Playwright Miki Johnson makes an extraordinary Los Angeles debut with Echo Theater Company’s West Coast premiere of “American Falls,” her first full-length play. Although “American Falls” has been described as “a kind of modern day ‘Our Town’”, and indeed there are some similarities, it is darker, grittier and far more presentational. Like “Our Town’s” Stage … Continue reading “American Falls” at The Echo Theater Company
Luis Alfaro is on a roll with his savvy adaptations of the primal Greek texts, updated and grounded in the Chicano culture of Los Angeles. He reworked Sophocles’ “Electra” into the gripping “Electricidad,” then spun his magic once more with “Oedipus el Rey.” Now he turns to Euripides with “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angles,” … Continue reading “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles” at the Getty Villa
“When Stars Align,” an ambitious theatrical event written by Carole Eglash-Kosoff and director John Henry Davis, could not be more timely. The racial divide between black and white Americans has surged into the public consciousness with vivid examples of police violence against blacks of both sexes and all ages, as well as an apparent backlash … Continue reading “When Stars Align” at Odyssey Theatre
“Luka’s Room,” a smashing new play in its world premiere performance at Rogue Machine Theatre, literally haunts my dreams. I roused from slumber into the twilight zone of limited consciousness several times after experiencing “Luka’s Room” as scenes replayed themselves and the salient issues of the show danced around the edges of my mind. What … Continue reading “Luka’s Room” at Rogue Machine Theatre
Troy Maxson (Michael A. Shepperd) is a big man, a powerful, magnetic man who dominates with his voice and physical presence in whatever situation he finds himself. A pre-World War II star in the Negro Leagues, he takes some pride in his former prowess and seethes in the memory of the racist limitations that prevented … Continue reading “Fences” at International City Theatre
Paul Myrvold's Theatre Notes 