Theatre Review: A Froggy Becomes

The World Premiere of A Froggy Becomes is presented by Open Fist Theatre Company. Written by Becky Wahlstrom. Directed by Pat Towne. Produced by Martha Demson.

Bumpy Diggs (Sandra Kate Burck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) needs to complete her middle school project, but she can’t find anyone to help her with the assignment. She is somehow dating her classmate Pat (Kyle Tomlin), but she also develops a crush on her classmate Allen (Tom Sys), who is dating Karen (Kyra Grace). Bumpy’s father is a violent ogre (Peter Breitmayer) who spends the day drinking and smoking. And her mother (Johanna McKay) is having an affair with a priest, Father Angelo (Michael Lanahan). Yes, a lot of drama in the life of such a young girl.

Playwright Becky Wahlstrom incorporates elements of magical realism to symbolize the perspective of a girl going through the challenging years of puberty. Some of the fantastical elements are visual, like the large puppet in the form of an ogre. Some are psychological. Fantasies that only happen in Bumpy’s head, like her idealistic love for Allen or the idea that she and her mother could pursue a happier life with Father Angelo. Maybe the blending of fantasy and reality is a survival strategy for someone like Bumpy, a girl coming from a dysfunctional family.

Navigating through puberty proves to be exciting, frightening, and painful. Wahlstrom presents a character dealing with a teenager’s rite of passage: First love, first kiss, the pressure of school assignments, and the ups and downs of romantic relationships, including the dreadful heartbreak. How can Bumpy survive this rollercoaster of emotions? Maybe Madonna’s music can help a little bit. After all, this is the 80s, colorful clothes and all.

Director Pat Towne focuses on the performances of the actors and highlights the comedic aspects of the script, creating a play with a minimalistic set design and strong performances. Sandra Kate Burck does a fantastic job, carrying most of the play on her shoulders. She has excellent comedic timing and delivers a convincing performance throughout the play. The ogre adds much of the magical realism to the play, stressing both the comedy and the uneasiness of the story.

The play features the transition between the naiveness of childhood and the brutality of life, including intrafamily violence. Broken dreams seem to welcome Bumpy into adulthood, but also open up her eyes into the possibilities beyond the horizon, exploring adventure, growth, and new beginnings. Not bad for a story that starts with a simple seventh grade project, an ogre in underwear, a horny priest, and a self-determined teenage girl.

A Froggy Becomes

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: March 9–April 13
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: March 15; March 22; March 29; April 5; April 12
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: March 9 (Opening Night); March 16; March 23; March 30; April 6;
April 13
• Sundays at 7 p.m.: March 10; March 17; March 24; March 31; April 7

Tickets: openfist.org

Written by Becky Wahlstrom. Directed by Pat Towne. Starring Deandra Bernardo, Peter Breitmayer, Sandra Kate Burck, Kyra Grace, Jeremy Guskin, Ana Id, Carmella Jenkins, Michael Lanahan, Johanna McKay, Bradley Sharper, Tom Sys, Kyle Tomlin. Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director. Creative team: Scenic designer Jan Munroe, costume designer Mylette Nora, lighting designer Matt Richter, sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett, prop masters Bruce Dickinson and Ina Shumaker, and puppet designer Joe Seely. The production stage manager is John Dimitri, and the assistant director is CJ Merriman.

Theatre Review: Arrowhead

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)

Ticketsiamatheatre.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 BassRosalind Bevan is associate director; Daniel Cyzpinski is the technical director; and Zaira ParedesVillegas is the production stage manager alongside assistant stage manager Isabella Gomez and wardrobe supervisor Athena Saxon.

Film Review: Yoshiki: Under the Sky

Yoshiki: Under the Sky is directed by Yoshiki. Produced by Sid Ganis, Mark Ritchie, Doug Kluthe, and Aaron Latham-James.

Featuring the skyline of Los Angeles, Yoshiki: Under the Sky is a film that explores the intimate relationship between personal pain and music. International musician Yoshiki shares the way he was able to channel his personal tragedies into art in the form of music.

The film is a music documentary with the collaboration of other world-renowned stars: Sarah Brightman, Jane Zhang, Scorpions, SixTONES, Nicole Scherzinger, St. Vincent, Sugizo, Hyde, Lindsey Stirling, and The Chainsmokers.

Yoshiki shows his skills as a composer, pianist, guitarist, and drummer. The duo with The Chainsmokers’ drummer Matt McGuire is truly epic. Yoshiki’s talent allows him to blend effortlessly with different styles of music. He can easily create rock, pop, or classical music. And now, he does his directorial debut, performing some of his most famous songs with a wide variety of artists.

The cinematography by Ken Whales, Michael Pessah, and Rachel Bickert enhances the inspirational message of the film. It’s a poetic combination of light and color, as stunning as the music itself. The visuals intertwined with music become a lyrical element to elevate the value of this production.

The devastation from personal loss has been a constant in Yoshiki’s life, and somehow, his lyrics create some sort of magic that talks to his fans all over the world. Yoshiki’s music is an evidence that some of the most beautiful art comes from a place of pain. One touching moment of the film is the message Yoshiki shares with a Japanese fan whose wife is terminally ill. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s also an example of how music can be uplifting, even when we go through difficult experiences. And that’s exactly how certain music becomes the soundtrack of one’s life.

The closing of the film couldn’t be more sublime. Voices from around the world join Yoshiki’s interpretation of “Endless Rain”, a song that reflects the spirit of the film. It penetrates your skin, going straight to your heart. It’s a poem to the healing power of music, transcending the pain, no matter how deep it might be.

Yoshiki: Under the Sky

Directed by Yoshiki. Produced by Sid Ganis, Mark Ritchie, Doug Kluthe, and Aaron Latham-James. Starring Yoshiki, Sarah Brightman, Jane Zhang, Scorpions, SixTONES, Nicole Scherzinger, St. Vincent, Sugizo, Hyde, Lindsey Stirling, and The Chainsmokers. Cinematography by Ken Whales, Michael Pessah, and Rachel Bickert. Edited by Spencer Lee, Takashi Uchida, David Swift, Merritt Lear, Jim Yukich, Claire Didier, Imran Virani, and Bryan Roberts. Music by Yoshiki.

Production company: A List Media Entertainment.

Distributed by: Abramorama.

Film Review: Creed III

Creed III is directed by Michael B. Jordan. Screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin. Story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, and Zach Baylin. Based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone. Produced by Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Elizabeth Raposo, Jonathan Glickman, and Sylvester Stallone.

Following the steps of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in the original Rocky film, Creed (Michael B. Jordan) and Dame (Jonathan Majors) also need to fight to prove their worth. Both characters are at different stages in their lives, but they need a common ground to settle their differences. Guilt and feelings of being left behind set the stage for an exceptional drama with the world of boxing as the background.  

The movie delves into different universal themes that appeal to a wide audience. Family dynamics, cheering for the underdog, and overcoming difficult challenges in life are relatable experiences that shape the latest installment of the franchise. Even though these themes have been used many times over, Creed III excels in integrating them into the story to reverberate in people’s hearts and minds, as they portray the very nature of human society.

Another moving message captured by the film is adapting to change when things don’t go your way. For Bianca (Tessa Thompson), she had to quit performing as a singer—her passion in life—due to hearing loss. Adjusting to her new reality and making the best of what she has left, she becomes a music producer instead, a less protagonist role in the music industry.

Another factor that makes the story to travel is the use of different languages: English, Spanish, sign language to communicate with Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), and the unique language of boxing. Training, sparring, how fights are set up, and what drives a boxer to fight are elements featured in this film. To add a touch of reality, Creed III features the following professional boxers: Canelo Álvarez, Florian Munteanu, Tony Bellew, José Benavides Jr., and Teófimo López.

In his role of director and as a homage to an attribute of Anime, Jordan has Creed and Dame go through a quiet space for an internal conversation during the intensity of their title fight. This visual technique highlights the complex relationship between the two characters, adding a powerful emotional effect to the fighting sequence.

Jordan demonstrates that he is a tour de force in the prestigious world of cinema. In Creed III, he serves as actor, director, and producer, three of the most demanding roles in filmmaking. Jordan delivers an exciting and engaging story, keeping the spirit of the original Rocky film alive and still leaving room for more expansion of the franchise. 

Creed III

Directed by Michael B. Jordan. Screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin. Story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, and Zach Baylin. Based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone. Produced by Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Elizabeth Raposo, Jonathan Glickman, and Sylvester Stallone.

Production companies: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Proximity Media, and Outlier Society.

Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (North America). Warner Bros. Pictures (International).

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad.

Creative team: Cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau. Edited by Tyler Nelson and Jessica Baclesse. Music by Joseph Shirley.

Theatre Review: Baby Foot

Rogue Machine presents The West Coast Premiere of Baby Foot. Written and directed by Tim Venable. Produced by John Perrin Flynn, Guillermo Cienfuegos, Brett Aune, Clay Hollander. Associate Producers: Justin Okin, Rebecca Larsen. A Rogue Machine Production.

Alexis (Hope Lauren) says “I’m afraid to leave”. Blackie (Daniele Dorr) answers “I’m afraid to stay”. In Tim Venable‘s Baby Foot, the rehab center becomes heavens, hell, and the purgatory at the same time. As in many cases, the drugs in the story are used to induce a delirium between reality and fiction, a tool to bury the pain, specially the emotional one.

Reading between lines, it seems that Alexis had emotional scars derived from sexual abuse. She is a musician, planning to move to New York to start a new life. She projects an image of self-confidence that sounds cliché at the beginning. But as the story unfolds, she displays a sense of insecurity and an urgent need of human connection that is disarming enough to capture Blackie’s attention. Although she has the will to turn her life around and leave her drug days behind, she is still a human being with the potential to fail in the blink of an eye.

As for Blackie, he is in rehab due to a court order. He is married and has a son. He is a manager and also an actor. He seems cocky at first, but as usual, it’s just a facade to conceal his weakness. He is terrified about failing to complete the rehab program. His distress is so obvious that Alexis feels compelled to offer her support. At that point, they start connecting on a deeper level. However, under those unstable circumstances, that relationship can easily turn into a support system or a self-destruction journey, leading to a life or death situation.

Keeping everything together at the rehab center is Fred (Paul DeBoy), a drug addict that came into the center years go and stayed as a handyman. He has seen it all and helps people to complete the program. He is also very discreet when he sees the shenanigans going around among the addicts.

Tim Venable delves into the possible outcomes of drug addiction. He provides hope, but is also fully aware of the recovery mantra “one day at a time”. Alexis’ hesitation to leave and Blackie’s hesitation to stay reflect the uncertainty of what the future holds. It also provides an incentive for the characters to create a dynamic relationship where the weakness of one motivates the strength of the other, in a vicious circle of attractive fragility. The beginning of the rehab program can be as terrifying as the end of it, as there’s no guarantee of success. Nevertheless, Venable shows that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s just a matter of personal willingness to get there.

Baby Foot

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

Opening: 5pm on Saturday, October 14, 2023
Schedule: 7pm Fridays, 5pm Saturdays and Sundays, 8pm Mondays
(No performances on Monday October 30th)
Closing: November 20, 2023

Ticketsroguemachinetheatre.org

Written and directed by Tim Venable. Cast: Hope Lauren, Daniele Dorr, and Paul DeBoy. Produced by John Perrin Flynn, Guillermo Cienfuegos, Brett Aune, Clay Hollander. Associate Producers: Justin Okin, Rebecca Larsen. A Rogue Machine Production. Creative team: Dane Bowman, Joe McClean (Production Design/TD), Leanna Keyes (Sound
Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Consultant), Victoria Hoffman (Casting).
Recommended for ages 18+

 

Playwright to Watch: Roger Q. Mason

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: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Noise Within presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott. Produced by Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott.

In a Burtonesque style, A Noise Within delivers a fascinating production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, transporting the audience to a whimsical dream of fantasy, music, and magical powers. The dark mood used throughout the play adds to the mystic nature of the story and highlights the intriguing side of the characters.

The visuals achieved in this production demonstrate the technical abilities of the creatives involved. Frederica Nascimento (Scenic Designer) and Ken Booth (Lighting Designer) create a mysterious and dreamy atmosphere that brings out the carnivalesque attribute of the story. There are plenty of grays and blacks with splashes of yellows, reds, greens, and blues to convey the fantastical underworld of the fairies. To complement the visuals, costume designer Angela Balogh Calin; wig and makeup designer Tony Valdés; and properties designer Stephen Taylor all contribute to the overall mythical look of the enchanted fairyland.

The two quirky characters that have some of the funniest lines in the story are Puck and Bottom, played masterfully by Kasey Mahaffy and Frederick Stuart, respectively. The two thespians continue to shine in A Noise Within’s productions, delivering captivating and passionate performances consistently. Mahaffy is a natural playing the mischievous Puck, blending humor with oddity to the audience’s delight. Stuart does the same with his character of Bottom, always eccentric, always overdramatic.

Also gleaming on stage are the four lovers: Jeanne Syquia as Helena, Rafael Goldstein as Demetrius, Erika Soto as Hermia, and Riley Shanahan as Lysander, all of them contribute a great deal of humor to the play with their dialogue and physical comedy. Likewise, Zach Kenney and Trisha Miller show off their subliminal histrionic skills. They double up as Theseus and Hippolyta and Oberon and Titania, manifesting A Noise Within’s commitment to bring the best performers for their classical theatre productions. 

Directors Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott show their tasteful creativity by giving a distinctive Gothic and German Expressionism style to their rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The monumentalism of the opening scene with the big gray wall and the black costumes is a striking and very different take on Shakespeare’s play. Metropolis and Blade Runner 2049 come to mind when observing the brutalist, dark, and contrasting features of the scenic and lighting design. The dimensions of the stage and the seating arrangement contribute to make it an immersive experience. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy theatre at its best. Allow yourself to unplug from reality and fall into a deep dream of kings, queens, and fairies. It’s a magical journey to the underworld, in a land far, far away.   

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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

Performances Oct. 14 – Nov. 12

Tickets and scheduleanoisewithin.org

Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott. Starring Greta DonnellyRafael GoldsteinRachel HanZach KenneyKasey MahaffyEd F. MartinTrisha MillerHakop MkhsianAlex MorrisBrendan MulliganCassandra Marie MurphyRiley ShanahanLauren SosaErika SotoFrederick StuartJeanne SyquiaErick Valenzuela. Presented by A Noise Within, Geoff Elliot and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, producing artistic directors. Creative Team: Scenic designer Frederica Nascimento; lighting designer Ken Booth; composer and sound designer Robert Oriol; costume designer Angela Balogh Calin; wig and makeup designer Tony Valdés; properties designer Stephen Taylor; and dramaturg DrMiranda JohnsonHaddad. The production stage manager is Angela Sonner, with Talya Camras assisting.

Theatre Review: Fear of Heights

The West Coast premiere of Fear of Heights is presented by Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. Written and performed by Kevin Flynn. Directed by Tim Byron Owen. Executive Producers Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly. Produced in association with Georganne Aldrich Heller/Irish Theatre Film Productions and The Sarah Fulton Group. Produced for Odyssey Theatre Ensemble by Beth Hogan.

The iconic picture Lunch atop a Skyscraper is what triggers Kevin Flynn‘s memories of his Irish immigrant family. The solo show is a story of struggles and new opportunities, a sort of American Dream 101. Flynn’s family came from Ireland looking for a better life. They settled in New York where the men found jobs as ironworkers, a job that required working on the construction of skyscrapers. Bear in mind that safety precautions were minimal at the beginning of the 20th century. Some ironworkers lost their lives due to falls from high altitudes. Kevin Flynn was supposed to follow the steps of his father and uncles and become an ironworker. But something got in the way: His fear of heights.

Flynn’s life has been a roller-coaster ever since he decided to try a different career path outside of the ironwork industry. From soccer player to TV host, his career took off and placed him on top of the entertainment industry. Hollywood parties with celebrities, fame, money, travel to exotic locations, and a successful standup comedy career made everything look amazing for the hardworking entertainer. But life is always full of surprises, and some of them are not always the most pleasant ones. Those experiences have been pivotal to shape Flynn’s resilience to navigate life successfully.

The show is not only funny, it is also deep, specially when it connects the hard work with the family values and the love for the new country demonstrated by his family. The risks that many people have taken to provide for their families is well represented in Fear of Heights. Flynn’s Irish experience in America is a typical image of the price many immigrants have paid to succeed in the land of opportunities. It has been a life of great sacrifices, but even greater satisfactions.

Fear of Heights

Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025

October 12 – October 29
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Oct. 26
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 20. Oct. 27
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 21, Oct. 28
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: Oct. 22, Oct. 29

Tickets: odysseytheatre.com

Written and performed by Kevin Flynn. Directed by Tim Byron Owen. Executive Producers Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly. Produced in association with Georganne Aldrich Heller/Irish Theatre Film Productions and The Sarah Fulton Group. Produced for Odyssey Theatre Ensemble by Beth Hogan. Presented by the Odyssey Theatre EnsembleRon Sossi Artistic Director. 

Theatre Review: The Travelers

Latino Theater Company and San Francisco’s Magic Theatre present the L.A. premiere of The Travelers. Written by Luis Alfaro. Directed by Sean San José, based on original direction by Catherine Castellanos. Produced by Latino Theater Company in association with the Magic Theatre and Campo Santo.

Money is tight at the monastery and the Carthusian monks need to figure out a way to survive. In addition to this precarious scenario, the is a hint of rebellion among the monks against the direction of Brother Santo (Sean San José). To complicate things even more, a mysterious man (Juan Amador) is left injured at the doorsteps of the monastery. Now the monks have to tend to him and find out who he really is.

Reality and fantasy are turned into poetry in Luis Alfaro‘s play. His understanding of farm work and religion allows him to create three-dimensional characters that breathe and palpitate the textures of the life in the fields and the consecrated life in a religious order. The Brothers, the product of the fields, were abandoned at an early age by their parents, leaving them at the monastery to keep them away from the hardships of farming. For these kids, the Carthusian Order became a refuge, a home, a second chance in life. In exchange, they needed to offer themselves to God in silence and prayer, separated from the world. However, the austere environment makes the Brothers wonder what life would be beyond their secluded compound.

Even though there are no Carthusian monasteries in California—the only one in the US is in Vermont— the story is an allegory of the monastic experience through the eyes of farm workers from the Central Valley in California. The play shows the goals of the Order of the Carthusians: Intimacy with God through solitude, community, and the liturgy. But the story also shows the doubts the Brothers have about their devotion. Their insecurities, pain, and earthy temptations (they drink and cuss) lead them to achieve a transformation that will define their future and the fate of the monastery.

To turn the poetry of Alfaro’s text into a theatrical experience, Director Sean San José uses stunning visuals—scenery, lighting, background music, and video projections. All of these elements capture and elevate the soul of the story in an emotive fashion. The contemplative nature of the Carthusian way motivates the characters to find the truth deep inside their hearts. And it is that mysterious man, transformed as Brother Juan, the one that leads the way to find their true vocation with surprising results.

The Travelers is a moving play that connects the fruits of the fields with the Catholic faith and shapes them into a poetic vision that feels both ethereal and intensely human.

The Travelers

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

Performances: Sept. 23 – Oct. 15
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 5; Oct. 12
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 6; Oct. 13
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 23 (opening night); Oct. 7; Oct. 14
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: Oct. 8; Oct. 15

Ticketslatinotheaterco.org

Written by Luis Alfaro. Directed by Sean San José, based on original direction by Catherine Castellanos. Starring Juan AmadorDaniel Duque–EstradaGuillermo Yiyo OrnelasSean San JoséKinan ValdezOgie Zulueta. Produced by Latino Theater Company in association with the Magic Theatre and Campo Santo. Creative Team: Scenic designer Tanya Orellana; lighting designer gg Torres; sound designer Christopher Sauceda; video designer Joan Osato; costume designer Jojo Siu; and movement director Patricia Ong. The stage manager is Lauren Quan.

 

Theatre Review: How It’s Gon’ Be

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 HowardDossett) 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

Ticketsechotheatercompany.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 GreenMichael HowardDossettNona Parker JohnsonDurran MoreauKarla 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