Tag Archives: Los Angeles

Theatre Review: Blood at the Root

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Open Fist Theatre Company presents Blood at the Root. Written by Dominique Morisseau. Directed by Michael A. Shepperd. Co-artistic directors Martha Demson, James Fowler and Amanda Weier produce for Open Fist Theatre Company.

Dominique Morisseau based her play on the true story of the “Jena Six”, a 2006 incident in Jena, Louisiana. Blood at the Root shows how volatile interracial relationships can be and how intolerance can quickly escalate into physical violence. In a hot autumn day, Raylynn (Nychelle Hawk)is at her high school and decides to sit under an oak tree in an area reserved for White students. The next day, 3 nooses are hanging from that same tree. Those actions trigger a series of events including beatings, arrests, and criminal charges. The way the school and the justice system reacted to these actions ignited the already fraught relationship between the White and Black communities.

The tense environment is specially challenging to three of the characters. Raylynn feels attracted to Colin (Jeremy Reiter ll), a White student who gets beat up by Raylynn’s brother DeAndre (Nicholas Heard). Raylynn is now at a crossroads. She wants to keep a good relationship with Colin, who has confided to her that he is gay, but she also needs to ask him to drop the charges against DeAndre so he doesn’t get sentenced. It is also hard for Colin to show compassion towards Raylynn when he has been a victim of discrimination for being gay.

For Raylynn’s friend, Asha (Caroline Rose), she is confused as what to do. She is White, but when her parents divorced, she went to live with her dad and new wife, a Black woman. Asha found happiness with her Black cousins and feels so much at home with them that she calls herself Black. However, her “Blackness” is put to test when she is asked by Raylynn to support the Black students’ protests after the nooses incident.

The complexity of experiences and identity growing up in a divided society is also exemplified in the characters of Toria (Grace Soens) and Justin (Azeem Vecchio, A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Justin is the Editor-in-Chief of the school’s newspaper. He is Black, but refuses to take sides with his fellow Black students in the protests. On the other hand, Toria is one of the reporters. She is White and is eager to seek racial justice through her journalism. Toria and Justin butt heads when it comes to take sides. Justin’s case is interesting in the sense that it takes a toll on a person’s identity growing up in a racist environment. When incidents of racism happen, would you stay silent to avoid confrontation with the other party? Or would you stand up to racists, even if that aggravates friends or acquaintances?

Asha is challenged by Raylynn. Justin is challenged by Toria. Colin is challenged by Raylynn. The community is challenged by intolerance. The play delves into history, but history repeats itself. And here we are, with a story that seems taken not from the past but from the present. 

Michael A. Shepperd creates a stunning and dramatic production with choreography, music, and endearing performances that explore the intricacies of intolerance, racism, friendship, and justice. Scenic designer Joel Daavid and lighting designer Gavan Wyrick add an impressive effect to the scenery, creating visually stunning elements to heighten the conflict, the danger, and the drama depicted in the script. This is a high-caliber staging that moves, inspires, and makes us think of how much progress we have achieved in our search for justice and tolerance. 

Blood at the Root

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

Sept. 9 – Oct. 28
Fridays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 22; Sept. 29; Oct. 6; Oct. 13; Oct. 20; Oct. 27
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 9 (Opening Night); Sept. 16; Sept. 23; Sept. 30; Oct. 14; Oct. 21; Oct. 28 (dark Oct. 7)
Sundays at 3 p.m.: Sept. 17; Oct. 1; Oct. 15 (no matinees on Sept. 10; Sept. 24; Oct. 8; Oct. 22
Sundays at 7 p.m.: Sept. 24; Oct. 8; Oct. 22 (no evening performances on Sept. 17; Oct. 1; Oct. 15)
Monday at 8 p.m.: Oct. 9 ONLY

Tickets: openfist.org

Written by Dominique Morisseau. Directed by Michael A. Shepperd. Starring Malik Bailey, Deandra Bernardo, Emma Bruno, Nychelle Hawk, Nicholas Heard, Jeremy Reiter II, Caroline Rose, Jack David Sharpe, Grace Soens, Amber Tiara, and Azeem Vecchio. Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director. Creative team: Scenic designer Joel Daavid; lighting designer Gavan Wyrick; sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett; costume designer Mylette Nora; and chorographer Yusuf Nasir, promises a visually and emotionally immersive experience. The assistant director is Debba Rofheart, and the production stage manager is John Dimitri. Co-artistic directors Martha Demson, James Fowler and Amanda Weier produce for Open Fist Theatre Company.

 

Blood at the Root poster
A scene from Blood at the Root
A scene from Blood at the Root
A scene from Blood at the Root
A scene from Blood at the Root

Theatre Review: A Slight Ache

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A Slight Ache is presented by Dance On Productions in association with Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger. Written by Harold Pinter. Directed by Jack Heller.

An apparent peaceful morning is disrupted by a wasp and a match seller. Flora (Susan Priver, Harold and Maude) is sitting with her husband Edward (Henry Olek) when a wasp decides to approach their table while they’re breakfasting in the garden. The dynamics of their relationship becomes more evident as they try to figure out how to get rid of the insect. But Edward’s biggest concern is not the wasp. Rather, it’s the disconcerting presence of an old match seller (Shelly Kurtz) who has been loitering by the gate of their home for days. Flora and Edward decide to invite the man into their home to find out who he really is.

One of most iconic elements of this play is the speechless nature of the match seller. He doesn’t utter a single world during the whole play. Yet, like in music, in Harold Pinter‘s plays, silence is as important as dialogue. In this absurdist piece, the match seller reflects not a character, but an image, an inner fear or an aspirational idea of a man, depending on who you ask. For Edward, the match seller is the unstoppable marching of time, the reflection of what Edward will become in just a few more years. Edward knows that his body is deteriorating, turning him into a frail remnant of what he once was. He is holding on for dear life to what he believes will sustain him through the dreadful ageing process, his mental capacities, as if detaching his mind from his decaying body. Edward went from writing about “the Belgian Congo” to a more philosophical and contemplative topic; he’s now writing an essay on “space and time”. This is probably a symbol of inwardness, an unconscious attempt to find the meaning of life at the last stages of his existence. 

Flora sees the match seller as the man Edward could have been. In Pinter’s style, the speechless man is used as an instrument to allow the exposition of the other characters. In one of the scenes, Flora tells the match seller of the time she was raped. She also tries to explore the possibilities of the match seller as a companion, expressing her sexual frustrations and implying the lack of sexual activity with Edward. These are examples of Pinter’s use of the absurd to portray not just characters, but concepts that reflected the lives of the English society in a time of rapid changes, specially the representation of classes when England was recuperating from the difficult economic misfortunes of previous decades. 

One of the highlights of Jack Heller‘s production is the collaboration with his actors to work from an internal approach, exploring the richly psychological aspects of this brilliant play. The actors dig deep into the fears, desires, and frustrations of the characters to bring a refreshing new look at one of Pinter’s earlier plays, one that delves into the often complex relationships among mind, body, and society at large. Even though Pinter wrote A Slight Ache in 1958 at a specific period in England, the fears of becoming irrelevant and the painful process of aging are topics that are timeless and universal.

In addition to the excellent acting and directing, the scenic design (Jeff G. Rack) and costumes (Michael Mullen) combine in great detail the past and the present. Flora and Edward sport a refined look in their privileged 50s home setting while the match seller wears clothes that remind us of the very familiar sight in our streets nowadays. A clever commentary on classes back in Pinter’s England and a contrast that persists in our America today.

A Slight Ache

A visiting production at the
Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025 

Performances: August 26 – October 1
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 14; Sept. 21; Sept. 28
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 8; Sept. 15; Sept. 22; Sept. 29
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Aug. 26 (opening); Sept. 9; Sept. 16; Sept. 23; Sept. 30
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Sept. 10; Sept. 17; Sept. 24; Oct. 1

Tickets: odysseytheatre.com

Written by Harold Pinter. Directed by Jack Heller. Starring Shelly Kurtz, Henry Olek, Susan Priver. Presented by Dance On Productions in association with Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger. Creative team: Scenic designer Jeff G. Rack, lighting designer Ellen Monocroussos, sound designer Christopher Moscatiello, costume designer Michael Mullen and graphic designer Kiff Scholl. The production stage manager is Sarah Dawn Lowry.

A Slight Ache poster
A scene from A Slight Ache
A scene from A Slight Ache
A scene from A Slight Ache

Theatre Review: Heroes of the Fourth Turning

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Rogue Machine presents the Southern California premiere of Heroes of the Fourth Turning. Written by Will Arbery. Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos. Produced by Justin Okin and John Perrin Flynn.

Playwright Will Arbery explores deep and philosophical questions in a play with intense dialogue and honest points of view that might diverge from the politically correct message of the mainstream media. The characters in the play show some existential crises that expose their vulnerabilities and lead them to question their positions and commitments as conservative White Catholics. Will they reinforce their positions, or will they try to merge with a world that is leaning more towards inclusion and acceptance?

In Heroes of the Fourth Turning, four young conservatives gather to celebrate Gina (Roxanne Hart), the new president of their Catholic college. Justin (Stephen Tyler Howell) appears self-confident at first. However, by the end of the play, is evident that he is as confused and afraid as the rest. He believes in the Benedict Option, in the safety of seclusion to avoid temptations. He seems more resolute to stay within his bubble of conservatism, contrary to Kevin (Samuel Garnett), who is exploring the possibility of moving to New York to face the temptations of an urban setting to test his commitment to his faith, although one temptation he hasn’t been able to resist is alcohol.

For Emily (Emily James), living with a painful disease is a form of perpetual sacrifice, The Eucharist, the presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Maybe something worthy can come out of that pain. Like many artists may agree, beautiful art can be created out of sheer misery. The pain has made her more empathetic for sure, but it has taken a toll on her faith and perception of life. A breaking point seems to be building up.

Teresa (Evangeline Edwards), a fan of Steve Bannon and supporter of Donald Trump, is a determined and hardcore conservative who proclaims that a war is around the corner and White Catholics need to be ready to fight, instilling fear to an already ambivalent Kevin. In her eyes, is a war instigated by liberals to demonize and destroy White America. She is a firm believer of the controversial Fourth Turning, a Strauss-Howe generational theory with four mood eras, or turnings: High, Awakening, Unraveling, and Crisis. Teresa might be perceived as just a racist conservative pundit, but through her lines, she is pursuing something else: “You call us racist, we’ll call you racist. You call us white, we’ll call you black…But you stop doing that,…we’ll stop too.” What she proposes is a forum to exchange opinions, “a republic of ideas,” something more Hegelian: Thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. Maybe with a little bit of cocaine on the side.

Gina on the other hand, lies somewhere in the middle. As time went by, she has changed positions and is now a moderate conservative. She regrets supporting Pat Buchanan in the past and despises Donald Trump. She is considered a leader to the four young conservatives meeting tonight, but clashes with Teresa, who is left surprised and confused with Gina’s moderate conservatism.

Guillermo Cienfuegos continues to deliver impactful productions in his successful directorial endeavors. In Heroes of the Fourth Turning, he turns a script with heavy dialogue into a funny, entertaining, and highly engaging play with a fantastic selection of actors that achieve masterly performances. The five thespians create characters with actions, reactions, and vulnerabilities that bring to life the cleverness and depth of Arbery’s writting.   

Whether the characters’ intentions are to create another AFA or a new Orania, that is an open question. But what’s interesting here is that the characters argue and debate, weakening and strengthening their faith. Mainly, it’s a story where White Catholics express their concerns and explore the strategies for their future to ensure their survival. It’s a safe place to nurture their common values while attempting to elevate their consciousness and love to greater heights. Maybe, at the end, they’ll all be able to reach the summit and be united as one. For everything that rises must converge. 

Heroes of the Fourth Turning

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

Opening: 8pm on Saturday, August 19, 2023
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays, 3pm Sundays
Closing: October 2, 2023

Tickets: https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org/

Written by Will Arbery. Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos. Cast: Roxanne Hart, Evangeline Edwards, Samuel Garnett, Stephen Tyler Howell, and Emily James. Creative team: Stephanie Kerley Schwartz (Scenic Design), Dan Weingarten (Lighting Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Christine Cover Ferro (Costume Design), John Perrin Flynn (Dramaturg), Victoria Hoffman (Casting Director). Produced by: Justin Okin, John Perrin Flynn. A Rogue Machine Production.

Heroes of the Fourth Turning poster
An image of Heroes of the Fourth Turning
An image of Heroes of the Fourth Turning

Theatre Review: A Bella Incarceration

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The Echo Theater Company presents the world premiere of A Bella Incarceration. Conceived, written, directed, and performed by Ann Noble. Produced by Chris Fields and Kelly Beech for the Echo Theater Company.

An enclosure representing a jail cell, an inmate uniform, and a pink clown nose is all it takes to tell the story of Bella (Ann Noble), a woman who has been incarcerated for an act of civil disobedience. Once in jail, she asks why people commit rebellious acts to stand up to injustice and abuse. To understand the motivations, Bella has imaginary conversations with women she admires. She talks to journalist Nellie Bly and anarchists Dorothy Day and Emma Goldman.

The fact that Bella is a clown makes sense for the kind of material covered in the story. Clowns have an anarchic spirit, are funny, and in some instances, they display a contradictory sadness that is impossible to resist. Bella goes through all of those emotions and experiences before, during, and probably after her incarceration. 

In real life, Ann Noble is also a prison chaplain. Her own stories combined with the ones of those serving time in prison are the basis of the play. The confinement, loneliness, and psychological traumas can break you, make you stronger, or a combination of the two. A Bella Incarceration leaves room for the audience to imagine what was the end of the story. Noble provides some of the details, but the resolution is an audience’s exercise. The play is somehow a soliloquy and a narrative to explore and validate Bella’s motivations and actions. The play is deep, funny, and an opportunity to shed light on the marginalized and disenfranchised.       

A Bella Incarceration

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

Performances: July 25 – Aug. 22:
• Tuesdays at 8 p.m.: Aug. 8, Aug. 15, Aug. 22

Tickets: echotheatercompany

Conceived, written, directed, and performed by Ann Noble. Production Design by Ann Loud. Presented by The Echo Theater Company, Chris Fields artistic director.

 

A Bella Incarceration poster
Image of Ann Noble
A scene from A Bella Incarceration

Theatre Review: Crabs in a Bucket

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The Echo Theater Company presents the World Premiere of Crabs in a Bucket. Written by Bernardo Cubría. Directed by Alana Dietze. Produced by Chris Fields and Kelly Beech.

The play starts with Amargo (Xochitl Romero) and Pootz (Anna LaMadrid) contemplating the misery of their lives as two aging crabs in a bucket. From there, the conversation turns to memories of better times and the pathetic state of their current situation, a downward spiral of apathy and hopelessness. With the arrival of Beb (Jordan Hull), a younger and more positive crab, the bitterness reaches another level. Things get even more insane when Mamon (Michael Sturgis) falls back into the bucket after getting out and enjoying the outside for a while. It is now time to re-evaluate their current existence and see if real change is a possibility or just a deceptive chimera.

The play has a universal appeal that allows the story to travel. The subjugation of our lives to deeply ingrained feelings of inferiority can lead us to sabotage ourselves when opportunities come knocking. Even worse, that mentality can lead us to bitter not only our lives, but also the lives of the people around us, whether they’re colleagues, friends, or family members. In the case of Amargo, she once was the joker of the group until life passed her by and her hopes and expectations didn’t materialize. As part of her inner circle, she makes sure Pootz doesn’t go any further than the interior of the bucket, pulling her back if Pootz tries to reach the top to get out.

The surprising character is Mamon, who got out, but ends up falling back into the bucket. This could be interpreted perhaps as a case of insecurity. Mamon got out and enjoyed higher levels in life, but felt inferior, incapable, or thought that he didn’t deserve any success in life. This crab mentality infused with Social Constructionism rules the lives of the crabs in the bucket. What might be seen as an exclusive characteristic of a particular racial group, the reality is that this crab mentality exists in many different groups. The world of entertainment could be an example of such behavior. The success of others sabotages our own success, making us feel bitter, frustrated, and left behind. A perfect recipe to rip the happiness out of our lives. In the play, however, Beb brings the opposite. Her naiveness makes her believe that it is still possible to escape the bucket if they help each other.

The four actors offer a compelling and hilarious performance that exalt the brilliant script. The ingenuity of both the writing (Bernardo Cubría, Revenge Porn or The Story of a Body) and the direction (Alana Dietze) creates a combination that delivers a play that feels relatable and devastatingly human.

Crabs in a Bucket

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

Performances: July 15 – August 21
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: July 21, July 28, Aug. 4, Aug. 11, Aug. 18
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: July 15 (opening night), July 22, July 29, Aug. 5, Aug. 12, Aug. 19
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: July 23, July 30, Aug. 6, Aug. 13, Aug. 20
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: July 24, July 31, Aug. 7, Aug. 14, Aug. 21

Tickets: echotheatercompany.com

Written by Bernardo Cubría. Directed by Alana Dietze. Starring Jordan Hull, Anna LaMadrid, Xochitl Romero, Michael Sturgis. Presented by The Echo Theater Company, Chris Fields artistic director. Creative team: Scenic designer Amanda Knehans; lighting designer Azra King–Abadi; sound designer Jeff Gardner; costume designer Lou Cranch; composer Arian Saleh; fight choreographer Ahmed Best; movement coach Tristan Waldron; and clowning consultant Julia Davis. The production stage manager is Irene Lee and Troy Leigh–Anne Johnson is associate producer.

 

Crabs in a Bucket poster
A scene from Crabs in a Bucket
A scene from Crabs in a Bucket

Theatre Review: Starmites

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Starmites is presented by Open Fist Theatre Company. Music and lyrics by Barry Keating. Book by Stuart Ross and Barry Keating. Directed by Scott Peterman. Music direction by Jan Roper.

A shy Eleanor (Talia Gloster) is usually immersed in her world of comic books, but her mom (Cat Davis) is concerned about Eleanor’s obsession with her comics. In her fantasies, however, Eleanor becomes the superhero that can save the entire galaxy with the help of Space Punk (Bradley Sharper), the Starmites (Rieves Bowers, Alex Hogy and Jasper Wong), and lizard man Trinkulus (Brendan Mulally). Their mission is to fight the evil forces of Shak Graa (Brendan Mulally) and The Banshees (Elle Engelman, Lindsey Moore Ford, Sarah Martellaro and Sophie Oda), led by Diva (Cat Davis).

All Eleanor and her friends have to do is go to the forest, find Shak Graa and The Banshees, fight them, win, and save the entire galaxy. Simple, but when love and jealousy get in the way…

Scott Peterman selected a young group of actors and paired them up with Cat Davis, a fantastic singer, actress, and comedian. The result is a fun and energetic performance for this revival of the Tony-nominated sci-fi fantasy musical. The excellent music is performed live by a three-piece band, directed by Jan Roper. Peterman’s expereince as a show and content director for world-class acts such as the Smashing Pumpkins and Bon Jovi is evident in this carefully curated visual explosion of music and kinetics. The visuals really add to the whole experience. The colors, graphics, and costumes contribute to the nostalgic and extravagant look of the comics from the 80s.

Starmites is a simple story where the dances, music, and cutting edge performance technology take center stage to offer a fun experience to delight the audience in a family-friendly musical.

Starmites

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: June 2–July 8
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: June 2 (opening); June 16; June 23; June 30; July 7 (dark June 9)
• Saturdays at 3 p.m.: June 24
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: June 10; June 17; July 1; July 8 (no evening performance June 24)
• Sundays at 3 p.m.: June 18; June 25; July 2 (no matinee June 4 or June 11)
• Sundays at 7 p.m.: June 11

Tickets: openfist.org

Music and Lyrics by Barry Keating. Book by Stuart Ross and Barry Keating. Directed by Scott Peterman. Music Direction by Jan Roper. Choreography by Becca Sweitzer. Fight Choreography by Jacob Grigolia–Rosenbaum. Starring Rieves Bowers, Cat Davis, Elle Engelman, Lindsey Moore Ford, Talia Gloster, Alex Hogy, Sarah Martellaro, Brendan Mulally, Sophie Oda, Jack David Sharpe, Bradley Sharper, and Jasper Wong. Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director. Creative team: Scenic and projection design by Scott Peterman and Linda Strawberry, lighting design by Gavan Wyrick, and costume design by Linda Muggeridge. The production stage manager is John Dimitri.

Starmites poster
A scene from Starmites
A scene from Starmites
A scene from Starmites

Theatre Review: No Place Like Gandersheim

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Skylight Theatre Company’s 40th season celebrates the World Premiere of No Place Like Gandersheim. Written by Elizabeth Dement. Directed by Randee Trabitz. Produced by Gary Grossman for Skylight Theatre Company. Associate Producer: Tyree Marshall.

Roz (Jamey Hood) has written a sex comedy to be performed by the nuns at her abbey. Mother Superior Berga (Shannon Holt) and nun Madlen (Lauren Gaw) are excited about their performance. It’s their opportunity to experience something they cannot do in real life. It is now time to present the play to the Roman Emperor. How will he react?

Playwright Elizabeth Dement explores the historical role of women in different periods. As a time-warping journey story, Roz experiences the frustrations of living in a male-dominated society. Roz lives as a nun in medieval Germany, as a successful Hollywood TV writer in the present, and as an aspiring writer pitching a project in the future to 75-year-old Vita (Charrell Mack), who thanks to advanced treatments, looks way younger than her real age.

In all of the three periods, Roz is supported by other women. However, that support is also limited. In the case of Mallory, a funny and superb Shannon Holt, her position as the head of the studio is contingent to hitting all the quadrants to satisfy the investors and advertisers. As Roz’s show is hitting only one of the quadrants, Mallory decides to cancel it. It is in Hollywood as a TV writer that Roz also experiences another aspect of womanhood. She is the mother of Thea, her teenage daughter. The play presents the challenges of parenthood, specially for working writers, who live with the constant anxiety of getting their shows canceled in very short notices.

The stage design and the lighting create a fantastic mood that enhances the time periods depicted in the story. Director Randee Trabitz translates the script into a hilarious and touching production that presents the reality and the frustrations that women have suffered throughout history. At the end, Dement and Trabitz ask the question: Has anything changed for women?

No Place Like Gandersheim

Skylight Theatre
1816 1⁄2 North Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA. 90027
Parking information: https://skylighttheatre.org/plan-your-visit/

Opening: 8:30pm Saturday, May 20, 2023
Schedule: 8:30pm Saturdays, 3:00pm Sundays, 7:30pm Mondays
(No performance on Monday, May 22 & Monday, May 29)
Closing: June 25, 2023

Tickets: skylighttix.org

Written by Elizabeth Dement. Directed by Randee Trabitz. Produced by Gary Grossman for Skylight Theatre Company. Associate Producer: Tyree Marshall. Cast: Lauren Gaw, Shannon Holt, Jamey Hood, Charrell Mack. Creative Team: DeAnne Millias (Scenic Design), Shannon Barondeau (Lighting/Video Design), Mylette Nora (Costume Design), Alma Reyes-Thomas (Sound Design), Joyce Hutter (Properties Manager), Victoria Hoffman (Casting), Cedes Sifuentes (Production Manager).

No Place Like Gandersheim poster
A scene from No Place Like Gandersheim
A scene from No Place Like Gandersheim

Theatre Review: The Book of Will

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A Noise Within presents The Book of Will. Written by Lauren Gunderson. Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott. The Producing Sponsors are Terri Murray and Patricia Hoppe.

It is incredible to think that the literary legacy of William Shakespeare could’ve been lost if it hadn’t been for the dedication of the playwright’s closest friends and associates. Two fellow actors and members of Shakespeare’s theatrical company the King’s Men, Henry Condell (Jeremy Rabb, Animal Farm) and John Heminges (Geoff Elliott Animal Farm, Metamorphoses), worked tirelessly to put together Shakespeare’s collection of plays and poetry in a high-end format known as a folio, a broadsheet folded once to make serious tomes or luxury books. Previously, most of Shakespeare’s plays were printed in quartos, a smaller and cheaper format.

According to Professor Linda Woodbridge, up to 90% of plays written in Shakespeare’s days didn’t survive, they just perished without trace. Many of those plays were performed, but never printed. Thus, the importance of ensuring Shakespeare’s legacy by printing the First Folio, a cultural capital for the subsequent generations to enjoy.

The First Folio contains 36 of Shakespeare’s plays and some short poems. Even though all of the details of the whole process to get the folio done are not fully known, Lauren Gunderson imagines what it was like to undertake such an expensive and arduous task. In the play, a jealous Ben Johnson (played on Friday by an extraordinary Alex Morris) finally agrees to write two poems in the Folio’s preface to honor Shakespeare’s talent. Money, of course, was a factor to make it almost impossible to publish the book. Throughout the process, Elizabeth (Trisha Miller, Metamorphoses, Animal Farm) Alice, (Nicole Javier, Metamorphoses, Animal Farm), and Rebecca (Deborah Strang, Animal Farm) encourage Condell and Heminges to keep going when everything seems lost.

The characters of Condell, Heminges, and Richard Burbage (Frederick Stuart, Much Ado About Nothing) reference Shakespeare’s phrases in many of their conversations, a sign of their deep admiration for the playwright’s witty poetry and the close relationship they all enjoyed as fellow actors. To make the story even more appealing, the secondary character Ralph Crane (a fascinating Kasey Mahaffy, Metamorphoses) delivers outstanding comedy to the play to keep things amusing as the Folio starts to take shape.

The set design and lighting are stunning. Scenic designer Frederica Nascimento and lighting designer Ken Booth play with soft, directional, and natural colors and textures that add an emotional atmosphere to the ample stage, and in the case of the props, give co-Directors Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott plenty of space to have the actors move around the stage freely.

The Book of Will is a celebration of one of the greatest writers of all time, the Swan of Avon, William Shakespeare. And just like Shakespeare’s plays, putting together the Folio becomes an experience of loss, dedication, and a sacrificial love for such a noble expression called theatre. The survival King’s Men understand that although a performance is a sizzling and titillating experience, it is ephemeral by nature. A book, on the other hand, can transcend centuries and generations.

The Book of Will

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

Performances May 13–June 7
• Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.: May 25; June 1 (dark May 18)
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: May 26**; June 2**
• Saturdays at 2 p.m.: May 27; June 3
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: May 13 (Opening Night); May 20; May 27; June 3
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: May 28; June 4
**Post-performance conversations with the artists every Friday (except the preview) and on Sunday, May 21 (included in ticket price).

An INsiders Discussion Group will be held on Tuesday, May 16, from 6 p.m.–8 p.m. on Zoom ($38 per individual or $45 per household).

There will be three student matinees at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16; Wednesday, May 17; and Thursday, May 18. Interested educators should email education@anoisewithin.org.

Tickets: www.anoisewithin.org

Written by Lauren Gunderson. Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott. Starring Geoff Elliott, Stanley Andrew Jackson, Nicole Javier, Kasey Mahaffy, Trisha Miller, Kelvin Morales, Alex Morris, Jeremy Rabb, Deborah Strang, and Frederick Stuart. Producing Sponsors Terri Murray and Patricia Hoppe. Sponsored by Kathy and Jim Drummy. Presented by A Noise Within, Geoff Elliot and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, producing artistic directors. Creative team: Scenic designer Frederica Nascimento; lighting designer Ken Booth; sound designer Robert Oriol; video designer Nicholas Santiago; costume designer Angela Balogh Calin; wig and make up designer Shelia Dorn; dialect coach Andrea Odinov; and dramaturg Miranda Johnson-Haddad. The rehearsal stage manager is Deena Tovar.

The Book of Will poster
A scene from The Book of Will
A scene from The Book of Will
A scene from The Book of Will

Theatre Review: Matinicus: The Story of Abigail Burgess

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Chance Theater presents the World Premiere of Matinicus: The Story of Abigail Burgess. Written by Jenny Connell Davis. Directed by Katie Chidester. Produced by Rachelle Menaker & Eddie Schuller.

When Abigail Burgess (Aubrey Saverino) arrives at Matinicus with her father Samuel and the rest of the family to work on the lighthouse, she realizes that boredom and isolation will be her companion for a very long time. In addition, as Matinicus Rock Light is a windswept and treeless rock surrounded by water, supplies must be brought in from the mainland at intervals in order to survive for months.  

At one point, a group of sailors stop at Matinicus to rest and eat. They stay for a while with Abigail’s family. When they leave, Samuel realizes that the sailors consumed most of the family’s food supplies. The ship that was scheduled to bring in more supplies to the family does not show up for its September delivery. Samuel has no other choice but to leave the family behind to buy food and oil for the lighthouse in order to survive the approaching winter. Before leaving, Samuel puts Abigail in charge of the lighthouse and the family. Right after he leaves, a storm approaches and now Abigail has to find a way to save the family from a deadly natural disaster.

Playwright Jenny Connell Davis includes details to show the internal conflicts of a family that faces the unknown in an isolated environment. The character of Abigail shows her own internal conflicts, facing the challenges of growing up in a small place as Matinicus with limited opportunities and much more responsibilities.

Actress Aubrey Saverino and Director Katie Chidester deliver a fascinating production, aided with excellent lighting and sound effects, that builds up the emotions in a crescendo that is engaging and entertaining. Saverino is an experienced thespian that skillfully navigates the nuances of a rich character, gestating the emblematic figure of a real-life hero. Her deliverance captures the lifestyles, frustrations, and ultimately, the hopes of a bygone era.          

Matinicus: The Story of Abigail Burgess

Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center on the Fyda-Mar Stage
5522 E. La Palma Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92807

May 13 – June 4, 2023; Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.

Tickets: chancetheater.com

Written by Jenny Connell Davis. Directed by Katie Chidester. Starring Aubrey Saverino. Rachelle Menaker & Eddie Schuller are Executive Producers for this production. Bette & Wylie Aitken are producers for the entire 2023 Season and The Family of Mary Kay Fyda-Mar are this season’s associate producers. Creative team: Cris Quick, Scenic, Lighting, and Costume Designer. Oscar Garcia, Sound Designer. Jordan Jones, Stage Manager. Jenny Jacobs, Dramaturg. Bebe Herrera, Props Master.

 

Matinicus poster
A scene from Matinicus
Matinicus
A scene from Matinicus

Theatre Review: can i touch it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

can i touch it?

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

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

Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org

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

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