinctive detail in Strife, is that Galsworthy features Anthony and Roberts as opposites, one rich, one poor, but as the story unfolds, both end up as equals in their ambition to win the battle. The 180 degrees of separation eventually become 360 degrees of connection. Those nuances make this play timeless, resonating with the audience as any contemporary story would do.

The direction and the acting give a mesmerizing new life to Strife, a play that reflected the struggles of the working class during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, but whose universal themes continue to echo the clamor for economic justice and fair balance in labor relations.

Strife

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga CA 90290

Performances: June 21 – October 4

Tickets and schedule: theatricum.com

Written by John Galsworthy
Directed by Ellen Geer and Willow Geer
Presented by Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum

Cast: Franc Ross, Alan Blumenfeld, Ted Dane, Roman Guastaferro, Adam Mondschein, Andy Stokan, Gerald C. Rivers, Tom Allard, Hunter James, Cavin (CR) Mohrhardt, Rebecca Oca–Nussbaum, Sam Cowan, Brian Wallace, Emily Bridges, Clarissa Park, Earnestine Phillips, Annie Reznik, Aubrey Sage, Susan Stangl, Damon Rutledge, Marcus Andrews, Luke Bolle, Julius Geer–Polin, Mo Gordon, Danielle McPhaul, Kevin Rauch, Andrew Rodriguez, David Salper, Georgiana Swanson, Aralyn Wilson, Eliott Gray Wilson, Gabe Worstell, and Sammie Zenoz.

Theatre Review: Motel 66

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The Group Rep continues the road trip called Motel 66. This time, seven short plays explore the trepidations and hilarity of the human condition.

As it usually happens on a road trip, peculiar characters are found along the way, some carrying heavy weights of fear and regrets, while others just try to make the most out of life. Each of the seven plays is set in some of the cities connected by the famous Route 66, the stretch of highway going from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California.

The cities depicted in the plays are Flagstaff, Amarillo, Winslow, Hackberry, Wildorado, Barstow, and Albuquerque. The situations are varied and place the characters in challenging existential crises, forcing them to face the realities of life. As the plays show, the human experience is full of drama and humor, and that makes great entertainment for live theatre. Seven writers, seven directors, seven plays, and 19 actors make up this stretch of the road.

Four of the plays tackle dramatic situations. 45 Minutes And Counting, written by Julie Davis and directed by Lisa McGee-Mann deals with compassion and desperation to avoid a mistake that could ruin a marriage. Futures Passed, written by Fox Carney and directed by Todd Andrew Ball features the talents of April Audia and Anica Petrovic; both actresses excel in this strange interaction of two characters that share something special in life. This play is one of the highlights of the show. Wildorado written by Mimi Kmet and directed by Amy Shaughnessy is a trending story about abortion and abortion rights, exploring the tough and devastating decisions that have to be taken. Reunion, written by Kathi Chaplar and directed by Helen O’Brien presents the case of two characters’ reunion, years after a relationship went south. Success, failure, regrets; it’s all there. Still lingering. Still painful.

The three comedies presented are Forget Me Not, written by Denise Downer and directed by Barbara Brownell. A forgetful husband and a forgiving wife take a vacation. How about leaving your wife behind at a gas station in the middle of nowhere? This play features the exceptional Michael Mullen. Unfortunately, his character is too minor and he can’t show his talent. The Tour Guide, written by Phil Olson and directed by Doug Engalla. A 31-year-old takes a trip with his parents, who want him to grow up and move out of their home. He has a blog with no subscribers and no revenue (somehow it rings a bell). To get him out of the house, the parents set up a lie that, at the end, might not be a lie at all—well, it’s open to interpretation. What a creative and fun show. And lastly, Baby Day, written by Brent Beerman and directed by Lee Redmond. Three fans of comics interact with each other. Comic Con, costumes, and bodily fluids create this microcosmos of resistance to adulthood. Another fun situation to entertain your road trip.

The Group Rep is building a valuable collection of stories, connecting cities and characters in a string of plays that serve as an opportunity for creatives to expose their talents and giving the audience a chance to see multiple stories in one production.

Motel 66

Upstairs at The Group Rep Theatre
10900 Burbank Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

June 5 – July 13, 2025

Thursdays at 7:00pm
Saturdays at 4:00pm
Sundays at 7:00pm

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Cast: Ben Anderson, April Audia, Brent Beerman, Stephanie Colet, David Downs, Lee Grober, Jessica Kent, Angie Lin, Sam Logan, Melissa Lugo, Savannah Mortensen, Michael Mullen, Judy Nazemetz,  Seong Park, Lloyd Pedersen, Anica Petrovic, Ramona Reeves, Danny Salay, Rachel Speth, Neil Thompson, Troy Whitaker, and Sylvie Wiley.