Category Archives: Theatre

Theatre Review: can i touch it?

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The NNPN Rolling World Premiere of can i touch it? is presented by Rogue Machine. Written by francisca da silveira. Directed by Gregg T. Daniel. Produced by John Perrin Flynn and Guillermo Cienfuegos.

Shay Solomon (Safiya Fredericks) is trying to save her wig and hair care business from an aggressive plan to buy foreclosed real state by Patron Bank. A 6% mortgage increase has make it difficult to Shay to stay in business, and after being denied a business loan by the same bank, she’s running out of options. To complicate things, her daughter Ruth (Iesha Daniels) is about to start college.

Meanwhile, Shay’s niece, Meeka (Suzen Baraka), is taking care of the shop . Unbeknownst to her, Shay is thinking of selling the business. Once Ruth lets Meeka know about Shay’s intention to sell, Meeka turns to social media to ignite a smear campaign against Patron Bank. The consequences can put pressure on the bank, but can also turn against Shay, as she is trying to be more diplomatic with the bank.

Da silveira uses Black women’s hair as a continuum in the play to emphasize society’s perception of Black women and their subsequent discrimination. After all, hair has been a contentious element in the Black experience in America. Take, for example, a natural Black hairstyle such as the afro. This style has been a symbol of resistance, widely used by the Black Panther Party and figures like Angela Davis. In that case, it’s no longer a fashion statement, it’s an emblem of empowerment. For Shay, being in the business of hair styling and fighting back against a bank that is trying to take it away from her is a summary of what African Americans have endured throughout the years when they try to move up the ladder. But just like the afro style, the characters Shay and Meeka symbolize the resistance and the power of community to survive and thrive despite the adversities.

The play unveils the real motivations behind the gentrification efforts seen in some distressed areas. The script tries to reveal, through a series of questions and answers, the connection between race relations and symbols that have been ingrained in American society since the inception of the country. Director Gregg T. Daniel uses the characters, in this instance the bank employees (Scott Victor Nelson/Suzen Baraka), to represent the disdain and discrimination towards the Black community and the subtle actions taken to block their progress.

There is a reason why braids, locs, twists, and bantu knots have been included in the CROWN Act, a law that prohibits the denial of employment and educational opportunities based on race-based hairstyles. can i touch it? is not only and entertaining stage production; it’s also a sociopolitical commentary on perceptions and racial inequalities.

can i touch it?

ROGUE MACHINE (in the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
(Street parking)

Opening: 8pm on Saturday, May 6
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays, 3pm Sundays through June 11, 2023
Closing: June 11, 2023

Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org

Written by francisca da silveira. Directed by Gregg T. Daniel. Cast: Safiya Fredericks, Suzen Baraka, Iesha Daniels, and Scott Victor Nelson. Produced by: John Perrin Flynn and Guillermo Cienfuegos. Associate Producer: Mildred Marie Langford. A Rogue Machine Production. Creative Team: Mark Mendelson (Scenic Design), Leigh Allen (Lighting Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Wendell Carmichael (Costume and Wig Design), Ashley Crow (Prop Design), Joyce Guy (Movement Design), Lindsay Jenkins (Dramaturge).        

can i touch it? poster
can i touch it?
A scene from can i touch it?
can i touch it? Safiya Fredericks Suzen Baraka Iesha Daniels. Photo by Jeff Lorch.
A scene from can i touch it?
can i touch it? Suzen Baraka and Iesha Daniels. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

Theatre Review: Las Diosas Subterráneas

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Latino Theater Company presents Las Diosas Subterráneas, created by Mexico City’s interdisciplinary and experimental ensemble Organización Secreta Teatro. Directed by Rocío Carrillo.

Greek Mythology and Mexican reality converge in Las Diosas Subterráneas. The tale of Demeter, Persephone, and Hades blends with the disturbing reality of the disappeared women in Mexico. Organización Secreta Teatro (Pueblo Espíritu), under the direction of Rocío Carrillo, brings to the stage the character Luz García, a young woman representing the countless cases of women kidnapped, abused, and killed in one of the darkest episodes of recent Mexican history. According to the Mexican Institute of Human Rights and Democracy, the number of disappearances of women, girls, and teenagers has tripled in the last six years. In many of those cases, families have to live with the demoralizing anxiety of not knowing the fate of their daughters, wives, sisters, etc.

The play delves into the cases where tips, whether from authorities or anonymous, have led some families to organize groups to dig remote areas, hoping to find the remains of the women that have been abducted and killed. In one of the scenes, a father is faced with the pressing urgency to keep searching for her daughter while still having to provide for the rest of the family. Yes, the search efforts take time, and for poor families, this could mean having to stop working, adding more pressure to the already distressed economy of the household.

Machismo, sex trafficking, drug trade, and inaction from the authorities are some of the factors that contribute to the elevated number of unresolved cases. But the play goes even further than that. It presents the relationship between the traditional attitudes toward women and the final destination of these female victims. The allegory to the witch-hunt is a vivid representation of how women are still seen in the eyes of a machista society—women themselves incite their abduction, rape, and killing, just for wearing revealing clothes, a flirty demeanor, or just for being perceived as a threat to men’s authority.

Through the intricate blend of mythology, colors, dance, and drama, the actors portray the desperation and the pain inflicted on the most vulnerable sectors of society. It also reflects these families clinging on to a ray of hope, as slim as it might be, to find their women alive.

Las Diosas Subterráneas presents these facts with a sense of urgency. Indifference is becoming a part of the problem. While society keeps going on with their lives, there are thousands of families still searching. Still digging. Still crying. “Vivas se las llevaron, vivas las queremos!” They took them alive, we want them back alive! 

Las Diosas Subterráneas

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

Saturday, May 13 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 14 at 4 p.m.

Director Rocío Carrillo. Created collectively by ensemble members Beatriz Cabrera, Alejandro Joan Carmarena, Brisei Guerrero, Stefanie Izquierdo, Ernesto Lecuona, Mercedes Olea and Jonathan Ramos from original ideas by Rocío Carrillo.

Las Diosas Subterráneas poster
A scene from Las Diosas Subterráneas
A scene from Las Diosas Subterráneas

Theatre Review: Whittier Boulevard

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The World Premiere of Whittier Boulevard is presented by Latino Theater Company. Created by Evelina Fernández, Sal López, Geoffrey Rivas, Lucy Rodriguez, and Jose Luis Valenzuela. Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela.

In a futuristic world, four characters face the predatory policies of a repressive government that deems elderly people a nuance to society. In a controversial action called the Age of Relief Protocol, law enforcement agencies are delegated the responsibility to detain any unmarried person over the age of 75. This discriminatory policy triggers social unrest and the birth of a mysterious insurgent called “Ramone”.

Due to an anonymous tip, Officer Roger Dimas (Geoffrey Rivas, Celestial Events) visits the residency of faded Chicana star Veronica Del Rio (Evelina Fernández, Sleep with the Angels), who is about to turn 75. Roger is greeted by Pilar (Lucy Rodriguez), Veronica’s nurse. Soon, they’re joined by Pablo (Sal López), a senior neighbor and a poet who is in love with Veronica. Roger explains that even though he must enforce the law, he is also troubled by the injustice of the Age of Relief Protocol. As he expresses his admiration for Veronica Del Rio, he also reveals a secret that would get him arrested and prosecuted. The four characters then need to come up with a plan to save both Veronica and Roger from the draconian policies of the totalitarian government.

In the play, seniors are arrested and taken down Whittier Boulevard. This boulevard has been for Chicanos a symbol of their culture, commerce, and lifestyle. It has also been a banner of their activism and resistance in the face of systemic racism and segregation. It’s been a place for cruising and lowriding, but also for historical demonstrations such as the Chicano Moratorium and the Chicano Blowouts. Organizations like M.E.Ch.A and UMAS have used Whittier Boulevard for political activism, and the art collective ASCO used it for artistic expression. It was in Whittier Boulevard during the Chicano Moratorium that artist, author, and educator Harry Gamboa Jr. was anointed editor of the political and arts magazine Regeneración by activist and journalist Francisca Flores. In the play, however, seniors are taken to Whittier Boulevard for more sinister reasons.

The tribulations of Roger and Veronica are a reflection of the struggles that have become a contentious aspect of many in the Latino community. The label “Latino” has been carried as a badge of honor for generations. Latino, an identification that brings a sense of pride. Latino, a label that carries a mark of exclusion and discrimination, a stark difference between first world and third world. As for the character of Veronica, it has a veiled reference to the Dreamers. Her real identity, revealed in extreme and pressing circumstances, give a sense of urgency. As theatre reflects life, Veronica carries the weight of innumerable individuals, lost and saved in political activism with partial results.

A poet, an angel, an officer, and a star in full decline, all trying to save each other. This is the story of generations that lost, won, failed, and succeeded. But the main highlight is their resilience and the willingness to keep on fighting.

Director Jose Luis Valenzuela achieves a fascinating play with notes of Chicano Noir, Latinx Futurism, magic realism, and a cunning infusion of glamour from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. The result is a visually stunning production with special emphasis on lighting and projections (lighting designer Pablo Santiago; projection designers Yee Eun Nam and Yuki Izumihara), bathing the characters with a nostalgic vision that honors those that sacrificed their lives for the ones that followed.

Whittier Boulevard

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

Performances: April 29 – May 28
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: May 11; May 18; May 25
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: May 12; May 19; May 26
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 29 (Opening); May 13; May 20; May 27
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: May 14; May 21; May 28
• Monday at 8 p.m.: May 15 ONLY

Tickets: latinotheaterco.org

Created by Evelina Fernández, Sal López, Geoffrey Rivas, Lucy Rodriguez, and José Luis Valenzuela. Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela. Starring Evelina Fernández, Sal López, Geoffrey Rivas, and Lucy Rodriguez. Produced by Latino Theater Company. Creative team: Original music and sound design by Robert Revell; choreography by Urbanie Lucero; scenic designer François-Pierre Couture; lighting designer Pablo Santiago; projection designers Yee Eun Nam and Yuki Izumihara; and costume designer Naila Aladdin Sanders. The production managers are Nathan Edelman and May Fei.

Whittier Boulevard poster
An image of Whittier Boulevard
An image of Whittier Boulevard
An image of Whittier Boulevard

Theatre Review: Pueblo Espíritu

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Pueblo Espíritu is presented by Latino Theater Company. Created by Organización Secreta Teatro from Rocío Carrillo’s original idea. Directed by Rocío Carrillo.

Pueblo Espíritu is some kind of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Mexican style. Deep in the forest, five characters try to survive the Covid pandemic. Distrusting each other, they need to find a way to work together and fight for their lives.

In order to imagine a brighter future, they need to look back and learn from their ancestors. In a world of images, sounds, and rituals, the characters start to reconnect with their natural surroundings. During that process, their animalistic instincts are heightened and the tribal structure starts to shape the relationships among each other. Even though the characters in Pueblo Espíritu live in modern times, their transformation is a vision to the lifestyle of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican civilizations. 

Rocío Carrillo takes elements from the Chichimeca peoples to recreate the rituals and mythical figures seen in the play. This production relies on music, colors, kinetics, and lighting to tell the story, as there is no dialogue. The result is an enthralling and emotional journey that enraptures the audience from beginning to end. The modulation of intensities throughout the play is a visual language that is rarely seen in theatre. It’s poetic, mysterious, and open to interpretations. In that sense, the relationship with the audience becomes dynamic, never static.

Pueblo Espíritu is a reference to the values that have been lost in the frenetic pace of today’s world. It is a ritual of life and death, an exorcism to clean the soul. It’s an invitation to go back to the basics, to open up our hearts and minds to Mother Earth. In the words of Michael Cretu, it is the return to yourself, the return to innocence. It is a mystic and cathartic experience worth trying.       

Pueblo Espíritu

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

May 3 – May 14

  • Wednesday, May 3 at 8 p.m. (opening night)
  • Thursday, May 4 at 8 p.m.
  • Friday, May 5 at 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 6 at 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 7 at 4 p.m.

Tickets: latinotheaterco.org

Original idea by Rocío Carrillo. Cast: Beatriz Cabrera, Alejandro Joan Carmarena, Brisei Guerrero, Stefanie Izquierdo, Ernesto Lecuona, Mercedes Olea and Jonathan Ramos. Directed by Rocío Carrillo.

Pueblo Espíritu poster
An image from Pueblo Espíritu
An image from Pueblo Espíritu

Theatre Review: Under the Skin

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The West Coast premiere of Under the Skin is presented by International City Theatre. Written by Michael Hollinger. Produced and directed by caryn desai [sic].

Suddenly, your absent father shows up at the door and asks for your kidney. Would you give it to him? Under the Skin delves into organ donation and the hilarious and difficult relationship between Raina (Allison Blaize) and her father Lou (Tony Abatemarco), who never attended any of her birthday parties when she was a kid. During his days as a player, Lou started an alternate family with Marlene (Tanya Alexander), who gave birth to his son Jarrell (Julian Smith). 

Things get more complicated when Raina meets Jarrell and the two start a conversation. Secrets are revealed and relationships may not be what they seem to be. In the meantime, Lou’s kidney failure continue to progress and time is running out to save his life.

Michael Hollinger‘s writting is a combination of tragedy and comedy that is engaging and leaves the audience in a state of wonder as the scenes move forward. The health deterioration Lou experiences later in life forces him to face his own failures as a father and husband. At the same time, this character shows the complexities of life experiences and the power of human connections, whether filial or romantic. The character of Raina shows the lifelong impressions experienced in childhood and the emotional scars left as a result of bad parenting. All of these textures of human interactions are displayed in this play brilliantly.

Director caryn desai [sic] unifies love, compassion, and the power of blood in a cohesive and entertaining manner, building up the intrigue and disbelief throughout the play. Desai manages to lighten up the seriousness of organ donation and add a touch of comedy to the ordeal of waiting for a donor while attempting to fix broken relationships. 

Under the Skin is a delightful story of redemption, love, and forgiveness. It is a story of rich characters and their unusual reactions when they get second chances in life.    

Under the Skin

International City Theatre
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
330 East Seaside Way
Long Beach, CA 90802

Performances: April 28-May 14
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: May 4, May 11
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: April 28 (Opening Night), May 5, May 12
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 29, May 6, May 13
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: April 30, May 7, May 14

Tickets: ictlongbeach.org

Written by Michael Hollinger. Directed by caryn desai. Starring Tony Abatemarco, Tanya Alexander, Allison Blaize, and Julian Smith. Produced by caryn desai [sic]. Presented by International City Theatre.

Creative team: Set designer Timothy Mueller, lighting designer Donna Ruzika, costume designer Kim DeShazo, sound designer Dave Mickey, and prop designer Patty Briles. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The production stage manager is John Freeland, Jr.

 

Under the Skin poster
A scene from Under the Skin
A scene from Under the Skin
A scene from Under the Skin

Theatre Review: The Laramie Project

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The Laramie Project is presented by The Group Rep. Written by Moises Kaufman, Ms. Leigh Fondakowski, and the Tectonic Theater Project. Directed by Kathleen Delaney. Produced by Bill Fitzhugh and Danica Waitley.

The Laramie Project is a production in the form of documentary theatre, based on the more than 200 interviews that Kaufman, Fondakowski, and members of the Tectonic Theater Project conducted after the tragic death of Matthew Shepard in 1998.

Shepard was a gay student at the University of Wyoming, located in Laramie, Wyoming. On the night of October 6, 1998, Shepard left the Fireside Lounge with Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. McKinney and Henderson took Shepard to a rural area where they beat, tortured, and tied him to a fence and left him to die in near-freezing temperatures. Eighteen hours later, still alive and in a coma, Shepard was found by cyclist Aaron Kreifels. Shepard died six days after the attack on October 12, 1998. He was 21 years old.

This play is a collection of statements from the people that knew Shepard and his attackers, McKinney and Henderson. The interviews pick up the diversity of opinions from the community of Laramie. While some people denounced the attack and demanded justice, others believed that Shepard deserved the ordeal because of his homosexuality. Some of those beliefs were heavily influenced by religion, which played an important role in the life of this relatively small community.

The Laramie Project is in itself a social study that reveals how education, religion, and job opportunities may affect the attitudes towards the LGBT community. The characters demonstrate the contradiction of rural and conservative America. There is the bartender who liked Matthew and didn’t care about his sexual preferences. The doctor, who felt sorry for both the victim and the perpetrator when he treated both of them the same day at the same hospital. Then, there are the religious leaders. Some of them demanding justice for Shepard, some demanding leniency for McKinney and Henderson.

If anything positive came out of this incident, is the fact that some members of the LGBT community had the opportunity to express themselves and claim their rightful place in society. Other consequences of The Laramie Project is the influence of this play in other documentary mediums such as film and reality TV. The play has been staged in more than 300 productions around the world and had a very successful Off-Broadway run. The writers and directors continue to inspire conversations and drive changes in minds, hearts, and legislation around the world for generations to come. The writing shows the initial shock experienced by the people of Laramie after learning about the attack. But it also shows the disturbing shift of opinions once the religious conservatism kicked in, sympathizing with the attackers and approving of their heinous act.

Director Kathleen Delaney uses a large production of 11 fine actors to play several roles, all portraying the wide variety of points of view related to this case. Delaney blocks her actors to create a continuous sense of movement that reflects the frenetic pace of the events, specially the media coverage of the critical days that preceded Shepard’s death and the controversial trial that followed.

The play also feels like a time of introspection. A time to reflect on what went terrible wrong and what actions to take to avoid the recurrence of such a barbaric act. The continuous staging of this production is a symbolic candlelight vigil to honor Shepard’s memory and the values and convictions he represented.

The Laramie Project

The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre – First floor
10900 Burbank Blvd
N. Hollywood, CA 91601

April 14 – May 21
Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 2PM
After the Matinee Talkback with cast and staff 4/23 & 4/30.

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Written by Moises Kaufman, Ms. Leigh Fondakowski, and The Tectonic Theater Project. Directed by Kathleen Delaney. Produced by Bill Fitzhugh and Danica Waitley. Cast: Landon Beatty, Paul Cady, Roslyn Cohn, Julie Davis, Marc Antonio Pritchett. Stephen Rockwell, Jackie Shearn, Margaret Rose Staedler, Cathy Diane Tomlin, Amelia Vargas and Kay Vermeil. Creative team: Mareli Mitchel-Shields (Set Designer), Tor Brown (Lighting/Projection Designer), Michael Mullen (Costume Designer), and Marc Antonio Pritchett (Sound Designer).

The Laramie Project poster
A scene from The Laramie Project
A scene from The Laramie Project

Theatre Review: Michaela’s Fluent Aphasia

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As part of the MFA Dramatic Writing Year 3 New Works Festival, the USC School of Dramatic Arts presents Michaela’s Fluent Aphasia. Written by Christina Carrafiell. Directed by John DeMita.

Michaela (Maddy Curry, BA Theatre, Acting Em., Junior) has a brain tumor and is about to get a surgery that will be performed by her doctor boyfriend Will (Micha Schnider, BA Theatre, Acting Em., Sophomore). The day of the surgery, Michaela sees Julia (Lexi Minetree, BA Theatre/BA Public Relations, Junior) suffering some sort of asthma or anxiety attack. From there, the story becomes the journey of Michaela’s recovery from a condition called fluent aphasia, caused by the brain surgery to remove the tumor. Another character of the story is Theo (Ben Crane, BA Theatre, Acting Em., First Year), Julia’s boyfriend, a sculptor and speech therapist.

Flashbacks introduce the conflict in the story. In an instant of female intuition, or distrust, Julia senses a potential romance between Theo and Michaela. This worsens when Theo becomes Michaela’s speech therapist. Despite the situation, Michaela and Julia become close friends, finding common ground in their interests of music and poetry. Julia is a musician and Michaela likes to write poetry.

Christina Carrafiell gives her female characters the backgrounds that explain their distinguishing traits, specially their penchant for dependency. In the case of Michaela, there are revelations that question even the legality of the relationship between her and Will. It is probably that mutual inclination to depend on others that take the relationship between Julia and Michaela to another level. In the extremely challenging journey to recovery, Michaela will learn not only to speak coherently again, but also to search deep in her heart where the real love is. In the play’s resolution, Julia will need to make a critical decision. Michaela is in the right path to recover from the brain damage, but will she be left heart broken?

Director John DeMita explores the script using language, poetry, music, and romance to bring Carrafiell’s vision to life. It is a production presented in an entertaining and dynamic form. The flashbacks present details that are crucial to understand the dynamic relationships between the characters. The four actors show their potential, delivering nuanced and convincing performances. The USC School of Dramatic Arts continues to show its commitment to prepare students to succeed in the entertainment industry, connecting students with real audiences and industry professionals.

Christina Carrafiell is a British-American playwright. Her first play, A Fragile Lift, was performed to sell-out audiences at the Chelsea Theatre in London when she was just 17. It was then selected for a run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with Scottish newspapers calling it “original” and “impressive” (The Scotsman). Christina continued writing as an undergrad at Yale, where she was featured in Zack Calhoon’s celebrated ‘people you should know‘ blog. She then won a scholarship to do an MFA in Playwriting at USC School of Dramatic Arts, where she is currently in her third and final year. Her TV script Surfer Girl reached the quarter finals of the 2021 WeScreenplay TV Writing Competition.

Michaela’s Fluent Aphasia

McClintock Theatre
1010 W Jefferson Blvd (University of Southern California)
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Dates:
Thursday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 22, at 8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m
Written by Christina Carrafiell. Directed by John DeMita. Starring Ben Crane, Maddy Curry, Lexi Minetree, and Micah Schneider. Creative team: Scenic Design by Takeshi Kata and Maya Channer ( BFA Design, Sophomore), Costume Design by Juliet Black (BFA Design, Sophomore), Lighting and Projection Design by G. Austin Allen, Sound Design by Alma Reyes-Thomas, Stage Manager Yaesol Jeong, Technical Director Dominic Vacca (BFA Technical Direction, Senior).

Theatre Review: Battlesong of Boudica

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Battlesong of Boudica is presented by The School of Night. Written and directed by Christopher William Johnson. 

Year 61 AD in Britannia. A revenge battle is about to tremble the feared and powerful Imperial Roman army. After the death of the wealthy Icenian king Prasutagus (Daniel Adomian), who named his two daughters and the Roman emperor as co-heir to his kingdom, the Romans ignored his will and took over his possessions. When the Roman procurator Decianus (Brad C. Light) shows up at the kings’s estate to take inventory, he ordered to flog Prasutagus’s widow Boudica (Jen Albert) and sexually assaulted his two daughters, Brenda (Allegra Rodriguez Shivers) and Kerma (Lucy Schmidt). 

That mistreatment triggers Boudica’s thirst for revenge. She decides to train her daughters for war and incites the Celtic tribes to revolt against the formidable Roman army. Historical details about this event are mentioned in Book 14 of The Annals, a history of the Roman Empire from the years AD 14-68 by Roman historian and senator Tacitus.

As Boudica and her troops continue the destruction of the Roman settlements Camulodunum, Londinium, and Verulamium, the Roman general Paulinus (Christopher  Neiman), in a military campaign against the druids in the island of Mona, decides to regroup the 14th Legion and fight Boudica’s army in an epic an bloody battle.

Battlesong of Boudica depicts some of the war elements employed at the time. Boudica invokes the Icenic war goddess Andraste, releasing a hare as a divination technique. The play also shows the dances used by the Icenic warriors to boost their morale. Writer and director Christopher William Johnson uses chants, dances, spoken verse, and energetic action to depict the intensity of the violent battles carried out during the Imperial Rome. Some of the themes presented are colonialism, sexism, revolution, and multiculturalism, topics that continue to be relevant today.

Actress Jen Albert is the co-founder of The School of Night and an award-winning fight choreographer. She delivers a passionate and intense performance, portraying the painful and epic life of Boudica, one of the most iconic female figures in war history. Christopher Neiman also excels at his portrayal of the vicious and fearless Roman general Paulinus, carrying the weight of the unstoppable march of the most powerful empire of the time.

Battlesong of Boudica is a unique and primal saga with highly energetic stage fights that entertain all the way till the end. Be prepare for a night of exciting action and strong emotions in this moving Celtic heroic achievement. 

 Battlesong of Boudica

The Hudson Backstage 

6539 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Sunday at 7 p.m.: April 9 (Opening)

Sundays at 3 p.m.: April 16, April 23, April 30

Monday at 8 p.m.: April 10 Pay-What-You-Can

Fridays at 8 p.m.: April 14, April 21, April 28

Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 15, April 22, April 29

Tickets: https://school-of-night.ticketleap.com/battlesong-of-boudica/get-there/

Written, Directed, Production Design by Christopher William Johnson • Fights Choreographed and Produced by Jen Albert • Starring Daniel Adomian, Jen Albert, Tom Block, Colin A Borden, Payton Cella, Sara Gorsky, Brad C. Light, Chloe Madriaga, Chrisopher Neiman, Tristan Rewald, Lacey Rosewall, Lucy Schmidt, Allegra Rodriguez Shivers, Jack TenBarge, Jesse James Thomas, Frank Tirimacco, Dan Wingard • Presented by The School of Night. The creative team for Battlesong of Boudica includes lighting designer Aiden de Jong, Linda Muggeridge is costume designer, Ryan Beveridge is the composer and sound designer. Kate Coleman is the dance choreographer and Andrew Leman is the graphic designer. The stage manager is Michelle Elizabeth Vasquez.

 

Theatre Review: The Pilot Who Crashed the Party

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The world premiere of The Pilot Who Crashed the Party is presented by Public Works Improvisational Theatre Foundation in association with Paul Sand Projects. Written and directed by Tony Award winning actor and Second City alum Paul Sand. Produced by Amanda Weier.

Sally (Jacqueline Wright) is celebrating her 50th birthday in her house up in the mountains in a stormy night when a small plane crashes into her house. The pilot (Sol Mason) manages to enter the house, but does not remember who he is, puzzling the party guests. The night then becomes a mystery when everyone tries to figure out the party crasher. The partygoers are Laura (Claudia Ferri), Ilo (Francis C. Edemobi), (Debra Lane), Daniel (Lee Boek), and the evening’s musicians (Yennie Lam on violin and Chris Rorrer on cello).

After consulting a medical book as a quick reference, the guests decide not to let the pilot sleep so he doesn’t fall into a coma. One by one, they take turns to keep him awake.  They all seem to like the pilot, except Daniel, who thinks the pilot is an intruder with bad intentions. When it’s Sally’s turn to care for the pilot, things heat up and take a new direction. 

Even though the play’s pacing in the first act feels a bit slow at times, it’s Jacqueline Wright’s sassy and hilarious performance that drives a great deal of the play’s action and comedy. Her voice and body language are a combination of classic Hollywood with femme fatale, a suitable complement to the mysterious feel of the play.

The second act is where the action really happens. Sally’s relationship with the mysterious pilot and the way Daniel snaps trigger the most memorable scenes of the play. The lighting and projections (lighting designer Azra King-Abadi, projection designer Fritz Davis) add striking elements to the action throughout the play. Paul Sand presents a story with overtones of mystery and passion with a sense of wonder. It’s up to the audience to deduce the ending. 

The Pilot Who Crashed the Party

Broadwater Theatre Main Stage
6320 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038

April 8 – May 7:
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: April 14, April 21, April 28, May 5
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 8 (Opening), April 15, April 22, April 29, May 6
• Sundays at 3 p.m.: April 16, April 23, April 30, May 7

Tickets: www.onstage411.com/Pilot

Written and Directed by Paul Sand. Starring Marcia Lynn Anthony, Lee Boek, Francis C. Edemobi, Claudia Ferri, Debra Lane, Sol Mason, Jacqueline Wright. Musicians: Yennie Lam (violin) and Chris Rorrer (cello). Produced by Amanda Weier. Presented by Public Works Improvisational Theatre Foundation in association with Paul Sand Projects. The creative team includes scenic designer Jeff G. Rack; costume designer Linda Muggeridge; lighting designer Azra King-Abadi; sound designer Shoshana Kuttner; and projection designer Fritz Davis. The assistant director is Alex Hogy, and the production stage manager is Anna Kupershmidt.

 

 

The Pilot Who Crashed the Party poster
A scene from The Pilot Who Crashed the Party
A scene from The Pilot Who Crashed the Party
A scene from The Pilot Who Crashed the Party

Theatre Review: Blue

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The World Premiere of Blue is presented by Rogue Machine. Written by June Carryl. Directed by Michael Matthews. Produced by Sara Fenton, Kila Kitu, Mildred Langford, Tarina Pouncy, and Betsy Zajko. A Rogue Machine Production.

As some police officers were seen participating in the events in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, writer June Carryl asks if there is a link between those events and some instances of police brutality. In Blue, police sergeant Sully (John Colella), who is White, is facing criminal charges in the killing of a Black veteran who was stopped for expired tags. Interrogating Sully about the incident is detective Parker (Julanne Chidi Hill), who is Black. We soon find out that they’ve known each other for a long time, but the initial friendly interaction starts to take a turn for the worst.

Sully and Parker’s husband were police partners, something that holds its own secrets and becomes crucial in the way Sully and Parker think of each other. Sully was also one of the cops seen participating in the Capitol riot on January 2021. A picture of his involvement in that incident is now being used to determine his bias towards the killing of the Black veteran. Once Parker asks more questions about the events that led to the shooting of the veteran, Sully discloses more details that start to reveal his real motivations and perhaps even his predisposition for violence and racism. 

The interaction between Sully and Parker is somehow a metaphor of the relationship between Blacks and Whites in America in a larger scale, friendly at times, but distrustful and sometimes even violent in other instances. One thing that stands out in Blue is the fact that negative emotions seem to be always close to the surface in a latent state, ready to explode at the first provocation. In the case of the two characters, their apparent close and friendly relationship didn’t erase the resentment that has existed for hundreds of years between both races.

Sully sees himself as a patriot, betrayed by society for upholding the law as a citizen and police officer. Parker sees herself as a victim of a system that still treats her as a second class citizen. Carryl’s script is sharp and painful, but as close to reality as it can be. Colella and Hill’s visceral performances will trigger strong emotions that, despite their vicious nature, feel cathartic at the end. Director Michael Matthews achieves of all of this with just a light, a table, and two chairs. The set is arranged as an interrogation room; it is a closed and suffocating space, “like a pressure cooker” in the words of Matthews. Blue is an unfiltered view of what lies under the surface of apparent civilized relationships. It is an impactful image that needs to be analyzed on our path to mutual understanding.  

Blue

ROGUE MACHINE (The Henry Murray Stage upstairs at the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Street parking

Opening at 8pm on Friday, April 7, 2023
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays, 3pm Sundays
Closing: May 14, 2023

Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org

Written by June Carryl. Directed by Michael Matthews. Cast: John Colella and Julanne Chidi Hill. Produced by Sara Fenton, Kila Kitu, Mildred Langford, Tarina Pouncy, and Betsy Zajko. A Rogue Machine Production. Creative team: Joe McClean and Dane Bowman (Production Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design).

Blue poster
A scene from Blue
A scene from Blue
A scene from Blue