The tale told in Richard Kalinoski’s 1995 play, Beast on the Moon, is set against the background of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, primarily in 1915, and with lesser atrocities and massacres that extended back into the 19th Century. Armenians, a Christian people, were at the mercy of the Muslim Empire, and … Continue reading “Beast on the Moon” at International City Theatre
Jiehae Park’s play, Hannah and the Dread Gazebo, premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2017, where it was seen by Fountain Theatre Artistic Director Stephen Sachs, who found a way to bring to it to Los Angeles. The play, co-produced by Fountain Theatre in partnership with East West Players, is set in 2011 shortly … Continue reading “Hannah and the Dread Gazebo” at The Fountan Theatre
Unlikely couples fuel comedy—Stan and Ollie, Oscar and Felix, Ralph and Alice—more. But beyond that, they fuel drama—Butch and Sundance, Holmes and Watson, Sir and Norman, Romeo and Juliet. The best parings are those in a script that blend comedy and drama. Such a script is the new play, Early Birds, by Dana Schwartz, which … Continue reading “Early Birds” at Moving Arts
No matter what one thinks of the art of Andy Warhol, like for instance…”A tomato soup can? I could do that,” the fact is that, in his all too short existence, he upended conventional notions of what constitutes art, as so many artists did in the Twentieth Century—Picasso, Dali, Pollak, Rothko, and more. His … Continue reading “Andy Warhol’s Tomato” at Pacific Resident Theatre
Odyssey Theatre Company and director Denise Blasor have assembled a superb cast of actors for their production of María Irene Fornés’ 1977 play, Fefu and Her Friends. Touted for its all female cast, it is hardly unique in that aspect. Clare Booth Luce had a hit with The Women in 1936 that featured a huge … Continue reading “Fefu and her Friends” At Odyssey Theatre
Assembly Theatre Company has chosen a winner for its first production. Lee Blessing’s 1988 play, Two Rooms, is an important, gripping drama set in the war-torn city of Beirut circa 1986-89. Younger people will probably not remember those times when more than a hundred hostages were taken during the Lebanese Civil War and held in … Continue reading “Two Rooms” at Assembly Theatre Company
After a restless period of uncertainty, Open Fist Theatre Company is on a roll, clearly hitting its stride with a recent series of smashing shows—Under Milk Wood, Anna in the Tropics, and now Dancing at Lughnasa. Brian Friel’s award winning play is set in Ireland, County Donegal, in the small rural village of Ballybeg around … Continue reading “Dancing at Lughnasa” at Open First Theatre
