Brainwashed. Written and performed by Alina Konon. Directed by Nathan Mohebbi.
AlinaKonon explains the hardships of living under a communist and totalitarian government using humor and clowning in her solo show Brainwashed.
Born in Belarus, she grew up with scarce resources and limited freedom, always under the spell of the radiation fallout from the Chernobyl disaster. Her childhood was influenced by Lenin and the fear of persecution. Friends and family members’ arrests and beatings were a constant reminder of the dangers of dissent. Until she moved to the land of the free, America.
Alina uses elements of clowning in her show and plenty of audience participation to keep the engagement alive. This combination creates a highly energetic performance and the audience becomes a part of the show.
Fringe is an excellent platform for actors and comedians to polish off their storytelling techniques. Performers like Alina make great use of the stage working with minimal props, concentrating mainly in their ability to tell a story with humor and engagement.
Alina is ceative and entertaing, and she’s not shy about mixing her comedic skills with her vulnerabilities to add a human touch to her performance. And let’s not forget her flash lesson on Eastern European cooking. Soup, anyone?
Brainwashed
Actors Company (The Little Theatre)
916 N. Formosa Ave.
Los Angeles, Ca 90046
As part of the initial lineup of the Hollywood Independent Theater Festival (HITFEST), Oh, Sally Productions presented Dream Big. Written by Elizabeth J. Musgrave. Directed by John Coppola. Produced by Frank Forte.
Rumor has it that American Gigolo and Midnight Cowboy had a baby. Its name? Dream Big. But the story doesn’t unfold in Los Angeles or New York, rather, it all happens in Music City, the one and only Nashville, Tennessee. Chasing his dream of becoming a country music star, Ryan (Garrett Louis) takes a job as a male escort. The only problem is that he is broke, his car is acting up, his angry roadies Slade (Michael Moret) and Troy (Andres Rey Solorzano) are coming after him, and his ex is demanding child support money for their 5 or 6-year-old son—Ryan can’t remember his exact age.
Meanwhile, Laura (Mandy Denaux), a lonely middle-aged woman, is in her apartment, packing and giving her properties away. When her sister Courtney (Laura Marlowe) comes to visit, she thinks that Laura is moving to another place, unaware of her real intentions. Courtney encourages Laura to have some fun and get a date. After thinking about it, Laura decides to give it a try. She calls an escort. Not exactly what she expects, Ryan is the cowboy-gigolo hybrid that comes to fulfill her ultimate fantasy, as disturbing as it might be.
The visit turns into a long night, where past experiences reveal the awkwardness of their personalities and the dreams they’re chasing. Laura’s exposition reveals the buildup of emotional pain as a result of negative past experiences that have led her to a sad and lonely existence. In the case of Ryan, his self-esteem motivates him to keep dreaming of bigger things, even if he has to resort to pulling tricks to survive and his dream seems more like an unattainable horizon. Their ultimate goals seem too opposite from each other, and yet, the two souls meet, as if destiny had a plan for an everlasting connection.
What seems just like a comedy, turns into a revelation of mental health issues and loneliness that take a tremendous toll on Laura, stressing the importance of looking for early signs of trouble. Elizabeth Musgrave‘s script blends comedy and conflict to deliver a play that is highly entertaining. The characters have depth that delve into the dreams of many, but also into the issues of many more. The direction by John Coppola unifies the main topics of the script, translating effectively the chimeras and afflictions of the characters, engaging the audience to get emotionally invested in the story.
Dream Big
The Hudson Theatres
6539 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, 90038
Presented on 26 September 2023. Stay tuned for more upcoming dates.
Written by Elizabeth Musgrave. Directed by John Coppola. Produced by Frank Forte. Cast: Mandy Denaux, Garrett Louis, Laura Marlowe, Michael Moret, and Andres Rey Solorzano. Creative team: Melissa Dunkelberger (Production Designer), Pam Noles (Technical Director).
IAMA Theatre Company and the Los Angeles LGBT Center present the world premiere of The Bottoming Process, a dark comedy developed in IAMA’s Under 30 Playwrights’ Lab. Written by Nicholas Pilapil. Directed by Rodney To. Co-produced by IAMA Theatre Company and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Milo (George Salazar) is insecure about going out on a date with John (Rick Cosnett). But they do have something in common: They’re both writers. John is a famous and successful writer and Milo writes on Twitter without any book published yet. The temptation wins over Milo’s initial hesitation and they end up going on a date. They fall in love. What can go wrong?
Milo is working-class. John is wealthy. Milo is Filipino. John is White. What seems like a typical stereotype story, turns into a deep analysis of power structure and interracial relationships seen from a gay perspective, a dynamic not often portrayed on mass media. The meet-cute story at the beginning gives way to a much complex web of insecurities and misconceptions. The possibilities and impossibilities of a successful love tale are still contingent to a legacy of racism, cultural appropriation, and distrust, even between two willing and loving participants. But at the encouragement of Milo’s Korean friend Rosie (Julia Cho), “let him colonize your native lands”, Milo decides to give it a try.
Milo’s entrance to John’s life seems idyllic at first. Milo moves in to John’s posh residence in the hills. John also introduces Milo to his friends, and more importantly, to his agent Charlie (Anisha Adusumilli). Everything seems to go well, so well that Milo signs a book deal. The successful launch of Milo’s book, however, is received with some resistance from John. The problem is that Milo continues to write about his negative views on White power structure and John takes offense on the subject. As John gets older and is in need of a new book, Charlie encourages him to write a more personal story that could make it a successful book to sell; she stills needs the agent’s money. In the meantime, John starts to flirt with another guy (Ty Molbak) at a cafe. John’s new book might seal the fate of his relationship with Milo.
Nicholas Pilapil‘s writting is a subtle mixture of lyricism and playful comedy with a punch. The lines are not just hilarious, they also reflect a unique Asian perspective and that of other immigrants as well. To be clear, The Bottoming Process is a play that can trigger heated arguments. It is, after all, a very personal take on the conversation about racial inequalities and whiteness as an aspirational state in America. The introspective last scene appears to tells us that the concept of colonization seems to be latent in our insecurities and expectations as we relate to others, whether that concept is real or imaginary.
The Bottoming Process
Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center Renberg Theatre 1125 N McCadden Place Los Angeles, CA 90038
Performances: May 18 – June 12 • Thursday at 8 p.m.: May 18 ONLY (Opening Night) • Fridays at 8 p.m.: June 2, June 9 • Saturdays at 8 p.m.: June 3, June 10 • Sundays at 2 p.m.: June 4, June 11 • Mondays at 8 p.m.: June 5, June 12 (dark May 29)
Written by Nicholas Pilapil. Directed by Rodney To. Starring George Salazar, Rick Cosnett, Anisha Adusumilli, Julia Cho, and Ty Molbak. A co-production of IAMA Theatre Company and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Creative team: Scenic designer Christopher Scott Murillo; lighting designer Josh Epstein; sound designer Jeff Gardner; projections designer Nicholas Santiago; costume designer Elena Flores; properties designers Michael O’Hara and Rye Mandel; intimacy director Carly DW Bones; and casting director Jordan Bass. IAMA ensemble member Adrián González is associate director. Tiffany Moon is lead producer, Katharine Means is co-producer, Patricia Sutherland is the production manager, and Lars McCuen Van is the production stage manager.
Let Me In is produced by DSE Productions and Theatre Planners. Written and directed by Brynn Thayer.
Red Casey (Rachael Meyers) is desperate trying to get Bobby Hawk (Bryan McKinley) out of the room to attend a funeral. That’s when veteran NYPD cop Hamilton Steele III (Jorge Garcia) shows up to investigate the commotion. From there, the characters start exposing facets of their lives and personalities that turn out quite surprising at the end.
Playwright and Director Brynn Thayer sets the story in New York, a metropolis like many other that can accentuate the overwhelming effects of loneliness, depression, and anxiety, some of the feelings that are shaping the lives of the three characters. Bobby just lost his fiancée in a tragic car accident. That same day, she decided to cancel the wedding. To complicate things, he has been having an affair with Red for quite some time, triggering a sense of guilt on both of them in unexpected ways. As they explore their feelings, they start to question the validity of their relationship.
Hamilton seems to be the person that brings some kind of stability to the situation. He is decided to do something significant one day before his retirement. His personality gains the trust of Bobby and Red so much that they decide to attend Bobby’s fiancée funeral, leaving Hamilton to watch over the apartment.
The story is a dark comedy that touches upon several topics such as isolation, loss, guilt, and the urgent need of human connection. However, the play also compels to identify the signs of depression and its underlying core issues to avoid devastating consequences.
Thayer selected three experienced actors that bring a superb performance that makes this play a pleasure to watch. Their timing and chemistry create a dynamic story that navigates fluently between comedy and tragedy. The set design (Joel Daavid, Set Designer) shows the careful attention to detail placed on this production; the objects, the textures, and the balcony give a vibrant touch to the story.
Let Me In
Theatre 68 Arts Complex – The Rosalie 5112 Lankershim Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601
Written and Directed by Brynn Thayer. Starring Jorge Garcia, Bryan McKinley, and Rachael Meyers. Produced by Misha Riley for Theatre Planners. Presented by DSE Productions.
Performances: Feb. 25–April 2 • Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 25 (Opening); March 18; March 25; April 1 • Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.: March 19; March 26; April 2
Creative team for Let Me In includes scenic designer Joel Daavid, lighting designer Gavan Wyrick, sound designer Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski and costume designer Mylette Nora. The production stage manager is Angelica Estevez.
The world premiere of Happy Birthday McKenna opened up on March 3 at the Hudson Backstage Theatre. Written and directed by Steve Silverman. Produced by Steve Silverman and Kathleen O’Grady.
Family is an essential building block of society. Family is the place to instill values that will last forever. Family is a powerful nucleus that determines the development of individuals and the way they will function in the world. And then there is McKenna’s family, a hodgepodge of secrets, insecurities, and bad relationships.
The play starts with Ray (Michael Dempsey) and Carolyn (Heather L. Tyler) getting everything ready for the 3 year old surprise birthday party for Carolyn’s niece, McKenna, a mischievous girl that has already caused some physical harm to a few family members. Arriving to the party are Carolyn’s siblings, Tommy (Ben Holtzmuller) and his husband Parker (Colbert Alembert), Deb (Tracey Rooney), Ed (Ryan Woods) and his girlfriend Julie (Stakiah Lynn Washington), and Martin (Karl T. Wright) with his second wife Lucille (Sara Ballantine). Martin was married to Barbara, the sibling’s mom. Barbara passed away and is buried in Chicago and now Tommy wants to take her remains with him to Santa Barbara. Tommy’s intentions trigger a series of recriminations among the siblings and Martin, requiring Irene’s (Mari Weiss) urgent intervention.
Tommy’s goal becomes a conflicting element that drives much of the play. His intentions will not only exhume their mom, but also the secrets that will have a profound effect on the lives of the other siblings. All of that in a party for a 3 year old girl who is not even present. McKenna’s parents, Ed and Julie, decided to leave her with Julie’s mom.
Revelation after revelation, the story becomes a hilarious melange of buried secrets, family bonds, and failed relationships, all while the characters experience the inexorable passage of time. The dark comedy nature of the script and the brilliant performances of the actors create a fascinating collage of conflict, emotion, and entertainment. This is an example of Steve Silverman’s capacity to deliver an extraordinary theatre experience. His skills as a writer and director are evident in the rich characterization achieved in this remarkable play.
Written and directed by Steve Silverman. Produced by Steve Silverman and Kathleen. O’Grady. Cast: Colbert Alembert, Sara Ballantine, Michael Dempsey, Ben Holtzmuller, Vanessa Marshall (“Irene” – 3/24, 3/25, 3/26), Tanya Perez (“Irene” – 3/17, 3/18, 3/19), Sigi Ravet (”Deb” – 3/17 – 3/26), Tracey Rooney (“Deb” – 3/2 – 3/11), Faith Salie (“Irene” – 3/10, 3/11), Heather L. Tyler, Stakiah Lynn Washington, Marie Weiss (“Irene” – 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 3/5), Dylan Wittrock (“Tommy” – 3/17 – 3/26), Ryan Woods, and Karl T. Wright. Stephanie Alecia Rose, Assistant Director. Victoria Hoffman, Casting Director.
Happy Birthday McKennaHappy Birthday McKenna. Cast. Photo by Steve Silverman.Happy Birthday McKenna. Michael Dempsey and Heather L. Tyler. Photo by Steve Silverman.Happy Birthday McKenna. Karl T. Wright, Sara Ballantine, Mari Weiss, Stakiah Lynn Washington, and Ryan Woods. Photo by Steve Silverman.
