The Red Shoes

About three years ago I took a solo journey to the Ahmanson to watch Matthew Bourne's direction of Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance. It ended up being the best performance I had ever seen at this venue. Although I was somewhat new to the idea of "dance theatre" and at first off-put by the lack of speaking in the performance, as I would quickly learn, the genre did what it does best and served the story with premium effect. In act 1, Aurora fell asleep in 1913 and in act 2 she woke up in 2013. I loved that unexpected surprise, combined with the dancers effortless movement connected to strong story moments and captivating production design style, from costumes to set and musical flourish. Bourne had once again blessed Center Theatre Group with his English charm and charisma. So when I found out his adaptation of The Red Shoes would be making a brief engagement in LA, there was no way I wouldn't be found at the opening night performance, sporting a ballet bun and a red lip. And I'm not gonna lie; I was super stoked when a woman in the bathroom at intermission asked me if I was IN THE SHOW. Winning.

It wasn't until the first act was complete that I realized I hadn't even taken out my notebook to make performance notes! Which ended up being totally fine. My friend Jonathan and I were so mesmerized by the end of the act one that we were just gaping with joy for a few minutes at intermission. Jonathan, by the way, is an amazing champion of the American Theatre and a wonderfully supportive enthusiast of my theatre career. He is an associate producer over at the Skylight Theatre in Los Feliz and I am consistently wowed by his work as a director. I'm super looking forward to his production of Annie Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation at the USC graduate acting program this November. He's definitely a kid to watch in the LA theatre scene.

ANYWAY, before I continue to go gaga over Jonathan, the Jack to my Karen, we both agreed that the show was gorgeous and that the dancers were breathtakingly talented (literally, they'd take a running jump up into each others arms and I'd find myself holding my breath)...but there were some second act problems! Jonathan mentioned that he had never seen a show with such direct specificity that was still so unclear! Out on the plaza after the show we caught up with two friends of mine, a theatrical agent an actress; they also did not understand what had happened in act two and we all had our own interpretations. Look, it was still an astonishingly good show, but I do think I appreciated the clarity within the storytelling of Sleeping Beauty just a little bit more. 

Does the show make me want to change anything about myself? That I'm not sure. I appreciated the two men fighting over the same girl...which made me hopeful that that could be a possibility for me in certain situations...ok yes, so it kind of fulfilled my Tina a la Bob's Burgers status daydreams of having two hot, well-grooving men fighting for my affections. There could also be something in there about working hard to make it to the top and killing yourself for your art and when to stop and breathe and focus on the people around you. But no, instead the play fulfilled my dreams of men fighting over me, wow Isabella. That's what I took away from this play. That and gorgeous artistry on a budget that I can only dream of being blessed with someday. Thanks to donors like you.

If you get the chance, the American premiere of The Red Shoes runs for a very limited engagement at the Ahmanson through October 1st. It won't be here long, so catch it if you can, to get a taste of Matthew Bourne's prolific work and a very strong opening to the Ahmanson's new season.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unity at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York

After catching a matinee of Once down at South Coast Repertory, I drove back up to LA County for a 7PM performance at one of my favorite local haunts, The Geffen Playhouse. Seeing two shows in a row is really my idea of the perfect Sunday. Actually, probably seeing one show, then being in another show would be ideal. And if it was a Sunday in June in New York, also winning a Tony Award in the evening would be the cherry on top. But for now I can be grateful for a two show viewing day in LA, accompanied by some very classy theatre broads.

This evening I met Julie at the theater, a friend of mine who lives just two blocks away from the Geffen and works as a costumer for TV. She's been a season ticket holder for a number of years (with the proximity, how could she not?) and is also an amazing, encouraging, stylish and hilarious mother of three gorgeous girls and I just love being around her. At this outing we would be watching A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York, written by and starring Halley Feiffer. Yeah, I know, by the time you finish saying the title the play is already over. But once you get used to the pacing and tone of humor in the show, it actually makes a lot of sense. 

The production has some very strategically placed transition interlude tracks off the 2015 mellow, new-wave folk album "Carrie & Lowell" by Sufjan Stevens, which pretty much had me hooked in from curtain up. After the show I immediately knew that I liked it. But my inner theatre savant was shaking her head at me in embarrassment. This entire show is a cliche, she said, wagging her pencil at me. It's the most stereotypical, predictable, rom-com archetype, the man of course saves the day with his money, the girl's got daddy issues, as well as a bunch of other issues that negate her status as a functional member of society. Plus, I mean, Isabella, it's a play about white people! She had a point. But I still really liked this play, and even worse, I wanted to be in it.

KARLA: I cannot let anyone have success at what I love doing who isn't me.

After reading a mediocre review of a different production in The Chicago Tribune a few weeks ago, I did not go into this performance with high expectations. However, I can see how having the writer act in her own production probably made all the difference. Feiffer claims that she's glad she did not originate the role in New York, that she was amazed by Beth Behrs's interpretation and development and that she finds it challenging to step into a role she's written as the playwright without judging the character from all vantage points of the play. That being said, I found her representation of Karla to be an absolute treat. Her mannerisms, physicality and vocal nuances give Karla an equally unique and hilarious interpretation that will keep you laughing, constantly. Maybe because she wrote it, in Karla, Feiffer has just really nailed the self-deprecating humor. I loved watching her and her choices were always surprising and amusing in the best way possible. 

In the story we get a glimpse into the highly relatable, tough-love relationships many of us have with our parents. It's clear that Karla's mother's (played by JoBeth Williams) illness has caused her to behave far worse towards her daughter than we can imagine their pre-cancer relationship to be. We say things we don't mean, even when we love each other, and sometimes we hurt those we love the most. Sometimes parents can't see what their kids really need and sometimes what kids want to give doesn't level out with their parents' expectations. Not too far off from Karla's age and career path, I can relate to the dissonance she experiences with her mother. The play reminds me that I can't always fix things, and that I won't always see eye to eye with my parents, but that sometimes being there is enough. I don't always trust myself to do that little; I feel like I need to fix everything. Sometimes hearing someone out is enough, even if it can be painful. Also sometimes taking care of yourself is as important as caring for someone with a serious illness. There are different kinds of pain.

Because Julie has a daughter that is battling cancer, I will say that I was just a little bit terrified walking into this show with her. But she absolutely loved it. And I think it's because the show goes beyond the cancer, beyond the illness and uses humor and happenstance to bring us all back to the reality that we're all human. We're all struggling, wether we're sick or well, parent or child, rich or poor. Yes, in future productions it would be cool to see more people of color on stage, and I think that is a possibility. But I'm glad I got to see Feiffer bringing her role to life. And I still would also like to be in this play.

 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York, runs at the Geffen Playhouse through October 8th and I highly recommend this one. A dark comedy meets a feel-good story; it's pretty weird but it kind of rocks!

Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight

A recent discovery of mine, I love the Greenway Court Theatre venue! What a wonderful space. The lobby feels like you're waiting in line at Disneyland for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride or something. Inside the house, the stage itself is lovely, but something about the high beams and structure of the ceiling make it feel so cozy, like you're watching a show in a furnished barn with air conditioning. It's a great venue, so I'm glad that their awesome space has now been utilized by an equally interesting and magical LA theatre staple, Coeurage Theatre Company. Coeurage always goes above and beyond in choosing content that really challenges the theatre community (in the best way possible) and eagerly invites conversation. 

Sammi Smith, Marc Forget and Nardeep Khurmi (photo by John Koppling)

My companion for the night's performance was my friend Chelsie from church, who is also an actor, currently writing a show to be shown at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2018. I will admit I am both jealous and excited for her! Also grateful to have such an active working artist accompanying me for Coeurage's opening night of Emelie: La Marquis Do Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight by the young and championed playwright, Lauren Gunderson. 

Chelsie and I both agreed that it took us a bit to warm up to the style and tone of the play. I'm not a big fan of the classical era, but as soon as I shut that opinion down, I was able to realize the power of this script and this often overlooked moment in history. 

EMILIE: He's only seeing what he wants to see; that's not science, that's drama.

Kim Reed & Sammi Smith (Photography by Jim Koppling)

In short, this is the story of a woman of the past, fighting a battle still present in today's culture. She is trying to establish her rightful place in a traditionally male dominated world while taking authority to tell her own story. There are a lot of things I like about this script actually, and it may be my favorite element of this production. At first I was afraid. I'm not scientifically minded. I was nervous I wouldn't understand the scientific theories mentioned. But the text explains everything just enough for you to get it and just enough for you not to get bored. I'm jumping over a lot here, and there is a lot going on in this story, but I want to jump to my favorite moment that seems to deviate from the more major themes. My favorite part of the show was when the playwright chose to include Emilie's neglect for her daughter. As an audience, we're so busy cheering and rooting for Emilie's exciting scientific, academic, romantic endeavors, her fight towards equality, that we, nearly as much as her, completely overlook the impact she could have made on her daughter until it is literally too late. It was heartbreaking, for everyone, because for a woman making such a dynamic impact on society and eventually history, she nearly, and from the play's perspective unintentionally, swims upstream past her motherly responsibilities. This moment can be conceptualized into a modern context in many different ways, and I love that about it. For me, on a very human level, it was a gentle yet powerful reminder of how family, who we should be giving our utmost to, can often get swept under the rug while we branch out and pursue our dreams. Or sometimes simply, we treat our friends better than our family. And I know, you can't pick your family and everyone's different. But, it reminded me of when my siblings and I would come home from school, our parents telling us "We ran into so-and-so at the grocery store and they couldn't stop telling us how kind and well-mannered and helpful our kids are. And we were like, 'you can't be talking about our kids.' Why can't you be as well behaved for us and you are for our neighbors?!" Emilie's daughter probably heard similar dialogue about her prolific mother. We should be treating our family better giving them our first. So this play inspires me to go back and do that. And also to aim to be a total boss across all fronts like Emilie. An Emilie of the American Theatre.

Kari Lee Cartwright, Marc Forget and Kim Reed (Photography by John Koppling)

Emilie: We have nothing in common but our offspring, but he's a good man.

After seeing him in a number of Coeurage productions I can confidently say that I am a fan of Nardeep Khurmi. In this performance, listed in the program as Gentleman, he effortlessly convinces us as a plethora of characters, from Emilie's ridged husband the general to the man she might call her greatest, truest love. Plus, he's fun to watch in all his characters. Bravo! And the boy works, with other theatre companies (Rogue Machine to name one) as well as keeping busy in the film world. He's just finishing up post production on one of many short films he's created. Super excited to see his work on this latest film Pagg (following a Sikh man's response to a terrible hate crime and how it affects his identity) and anxious to see him in the LA Theatre scene even more. Get it Khurmi!

Emilie: La Marquis Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight runs at the Greenway Court Theatre through September 17th. Go for the history lesson, go for the well-told story and go for the reminder that women are still fighting for equality, across many different fronts. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I apologize again for my tardiness in getting these posts up. This time my legitimate excuse is that I've been producing a show, which you should come see for sure, David Harrower's Blackbird at the Grove Theatre Center in Burbank. It did just make Stage Raw's Top Ten by the way, up there with Hamilton & the show I'm about to write about. Also putting up a reading of a play I've been writing for the past five months this Friday: I'll keep you posted on that one as it is a work in progress.

Anyway, way back at the beginning of August, I was joined by my youngest LA Theatre Nerd companion to date, Miss Roxy. Having previously seen this show on Broadway, just before it swept up the Tony's for Best Play and Best Actor (the amazing Alex Sharp), I already knew what a truly unique book to stage adaptation we were about to experience (leave it the National Theatre to floor you every time). Although it does deal with some heavy, timeless themes, for the most part the show is kid-appropriate. So, I wanted to bring along my bright young friend and get her first-time-fresh feedback on it. 

"A good day is a day for projects and planning things." -Christopher

It was good to revisit this piece of theatre. It is a very specific, crafted interpretation of one boy's journey through life with autism and the obstacles that arise both his family and himself. As I wrote down in my notebook, "This is a play about dealing with shit." Christopher's struggle with his disorder, for me at least, was a parallel to how we fight against or sometimes flow with disorder itself in our own lives. And it's about achieving little things in life, new things, that at first seemed insurmountable but now prove to us that we can do even greater things that we believed possible. At the end of the show, Christopher tells his counselor that he now has the confidence to become a physicist or an astronaut, making great discoveries, all because he survived getting on a train from his home to central London, a task that his personality and disorder had previously deemed terrifying. The play brought me back to moments in my life like that, where I was faced with a challenge I had already rationalized I simply could not do, and then somehow life throws you into a backflip and you've done it. I think we've all been through that at some point. This time around, the play doesn't necessarily make me want to change anything about myself, but it motivates, which I suppose in essence is a change in attitude. As I'm workshopping my new play, I recently reached out to a residency program at a local venue. I started to get just a tiny bit discouraged when I read that the venue challenged applying companies to champion new works or works new to LA. I knew that was possible, but a challenge, considering that there are definitely previously published works that I'm interested in mounting. But what really got me down was the next brief, blunt statement that required that the company provide "sufficient independent funding" in the costs necessary to mount their productions. That was a bit of a buzzkill and I thought to myself, "Ok. Well that will never work out...How will I ever be able to mount another show?" BUT, recalling on this play helps me remember all the other times in my life when I jumped to negative conclusions and was then surprised that when something needs to happen, and when one needs to grow, it just happens. As a wise artist once told me, "When art is supposed to exist, there is nothing that can stop it from being made. It just has to be made."

Technically speaking, the show is a set and lighting designers dream. Paul Constable's projections and nearly animated lighting fixtures truly bring Christopher's imagination to life. And Bunny Christie's set design matches that and of course Marianne Elliott's visionary and visual direction of the play. When you see the show, you'll see what I mean in that apart from the story's gripping, relatable journey, visually the show is an absolute treat and a pioneer for technical design in modern theatre.

This we are pretty sure was Roxy's first ever straight play experience. And she absolutely loved it. On the ride home, the show triggered a dialogue about our experiences with Autism at school. Roxy also felt highly motivated by Christopher's journey and achievements as she jumps feet first into her new school year. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time runs through September 10 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Definitely one to knock off the bucket-list of Tony-awarded best play viewings, and hopefully remind you that sometimes, when it's necessary, we go out there and prove the impossible.

King of the Yees

People have been asking me what I think of this show. I apologize for being late to the game (again) with this review. So, I know I had a good time. I did laugh a lot, it was much funnier than I had anticipated. I think I wanted a little bit more from the play, but overall its starkly contrasting first and second act had me very entertained and left me somewhat enlightened.

Daniel Smith, Francis Jue, Stephanie Soohyun Park, and Angela Lin under that dancing lion costume.

Larry: You would rather not do something than do it incorrect.

Lauren: Incorrectly, Dad.

Lauren Yee's King of the Yees is her story of coming to terms with her cultural roots and grasping what her culture means to her as an adult. Specifically through her relationship with her father, she pinpoints where she assigns meaning to her cultural history and where the meaning is already present, like an open book, just waiting to be read. The first act is possibly the most prime example of meta theatre I have ever seen. This works for some people, for others its anti-traditional nature is a deal-breaker. We meet two actors (Angela Lin and Daniel Smith) working on Lauren Yee's new play, when we are suddenly interrupted by a walk-in audience member, Lauren's dad, Larry Yee (played with great honesty, humor and commitment by Francis Jue). I enjoyed the change of pace and thought this style of story-telling was engaging and well executed. The second act is completely different, and my personal favorite. While others have described it as a Alice in Wonderland style plot, to me it feels more like an action-adventure video game. The pacing, combined with the music, lighting and set design in this one really bring the dark mischief of Chinatown to life in a very captivating way. Very unexpected in comparison to the first act. The whole show is pretty much one big surprise after another, which makes for a great time. But...for such a grand show, I wanted just a little bit more of a grander take-away.

Rammel Chan, Stephanie Soohyun Park and Francis Jue.

Leading conversations about this show has been a very interesting process. From what I've noticed, half of our Chinese American audience loves it, thinks it's hilarious, and the other half is up in arms, very offended by "overtly stereotypical" characters and cliché content. I'm embarrassed to say, I don't know enough about this culture to be offended. And maybe that's the point, maybe I'm supposed to know more. Actually, I'm sure I am. But this show definitely taught me a thing or two about the work ethic, loyalty and familial structure of the Chinese American community. Similar to a popular topic of conversation taking place at Zoot Suit earlier this year, second generationers expressed the complexity of relating to a culture as Americans, not being from "the old country." People that couldn't speak the language, but still cherished their roots, and how they felt discriminated against not only by whites, for looking different, but by people of their native culture, for not having "earned" it the hard way.

Angela Lin, Francis Jue and Daniel Smith

"I'm afraid I will have loved someone that I never really knew."

-Lauren to her Dad

Personally, I especially appreciated the father/daughter themes of the show. It was a bit of a wake-up call, watching when we choose to be invested in our familial relationships. It makes me want to be closer to my dad, and especially to learn more about our Italian family I never knew. Also what is important to him, why it is, and why it might be important to me too.

Speaking of, the show makes me want to reach back even farther to understand more about my own heritage. Like, on my mom's side, my grandma, or my Mumča, I should say, is renowned in the Slovenian community for her strudel. A number of years ago there was a huge picture of her, followed by an extensive article on the front page of the Cooking section of the Chicago Tribune. Of course this was framed in her home for all to see and was the main topic of conversation at the Petek residence for probably over a year. For banquets at the Slovenian Cultural Center growing up, Mumča would spend days making the strudel. Putting a huge ply board on top of the kitchen table and and rolling out the dough paper thin. The result would yield a hot, flakey pastry in the flavors of apple or sweet cheese, sprinkled lovingly with powdered sugar. Whenever I return to California after a trip to Chicago, everyone expects me to haul home a few logs of Mumča's frozen strudel. Recently, my cousin and I realized, that if Mumča were ever to pass away, her strudel would be extinct to the world forever. There's no written recipe for this thing, and even if there was, the technique is...that of a strudel master alone. So...I must become a master. I must learn from her and carry on the delicious tradition that has blessed (probably) thousands. 

I would recommend this show if you're ready to roll up for a high energy, good time and want to get a little Chinese history lite rolled in there too. King of the Yees runs at the Kirk Douglas Theatre through August 6th.

Heisenberg

I love the Taper. I love dressing up for openings. I love seeing theatre with new friends. And lately I've really been digging the British playwright scene. But it was rough for me to figure out what write about this show, Heisenberg by Simon Stephens. I didn't hate it. There were things I liked about the performances and things I loved about the writing...but at the same time, there were also parts of both those elements that I did not really go for.

This time I was joined by my actor friend Spencer, one of the front-runners of the Urban Theatre Movement, who's show I had seen and loved just a few weeks earlier at Fringe. He ended up liking the show much more than I did, and that is the beauty of theatre folks! I think I was at a disadvantage from reading the play beforehand. It's not like I had memorized any part of it, but some of the moments the opening night audience seemed to be eating up, I wasn't enjoying as much because I knew they were coming. After reading the play and not really connecting to it (and finding myself pretty frustrated with the female character overall), I had hoped that a performance from two theatre renegades would turn my perception around. Tony Award winner Mary Louise Parker and this year's Tony nominee for his role in this very show, Denis Arndt bring this show straight from its relatively warm reception on Broadway earlier this spring. Similar to Nick Payne's Constellations, this is one of those two-handers that gets blown up at a big venue, when really it could be performed in a much smaller, up-close and personal space. Even a blackbox would serve the content in a major way. Although I'm not sure if a change of locale would exactly improve the content of the show in this case.

"We hold very different perspectives on experiences we imagine we're sharing." -Alex 

So I'll just get down to it. This play is about the evolution of an obscure yet redeeming relationship between Georgie, an American expat in her forties working as a grade school secretary in London (played by MLP) and Alex, a seemingly "shy" butcher originally from Ireland in his seventies. Although their friendship/relationship does transform in a surprising and somewhat beautiful way, Georgie's sporadicalness and compulsive lying made it very difficult for me to buy in to the viability of this couple. I wanted to be for her sometimes, but I was pretty much aways against her. Although Mary Lousie Parker has certainly earned her Broadway street cred in the past, her take on this character did not help with my already overwhelmingly negative perception of Georgie. Arndt's portrayal of Alex is soft, charming and smart. As an esteemed actor he delivers a lovely performance, although perhaps not demanding enough to land him the award he was nominated for. In this show, I want to hug Alex and I want to push Georgie sometimes, but there are some engaging moments of two people simply assuring each other that inspire and solidify our need for a variety of human relationships. 

I wanted to like this. I'm a fan of Simon Stephen's work and his dedication to the Young Writers Programme at the Royal Court Theatre. I really enjoyed his theatrical adaptation of the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime when I saw it on Broadway a few years ago (I'll be seeing it again at the Ahmanson in just a few weeks). I'll hand it to him that tucked into the show, there is an arms' load of powerful, insightful dialogue, one being Alex's gorgeous monologue near the end of the show. The play does make me want to read more of Stephen's writing. Like a number of other CTG show's this season, it makes me want to learn more from adults that went before me. Alex's history might seem heartbreaking to some, and inspiring to others. But what allows us to even hear his story on this stage is Georgie's provoking and needing to hear it. It makes me wonder what I don't know about my close friends and family, what they need to tell and what they don't.

Heisenberg runs at the Mark Taper Forum through August 6th. 

Letters From A Nut

Back in February, I got promotional email from the Geffen about their theatrical adaptation of the popular book series Letter From a Nut. I immediately forwarded the message to Erik. Erik is basically my stand-in West LA dad. He's known me and made fun of me since I was born. He LOVES these books and has been trying to get me and everyone he knows to read them for years. So naturally, I knew I had to experience this production with Erik.

He is delightful.

This is not your typical Geffen production. The author, under the pen name Ted L. Nancy, is a comedian more akin to standup culture than traditional theatre acting. However, his delivery and way of calmly encouraging and complimenting the audience was refreshing, as well as a testament to his excellent comedic timing. He's not trying to prove anything about his talent, just telling a story and I love that. Plus I love his voice. The seventy minute show consists of Thee Ted L. Nancy reading aloud his inquisitive yet astonishingly sincere letters written to companies, corporations and even diplomats, the more random, the better. In tandem, Beth Kennedy expertly responds to his inquiries as EACH of the many, diverse customer service representatives. She handles many wigs, many accents and many forms of reply with an amazing amount of energy and attitude. While this show may be a celebration of Ted L. Nancy's brilliant correspondence skills, it's also a challenging, hilarious character showcase for Beth. And she kills it.

With its slide-show style projections, quirky re-enactment video segments and the act of letter-writing itself, the style and format of the show might seem a bit dated. However, this only enhances the comedy. This is a show that belongs in the era of Office Space. And in a way this makes sense, since many of the letters were written in the late 90s/early 2000s. What's so amazing about Ted L. Nancy's process, and what kind of deems this a piece of documentary theatre is that he has a way of getting companies to actually reply to him. My personal favorite segment was when he wrote to a hotel manager in Amsterdam, inquiring on housing hamsters in his room for a theatrical production of "Hamsterdam" that he would be staging there. When the manager replied that those types of animals could not be housed in the hotel, Ted L. Nancy earnestly inquires again, asking if he can substitute with clams for a newly edited production of "Clamsterdam." I can see how my description might sound very dumb on paper, but I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. There are all kinds of letters to look forward to, and the way he sells his ideas is really like no other. 

I love Beth Kennedy and I really hope to see her on stage more at the Geffen!

Out in the lobby after the show, I apologized to comedian, Barry Marder, for potentially messing up the show with all of my crazy loud laughter. By his smile and humble attitude, it was clear that was quite the opposite; he was honored. And luckily for us, not only was Erik a huge fan of the writing, but an old college theatre buddy of Beth's from LMU! She told us that the rehearsal process for the show pretty much began with the compiling the letters into a theatrical format. I mean, how lucky for an actor to be a part of the script drafting process when you think you're just signing up to perform! We asked her if the show might continue on to New York or Chicago; we had enjoyed it so much that we could see it's honest, smart humor playing well with those audiences. Since Barry is not exactly a theatre actor by trade, they had never really expected the show to become as big as it had. But with Barry's close bud Jerry Seinfeld signed on as a producer, the name really helped the show take off, and rightfully so because the content is hysterical. It has potential to take off in other cities; but it's up to Barry and how far he wants to bring it.

Did this show make me want to change anything about myself? It makes me want to write more letters, but that's not really a new thing. That's' one of the main reasons I love this show so much: letters and mail are my jam. It makes me kind of want to test authority on this level, because yes, the customer is always right and we can probably get away with more than we think, maybe even making someone's day for even trying. But mostly, this show just gave me a good laugh, that I really needed. It did give me an idea for a potential fringe show regarding a incidental documentary comedy, but only time will tell.

Letters from a Nut runs at the Geffen Playhouse through July 30th. If you need to escape to some air conditioning and get a few good belly laughs this July, I would definitely recommend paying a visit to this hilarious show. Too much fun for a weekday night fo sho.

Urban Unrest

With this visit to the Sacred Fools Black Box being somewhat of a last minute addition to my Fringe schedule (so last minute that I bounced out of closing night bows of Jersey Boys at the Ahmanson a tinse early to make this 11:30PM performance) I was honored to be invited to the Urban Theatre Movement's premiere selection of short plays, Urban Unrest. Similar to my feelings about showcases and monologue jams, I am not all about that "collection of short plays" life. Kind of like how I prefer long distance running to a circuit workout, I feel more accomplished and complete as a result of watching a full-length play. So I was very pleased to find that the show completely flipped my expectations upside-down. They really picked the best of the best material for this compilation production.

Championed by the Pulitzer Prize -winning playwright of The Mother F$@&er With the Hat, the infamously ballzy yet equally poignant Stephen Adly Guirgis, the Urban Theatre Movement strives to elevate the conversation of how we handle contemporary racism in all its forms. In this particular lineup, we see four short plays in which minorities are featured in truthfully developed roles that serve up these topics directly to audience, both literally and metaphorically up close and personal. The more dramatic of the bunch, Obscuridad written and directed by Brenda Banda seemed slightly out of place in the otherwise collection of stinging dark comedies. Nonetheless, it still made a pressing statement about the power dynamic within the family home and its domino effect in crisis. Not only are these stories ones that have a pertinent need to be told, but the voices used to tell them fairly execute the message from all culturally relevant viewpoints. It's clear that the company is committed to that very ideal, continuing to press forward with content dedicated to both expressing and defending all voices. And the other three writers do a great job of sending that message home through some pretty smartly written comedy.

Aileen Alfaro in Obscuridad by Brenda Banda. But very similar to how I might look while watching the Tony Awards. 

Each of the shorts has their own charm and humor although the company really saved the best for last with Replica, written, directed and acted by Paul Tully. Total Stephen Adly Guirgis vibes from this one, to say the least, and its explosive energy really shuts the whole place down. In this very high stakes, high tension, high energy short, Spencer Weitzel portrays... pretty much a methed-up Thomas Middleditch, which actually isn't so difficult to imagine, right? We watch him, under the affectations of both drugs and alcohol struggle to battle temptation that could cost him a friendship, an ally, and consequently his life. Superb acting all around in this scene (probably because they had a stellar script to work with) but Weitzel, with a delivery so committed he's pretty much sweating buckets by lights out, really closes this one out with a bang. Very cool bro.

Gisla Stringer & Spencer Weitzel in Replica by Paul Tully.

Thank God this show earned itself the encore award (along with the Rogue Machine West Coast Premiere Award) so you have two more chances to see it this Friday June 30th and Saturday July 1st at 8PM at Sacred Fools as a part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Do not hesitate to support this very smart, culturally relevant independent production. As for me, as I'm drafting a full-length four act drama currently, the edgy-ness of this show, both stylistically and textually have made me think differently about the presentation of some of the scenes, in a good way. The style has inspired me. Anyway,  I would love to see more work come to life through these writers, directors, actors at the Urban Theatre Movement in the very near future, but the present is now so check out Urban Unrest while you still can!

The Lyons

This entry is so long overdue; I apologize for being so backed up on shows! Nearly a month ago I went to a performance of The Lyons by Nicky Silver. Put up by The Road Theatre in North Hollywood, I attended the show with my friend Arianne, who is an exceptionally active and participating civilian LA theatre-goer. I met her earlier this year at the kick-off party for the Kirk Douglas Block Party series, and then again at The Road's winter production of White Guy on the Bus. This was right around the time I started going public with this site. We started following each other's theatre journeys on social media and every time I'd run into her at the Mark Taper Forum or Kirk Douglas Theatre, we'd promise we'd try to experience a show together soon. After a lot of theatre trains passing in the night (we would often be at the same shows just a few days apart) we organized a time to see Arianne's friend Janet Chamberlain go on for her understudy performance as Rita in The Lyons.

On our walk over to the theatre, Arianne told me that when she goes to shows on her own, she has no problem talking to strangers she meets in the audience. "I meet all kinds of interesting people," she told me. She had even met the friend we were seeing perform tonight from simply striking up a conversation with her at another Road performance! How cool is that?! In her experience, she has found that many people are very receptive to discussing the performance while in the theater. I was so impressed by her fearless nature because that's definitely something I struggle to muster up the courage to do. So I'm going to try and push myself outside of my comfort zone with that from now on, when I do have the opportunity to attend theatre solo-rider style. You never know who you're going to meet and really, you've got nothing to lose. Although Arianne is an absolutely amazing angel of the American Theatre, this piece is supposed to be about The Lyons, so I will discuss her impact on the theatre community further in another piece coming soon! 

OK, so, The Lyons. It had been a few years since I read this script, back when it was originally nominated for a Tony award for best play in 2012, although I never had the chance to see it performed live. Which makes sense, because unbeknownst to me, as The Road Theatre's artistic director Sam Anderson told me, Linda Lavin who had originated the role of Rita, had custody of the rights and had been holding on to them for years. I had no idea a performer could hold the rights to a theatrical script, but there's some food for thought. The Road really wanted to put on this show though, and stuck to their guns until they finally got the OK. 

Now, finally seeing the show transformed on stage, I remembered that I really like this play, and this writer, who I definitely need to revisit very soon (but I have to get through all those Anna Zigler plays first). This family reminds me of my own family's dark humor and those parallels make it extra funny. As one of my best Jewish friends once told me, "Irish Catholics and Jews get along incredibly well considering the immense amount of guilt they have to deal with on a daily basis." I'm sure I'm not the only audience member to relate on that level. I like the style of the first act better than the second. It happens in real time, grounded in modern realism, in one scene and we are really forced to get to know this family. I thought the acting was top notch across the board, so much so that it was shocking to learn we were watching an entire cast of understudies. Excellent job everyone; we were with you the whole time. If the regular cast is this great, the company should really consider just double casting the production so that everyone gets equal playing time, because the understudies are really freaking good. My personal favorite was Allan Wasserman as Ben, the family patriarch on his deathbed, who reminded me a lot my very negative yet equally lovable grandpa. The second act gets a little more creative with the scene structure. We watch a thought-provoking scene between Ben's son Curtis (awesome understudy performance by Ray Paolantonio) and a handsome young realtor named Brian (Tim Wardell) that is the only one to take place outside the hospital. We also get a soliloquy-type visit from Ben, who has now passed away, not surprisingly. There's a bit of subtextual commentary going on about eventually becoming our parents. And mostly in a negative way. Arianne and I, with about a thirty year age difference between the two of us, had very differing views and interpretations on the outcome of Rita, the matriarch's trajectory at the end of the play; I just love that about the theatre! It's interesting how every glimmer of positivity in this play kind of gets shut down, and it is a humorous experience when that happens. I think one of the reasons I really like this play is because each of the characters is seeking something from one of their other family members, that they will essentially never get. Attention, approval, admiration, quality time, support; it's just not happening. And I can definitely relate to that. It's frustrating. That frustration invites dramatic action. So, going forward, not only will I try to keep myself from entering into family engagements begging for this type of attention, but enter honoring everyone else for their crazy crap and what they need to just stand being around each other for a few hours, let alone have a good time. Sorry if that sounds a little dark, but see the show and I think you'll get what page I'm turning from.

Not surprisingly, The Lyons has now been extended at the Road Theatre at the Lankershim Arts Center location through July 16th. Don't miss this great piece of American dark comedy. With an understudy cast this good, you may even want to see it twice. Go with a family member, either to thank God yours isn't that bad, or thank God that you're not alone.

Thanksgiving

What a lovely surprise. It's rare you find a production at the Hollywood Fringe Festival that goes above and beyond what a typical Fringe performance is able to achieve on a limited budget, rehearsal time, set and sometimes even talent. Artists might use the excuse that their show is in workshop mode, or a work in progress, opening up the possibility for an incomplete or underdeveloped script. That is not the case at all with Thanksgiving, the hilarious, tightly knit dark comedy by Tiffany Cascio currently running at the Lounge Theatre.

Photography by Cali Bloomfield

My theatre-going companion for this Fringe production was Ben, a musical theatre writer also currently running his own Fringe show Songs of the Fall over at the Actors Company. We were both spending pretty much the entire day bouncing around Fringe shows (as one does in the month of June) and luckily found a space in our schedule to catch one together. On this afternoon, we paid my first visit to the Lounge Theatre venue. And my oh my. Not only did I love the cozy little spot, but the show was a complete treat. 

Allison Youngberg & Susan Louise O'Connor (Photography by Cali Bloomfield

At first I was hesitant. We enter into the preparation of a dysfunctional family Thanksgiving and it had the potential to get a little campy. The audience, clearly filled with family, friends and forthright supporters is booming with laughter and vocal response from the very first scene. I'm a little nervous, like this could end up being an ABC Family Thanksgiving special. It does take me almost half an hour to buy into all the characters, but then I'm sold. As the story unfolds, each character is fully committed to their objectives, has a plethora of great jokes in their back pocket and all were backed by very driven performances. Everyone has a shining moment, a complete emotional arc and everyone is comedically present. Plus, each character has a great, cathartic release of some kind. As an actor, you really couldn't ask for a more complete script, which was awesome and really allowed for the actors to take ownership of their roles. The script is very well-rounded. Tonally, it's almost like August: Osage County-Lite. Plenty of explosions of family wrath, some so awful you have no choice but to laugh. The play really has everything that could possibly go wrong at an adult family Thanksgiving, so naturally it does get a little messy, but it cleans up nicely. 

Susan Louise O'Connor, Sharon Spence and Allison Youngberg (Photography by Cali Bloomfield

What did the show make me want to change about myself? That can be tough to find sometimes with comedies, but the way the family is forced to laugh at their misery, and realize that they have somewhat thrived on it for years, kind of brought me back to earth with some similar "family matters" I've experienced. As the eldest daughter in my family, it was interesting to find myself relating to both Chloe, the perfectionistic, Stepford Wives wannabe sister (played by Allison Youngberg) and Victoria, the more passive yet equally crazy run-down sister working in film production (played by Susan Louise O'Connor). Sometimes I am the one at these holidays (but actually) trying to get my totally uninterested family to play just ONE game. And sometimes I'm drinking Slivovitz in the corner with my cousin accepting the fate of our family's chronic depression and gaping breach between us and "normalcy." But as the play portrays, EVERYONE has their shit, no matter how "normal" they try to come off. So, going into the next cycle of family gatherings, this show makes me want to go into these situations with love. Everyone's dealing with their own struggles and instead of bringing up baggage or why things aren't working, I need to just be a good listener, offering encouragement when necessary and love always. Seriously will need to pep talk that to myself before 4th of July this year...

The only thing I might recommend for future productions would be further developing the title, perhaps something that may go a bit farther beyond in serving the plot. Also wishing this group even better production design value in a future production of this play, because the script deserves it!

If you can squeeze it in, be sure to catch one of the final performances of Thanksgiving at the Hollywood Fringe Festival through Friday June 23. Definitely a contender for Pick of the Fringe. Hopefully it will see more productions in the future, but catch this one before it's too late!

Dogfight

Finally! I got to go on a theatre outing with one of my greatest theatre comrades, my life-long friend and co-founder of BAE Theatre, Emily! And let me tell you, nobody does opening nights quite like the BAE Theatre girls. The cherry on top for this magical evening of BAE Theatre theatre-going: we were honored to find that this production of Dogfight (music and lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, with book by Peter Duchan) put up by the After Hours Theatre Company featured a whole slew of BAE Theatre designers! Lighting by Andrew Schmedake, prop design by Shen Heckel and set design by Justin Ryan Brown were each superb, as expected. After seeing the insane production quality of this show, we were reminded of how lucky we are to have worked with some of the best designers in LA!

Nicki Claspell & Payson Lewis (Photography by Nicole Priest)

Ok, so enough with the ode to BAE Theatre. Now, back to the Dogfight. So, although the production quality was top notch, Emily and I talked for a LONG time after the show about the content itself. This show brought up a lot of strong feelings for us, especially regarding the opposite sex. Just to catch you up to speed, Dogfight takes place in 1963, in the midst of the Vietnam War. When a slew of Marines are deployed in San Francisco for nearly 24 hours, they commence their tradition of the Dogfight, a night of drinking and dancing in which they boy that brings the ugliest girl goes home with a sizable amount of prize money. Eddy (Payson Lewis) somehow convinces Rose (Nicci Clasped), an aspiring folk musician working as a waitress, to join him for the evening's festivities. She is beyond flattered and of course under the impression that this will be nothing but a normal date. But wouldn't you know, it's not until she comes down from her apartment, all dressed up for the evening that Eddy realizes that well, she's actually kind of beautiful and maybe not dog status at all after all.

The music is great. I can't say I left whistling any of the songs to myself, or postponed all my life's responsibilities to memorize a sizable amount of the score, like I did with Dear Evan Hansen. But it was performed well and I did have some visceral feelings set off by the music at times. We thought the choreography was great. However, as Emily pointed out, considering that this musical adaptation of the 1991 film was written about five years ago, even though it takes place in 1963...the viewpoints of the story itself seem somewhat dated. I wonder if this has anything to do with why the show never made it from Second Stage to Broadway. In the story, we are gradually moving out of an era in the media and film in which war was somewhat glorified. So I'm sitting there watching these guys (and really, they're great, there are a handful of triple threats up on that stage) and I'm asking myself, and yeah, I actually wrote this down in my notebook, If I were seeing a musical that took place in the present day, and I was watching a group of soldiers sing a joyful number about how excited they were to come home from the war, would I be happy for them, or would I be focusing more on how they're probs republicans? In a way that's not a completely fair comparison, as 1963 was a time of draft, and not everyone was fighting voluntarily. Also it would be extremely ignorant for me to assume everyone currently employed is a republican. However, that's the image I'm receiving from the media today. There's also hint of a somewhat unusual toxic masculinity looming in the play. Rose, with the exception of Marcy (played by Emily Morris) is essentially the only substantial female character. She only communicates with Eddie for the entire show; she has no interaction with any of the other male characters. Which means male characters are only interacting, at least in scripted text, with other male characters. On that note, there is a scene, that I personally found textually horrifying on a number of levels, in which Bernstein (played by Trent Mills) goes with the marines to a whorehouse in San Francisco to lose his virginity. The prostitute tells him no, that she's too tired, then things get somewhat aggressive, as in he nearly assaults her, and then she begrudgingly tells him yes, that he will be her last client for the evening. In the world of the play, even a prostitute can't say no to sex. Wow. Also, lets just acknowledge that this young man is having his first time with a prostitute, one who is pressured into sleeping with him at that. One of the men comments that their fathers and grandfathers before them participated in this tradition, and that these same patriarchs had instilled the tradition of the Dogfight. These young men are sacrificing their lives for our country, dying for us. That's heartbreaking; wars certainly tear families and relationships to pieces. This story also exemplifies how through generations, it has been instilled that the pleasure of these soldiers comes at the cost of a woman's discomfort. It's something to think about. And maybe the story is trying to get me to do exactly that. Or is it?

This show brought up a lot for me concerning my feelings towards men. At the end of the first act, Rose heroically tells Eddie off (slaps in the face and everything) when she learns about the truth surrounding the Dogfight. She even tells him that she hopes he and all the Marines present die in Viet Nam, even though she is a pacifist and protests the war by her true nature. End of act one. And I'm sitting there, partially like "YAS queen!" and also like "Well it's only act one so we know she's gonna go back to him in act two; this is musical theatre after all." Throughout intermission I was processing how yes, the concept of the Dogfight is extreme, for theatrical purposes. But otherwise, guys do this type of stuff like, ALL the TIME. Telling you that you're pretty, that they like your style, that you're good at something, that they want to read your work, or see you act or hear your song, that they "like" you. In act two Eddie tells Rose that he likes her. And I got pretty emotional. Based on personal experience, it's hard to believe that phrase holds any significance anymore. I actually felt bad for her in that moment because I'm thinking, "whoa, this is like, the mac daddy of all the boy lies." So what this show makes me want to change about myself is that I'm raising up my standards again. There have just been too many times when I've handed out free passes to guys, when they don't follow up like they said they would, when I have to go out of my way often to accommodate their location or schedule. Paying for stuff more than he does. On the page it might sound like I'm being difficult here, but really, I've been very accommodating with men over the past year and it's time to stop wasting time with anything less that what I need. I can be accommodating, but this show made me realize some things I wouldn't have put up with like six years ago, things I've let cloud and diminish my relationship standards a little bit, comparatively. Done with that.

I know what you're thinking, "Whoa, she is dramatic!" But isn't that kind of what theatre's supposed to bring out in people?

I apologize again if this was supposed to be more about this particular production and ended up being more about the script itself. However the LA Times writeup won't tell you much more than the plot-breakdown anyway, which makes me question why our focus isn't leaning towards any individual performances? Again the production value is superb; this is really a quality rendition of the show. Emily and I applaud that the show is directed by two women, although we would have interpreted the closing scene much differently if we were sitting in the directors' chairs.  But when it comes down to the "why now," we both agreed that the show's timeliness was based it its composers' very fresh Tony nominations for Dear Evan Hansen, as well as their trending original score of La La Land. There's a built in fan-base, primarily comprised of quasi-hipster white people chomping at the bit to buy $40 seats to support a 99-seat show on theatre row by some very trendy composers. The timing is smart for that reason, but forgive me for failing to see how producing this show now is helping the city of LA, at such a dynamic moment in history. Theatre can be a catalyst for change in our society and maybe I am missing the bigger picture, but from where I stand, I felt like this was a little step backwards. Regardless, the production value is on point, and if you want to get another taste of Pasek & Paul's music (which is popular for a reason), check out Dogfight running at the Hudson through Sunday June 25th.

The Sweetheart Deal

This was my first visit to the Los Angeles Theatre Center. What a beautiful, wonderful, cultural venue. More banks should be converted into theatre spaces like this one. Their lobby has such a presence, from the lighting to the high ceiling to even the seating; there is something almost royal about it. I love that lobby. It would be a great place to have a theatre gala and by the looks of it, it probably has been in the past. The theatre itself, I also loved for its completely different look. The multi-colored red and orange seating gives it a bit of a seventies vibe, totally cool, and also worked perfectly with this particular production! This might be one of my favorite converted theatre spaces in LA now; it is so beautiful and full of so much character on so many levels!

Ruth Livier & Linda Lopez (Photo by Grettel Cortes Photography)

On this particular Sunday, just a week out from the show's closing, my friend Serena, development manager of Anteaus Theatre Company and hard core theatre nerd, joined me for a performance of The Sweetheart Deal, written and directed by American theatre artist and one of Center Theatre Group's associate artistic directors, Diane Rodriguez. As we chose our seats inside the house, Serena asked me if the second row would be alright. They looked comfy, and the set was pretty creative, so I didn't mind being close up to get an even better look. "Sure, why not," I replied, "As long as there's no audience participation." The next thing we knew, the actors paraded onto the stage from the aisles, interacting with the audience, energetically instructing us how to participate in a call and response over the course of the show. Serena even knew one of the actors from the show and he was like, "Hey, how are you?" Definitely out of my comfort zone, but I pushed through that and it actually ended up not being as big of a part of the show as they made it out to be in the beginning.

It's 1970. Mari (Ruth Livier) and Will (Geoffrey Rivas) leave their comfortable life in San Jose to volunteer for El Malcriado, a underground newspaper originated by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta at the pinnacle of the United Farm Workers revolution. Through this transition, Mari is majorly taken out of her comfort zone, from having to share housing with other volunteers, work though tasks she has little to no interest in and most of all, confront her brother Mac (David DeSantos) who might not be on the team she hoped for after all. But as weeks turn into months and impact turns into progress, they begin to understand why they're fighting, why it's working and the many lives that have potential to change for the better.

Valente Rodriguez, David DeSantos & Geoffrey Rivas (Photography by Grettel Cortes Photography)

Although the show was definitely NOT my choice genre of theatre, as we threw back some happy hour margaritas a few blocks away at Mezcalero, Serena made some excellent points on why this genre was the perfect one in which to tell this story, at this point in history. First of all, we were both pretty embarrassed to admit that we knew almost next to nothing about this movement in American history. The historical content was a bit confusing for us both, for probably about the first fifteen minutes of the play, but soon we caught on. Serena noted that considering that we are probably not the only ones uneducated on this topic, that the more interactive, comedia inspired storytelling was really a choice method in bringing home the themes, ideas and history. The style itself is very reminiscent of Culture Clash, in a good way. It allows people to participate in the story, delivering it to them in a more direct, potentially meaningful way. Mind you, this style is also blended between scenes more traditionally staged, so I'd go as far to say that despite my initial fears, over half the play is grounded in realism. "Now that I've been introduced to this story, it makes me want to learn more and research this movement," she said. I agreed, then took another sip of margarita. We also agreed that we liked that the play followed the more personal story of the couple, versus attempting to showcase the history of the entire movement. "I really liked this show," she said.

Linda Lopez, Ruth Livier & Valente Rodriguez (Photography by Grettel Cortexs Photography)

I think that this play should make me want to me more politically active, on a volunteer or community level, that every size of help counts and that even the greatest leaders started small. If that is the message, I'm falling short a little bit. I'm still processing why that is. The comedy is great in getting the behind the scenes goings on and terms explained. However, I hear about farmers and their families struggling under terrible conditions, but I never get to see it. Maybe I'm being lazy. Maybe I need to believe without seeing. But also...show don't tell? On a separate note, it was very difficult for me to relate to Mari and to be honest, I was surprised by her role as the play progressed. At the end of the play, not long after one of the more major plot devices takes place, I found myself applauding, wondering to myself, "Wait...is she supposed to be the protagonist?" It is true that she did transform as the play progressed, I just didn't see the changes being exactly dynamic until her final speech, in which I reasoned that maybe she was supposed to mean something more than I was assigning her to be. It could be me. I think I do a pretty good job of trying to relate to all characters from a neutral place in theatre, however, I could see how since the charcters in the play are a bit older than me, with more life experience and trials, in a different era, that I could have missed the mark with some things. I'm wondering if a couple of a similar age to Will & Mari might relate to them on a deeper level and therefore connect to this story as a whole in a more spiritual way. I also was surprised that the play ended when it did. I think I was craving more of a resolve to the movement, however Serena reminded me that it was more about the couple's journey than a documentation of the actual movement. The ending did certainly make me want to investigate what would happen moving forward in the movement. I don't think I liked this show as much as Serena, although I can't wait to go back to this venue again soon.

The Sweetheart Deal runs at the beautiful Los Angeles Theatre Center through June 4. Swing by very soon for a performance of this important play about a movement that certainly needs more historical recognition.

Actually

In Actually, we meet two freshmen, fresh out of Princeton University's bacchanalian welcome week. Amber, a mousy, non-athletic (although she does play for the squash team since that made her application look better) overly-analytic, Jewish English major and Tom, a hard-working, African-American pianist in the process of coping with his own private hardships, are faced with what begins as a very blurred examination of an evening spent together. As the byline of the play very accurately states, They agree on the drinking, they agree on the attraction, but consent is foggy, and if unspoken, can it be called consent? 

What a powerful piece of theatre. Textually, this play is an actor's dream: a two person show consisting of pretty much two extended monologues, weaving in and out of some pretty brilliantly formed dialogue, full of character arcs and thought-provoking reveals. The show really makes you think, about the system, clouded interpretation, gender roles, societal pressures and more. I just checked out every Anna Ziegler play available at the LA Public Library. I'm interested in understanding more of her work, after watching this one.

TOM: How do you defend yourself? Is it what you say, or how you say it?

The play requires a powerful, specified, intently focused performance from each of the actors, which was certainly the case in this Geffen Playhouse performance, soon traveling to the Manhattan Theatre Club. Samantha Ressler and Jerry MacKinnon both deliver plentifully in their roles, but I think the way in which Tom's role is structured gives him the advantage performance-wise. Without giving away too much, the way this character projects himself to his peers and the general public is much more negatively interpreted by the listener than his inner personality. Not to mention a whole lot that he is both confronting and deflecting as a young man in his position. MacKinnon's approach and exploration of this role are something every actor might dream of achieving for but a moment in the privacy of an acting class, while he throws it down all night long on the Audrey Skirball Kenis stage. A young actor who serves on the Geffen's first-class front of house staff admitted to having an "acting boner" for MacKinnon's performance. I get that. While Ressler's performance is also impressive, her role, at least from my perspective, is not as challenging. It's very interesting, because although I really love this play, as an actor, at least in this stage in the writing, I would not want to play that role, even though it's brilliant. There were times when I applauded the character for her unyielding honesty, especially in the expression of her affections for Tom, while at other times, her position came off as almost robotic. I feel like this is a textual weakness and not an acting choice, although I have spoken with other patrons who felt otherwise. Amber's inner turmoil and detailed expression of her sexual exploration throughout childhood are captivating, I was just removed from my empathy for her at times when she would make statements ground in little to no emotional attachment,

What stirred up the most emotion for me in the play, I don't think was its main focus. But that's ok, this is theatre, everyone leaves with something different. This is what I wrote down: Such a different college experience than I knew. It makes me sad that people who signed up for an Ivy League education are having to deal with this. Questionable rape: definitely not OK. But what's also not OK is the so-called collegiate environment both these kids found themselves in. I think I am somewhat of a weird cannon in my college experience. I didn't drink until I was twenty-one (unless I was in Europe), I was always the designated driver and I had absolutely no problem saying no to men trying to take me to bed. Actually I even enjoyed that part. I get it, this isn't the case for many, if not most kids their freshmen year of college. I had to take a step back mentally and do my best not to judge the characters poorly, just because that wasn't my personal background. However, there was a very informative article by Amy Levinson in the program that called me to lean further in to this environment somewhat foreign to me otherwise. In it she cites that,

"one in five women and one in sixteen men are sexually assaulted while in college"

also

"63.3% of men at one university who self-reported acts qualifying as rape or attempted rape admitted to committing repeat rapes"

What?

I can't emphasize enough how much it breaks my heart that kids are pressured to drink and have sex, at all, if not night after night after night and not even enjoy it. Multiple times in the play, Amber expresses the pressure she faces from her peers, or people from her squash team she has known for a week or less, to drink, even though she thinks it tastes gross and to hook up with guys, that she may not even be attracted to. Tom acknowledges that he could drink and have sex with numerous women at these parties night after night, and that it didn't even really matter what they looked like. I'm not vicitmising these characters or vilanizing them either, just restating what they claimed to experience in college. So, why is this happening at Princeton? Honestly, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Eighteen-year-olds are being welcomed to one of the greatest schools in the country, in the world, through drinking beyond comprehension and the point where one even cares anymore what their sexual partner looks like? Kids who slaved over near-prefect test scores, boundless extracurriculars, hours upon hours of community service, awards, and AP classes? Kids whose parents might have worked an extra job or two in order for them to compete at this level? That's not the education I want. It breaks my heart. And unfortunately it's happening everywhere.

This play, for me at least, is not only a cautionary tale of sorts, but a sad reminder of contemporary views on sexual activity. I can imagine that the number of student matinee performances for high school and college students have made an impact on more than a few. We need to be talking about THIS. Not shaming each other in any way. How can we fix what we don't understand? Talk. I hope that this play causes us to check ourselves and our behavior, as well as our willingness to check in with people around us. To be a better listener, as the American theatre has been telling me for nearly all of 2017 so far.

I highly encourage you to see this show. Whether you are a parent, a student or a graduate, this play will cause you to reflect on the weight of issues like this, and how our media, education system and family pressures weigh in. Actually runs at the Geffen Playhouse through June 11th. I would also encourage you to watch it on a Talk Back Tuesday, as the show is sure to incite and invite conversation.

Jersey Boys

I want to preface by saying that although I take pride in keeping a level head in all of these posts, I think I am about to go a little fan-girl on this one. 

I first saw Jersey Boys in Chicago over Christmas break in 2007 at the Bank of America Theatre. (For all y'all Chicago Theater nerds, this was the former the Lasalle Theatre under its new title, presently titled the Private Bank Theatre.) I was sixteen years old, chock full of wishes and dreams. Unlike my present self, I wouldn't touch a straight play with a ten foot pole; I ate, breathed and dreamed in musical theatre. I was still riding high off Jersey Boy's sweep at the Tony Awards the spring prior. Even though he was not in the touring production, John Lloyd Young, who had won that year's Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, was a major inspiration to my theatre career. The boy who had made a living ushering at Broadway houses for years, facing rejection after rejection in auditions because he just never quite fit, had at long last found his niche in the role of Frankie Valli, boy band legend and king of the falsetto. His underdog Broadway dream had come, and his story gave me faith that mine could someday come to fruition as well.

Instantly I was mesmerized by the simple, yet tight harmonies of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I burned a copy of the original Broadway cast album for the girls I babysat for across the street, telling them that they just had to listen to it, and see it if they could. I apologized to their mom that there were some minor expletives in some of the tracks featuring dialogue, but that it was totally worth it. The whole family went a week later. I started checking out CDs of some of the band's original recordings from the library. By February I had choreographed my kid sister's middle school musical audition for Bye Bye Birdie to the tune of "Sherry." My parents will testify that as I step-touched my way around the house with my brick-status iPod, for Isabella, everything was coming up Jersey Boys.

Keith Hines, Matthew Dailey, Mark Ballas & Cory Jeacoma

I wasn't planning to write all that. It wasn't until after the show that I even questioned why I had taken the time to dress up extra nice for opening, to get my hair done and even participate in the themed Jersey Boys themed cocktail served at the venue. I remembered that I had listened to much of the soundtrack and original Four Seasons recordings on Spotify all week leading up the event. I was truly dancing in my seat for almost the entire show, and there were times I had to really force back some tears to keep myself from screwing up all that makeup. What's going on, I pondered to myself as I swirled a straw around my old fashioned at the opening night after party.

This is the magic of the American theatre. For all the reasons mentioned above, and more, this is a very sentimental musical for me. It took me until now to realize what a profound impact this show had on my teenagehood. Similar to the way Zoot Suit resonated strongly for a large portion of the Chicano community, this show resonates with me as an Italian American. We are introduced to these young, young boys singing under a streetlamp in South Jersey. They are the sons of immigrants, some of them living in the projects. One of them sings, with very little effort, extremely high for a man. Some welcome this new sound, others do not. This year, as I'm working on adapting a challenging piece of theatre from the late 1800s to the present, I've been focusing a lot on adaptation in life and in the theatrical context. What band or group could I make a present day parallel to for the young Four Seasons? What group or artist sounds "weird" or goes against the norm? What sounds crazy to us now? As the story continues, we watch these "crazy" kids hustle their way through the music industry, facing many trials, changes, let-downs and rejections along the way. But somehow, as told through a beautifully balanced documentary style narrative, they somehow always end up making the music they need to keep them going. And it's those little artists moments, alone, in private that continue to inspire me now. When the boys are down they take turns encouraging each other, with new pieces of music, surprising leads in the business, love interests or trial-and-erroring out harmonies. It brings me back to these moments in my own life. A young playwright asking me to try out some untouched dialogue, sitting around the kitchen table with a group of actors hearing out a play we've always wanted to perform (over cocktails we spent a portion of our rent on) and just being there, present, watching a friend perform in a 99 seat house, and then later in an equity house; it's those tiny moments of artistic magic that keep us going.

Keith Hines, Mark Ballas, Cory Jeacoma & Matthew Dailey

Once again I'm failing to mention the incredible acting necessary in bring this musically moving story to life. Many patrons were thrilled to hear acclaimed Dancing With the Stars season regular Mark Ballas would be performing the role of Frankie Valli. Of course he was fantastic and the additional choreography used to hype up his skills as a dancer was a delightful bonus to the production. Everyone else in it was wonderful in their own way. The accents are one of my favorite parts of this show. But my darlings of the American theatre, I know this may come off as arrogant, but in a way I don't really care enough to mention acting sometimes. It's the story I care more about. My point is, that if I'm not being removed from the story, the actors are doing a superb job. Which they truly did. But, when it comes down to it, it was the real-life, in the flesh Frankie Valli who received the three minute standing ovation at the end of the show, simply for congratulating the cast with his presence. He's the true hero. But yes, the strong performances from the cast are what helped the rest of us, who weren't there in late December back in '63, to realize that.

FRANKIE valli: Some are born great. Some achieve greatness. Some have greatness thrust upon them...and f^&% it up.

I do genuinely wonder how I would feel about this show if I had never seen it before. Would I view it as just another jukebox, bioplay musical, lacking in truly original music and story content? Or would I in fact see it as a beautiful, accurately theatrical retelling of how four kids with the odds stacked against them, climbed to the top, making musical and rock and roll history that would impact listeners for generations? I don't know if I'm a generous enough patron anymore to accept the latter. So I'm glad I have the memories to inform me in the present. Sometimes it's nice when that sixteen-year-old Isabella reminds me of the foundations of who I really am in the theatre.

Pretty pictures of me in my element taken by Brenda Phillips.

Jersey Boys runs through June 24th at the Ahmanson. Sure, there's nothing particularly innovative about the direction of this national tour; they keep the integrity of the original production to a T. But I still really do love this musical, with the same eyes that saw it the first time, that have now just seen a mere decade more to life. Hey, I didn't know who Joe Pesci was the first time I saw this. If you didn't find this post too biased, I would encourage you to participate in this significant piece of American theatre history.

"Everybody remembers it how they need to."

~Jersey Boys

Archduke

After shaking hands with renowned playwright Rajiv Joseph, my cheeks blushing, burning the hottest shade of pink, I faded back into reality, nearly shivering. I was so nervous, I can't even remember most of what was said (although I'm sure everything I had to say was probably very dumb and everything he had to say was probably very prolific, stately and award-worthy). Drifting back into consciousness it crossed my mind that I had read nearly every one of his plays. Not binge-read, like I have with some of my favorite contemporary playwrights, but actually stumbled upon over the years. In academic classes. In scene study. As recommended by the staff at Samuel French. As suggested by the Mar Vista librarians, acclimated with my constant renewals from the theatre literature section. There were just a few recent and not widely published plays of his that I hadn't read. And I think that's why I was so in awe. I'm not a super-fan or anything, who made a point to read every piece of work by their favorite artist. His work just happened to find its way into my life naturally, and often.

I found myself recovering from this experience one breezy evening out on the Mark Taper Forum plaza before a preview performance of Archduke, not long before opening. I fanned myself back to my natural complexion in the bathroom and fetched myself a cocktail before heading in. Necessary. Aside from all that nonsense, I was aware this show, based on real-life events and characters that would trigger the beginnings of World War 1, had been going through a number of changes throughout the preview process, leading up to the big night. 

Left to right: Stephen Stocking, Patrick Page, Ramiz Monsef and Josiah Bania

Since my visit, I have spent a lot of time processing this play. I attended a meeting with colleagues who would be leading discussions on this show, breaking the history, themes and questions it raised down in full. I attended a post show Q & A with the actors that was very informative of things I had missed while watching it the first time. I also have also discussed the show with friends that had seen it on their own.

These are my remaining feelings on this play.

1. Mr. Rajiv Joseph. What a nice, talented guy. I really like him. And God bless him for dealing with my gawkish behavior. However...it is arguable that the female character has been nearly void of his more notable pieces of writing for about the past eight years. While watching the play, the very second thing I wrote down, about seven minutes into the show was, This is a very masculine play. I hoped that I would be crossing that out later, that maybe the second act would prove something deeper and conquer my initial reaction. But after rigorous notes on through the second act, I ended up writing down the exact same phrase again at the end of the play. I was enlightened at the post show Q & A with the actors when Patrick Page, playing the domineering role of Apis, noted that the lack of a female energy in the play represented its own necessity, that the men denying healing, nurturing, love and even sexuality lead to their own demise. That seems accurate, and I really appreciate that information in my processing of the story. But I was not able to come to that realization as an audience member on my own and I don't think I'm alone in that. Mr. Joseph is said to be working on a new play to debut at a theatre in Texas that will then be transplanted to the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York later this fall. To that I say, all I want for Christmas is a female principle on that stage. On the other hand, he has certainly provided an abundance of roles for actors of color, so I'm very grateful for that.**
2. The production value of the show is astounding and one of the Taper's very best. The sound design by Daniel Kluger is gorgeous, full of beautiful compositions and foreboding tones indicative of an old, like old, old thriller film. The scenic design by Tim Mackabee lends itself to this menacing point in history and aura of death. If you've heard anything about this show, it's probably that there's a set change so impressive that it almost always warrants applause or sometimes even a standing ovation. So major props to the designers for surprising and delighting us with this one. Something interesting happens when this highbrow, sleek audio/visual production style is combined with a text that has been described as "vaudevillian zaniness." The design does not lend itself to the script, but in a good way. It almost adds to the humor. Which leads me to my final point.
3. Style/theme. After the many discussions, reading of reviews and solo processing, I know I am not alone in saying that we are really close to reaching something here. Apart from the fantastic design, we really get some first rate acting, from each of the three boy principles as well as the supporting adults. Many patrons I spoke with mentioned that based on the setting and context, the show was much funnier than they had expected it to be. But, we're not entirely sure how to feel exactly. My biggest thematic takeaway from the show was the pushing of the notion that someone else or an outside factor is responsible for one's problems. This can be interpreted many different ways, but I think sometimes I do blame some of my more broader challenges on a system, or the elite. So yes, this play does make me want to change my outlook on those things, because my outlook is bigger than the system and we are the masters of our own destiny, blah, blah, blah. However, I'm not sure if that was RJ's pinnacle goal with this one. Multiple patrons noted that they found the ending abrupt, and potentially disconnected from the historical chain of events it instigated. The ending aside, there was a general sense of frustration with processing the significance of this storytelling from a number of trusted theatre practitioners I spoke with.

Despite what you may see, this is no Darjeeling Limited. Left to right: Ramiz Monsef, Josiah Bania and Stephen Stocking

LEKO: Just because you're going to die doesn't mean you shouldn't live. As long and well as you can.

I suppose my last question would be, after watching this production would RJ still make me blush. Answer: yes. His genius and precision are alive in this piece, and I hope that as it is a world premiere, it will continue to develop into exactly what he wants it to be. He is a master of his craft, so I know he can. I would encourage you to catch a performance of Archduke at the Mark Taper Forum, running through June 4th. See what it stirs up inside and how this great playwright continues to raise timeless challenges across all histories.

**(Despite point #1, Guards at the Taj is still my favorite, although I never had the opportunity to see Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo performed live.)

Failure: A Love Story

Failure: A Love Story mounted by the Coeurage Theatre Company, was the kick off production of the first annual Kirk Douglas Block Party. Block Party is one of the newest Center Theatre Group traditions: a remounting of three previously performed productions from various 99 seat LA theatre applicants. Soon to follow are The Fountain Theatre's Citizen: An American Lyric and The Echo Theater Company's Dry Land. After reading the script by Philip Dawkins, which I coined as a historical 1920s dark(ish) rom com, I was excited to see how this intriguing yet unusual story transformed on stage. 

The captivating tableaus in this show are to be commended.

The show was very different than I had imagined whilst reading it, but I think that is the beauty of this creative script. Through Michael Matthew's direction, we are transported to a sing-song 1928 Chicago. Having grown up in Chicago, I appreciated the geographic and cultural references, and I understand why this show was so well received when it originated there. The play follows the untimely accidental deaths of each of the Fail sisters and the unexpected love story that weaves its way in and out of their nearly adorable tragedies. Stylistically, the show has flavors of Urinetown, which is why I am somewhat surprised the company, known for its diverse, boundary-pushing content in a number of respects, recently mounted a production of the iconic, off-beat musical.

Putting doggie down. Excellent work from these two.

Performance-wise, Joe Calarco as John N. Fail is standout. Speaking of parts of the show transformed differently from my initial reading of the script, his portrayal of John N. was astonishingly imaginative and better yet, complete. His connection to his animals and his family are expressed with intent commitment, through his vocality, physicality and delivery. Very impressed with his representation of the character, which exceeded my imagination. He really jumped off the pages of the script, with his cat like limbs leaping. I was also very impressed with both the acting and musicianship of Gregory Nabours in his supporting roles, original music, music direction and principal piano playing. Each was a standout, in that I'd like to see him do more stage acting in future productions as well as performance opportunities as a musician. He was both entertaining, endearing and engaging in each respect. I wanted more banjo from Kurt Quinn, which I could hardly see or hear at all and I love banjo, but once his role as Mortimer Mortimer became possibly the most pivotal character in the story, I can understand how banjo was no longer the principal concern any longer. 

A patron friend made an excellent point in that the lighting of this play greatly enhances the production's storytelling technique. 

I can see why this show has done so well with audiences. It's family friendly, it takes place in a fun and kooky era, it's a multifaceted love story, the humor is sweet and there's a slight darkness and suspense that pulls us in. However, the main reason why it has taken me so long to get this post up, is that for such a beautifully stylized production, I was struggling to process it's deeper message. I was craving a more substantial takeaway. Towards the end of the show I wrote down "Theme" and underlined it. Underneath it I wrote the following bullets:

-The love coming from Mortimer is very honest in each of his separate expositions

-Love & Death

-Accepting Death & Fate

So a few nights ago, I lead a group discussion of about sixteen or so patrons at the theatre and asked them to help me identify how the play impacted them. The responses were positive. People felt that in opposition to the face of death in the play, the presence of love throughout was what made it so uplifting. A group of senior women noted that they found each of the Fail sisters resilience for their lives' callings and goals not only beautiful, but inspiring, especially in this day and age. Many people were leaving the theatre resonating on the love factor. This helped me, I think, but I still want more. I'm not sure how much of the script has been cut or changed from its original draft, but I felt the homage to the city of Chicago could have been even stronger, because Chicago is a very romantic city full of a history of love. For me I think the play revealed that it's possible to fall in true love more than once. I can be a bit closed off when it comes to the subject of love, so it's good for me to see stories like this from time to time, to soften me up a little.

Failure: A Love Story runs only through April 23rd at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Bring your kids or your parents for a play full of variety and uplifting lessons in love and family.

The Legend of Georgia McBride

I knew the show was about drag queens, but otherwise I tried to know as little as possible about the plot going in. OK, and I also knew it had been previously performed at MCC to some success. Joined by my friends Karen, a Mexicana actress working in Hollywood, and Jorge, whom I had studied with at NYU, Sunday evening we set up camp in the house right second row of the Gil Cates Theatre for Matthew Lopez's The Legend of Georgia McBride.

So here's the thing. The people sitting in front of and behind us would testify that yes, we were having a kick-ass time at the show. It's a riot, filled with priceless drag queen shade mixed with hick-town humor and infectious dance numbers. I mean, it was like Magic Mike meets RuPaul's Drag Race meets The Simple Life and how could you not love that? When we left, I felt great, I was still laughing probably. But I couldn't keep from asking myself, could this story stand alone without all the brilliant lines/humor? 

I can't get over how adorable both these actors are.

I'll get back to that. Because on the other hand, there were two things that I really, really liked about this show. I have surprised myself, because typically I would find this storyline so beyond ridiculous, but the acting, storytelling and humor are just so sweet and gratifying, that I miraculous give it the pass. In The Legend of Georgia McBride, Casey (played by Andrew Burnap) and his wife Jo (played by Nija Okoro--I knew I remembered her from Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the Taper) are expecting. They live in the Panhandle, Panama Beach to be exact, where funds are not easy to come by and the school district sucks. Jo works at a blue collar restaurant or something and Casey works doing an act as an Elvis impersonator at a local dive. Which brings me to why I loved this show reason number one: #poorpeopleproblems! After a very long season of mostly #richpeopleproblems plays on my theatre-going roster, it was so refreshing to see a play where people were actually worried about finances and wether or not they could afford their new child. Seriously, even in films lately, I'm just over upper class, hipster nouveau "struggle." Less is more struggle. Casey and Jo are barely scraping by as it is, they're about two months late on their rent and to top it off, Casey's act gets booted because it's just not bringing in enough customers. So how does Eddie (Nick Searcy), the ho-hum white trash bartender bring in funds to keep the bar afloat? Bring in his fabulous cousin Bobbie's drag queen act, of course! Before you can say Barbara Streisand, Miss Tracy Mills (Matt McGrath) is running the show and killing it on stage leading to a major cash flow for the bar. Her act is a riot, bringing in massive crowds, because WHO KNEW that that this little dive bar in the middle of the rural, primarily right-wing Florida Panhandle attracted so many drag queen friendly audiences?! Yes, plot-wise, this was very unrealistic to me, however I was having such a good time that I was willing to remove those questions from my mind for an hour and forty minutes. 

Yep, you guessed it, due to unforeseen circumstances, one evening Casey is forced to walk on for one of the queens, when she proves unwakable from her drunken stupor. His impromptu Edith Piaf number ends up being a hit, leading him to discover his huge hidden talent for queendom, allowing him to rake in the cash like he's never seen before. But oh no, he doesn't have the balls to tell Jo he's suddenly the town's hottest drag queen so of course he lies to her and the conflict rolls out from there. I've already been way to generous with synopsis for my typical write-up style, but I had to in order to reach reason number two for loving this show: a concrete-enough ending! I'm sorry contemporary theatre; I am sick of open ended endings. I've had it up to HERE with leaving performances and not knowing A) what happened or B) how I'm supposed to feel. So it was extremely satisfying being able to walk out of the theatre full of love and acceptance with a concrete-enough idea of where the characters' futures were headed. Jorge, who works in television production, said he could even see the show becoming a sitcom or similar series. 

As a matter of fact, Jorge and I stood outside in front of the theatre discussing the show in true theatre nerd fashion for quite a while after it had ended. We both agreed that the performances were quite strong. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that the ferocity and fabulousity behind his Tracy Mills makes Matt McGrath my favorite. I hope there's at least an Ovation nomination in there somewhere for him. The show has you, laughing the majority of the time and you're dancing in your seat for a good amount too. The music selections are wonderful and I definitely took some time to collect some on a Spotify playlist after the performance. However, we both agreed that the show needed an intermission, and that there was already an ideal spot in the play to place one. Jorge mentioned that since seeing a two hour musical void of an intermission at the Public Theatre a few summers ago, he had noticed the non-intermission production trending in New York, and not necessarily for the better. I can see why: people have short attention spans, you don't want to create any opportunity to leave, and you have a one-and-done system. However, in the case of this production, I would hope that no one would have plans to leave, people would get a nice little stretch and drink break (which also pairs nicely with this show) and time to hypothesize with their companions where the show was headed in the second act. We also felt that although Larry Powell (I'm also a steady fan of his from a number of Taper performances) does a fantastic job in both of his roles, the cousin Jason character was not crucial to the storytelling.

I'm sorry, but fierce as f^#&. I need a private lesson.

So yes, the show is ridiculous but it's a lot of fun and theatrically, I think it works. Would the show be as exciting without the humor, probably not, but that's ok because that just happens to be this show's crowning tiara. And you ain't no queen without a tiara. The characters need the humor to live through their hells, as emphasized by a gripping scene between Casey and the off-duty Bobbie. I was moved by the characters, who all had clear objectives and obstacles. So my takeaway from this show as a playwright is that it is possible to pull off this combination. I think I can be really serious in my writing a lot of the time. This show was refreshing, in the intensity of the world we live in and also the intensity placed on writers trying to prove something in a super serious, meaningful way that is supposed to land them a Pulitzer Prize. It doesn't have to work that way. 

The west coast premiere of The Legend of Georgia McBride runs at the Geffen Playhouse through May 14. This is definitely a fun, feel-good show, and usually I'm not into that, so the fact that I'm telling you to go should mean something : )

Lord of the Underworld's Home for Unwed Mothers

I see a lot of theatre. A very small percentage of it is truly incredible. So I mean it sincerely when I say that you do not want to miss this gem of LA independent theatre. This play really has potential to really move places. I'll be thinking about this play for a while.

 A fresh find from the Humitas's Play LA, the young and brilliant Louisa Hill offers an extremely emotional storytelling of a mother and daughter's shot at a familial relationship, that gets torn down the middle like a piece of paper from their very first moment together. In act one of the play, Dee (played by Corryn Cummins) is a sixteen-year-old high school student in 1965 middle America, and a part of a very practicing Catholic family. She narrates her experience, informing us how she came to be accidentally pregnant by her suave neighbor Eddie (played by Adrian Gonzalez, who also plays the rest of the male characters). Suddenly, her world is turned upside down and her parents have no choice but to spend her college savings on sending her to a home/"rehab"-ish facility where she will carry out her pregnancy before the baby will be released to its new adoptive family. I'll jump in early and say that what changed me about this play, was that I didn't even know places like this existed until watching this production. Later on, a friend's grandmother enlightened me further when she gave me a little background and told me that places like this still exist. This was a true lesson in history for me. Through the first act we realize the emphasis on the shame of the pregnancy, for both Dee and her family. The Catholic Church does not believe in abortion, nor do they believe in sex before marriage (even though all the cool kids are doing it) and a bastard child's acceptance into heaven without the confirmation of a Catholic baptism is pretty much an off-limits conversation. We also watch Dee grow more and more attached to the child growing inside her, to the point where she breaks down in a fit of tears and rage when forced to finally hand the baby over just a few days after its birth. From that point on she knows her heart is broken forever. The second act continues from that point on as narrated by Corey, the baby girl Dee had been forced to surrender (played by Michaela Slezak). Turns out her life wasn't so easy either. After bouncing from one foster family to the next, she sees herself as a destroyer of nearly everything, which leads her to find solace in metal music. Eventually the mother and daughter are reunited under dire circumstances and it is up to each of them to put in the patience, understanding and love necessary to heal this tragic broken relationship. 

Young love in the 60s

I'm glad I went into the play with zero expectations because it ended up being a huge treat. I had never visited the Skylight Theatre before and I will definitely be returning. The staff is extremely hospitable, the venue is cozy, yet spacious and their open-air skylight courtyard adds to their welcoming ambiance. And they know how to pack the place, with a very respectful audience on opening night. I love this venue. Atwater Village theatre complex, watch out, you now have a contender in my book.

This was an extremely powerful performance. Many tears were shed in both acts of the play, which is balanced with light humor and a gorgeous cello underscore (played masterfully by Marylin Winkle). Both actors playing a plethora of roles did an outstanding job and are clearly excellent character actors, bravo. However, because there were so many characters apart from the principle mother and daughter, I was craving two more actors to disperse the roles amongst. As an audience member, I was seeing the same face on too many characters too many times. My companion and I both agreed that we enjoyed the first act of the play the best. We wanted more from the Corey character although we were not entirely sure what. I think she could be developed further and there is absolutely room for that in a later production of this play. We also might be feeling this way since Dee's character is very emotionally attached to the world around her. Her response to confusion and chaos involves clinging tighter to the things she wants, generating more dramatic impact and higher stakes for the audience. Corey's character makes a routine of dismissing her problems and emotions, by playing tough girl. So even when something very heart-wrenching happens to her, her shake-it-off mentality encourages the audience to do the same, where as if the same thing happened to Dee, we might sympathize for the poor thing a bit more. But maybe that's just the way those two characters need to contrast each other. Lastly, I think the title of the play is a bit long. Whenever anyone asks me the title of the play, after I give them my raving review, urging them to see it as soon as possible, I can't remember the what it's called. But no wonder, it takes me weeks just to memorize my lines.

Young love on the cusp of 1990

When I spoke to my father in Chicago on the phone about my educational experience at the theatre, I think he made a great point when he mentioned that patrons of my generation might find this story enlightening, while those of his may see it as a haunting reminder of the limited options for women of the 60s. For such a young playwright, I think that's a pretty beautiful accomplishment. One of my fellow CTG veteran patrons emailed me directly after attending the show with his wife and members of their theatre-going group. "I can’t recommend enough your going to see this play," he told me,  "We went with friends and talked for over an hour afterwards about it." Trust me,  you're going to want to talk about it.

The production was just stunning at the cozy, welcoming Skylight Theatre venue in Los Feliz, but I could see this world premiere production becoming wonderfully successful at a larger, more endowed venue. I think this play would have an amazing level of impact at the Mark Taper Forum...and it's better than most of the shows I've seen there over the past few years anyway. I could definitely see this as a major contender for a revamp at next year's Block Party at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Since I do a little bit of script coverage for Skylight, I look forward to being a part of the inspiring process of discovering new plays to create meaningful world premieres at this truly lovely venue. I can only hope that this show will be extended in its run to reach the maximum amount of patrons in our community, but get tickets through May 14 and definitely tell friends. You will feel something, I promise.

Down the Road

InHouse Theatre is a company birthed from Lab, a performing arts group rooted in individual initiative, void of designated "teachers," spearheaded by Raphael Sbarge. It's inspiring to watch companies emerge this way because usually everyone on board is in it to win it and willing to go above and beyond to simply put in the work, something that can be unfortunately lacking in other auditioned theatre groups. InHouse also keeps a tradition of putting on site-specific pieces. You purchase a ticket to the production and you know the general neighborhood the performance will take place in, but they don't send you the address until two days before the show. 

This three person drama features the acting of Elizabeth Schmidt, Rob Welsh and Bryce McBratnie. Directed by Drew Rausch.

This weekend, three of my favorite champions of the American theatre joined me for InHouse's production of Down the Road by Lee Blessing. Candace the actor, her husband Patrick the engineer and Ashley, the theatrical agent. Candace, Pat and I were already InHouse fans, having visited their last production of Dinner With Friends by Donald Margulies at the historic Moncado Mansion in West Adams earlier in the fall. After having such a wonderful time at that show, we were looking forward to this new experience and sharing the world of InHouse with Ashley.

At the space somewhere in the Hollywood area (around Santa Monica & Western) about fifty or so patrons were packed next to each other amongst two arrangements of seats facing each other in the playing space. Physically it was simultaneously special and uncomfortable, which worked in favor of this storytelling. We could not always see everything from where we were sitting, but I think that also worked to the style's advantage. To our left was the interrogation room at a penitentiary. To our right was a seedy motel room, theatrically geographically not far from the jail. The story revolves around Iris (Elizabeth Schmidt) and Dan Henniman (Rob Welsh), two investigative nonfiction writers, currently working on completing a memoir/"why I did it" novel about serial killer William Reach (Bryce McBratnie). As they continue to question the motives and background of Reach, the strength of their marriage is also questioned. Power shifts as we begin to contemplate the lengths someone will take to be unforgettable.

McBratnie is excellent as the murderer/killer. When we were first introduced to his character as he interviewed with Dan at the table, I was caught off guard. He was calm, patient, relaxed and had a great disposition. He was amiable, almost chipper. Charming. I wrote down, "I don't know if this approach is going to work." But his eye contact was unyielding, as my companions would later agree with this observation. And the willingness and near delight he found in elaborating on the gruesome acts he inflicted on 19+ women allowed for a terrifying gradual reveal of just how messed up the character is. Just, this actor did a really nice job, very honest energy. As a whole, through Drew Rausch's innovative direction, the actors succeed captivating us in the scenes with them so intently, that all it took for a large percentage of the audience to jump in their seats was a committed bang of the cuffs against the iron table.

Up close and personal. For both the audience and the characters. 

Personally, the Dinner With Friends experience was more my cup of tea: Donald Margulies writing and French 75s on the porch of  a historic home where one of my favorite TV shows was filmed. But this production changed me because it introduced me to Lee Blessing's honest, yet pensive writing style (this play is a part of a three show cycle/collection) and as an audience member, gave me some of the necessary feels to formulate intimate, site-specific pieces with my company in the future. I like the direction this company is moving in and I look forward to seeing what they do next.

InHouse's Down the Road runs in Hollywood for a limited number of performances through May 7. Go for the convict. He'll make you squirm in your seat and sometimes he'll give you no choice but to look away. A challenging production put up by one of my favorite indie theatre companies in LA; check it out before it's too late!

Into the Woods

On Wednesday evening, I ventured to the Ahmanson for opening night of Into the Woods with one of my most trusted champions of the American theatre. Zoë I have known since childhood. She is now a senior at LMU who will be graduating with a degree in screenwriting in like, two months! Time does fly. ANYWAY, she had specifically asked if she could join me for this production, as she was a big fan of the musical, especially after living through Disney's film interpretation with her very musical family a few years ago. She was also looking forward to this Fiasco Theater rendition, in which the actors also served as the show's musicians. Of course I was happy to go with someone so enthusiastic about the content, considering that I had only ever seen a middle school production of the show performed, that actually might have only been the first act of the play (which can kind of stand alone as a complete piece of theatre)!

Sprinklings of character on top of 19th century underwear.

The day after the show, while still working on this piece, someone asked me "how minimalist is this production?" I'm not sure if minimal is the word I would use to describe it even. It's more like a very family-friendly, multi-role, stripped down edition of the original musical. At the beginning of the play the actors are walking around the stage casually, sometimes communicating directly with people in the audience until Anthony Chatmon II (who will later play one of the princes, one of Cinderella's stepsisters and the wolf) welcomes the audience, makes the cell phone announcement and commences the beginning of the show. A mobile pianist is stationed center stage while the cast begins the opening number standing in a row. Something about that brought me back to a choir or a music class. Simple yet strong. The rest of the production gradually, imaginatively deviates from that tone as the show continues. The style is kind of like playing dress up in your grandmother's attic. She's got a bunch of old clothes, some random props, taxidermy of your grandfather's (but he's a vegetarian now) and even some instruments from their old family band stint, back in the day.

"If you know
What you want,
Then you go
And you find it
And you get it-"
-The Baker's Wife

So, did I like all that. Yes. Did I LOVE that? No. This is not one of the best shows I've seen all year, but I still really enjoyed it. Zoë and I had a great time, and I think it would be a lot of fun to bring a younger patron to this production. I am a fan of this musical. For me the lyrics are very powerful and I appreciate the risks Lapine & Sondheim made musically to make these classic fairytale characters relatable, funnier, darker, smarter and even more realistic at times. Acting wise, Zoë especially loved Darick Pead, who commanded the audiences' attentions in each of his hilarious roles as the other prince, the other step-sister and Jack's cow Milkey White. He always had our attention and his comedic timing was excellent. I was also impressed with Stephanie Umoh's outside-the-box interpretation of the Witch. Music-wise, everything sounds fine. But Zoë and I asked ourselves if the instrumental might be a more powerful storytelling device if it were played by a full orchestra continually throughout the piece. Because basically, we have an extremely talented pianist/music director, Evan Rees, underscoring the entire show, followed up by Fred Rose who plays the cello, guitar and some percussion as well as his role as the Mysterious Man among a few other minor characters. Sometimes the other actors will add musically, though various percussion, bassoon, trumpet, guitar and others...but most of the time it's the piano playing with one of two other instruments while the actors do their acting. Again, it sounds fine, but in the big house environment of the Ahmanson, I think I was craving a full-time band.

"When you know you can't have what you want,
Where's the profit in wishing?" -The Baker's Wife

At intermission we chatted with Anthony, an old friend of mine from college theatre. He and I both agreed that this style of performance could be more powerful in a smaller, more intimate venue, but at the same time, we were happy the cast had the opportunity to perform in front of a house this size. It would have been better on the thrust stage of the Taper, but it would have been even better than that in a more up-close and personal venue. "Well, I think CTG is just trying to do something different. To be a little more outside the box with their content, you know" he told me with a shrug of his shoulders. But seriously, I guess my point is, if I had a dollar for every time someone referred to Center Theatre Group saying "I think they're trying to do something different" with a mildly quizzical look on their face...I'd be Michael Richie status, on both the payroll level and the "how do I please the American theatre pubic as a huge artistic director?" level. I don't know. It's a fine line. Should we be making small theatre bigger, or small theatre more accessible?

"But then what if he knew
Who I am when I know
That I'm not what he thinks
That he wants?"
-Cinderella

What does the show make me want to change about myself? There were a number of quotes that I wrote down while watching this show, some that I have already mentioned here. Many lyrics remind us that we are the masters of our own destiny, and that when we feel trapped, we have the power to make a change, to run away, to prove and improve ourselves. The second act is very existential and I appreciated that at this stage of life. As a younger theatre-goer I would have been like, "What the hell? Pull yourselves together," but now I'm like, "Yeah...I get it." This will probably sound a little dramatic, but one of the closing numbers, really caused me to think about my parents and how they devoted the second half of their lives to raising my brother and sister and I. "Careful before you say, 'listen to me,' children will listen," made me think about the choices and sacrifices they made and how our lives were affected in hindsight. And how I hope we can honor them by living our best lives for them, since they gave up so much for us. This line also makes me think about the impact I may have on my own children someday and children around me today..

The Fiasco Theater production of Into the Woods runs at the Ahmanson through May 14. Kids and adults alike will all have something to take away from this homespun, captivating production.