Tag Archives: LGBTQIA

Film Review: eVil Sublet

Posted on by

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

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

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

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

Allan Piper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glamgical: Is the set your actual apartment?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glamgical: How did you find your actors?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jennifer Leigh Houston

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sally Struthers

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

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

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

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

eVil Sublet

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

Theatre Review: Clarkston

Posted on by

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

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

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

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

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

Clarkston

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

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

Tickets: echotheatercompany.com

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

Starring Tasha Ames, Sean Luc Rogers, Michael Sturgis.

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

Theatre Review: Psycho Beach Party

Posted on by

HorseChart Theatre presents Psycho Beach Party. Written by Charles Busch. Directed by Tom DeTrinis and Ryan Bergmann. Produced by Brett Aune and Steven Luff.

Teenage tomboy Chicklet Forrest (Drew Droege) wants to join the surfer crowd on Malibu Beach, but her multiple personalities become a concern. Her alter egos are a checkout girl, an elderly radio talk show hostess, a male model named Steve, the accounting firm of Edelman and Edelman, and the most dangerous one—sexually voracious vixen Ann Bowman.

In her quest to learn from the master surfer Kanaka (Karen Maruyama), Chicklet meets an array of peculiar characters. Yo-Yo (Adrián González) and Provolone (Daniel Montgomery) are friends who grow closer and closer until…well, you have to see it. Also in the crowd are diva extraordinaire Bettina (Chase Rosenberg/Roz Hernandez), Swing (Michael P. McDonald), Swing (Harrison Meloeny), Marvel Ann (Pete Zias), and Starcat (Thomas Hobson). Supporting Chicklet in good and bad times is her best friend Berdine (Daniele Gaither). And, of course, don’t forget about Chicklet’s mom, the stern Mrs. Forrest (Sam Pancake).

The play is fun, silly, and upbeat. Playwright Charles Busch wrote Psycho Beach Party in 1987, so the play is somehow anti-establishment. The 80s were especially tough for the LGBT community in America. The Family Protection Act tried to ban the federal funding to any organization accepting a gay lifestyle as an alternative. The Act was defeated, but it was endorsed by Ronald Reagan. Paul Cameron published bogus studies trying to prove that gay people have more tendencies to commit murder, child molestations, and the intentional spreading of diseases. The U.S Department of Defense discharged around 17,000 gay soldiers, stating that homosexuality was incompatible with military service. Pat Buchanan said that AIDS was nature’s revenge on gay men. In 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Bowers v. Hardwick held that state anti-sodomy statutes were constitutional. There were many more to mention, but the point is that Busch used this play to push back against the anti-gay sentiment of the time. As the fight continues, Psycho Beach Party is still relevant in reaffirming the pride of the LGBT community.

The set design and the costumes fit the intentional campiness of the story. The lighting is mostly high key, reflecting the upbeat tone of the play. The acting is superb, stressing the comedic nature of the script. The co-direction by Tom DeTrinis and Ryan Bergmann is excellent, the blocking and the use of space allow the actors to move freely, with enough room for physical comedy.

Psycho Beach Party is a crazy dream, a fantasy, and a menagerie of eccentric characters that celebrate the pride of the LGBT community and the diversity of society.

Psycho Beach Party

Matrix Theatre
7657 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Opening: 7pm Friday, June 14, 2024
Schedule: 7pm Thursdays – Sundays
(added performance on Monday, July 1; no performance on Thursday, July 4).
Closing: Sunday, July 7, 2024
Written by Charles Busch. Directed by Tom DeTrinis and Ryan Bergmann. Produced by Brett Aune and Steven Luff. Associate Producers: Brian Nesbitt and Sami Klein.
Cast: Adrián González, Chase Rosenberg, Daniel Montgomery, Daniele Gaither, Drew Droege, Harrison Meloeny, Karen Maruyama, Michael P. McDonald, Pete Zias, Sam Pancake, Thomas Hobson, Roz Hernandez.
Creative team: Yuri Okahana-Benson, Nicole Bernardini (Scenic Design), Nicole Bernardini (Scenic Painting and Properties), RS Buck (Lighting Design), Andrea “Slim” Allmond
Composer/Sound Design), Alexis Carrie (Costume Design), Jenni Gilbert (Wigs).

Interview with Roger Q. Mason about their play Night Cities

Posted on by

Acclaimed Black Filipinx playwright and Kilroys List honoree Roger Q. Mason will receive an industry reading of Night Cities, a new play about Queer civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, as part of the Not a Moment, But a Movement Festival presented by Center Theatre Group In collaboration with The Fire This Time Festival and Watts Village Theater Company. The reading, directed by Nancy Keystone, will take place on Sunday, June 23 at 7pm at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (9820 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232) in Los Angeles. Tickets ($15) are available for advance purchase at www.centertheatregroup.org.

Below is an interview with Roger Q. Mason.

Are you approaching Night Cities from a fictionalized or documentary perspective?

This is a work of poetic expressionism extracted from fact, but aimed at getting to a deeper emotional truth about young Bayard Rustin’s struggles with personal desire versus public duty.

The Cold War was raging during Bayard Rustin’s life. How do you think that affected his activist vision?

In the 1930s, the Communist Party supported Civil Rights work, particularly centering on labor reform. World War II found a shift in interest within the Party, less focus on activism and resistance within the US, particularly military desegregation – a focus of Bayard’s in the 1940s.  He left the Communist Party around 1941. Our dramaturg, Dylan Southard, opined in rehearsal that, “The Cold War and the fear of Communists provided another obstacle for Rustin because his dissidents could always tie him to Communism, even if he had dropped it years ago. Much of the fear around homosexuality was tied to Communism and the idea that Communists could blackmail people like Rustin, threatening to out them.”

Rustin traveled to India to learn about Ghandi’s non-violent resistance. Do you think Rustin’s pacific activism in America achieved the same impact as Ghandi’s in India?

It is difficult to directly compare Ghandi’s tear down of the British Empire in India with Rustin’s various efforts to provide labor reform, civil rights, and later desegregation (and its legal ramifications) in the United States. However, in the play, we allude to the notion that Gandhi’s vision of nonviolent protest provided strong reinforcements to Rustin’s pacifist ideals – he was certainly a possibility model for him. Later on, he became a master strategist of logistical and social coordination for protests. I think his experiences in the theatre, and the coordination that producing a show entails, had a significant impact on his work in the movement. Those rallies were indeed a show!

He also traveled to Africa, where he met with leaders of the independent movement. What lessons do think he learned during those travels?

In the play, we feature a quote from his time in Africa, wherein he praises the cultural and robust civic infrastructure that various African countries possessed. This information was suppressed to favor the superiority of the white West. I am sure this information fortified Rustin, particularly later when organizing Black America around finding the bounty they are due in America.

How important was jazz music for a young Rusting living in America?

Rustin was a devotee of gospel and spiritual music. There are recordings of him performing such genres.  In the 1930s, he was hanging out at Cafe Society in downtown New York and living in Harlem in the early 1940s, so jazz was an inevitable part of his life.

For your research, did you talk to surviving people that were part of Rustin’s life?

When building a new play, I reserve conversations with surviving persons for later in the process so that my own narrative impulses are articulated first before they are influenced and amended by survivors’ lived experiences.  However, those points of view are essential, and I look forward to talking with folks in the next iteration of the piece.

Rustin was arrested for having sex with other men. How do you think that incident shaped or reinforced his activism?

Rustin was arrested quite a few times for sex with men, and it is something that marked his visibility within the Civil Rights Movement for the remainder of his career.  It is easy to draw a line between Rustin’s queerness and his activism, but the facts are a bit more complicated than that.  It is this tension between private life and public duty that inspired my play.

Being gay and a civil rights activist was dangerous back then. Is it still dangerous today?

It is just as dangerous, if not more, because certain leaders have emboldened our dissidents to feel that they are above the law and beyond reproach.

What is the most important legacy of Rustin’s work that has inspired your own work?

Rustin presents the complex, multivalent, intersectional civil rights leader that we need as a guiding light now.

How did you get involved with Not a Moment, but a Movement Festival?

My champion, hero and constant friend Cezar Williams collaborated with Los Angeles theatre legends Tyrone Davis and Bruce Lemon to bring me into the Festival – and the rest is history.

What can people take away from Night Cities?

We all need to embrace the complexity and contradictions of our desires.  How do we balance who we are for others with our private selves?  And how do we live honestly and fully along the way.  That’s the only way we’ll truly be free.

Theatre Review: The Spy Who Went Into Rehab

Posted on by

The Spy Who Went Into Rehab is presented by Pacific Resident Theatre. Written by Gregg Ostrin. Directed by Cyndy Fujikawa.

Simon Cross (Satiar Pourvasei) is sent to the most challenging mission to date: Cure his addiction to women, gambling, drinking, and killing the most dangerous criminals. Will he be able to survive the grueling therapy at the rehab center?

Under the strict guidance of therapist Stella (Jill Renner), Simon will go through a radical transformation. At the rehab center, Simon will interact with other addicts that will teach him a lesson on sensitivity and empathy. There is Gary (Stuart W. Howard), Yvonne (Rachel Townsend), and Pixie (Alondra Andrade). Insensitive to their feelings, Simon’s macho attitude triggers the trauma on these three addicts, a signal that he needs an urgent intervention to change his toxic masculinity.

Playwright Gregg Ostrin has created a mesmerizing and relatable play that gives a new look at the typical spy character that has been so popular in movies and TV. One of the most interesting features of this play is not only Simon’s transformation through his interaction with the other characters, but also how he is able to help the other addicts to overcome their fears and achieve a positive transformation for themselves.

Pourvasei’s performance is one of a kind. His nonchalant demeanor and clueless notion of his negative behavior at the beginning of the play heightens the comedic aspect of his character. Overall, the dialogue and physical comedy delivered by the rest of the cast combine perfectly to treat the audience to an exhilarating performance. Director Cyndy Fujikawa is able to translate the text effectively into an energetic visual experience that highlights the comedy and the intriguing aspects of the story. Fujikawa also acts in this production as Z, the person behind the organization that sends Simon to special missions.

The story and the plot get the audience invested in the characters. Will Simon manage to complete his therapy? Is he still relevant, or is he just a toxic relic from the past? Is therapy working for the other addicts? And how about Stella, the therapist?

The play has comedy, suspense, addiction, a Mexican standoff, and a surprise visit of Simon’s nemesis, Lazarus (with a cat). The question is, who will save the world if Simon retires?

The Spy Who Went Into Rehab

Pacific Resident Theatre
703 Venice Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291

Opening: 8pm on Friday, June 7, 2024
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Saturdays; 3pm Sundays
Closing: July 7, 2024
Written by Gregg Ostrin. Directed by Cyndy Fujikawa.
Cast: Satiar Pourvasei, Jill Renner, Stuart W. Howard, Rachel Townsend, Alondra Andrade, and Cyndy Fujikawa.
Creative team: Michael Franco (Lighting Design), Jason Culp (Sound Design), Rachel Townsend (Choreography).

Theatre Review: The Sandwich Ministry

Posted on by

Skylight Theatre Company presents The Sandwich Ministry. Written by Miranda Rose Hall. Directed by Katie Lindsay. Produced by Gary Grossman and Armando Huipe for Skylight Theatre Company.

When Claudia (Maha Chehlaoui) tells the story of the widow that put into the temple treasury the two small copper coins she had, Hannah (Jordan Hull) loses her patience, and an argument ensues. Caught in the middle is Joyce (Jayne Taini), a close friend of both Claudia and Hannah. The three women gather to make sandwiches for the neighbors that have been displaced by the storm that flooded the town.

Claudia is the wife of the church’s minister. Joyce has been attending the same church for a long time and has known Claudia for years. Hannah, on the other hand, has not been attending the ministry for quite some time. As the three women prepare the sandwiches, the tension is evident between Claudia and Hannah. The exposition reveals that the two of them were once very close friends, but their relationship started to fall apart as Claudia became more distant.

As they gather for the sandwich ministry, their respective backgrounds are disclosed. The play delves into the complexities of human relationships and how hard it is to fix them. Playwright Miranda Rose Hall uses the church and a storm as the environment to explore the possibilities of a hopeful reconciliation.

The script is extraordinary, the story and the plot create rich characters that explore themes of friendship, faith, and the importance of mutual support in times of crisis. The direction by Katie Lindsay captures effectively the relationship dynamics of three women whose lives and faith are succumbing to the disappointments of unrealized dreams.

The performances are moving, capturing the essence of the text. The three thespians excel in portraying the sense of community and the urgent need for human connections.

The Sandwich Ministry

Skylight Theatre
1816 1⁄2 North Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA. 90027

Opening: 8:30pm Saturday, June 1, 2024
Schedule: 8:30pm Fridays and Saturdays, 3:00pm Sundays, 7:30pm Mondays
(no performances on Mondays, June 3 & 10)
Closing: July 7, 2024

Tickets: skylighttheatre.org

Written by Miranda Rose Hall. Directed by Katie Lindsay. Produced by Gary Grossman and Armando Huipe for Skylight Theatre Company.

Cast: Maha Chehlaoui, Jordan Hull, Jayne Taini.

Creative team: Carolyn Mraz (Scenic Design), R.S Buck (Lighting Design), Hope Kozielski (Assistant Lighting Design), Mylette Nora (Costume Design), Noel Nichols (Sound Design),
Benjamin Rawls (Technical Director), Victoria Hoffman (Casting), Cedes Sifuentes (Production Manager).

Theatre Review: Arrowhead

Posted on by

The World Premiere production of Arrowhead is presented by IAMA Theatre Company. Written by Catya McMullen. Directed by Jenna Worsham. Produced by Quinn O’Connor and co-produced by Katharine Means for IAMA Theatre Company. 

Gen (Amielynn Abellera) has a problem: She got drunk, had sex with a guy, and got pregnant. But she’s a lesbian. Well, she decides to abort. It is during this time that Gen and a group of friends get together. Everything looks relatively normal until Levi (Nate Smith) and his friend Brody (Adrián González, Celestial Events, Kiss of the Spider Woman) arrive.

It doesn’t take long for some drama to unfold and turn things upside down. Gen and Levi had a romantic relationship in the past and seeing each other again complicates things even further, as Gen is currently dating Lily (Kathleen Littlefield). Maggie (Kacie Rogers, Celestial Events) is straight. Well, kind of. Cam (Lindsay Coryne) is lesbian and sees the group of friends as family. Stacy (Stefanie Black) is Levi’s sister and develops a special relationship with Brody.

Playwright Catya McMullen creates a world where a reunion of friends unveils the complications of love, sex, and identity. Taking from her own experiences, McMullen gives each character a world of possibilities. Identities, labels, and the struggles to cope with feelings, specially after a breakup, are explored in this play. It is a comedy that presents different points of view of some controversial issues around queerness and feminism.

One of the most valuable aspects of Arrowhead is that the seriousness of the topics exposed in the play are actually presented as a delightful comedy. The writing offers dialogue that gives the actors plenty of opportunities to shine. With the excellent direction of Jenna Worsham, the script is turned into a web of comedic situations that deliver entertainment on every scene.

Each character has a background that reflects the experiences of most of the people in the audience. The play is a journey of self discovery. A leap into the unknown. But you’re not alone—the characters are your co-pilots. They may not have all the answers to your questions, but they make you laugh all the way till the end. Lindsay Coryne, specially, delivers a phenomenal performance. We hope she/him gets nominated for an award this year; it’s a performance to be remembered.  

The attention to detail is always a reflection of the professionalism of the director, and for Arrowhead, Worsham uses the set design, lighting, and special effects as a menagerie of creative elements to enhance the comedic mood of the play. 

A love letter to queerness, Arrowhead is a play that grabs your attention and inspires to ask questions about identity, sex, love, and friendship. With humor, surprises, and a cat lady, what else can you ask for?

Arrowhead

Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
• FREE parking in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) lot one block south of the theater. 

Performances: Feb. 8 – March 4
• Thursdays at 8 p.m. Feb. 8 ONLY (Opening Night)
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 16; Feb. 23; March 1
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 17; Feb. 24; March 2
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Feb. 18; Feb. 25; March 3
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 19; Feb. 26; March 4 (dark Feb. 12)

Tickets: iamatheatre.com

Written by Catya McMullen. Directed by Jenna Worsham. Starring Amielynn Abellera, Stefanie Black, Lindsay Coryne, Adrián González, Kathleen Littlefield, Kacie Rogers, Nate Smith. Produced by Quinn O’Connor and co-produced by Katharine Means for IAMA Theatre Company. Presented by IAMA Theatre Company, Stefanie Black, artistic director. Creative team: Scenic designer Carolyn Mraz; sound designer Eliza Vedar; associate lighting designer/programmer Erica Ammerman; costume designer Danae Iris McQueen; properties designer Nicole Bernardini; intimacy director Celina Surniak; and casting director Jordan Bass. Rosalind Bevan is associate director; Daniel Cyzpinski is the technical director; and Zaira Paredes–Villegas is the production stage manager alongside assistant stage manager Isabella Gomez and wardrobe supervisor Athena Saxon.

Arrowhead poster
A scene from Arrowhead
A scene from Arrowhead

Musical Review: Scissorhands: A Musical Tribute

Posted on by

Scissorhands: A Musical Tribute is presented by Bradley Bredeweg, Kelley Parker, and Mad World Inventions. Written by Bradley Bredeweg and Kate Pazakis. Directed by Bradley Bredeweg. Produced by Bradley Bredeweg, Lance Bass, and Kelley Parker.

Gothic and mystic, Edward Scissorhands is a romantic story of isolation and acceptance by the brilliant mind of Tim Burton. And now, this fascinating tale is revamped in Scissorhands: A Musical Tribute. Featuring a killer score, this musical includes “Trouble” and “Shallow” to make it more contemporaneous and revive the drama and the romance of the original film. This proves to be a smart move by the producers, as the songs create a special connection with the audience.

As for the performances, Emma Hunton (The Nightlesque Before Grinchmas, Exorcistic The Rock Musical, CLUELESQUE) continues to show her magnetic skills both as an actress and singer. She has been steadily performing in some of the most exciting musicals and burlesque shows in town. For the role of Peg, she creates an endearing character as the loving and accepting mother of Scissorhands (Jordan Kai Burnett). One of the actors that brings some of the funniest lines in the show is Ryan O’Connor as Helen/Bill/Host. His timing delivers comedy at its best, bringing lots of laughs and demonstrating that excellent music and comedy are a winning combination for a successful show. The cast put together for this production achieve a very positive reaction from the audience due to their comedy and singing skills, creating an energetic vibe all around.

The visuals, as in the movie, are an important factor to capture the enigmatic and dark world of Scissorhands. In this musical, the lighting (Darren Langer) and scenic design (James Connelly) recreate the German Expressionism that is typical in Burton’s productions. The shadows and contrast highlight the gothic elements of the story and mix well with the pastel colors of some of the characters’ costumes (Benjamin Holtrop, costume designer). The background projections and the special effects add a special and creative touch to this production, a homage to some of the most iconic scenes in the original film.

Do not miss the opportunity to take a look at the fantastic and endearing world of Scissorhands. There’s romance, comedy, and vibrant live music that make this musical a world-class production.

Scissorhands: A Musical Tribute

Cast: Jordan Kai Burnett, Carly Casey, Alex Ellis, Dionne Gipson, Carson Higgins, Emma Hunton, John Krause, Natalie Masini, and Ryan O’Connor.

The Bourbon Room
6356 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA, 90028

Upcoming shows:

Jan 6, 07:00 pm | 10:00 pm
Jan 7, 02:00 pm
Jan 11, 07:30 pm
Jan 12, 07:00 pm | 10:00 pm
Jan 14, 02:00 pm

Tickets: scissorhandsmusical.com/tickets

Written by Bradley Bredeweg and Kate Pazakis. Directed by Bradley Bredeweg. Produced by Bradley Bredeweg, Lance Bass, and Kelley Parker. Co-produced by Chadd McMillan, Jeff Wickline and Josh Robers. Creative team: Musical Direction by Gregory Nabours. Choreography by SaraAnne Fahey. Costume Design by Benjamin Holtrop. Production Design by James Connelly. Lighting Design by Darren Langer.

A scene from Scissorhands: A Musical Tribute
A scene from Scissorhands: A Musical Tribute
A scene from Scissorhands: A Musical Tribute

Playwright to Watch: Roger Q. Mason

Posted on by

Kilroys List honoree Roger Q. Mason (Lavender Men with Skylight Theatre/Playwrights’ Arena) will present a reading of their play Hide and Hide with the Los Angeles Performance Practice as part of their 2023 Live Arts Exchange Festival on Friday, October 20 at 8pm. The play, directed by Jessica Hanna (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert with Celebration Theatre; Hungry Ghost at Skylight Theatre) will be presented at the L.A. Dance Project (2245 E Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90021). Tickets ($14-$29) may be purchased in advance at https://performancepractice.la/portfolio/roger-q-mason/. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission.

Along the Golden Coast of California, two souls collide while chasing freedom. Set in the last days of disco, Billy, a queer rent-boy, is on-the-run from the Texas police; Constanza, a Filipina immigrant, has a visa that’s about to expire. Together they enter a sham marriage to achieve their own American Dream. Full of sex, harm, and violence, Hide and Hide takes audiences on a Homeric Odyssey that disrupts and rebuilds The American Fantasy.

“Hide and Hide tributes my mother and the American dreams she held when she came to the United States from the Philippines in 1980,” said playwright Roger Q. Mason. “How did reality hold up to the promise the States exported to her and others like her abroad? And how does the pursuit of that dream change people as they grasp to attain it?”

The cast will feature August Gray Gall (The Inheritance with Geffen Playhouse; David, My Goliath at REDCAT) as Billy and Amielynn Abellera (King Charles III at Pasadena Playhouse; Walking To Buchenwald with Open Fist Theatre) as Constanza with Movement Dramaturgy by Jay Carlon (fold, unfold, refold at REDCAT NOW Festival; Out of Bounds with Annenberg Community Beach House). This project was originally developed by Page 73 and Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival.

 

Interview with Playwright Roger Q. Mason

At what age did you decide you wanted to get involved in theatre?

I’ve been performing since I could speak.  My grandmother was an early childhood educator and social worker in Los Angeles.  At age 2, she started teaching me the now-lost art of elocution.  Every week, I’d stand before our family’s yellow Formica table and recite poems from the Black American canon before my grandmother and her two sisters, three grand ladies from the South born in the early 1890s – 1900s.  Performing for them, I fell in love with the power that language has over human emotion.  My journey to theatre started there.

What motivates you to write?

I write freedom songs.  My plays elevate the experiences of folx who dare to think big, love fully and dream out loud.

Nowadays, people consume and create content through TV, film, radio, video games, and social media. Why do you think theatre is still alive?

Theatre is alive because the bond between audiences and performers sharing a fleeting moment, live, in person, cannot be replicated by any other medium.

What opportunities do minorities have to tell their stories in the Los Angeles theatre scene?

First of all, we are people of the global majority.  There’s nothing minor about folx of color.  That’s a phrase that my work and I are doing their damndest to rewrite and revise.  I’ve found that Los Angeles is a vibrant theatre scene with opportunities for new play development and reimagination of classic texts.  The key is how you focus your energies on building relationships with people who see you and your work.  As a POC playwright, I’ve always felt that my stories are valued, shared and reflected back to me from the theatre scene in our city.

Tell us about your experience growing up in the USA as a Black, Filipinx, and queer artist, and how that experience has shaped your storytelling vision.

As a Blasian queer person in our country, I never fit into any boxes, and my differences made people uncomfortable and fearful of the definitions they upheld to keep societal myths alive.  My very existence is an expression of identity beyond various binaries and a testament to the lies of prejudice and bias.  I disrupt the status quo just by existing.  Holding and honing that power – the power to turn disruption into questioning and questioning into transformation – stands at the center of my storytelling vision as a playwright in the American Theatre.

Why did you decide to create Hide and Hide?

I wrote Hide and Hide to celebrate my mother’s journey to the United States from the Philippines.  The play is set in 1980, the same year she came.  It concerns the struggles of a young woman who wants to belong to America but realizes that the version of the States sold to her was a lie.  That disillusionment with the American Dream is a tale that has wafted through my own household, and countless others immigrant homes across the country.  The play’s aim is to hold a mirror onto the lofty values we export abroad and the cost that people pay when they actually try to pursue them here.

What are the main challenges to make theatre in Los Angeles?

Happily, I am seeing strides to change our main challenge in Los Angeles theatre: to build stronger connections between our intimate theatres and larger institutions.  Such programs as the Geffen Writers Room and CTG’s company residency programs (to name two of many) are opening the doors of our larger non-profit theatres to companies and projects who can benefit from time and space with institutional support.  We just have to keep seeing ourselves as one community with a singular aim: to celebrate the richness of La Ciudad de La Reina de Los Ángeles.

Hide & Hide
Hide & Hide
Image of Roger Q. Mason
Playwright Roger Q. Mason. Photo by Bronwen Sharp.
Image of Jessica Hanna
Director Jessica Hanna. Photo by Peter Konerko.
Image of August Gray Gail
August Gray Gail. Photo by Aidan Avery.
Image of Amielynn Abellera
Amielynn Abellera

Theatre Review: How It’s Gon’ Be

Posted on by

The Echo Theatre Company presents the West Coast Premiere of How It’s Gon’ Be. Written by JuCoby Johnson. Directed by Ahmed Best. Troy Leigh–Anne Johnson and Sam Morelos are associate producers, and Chris Fields and Kelly Beech produce for the Echo Theater Company.

An absent father will always cause some disruption in a man’s development. In JuCoby Johnson‘s How It’s Gon’ Be, the absenteeism causes anger and insecurity in the main character, Jahann (Donté Ashon Green). But it also leads to a close and special relationship with his mother Angela (Karla Mosley). Facing the challenging years of adolescence, Jahann is forced to re-evaluate his worth, his future, and his dynamic relationships, including the one with his father. 

As a young man, Jahann values his relationship with Rashad (Michael Howard–Dossett) and Terry (Durran Moreau), his best friends. And it is specially important his relationship with Lady (Nona Parker Johnson), his childhood crush. The conflict appears when Jahann’s father Kenny (Sedale Threatt Jr.) comes back from his service in the military. Kenny is constantly called for service and is gone for months without calling home, creating doubts and anger to both Angela and Jahann. This time around, Jahann is not willing to hold back his resentment towards Kenny. This triggers an emotional display of rebellion and recriminations that puts at risk the stability of the family and forces the characters to dig deep inside to see if there’s any love left for each other.

The script contains poetry that gives the story a creative element to convey the feelings of the characters in a lyrical dance of words and silence. It’s through poetry that Jahann navigates his own pain and explores his feelings to find the truth. Director Ahmed Best utilizes sublime lighting and sound effects to express the internal turmoil of the characters. The transitions and the colors transmit the lyricism of the script in a meaningful gallery of visual elements.

Through the plot and subplots, the characters fight, dream, and discover who they really are, exposing their vulnerabilities and their ability to communicate their true feelings. Rashad and Terry need to determine once and for all their relationship. Angela has to decide whether she will continue to support Kenny’s career in the military, with the sacrifices that come with it. Jahann reaches a point where he needs to define his relationship with Lady, and even more challenging, his relationship with his continuously absent father. 

How It’s Gon’ Be is a poetic and engaging coming-of-age story that highlights the challenges of entering manhood for a Black artist. The script, the acting, and the directing all come together to offer a moving play that explores the outcomes when love and art are combined to answer our most pressing existential issues.

How It’s Gon’ Be 

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

Performances: Sept. 16 – Oct. 23
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 29, Oct. 6, Oct. 13, Oct. 20
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 16 (opening night), Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 2, Oct. 9, Oct. 16, Oct. 23

Tickets: echotheatercompany.com

Written by JuCoby Johnson. Directed by Ahmed Best. Troy Leigh–Anne Johnson and Sam Morelos are associate producers, and Chris Fields and Kelly Beech produce for the Echo Theater Company. Starring Donté Ashon Green, Michael Howard–Dossett, Nona Parker Johnson, Durran Moreau, Karla Mosley, and Sedale Threatt Jr. Creative team: Scenic designer Amanda Knehans; lighting designer Justin Huen; sound designer Alysha Grace Bermudez; co-costume designers Ann Closs-Farley and Sophia Grose; graphics designer Christopher Komuro; and casting director Tal Fox. 

     

How It's Gon' Be poster
A scene from How It's Gon' Be
A scene from How It's Gon' Be
A scene from How It's Gon' Be