Theatre Review: The Lifespan of a Fact

Posted on March 3, 2023March 3, 2023 by Glamour

The Fountain Theatre presents the West Coast premiere of the Broadway hit play, The Lifespan of a Fact, written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell. Directed by Simon Levy.

What is fake news? Where do journalists draw a line between facts and a good story? In The Lifespan of a Fact, Jim Fingal (Jonah Robinson) is a young intern who has to fact check the essay written by famous author John D’Agata (Ron Bottitta, Wakings!). The essay is the the story of a young men who jumped to his death from a building in Las Vegas. The editor, Emily Penrose (Inger Tudor) needs to have the essay ready for publishing within a few days.

Fingal, a Harvard graduate, is overtly meticulous and starts to find a handful of inaccuracies in D’Agata’s essay. What happens next is a series of hilarious situations that show Fingal’s obsession with minute details and D’Agata’s tendency to twist the facts to fit his rhythm.

The play focuses on the competitive world of journalism, where the accuracy of information might be a suggestion and not the rule. Penrose expresses the pressure from investors, advertisers, and the diminishing readership in general as a determining factor to approve stories on her magazine. Penrose and D’Agata are characters that capture the complicated relationship between the interests of the owners of the media and the ethics of a journalist.

In the play, D’Agata’s essay is a metaphor of spin and cherry picking, tactics used to make the story more appealing. In a larger context, those tactics are used by governments and corporations to influence public opinion and advance their own interests. In a society where freedom of speech is paramount, the information relayed to the public can be easily manipulated to deceive or serve particular agendas. Rafael Correa, the former president of Ecuador, once said: “Since the invention of the printing press, the freedom of the press is dictated by the will of the owner of the printing press”. The characters in the play portray that conflictive triangle of freedom of speech, media business interests, and journalism as an elemental tenet of truth.

The Lifespan of a Fact is a captivating play that makes us take a closer look at the avalanche of information to which we are exposed. Media interests, personal opinions, personal experiences, and ethics are all displayed on stage in an entertaining and thought-provoking theatrical experience.

The Lifespan of a Fact

The Fountain Theatre
5060 Fountain Ave.
Los Angeles CA 90029
(Fountain at Normandie)

Performances: February 18 – April 2
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: March 3; March 10; March 17; March 24; March 31
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 18 (opening); March 4; March 11; March 18; March 25; April 1
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: March 5; March 12; March 19; March 26; April 2
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: March 6; March 20; March 27 (dark March 13)

Tickets: fountaintheatre.com

Written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell. Based on the book by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal. Directed by Simon Levy. Starring Ron Bottitta, Jonah Robinson, and Inger Tudor. Presented by The Fountain Theatre.

The creative team includes scenic designer Joel Daavid, lighting designer Alison Brummer, sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett, costume designer Michael Mullen, video designer Nicholas Santiago and properties designer Joyce Hutter. The production stage manager is Hannah Raymond. Stephen Sachs and James Bennett produce for the Fountain Theatre.

Theatre Review: Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Posted on February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 by Glamour

Ruskin Group Theatre presents Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Written by Steve Martin. Directed by Amelia Mulkey. Produced by John Ruskin and Michael R. Myers.

Despite the torrential rain, Picasso at the Lapin Agile opened on Friday at the Ruskin Group Theatre to a full house. Steve Martin‘s story is set in 1904 at the Parisian cabaret Lapin Agile, a famous spot for some of the most influential people at the time. Two of the frequent patrons were Pablo Picasso (Isaac J. Cruz) and Albert Einstein (Ryan Stiffelman). The play revolves around the processes the artist and the scientist used to generate their brilliant ideas.

In 1904 a young Einstein was already writing a book about special relativity, a subject not quite well understood, even by scientists. During that period, Picasso was also a regular at the Lapin Agile and he was about to produce Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, a controversial masterpiece of Cubism that de-idealized the Renaissance’s tradition of the human figure. Both of them were broke and not very well known yet, but they were on the verge of transforming the fields of art and science in an extraordinary manner.

Both young men were working on trying to explain space and time like no one else had done it before. Einstein’s theory of relativity unified space and time as one entity. Picasso’s Cubism presented subjects from different perspectives at once, giving the illusion of a broken glass and achieving to project the subjects in a wider context. In that extraordinary effort, Einstein and Picasso developed similar processes to explain the same concept. They sketched images in their heads to visualize different sources of information to put them together and render their respective theories, making the world around people less static and more kinetic.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a fascinating look at the time when these two geniuses would meet to exchange ideas, oftentimes perplexing their audiences with their observations, and in the case of Picasso, with his womanizing tendencies. In the play, Picasso is seen with two of his lovers, Suzanne (Ashley Barrett) and Germaine (Amy Motta, Farragut North), who is also the girlfriend of the bartender, Freddy (J. Teddy Garces). The other characters are Gaston (Fred Deni), a French gentleman, Sagot (Jack Merrill), Picasso’s art dealer, Charles Dabernow Schmendiman (Hudson Long), an inventor, and a visitor from the future (Jackson Glenn), an Elvis Presley with fancy shoes.

The scene observing the starry sky is a clever reference to Einstein’s concept of cosmology. The lighting effects (Edward Salas, Lighting and Sound Design) were an excellent touch to this production. The set and costumes (Ryan Wilson, Scenic Design, Michael Mullen, Costume Design) were also phenomenal visual elements, rich in details to represent the Parisian atmosphere of the period.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is an appreciation of the value and the contributions of art and science in our society. Amelia Mulkey‘s direction captures the essence of the dialogue and the space: The desire of a new generation to break from the past and explore new possibilities based on revolutionary ideas. The staging transports the audience to a bustling place where colorful characters debated about life, love, and the hopes of a better future.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Written by: Steve Martin. Directed by: Amelia Mulkey. Produced by: John Ruskin and Michael R. Myers. Presented by: Ruskin Group Theatre. Starring: Ashley Barrett, Isaac J. Cruz, Fred Deni, J. Teddy Garces, Jackson Glenn, Hudson Long, Jack Merrill, Amy Motta, and Ryan Stiffelman.

Ruskin Group Theatre
3000 Airport Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(Ample free parking)

Opening: 8pm on Friday, February 24 with reception to follow
Schedule: 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm on Sundays
Closing: April 2, 2023

Creative Team: Ryan Wilson (Scenic Design), Edward Salas (Lighting and Sound Design), Michael Mullen (Costume Design), Paul Ruddy (Casting), Nicole Millar (Production Stage Manager).

Tickets: www.ruskingrouptheatre.com

Picasso at the Lapin Agile poster — Picasso at the Lapin Agile

A scene from Picasso at the Lapin Agile — Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Theatre Review: LOVE…or Best Offer

Posted on February 23, 2023February 23, 2023 by Glamour

The Group Rep presents the world premiere of LOVE…or Best Offer, written by Phil
Olson, winner of the Robert J. Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence. Director: Doug Engalla. Producer: Aly York.

If online dating is already challenging, imagine dating at an older age, when divorces, kids, and emotional scars have taken a toll on our lives. Despite all of that, the protagonists in LOVE…or Best Offer make looking for love an exciting game worth trying.

The characters show the insecurities that older people face when trying to start a romantic relationship all over again in a digital world. In addition, trying to replace someone else while dealing with grown-up kids might be more complicated than expected.

The play takes us on an emotional trip to the lives of Cheryl (Stephanie Colet) and Stan (Doug Haverty) and their respective friends Lori (Kathleen Delaney) and Dave (Marc Antonio Pritchett). Stan, a millionaire, needs to find someone who won’t go after his money. Cheryl wants a stable guy who is not a weirdo, like a serial killer or a foot fetish aficionado.

Once Lori and Dave set them up for an online session, Cheryl and Stan start a series of Zoom meetings that will test their willingness to lower their guards and give themselves another chance at love. Their challenge will be to overcome insecurities, misunderstandings, and the fear of vulnerability that comes with falling in love.

The play is well written with great character development. Phil Olson adds elements that make the play more dynamic by including characters that inflict stress to the protagonists, like Cheryl’s son and Stan’s ex-wife. Those characters are never seen, only referenced, but they contribute conflict and resolution to the story. The four actors have an amusing sense of comedy that is infectious and engage the audience from beginning to end, a perfect gift for the month of love.

LOVE…or Best Offer

The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre – Second floor
10900 Burbank Blvd
N. Hollywood, CA 91601

Free street parking. The Upstairs is not handicapped
accessible.

February 18 – March 19, 2023

Saturdays at 4:00
pm. Sundays at 7:00 pm. Talkback Saturdays after matinees Feb 18 and Feb 25.

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Written by Phil Olson. Director: Doug Engalla. Producer: Aly York. Starring: Doug Haverty, Stephanie Colet, Kathleen Delaney, and Marc Antonio Pritchett.

Theatre Review: Come Get Maggie

Posted on February 21, 2023March 3, 2023 by Glamour

Rogue Machine presents the world premiere of Come Get Maggie. Written by Diane Frolov. Lyrics by Diane Frolov and Susan Justin. Music by Susan Justin. Directed by Michael Pressman.

Somewhere in the 30s, there was a girl who dreamed of the stars and the possibilities of alien life. That girl grew up to be a physicist in the 50s, defying the expectations of society at the time. That girl is Maggie (Melanie Neilan), whose parents, Mrs. Wyberry (Melissa Jobe) and Mr. Wyberry (Bruce Nozick), expect her to get married and live a suburban and conservative life. From there, things get more complicated for Maggie. Her research in physics is used to invent the H bomb, something she opposes. Disappointed, she quits physics and gives in to her parents’ wishes.

Maggie marries Hugh (Chase Ramsey), who doesn’t disclose he is a widow with two kids. He also has a nosy aunt, Auntie Ruthie (Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield, Rapunzel Alone, A Great Wilderness) who disapproves of Maggie. After moving in with Hugh, Maggie is introduced to the Mother Militia, a group of housewives with issues of their own.

Hugh wants Maggie to be a traditional good wife. One that stays home cooking and taking care of the kids, and just like Paul in the Paul Lynde Show, he expects Maggie to have his martini ready when he gets home. But there is an incident that turns things upside down. Maggie gets kidnapped by aliens commanded by Varex (Dennis Renard, Three Tables).

This musical looks back in time to an era when “America was standing at the summit of the world”, as stated by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. At the time, America was fully involved in a nascent space industry—the set is reminiscent of the space movies and cartoons of the era. The 1950s were also considered by many the golden age of America, a post-WWII society that experienced an accelerated growth both in population and accumulation of wealth. Diane Frolov snaps pictures of the Fertility Valleys and their typical lifestyle, where everything looked perfectly manicured and in order. But Frolov also touches on what was happening underneath that apparent perfect world, the marginalization of certain sectors of society, such as women and members of the LGBT community. Women had little opportunities for career advancement and cross dressing could mean a career suicide for any man who dared to do it.

This space romance musical has fabulous singers and the actors deliver comedy and kinetics that keep the audience engaged and entertained. Even though this is the first musical produced by the team, this first try is a good start to expand their repertory offerings.

The cast: Melanie Neilan, Melissa Jobe, Bruce Nozick, Philip Casnoff, Dennis Renard, Chase Ramsey, Eddie Vona, Jacqueline Lorraine Schofield, Beth Egan, Nicole Ledoux, Sarah Hinrichsen, and Alan Trinca.

Come Get Maggie

Written by Diane Frolov. Directed by Michael Pressman. Music by Susan Justin. Lyrics by Diane Frolov and Susan Justin. Produced by: John Perrin Flynn (A Rogue Machine Production).

Rogue Machine (in the Matrix Theatre)

7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

(Street parking)

Opening: 8pm on Saturday, February 11, 2023

8pm Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays, 3pm Sundays

Closing: March 26, 2023

Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org

Creative team: Stephanie Kerley Schwartz (Set Design), Ric Zimmerman (Lighting Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Dana Rebecca Woods (Costume Design), Albin Konopka (Music Supervisor and incidental music), Michele Do (Music Director), Brooke Wendle (Choreographer), Nicholas Santiago (Video Design), Glenn Michael Baker (Assistant Set Design & Props Head).

Theatre Review: Much Ado About Nothing

Posted on February 17, 2023February 17, 2023 by Glamour

A Noise Within presents Much Ado About Nothing. Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos.

Much Ado About Nothing is an English Renaissance comedy by the Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare. It was written in 1598, ten years after the defeat of the Spanish Armada and one year before the construction of the Globe Theatre.

This version of the play takes place in the same region mentioned in Shakespeare’s original play, the city of Messina in Sicily, but set during WWII after the island’s liberation from the fascists by the US troops. This is a brilliant detail to make this story more relatable. Director Guillermo Cienfuegos, The Beautiful People, even allowed the actors to keep the diversity of their Queens, Texas, and Appalachia accents to better connect with the American audience.

The play has two stories about two couples, Claudio (Stanley Andrew Jackson, Animal Farm) and Hero (Alexandra Hellquist, On The Other Hand, We’re Happy), and the story of Benedick (Joshua Bitton) and Beatrice (Erika Soto, Metamorphoses).

A victorious army commander, Don “The Prince” Pedro (Frederick Stuart) is received by Leonato (Tony Pasqualini, A Great Wilderness), Governor of Messina. Don Pedro brings along two of his soldier friends, Claudio and Benedick. Claudio immediately falls in love with Leonato’s daughter, Hero. Meanwhile, Benedick, a bit loud and a bit arrogant, is disliked by Beatrice, Leonato’s niece. In the background, we see John (Rafael Goldstein, Metamorphoses, Animal Farm), Don Pedro’s half-brother, with a disengaged look. With this scene alone, Cienfuegos shows most of the exposition and the character’s conflicts—the love, the tension, and the resentment.

As the story goes, Claudio is trying to marry Hero, while Benedick and Beatrice continue with their verbal jousts despite being deeply in love with each other. The roadblock for Claudio and Hero’s happiness is John’s jealousy and dark disposition. With help from Borachio (Michael Uribes, Detained, Three Tables), John will devise a ploy to stain Hero’s reputation. For Benedick and Beatrice, the impediment is their pride and their fear to vulnerability. However, Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato come up with a plan to make Benedick declare his love for Beatrice. Likewise, Hero and her two servants, Margaret (Jeanne Syquia, Hamlet) and Ursula (Nick Petroccione) prepare their own scheme to trick Beatrice into opening up her heart to Benedick.

This production is so impressive that even the secondary characters are delightfully comedic. Dogberry (Wesley Mann), Verges (Rafael Goldstein), and the other two watchmen (Alejandro Hernandez) and (Arely Vianet) contribute memorable dialogue and physical comedy.

A director worth his salt pays careful attention to all of the moving parts of a play. Cienfuegos does it like no other. He curated the elements of Shakespeare’s dramatic structure in a playful and entertaining way scene after scene. Claudio’s rejection of Hero, the transition from dislike to love between Benedick and Beatrice, and the resolution are all cleverly displayed with powerful acting and creative staging to generate an impressive production in only five weeks.

The selection of the technical aspects are worth noting. Lighting Designer Ken Booth, Metamorphoses, Animal Farm, paints the stage with amazing hues and intensities that are a pleasure to watch. The scene where Hero is posing as a sculpture surrounds the stage with a special mysticism, something of a religious experience. The WWII costumes (Christine Cover Ferro, Costume Designer), the beautiful set (Angela Balogh Calin, Scenic Designer, Animal Farm), and the amazing music by the very active and experienced Chris Moscatiello, Sound Designer, Salvage, This Wonderful Life, On The Other Hand, We’re Happy, Wakings!, The Beautiful People, A Great Wilderness, Fam And Yam and The Dumb Waiter) add an exquisite sensory experience to this production. The music includes a tarantella, swing, and 40s hits to give a nostalgic and innovative feel to this updated version.

Erika Soto is a tour de force, delivering a masterpiece of a performance to embody the witty and independent Beatrice. Soto’s convincing stage presence is ideal to portray a woman who has a mind of her own and defies the expectations placed upon women in Elizabethan society. In addition, Soto and Bitton’s chemistry create an irresistible romanticism that energizes the reinvention of a classic love story.

Endearing, playful, and romantic, Cienfuego’s take on Much Ado About Nothing is a gratifying theatre experience not to be missed.

Much Ado About Nothing

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

Performances February 11–March 12
• Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.: March 9 ONLY
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 17**; Feb. 24**; March 3**; March 10**
• Saturdays at 2 p.m.: Feb. 18; Feb. 25; March 4; March 11
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 11 (Opening Night); Feb. 18; Feb. 25; March 4; March 11
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Feb. 19**; Feb. 26; March 5; March 12

Tickets: anoisewithin.org

Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos. Starring Joshua Bitton, Rafael Goldstein, Alexandra Hellquist, Alejandro Hernandez, Stanley Andrew Jackson III, Wes Mann, Tony Pasqualini, Nick Petroccione, Erika Soto, Fredrick Stuart, Jeanne Syquia, Randy Thompson, Michael Uribes, and Arely Vianet. Presented by A Noise Within, Geoff Elliot and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, producing artistic directors.

The creative team includes scenic designer Angela Balogh Calin; lighting designer Ken Booth; composer and sound designer Christopher Moscatiello; costume designer Christine Cover Ferro; wig and make up designer Tony Valdés; properties designer Stephen Taylor; choreographer Joyce Guy; text coach Susan Wilder; and dramaturg Miranda Johnson-Haddad. The production stage manager is Chloe Willey.

Theatre Review: Harold and Maude

Posted on February 14, 2023February 14, 2023 by Glamour

Harold and Maude is presented by The Group Rep. Written by Collin Higgins. Directed by Larry Eisenberg. Produced by Lloyd Pedersen.

The stage adaptation of this 70s cult movie brings back the dorky young man and the eccentric octogenarian, united by a strange fascination for funerals. Harold (Landon Beatty) is an awkward young man who doesn’t have much purpose in life other than scare people with his pranks, including killing himself. His Mom, Mrs. Chasen (Susan Priver), tries to set him up with computer dates, hoping to get him married and settle down. But Harold does not agree with his mom’s plans, so he does what he does best, scare the hell out of the potential girlfriends with his sinister pranks. Sylvie Gazel (Kat Kemmet) and Nancy Mersch (Jessica Kent) run away at the first scare. Sunshine Dore (Gina Yates), on the other hand, proves to be too much of a melodramatic actress for both Harold and Mrs. Chasen. Witnessing all the drama unfolding is the family’s maid, Marie (Lareen Faye), who starts to get used to all the chaos in the house.

In the midst of Harold’s unhappiness, Maude (Clara Rodriguez) shows up at a funeral officiated by Father Finnegan (Lloyd Pedersen). Harold is also present, attracted by his morbid fascination of strangers’ funerals. That first connection leaves an impression on both Harold and Maude. From that point on, the characters’ backgrounds start to take shape along with their mutual attraction. Time, however, will be a determining factor in the consummation of their love, specially when Inspector Bernard (JC Gafford) and Sergeant Doppel (Steve Shaw) show up at Maude’s door.

Maude’s motivations, from rescuing a seal (Fox Carney) to saving a tree from the city’s pollution, are reflections of her life. An experience lived to the fullest, happiness and loss included. An experience too valuable to let it expire without passing it on to a new generation. Beyond the romantic characteristic of their relationship, their love is a bridge between two generations—the dusk of a rich existence and the dawn of an existential dilemma. Will Maude be more influential than Dr. Matthews (Fox Carney) to Harold’s search of meaning in life?

Director Larry Eisenberg gives new life to this story written more than fifty years ago. His work with the actors elevates the play to another level. The combination of dark humor and philosophical questioning is masterfully displayed on stage both in dialogue and action. Just like the story itself, the presence of young and experienced thespians is a poignant revitalization of the controversial topic of age-gap relationships. The use of projectors is an inventive way to recreate some of the most memorable scenes in the movie.

Harold and Maude is a pleasantly hilarious and moving play that features amazing talent on the legendary Lonny Chapman Theatre, home to the Group Rep, celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Harold and Maude

Lonny Chapman Theatre – Main Stage (1st Floor)

10900 Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601

Wheelchair Accessible. Free Street Parking

February 10 – March 19, 2023

Friday & Saturday Evenings at 8:00 pm, Sunday Matinees at 2:00 pm

Talkbacks after Sunday Matinees Feb 19 & March 5

Tickets: www.thegrouprep.com/

The Group Rep cast features the talents of Landon Beatty (Performs February 10, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, March 10, 11, 12), Fox Carney, Lareen Faye, JC Gafford, Kat Kemmet, Jessica Kent, John Ledley (Performs February 11, 12, 17, March 3, 4, 5, 17, 18, 19), Lloyd Pedersen, Susan Priver, Clara Rodriguez (Performs February 10, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, March 10, 11, 12), Steve Shaw, Janet Wood (Performs February 11, 12, 17, March 3, 4, 5, 17, 18, 19), and Gina Yates. Douglas Gabrielle (Father Finnegan U/S). The roles of Harold and Maude are double cast. Landon Beatty and Clara Rodriguez will perform together. John Ledley and Janet Wood will perform together.

The production team includes Mareli Mitchel-Shields (Set Design), Douglas Gabrielle (Lighting Design), Angela M. Eads (Costume Design), Christian Ackerman (Videographer), Patrick Burke (Puppet Design), Judi Lewin (Wigs/Hair/Make-up), Steve Shaw (Sound Design), Doug Haverty (Graphic Design).

Theatre Review: Not/Now

Posted on February 9, 2023February 9, 2023 by Glamour

Write Act Repertory presents the world premiere of Not/Now, written by Darrin Yalacki. Directed by Amanda Blake Davis. Produced by Anne Mesa and John Lant.

In a perfect world, friends communicate via text to prepare an engagement party for one of their own, and all is fun and happiness. Except when there’s a little mistake in the text message. That’s the story of Not/Now, a play where a group of friends from Chicago expose their most intimate details, mostly about their failures and frustrations, in a chaotic and hilarious reunion.

A welcome-back party to celebrate the engagement of attention-seeker Goldie (Karen Baughn), who left Chicago to try a career in showbiz in Los Angeles, becomes a messy confusion when Rafael (Oscar Ramirez) misreads a text message explaining that Goldie is no longer engaged, as her fiancé broke up with her in an embarrassing manner. Baker (James Singleton), Tamela (Rachel Lemos), and Vanessa (Lindsay Seim) are the other friends who try to offer some kind of support to Goldie. As the night progresses and under the influence of a few drinks, the support turns sour when underlying issues among the friends are revealed and finger-pointing goes back and forth.

The play touches on themes of sexuality, lost opportunities, the unhappiness of unrealized expectations, and the crushing feeling of being left behind. These topics play very well with the audience as they are relatable issues that transcend race, cultures, and genders. Darrin Yalacki develops interesting backgrounds to each of the characters, offering plenty of surprises to keep the story moving forward and the audience engaged.

The play is an excellent picture of human interaction—scathing, cruel, but deeply compassionate at the end. Despite some actors stumbling a bit over the dialogue, the cast delivered a fantastic performance to a sold-out show on Sunday. James Singleton as Baker and Mason Eaglin as Jack offer outstanding performances as the openly gay friend and the ambiguous stripper respectively. Something interesting to point out is that director Amanda Blake Davis and actor Oscar Ramirez both trained in Second City, a fact that is evident in the directing and acting of both professionals.

The lighting by Zad Potter illuminates the stage in a warm orange/yellowish hue throughout the play, almost like a Mark Rothko’s painting. Details always make a difference.

Production team: Scenic Designer Laura Lineback, House Manger and Boom Operator Jonathan Harrison, Cop Costumer Rashon Wilson.

Not/Now

Write Act Repertory @ the Brickhouse Theatre
10950 Peach Grove Street, North Hollywood, CA 91601

Written by Darrin Yalacki. Directed by Amanda Blake Davis. Produced with Anne Mesa, John Lant & Darrin Yalacki. Featuring Karen Baughn, Mason Eaglin, Rachel Lemos, Oscar Ramirez, Lindsay Seim & James Singleton.

Opening: February 4, 2023. Closing: March 5, 2023

Saturdays 8:00 p.m.
Sundays 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: www.simpletix.com/e/not-now-tickets-122901

Theatre Review: Ride the Cyclone

Posted on February 8, 2023February 9, 2023 by Glamour

Chance Theatre presents the California premiere of Ride the Cyclone, directed by Jocelyn A. Brown. Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell.

Six teenagers find themselves in a mythical purgatory after they die riding a roller coaster called Cyclone. The mystic element of the afterlife adds a powerful message to the story. Much like the recent Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, the characters of Ride the Cyclone have to make decisions in the afterlife that will reflect either their selfishness or their selflessness.

At the purgatory, the teenagers meet The Amazing Karnak (Robert Foran), a mechanical fortune-telling machine that will end its life when a rat called Virgil eats up the electrical cable that powers the machine. Karnak will make the kids play a game in which only one of them can win the grand prize: Going back to life.

Ocean (Haley Wolff), Mischa (Jared Machado), Noel (Wyatt Hatfield), Ricky (Jaylen Baham), Constance (Rose Pell), and Jane Doe (Em Flosi) each perform a unique musical number that reveals their personalities.

The exposition of the characters’ traits shows the wide range of emotions typical of the teenage years. Rage, insecurities, sexual awakening, regrets, and dreams are expressed cleverly in each of the musical numbers and dialogue. Noel’s performance is a cabaret-style piece that adds a touch of raw sensuality to the atmosphere, with decadent shades of red light.

Jane Doe, the only unidentified person in the accident, delivers a dark and eerily beautiful number with an operatic voice that blends smoothly with the mystical premise of the play.

The book is an extraordinary work by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. The characters are well-developed and allow the actors to deliver emotional and meaty performances. Director Jocelyn A. Brown uses the stage efficiently, giving the actors plenty of space to shine and deliver a visually striking exhibition of kinetics. The technical elements are first-class: Lighting Design (Masako Tobaru), Costume Design (Bradley Allen Lock), Scenic Design (Antonio Beach and Bradley Kaye).

Ride the Cyclone is an amusing show with energetic music and moving performances by young and talented thespians, live from the afterlife.

Ride the Cyclone

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

Performances: February 4 – February 26, 2023; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.

Tickets: www.chancetheater.com

Ride the Cyclone poster — Ride The Cyclone

A scene from Ride the Cyclone — Ride The Cyclone

Theatre Review: Do You Feel Anger

Posted on January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 by Glamour

Circle X Theatre Company presents the West Coast premiere of Do You Feel Anger? Written by Mara Nelson–Greenberg. Directed by Halena Kays.

Do You Feel Anger?, written in the absurdist style, is set in a debt collection agency. Sofia (Paula Rebelo) is hired as an empathy coach by the agency. Her job is to instill a sense of empathy in the employees through a series of exercises, using words to describe their own feelings and those of the people they call to collect a debt. Jon, the boss (Casey Smith), is as insensitive as the rest of the employees. Almost immediately, Jon’s comments reveal the sexist environment of the workplace when he asks Sofia to wear a dress instead of pants. When Sofia asks him if he knows what a woman’s period is, he has to call his assistant to figure it out. This becomes one of the funniest scenes, as he is both amused and disgusted when the assistant explains it to him.

The employees are Eva (a phenomenal Tasha Ames, Theatre Review: Hooded or Being Black for Dummies), Jordan (Napoleon Tavale), Howie (Rich Liccardo), and Janie (Charlotte Gulezian), who went missing mysteriously after she went to the restroom one day. A recurrent issue in the office is Eva’s claim about getting mugged in the cafeteria repeatedly, an incident that Jon asserts he’s investigating.

In her first private conversation with Sofia, Eva confides that, as a deterrent, she needs to have a boyfriend at all times to keep Jordan and Howie away from her. So urgent is her boyfriend strategy, that she doesn’t even remember the names of the guys she dates. Sofia reassures Eva and starts to bond with her in what appears to be a nurturing relationship that will boost Eva’s self-confidence.

Jordan and Howie, on the other hand, prove to be a tough case of misogyny and bad behavior. This will push Sofia’s patience to the limit, so much that she will end up spending a great deal of time coaching and pretending to side with them to understand their point of view. Her strategy then turns into some kind of reverse psychology. But as their interactions become more intense, the question now is: Who is using reverse psychology on whom?

Sofia also finds out that her dad has a second family. As she tries to teach the employees at the agency about empathy, Sofia fails to show that feeling towards her own mom (Rose Portillo), who is struggling to cope with her failed marriage.

Following the absurdist style of the play, one of Eva’s ex-boyfriend (Bob Clendenin), an old man in a wheelchair, shows up and threatens to blow up the office.

Under pressure from Jon to complete the training, Sofia finds herself juggling different personalities with challenging needs. Sofia’s bonding with Howie and Jordan start to shift the play in a new direction, mainly at Eva’s expense. Sofia’s own success as an empathy coach might be jeopardized by how close she gets to her subjects. The relationship of Sofia with the rest of the characters highlights the premise of whether the feelings of some people should matter more than those of others.

Even though the situations and dialogue might feel cliché, the absurdist nature of the play calls for exaggerated elements to make it work as a comedy. The direction and the excellent performances of the actors keep the audiences amused and entertained as a continuum throughout the play.

Special mention to lighting designer Stephen Azua, who delivers an outstanding job with the vibrant and subtle changes both during transitions and within the scenes.

The rest of the creative team includes scenic designer François-Pierre Couture; sound designer Jesse Mandapat; and costume designer Dianne K. Graebner. Properties design is by Kat Haan, with specialty props by Richard Maher. The assistant director is Lee Hannah Conrads and the production stage manager is Roella Dellosa.

Do You Feel Anger?

Written by Mara Nelson–Greenberg. Directed by Halena Kays. Starring Tasha Ames, Charlotte Gulezian, Rich Liccardo, Rose Portillo, Paula Rebelo, Casey Smith, and Napoleon Tavale. Featuring cameo appearances by Bob Clendenin (Jan.19-Jan. 22); William Salyers (Jan. 26-Jan. 29); John Getz (Feb. 2-Feb. 5); Jan Munroe (Feb. 9-Feb. 12); Tony Amendola (Feb. 16-Feb. 19); and Silas Weir Mitchell (Feb. 23-Feb. 25). (Please note that the guest performer rotation is subject to change; updates can be found at www.circlextheatre.org.) Produced by Jen Kays, Kat Haan and Timothy Wright. Presented by Circle X Theatre Company.

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

PARKING:
FREE in the Atwater Crossing (AXT) lot one block south of the theater.

Performances: Jan. 21-Feb. 25, 2023:
• Thursday at 8 p.m.: Jan. 26; Feb. 2; Feb. 9; Feb. 16; Feb. 23
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Jan. 27; Feb. 3; Feb. 10; Feb. 17; Feb. 24
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Jan. 21 (opening night); Jan. 28; Feb. 4; Feb. 11; Feb. 18; Feb. 25
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Jan. 22; Jan. 29; Feb.5; Feb. 12; Feb. 19

Tickets: www.circlextheatre.org

Theatre Review: Twelve O’Clock Tales with Ava Gardner

Posted on January 20, 2023January 20, 2023 by Glamour

The world premiere of Twelve O’Clock Tales with Ava Gardner is hosted by The Whitefire Theatre. The solo play was written by Alessandra Assaf and Michael Lorre. The director is Michael A. Shepperd.

From her humble origins in Grabtown to the glamorous life of Hollywood, Ava Gardner (Alessandra Assaf) became an icon of beauty and fast life in a career than spanned more than forty years. Twelve O’Clock Tales with Ava Gardner is a homage to the extraordinary life of one of the most alluring stars in the history of cinema.

The play is an insightful compilation of events in the life of an actress/singer who struggle to find her place in the industry. From her rural life in North Carolina, her relationship with her family, and the three marriages and the romantic relationships in between, Assaf presents the complicated personality of a woman who defied stereotypes with her strong will, but also her insecurities and vulnerabilities.

Assaf’s play gives details about what could have been going through Gardner’s mind at the time of each of her marriages and relationships with the people around her. Her marriage to Frank Sinatra and the scandalous incidents during their time together, proved that she could be independent, even helping Sinatra to resurface from a fading career. The play also delves into her abusive relationship with George C. Scott and how Sinatra had to help her out during one of Scott’s violent episodes. Gardner’s friendship with other actresses and their bonding shows how they leaned on each other to navigate the misogynistic attitudes in Hollywood at the time.

Through dialogue and blocking, Assaf, Lorre, and Shepperd offer an entertaining and witty piece that brings memories and spicy details of the iconic life of one of the greatest stars of the golden age of Hollywood, when MGM was one of the Big 5 and Louis B. Mayer was at the helm. The play is a window to the star system and the positive and negative consequences that came with it.

Twelve O’Clock Tales with Ava Gardner

Written by Alessandra Assaf and Michael Lorre. Directed by Michael A. Shepperd. Starring Alessandra Assaf as Ava Gardner. Creative team: Stage Managed by Mitch Rosander Dramaturg: Gregory Gunter. Set, Props, Costumes: Irmgard Quint. Lights: Derrick McDaniel. Sound: Jin Tor Brown. Wig Stylist: Sheila Dorn.

Whitefire Theatre
13500 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

PARKING:
• Metered parking on and just south of Ventura Blvd. (off on Sundays)
• 2-hour parking available in residential neighborhoods (before 6 p.m. only)
• Unrestricted parking available on Moorpark St. and on the west side of Dixie Canyon Ave.

January 15 – March 5:
Sundays at 2 p.m.: 22; Jan. 29; Feb. 5; Feb. 12; Feb. 19; Feb. 26; March 5

Tickets: https://www.whitefiretheatre.com/

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