Sometimes, an unrelated event can reflect so much of who we are as society. On The Other Hand, We’re Happy is a play where a couple delves into the options they have once they find out they’re unable to conceive a baby. As they choose to adopt, their own ideas of what’s acceptable or not, become a mirror of who they are and where they stand on many issues.

The stage of the Matrix Theatre allows the audience to get closer to the story and the characters. This is an intense play where playwright Daf James and director Cameron Watson make a great use of the stage to get a more active audience rather than just a passive one. The topics in the play related to gender, health, life experiences, and expectations resonate as rhetoric questions we have probably asked ourselves at some point in our lives and they’re even more pungent and uncomfortable in this era of political correctness. When we face important decisions that will affect the rest of our lives, we question many things to the point where we might get surprised how scared or insecure we are in life.

The intensity of the story is accentuated by the clever use of lighting, sound effects, and kinetics. The stage direction is remarkable, specially with bare minimum props on stage. This is a play where the performances take the story to another level. Rori Flynn playing Abbie/Emma and Christian Telesmar playing Josh/Liam, go from excitement, to insecurity, to sadness with ease, peppering their dialogue with humor to cover a wide spectrum of the conscious experience. Alexandra Hellquist, as Kelly, delivers a fierce and witty performance that feels raw and animalistic, and a subliminal take on the maternal instinct even on the verge of giving away her own daughter for adoption.

On The Other Hand, We’re Happy is a play where love, hope, and redemption intertwine to make us think and make us laugh, no matter what life throws at us.

On The Other Hand, We’re Happy
Playing at the Rogue Machine (in the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
(Street parking)
Opening: 8pm on Saturday, February 26, 2022
8pm Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays, 3pm Sundays
Closing: April 10, 2022
Tickets: www.roguemachinetheatre.net

Playwright: Daf James
Directed by: Cameron Watson
Produced by John Perrin Flynn and Justin Okin (A Rogue Machine Theatre Production)

Staring: Rori Flynn (Abbie/Emma), Alexandra Hellquist (Kelly/Tyler), and Christian Telesmar (Josh/Liam).

Detained is an exploration of the challenges some migrants face before, during, and after they’ve been detained by authorities. The play was written by 2021 Lorraine Hansberry Award-winning playwright France-Luce Benson and was conceived and co-created by immigration attorney Judy Rabinovitz. The play is directed by Mark Valdez, winner of the 2021 Zelda Fichandler Award.

The play is based on real life cases of immigrants awaiting deportation while being held at detention facilities. For these immigrants, any mistake, any breaking of the law, no matter how small, can lead to a nightmare. Not only would they be expelled from the US, but they would also come across many challenges once in their country of origin, as some of them were taken to the US in their childhood and the knowledge of their original country is little to none. The case of the foodie, played by Michael Uribes, is a good example.

The professions of these immigrants are as varied as their countries of origin. We hear of a roofer, a veteran, the aforementioned foodie, an immigrant with a mental disorder, etc. The particular cases of these immigrants can be heart-wrenching, but the immigration experience needs to be told in all of its spectrum to be fully understood. The American Dream can mean different things to different people. Even when someone might be living the dream, any past mistake can bring charges that could lead to deportation. In this case, the play stresses the constant fear of many immigrants with criminal records, even non-violent, no matter if they already paid for them.

One of the most striking cases is the veteran who was deployed and came back with post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues as a result not only of war but also of the medical treatment he received in the hands of military doctors. France-Luce Benson and Judy Rabinovitz made sure the excruciating details are not forgotten.

As for the technical details of the production, the set is a remainder of the walls, colors, and sounds of the whole ordeal these immigrants went through. The detention centers, the audiences to hear their fate, the knocking of the door, the voices of the ICE agents, all serve as painful memories that help the audience better understand the process of how the American Dream is shattered one immigrant at a time. The cleaver use of lighting, in some instances very intense, is a striking and powerful reflection of the intensity of the experience for these people. This play might not be for the faint of heart, but is a remainder of the vicissitudes of some immigrants in desperate need and the voice of those legal experts trying to help them.

Details:

Detained
The Fountain Theatre
5060 Fountain Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(corner Fountain & Normandie)
Performances: February 19 – April 10
Fridays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 25; March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 19 (opening night), 26; March 5, 12, 19, 26; April 2, 9
Sundays at 2 p.m.: Feb. 20, 27; March 6, 13, 20, 27; April 3, 10
Mondays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 28; March 7, 14, 21, 28; April 4 (dark Feb. 21)

For tickets:
https://www.fountaintheatre.com/

Cast:
Camila Ascencio
Christine Avila
Liana Arauz
Will Dixon
Jan Munroe
Theodore Perkins
Marlo Su
Michael Uribes

Written by France-Luce Benson
Conceived and co-created by Judy Rabinovitz
Directed by Mark Valdez
Produced by Stephen Sachs, Simon Levy, James Bennett
Executive Producers Joni and Miles Benickes, Diana Buckhantz

Right on time for the holidays, Rogue Machine presents the Southern California premiere of This Wonderful Life, a one-man show based on Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, a 1946 Christmas fantasy drama.

The story is about George Bailey, a man contemplating suicide and how an angel saves him and helps him get a new sense of purpose and see the joys of life. The story shows George’s life before and after World World II and the different characters he interacts with during this period.

Thespian Leo Marks plays the main characters of the story, giving each character a distinctive accent to get as close as possible to the original voices of the actors in the film, a challenging task even for the most seasoned actor. Leo shows not only his skills as a voice actor but also his kinetic abilities, as the show demands a continuous movement across the stage in a 75 minutes show with no intermission.

Also worth noting is the director’s touch to keep the story moving. Drew Barr, a Broadway-experienced director, makes great use of the lighting and some special effects, specially the one that re-creates one of the most iconic technical elements used in Frank Capra’s film: The snow.

The production design, the play script, and Leo Mark’s performance capture the symbols, allegories, and motifs of the beloved 1946 film in great detail, delivering a touching and powerful message of kindness and faith, a message that echoes the spirit of the holidays.

This Wonderful Life
Matrix Theatre
7657 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Mute is a psychological thriller short film written for the screen and directed by Kyle Dunbar, based on Stephen King’s short story Mute. Andrew Bee plays Monette, a salesman going through a difficult marriage with his wife Barbara.

With a combination of camera, lens, and filter, director Kyle Dunbar was able to achieve an old-school look that adds to the mystery of the genre. Andrew Bee, who also functioned as executive producer, is excellent as a jilted husband in his fifties who is lacking any excitement in his life. Translating words into action in a psychological thriller, specially from Stephen King’s writings, is no easy task, but thanks to Kyle’s direction and Andrew’s skills in the genre, the whole film feels very cohesive. Even Alexandre Stoupenkov, who plays a deaf-mute hitchhiker, is able to convey the intriguing latency of a potential criminal with only body movements and facial expressions.

Mute is a clear example of independent filmmakers using creative methods to energize and elevate the short film industry. We look forward to seeing more content from Kyle and Andrew in the near future.

Kyle Dunbar and Andrew Bee are based in Canada and their short film Mute is currently playing in various film festivals around the world.

Mute
Cast
Andrew Bee (Monette)
Christian Tribuzio (The Priest)
Alexandre Stoupenkov (The Hitchhiker)
Rebecca Callender (Kelsie Ann)
Marvin Holland (Cowboy Bob)
Laura Shanter (Barbara)
Kyle Dunbar (Young Monette)

When we hear about a crime movie, we usually have a preconception of how the characters should look like and behave. The short film Danny Boy might be an exception. This film has an unexpected twist at the end that will start a conversation for sure.

Writer Sammy Horowitz, who also stars in Danny Boy, is a former boxer and has worked as a stunt performer in movies and shows. He is interested in writing stories that will reflect the harsh realities of people both inside and outside of prison. The lens tends to capture a genuine performance when it comes from someone who has lived the tough life. This is true in the case of Sammy, who can draw from his personal experiences to render stellar performances and give his acting a distinctive angle. His work in Danny Boy is an example of this dynamic relationship between the thespian and the characters he portrays on screen.

Cory DeMeyers is the director and has been working in Hollywood for a few years as a stuntman and he is a former Red Bull world champion athlete. He received the 2020 Taurus World Stunt Award for his work on Tarantino’s Academy Award-nominated feature film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Cory has worked on set with some of the most talented film directors around and that has shaped his preparation to direct his own films. His work in Danny Boy shows his technical expertise on equipment and his stylish sense of color to emphasize the dramatic elements of the crime genre.

Danny Boy is a contemporary story with a visual texture that pays tribute to the good old crime movies of the past. As Danny Boy continues its run on the festival circuit, we are confident that Cory, Sammy, and their team will continue to add more accolades to their showcase.

Owner of a gracious personality, southern California native Amanda Terry knows how to succeed in a competitive industry. In addition to modeling, Amanda is an expert makeup artist, having worked with some of the most famous actors in Hollywood.

Amanda has an active presence in media, modeling for brands and runway shows during LA Fashion Week. She has also hosted for TV and radio to expand on her talents as a content creator of all forms. Amanda has participated in makeup reality TV shows, where she has demonstrated her hair and makeup skills. A soccer, softball, and basketball player, Amanda stays in excellent shape, always ready for her next modeling assignments.

We are pleased to feature Amanda Terry as our cover model and we are excited to see all of her upcoming projects in the entertainment industry. Follow her on social media under makeup mandi.