Joe Straw #9

By Joe Straw

Sometimes, you just don’t know, you don’t know how you got here because people, family, are not wiling to talk, to give their accounts of what exactly happened, how they arrived in this country, their perspective.

Maybe concealing is a way of keeping you safe and in this country, your family safe, your friends safe, your loved ones safe.

They both came in the early 1900’s, and lived in the San Joaquin valley, working the fields, and had a son, Jose. His mother got sick, possibly of tuberculosis, died within a matter of months, at the ripe old age of 18, in 1919. His father chose to move on to greener pastures. Jose, the infant, was given away, to a relative, or a friend, someone whispered, and that friend Americanized his name to Joe.

It’s like a whisper, the game you played when you were a kid, from ear to ear, bits and pieces of information that gets lost in the telling. And so it goes. And so it goes. – Narrator

Casa 0101 presents An L.A. Journey The Story of Lorenzo Alfredo written by Emmanuel Deleage & Lorenzo Alfredo and directed by Emmanuel Deleage through June 7^th, 2015.

If one were going to make to movie of this play, it would have to be in Cinemascope because of the large cast and landscape. And Jesus Eduardo Magaña, Paulina Bouyer-Magana, and JJ Paredes, the Projection Designers, certainly gives us the scope of the landscape by the projections on the walls. The projections authentically give us the look of these locations. The characters in the play performed in front of the projections, which were very appealing and fun to watch.

An L.A. Journey is the story of an eight-year-old boy Lorenzo (Olin Tonatiuh) who lost his mother and father. His grandmother took care of him, and when she could not do it anymore, Lorenzo was on his own.

Lorenzo—a K’iche Indian, Mayan—went to the city to find a place to work and live.

Hungry, Lorenzo runs into Olivia (Blanca Melchor), a rather crusty, unhappily married woman, who recognizes the usefulness of a small boy to help her with selling of tortillas. She invites him home to sleep on the couch. Olivia tells him that it is only temporary until her husband, Jorge (Felix I. Hernandez), comes back home from wherever and whomever he is sleeping or drinking with.

Lorenzo, happy to have a roof over his head, gets up early and hits the streets to sell tortillas.

When Jorge arrives and finds Lorenzo, he doesn’t want him there; still he sees the value of Lorenzo helping around the house and lets him stay.

Things are suddenly unhappy at home. Jorge is drinking and abusing Olivia. They really don’t get along. One night, Olivia tells Lorenzo that she is leaving Jorge for a boyfriend who is now living in New York and she will take him with her if he wants to go.

Well, Lorenzo doesn’t like Jorge and keeps Olivia’s secret until it is the time for them to go. Lorenzo says goodbye to his little friend, Rosita (Kathy Pedraza). And, in the dead of night, Lorenzo and Olivia start their journey to El Norte.

Olivia tells Lorenzo, they are traveling, as mother and son and she wants him to call her “mom” until they get into the United States. Unfortunately, Olivia doesn’t have that much money, and she is also not that smart when it comes to dealing with other people along the path to El Norte.

At first glance, An L.A. Journey The Story of Lorenzo Alfredo by Emmanuel Deleage and Lorenzo Alfredo seems like a wonderful story. One is very hard pressed to pass up a story about a boy 8 years old trying to get to Los Angeles.

A couple of things: one, the title should say “The True Story of Lorenzo Alfredo” because everyone likes a true story.

Secondly, it should be Lorenzo's story and not the story of others around him. During the course of the play, we lose sight of the cause, the boy, and the travel. While the focus of the writing might change when introducing new characters, the characters should be introduced from Lorenzo’s perspective because it is his story. This is not a story about Olivia; rather it is the story of how Olivia is perceived through the eyes of a young boy. The same holds true of the other characters that enter Lorenzo’s life.

This is a difficult task for a young actor to carry.

But the writing has some problems because of what Radio DJ (Angel Lizarraga) reveals as he tells the story to Caller (Erick Chajon).

In any case, if it is from the perspective of Radio DJ, then the story, as told on stage, should have been more precise, the journey fraught with more peril, and the passage more linear so that the characters are not traveling around in circles. No one likes to see an excursion in circles unless it is done to comic effect.

Carmelo Alvarezdoes an exceptional job with the character Hector and moves over into the dark side with the Money Exchanger.

Yolanda Gonzalesalso contributes mightily with portrayals of Dona Mare, and Grandmother. Her work was very enjoyable.

Felix I. Hernandezis outstanding as Jorge. He has a strong voice and a strong stage presence and I hope to see him in other plays.

Aurelio Medinadoes some really nice work as Spicy, the coyote, that brings Lorenzo to the United States. Medina fits right into the role and has a very nice look on stage. One particularly likes the idea that Spicy will go to great lengths to provide for those who need his help, including using a helicopter. (If only the boy had expressed joy in that scene.)

Blanca Melchor as Olivia plays angry most of her time on stage. This is not an interesting choice when there are so many other actions that would help the character. Angry doesn’t get a character anywhere but having a strong objective will take an actor on an incredible journey.

Olin Tonatiuh is Lorenzo and has a very tough role in that he is on the stage most of the time. Olin has a very good look and also has much to learn on his thespian journey.

There was some nice singing from Lorenzo Alfredo, the writer/actor, in this play.

Kathy Pedraza is very lovely as lovely Rosita.

The other actors filling out the roles are Erick Chajon, Angel Lizarraga, Estuardo Muñoz, Noemi Pedraza, Sharon Robles, Yocani Tonatiuh, and Katie Ventura.

Casa 0101 has a beautiful and spacious theatre. The idea of having original works of Latino themed plays is a good one. This is segment of Los Angeles actors that are ignored in Hollywood. But now, at CASA 0101, they are showcased, up on their feet creating art, and by all means that is a good thing.

I, for one, would like to see Roger’s and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma” done with an all Latino cast, complete with great Latino voices, great Latino actors and musicians.

But, that dream aside, the script needs more work. This is tough to do when the director and one of the writers, Emmanuel Deleage, are one in the same. In this case the writers, director and the producer should contribute to the making of a play. Also, the actors need to work harder to find their place and their light in their craft.

Other members of the crew are as follows:

Edward Padilla– Producer

Rafael O. Calderon– Producer

Josefina López– Founding Artistic Director of CASA 0101

Abel Alvarado– Costume Designer –Very nice work.

César Retana-Holguín– Set Designer

Cristina “Crispy” Carillo-Dono– Assistant Stage Manager

Ed Krieger– Publicity Photographer

Jorge Villanueva– Light Board Operator

Jules Bronola– Assistant Stage Manager

Juanita Gina Medina– Stage Manager

Mark Kraus– Webmaster

Matthew Sanchez– Props Master

Maura McGuinness– Lighting Designer

Ramon “Rooster” Cabrera– Assistant Stage Manager

Sohail e. Najafi– Technical Director

Miguel Carachure– Assistant Stage Manager

Steve Moyer Public Relations

Vincent Sanchez - Sound Designer

Run! And take someone who likes to whisper in your ear, over and over again, “I crossed. He cruzado la frontera.”

Box office: 323-263-7684

Email tickets: tickets@casa0101.org

www.casa0101.org

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Sal Lopez

By Joe Straw

Leaving the theatre after watching “This is a Man’s World” by Sal Lopez I was overcome by a profound sense of sadness that nearly overtook me on the drive home. Clearly, theatre on this night had affected some kind of change, for the better or worse; I’m not sure which. I suspect it was for the better. – Narrator

Jose Luis Valenzuela, in his introduction, stood on stage and mentioned that Sal Lopez approached him about doing a new show.

“Well, what’s it about?” – Jose Luis Valenzuela

“It’s about being a man.” – Sal Lopez

Jose Luis just stared, thinking back, remembering the image of Sal proudly standing in front of him, the final word of “man” just press forth from his lips.

Slightly dumfounded, Jose Luis waited for more to come but then realized that that was it. He paused and questioned the moment and speculated where all of this was going. “…about being a man”. He seemed to be saying, “I am a man, you are a man, and we are both men”. The recognition factor of how being a man might be a show, at this moment, at first glance, did not seem appealing.

Instead Jose Luis just stared, a bottomless vacuous stare.

Finally…

“Well, um, okay.” – Jose Luis Valenzuela

This is a Man’s World A Candid Coming of Age Story by Sal Lopez, directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela, and produced by The Latino Theatre Company will be playing through June 21, 2015 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

There is something truly profound about Sal Lopez’s work. The title says little of what the play is about, “This is a Man’s World”, borrowing a line from James Brown work of art, a song. Rather it’s about Sal becoming a man and the steps leading to that exalted position in his life.

And it’s all generated by an aggravated unfortunate event.

The play starts out with Sal on a hospital bed suffering from after-effects of a stroke following a strenuous workout at Bally’s. And lying in bed, allows Sal enough time to contemplate the moments, hear the voices, see the shadows, think about the time that passed. And after losing 6 hours of his life to amnesia, the first thing he thinks is: How did I get here?

The silhouette, behind the curtain, lifted like a caliginous shadow from a corpse, a rising lifeless form, well, nearly dead. The specter awoke from a deep sleep.

But when Sal came out and threw back the curtains, something happened—the rapport between the actor and audience felt slightly uncomfortable. And I thought, “Was this “man” thing going to work?”

That feeling was only temporary as the moments started to gel under Valenzuela’s direction and the night sailed on into Sal’s manhood.

And, why did the night have a dramatic effect on me?

Well, for one, the time frame is familiar to me, growing up in the sixties with the manly images of Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan (Tarzan and His Mate 1934) and George Reeve’s Superman (1952) projected on screen. Those were images that young men saw on TV and identified with at that time.

(Playing Superman and flying off the chest of drawers onto the bed until it broke was not unheard of in our house.)

Secondly, Sal had seven brothers, (all who were there in the audience that night) and with a house full of boys, someone was bound to get into some kind of trouble.

And three, we can all identify and have an emotional attachment to the time you got your first car and the first time you fell in love, and the moment we first made contact with your forever love.

And as life progresses, something changes when you get married and have your first child; you say the wrong thing at the very wrong time, something that you can never take back; you have let down your first born and they give you that look that you never forget, ever.

These are the first things, the first notion, that what you say, as a man, has a dramatic effect on those around you. And these are the first steps, in a long line of steps, of recognizing what it means to be a man.

But just when you think you've got a lock on it all, there are the moments when you recognize what a real man was like, remembering your dad—a hard disciplinarian one day, the brave dad who saves the day when you are in trouble, or the proud dad who visits you on your set, and sadly, the dad who leaves you without saying his final goodbye.

Sal Lopez, the writer and the actor, did an exceptional job. Lopez has an unquestionable appeal and is infinitely enlightening. With fluidly he moves about the stage inhabiting the characters with fantastic precision. The characters are specific, each and everyone, and the moments are captivating, especially when one looks into his eyes as he pauses to think on stage. And in this very intimate space, you get Sal Lopez, up close and personal.

One cannot help but have tremendous admiration for Jose Luis Valenzuela’s directorial work and how he makes things work almost seamlessly on stage. One can be sure; the night will be filled, not only with significant drama but, dance and music as well.

That said, one might question how the opening and the almost-drowning scenes did not tie in convincingly to the story being told. The drowning scene took us away from the moment that had been running smoothly until then. The opening is a little trickier in that the actor has to tie in the reason why he is speaking to us, how he wants to tell us that it is a man’s world, and how he wants to convince us of that fact.

At the end of the day, the short journey of life, one has to contemplate the journey and decide whether one has made a significant impact to those around you, that you did enough for humankind, and that you did not hurt too many people along the way. And Jose Luis, gives us the answers, and ties it all together with a brilliant ending, a proud moment that lifts the audience to their feet.

Yee Eun Nam was responsible for the Set & Projection Design. Ivan Robles created the Sound Design. Phillip W. Powers did an exceptional job with the Lighting Design. And Urbanie Lucero was responsible with the Costume Design.

The Stage Manager was Henry “Heno” Fernandez.

Run! Run! And take someone who loves comic books. There are a lot of heroes in this one.

Reservation: 213-489-0994

www.thelatc.org

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Ethan Rains, Caro Zeller

By Joe Straw

Ghosts are not the visions you see, walking through doors and up staircases; they are the mental images that haunt your every waking moment, the memory of a smile, a feathery pulse of air slipping by your ear, the fragrant scent of a body, the noise of the last words spoken, the lasting images of screaming, ‘sblood on a train, and the recalcitrant history of an event never to be forgotten. – Narrator

Paloma is a story of images – a narration of good and evil – wound tightly around a not so intense love story – an exordium of love – of love that never was – a distorted figment of a lover’s imagination – and a poetic love of two drawn together by something that could never be – a Catholic woman and a Muslim man.

Surrena Saffari

And here you sit listening to the original and pleasant music of Guitarist: Surenna Saffari,an image, a spotlight on quiet chords that fill the empty spaces of the theatre, finding their way, with no direction but bouncing to their lovingly end destination.

Ibrahim Ahmed (Ethan Rains) casually lying down with a book in hand, “The Ring of the Dove” by Tawa al-Hamámah “El Collar del al Paloma”*, as though he were in a park, listening to his lawyer, Jared Rabinowitz (Jesse Einstein) speak about the not too distant past. Ibrahim is in a lot of trouble and he needs a lawyer, this lawyer. “Why” – is the first question?

(*“The Ring of the Dove” was written around 1022 by Ibn Hazm, a devout Muslim who wrote on the themes of love, chastity, and restraint.)

Love to fruition – an act that is impossible for these two misguided friends – their love stands at the base of a cliff attempting to reach for the peak. And in this particular case between a chaste Muslim man and a not so chaste Catholic woman – their love might as well have started at the base of Mount Everest.

The Los Angeles Theatre Center presents the West Coast Premiere of Paloma by Anne Garcia-Romero and directed by Alan Freeman through June 21^st, 2015.

Paloma, wonderfully written by Anne Garcia-Romero and is brilliantly executed by Alan Freeman, the director. Told from a survivor’s perspective this is a story - a despairing reflection - of one who can love but remains chaste because his religion is an unyielding barrier. And from that chaste perspective, it is at times a deeply disturbing story.

Paloma, the play, is not linear in form. The action moves from the present to the past. That reflection is used to define the characters, and the relationships to the end. And from the beginning the audience is presented with little information. We are privy to relationships only when they are given in tiny increments, and some so far in the play, that we are entreated to a final sense of acknowledgement, an enigmatical tranquility, which is indeed poetically painful and tragic.

The setting of the play takes place from 2003 to 2005 in New York City and in various cities in Spain. Ibrahim Ahmed is speaking with Jared Rabinowitz, his lawyer and they appear to be in the park as he is prostrate on the ground.

Jesse Einstein, Ethan Rains

“Abe,” who prefers to be called Ibrahim, does not want to change his name while he is on the witness stand. But Rabinowitz suggests this is best given the current nature of Americans’ feelings toward Muslims.

Rabinowitz wants all the information, of Abe and Paloma’s (Caro Zeller) relationship, from the beginning to the end.

So, the past is revisited in the NYU library where Ibrahim Ahmed and Paloma Flores are studying from “The Ring of the Dove” and the rules on how to love. Abe is studying for his MA in Islamic Studies while Paloma is studying for her MA in World History, but only one will allow a physical relationship.

They note that Paloma means dove.

“Is that a come on?” – Paloma

Breaking in from time to time Rabinowitz wants to know if Abe told his parents about their relationship.

“No.” – Ibrahim

Meanwhile Paloma wants to know if Abe is religious. Abe tells her “Yes” and he prays five times a day. (Note: we never see him pray.)

“You’re like a monk...don’t drink? or f*ck?” – Paloma

“No.” - Ibrahim

It is Abe’s recollection that they both decide that Spain would be a good place to go, since it’s cheap, for their study of Islam and world history, and to consummate their love.

Meanwhile Rabinowitz offers another theory – that Paloma, when left alone in the hotel, got on the train, and that’s when the events unfolded.

“Your mother and I know. God will punish you.” – Ibrahim’s father.

But no matter what Rabinowitz tries, visiting Mosques, trying to talk to the parents, or to church leaders, no one will testify on Ibrahim’s behalf.

Ethan Rains does a marvelous job as Ibrahim Ahmed. Rains has a disquieting peculiarity in his character, a way about him that is completely realistic and natural on stage. But what is it about the character that appears to be so emotionally unattached after the events in Madrid? The casual lying around, in a hoodie, in the opening moments of the plays says nothing of the preceding events. It is somewhat curious and odd. He needs to bring in the history of the Madrid bombings as well as provide a representational element, an injury, and/or her necklace, however slight or grand. Ibrahim seems to leave that all behind him, a part of his life that is now done. Rains does an impressive job showing emotions on the witness stand (much to his detriment) but presents unyielding rigidity in his emotional commitment to his true love. Still, Rains’ work is quite arresting.

Caro Zeller is charming as Paloma, and yet one feels her frustration. Zeller has a powerful voice and inhabits the character with aplomb. She is a stunning actress that gives a lot of life to the character. Paloma, with her urbane playfulness, is emotional when trying to have her way and getting her lover into bed proves to be her unconquerable obstinacy.

Jesse Einsteinbrings a substantial life to Jared Ravinowitz, the attorney who will stop at nothing to give his client a favorable outcome. He has a strong presence on stage and is specific in action and in completing his objective. That said, more needs to be made to define the relationship between him and his client, his friend, for which he provides his service gratis.

Alan Freeman, the director, does an incredible job with this production. The actors move with precision moving in and out of a moment, going back and forth in time.

But the opening was slightly frustrating because of Ibrahim’s prone position.

“Got any smokes?” – Ibrahim

One is at a complete loss about the purpose of this moment, especially after Madrid, the loss of a true love, and a civil suit that could destroy his life. Also, it says little about the relationship between the two and seems attorney/client casual. Also, the scene presented itself like a criminal in a holding cell speaking to his attorney. We don’t get the sense of the place in this scene.

Also, if the story is from Ibrahim’s perspective, then the scene of Paloma alone in the hotel room must be a figment of someone’s imagination. It is not visibly connected on stage. The note in the book to Ibrahim, did not play out adequately later in the play.

One more thing, I loved the bar scene.

For Anne Garcia-Romero, the writer, this is a very impressive work of art. One is caught off guard by its brilliance, the diverse nature of the characters, and the message it conveys. It is also a tenebrous subject matter of how religion plays a role in diminishing the love of a fully committed couple. The play also offers a different perspective of the Madrid bombings that killed 192 people - killed for reasons that have never been satisfactorily made clear. The play is beautiful in intention and it also reminds us of the iniquitous nature of the unpleasantness around the world.

Ann Sheffield did an incredible job with the Set Design; a beautiful multi-level set that gave us the wonderful elements of humanity. Megan Hill was the Assistant Set Designer.

Trevor Norton, Lighting Design, presents us with beautiful images and lights that appeared from every direction giving us a sense of place.

Laura Wong, the Costume Designer, presented the actors in the correct time. Her work was marvelous.

Other members of this fabulous crew are as follows:

Raul Staggs– Casting Director

Matt Sweeney– Special Effects Design

Willie Mae Michiels– Stage Manager

Run! Run! And take a friend, better yet a Unitarian Universalist, someone that embraces all religions.

Reservations: 213-489-0994

www.thelatc.org

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By Joe Straw

One can look at a theatrical presentation and come up with backstory that has little to do with the actual production. For the fun of it, here is my backstory.

Dorine (Garbine Iñsausti) loved playing the cello. At a very young age, in an empty music room, she stumbled upon a bow, first, and the cello second. She looked around – saw no one – and when she slid the bow across a string, well, that made her heart dance. She also felt a strange vibration in her stomach and on her fingers. From then on, that “C” or “G”, “D” or “A”, or whatever it was, haunted her, in every dream. She was almost on her hands and knees begging her mom, a strong single woman, to let her have one, even a used one would be good to start.

From then on, Dorine was hooked; she had to know more, searched for ways until she exceled all the way through college. Just recently, she found a four-piece jazz collective to play with for a little scratch, money.

Oh, when she became a young adult, Dorine was hot, and the notes she played were equally hot. The notes accompanied her body, well, they just wafted around her arms, her breast, massaging her shoulders, and curled around her legs like bean vines around a singing cornstalk. Music was so much a part of her life; nothing was going to take her away from it. Nothing.

Andre (Jose Dault) had very little direction is school. Polyester was not a clothing choice. His mother, hesitantly and under duress, bought him bell-bottoms jean. The fit was tight, too tight, but good if you wanted the female of the species to notice, and they did.

Then something happened in college, just a footnote of someone who appreciated his work. He had “a flair” – albeit slight praise, but very promising. A professor made a note, decided to read his paper in front of the class as he blushed, fiery red, while sweat poured out of every polyester fiber he owned. The smelled and heat lifted from inside his shirt to his face - and his smell, on that day, was not that pleasant.

Now André – working as a doorman in a legit musical theatre house – was befriended by a trumpet player who played in the orchestra. His friend, a victim of a muscular disorder, walked on crutches, was nice enough to stop by and chat. And out of the blue, man gave him a typewriter to write. And André fell in love with that typewriter, keeping it with him day and night, typing on his murphy bed.

The theatre got him open invitations to different venues around town and that’s when he met a certain cello player, so he hustled himself, and placed him in a position to meet her. And mentally, internally, he vociferously cleped her name, again, and again, until she stepped outside the stage door.

And then André met Dorine, life happened, they got old, and things suddenly changed.

Kulunka Teatro presents André & Dorine by Jose Dault, and Garbiñe Insausti and directed by Iñaki Rikarte, which ended its three-week run at the Los Angeles Theatre Center on Spring Street.

Kulunka Teatro was created in The Basque Country in Spain in 2010. (The Basque Country – a land mass in the shape of a heart – is the northeast region of Spain and borders France. And, by strange coincidence, the masks are representational of characters from both countries.)

Kulunka Teatro’s goal is to use masks to demonstrate life on stage, a type of theatrical experience that will transcend boundaries and languages in the way that music and human physicality have no barriers.

The masks by Garbiñe Insausti are twice the size of a human head, the features; the pronounced proboscis, eyebrows, and jowls are conspicuous and inspire a somber perspective. The masks are almost the same for the older selves as the younger selves except the younger ones have a tighter mask with a little more sunglow. Visually, the actors wearing the masks, looked like large puppets with invisible strings.

The eyes - the window to the souls - are behind the mask, and are dark, completely black and do not reflect the eyes of the wearer. And the color of their skin at curtain call suggests the masks were extremely hot.

“There are no words for this play.” – Jose Luis Valenzuela, Artistic Director of the Latino Theatre Company

The play is without words. Acting teachers emphasize that actors do not need the words if the intention/objective is strong. Writers tend to disagree but, for this play, the actions define the play and confirm that the words are not necessary for a show that effortlessly travels across borders.

The actors in this production move brilliantly in the celebration of life to the end, where age robs of mental and physical faculties. And at times the moments are so heartbreaking one want to cover one’s eyes and turn away.

The play, presented in vignettes, starts with the older Andre working at his typewriter, still writing, as Dorine tries to play her cello in the same room. Each in their own passionate eloquence, move as they have for many years, not otiose, but movement with a purpose, now fully aware the sound from each other’s instruments are getting on each other’s nerves. And in their wearisome repetition to complete a task neither one is able to satisfy a mental need.

The sound of doorbell ringing, along with the punching typewriter, and the misguided notes coming from the cello, masks (no pun intended) the sounds of someone trying to get into the house.

Dorine or André pause from their work. Their chairs squeak while competing to stay in their seat to work, for the other to get the door, and then sit back to task. Finally, when the noise of the relentless ringing becomes too much, Dorine, nearest to the door, answers it. It is their son.

The air of tension is briefly lifted as André and Dorine warmly greet their prodigy. But as that moment passes, they start fighting over him pulling him to and fro. André wants the son to read his new book, while Dorine ambles into the bedroom to fetch an egregious red patterned sweater for her son to wear.

The son takes their action in stride but one sees a character that did not get much attention in his formative years with his mother busy with her music and his father always writing and never taking the opportunity to be with his son.

And with “no words,” the son’s character projects a fascinating life on stage.

And a simple moment – the son noticing Dorine shirt buttoned incorrectly – foreshadows her pending health issues.

In the third vignette, the son takes Dorine to the doctor’s office; when they enter the waiting room, they find a rogue patient who is sitting in the middle of three seats scratching vociferously. Dorine has no problem sitting next to him on one end and implores her son to take a seat. But the son has a problem with catching any creative chigger that may fly off this miscreant’s body and embed itself deeply within the cavity of his own groin.

Naytheless it is in the office, the son becomes aware of Dorine’s illness. And later, when he presents it to his dad, André, André ignores the letter and gives his son the new book he has written.

Moments accumulate as Dorine hangs her coat on the cello rack. Seeing the changes in Dorine, André reminisce about their meeting, her infatuation with his words, and their marriage.

Jose Dault, Garbiñe Insausti, and Edu Carcamo bring a fantastic life to each character, André, Dorine, and son. There are other characters but there were never more than three characters on stage so one suspects there were only three actors in the play. The nurse seems a lot taller than the rest of the cast members and it’s hard to know how the messenger boy was done because he appeared much smaller.

The masks made the actors bigger than life and they physically rose to the occasion with aplomb. This was a fantastical, no holds barred, whimsical expression of life that asks us to take a look at another human being and to take stock in the wonderful creation before you.

Wonderfully directed by Iñaki Rikarte with images of life that will steal your heart.

And as Dorine stares into nothingness and rubs the bow, a forgotten instrument against the back of her hand, the images on stage jump out for a dramatic impact, of the coat on the cello rack, the mess in the bathroom, soiled linens, sitting alone, hair disheveled, and wearing her clothes backwards, And after trying to overcome the obstacles, André just shrugs his shoulders and escorts her toward the door to venture out, warts and all.

And the most important feeling that I took with me was that André really loves Dorine and would do anything to help her. And that was a beautiful feeling to take home.

The music by Yayo Cáceres, Music Composer, was very European and very divine.

Other members of this remarkable crew are as follows:

Set Design: Laura Gómez

Light Design: Carlos Samaniego

Costume Design: Ikerne Giménez

Photographs: Gonzalo Jerez

Music Composer: Yayo Cáceres

Assistant Director: Rolando San Martín

Technician: Arturo López

By Joe Straw

“A while ago, on a sunny afternoon, in a restaurant next to Book Soup, I saw Prince strutting his way and obliquely prowling the magazine rack outside the store.

Prince was traveling in incognito. Well, sort of, he had on a bright orange suit and was traveling with his bodyguard who was approximately 10 times his girth.

Well, you know, Prince is very angular and slight.

Anyway, I wanted to shout out “Hi Prince”, but my bad luck because that’s when he had changed his name to a symbol you couldn’t pronounce, so I didn’t say anything.

Side note: Does someone really go out in a bright orange suite if they don’t want to be noticed? – Narrator

I don’t get invited to the Hollywood Fringe Festival, except on Facebook and 2015 was no exception. In any case, the Hollywood Fringe is just something you go and experience, because, metaphysically, it’s like an out-of-body experience.

There was one show I wanted to see. And while trying to find a parking space, I noticed a man, who looked like Elvis, walking south on Lillian Way, engaged in an animated discussion with someone who must have been his bodyguard.

“Dis must be de place!” This was exactly the show I wanted to see, “King Dick”.

At Theatre Asylum where it was playing, no one was around. “Where’s King Dick playing? Where is the ticket office? Where do I go?” No one had answers. Finally I checked the log sheet outside the theatre. It said: “King Dick – Lab”.

What does that mean?

Finally, I saw Elvis (Christian Levatino) strutting west on Santa Monica Boulevard. He introduced himself and very graciously directed me to the right spot.

King Dick written by Christian Levatino, produced & directed by Leon Shanglebee, which I suspect is also a Levatino alias, had a wonderful run at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2015.

The Gangbusters Theatre Company makes terrific use of the Lab Theatre, a small black-box venue. The Lab is extremely suitable for both the imaginative spirit and the spirits of a drug-induced character working for the benefit of mankind.

King Dick, a fully staged workshop production, is a marvelous play that is brilliant in imaginative ways. Levatino’s historical farce plays upon emotions that one yearns for in theatre where reality, character eccentricities, and absurdity are thrown together in a madcap soup of theatrical madness. And by way of the Elvis’s moral discontent, one is treated to a message with a strong social significance. This is a wonderful work of art by an artist who is finding his niche as a playwright and certainly one to seriously consider.

I am a true fan of Elvis, and, have read about it, seen the pictures, and well, you really can’t make this stuff up.

Blame it on Mercury in retrograde, an excuse Elvis used as justifications for his insanity because he had a serious problems with drugs and guns. How he got in to see Nixon in less than a day defies comprehension.

The play takes place sometime in December 1970, a year after the Tate–LaBianca murders. E (as he is known in the play) is horrified by the direction the country is taking due to drugs and drug murders. He has a solution but it requires obtaining a badge from a Federal Drug Enforcement agent. The badges he proudly holds now are honoree badges and therefore useless. His vision is to get that badge from some legitimate law enforcement agency in Washington D.C., so that he can serve the greater good.

So E is off to Washington D.C. to take care of business, meet with whomever he needs to meet, and get the required badge.

E gets on the plane using an alias as Jon Burrows. The problem is the costume, the jewelry, the cane, the sideburns, the black hair, sunglasses, and the face immediately gives him away. Dottie Stevens (Corryn Cummings), the stewardess, is willing to keep a secret for the time being, but that secret lasts the length of Tootsie Pop between them.

E sits next to Mancini Moore (Ian Verdun), a soldier who is coming back from Vietnam and who is visibly affected by the war. He looks up to see E and smiles.

“…plane ain’t going down with your ass on it.” – Moore

E wants to know more about what went on. Moore lets off a stream of consciousness sympathetic to the anti-war movement and E, by all appearances, does not comprehend the true meaning of his message.

Still, E wants to help Moore. He runs to Schilling, demands the expense money Shilling is holding and then gives Moore some Christmas money.

That out of the way, E racks his brains in pursuit of the badge.

Next the stewardess introduces Senator George Murphy (Darrett Sanders) to the King and Murphy offers E his opinions about the direction of the country, about the war, and the badge.

E does not get the war, but given his mission to get a badge, he takes Murphy’s advice to pen a letter to the President of The United States, Richard Milhouse Nixon (John Combs).

Dwight Chapin (Patrick Flanagan), a P.T. Barnum bi-curious government official, receives the letter E dropped off at the White House’s front gate and takes it to his supervisor, Bud “Egil” Krogh (Andy Hirsch), a play-by-the-book government official (later imprisoned in the Watergate scandal). Krogh puts ethics aside to see if he can get E a badge.

Meanwhile Sonny West (Andrew Dits) visits E’s hotel room and talks to Schilling about the unholy madness E is getting himself into. E, coming into the room dressed in a robe and bathing cap, is hurt to see that West is without his gift, the TCB necklace.

“You make me want to spontaneous combust.” - E

Later we learn that Nixon has gotten himself into a little trouble with Daniel Ellsberg’s release of the Pentagon Papers and a trickle of the downward spiral starts here. But, hoping to plug the drain, Nixon wants to meet with E.

“King Creole” was spectacular!” – Nixon

L - Christian Levatino and John Combs

This was a very exciting cast that brought a lot of backstory to the lives presented on stage. Still, I have a few observations.

Matthew Hudacsfilled the role of Jerry Schilling and did a fine job. Hudacs has a good look and is natural on stage, but needs to make more of the relationship with E. His backstory needs an added element as to adequately define the relationship. This is not to take away from anything on stage but to add.

Christian Levatinowas fantastic as E, bringing with him a grand physical life of the character, karate moves and all, along with mental complexities of being a pharmaceutical poster boy for the drug industry. And because of the drugs E is constantly asking for help from his friends, but when something goes wrong in the Oval Office, and he may lose his badge, he begs the President to help.

“Dick! Help me! Dick! Help!!!” - E

Corryn Cumminsdoes a delightful turn as Dottie Stevens, the stewardess. Bright and cheery, Dottie gives E a run for his money right outside the lavatories, a discomforting intimate moment, on the plane, and confusing E with her brilliance, just a bit. Amatory speculations abound in her effort to join the mile high club with a celebrity but E was on a mission. Cummins was remarkable in the role.

Ian Verdun does some really nice work as Mancini Moore. Verdun is natural on stage. But, he needs to be make more of the conflict with his counterpart, if only to say: “I didn’t get the cushy job in Germany, I went to Vietnam where there was a lot of killing and dying going on.” Moore should convince E to add his voice to the inequities going on in the nation and thus introduce more conflict into the scene.

Darrett Sanderswas impressive as Senator George Murphy, a down-to-earth guy who speaks the truth to anyone willing to listen. Sanders is a fantastic actor who makes it all look so easy. His delivery is sharp and focused and his characterization is this side of brilliant. (In reality, George Murphy was a former song and dance man, and the president of the Screen Actors Guild, before his foray in Republican politics.)

Andy Hirsch plays Bud ‘Egil’ Krogh and the character was solid to the craziness around him. He was outstanding in his office, bedrock in motive. Still there has to be more to this character. (In real life Krogh went to jail for the Watergate conspiracy and then later became a Senior Fellow on Ethics (Ethics?) and Leadership at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.) On top of what Hirsch is already doing, he should incorporate something to give the character an added dimension, one of larceny, and possibly non-ethics.

Patrick Flanaganis delightful as Dwight Chapin, the slightly disheveled, bi-curious, do anything, speak your mind, kind of guy. (In real life Chapin, Special Assistant, was convicted of lying to a grand jury for perjury during the Watergate Scandal and served nine months at the Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc) This is a performance not to miss and a marvelous one at that.

Andrew Dits plays Sonny West and had some nice things going on. Dits is tall, muscular, and very angular (a model). As the character, West speaks of E as out of control but does little to help him get on the right path. More is needed to help the character West dulcify his relationship to E. Still, Dits has a very strong presence on stage.

John Combs brings a lot of laughs into the Oval Office as Richard Nixon. One has to wonder who was the crazier of the two. Combs does a tremendous job of creating a character that is coming undone, of giving us a glimpse of Nixon’s ultimate downfall, of blaming others, and showing us the famous peace sign outside of Marine I. Combs is very funny and wonderful in the role.

Sean McSweeney is the still photos man Ollie Adkins. McSweeney has little or no dialogue but is very clever on stage with a very nice stage charisma.

Levatino’s play is a lot of fun and works as a stand-alone project. On a side note Levatino looks at honesty and politics and finds the bitterest of contradictions as part of the presentation as a whole. He also incorporates absurdity into a real life situation, which makes this performance a very pleasant outing.

Produced and Directed by Leon Shanglebee which one suspects is also a Levatino alias. This production has minimal props and set pieces and Shanglebee has the actors do most of the work. The moments hit their mark and the precision with which this was done was exquisite.

Nicely produced by Mary Kelsey and LQ Victor. Co-Produced by Daniel Coronel. Associate Produced by Margo Rowder& Corryn Cuminns. Sound Design by Mohane Sebastion. The Elvis Costume was by Mimi Chong. Wigs by Kim Ferry. Stage Management by Deacon Waiver and the Social Media was covered by Corryn Cummins and Margo Rowder.

Kevin Spacey has a film in postproduction now with “Elvis and Nixon”, and another film “Elvis Meets Nixon” with Rick Peter was released in 1997 so Elvis still holds a viable fascination with the public many years after his death.

www.gangbusterstheatre.com

L - Sophia Lilinoe Cesario, Lonni Silverman, Angel Castellanos, Eric Myles Geller, Ellyn Stern Epcar, & George Almond

I started reading Les Misérables by Victor Hugo a few weeks ago. Yes, I did. – Narrator

George Almond has taken on the monumental task of producing Victor Hugo’s 2,783-page novel “Les Misérables”. And with the help of Jonathan Holloway’s adaptation, Almond brings forth this epic novel in a form of a three-hour play.

Somehow I didn’t think this was possible much in the same way that I didn’t think it was possible to make a musical of this book. In retrospect, I was misguided. But the overwhelming immensity of turning the novel into a play, well, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Planta Genista Productions presents Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables adapted by Jonathan Holloway and directed by Jed Alexander at Studio/Stage, 520 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles, California through July 26^th, 2015.

Hilletje Moller Bashew, a violinist, provided the entertainment on this night. Two lovely women dressed in 1930s wardrobe tangoed across the stage, bodies together, and barebacked. The heat rising from their bodies, a risqué moment observing legs intertwined as two women danced within a smoke filled tavern. And they danced without a care in the world.

Slowly, the characters came out, fatuously jostling, one by one, and interacted with the audience. Little Cosette (Sophia Lilinoe Cesario) sang a little ditty while her poor mother Fantine (Savannah Crafton) looked on. Thenardier (Eric Myles Geller), an obstreperous bum, was caught digging through the trashcans and being annoying to onlookers who might have change to give him. And one character (Lonni Silverman) juggled a ball, one ball. These actions added an interesting flavor to the night and gave credence to the period of 1936 Paris. But, one naturally loves to see character development on stage after the lights go up.

Happily, this adaptation followed the book and was easy to follow. The first act stayed true to the novel and felt like a homecoming of sorts, reaffirming what I remembered.

In this version, M. Madeleine, also known as Jean Valjean (George Almond), is a successful nightclub owner of the Le Caveau de la Jazz nightclub. He is a suave, articulate, sophisticated man about town. He is also hiding from his terrible past, that of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister and her seven hungry children, and then escaping from prison for his petty crime. He is now, technically, a fugitive.

That aside, the actions inside his nightclub, gives us a feel of the time and the place. And shortly thereafter, a microphone is placed center stage and we are entreated to a version of “Embraceable You” (a 1928 song by George and Ira Gerswhin), sung beautifully by Fantine (Savannah Crafton).

Savannah Crafton

But the song only carries Fantine slightly beyond her hardened heart. She is desperate to have someone care for her daughter, Little Cosette.

Fantine, at this moment, lacks judgment possibly because of her hunger and alcohol abuse. She has little skills in judging character and selects the first person in her line of vision—Mme. Thenardier, the innkeeper.

Giving Cosette away to strangers is an act worst than throwing her to a pack of the wolves, and yet Fantine, exhaling life, and in a miserable act of desperation, releases Cosette’s tiny little fingers into the rapacious claws of Mme. Thenardier.

M. Thenardier (Eric Miles Geller), drinking at the bar, hears the conversation and jumps in on his wife’s moneymaking venture to squeeze the last 57 sous out of Fantine. Fantine reluctantly agrees and off the Thenardiers roll with little Cosette to abuse her as they see fit.

So, as almost an afterthought to better her life, Fantine thinks she will settle herself, work hard, earn some money, then gather Little Cosette, and finally bring her home.

Only a short time later, M. Thenardier and Mme. Thenardier write Fantine demanding more money.

Meanwhile a letter comes for M. Madeleine asking him to become mayor of the town. He is ambivalent because of his past. He reflects on his past to reach behind the bar to pull out the candlestick and his prison uniform. He has a solid reputation now, is a perfect gentleman, a loved pillar of society, and he wants his past to remain hidden, a secret forever.

But just as it seems that everyone has forgotten the prisoner, a moment passes to bring his past back to life. A cart has fallen on Fauchelevent (Donald Wayne). Frightened men gather around the cart but their physical insufficiencies aren’t enough to save the poor man’s life much less his soul. M. Madeleine is hesitant, not wanting to give away his secret, his strength, but Fauchelevent is in such a terrible position that M. Madeleine cannot refuse to help.

Inspector Javert (Joe Hulser) who knows that there is only one man who has the strength to lift the cart waits nearby and observes M. Madeleine lift.

Quink (Eric Myles Geller) approaches Fantine, as she cleans tables in the bar, and indicates that he wants more from her than her work time. And Fantine now feels the pressure from all sides as Mme. Thenardiers demands more money for Cosette. And as the pressure mounts she is suddenly fired from the jazz club for her impudence and not giving in to his sexual advances.

Now on the streets, Fantine resorts to selling her hair to support Cosette and then selling her two front teeth, for forty sous, yanked out by the sleazy demon barber (Donald Wayne). All she has left is to sell her body.

And later, on the streets, Javert arrests a toothless Fantine for prostitution, a misunderstanding, due to a miserable man, Bamatabois (not seen), shoving snow down her back.

When the mayor, M. Madeline, finds out, he orders Javert to release the prisoner.

Fantine spits in M. Madeline’s face for having her fired at the jazz club. M. Madeline sees beyond Fantine’s frustration and takes her to his home to care for her and promises to bring Little Cosette home.

Later Inspector Javert visits M. Madeleine to say that he had reported him to the French authorities - that M. Madeleine was in fact Jean Valjean - but he says the he was mistaken, that the authorities have told him they found Valjean, in another town parading around as a man name Champmatheiu (not seen).

In reality M. Madeleine knows him to be an innocent man.

Javert then asks for M. Madeleine’s forgiveness and asks to be dismissed from his position but M. Madeleine refuses.

Later M. Madeleine travels to get Cosette but sympathetic matters divert him to Jean Valjean’s trial. Fed up with the injustice M. Madeline confesses in the courtroom that he is the real Jean Valjean and flees to Fantine, without Cosette, empty-handed. (This is not seen in the play but intimated in the following scene.)

Now that M. Madeline has revealed that he is the real Jean Valjean, Inspector Javert shows up to arrest him. With the help of Sister Simplice (Lonni Silverman), Jean Valjean flees and finds Little Cosette and both escape in the cover of darkness to find sanctuary.

Opening night presented some challenges, mostly to the actors settling down and feeling comfortable on stage. By the time you read this, the actors will have taken a deep breath, advanced into the roles, become more comfortable with the lines, and hit their marks.

Jed Alexander, the director, places these events from 1936 through 1945 in Paris, France and overall the play works nicely. If you have read the book, or seen the musical, the characters and the events fall into place. With intermission, the play, approximately 3 hours, needs trimming. At times, actors were without lights, behind the bar, or downstage right (the cart scene). Also, Alexander requires a stronger hand to take tighter reigns with the various styles of acting if only to smooth out the edges that were very prevalent on stage. Also, Jean Valjean’s getaway from Javert after Fantine’s death was not clear. A stage knife was downstage left three scenes after it originally appeared until someone noticed and took it away. Also, with some creative staging, one could see this play without any set pieces or moving walls with the actors on stage the entire time. Each character in this play is fighting for a piece of the action, and a better life. When they don’t get it the conflict is heightened, the tension is real, and they play will garner more emotional support.

But, that said, I enjoyed the night and have more to say about the terrific performances on stage.

George Almondpresents an impressive figure as Jean Valjean. As M. Madeleine, the suit makes the character and gives him a level of sophistication. Almond requires a little more to give us Jean Valjean’s backstory, more of how he left that life to become M. Madeleine, and how he will lose everything he has worked for if he is ever found out. Also, he needs to make more of the moment when he discovers Cosette. One would like to see the guitar work, or left behind, because now it serves as a distraction and does not progress any of the scenes. Almond has a wonderful voice, sweet and melodic, gentle and passive. Still, there is more to be had here.

On interesting thing about Joe Hulser’s performance as Inspector Javert is his tenacity at getting his man. With his leather jacket and Gestapo look, he just keeps coming. Javert is miserable in his own right trying to be right in a world shaded in various tones of grey. There is a point in the play where he confesses to the fourth wall about finding the real Jean Valjean that does not heighten the tension. That scene needs all the conflict one can muster. (Perhaps nose-to-nose downstage with Valjean facing upstage. That aside, Hulser is an impressive actor with a very commanding presence on stage and each entrance is one to regard and to take note.

Savannah Craftonplays Fantine and I loved her version of “Embraceable You” that puts us in her corner right away. The song was performed to the nightclub audience but could also include Cosette in the audience. Also desperation is important for this character to work, each action a desperate attempt to save her daughter until she is beaten down so bad that she can no longer fight. Crafton must find a way to develop that desperation. And her costume must be more tattered each time she appears on stage. She must also find a way to dress her pulled teeth rather than hide them. Crafton also plays the older Cosette and a storm trooper.

Eric Myles Gellerhas a very strong voice and physical presence as M. Thenardier, Quink, Gribier, Enjolras, and Baron Thenard. And while there was some very good work going on here, the work was not varied, the costumes were all slightly similar, and audacious gestures with wrists on the hips, hands projected out, or arms flailing should find a way to progress his scenes. Still Geller provides a very physical presentation for each character but still must find a creative objective for each of those characters, especially M. Thenardier.

Ellyn Stern Epcar,as Mme. Thenardier, was as nasty as they come but also brought much needed humor to the play. Epcar was delightful in many ways despite being the heavy. Epcar also played Abbess, Charwoman, and Partisan.

Lonnie Silvermangives an impressive performance as Eponine all in the name of love. She is stunning on stage and gives a lot of heart to the character striving with every breath to get the man she cannot have. Silverman also plays Sister Simplice and a Partisan.

Angel Castellanosis Marius and Paul. Castellanos has a strong voice and a nice way about the stage. As Paul, he seemed to be the presenter of the facts and there was a lot of information to say and absorb. But, we are given this information with little reason for why he is saying it. If the actor is unsure then he should make up the reason that is creative and related to the progression of the story and the characters. One believes it is all in the name of telling us why the French are so French.

Sophia Lilinoe Cesario plays Little Cosette and she is very cute and does well on stage.

Donald Wayne does a nice job as M. Fauchelevent, the man who was almost crushed under the cart and later to returns to provide sanctuary to Jean Valjean and Cosette. Wayne also plays the confoundedly gross Barber who was slightly lost in his action and moments on stage on this night with this character. Wayne also plays the Beggar and Nazi Commander who kills, well, I can’t say.

Jonathan Holloway’sadaptation stays true to the book except he moves it to 1936 Paris. The second act includes the Nazi influences. It works to a limited degree, the confusion of the time after Waterloo vs. the confusion of war torn Europe. But whether it was confusion of the actors saying the lines or some other thing that had one of the characters 123 years of age. One suspects it was a mistake on this given night. And what was the purpose of expressing the times and dates of the history of France unless it leads us somewhere? There are a number of themes going on in Victor Hugo’s novel. Number one is all of the characters are miserable in their lives but each striving, no hungry, for a better life. And in the end only Cosette manages to escape the horrors of poverty and in reality it took all of the characters, through their actions, to get her there.

Other members of the crew and some serving as members of the cast are as follows:

Sophie Gana– Production Stage Manager/Associate Producer

Ian Hyde– Assistant Stage Manager

Michael Kozachenko– Lighting Designer – The flashing lights in the audience eyes was a bit obtrusive during the gun firing scenes.

Brandon Molnar- Projection Specialist – There were some very nice shots of Paris projected onto the walls.

Matt Franta– Fight Choreographer – Very nice job.

Danielle O’Neill– Artistc Consultant

Melissa Shain– Assistant to Danielle O’Neill

Philip Sokoloff– Press Representative

Run! And take someone downtrodden, who has lost his or her home, but is being helped and is on the road to recovery.

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1654460

Valeria Maldonado as "Rosa", Mia Xitlali as "Little Red"

By Joe Straw

Dear Diary,

Once upon a time, in a land, not very far from here, actually south of Boyle Heights, lived a little girl (me) that wasn’t so little, but still they called me “Little Red”.

Medium Red is more like it. I can hold my own, I got muscles—squeeze and see—and I can use them if I want to, too? Tu?

What I really like is getting away from my mother Rosa and watchin’ my slam in the mirror.

My Ama—her nomenclature, not mine—is always busy in the kitchen. And those traditional Mexican songs, she sings are driving me up the pared!!!!! When she sings these songs, there is a hint that she wants me to do something; it’s a ritual that drives me B na, nas.

Ama individually wraps food in a picnic basket for her mother, my abuela, Magenta. They call her Magenta now ‘cause I guess she is some kind of withered out “Red”. Ugh.

I blame it on the prescription drugs that turn her almost white.

I’m Latina, and can you believe it, the retched smell of frijoles or tortillas make me want to barf.

I’m a brat.

Scarlett, my big sister, is not here anymore. She deserted us. So, that means I’m delivering the basket. I know, I know, I know it’s something I got to do. Tradition. Isn’t this a happy fairy tale?

Jack B Nimble is? are? playing in the Holly Woods. It’s on my way. Yes, I’ve got tickets. No, I really don’t have tickets but a few dollars saved up from God-knows-what. So maybe I’ll get the ticket when I go by, watch a little bit of the show, and then run over and deliver the goodies to abuelita, before she keels over and croaks.

Look at me, little me slammin’ to the punk rock band, Jack B Nimble.

I don’t like taking the bus, or the metro, and I don’t like walking alone. The gothic look was ages ago, just like the red cape. But, the red cape is tradition. I’ll think about tradition, tomorrow.

Until my next Red post.

Xoxo

Casa 0101 presents Little Red, Book by Anthony Aguilar & Oscar T. Basulto, Music by Quetzal Flores, Lyrics by Anthony Aguilar & Quetzal Flores, Produced and Directed by Edward Padilla through August 2, 2015.

First things first, one can’t help but enjoy this delightful show, a Latino version of Little Red Riding Hood, entitled “Little Red”. This one is filled with the characters you’ve have come to love over the years. The realities are that everyone has put their two cents into this fairly tale so why not Casa 0101.

If you love punk rock, or a mild version of punk rock, you will definitely love the show.

My preferences are rock n roll, hip-hop, and Broadway show tunes and not so much punk rock. And while the tunes do not stay long after the performances, the songs inside the performance work well and are done with fascinating precision.

Edward Padillahas done a wonderful job directing and producing the show. The show moves along quite nicely and the dances by Choreographer Blanca Sotogive the show a very nice feel. If only I could remember the tunes after the show.

Someone said that remembering the tunes was the hallmark of a great show.

“Red in Me” was the only one that stuck with me and I guess I understood what it meant as Little Red (Mia Xitlali) was bouncing all over the place.

Rosa (Valeria Maldona), Little Red’s mother, was going to send her on the way to give a basket filled with food and medicine for a vibrant abuelita, Magenta (Blanca Soto). But first she has to convince Little Red to go.

Little Red puts up a fuss but eventually storm out the door basket and all. Little Red stomps over the Holly Woods, hither and yon, to grandmothers house, but, her way, in her own boots.

Xolo Mariduena as "Corky", Ray James Steward-De La Fuente as "Don Coyote", Mia Xitlali as "Little Red"

Along the way, Little Red runs into Corky (Xolo Mandueña), a boy scout with a lot of patches, and an owl named Paz (Reggie De Leon), who is metaphorically perched on his shoulder asking all of the questions. Corky is quick with the answers, sometimes too quick, but his solutions pop out like Pez with manifest dexterity. This is probably why he has all those badges on his uniform.

(“Who”, “what”, “when” and “where” are all answered by Corky in rapid succession and was sometimes rushed, providing little action for the character. If only Corky could keep Little Red on the straight and narrow path.)

But wouldn’t you know it, Corky and Little Red run into the nasty Don Coyote (Ray Steward-De La Fuenta), a rock guitar tottin' coyote with a charming English accent and enough appeal to capture Little Red’s mixed up heart. Mother would not approve of his thieving and maniacal hungry ways.

Nobody likes Don Coyote, creeping around the forest, except Little Red, and maybe abuelita.

Edward Padilladoes a fine job directing the show and like anything else there’s always room for improvement. But, that aside, this show features a solid cast with strong voices and funny moments throughout.

I have a few notes. No charge.

Corky’s character, in the writing by Anthony Aguilar and Oscar T. Basulto is slightly confusing, and ambiguous, because he just appears out of nowhere to help Little Red on her trip. Corky is not really a friend to Little Red but may be a friend of the family, Rosa, her mother, but we do not get a hint of his relationship to the mother in the beginning of the play or the end of the play. Why does he take her, for a scout badge? The relationship to Corky, Little Red, and Paz must be strengthened.

Mia Xitlali does a fine job as Red. There’s a lot more to explore with the character. Inquisitive would be a great trait for this character. One loved the touching relationship with her sister at the end.

Valeria Maldonaalso does a pleasant job as Rosa. Rosa relationship with her daughter falls into the mundane and average mother/daughter relationship when there could be more. Rosa never questions her daughters peculiarities, the punk rock, her manner of dress, sending her daughter out into the dark, alone, a tearful goodbye as part of tradition. There is more to be had here, but, really not a bad outing.

Xolo Maridueña is remarkable as Corky and brings an abundant amount of talent on stage. This is as fine as a performance from someone this young that I have seen in quite a while. Nice job.

Another standout is statuesque Ray Steward-De La Fuenta as Don Coyote with a powerful voice and a very nice way on stage. The objective is to get the red cape at all costs and after that Don Coyote must used the cape for his evil endeavors. If there is anything to add to his performance it is that. Also, I loved the blue hair.

Blanca Soto does a funny turn as Magenta. One would prefer this character to be almost blind which would help with her relationship to Don Coyote coming into her home.

Reggie De Leonplayed Paz the night I was there. Paz means “peace” in English and I don’t get the significance of the name because the actions on stage don’t move in that direction. This character needs work in the writing.

Overall, the show puts a smile on your face throughout. And that is a good thing.

Other members of the cast who did not perform the night I was there was Brenda Perez, Katie Ventura, Ryan Vo, Amir Levi,Oscar T. Basulto, Ramon Rios, and Natasha Sanchez.

Other members of this fantastic crew are as follows:

Mercedes Floreislas– Associate Producer

Felix Hernandez– Associate Producer

Abel Alvarado– Costume Design

Elizabeth Calvillo– Hair & Makeup Design

Willy Donica– Light Design

Richardo Soltero– Set Design

Jerry Blackburn– Production Stage Manager

Miguel Carachure– Assistant Stage Manager

Elizabeth Uribe– Assistant Stage Manager

Nicole Celaya– Supertitles

Jorge Villanueva– Light Board

Sohail E. Najafi– Technical Director

Vaneza Calderon– Musical Director

Liane Schirmer– In Other Words – Translation

Vaneza Calderon(Bass), Angelica Mata (Guitar), Toni Santoyo (Drums) – The Jack B Nimbles – Loved the work and the tunes.

Run! Run! And take someone who loves to watch sheep cavorting.

Reservations: http://www.casa0101.org/tickets

Rebecca Lincoln and Christopher Salazar - Photos by Garth Pillsbury

By Joe Straw

Misanthrope: noun

1.) a hater of human kind – Dictionary.com

2.) One who hates mankind – Urban dictionary.

3.) A person who hates or distrusts humankind. – Merriam-Webster

I prefer the first definition from Dictionary.com.

“A hater of humankind.” Alceste (Christoper Salazar) says it in no uncertain terms. Well, maybe in certain terms.

The City of West Hollywood presents The Classical Theatre Lab production “The Misanthrope” by Moliere, directed by Tony Tanner through August 16^th, 2015 at 4pm in the lovely Kings Road Park.

The time is the 1930’s in Paris France - for really no other reasons than the very lovely costumes by Natalie Shahinyan - giving an ambiance of aristocracy.

Céliméne’s (Rebecca Lincoln) lovely home has a beautiful view of a park. And all the men who visit her seem to know every nook and cranny of her home as well as they know their own bedrooms. And one must say, in a manner of speaking, that this does not bode well for Céliméne.

And we open in Céliméne’s home in a time where Philinte (Mike Bingaman) and Alceste are in an impassive discussion about Alceste not being introduced to Philinte’s friend.

Alceste wants to cut ties with Philinte immediately for treating him so poorly—in keeping with his austere contempt for humanity.

“Leave me, I pray.” – Alceste

Alceste judges that Philinte is too affable with the masses, a confoundedly grotesque way of life that he is not willing to tolerate.

“I like to be distinguished; and, to cut the matter short, the friend of all mankind is no friend of mine.” – Alceste

Alceste’s intention is to break with all mankind.

“But do you wish harm to all mankind?” – Philinte

“Yes, I have conceived a terrible hatred for them.” – Alceste

(Polar opposites attracting.)

In this opening scene, directed by Tony Tanner, the manner in which objectives are achieved are slightly confusing with the disagreements not really matching the characters’ mannerism or intentions. (Shake this to an off afternoon.) The characters are politely speaking, a persiflage, rather than making the moments count.

The opening should define both characters. And as the scene progressed, the esthetic impression suggested only a slight difference in character. The characters need defining so that we are not perplexed about the manner in which the conflict of this scene resolves itself and are clear in the direction the play is heading.

Again, the fatuous jostling does not weigh in on the characters’ heart, which is infinitely important, and a dramatic change in their relationship is necessary.

Finally one reveals a trump card, with a smile of course.

“Upon my word, you would do well to keep silence. Rail a little less at your opponents, and attend a little more to your suit.” - Philinte

A change in their relationship is evident, possibly apparent, with neither side winning, nor a clear-cut knockout with Alceste’s head on the canvas, like the mentioning of the nasty lawsuit.

Still, in spite of hating everything and everyone, Alceste tells Philinte that he loves Céliméne.

“…I confess my weakness, she has the art of pleasing me. In vain I see her faults; I may even blame them; in spite of all, she makes me love her. “ – Alceste

(And if I may politely cut to the quick; Jeez, how’d you like to hop in the sack with that?)

Philinte, a very agreeable sort with anyone within earshot, claims that he loves Éliante (Christina Jacquelyn Calph).

L - Michael Faulkner, Rebecca Lincoln, Christina Jacquelyn Calph, Christopher Salazar

And while both beauties are out of the house, Oronte (Michael Faulkner) barges in to speak with Alceste and to make friends.

Okay, bad move, because Alceste hates everyone and in fact ignores Oronte as though he were not even in the room. But Oronte doesn’t give up.

“Your hand, if you please. Will you promise me your friendship? – Oronte

“Sir…” – Alceste

“What! You refuse me?” – Oronte

“Sir, you do me too much honor; but friendship is a sacred thing, and to lavish it on every occasion is surely to profane it.” – Alceste

Ouch.

But, never mind. Oronte says he has the King’s private ear in the event of an emergency and should Alceste need it, he will gladly help. But in the meantime, Oronte will use the moment to read a sonnet he has prepared for Alceste entitled “Hope”.

Oronte reads and Philinte, of course, loves it, every line, every turn of phrase, the conclusion, all lovely.

To bear no malice with Oronte, Alceste shares his experience with writers who do not have a gift. And with dreadful curiosity, Oronte wants to know if he is like those other writers. Alceste does not dislodge as Oronte presses for an answer, until…

“Candidly, you had better put it in your closet.” – Alceste

This scene needs a hearty stretch, to be taken to another creative level, between characters that are extreme in their loving, hating, and begging for love, real love, not the whimsical gnarly love, but the creative love that sends the hearts soaring out of the theatre.

Later, not to give up in his unyielding attempts to make Céliméne his, Alceste sees fit to quarrel with her.

“Oh, I see! It is to quarrel with me, that you wished to conduct me home?” – Céliméne

“I do not quarrel. But your disposition, Madam, is too ready to give any first comer an entrance into your heart. Too many admirers beset you; and my temper cannot put up with that.” - Alceste

And this is true, Céliméne has men crawling around her house like common house cats. She tries to assure Alceste by arranging houseplants as though his feelings about her infidelities should not be of great concern and really nothing to worry about.

But really, she doesn’t like his method of loving.

“Your method, however, is entirely new, for you love people only to quarrel with them; it is in peevish expression alone that your feelings vent themselves; no one ever saw such a grumbling swain.” – Céliméne

This beauty has a point and she does it in with kindness.

(This production has eliminated Céliméne’s manservant, Basque. Pity because the role adds much.)

L - Thomas Anawalt, Jeffrey Scott Basham

Alceste leaves, not wanting to watch the ensuring carnage, of the two marquis seeking to woo Céliméne heart. They are Acaste (Thomas Anawalt) and Clitandre (Jeffrey Scott Basham). And while their intercourse speaks of current events, their physical desires are manifested in other subtle sophisticated surreptitious ways with hardly a glance given to the beautiful Éliante (Christina Jacquelyn Calph), Céliméne’s cousin.

This scene presents some interesting challenges because it requires the two men to complete for the hand of Célinéne while almost ignoring the very beautiful Éliante, who stands alone beside them, at a loss for words, while they fight for the other woman.

Naytheless, Alceste does not approve of these gatherings, and he also does not approve all the men in her home!

“No, Madam, no, though I were to die for it, you have pastimes which I cannot tolerate; and people are very wrong to nourish in your heart this great attachment to the very faults which they blame in you.” – Alceste

“As for myself, I do not know; but I openly acknowledge that hitherto I have thought this lady faultless.” - Clitandre

And while Acaster and Clitandre proclaim their love for Célinéne and vow to step out of each other’s way should one win her heart, Célnéne plays very hard to get.

“What! Here still?” – Céliméne

“Love, Madam, detains us.” – Clitandre

“I hear a carriage below.” – Céliméne

This is an emotional moment that should leave the two men feeling like carcasses under the carriage.

L Kathy Bell Denton, Rebecca Lincoln

Arriving in the carriage is Arsinoé (Kathy Bell Denton), a woman who has her sights on Alceste and who brings a lot of worrisome thoughts into Céliméne’s home. Arsinoé is an equivocal untangled mass of urbanity and single to boot which makes her a very unpleasant person to be around. She’s trouble.

Despite my railings, I loved this show. By the time you see this, some nuances may be worked out. The men were fantastic and funny, and the women were beautiful and kind. And the setting couldn’t have been any better, in the park, and under a shady tree. What a pleasant afternoon! And it’s free!

There are a few more things one would like to address. As a friendly observation from a criticaster, a man can just hate human kind only if he is madly in love with himself.

Which lead me to Christopher Salazar, as Alceste, an actor with innumerable skills and making moments work to great satisfaction. Everything about his character was perfect, except his shoes, which were layered in dust. And I asked myself, was this on purpose? Does it say something about the character or was it a mistake? Certainly Alceste thinks he is the best at everything, smarter than everyone, a better writer than anyone, lover, etc., excepting his shoes shine. There’s more to be had here but nevertheless, an exceptional job.

Mike Bingaman, as Philinte, needs to find the core of the character. Bingaman takes his time to get to the point, his intention, but his objective should be evident when he enters the room. Still Bingaman has a very good look.

Michael Faulkneris very funny as Oronte, a sort-of the comic relief with the beret and the appearance of a low budget film director, a very low, low, budget. The Hope scene was hilarious and I detected a little improvisation on the day I was there. Still there’s more to be had during his first scene between the other two gentlemen. Faulkner has found his niche in these roles but one would like to see him in something more dramatic the next go around. Still, it is a very remarkable job.

Rebecca Lincolnis very impressive as Céliméne. She is a stunning creature that creates riveting moments of desperation in the character. Up close in the park, one can get a lot starring into her eyes only to watch her maneuver out of a predicament to a gracious resolution.

Christina Jacquelyn Calph does an exceptional job as Éliante. One believes there is more to the character and it is in her quiet moments, wanting to attract the right man, so that he does not get away. The scene where she is alone with her counterpart needs the action of desire to be with her man before the word are actually said if only to add to an already very fine performance.

Thomas Anawaltfills the role of Acaste perfectly and has some very nice moments with the letter. These are the little intangibles that you love to see in an actor’s work. Nice job!

Jeffrey Scott Bashamis also exceptional as Clitendre. Basham has a strong voice and a commanding presence and if I would add anything to the role it would be of one-upmanship for the lady of the house.

Kathy Bell Dentonis impeccable as Arsinoe. Arsinoe is perfectly coiffed and arranged with a wonderful wardrobe. Denton presents us with a three-dimensional character from the inside out. Certainly her performance is a jolt to the acting senses and one that should not be missed.

This is a very impressive job by director Tony Tanner. There is very little in the way of a set and Tanner guides the actors effectively. The play works in this fashion, in the time, and place. Still, all in all, this was a very pleasant afternoon.

And as an obtuse observation—the characters are peculiar in that they think they are better than the other characters. One character is smarter and has a strong vocabulary but no one ever questions an unknown word, in thought or an indolent inquisitorial silence. One character is extremely affable but the other character does not react to his over the top affability. One character is a better lover but does not prove it to his companion in manner or deed.

Alexander Wellswas an Oronte/Alternate but did not perform the day I was there.

Also, Suzanne Huntand Alexander Wells finely produced this production.

Other members of this delightful crew are as follows:

Susan Deeley Wells– Assistant Director and Set Coordinator

Natalie Shahinyan– Costume Design

Terry Tocantins– Stage Manager

Nora Feldman– Publicity

Run! Run! Run! And take someone who is infatuated with himself.

King Road Park

1000 Kings Road

West Hollywood, CA

Weho.org/arts

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L - Adam Haas Hunter and Brandon Bales

By Joe Straw

The Elephant Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of The Great Divide by Lyle Kessler, directed by David Fofi, and Produced by Bren Coombs and Shannon McManus through August 29, 2015.

Well, it’s over. Almost over, August 29^th, 2015. “The Great Divide” will close and The Elephant Theatre Company, in its present form, will shut their doors for good.

Damn, but, it’s been a great run! And, I hate to say this, but, all things must come to an end. We can shed a tear in remembrance, and rejoice for new beginnings. But, still, damn it!

David Fofi, the Artistic Director, is on to parts unknown, just him and his dog with enough energy to move on to the next adventure. I wish him the best.

The Play

This has been the second time I’ve entered the Lillian Theatre only to find a body lying somewhere near center stage. And, but, it took me a while, sitting there, waiting for the show to start, to notice there was an actor lying motionless, on the couch.

The Body On The Couch.

Our play begins in Fishtown, Pennsylvania, along the banks of the Delaware River, in a solid working class neighborhood.

Old Man (Richard Chaves), yes that’s the character’s name, is dead on the couch. His son Dale (Brandon Bates) is a loner, and a reticent writer who keeps his stories locked up in the house safe. Dale is a misfit with no amorous prospects. And if it weren’t for the dead body on the couch, he’d probably still be up there writing instead of waiting for his brother to come home.

Dale, somehow, has gotten in touch with his brother Coleman (Adam Haas Hunter) to tell him that the old man died right were he lies (pun intended).

And when Coleman arrives, looking homeless, he enters the house with little regard to anyone alive or dead.

He’s not clean, but he’s not filthy either, as he discards a few items off his being. His body is attenuated, shaken from a reality. He stares toward the couch - a situation that he doesn’t entirely believe.

Coleman finds that coming home is an imposition. He doesn’t have much in common with his brother or his father; still they need to figure out what they are going to do with the body.

Dale says he’s dead. Not really convincing, but also, Dale’s not really that right in the head. Blame it on his mind that is overtaxed and thinking about other things.

Dale tells Coleman the tale, that he heard a gurgling sound right after Old Man ate a ham and cheese on pumpernickel sandwich. The details! And now, the Old Man hasn’t moved in two days – stiff as a board – hard as a carp.

Coleman thinks it’s one of his tricks and asked Dale to pinch him. Dale does and that gets the Old Man to jolt up, and grab Dale in a headlock.

Coleman is not amused.

This scene presents challenges in asking us to believe that Old Man is dead. (We as an audience know this can’t be true. Old Man is one of the characters.) Could this possibly play as a ruse between Old Man and Dale in order to get Coleman home? That much is accomplished, he’s home.

As it is now Dale is not selling the product creatively, the ruse, to go all out to convince Coleman that Old Man is in fact dead. Dale is the storyteller and has the ability to paint a dead picture. For this adjustment the scene gets everyone off the hook, the actors, and the audience, so we don’t need the excuse about playing dead for two days, which no one believes.

Can We All Get Along?

“Who are you? Coleman?” - Old Man

“Good to see you, Dad.” – Coleman

The air is suddenly dripping with an extreme un-comfortableness. No one is willing to give anyone a hug ten years in the making, gone or not. They all just inhabit the space, not knowing what to do, and talk as though they have not been out of each other’s sight.

Dale lets it slip that he is writing stories and the Old Man is not, or doesn’t seem to be too enthusiastic about it.

But now the Old Man has got what he wanted, his boys together again.

“Sucking at my breast” – Old Man

Okay this is a bit odd. But Old Man says their mom was dried up and they sucked at his breast until they were vibrant and happy.

Not feeling clean right about now…

“Can I take a shower?” – Coleman

Old Man tells him nothing has changed and he can go upstairs and take the shower.

And now Old Man turns his attention to Dale.

“What about the newsstand?” – Old Man

“Closed for a death in the family.” – Dale

It’s liked something clicked in Dale’s mind as he puts on his winter wear and heads out the door to help his Old Man in the family business, a newsstand.

Meanwhile Old Man fixes Coleman a ham and cheese on pumpernickel with a touch of dark mustard. (Those were the days.) Something for him to break the ice with Coleman on account of being gone for ten years.

Old Man confesses that he faked his death to lure Coleman back home but there’s another part of his two pronged attack. He is concerned that Dale is spending too much time alone in his room doing nothing but writing stories. Old man wants Coleman to get into the safe, read the stories, and see if they are any good.

“We’re together again, Coleman, we’re together, we’re a family!” – Old Man

Bonding

Later Dale comes back from the newsstand and says that Aunt Millie died. Coleman not having the least bit of sympathy for her death lets it go.

“I missed you.” – Dale

“Sorry I wasn’t in touch… I couldn’t save you” – Coleman

Coleman reveals to Dale that he was all over the place, that he was jailed for public intoxication, and that he couldn’t stay in one place. Besides he was trying to lose the Old Man.

Coleman casually slipping into the meat of the matter asks about girlfriends, but Dale says he fought in his own way, that he wrote in his room. Coleman then asks to read his stories but Dale says that he hasn’t been around for 10 years and now Dale feels that Coleman wants to judge him? Dale is rather indignant about it all.

Spoken like a true Albanian, and it’s a trait in this family to fly off the handle at any given moment.

I believe there’s more here, a creative venue that hasn’t been explored. The brother wants something out of the relationship and it has something to do with their overbearing Dad. But we don’t really get to the meat of the matter, the subtext that is killing both men.

Next on the agenda is baseball. Old Man wants to go out and play with his boys and have fun like they used to. And so they leave.

L - Kimberly Alexander and Mark McClain Wilson

Someone’s Knocking At My Door

A short time later, banging on the door is Noah (Mark McClain Wilson), a one-armed character straight out of a Charles Bukowski novel and with a striking resemblance to Tom Waits to boot. His sister Lane (Kimberly Alexander) is in tow. She looks like someone who crawled out of the 60’s intact. And she can hear voices from distant past of people singing from another dimension. The voices can’t tell them how to get through the front door, so they find an open window and crawl through.

Noah, tip toeing around the living room, opens his nostril wide and smells money - money, money, money. And just to even things out, on account of his missing arm, Noah carries a gun. From here on out, things change.

David Fofi, the director, goes out with a bang on this production. And, with the exception of the first scene not really finding its way, it is a glorious night of theatre.

Richard Chaves fits the bill as Old Man. Old Man sees the end of his line and that scares him to death. He wants a grandson or granddaughter. But his miscreant sons don’t have it in them; there are no girlfriends or prospects. The only thing Old Man can hope for is getting them out to play baseball, meeting someone, and getting lucky, for them, but especially for him. Chaves is likeable and very peculiar in the way that he manages the character. But the objective is simple and finding actions to achieve the objective would keep the character focused.

Adams Haas Hunterhas as very good look as Coleman, a ne’er-do-well, always into trouble, and does not want the responsibility of home and family. Yes, some people live this dream. Coleman has no visible means of support, lives off other people, and why he decides to come home at this time is not fully explored. Coleman enters the house, alone, defeated by life, his father dead on the couch and could care less about anyone. So why is he there? Is he running from someone, or to someone? Not to pick on Hunter but I’m wondering if there are other choices to give the character another viable perspective.

L - Kimberly Alexander, Brandon Bales, Richard Chaves

Brandon Balesdoes a fine job with Dale and has a very good look on stage. It is a portrayal, almost childlike, wide-eyed and always on the lookout. Dale is a sensitive person, extremely sensitive, part of that Albanian upbringing. His father keeps him under wraps and Dale seems okay with that, sometimes. He doesn’t want anyone reading his stories, anyone. That’s why he keeps it in the safe. There’s more to be had with the relationship to his brother and what he needs from him. There’s more comedy to add to this character. Also, this character may work if his emotional commitment to circumstances in his life is played in the extreme, especially in the beginning so that we are not waiting for it at the end. This is just something to add to an already fine job.

Kimberly Alexanderplays Lane, the girlfriend who is infatuated with Coleman and follows him to his house. She desperately wants him and she will do anything to entrap him into a relationship, anything.

Mark McCain Wilsonplays Noah, a one-armed tough guy, with a black leather jacket held together with safety pins. His hair is spiked and pushed up by a hair band. And he casually parks his right thumbnail between the spaces in his lower teeth while he takes his next calculated step. Wilson is a fantastic actor who approaches this character with all the finesse he can muster. This is a wonderful exploration of a character that thinks about the what ifs in life, despite his angry demeanor. What if he went to school? Played baseball? Had his other arm? What if?

Lyle Kessler is an extraordinary writer with characters inhabiting the fringe of life. ‘bout the nearest thing I can remark about the characters is an old southern expression like “something ain’t right in the head with these folks.”

This doesn’t mean I didn’t like this World Premier play. I did. A lot. But whatever Great Divide separates this family would be better said, if articulated, if only briefly, rather than relying on the subtext to get an approximation of the divide.

Be that as it may, the characters are off in their own journey, Kessler never letting on, until the right time. But, things here need a slight tweaking to get moments to move into a direction that makes sense to all of us.

Noah is the character that worked best to my satisfaction. He is a criminal with an addiction to the truth and a smell for money. He weighs his options, but dreams his own dream, much to his detriment of this one armed bandit.

Old Man is cagy, full of facts and fiction, and where it all leads, no one really knows just yet. One thing is genuinely true. He wants a grandchild and it doesn’t matter how this gets done but it needs to be done. The actions of this character would be more memorable if he was moving in that direction.

Lane is an interesting character but knowing her circumstances, her predicament, she puts an end to the Old Man’s dreams. But dreams change, and relationships change, and one can see a relationship between her and Dale, a continuation of life, a part of a real family. Somehow I see that.

Kate Huffmanplays Lane as well. She did not perform the night I was there.

Bren Coombs and ShannonMcManus were the Producers on this delightful project.

Bren Coombs also served as the photographer.

Dianna Leanne Wilsonis the Stage Manager.

Shannon Simondsis also the Stage Manager.

The wonderful Set and Sound Design are by Elephant Stageworks and I am sure there are people behind this name.

Run! Run! Run! And take someone who has been missing from your life for ten years.

www.ElephantTheatre.org

Reservations: 855 – No - Forget

L - Kjai Block, Bill Voorhees

By Joe Straw

“F**king A**hole. God damn you!” – A voice heard from backstage before the performance last Saturday night. - Artist unknown. (If you’re saying it loud enough for me to hear it, I just might print it.)

It used to be in Hollywood you could find a side street off Cahuenga and park anywhere. Now, there are a lot of restrictions and you have to move like a snail to read all of them.

Not finding any parking, I drove passed Theatre of NOTE on Cahuenga and was heading north toward Hollywood Boulevard to make a right when I heard a car horn.

It was one of those long continuous blasts that are annoying.

I drove upon a Prius, the culprit, all because a man was standing in the crosswalk and he wasn’t moving. In fact, his arms were outstretched begging the Prius to run him down.

The Prius, caught between the light and pedestrian walkway, was blocking the east flowing traffic on Hollywood Boulevard, trying to inch his way through the humanity.

But, that one defiant man, feeling he had the right of way, stood in his path while the horn continued to blast. And suddenly, an inexplicable impulse, the man collapsed onto the hood of the car, lifted both hands, and flipped the horn blower off.

Priusman stared impassively throughout the whole situation keeping his hand affixed to the horn.

But, and, as I was making my right on Hollywood Boulevard I noticed, about fifty people, on the corner, filming everything, making their own movie, recapturing the Midnight Cowboy scene.

And, with just a quick glance, I witnessed the perfect picture of a crowd scene you only see in art photography books, an edging tsunami of happy photographers, capturing a brilliant moment.

Hollywood, you just never know what you’re going to see when you get there. – Narrator.

Dollar Bill Productions presents Orphans by Lyle Kessler at the Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood through August 22, 2015. This production was directed by Bill Voorhees and produced by Rebecca Light, Sigi Gradwohland and Bill Voorhees.

Orphans has been around since, well it was first performed in 1983 to great reviews at the Matrix in Los Angeles, and then on to Chicago, and even in England, not to mention a stop Off Broadway at the Westside Theatre in 1985.

This “Orphans”, at it’s brightest core, is barebones and with not a lot a frills, but from the opening moments this production soars and never lets up.

The play opens with Phillip (Kjai Block) blowing bubbles in front of the window of his dilapidated apartment, a miserable hovel, with papers and shoe tossed about.

Phillip is finding happiness blowing one bubble at a time, watching it float, and getting a tremendous amount of satisfaction sticking his dirty finger into it. It is a remarkable moment that defines his innocent childlike persona, the disquieting peculiarity of a boy-like man who moments later will become a very frightened adult.

Phillip waits for his brother Treat (Bill Voorhees) to come home. Phillip is aware that Treat has been scrounging the neighborhood for people to fleece and knows that Treat preys upon the weak and weak minded.

Phillip cannot augur the mood of that person walking through the door. He waits like a nervous dog, and suddenly becomes preoccupied when he hears the sounds of Treat coming into the apartment. Phillip throws things into the window seat, or behind the cushions of the couch, things he does not want Treat to know about.

Treat, opens the door, and immediately rushes to the window to see if he is being followed. When the coast is clear Treat unloads the goodies, sorting first and then putting the money and merchandise into empty Hellmann’s mayonnaise jars for safe keeping. Treat’s robbery is done in the name of love, but it’s a bizarre twisted love.

Phillip, in chaste ignorance, doesn’t think robbing someone is a bad thing if no one gets hurt. A knife, a little blood is okay, heck they’ve got to eat.

But tonight Treat has made a killing and is going to go out and celebrate his thievery.

“I had a real good day today, Phillip. I’m gonna go out, tonight, gonna celebrate!” Treat

“We all outta mayonnaise, Treat. You go out, will you bring home an extra-large bottle of Hellmann’s mayonnaise?” – Phillip

“We all outta mayonnaise, Treat” is one of my favorite lines from this show but I didn’t hear it on this night. (This happens.) The line is a definitive moment of a Phillip’s character.

Treat tells him his day that a man put up a struggle and kicked him in the shins. Startled, Phillip runs to get the hydrogen peroxide to clean his wound. And while Phillip is cleaning him up Treat asks for the Philadelphia Inquirer and discovers there are words underlined in the paper.

“Here’s a word, dispensation. You underline this word? – Treat

“I didn’t touch that word.” – Phillip

“You read this word?” – Treat

“No.” – Phillip

“You got a dictionary, Phillip?” – Treat

Treat is catching on that Phillip is not a reliable reporter. Or maybe he’s known that all along. But what worries Treat more is that Phillip is giving himself an education and that will interrupt his way of doing business, providing for the family, and who knows what else.

Still, somebody’s got to be the scapegoat for underlining the words so Treat says it’s probably someone upstairs. Treat gives Phillip a knife and tells him to go up there and take care of him. And wouldn’t you know it, after a ruckus Phillip comes down the stairs bleeding. Treat wants to take care of him.

“Come here, Phillip. Let me help you. Let your big brother Treat take of you.” – Treat

With love comes a little pain.

Later that night Treat brings home a stranger, another orphan, Harold (Darrett Sanders). Harold has on an expensive suit and is carrying a briefcase. Harold is from Chicago. Harold sees Treat as a Dead End Kid, from the movies, and longing for the taste of corn beef and cabbage.

Meanwhile Treat is eyeing the briefcase and tries to hide it.

Harold wants to know what they have to eat in the house. And when he finds out that it’s Star-Kist tuna he wants to take his briefcase and leave.

But Treat, not willing to give up the briefcase, says he in no condition to leave.

Harold sits or falls, depending on whose foot that was, and tells his story of the orphanage in Chicago, the deaths, and spitting up blood.

Phillip comes downstairs to listen.

“Orphans crying out. You know what they were crying?” – Harold

“No.” – Treat

“Mommy!” - Harold

Harold passes out and Treat starts relieving him of some of his valuables, opens his briefcase, finds stocks and bonds, and decides to tie him up for some kind of ransom.

L - Kjai Block, Darrett Sanders

But when Harold wakes up, he’s got a few tricks up his sleeves, along with an encouraging squeeze, a discomforting intimacy for both boys. While Treat thinks he has the better of Harold, it is Harold who now holds the cards. .

Bill Voorheesdoes a remarkable job directing this production. There are not a lot of frills in this production with minimum lights and set decorations. One might consider this a bare bones production, but the acting is one step short of amazing and there are a lot of beautiful things going on, on stage. It is a production to be proud of and a marvelous work of art.

I loved the opening of this show with Kjai Block as Phillip tackling the role with finesse. Block has a baby face and handles the role exceptionally well. Trapped in this prison like apartment with a scarf to cover his face when he ventures out. And he has ventured out before, making it back before his face swells and the air kills him. But, more could be made of his fear of the outside and then coming back into life and wellness.

Darrett Sandersis very funny as Harold. This is a wonderful role for Sanders who takes his time to make each moment count. When the character is sober Sanders brings an indescribable grandeur to the role, the orphan, who, in his own way, has made it. This is a physically demanding role and Sanders handles the job with aplomb. One would like to have a better impact from the “mommy” scene. I would want Harold to say the line that would frighten both men up the stairs. This moment cries for a greater emotional impact.

Bill Voorhees has played Treat in other productions and by now he has a great understanding of the role and the play. Voorhees never loses focus and is in the moment from beginning to the end. I particularly liked the blinking eyes, the inexplicable impulse of a moment when there was the possibility of him striking as part of the characterization.

Orphans by Lyle Kessler is an exceptional play and on this night had an exceptional cast making the moments count. When you go to Hollywood, you never know what you’re going to see, but when you go into the Theatre of NOTE to see Orphans everything works this side of perfection.

L - Bill Voorhees, Darrett Sanders

Members of the Production Team are as follows:

Matt Richter–Lighting Design

Lauren Thomas– Costume Design

Richard Werner– Prop Design

Bill Voorhees – Graphic Design

Members of the Crew are as follows:

Kelly Egan – Board Operator

Maggie Blake, Suzanne Voss and Alysha Brady – Front of House

Garett Maggart– AMC Liaison

Dan Wingard – Program Design

Run! Run! Run! And take an orphan with you, preferably one with a lot of money.

Twitter: @OrphansPlay

Theatre of NOTE

1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90028

Reservations: 323-856-8611

Photos: Andy Coon

By Joe Straw

The kids work hard while their cerebral mass tries to keep up.

They work to focus. Small minds racing all over the place, hither and yon, but physically coming together as a cohesive whole for a common good, period.

The small things usually done around Christmas and New Years are put on hold because they are in a musical and, of course, working hard to concentrate in tiny increments.

Annie, Jr., well, she says it’s really Annie with some stuff left out – except the heart – and the lovely things – mostly all of the unexpected awe-inspiring intangibles.

Bounce, bounce, flitter, bounce, and off she goes.

Oh, they grow, on the nightly stage. Not taking a minute to think so.

(Okay, a slight exaggeration, but yesterday I was holding my daughter in my arms, crying at the loveliness of this tiny little bundle of joy.)

Yes, and now, after just crawling right out of our arms, they are up on center stage, performing, and screaming loud when it is all over, which has become a tradition of sorts at dee-Lightful, and hardly manageable for my sensitive ears.

(“…And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” – The End – from the album Abbey Road - The Beatles)

But, in the end, when the curtain closes and their little eyes get really big, it’s almost like Beatlemania all over again, or dee-Lightfulmania, signifying a right of passage, hands to little cheeks, and the screams do fly.

Do they really have to scream?

dee-Lightful Productions presented Annie, Jr., Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin and Book by Thomas Meehan January 15-17, 2015 at the Robert Frost Auditorium in the Culver City High School, directed by Allegra Williams and Produced by Dolores Aguanno.

So the higgledy-piggledy thoughts flutter about their heads, hardly unable to control their limbs. But their physical lives, trained in this production, are their first point of entry into this world of art, in a manner of speaking.

dee-Lightful teaches the actors the songs, the physical actions, and the necessary tasks to complete the show. And the scattered minds that first enters the rehearsals, find time to focus, to move from one moment to the next before the rehearsals end and everyone flitters home.

There is a lot of talent here in Culver City, where kids work at their craft, making their objectives clear, their nuance subtle, (very subtle at times), all in the hopes of making their mark.

The interesting thing is watching them work on voice, movement, and character – the sum of which features some very strong voices and accents – and a craft, because they take pride in their craft. And on that proper observation, one has to take a deep breath and watch it all happen.

dee-Lightful has a huge following. I was there to see the Subways Cast on Thursday evening and the Taxicabs Cast on Friday night along with 200 of my closest friends.

Each night got progressively better. And each cast had their own uniqueness. The Taxicabs soared onto stage and never gave up, but it was a night fraught with minor mistakes, a flashlight left on stage, an apple tray left backstage, an imaginary bite of an invisible apple, an arm or a leg of a doll left downstage center for someone to pickup. All minor but memorable mistakes that put a big smile on everyone’s face and a solid memorable stamp on the night.

Mistakes happen all the time and everyone learns from their mistakes. Still, there were some terrific performance and moments that would lift you right out of your seat.

Allegra Williams, the director, did a fitting job of putting this all together. And with Ben Ross did some outstanding work on the choreography. The servants number was excellent as well as the dance numbers with Warbucks and Annie.

With a cast of about 40 actors, there are tremendous amounts of people working behind the scenes to help in the production. It is a community effort, a lot of hard work, and a boatload of people wrangling actors.

Aine Lee and Isabella Veale both gave pleasing performances as Annie and each had their vocal métiers.

(But my younger daughter groused that one Annie had brown hair. I mentioned Annie, in the newspapers, had black hair Monday through Friday and red hair only on the weekends. A little matter lost in its nuance.)

Katelyn Coon as Miss Hannigan has a wonderful voice and Jessie Grimaldo gave a grand performance as Miss Hannigan as well, each creating a wonderfully functional and emotional life for the character.

Max Lianos was Oliver Warbucks, a Republican with a serious purpose in mind. Lianos gave Warbucks a lot of flair and the dance scene with Annie was a magnificent moment in the musical. Merrick Padilla also played Oliver Warbucks and has a very strong stage presence especially as FDR. Both gave Lt. Ward a very strong New York/Brooklyn accent.

Mirabel Armstrongdid a great job as Grace Farrell and looked to be in the moment throughout. And Samantha Spector gave Grace Farrell another type of grace and marvelous poise.

Lindsay Gross and Joe Call each played Rooster Hannigan the evil-minded brother to Miss Hannigan. Both were exceptional in the song “Easy Street”.

Both Jules Hendersonand Charlotte Ceugniet played Lily St. Regis and each had their own version of the character and wasn’t that nice.

Other members of the fantastic cast are as follows first by Character and then Subway Cast actor and Taxicabs Cast actor.

Molly – Ruby Addie – Elliana Lilling

Pepper – Socorro Park – Evyn Armstrong

Duffy – Renee Story – Uma Kolesnikow

Toughie – Martin Pentchev – Cosette Okker

April – Ava Allred – Maya Gonzalez

Kate – Izzy Kessner – Cate Schilling

Tessie – Mia Story – Camille Ceugniet

July – Cali Kimura – Brooke Rosenbloom

Drake – Ben Sanderson – Ian Warfield

Cecille – Elena Hilger – Emma Snyder

Annette – Bella Hilger – Samantha Spector

Mrs. Greer – Sophia Martin-Straw – Olivia Andrews

Mrs. Pugh – Jessie Grimaldo – Katelyn Coon

Featured Servant – Lindsay Gross – Lindsay Gross

Bundles McClosky – Joe Call – Sophia Martin-Straw

Appleseller – Arden Malsin – Taye Reiss

Dogcatcher – Aili Poinsett-Yoshida – Olivia Andrews

Sandy – Ayla Moses – Martin Pentchev

Lt. Ward – Merrick Padilla – Max Lianos

Star-To-Be – Charlotte Ceugniet – Socorro Park

Usherette – Jessie Grimaldo – Katelyn Coon

Radio Announcer – Mirabel Armstrong – Lindsay Gross

Burt Healy – Arden Malsin – Jules Henderson

President FD Roosevelt – Merrick Padilla – Max Lianos

Louis Howe – Ian Warfield – Ben Sanderson

dee-Lightful Production needs a home. They also need updated sound equipment to smooth the edges when the sound doesn’t work as it should. dee-Lightful works in collaboration with Culver City Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Service and is a service we desperately need for the sake of our community.

www.dee-Lightful.org

By Joe Straw

“Is he just a left-winger? Is that his problem?” – President Richard Nixon

“I guess so.” – H.R. Haldeman

“Is he Jewish?” – Nixon

“I don’t know; doesn’t look it.” – H.R. Haldeman

“We’ve complained bitterly about the Cavett show.” – Charles Colsen

“Is there any way we could screw him? That’s what I mean. There must be ways.” – Nixon – The White House Tapes

With few honest humans left in media and print these days, Dick Cavett can be considered one of the most trusted men in America.

I mentioned to someone that I was going to see Dick Cavett in a play. My uninformed confrère thought Cavett was dead. I assured this individual that I wasn’t in the habit of watching deceased actors work on stage – what with the smell and lack of movement.

Theatre 40 of Beverly Hills and Michael J. Libow present Dick Cavett in the West Coast Premiere of the Acclaimed New York Production of Hellman v. McCarthy written by Brian Richard Mori, directed by Howard Storm, and Produced by David Hunt Stafford through February 28^th, 2015.

Dick Cavett has lost the golden locks and the long sideburns that once accompanied him back in the day but he has not lost his appeal, affable wit, and timing. One might call him nimble at this point in his career.

There is no mistaking Cavett’s dulcet voice along with his dapper appearance. The green sports coat suits him well this night. He is nicely tailored, and except for that little tuff of hair protruding from the back of his scalp, he was perfectly coiffed. That must a comedian trick, serious but funny in the front, and slightly offbeat in the back.

A quick casual observation about Cavett is that he listens, or appears to listen to everything others have to say, without judgment, and then provides his own commentary with a nice little glib and blithe remark. It is certainly a trademark of his character that we have come to thoroughly enjoy over the years.

Cavett brings his fine acting chops on stage doing a few impersonations, narrating the story, and telling a few jokes along the way. The night was a very pleasant evening.

“I hope they don’t clap when he enters the stage. That would be so sit-com and really not the rules of theatre in Los Angeles.” – Narrator

Okay, so this cue card guy comes out, begging us to applaud as Cavett from The Dick Cavett Show strolls out on stage to tell a few jokes. It is in the moment, I tell myself, and I can live with that, so I break all my rules and begrudgingly clap.

Following Cavett’s wonderful opening monologue, the play starts in earnest with a couple, upstage right, sitting at a small dinning table. A cantankerous old bird, Lillian Hellman (Flora Plumb), and her too-eager-to-please gay nurse Ryan (M. Rowan) are in a stirring game of Scrabble. Despite Hellman’s egregious cheating, with lettered tiles flying here and there, Ryan manages to get the best of her.

And, oh my, Hellman hates losing, at anything, so she unceremoniously quits the game, tiles dropping off her every being. She turns to find out what is on TV but there’s not much except The Dick Cavett Show on PBS, and with guest author Mary McCarthy, a woman Hellman personally knows and holds exiguous regard.

Already stewing from the recent Scrabble loss, Hellman wants to see what that “witch”, Mary McCarthy, is doing.

Cavett goads McCarthy into some reckless gossip about good writers and bad writers. McCarthy latches onto the bad writers bit and mentions Hellman. Suddenly, Hellman is horrified by the slander spewed forth from McCarthy’s lying Irish lips.

“Every word she writes is a lie, including “and” and “the.” - Mary McCarthy

Repulsed violently, Hellman’s ceremonious inclination is to dial her attorney, Lester Marshal (John Combs). If only she could pick up the phone and dial. Shaking the thick black receiver of the telephone, she demands that Marshal sue Cavett, WNET-TV, and McCarthy.

Marshal doesn’t think it’s a good idea and tells her so because they “are friends.” And she should listen to her friends.

“I don’t pay my friends.” Hellman

Ouch.

Despite McCarthy’s stinging remarks Marshal does what he is paid to do and employs the argument in court that Hellman is not a public figure.

Notwithstanding, there is a great deal to like in Brian Richard Mori’s play. At first glance one wonders about the complexity of the drama. But looking back, after taking a deep breath, one finds a fascinating play dealing with the gradations of truth; moments that are part of the record, moments that may have happened, and moments that are outright fabrication.

One of the finest parts of this play is the scene when Hellman and McCarthy meet. Hellman is looking for an apology but verbally dukes it out with McCarthy. Moments later, Cavett, the most trusted man in America, says that scene never happened.

It is with certitude that playwriting can only give us a fair representation of the actual truth. That’s fair to say. But what are we to make of an entire scene that is completely false but so much fun? And while Mori’s drama does not take us deep into the psyche of the characters, there is enough here to make it an enjoyable evening. Yes, it most certainly was.

Dick Cavett does an impressive job this night. And it’s really not much of a stretch to play Dick Cavett if you are, in fact, Dick Cavett. There is also that mischievous grin of his when he is caught in an erratic boat of comment unpredictability, floating in unchartered waters, without a paddle, now leaking like a sieve, and wondering how he is going to get out. He takes everything in stride, comments with a wry sense of humor, and exits, stage left. Mostly, he brings the background of his character and with him that rich history of his entire being. Also, Cavett is also open for a few questions after the performance and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Flora Plumb is delightful playing Lillian Hellman. The truth plays out in grand fashion in her portrayal. Her performance moved in the direction of her dying which was the overriding characterization of her persona. But Hellman finds enough life in her bite to rise above her current ills and sue her counterpart. And watching McCarthy squirm must have delighted her to no end but we see little of that choice in Plumb on this night. Fighting the pain of age, a subdued stoicism was a part of her character but offers her little opportunity to do anything else. Also, the Betty Davis slap to her nurse does not progress the scene, the relationship, or the play, and seems slightly out of character for a woman who let her words devour her enemies to death. On this opening weekend, Hellman’s relationship to the nurse needed work and hopefully a happy medium will be found by the time you see the play. Hellman’s reposeful expression should not be evident until the final victory is hers. The character work is excellent. One wishes she wasn’t dying through the course of the night. Also, and as an aside, Plumb is much too attractive to play Hellman who wasn’t known for turning heads.

Marcia Rodd, as Mary McCarthy, has a very strong voice and commanding presence that she maintains throughout the play. McCarthy, a former Vassar College student, writer, critic, and educator, kept her on-camera persona throughout. Giving her an off-screen persona will have provided Rodd with more nuances to the character. Finding ways to bring her history on stage would help to define her character. Also, McCarthy must be in the lawyer’s office for a reason, maybe she is running out of money or she is trying to find a way out without losing her sanity. The suit is destroying her life, and her way of life. She says it in words, but the pain in Rodd’s performance does not appear deep, and she is not desperate to end the lawsuit, even though it is killing her character emotionally and financially. That aside, Rodd has an incredibly strong voice and is very likeable on stage.

John Combs plays Lester Marshal, Hellman’s attorney and does a fine job. Combs is affable and in the moment. As Marshal, he finds a way to attack giving his client a reason for being. Marshal can be sinister in the ways he deals with others around him and maybe he could go a little farther with the intimate details of the character.

Martin Thompsonis enjoyable as Bert Fielding, McCarthy’s attorney. He is the low-budget attorney of the group but really doesn’t get much mileage in the relationship to the high power attorney counterpart. Still, there were some nice little exchanges between the two.

M.Rowan Meyer is very likeable as Ryan, Hellman’s nurse. Other than taking care of Hellman, Meyer’s approach to the character didn’t find the right connection on this particular night. There must be a reason that he is there, that he puts up with her, that he stays with her through thick and thin and it just can’t be the money. The difficult task for this actor is to find out why he is there and why he is attracted to stay in the relationship. Finding a creative objective would give him more mileage. Love is a great equalizer and Ryan must find way to love her, despite the fact that he is gay, to care for her emotionally, physically, and mentally. And Ryan being gay didn’t move the play in any direction. He could have easily been straight, another race, female, transgendered, and that would not have changed the objective of the character on this particular night. That said Meyer is a very engaging young man with a very strong appeal and in the emotional moment. His scene with Cavett was spot on and extremely funny.

Howard Storm, the director, gives us the moments we so desperately need when venturing out into the theatre night air. The “slap” is a moment that needs reworking. There is a little bit of creativity and ingenuity needed for the scene when McCarthy and Hellman discuss their previous relationship with each telling the exact story. Having them intertwined, and in each other’s space, would have brought more life into that scene. Also in the apology scene, having them on opposite ends of the table lessened the degree of the dramatic conflict needed in that scene. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever seen two attorneys in a room who haven’t exhausted civility, and are on the edge of trading blows, in words or in emotional deed.

David Hunt Staffordis the wonderful Producer of this show and a guiding light at Theatre 40.

Other members of the valuable crew are as follows:

Rhonda Lord – Assistant to the Director

Bill Froggatt – Stage Manager

Richard Carner – Assistant Stage Manager

Jeff G. Rack – Set Designer

Michele Young – Costume Designer

Ric Zimmerman – Lighting Designer

Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski – Sound Designer

Run! Run! Run! And take someone who loves talk shows.

Theatre 40

In the Reuben Cordova Theatre

241 S. Moreno Drive

Bevely Hills, CA 90212

Reservations: 310-364-3606

Online Ticketing: www.theatre40.org

Nicholas Guest - Photo Ed Kreiger

By Joe Straw

I told my 11-year-old daughter that I met an actor who was in “Frozen”. Her face turned a bright pink, her eyes got really big, her mouth formed a circular “O” shape before she uttered the words “Who? Who? Who? Who? Who!?, Who!!!!?” – Narrator

An actor travels many places, lives many lives, and absorbs what the creator sends their way. Coming into the hallowed halls of the Zephyr theatre on this night were Francis Fisher, Ed Begley, Jr., Fred Willard, and, I believe, Alan Rachins, all working actors venturing out this night finding Nicholas Guest finding himself in his new play “finding Nick”.

The Zephyr Theatre, currently owned by Lee Sankowich, also the director of “finding Nick”, is one of my favorite theatres for several reasons.

Upon entering the theatre, there is a little ramp that forces one gingerly onto the stage before finding a seat. Looking around, one notices little in the way of set design, but there is enough here to accompany the storyteller for a one-man show. Certainly the coat rack upstage right plays an important part. There is a small desk littered with songbooks and a French book. A chair sits comfortably near the desk and guitar stand begs for center stage. Upstage center are screens for projections that will later project the beautiful images in Nick’s life. And upstage left are two chairs, music stands, a place for two professional musicians, the stunning cellist (Hillary Smith) and guitarist (Tony Carafone) who employs a full head of curly hair and a wry smile.

One sees Nick, offstage, before the play begins, holding a guitar and standing behind the curtain, in the wings, ready to come on. A theatre patron pulls back the curtain and waves. Nick gives her a thumbs up sign before venturing onto the stage singing “Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream” by Ed McCurdy and, as funny as it may seem, Nick takes us back into his past, starting in New York City 1967, and off we go into the story of his young life as though it were a dream, relived, replayed, rewound, all for the purpose of giving us a sample of a moment, played back in his precise humanistic details.

The Zephyr Theatre presents “finding Nick” written and performed by Nicholas Guest, directed by Lee Sankowich, and Produced by Racquel Lehrman, Theatre Planners through March 28, 2015

“finding Nick” is an exceptional one-man show about a young man who is lost as he tries to find his way in the world. The music is fabulous; the impersonations genuine, and the passionate moments will lift you out of your seat craving for more. Certainly, and especially for fathers with daughters, the night ends on a very emotional high note.

The play starts in 1967 and ends, one might say, at the end of the performance 2015 because in reality Nick is still finding Nick.

There are people who say, or maybe I saw it in a movie, maybe “City Slickers”, that life is about finding that “one thing”. I guess the trick is knowing the moment when that “one thing” is discovered. But, the one thing we discover in the play is that Nick, as a young man, is adrift, the product of an abiding faith in his immature youth.

And as the play begins, we find that Nick is a bad student. Geometry is not his strong suit. That seems to make little difference in this private progressive school in the upper west side of New York City.

“That’s okay. Write poetry.”

Nick is in high school and not having a grand time. But dressed in his corduroy jacket, without the elbow patches and protesting the war, he watches beautiful girls marching along side him and really gets into the make love not war theme without having experienced the love part, or the war part for that matter.

But Nick’s urbane father, creating an inviolable sanctuary for his son, tells Nick they are moving to Switzerland and politely orders Nick to brush up on his French. Nick, in protest, shoves the French book with his fingertips and says he knows French. (Typical teenager.)

But when in Switzerland, Nick finds himself at the Ecole Internationale de Geneve under the tutelage of a Russian history teacher, with a very thick accent, who is aware of his spotty transcript.

“Nicholai, tell me about the Russian Revolution.”

The best Nick can do is to tell him about the French Revolution using the modern day vernacular of it was “heavy” and a “trip”.

At school, Nick meets Isabelle who takes him to the park and sings him a song and about not leaving him.

Ne me quitte pas

Il faut oublier

Tout peut s’oublier

Qui s’enfuit deja

Oublier le temps

Des malentendus

Et le temps perdu

A savoir comment

Oublier ces heures

Qui tuaient parfois

A coups de porquoi

Le coeur du bonheur

Ne me quitte pas

Ne me quit pas – Jacques Brel

And then she leaves him. Infatuated, Nick tries to find her again but only gets as far as Isabelle’s father and only on the phone. Ultimately it is a project lost in its futility.

There is more to be learned from an American teacher with a crew cut who wants to discuss America’s involvement in Vietnam but thinks that Nick should write poetry.

(One detects a theme here.)

Now Nick’s time in Switzerland takes another dramatic turn when his family moves back to New York, Greenwich Village, and MacDougal St., next door to Bob Dylan.

Nick, still doing terribly in school, gets a glimmer of the acting world.

His counselor, Carol, looking at Nick’s record, see no math, no science, ergo no hope, but does recommend two colleges, one in St. Louis, and the other in Paris, France.

Nick chooses Paris, where his French instructor notices something about this peculiar student.

“You are lost.” – Teacher

Nick, as a young man, was lost and every moment from then on was an awakening of sorts. And as the play progresses, the moments find their sweet spot, and the production soars.

Guest has a strong voice and a special knack for mimicry and imitation. He creates strong characters of the people from his past especially his father, the Russian Teacher, The French Teacher and Bill Hickey to name only a few. The imitation of Eldridge Cleaver had the hair standing on the back of my neck. His objective here is very simple, finding Nick, the conflict is mostly an inner conflict, and the other characters are there to help Nick find the way. So how does Nick find Nick? Simply by osmosis, which is absorbing the lessons learned from the instrumental people in his life, the ones who have focused a great deal of their time turning Nick’s life around. The trick here, or with any actor in the theatre, is having the character engage in the lesson, taking that extraordinary piece and creating a change in the relationship, at that moment, that instant, in that time, and then carrying that forward. If there is one thing learned here is that finding Nick is a lifetime event but, in the immediate world of theatre, one would like to see all of that play out on stage as the younger Nick matures.

All right that said, there is something to be said about one-man shows and Lee Sankowich, the director, gives a lot inspiration to this play. One quibbles about a moment, a stamp from both the director and the actor. The wonderful imitation of Nick’s father needs a reaction from Nick. Isabella’s relationship with Nick is a sexual awakening without the intense hormones begging for her to come back. And the scene in the villa, the Jimi Hendricks scene, needs further exploration, between the older son, the father, and Nick that I didn’t quite get. But these are little things to add to an exceptional body of work.

The music by Guest, Tony Carafone and Hillary Smith will bring you to tears. Other songs not mentioned are “Tomorrow is a Long Time” by Bob Dylan, “Le Plat Pays” by Jacques Brel, “Song of Automne” by author unknown, “Ma Liberte” by Georges Moustaki, “L’Internationale” Lyrics by Eugene Pottier (1871) and Music by Pierre Degeyter (1888), “Bandiera Rosa” Lyrics by Carlo Tuzzi (1908), “Le Temps De Vivre” by Georges Moustaki, “A Rainy Night in Paris” by Nicholas Guest, and “The Hobo Song” by Woody Guthrie.

Also, making a special appearance on this night was Elizabeth Guest putting an exclamation point on “finding Nick.”

Racquel Lehrman,Theatre Planners was the Producer of the show and Victoria Watson, Theatre Planner was the Associate Producer.

Other members of the production crew are as follows:

Donny Jackson– Lighting Designer

Norman Kern– Projection Design

Davidson & Choy Publicity– Press Representatives

Kiff Scholl, AFK Design– Graphic Design

Angelica Estevez– Stage Manager

Pamela Guest– Muse

Run! Run! Run! Bring someone you lost but recently found.

Reservations: 323-960-4420 www.plays411.com/nick

Thursday & Fridays at 8 p.m.

Added shows: Saturdays on March 21 and March 28th.

Zephyr Theatre

7456 Melrose Ave

Los Angeles, CA

By Joe Straw

In the late seventies, right after finishing college in Tennessee, I came to Hollywood and found work as the doorman at the Pantages Theatre. How I got there, I’m not quite sure.

One of the first shows playing at The Pantages was “A Chorus Line” and, on most nights, I watched from the wings, always watching. Now that I look back on that time, well, I have great memories. Wanda Richert, Tony Teague, Scott Plank, and others - good memories - a flood of memories and one can’t help but get emotional at the sound of:

Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch...Again!

Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch...Right!

That connects with...

Turn, turn, out, in, jump, step,

Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch.

Got it?... Going on. And...

Turn, turn, touch, down, back, step,

Pivot, step, walk, walk, walk.

Right! Let's do the whole combination,

Facing away from the mirror.

From the top.

A-Five, six, seven, eight! – Zach

I have not seen a high school production of “A Chorus Line”.

My college professor scoffed when someone suggested we perform it, possibly because of the inherent rigorous demands of this show. Such a production needed trained dancers, actors, and an orchestra working very hard to get this show on its feet, and he didn’t think we had the chops.

Well, Culver City High School does a terrific job of satisfying those of us who want to relive “A Chorus Line” and get emotional. This is an excellent production with a lot of heart, exceptional performances, and that one that will have you feeling good all over again.

Culver City High School Academy of Visual & Performing Arts (AVPA) presents A Chorus Line, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban, Book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, directed by Jill Novick, March 6, 7, 13, 14 at 7:00 pm and March 8 at 1:00 pm at the Robert Frost Auditorium in Culver City, California.

A Chorus Line, if you are new to the planet, is about a group of hungry dancers vying for eight positions in the chorus of a major Broadway show. The dancers chosen will be the backing the star or the leads of the show.

A white line stretching across the stage is there to remind the dancers of their objective, to get a place on the line no matter what, using charm, voice, legs, and other accouterments.

But Zach (Simon Johnson) isn’t going to make it easy for these dancers. He’s going to put them through the mill to see which one fits the bill.

“A, five, six, seven, eight!!!” – Zach

And so, as Zach is weeding out the dancers, everyone is giving it their all. Through the course of the audition we get to find the dancers strengths and weaknesses.

“Any Broadway shows?” - Zach

The weak are weeded out. The answer to that question is the death knell for a dancer trying to make it.

Zach calls the numbers to the first dancers who have made the cut, and instructs them to get their pictures and resume out and stand on the white line.

“Who am I anyway?

Am I my resume?

That is a picture of a person I don’t know.

What does he want from me?

What should I try to be?

So many faces all around, and here we go.

I need this job, oh God, I need this show.” - Paul

One doesn’t expect an orchestra in a high school production, but Tony Spano, Jr. the Music Director and Conductor does a remarkable job using students and a few professional musicians playing the music and making the night a glorious event.

Singular, or the collective whole one might call this group of thespians who worked well together.

Sensationis a term describing the night.

And while we’re on the subject, one initial observation is the young women have had more dance training than the high school young men. But what the men lacked in skills made up for it in character development and “personal flair”.

Emma deZarn does a fantastic job as Cassie. Her acting is superb and her dancing is first rate. To quote someone after the show “Emma deZarn nailed it!” “The Music and the Mirror” dance is wonderful.

Adriana Romero is tremendous as Diana and gives a lot of life to the song “Nothing”. The song is moving in many ways and Romero is up to the task of finding a character that is fully developed.

Khamiya Terrell towers over the rest of the cast giving us the idea that she is much older as Sheila is supposed to be. She is funny and sassy all in the same breath. “At the Ballet” is one of the highlights of the show and Terrell, Claire Skellyas Maggie, the product of an unhappy marriage, and Isabel Parra as Bebe, the unattractive daughter - all have wonderful and strong singing voices, creating a sense of being at ballet classes and dealing with their parents.

Carly Shiever plays Val who sings Dance: 10; Looks: 3 is another highlight of the show. Shiever has a very strong voice and a nice stage presence.

Elisa Spear plays Judy one of the toughest roles of this musical to get just right. She is kind of clumsy, forgetful, and sometimes scatterbrained, but a gifted dancer. Spear is exquisite in the role.

Sonya Broner and Angel Salas play the husband and wife team Kristine and Al respectively as they form a duet to sing “Sing”. Salas does a great job with the relationship and has a very nice presence on stage. Broner does well singing off key but could go even farther off key.

Courtney Lundy plays Connie to perfection and has a very nice way about her on stage.

Raegan Harris has a superior voice playing Reggie, usually the character is reserved for a male dancer Ritchie, but Harris did a fantastic job and it worked perfectly.

Others rounding out the outstanding female cast were Sarah Toutounchain as Vicki, Mikaela Barocio as Tricia, Rachel Gonzales as Rachel, Paxton Amor as a dancer, and Katy Engel as Lois who has a very nice presence and lovely dance skills.

Samuel Petersen plays Mike Costa and has a great tap number in “I Can Do That”. I always thought this number was too short in the musical and way too long in the movie. Still Petersen gives it the right amount of time it deserved.

Oliver Berliner is Don Kerr from Kansas City. Berliner has a wonder face for theatre and manages his role with aplomb.

Ryan Gacula does a respectable job as Paul and manages to convince us that he has done all that he has done in his young life.

Reno Behnken is Gregory Gardener. Reno is another actor with a great character face and appeal.

Andrew Alvarenga is Bobby Mills a dancer from upstate New York who believes committing suicide in Buffalo is redundant. Alvarenga is extremely amusing in the role and has a natural ability on stage.

Ben Hilsberg is Mark Anthony, a first timer who will work very hard to get on the line.

Simon Johnson is wonderful as Zach. His voice is strong and he could give more emotional life to “A – five, six, seven, eight!”

Henry Farfan is Tom, Owen Jones plays Butch, Gabe Lobet is Frank and Nicholas Freeson is Roy.

Jill Novick, the director, did a great job of getting this musical onto The Robert Frost Auditorium stage. There is a rich history with Novick and this show and the love just comes pouring through in every singular moment. This is a tremendous job and Culver City High School is lucky to have her.

Julie Carson, The Choreographer, also did a tremendous job with the look of the show.

Jacky Jung did a marvelous job with the Chorus Line costumes – not sure where she got them, of if they were tailored made, but they just looked fabulous in the closing number, “One”!

Members of the orchestra, and I especially love the trombones were:

Judy Gottesman – accompanist

Peter Marcus – keyboards

Patrick Gardner – bass

Josh Zucker – percussion

Bella Rivera – flute

Sadushi De Silva – flute

Alberto Cruz – clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax

Kent Seeberger – clarinet

Niko Vlahakis – flute, alto sax

Milo Bechtloff Weising – bari sax, clarinet

Paul Witt – trumpet

Mikael Nida – trumpet

June Satton - trombone

James Tingle – trombone

Other members of the creative team are as follows:

Lighting & set design – Kristen Opstad

Sound design – Will Schuessler

Stage Manager – Cricket Cary-Green

Relive the dream once again and take someone who has seen it a number of times.

Alyson Renaldo - Photo: Kristin Lau

By Joe Straw

The Santa Monica Playhouse is celebrating its 50^thanniversary! Wow! Presently, the theatre is an intimate house for eclectic one-person shows: Stogie Kenyatta’s “The World is My Home – The Life of Paul Robeson”, “Jamaica, Farewell” by Debra Ehrhardt, “A Child Left Behind” by Alan Aymie; all great nights of entertainment which have been reviewed on this blog.

Lately, there’s been a charming Caribbean crowd at the Santa Monica Playhouse. The lovely woman to my immediate right was from the West Indies. She yelled “Panama” to a woman in a black hat sitting near us. “Panama! (blowing three air kisses), catch you later and we talk about tings, and tings, and tings.”

Alyson Renaldo, the actor/writer of Guyanese parentage, came onstage and disrobed. Well, she took off her shoes. I’ve seen this before. Now she is going to rub her tired feet, I said to myself.

But, that didn’t happen. Instead she put on her “flip-flops” and walked over and read a couple of handwritten messages. At that moment, I could see a truth, a very simple truth, honest and forthright.

“What are you doing here?” – Renaldo

Renaldo is a stunning statuesque woman, with beautiful teeth and a warm smile. How she got to be thirty years old and a virgin is her emotional dialogue, her inner conflict, and the thrust of her entire emotional being that she delivers in an intimate theatrical setting. All this makes for a delightful evening as well as funny in a most unusual way.

The journey begins when Renaldo says she has RSVP’d to a wedding reception.

“An RSVP is an iron clad contract.” – Reynaldo

And in order for us to get the now, we must go back to the beginning and understand how this attractive, unattached, “Virginator”, and “Virgin-esque”, woman gets to the ball (no pun intended).

In her case, consummation was an unlearned developmental skill, but by happenstance, Reynaldo was interrupted so many times in her youth, she was questioning if it was ever going to happen at all. Forget coitus interruptus, Renaldo is a woman skilled in the art of interrupted outercourse.

What is outercourse? Well, everything that is not intercourse, and Renaldo will take you on that journey, to that special place, where she discusses her virginity with the characters that hold a special place in her heart.

TDN Theatre presents Virgin written and performed by Alyson Renaldo and directed by Chris DeCarlo and Alyson Renaldo at the Santa Monica Playhouse through Sunday April 19^th, 2015.

“And he shall take her wife in her virginity.” – Levitucus 21:15

The journey for Renaldo starts when she’s young and kept in a state of chastity as the result of her religion, her mother, and the amusing insanity that trolls upon her synapses.

The characters in her life are specific, especially her mother, who tells her that having underage sex is like driving a Jaguar without a license. Good idea when one thinks about it. But Renaldo uses the sage advice as a license to get her car moving on the journey to the glamorous life of youthful sex-capades and ravenous interests.

And now near the end, and at the wedding reception with Reggae music in the background, Renaldo says you don’t have to have a partner, you just dance, and eventually somebody will hop up along side of you and grind into you without asking. (This truth played out much to the delight of the audience on this night.)

But in the end, Renaldo, the writer and actor, sends us out into the cold night air with a resounding genuineness about virginity and what that word means. The ending strikes to the heart and gives us one more story that restores our faith in humanity. In short, the writer takes us on an very intelligent journey and throws in a grand, funny, and physical life to boot.

Chris DeCarlo, the co-director, finds the moments, keeps it all honest, and gives us a night of enjoyable theatre.

James Cooper is the Lighting Designer, George J. Vennes III is the Production Stage Manager and Sandra Zeitzew is the Public Relations Director.

Run! Run! And take someone who likes to whisper sweet little nothings in your ears.

L - Herbert Siguenza, Richard Montoya, Sabina Zuniga Varela, and Ric Salinas

By Joe Straw

The sea of Latino patrons were visiting this night, Friday February 27, 2015.

Crossing the street, I was introduced to Luis Valdez (The writer of “La Bamba”, “Zoot Suit”, and “I Don’t Have to Show You No Stinking Badges”) and his lovely wife Lupe. Where else does this happen except in Los Angeles?

Our seats in the center, I squeezed by a standing sneering Caucasian woman to take my seat immediately to her left. And in this sea of Latino patrons, she seemed to be the only Caucasian in the crowd (a slight exaggeration). That’s not necessarily a bad thing, my mother was Caucasian. (Let’s pause for a moment on the word “bad” and “Caucasian” in keeping with the theme of the play.)

My ears pick up when this woman began to make disparaging remarks, first she commented about Fernando Valenzuela’s weight and his puffy cheeks, and then she suggested that he should go back to Mexico where he belonged. Her vitriolic gibbering and her indecorous charms were offensive and not in keeping with the respect of nearby patrons. One was mentally tuning her out, turning her down, historically, like an old 1930s Philco radio with a busted knob.

At one point, in the play, when the police were evicting homeowners from Chavez Ravine – “Get ‘em out of there!” she bellowed. I let most of the distractions go. But at the end of the curtain, a young Latina woman behind her said, “Lady, what is your problem?” “Go away! I can say whatever I want!” The man with our Latina friend said: “Honey it’s really not worth the effort. Let’s go.” “No, I really want to know what her problem is.”

The rows of seats kept them separated. There were no physical thrashings. You just never know where you are going to find your drama, most of the time it’s on stage, and other times, it’s right next to you. – Narrator.

“Chavez Ravine An L.A. Revival” by Culture Clash, which has now since closed, was a beautiful production about the insidious treatment of human beings that lived along that stretch of Los Angeles. Beings that were forced out, with funds from the Federal Housing Act of 1949, by a process called eminent domain. The buyouts were a progression of shady backroom deals and intentions of an iniquitous nature.

Center Theatre Group, Michael Ritchie, Artistic Director, Stephen D. Rountree, Managing Director, Douglas C. Baker, Producing Director, Gordon Davidson Davidson, Founding Artistic Director presents Chavez Ravine An L.A. Revival by Culture Clash and Directed Lisa PetersonJanuary 27 – March 1, 2015 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

L - Ric Salinas, Herbert Siguenza, Sabina Zuniga Varela, and Richard Montoya

Culture Clash – Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas, and Herbert Siguenza – are obsequious in their presentation – to do something unique. And I’m not so sure I want to give it a name but I might try before all is said and done. They come together in abstractionism, huddled together to go out to present a historical message, a post card of Los Angeles if you will in their art of creation. And even if you didn’t get all of the jokes and all of the historical references, you come away an enlighten human being trying to get a grasp on man’s heartlessness to fellow man.

The year is 1981, opening day at Dodger Stadium, young phenom pitcher Fernando Valenzuela (Herbert Siguenza) takes the mound as Vin Scully (Richard Montoya), Dodger radio announcer, watches and projects his infinitesimal colorful commentary.

Fernando winds up, eyes reaching for the heaven, and throws his left-handed screwball, standing feet wide, perpendicular to the plate, he stares down opposing batters, or so one thinks.

But now Valenzuela, on the pitchers mound, has a problem. Scully, along with 50,000 of the Dodger faithful observes Valenzuela staring off into space and of course Scully notices the distraction by way of his sardonic comments.

Valenzuela’s stare is not directed to the game, the dugout, or the catcher but to the surreptitious Latinos walking toward the mound, the ghosts of Chavez Ravine as it were. Henry Ruiz (Ric Salinas) and Maria Ruiz (Sabina Zuniga Varela), Henry’s sister, former inhabitants of the area have something to work out before they leave the earthly plain called Dodger Stadium.

Traveling back in time to 1944, Henry Ruiz is greeted by Father Thomas (Richard Montoya), complete with a welcoming brogue, embraces Ruiz for his duty to the war effort.

This is home to Ruiz for the time being. But not for long as an unsettled Henry tells his sister Maria, and his mother, that he wants to sell the house to make way for the new housing complex, Elysian Park Heights.

Elysian Park Heights was a grand idea of affordable housing, proposed by Frank Wilkinson (Richard Montoya), site manager of the City Housing Authority, and conceived by Richard Neutra, architect.

The inhabitants set the stage for the long protracted battle in order to keep their home on what is now Dodger Stadium. (And you can guess who won that fight.)

L - Herbert Siguenza, Ric Salinas, and Sabina Zuniga Varela

Lisa Peterson, the incisive director, leads a show that plays into the designed disorder of Culture Clash’s delightful play. The 1940s noir setting is set around Frank Wilkinson, his predicament, and those bent on his ultimate destruction. And in this setting, neatly played, Wilkinson is a man cornered and pinned down by the worthless souls that would sell their mother for a limp cracker and a stale piece of cheese. The action is a theatrical form of expressionism that ridicules the linear and highlights the insanity of excavating women and children from their homes and taking it a step further by discrediting people through the use of the McCarthy hearing, smearing FBI files, and bringing forth shadowy vibrations of individuals bent on throwing people out into the street. Munching on popcorn, singing “Take Me Out to The Ballgame”, and reciting Abbott and Costello’s, “Who’s on First?” is a form of Dadaism that rides and ridicules the thought that baseball, in the end, will make everything okay. Oh say can you see.

Richard Montoyadoes a grand job as Frank Wilkinson as well as host of other characters. His voice is strong, and the characterizations were powerful, each and everyone. There was only a slight bit of forgetfulness when he was hoisted in midair, practically by his cajones, projecting a steady stream, a conscious stream of human insanities, bulging thoughts of ISIS, and laying into a local critic’s view on meretricious theater. Montoya’s duty on this night was to make us think, to make change, and to piss off the bad Caucasian lady if only to make a difference. And to that end, the wretched little Prometheus succeeded in dramatic fashion.

Rich Salinasprojects himself as someone who practices Commedia dell’arte, always with a mask of sorts, and exaggerated physical expressions that works well for each character portrayed. He is a very physical comedian; dancing at times to make a statement. His characters are very specific and the manner in which he breaths life into a character seems effortless.

Herbert Siguenzainhabits a character completely in the way Constantine Sanislvaski might have. There is a lot of depth and characterization in each role and a profound seriousness of each moment. Siguenza appears to take pleasure in feeding off the audience - that give and take enjoyed by actors everywhere – making sure that each moment of his physical and emotional life projected out to the audience is just right.

Sabina Zuniga Vareladoes a fine job as Maria, a compilation of strong Latina women that struggles in the good fight, despite their collywobbles. Certainly Maria’s role is to intenerate the backbiting hearts of the men fighting to destroy her way of life. Varela is funny, strong, and makes her point grand in this production.

The band members and background actors are presented in a manner that works tremendously well in this production. They are Vaneza Mari Calderón, Mandy Rodarte, Scot Rodarte and John Avila, Music Director/Arranger. Their music was fabulous!

Rachel Hauck, Scenic Design, gave us a really nice look to the production.

Christopher Acebo, Costume Design, did a fantastic job with the costumes. One can only imagine the changes going on backstage to back onstage.

José López, Lighting Design, was responsible for the noir lighting that gave the night a particular look and transported us back to the days of noir films.

Other members of the production are as follows:

Paul James Prendergast– Sound Design/Additional Composition

Jason H. Thompson– Projection Design

Kirsten Parker– Production Stage Manager

Brooke Baldwin– Stage Manager

Michael Ritchie– Artistic Director

Stephen D. Rountree– Managing Director

Douglas C. Baker– Producing Director

Nausica Stergiou– General Manager

Gordon Davidson– Founding Artistic Director

John Glore - Dramaturg

Also Lindsay Allbaugh, Associate Producer, who gave us brilliant work at The Elephant Stages for many years, now moves her glorious talent to The Center Theatre Group!

D' Lo - Photos by Ken Sawyer

By Joe Straw

Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center presents D’Lo D’FunQT A dedication to Queer and Trans Lives of Color written and performed by D’Lo , directed by Ken Sawyer and Produced for the Los Angeles LGBT Center by Jon Imparato, through May 3^rd, 2015.

What make D’Lo so different? Is it the haircut? No, that’s not it. The slight Mohawk is pretty normal, and might even be a little blasé in Hollywood these days. Is it the color of his skin? No that’s not it either; there are plenty of brown people walking around Los Angeles who are just as dark, darker, darkest. Pretty, in a manly sort of way, dressed up in a Dodger cap, blue t-shirt, black shirt, jeans, black adidas, and strutting around like he owns the joint. Yep, pretty normal stuff.

On this night, the set is eccentric. Robert Selander’s Set Design/Scenic Artist/Master Carpenter sets the stage projecting the events of the night. Stage right, handwritten jottings – inscribes a life – “Tamil pride” – and young photos of D’Lo as a young girl in a argyle like sweater – littered thoughts splayed out like a diary page and fulsome annotations - descriptions of the photos plastered across the scrapped filled wall. And small lights, improperly laid out, that illuminate the diary, placing shadows on things that were, are, and might have been. Birthday cakes, king’s crown, little red heart above “#Tamil Pride,” parents and loving family embraced in that one special moment.

D' Lo

Upstate center, more writing, but now projections, looking like scratches on a medical professional tablet, except for

“1) folly… (Good thing I’m single),

2) …. I ≠ in 8 w Mass, I’m in.”

“? Masculinity Beautiful in

– Dick – Transition”

And all around there are words, thousand of words that make a life, but only for someone willing to stop a moment and read. Which leads us to stage right, of baby pictures, pictures of sisters, beautiful loving sisters, and an obtrusive mic suspended and ready to be reached, to project, and make a point.

From the skylight above, peacefully, soft lights hang from the ceiling and burn like wickless candles, a faint flicker of something that was, that might have been, that moves on to another stage.

These are all a marvelous accouterment to a brilliant evening of theatre of a life, from a person who will not give up to tell his part of a wonderful story – all in a somewhat linear fashion – divided by thoughts that flash from the edges of a steady stream of consciousness.

And there D’ Lo stands, telling us his life, a life, one life, of being someone special, different, but the same as you and me, all told from another perspective, his perspective.

“D’Lo is a queer/transgender Tamil-Sri Lankan-American interdisciplinary artist…” – The program.

The night starts out with D’Lo coming out like a rock star with a hoodie draped over his head, styled as an urbane hip hop artists ready to shout lyrics to this capacity crowd.

But that was not to be as D’ Lo explains: “I don’t talk like that.”

Now, D’ Lo’s voice is calm and in a higher range, his face clement, an ethereal beauty, in his manner and presentation. He tells us this night is going to be different, here on the stage, he is going to do this, this part of the stage is slam poetry, and this part is his family.

And overall, the night is filled with rhyme, fun filled dramas, heartbreaking intense events in his life. The night, in short, is an emotional story of color and light of how one is treated after a lifestyle is presented in full living color.

Little is said about D’ Lo’s relationship to other women, they come, they have a relationship, and then someone is thrown out, usually D’ Lo. One would like a few more details to even out the night.

That said, D’ Lo is a splendid performer who manages to bring his entire family to full light. The father and mother are both marvelous characters richly portrayed complete with faults of their own. One scene, with her sister, has her kissing her “girl doll” a little too long and being embarrassed by it.

“Only bad people have sex!” – D’ Lo

Ken Sawyer, the director, does a fantastic job turning bit of pieces of D’ Lo’s life and giving it a structure, a movement, a time and a place saying don’t be alarmed this is a story of a man with a different perspective, but in another reality, normal, a new normal.

Other members of this delightful crew are as follows:

Matt Richter– Lighting Designer

Patricia Sutherland– Production Manager

Adam Earle– Board Operator

Kathleen Jaffee– Stage Manager

Caitlin Rucker– Electrics

Ken Werther Publicity– Press Relations

Norman Cox– House Manager

Jon Imparato– Director, Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center

Katie Poltz– Program Manager, Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center

Matt Walker– Coordinator, Lily Tomlin/JHane Wagner Cultural Arts Center

Norman Cox, Giorgis Despotakis, Dominic Fury, Josh Goldman, Sofia Varona– Box Office Staff

Jon Imparatomakes it a point to welcome everyone to the Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Arts Center and particularly to The Davidson/Valentini Theatre. This is one of the best intimate theatres in town.

Run! Run! Run! And take someone with a wild imagination who likes to dress up.

Tickets: www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre or call 323-860-7300

Davidson/Valentini Theatre

1125 N. McCadden Place

Hollywood, CA

D' Lo

James O'Halloran and Amanda Correia

By Joe Straw

Sometimes, I want to see actors - on a bare stage - in just a black box theatre. I hunger for the thespian to bring the place, to live in the space, to feel Tennessee William’s imaginary “transparent jaded portieres” brush against their body. I want the actors to listen to the wind, shiver from the imaginary morning dewdrops, and show me they are connected in time and space in that black box. And then there are other times that – I want more. – Narrator

After reading James Grissom’s

“The Follies of God

Tennessee Williams and the Women of the Fog” *

- the time was perfect time to see “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams, in its entirety, to get a full and complete perspective of each character’s moral imperfections.

The Renegade Theatre presents The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams directed by Wilson Better, Produced by Richard Baker, Theodora Greece & Emily O’Meara April 9^th through May 17^th, 2015.

There is something off in the Wingfield family what with the peculiarities of every member of that household. Tom, an aspiring writer with no girl friend to speak of, runs off nights, not coming home until late in the evening, the early morning, doing, who knows what. And Laura, well, she’s a little touched and slightly “crippled”. And it’s a pretty sure bet that if something doesn’t happen soon with Amanda Wingfield’s family, like getting her kids married and having grandchildren, that will be the end of her line. With no husband for emotional and financial support this family is barely hanging on. Right now, this is a family on life support.

Tom (Wilson Better) introduces us to the Wingfield family. He is merchant marine now dressed in a pea coat and a skullcap, looking back at things that were, and describing a life that no longer exists. It is Tom’s vivid recollection of events that were, or were not, depending on the days recalling abilities, or possibly his truths that have been slightly altered.

“This play is memory. Being a memory play, it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic.” – Tom

Despite their poverty – Tom is the only breadwinner and makes little money - they sit at a sparse dinner table, in ridiculous confabulation, and just to get through it without Tom, in burning silent rage, exploding.

Tom fed up with Amanda’s (Katherine Cortez) exquisitely obtuse dinner language, leaves to smoke a cigarette.

Laura (Amanda Correia), in an effort to help around the house, clears the table.

“Resume your seat, little sister – I want you to stay fresh and pretty – for gentlemen callers!” - Amanda

Amanda, in story form, enlightens her children with the telling of her younger days when she entertained 17 gentlemen callers. A story she has re-told many times and still Tom humors her.

“How did you entertain those gentlemen callers?” – Tom

“I understood the art of conversation.” - Amanda

Amanda has this idea that gentlemen callers are going to rush to Laura’s doorsteps right after dinner, but there are no gentlemen callers on this night, and possibly never will be unless extreme action is taken.

It is quite clear the objective in the first act is for all to work to get the gentleman caller into their home.

But, there is a problem. Laura is a loner and unwilling and unable to better herself in any capacity. To placate her mother, she practices on the typewriter at night and pretends to go to business school during the day.

And when Amanda finds out that Laura has not attended classes, she angrily confronts her daughter.

“How old are you, Laura?” – Amanda

“Mother, you know my age.” – Laura

“I thought that you were an adult; it seems that I was mistaken.” – Amanda

Laura negotiates her way around Amanda with tiny little crippled steps, finding solace in the records her father has left her and finding comfort in her glass menagerie.

Meanwhile Amanda sets her sights on Tom’s unruly library collection in an effort to change him.

“I took that horrible novel back to the library – yes! That hideous book by that insane Mr. Lawrence.” – Amanda (One suspects Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence)

Amanda views Tom in a different and possibly suspicious light. But she treads very lightly because he is the only means of support for the Wingfield family. Still Amanda thinks he is jeopardizing his job by going to the movies and staying out late nights to satisfy his crazy adventurous spirit.

Amanda has this dreadful curiosity that all is coming to an end.

“What are we going to do, what is going to become of us, what is the future?” – Amanda

And just when you think all is hopeless, the gentleman caller arrives, Jim O’Conner (James O’ Halloran) to give us more insight into the human condition and a lot of sub-textual life through his intercourse with the entire Wingfield family.

Wilson Better, in his directorial debut, brings a very worthy “…Menagerie” to Los Angeles on this night, negotiating an extremely fine ensemble, to highlight Williams’s true to life foibles growing up in Missouri. There are a thousand ways to stage The Glass Menagerie, but this particular production is an actor’s venue. One in which the actors create more than what is available on the stage. Set pieces in this grand black box theatre indicate budgetary constraints whereas a little more imaginative symbolism could go a long way. There is no set design, or anyone credited for that task. The title cards and the flash projections are not a part of this version. So, we really have to rely on the actors to bring it all when they perform. And they do for the most part.

Part I of this play is called Preparation of a Gentleman Caller and the conflict of the first act should include not only the words but also the subtext and dramatic inner life of getting the gentleman caller through the door. This leads us to Part II, The Gentleman calls.

This family is dying right before Amanda’s eyes and she really has to work hard to change things fast. In the first act, the conflict needs strengthening. In the second act, the scene opening the door for the gentleman caller is meant to be humorous and filled with life – on this particular night, more could have been added. Still, these are only minor problems that would only add to a very well directed play by Mr. Better.

Wilson Better, playing Tom, is a fantastic actor. The words ring true; his voice is a fine instrument that promises precise poetic license, and his manner on stage quite remarkable. The lights went out on him on the night I was there, and Better recovered nicely. Still, there are moments that could have been better defined. Tom is hiding something he doesn’t want his mother or anyone else to know. This falls with inviting an unmarried man over to his place for dinner without telling that man his mother and sister will be there. However this relationship manifests itself, a richer inner life, transparent feeling, would only help to create a dramatic relationship between the two. There is more to be made of the scene when the lights go out, especially since Tom did not pay the bill. And there is also more to be had by the unexpected leaving of the gentleman caller. Tom is a writer, a poet, and more than likely, gay. (Reading James Grissom’s book and given the playwrights proclivities and his religious beliefs, this fits with Tom’s character.) Those small tidbits aside, Better does an exquisite job with the character in a performance that should not be missed.

L - Katherine Cortez and Amanda Correia

Amanda Correiaplays Laura Wingfield. There is more life to be had with this character. Instead the character reads tedious, lifeless, and cripple. More creative thinking is in order for a stronger physical and emotional life. In one scene, Laura falls. There must be a reason for falling, yet the reason was not evident on this night. Laura should be in heaven dancing, having been kissed and then totally destroyed from what happens next. There is a different life to be had, and one that will probably be changed by the time you see it. That said Correia has a good look and does nice things on stage.

Katherine Cortezplays Amanda Wingfield and does so in fantastic fashion. In this superb role, Cortez manages to capture the essence of Amanda and in one outstanding moment in the play, the part where she is showcasing the dress, there is a sudden realization that the dress does not do justice to her now aging body. It is a moment wonderfully captured by this actress. Cortez also has a fine voice and a very comfortable way on stage.

James O’Halloranplays Jim O’Conner, the gentleman caller, and one would not expect that he is from Australia. His American accent is perfect; he fills the role nicely, and manages himself on stage effortlessly. Jim O’Conner is an interesting character. He is a man who six years earlier was engaged. He is unbetroth now, at least that’s what he makes himself out to be with Tom. He has a fondness for Tom. And with his delicate raillery, has even given him a nickname, “Shakespeare” and yet, that life does not appear on stage and something O’Halloran needs to bring, however slight or accentuated.

Other members of the creative team are as follows:

Chick Vennera– Founding Director of The Renegade Theatre Group

Theodora Greece– Assistant Director

Samuels www.samuelsadvertising.com- Poster Design

Michael Healy’sLighting Design had a few problems on this night. The opening dinner scene was lit very softly making it hard to see the actors. This is an extremely important scene that establishes character and creates the financial circumstances of the household that we really need to see. A little more imaginative lighting is in order.

The costumes were excellent but no one was credited in the program for that job.

Run! Run! And take a friend who is pretty and has a slight limp.

· * A very interesting book about the women in Tennessee Williams life and how those women (Maureen Stapleton, Eva Le Gallienne, Miriam Hopkins, Lillian Gish, Jessica Tandy, Laurette Taylor, Tallulah Bankhead, Julie Harris, Kim Hunter, Geraldine Page, to name a few) influenced his writing. It also includes the men in his life.

Reservations: www.renegadegm.eventbrite.com

L - Adams Brooks, Heather Merthens

By Joe Straw

There was a time I couldn’t find my keys, well at least, not right away. The morning ritual of getting out the door became a long and drawn out process, sometimes lasting twenty or thirty minutes. Near the end of my search, sweat was pouring out of every known orifice in my body and left me completely drenched. The cats, aware of my predicament and shivering in the corner, did their best to stay out of the way. So, after finding the right life partner, I have resolved that issue. But it took some help. – The Narrator.

There were a lot of men at the opening of this show, men who by all appearance spent a lot of time working out. And they were kissing, hugging, introducing themselves, and greeting each other.

Three women sat in the row in front of us. Oddly, these women brought take-out to eat before the show started. (Giving the show an extra added aroma). One thought it was, in part, an all-encompassing experience. But, a gentleman appeared and confiscated their dinner.

“I’ll put it on the piano. You can get it there after the show.” – The gentleman.

The Pied Pipers of The Lower East Side has a program but I couldn’t find it on my messy desk. Not in the usual spot, in the back of the note pad – instead all I could find was a green menu.

Oh! Wait a minute! That’s it.

THE PIED PIPERS

of the

LOWER EAST SIDE

Organic * Vegan * Cuisine

WE DELIVER

Stanton Street (at Orchard)

New York, NY 10002

Tel (212) 662-6609

Fax (212) 662-6610

OPEN 7 DAYS!

FREE DELIVERY

Minimum Order $15

Alex Zoppa, Henry Reno & Joey Tuccio present “The Pied Pipers of The Lower East Side” written and directed by Derek Ahonen, an RZT Production Produced in Association with Mumblecore, Todd Mendeloff and David Goldman through May 24^th, 2015 at the Matrix Theatre.

Manic, is probably the best word to describe this play because it starts that way and never lets up.

When one enters the theatre, we observe a roommate setting,created by Ron Blanco, Stage Designer, that has the inhabitants living a carefree life, what with soda or beer cans all over the floor and the general feeling of unkemptness. A sofa bed, badly worn and in need of cleaning, sits center stage. A likeness of Che is painted on the upstage right wall and the Anonymous mask is painted on the upstage left wall. “Globalize Resistance” is spray painted two sides of the upstage wall, an “Easy Rider” poster is on one bedroom door, and spray painted on the other bedroom door is the phrase “When the rich wage war, it’s the poor that die.” It is a sight without the effluvium one associates with a gym locker-room.

Billy (Adam Brooks), in the opening moments appears to have a drug problem whether he is snorting, smoking, or drinking he is on task and not concerned with anyone else in the room.

That’s not sitting to well with Wyatt (Jordan Tisdale), a man at this point in time who desperately wants Billy to give him his scratch “Cash Words” lottery tickets. But Billy is too busy and ain’t coming clean.

So Wyatt takes Billy’s vintage records (e.g. Elton John and others) out of the sleeve and throws them against the wall missing Billy by inches and breaking some until Billy tells him the “Cash Words” are in the socks.

Billy is a revolutionary and activist organizer. Although in and out of a fog, he is trying to run a business that he seems to do offsite via the use of his cellphone.

Dawn (Heather Merthens) starts watering the plants in the apartment, barely noticing the two men. She pays scant attention to the two, one getting high, the other is scratching, until Wyatt gets very close to scratching the correct name. But it’s no good, the last letter scratched is a disaster. Now Wyatt is frustrated and turns his attention to Billy.

“I’m sorry, Billy.” – Wyatt

Billy has the knack to dulcify Wyatt’s explosive issues. And there’s a lot of “I love you.” thrown about. Dawn jumps into the act and all three start kissing and fondling.

Dear (Agatha Nowicki), the fourth roommate, bursts into the apartment and tells them the health inspector is downstairs inspecting The Pied Pipers restaurant. Wyatt throws on an apron and bolts downstairs to take care of business, coming back momentarily for a spoon to use as a fly swatter.

Billy receives a call from Eugene (not seen) from Oaxaca telling him to come down and join the fight but Billy is not ready to die for that cause. Billy gets a call from his brother who has arrived in the city for a visit and is waiting at Stanton and Ludlow.

Dear, the only levelheaded one, questions Billy about his brother, Evan (Ben Reno) – wondering if Evan knows their sexual situation and living arrangements. Billy says he doesn’t and will break it to him gently as he goes out the door to pick him up.

Dawn is now worried about her living arrangement with her roommates and confides to Dear about her fear of being thrown out. Dear, hot and sweaty, doesn’t want to be touched by Dawn.

“Not now Dawn, I’m sweating all over my body.” - Dear

An undeterred Dawn, always in an amorous mood, leads the both of them to the bathroom to shower together.

Inspector gone, Wyatt is back upstairs shouting to Pepe (unseen) to hold down the fort. Hearing the shower, Wyatt knocks on the bathroom door and asks if he can join the ladies. Wyatt eases in.

Evan, plugged in and tuned out, enters the apartment with his brother. He is studying journalism in college, but all that serious stuff aside, he is now looking for action, drinking and “whores”, and wants to starts the party now. Evan tells his brother that their parents will not pay for any more rehab, that they are done. Again Evan says he wants to get the party started, to which Dawn obliges by coming out completely naked followed by Dear, and then by Wyatt, all soaking wet, and looking for a towel.

Evan is suddenly uncomfortable with this newfound sexual expression but does not resist when Dawn, slipping on her panties, takes him into the bedroom for a quick roll.

When he comes out, Evan finds his brother and Wyatt making out which disrupts his intimate social being. Billy is uncomfortable with the information about their sexual family being revealed this way.

Then Donovan (Patrick Scott Lewis), the owner of the building, drops by for a visit bearing gifts and money.

The Pied Pipers of The Lower East Side by Derek Ahonen is an exceptional play, exquisitely absurd, with equivocal characters that have a grand sense of their intellectual selves, not aware that they haven’t got a clue. They are an entangled mass of humanity posing as a loving family. And in this family’s disorderly formality, they are on a precipice, two steps away from the edge that is precipitously collapsing.

The three-act play is enjoyable from beginning to end. Still I have some thoughts about the production and the actors.

Ahonen’s opening requires patience. Manic is a term used to describe the opening, which leaves us nowhere to go. A gradual opening with highlighting Wyatt and Billy’s intention, without being maniacal, would give us a few seconds to absorb the characters and their idiosyncrasies.

Also, Ahonen’s direction lacks a definitive stamp, the message, and from his perspective. It is a tricky to have the director and writer rolled up in one neat little package. The horrible imprecation, usually expressed from those two during the rehearsals process, is part of the progression of theatre. But because they are one, that fight is unresolved and some things are left stagnant and impotent in the wings. That aside, this is a well directed play that needs a little more and by the time you see it things will have worked themselves to perfection.

L - Agatha Nowicki, Adam Brooks, Jordan Tisdale

Adam Brooks plays Billy and is probably the healthiest drug addict you have ever seen until he suffers from some form of alcoholic polyneuropathy then things get a little dicey. But before that he sits around in his underwear getting very little done despite the signs of him being an activist/organizer, a call here, another call there, they seemed to be real, but we never see him doing that job except for a few phone calls. That aside, he is the one that holds the group together, or appears to, but we really never see the drugs getting in the way of what he is trying to accomplish. And while Brooks did fine job on stage, one is not really sure what the character is trying to accomplish, his objective to the end.

Jordan Tisdale is Wyatt, a man that has many phobias including thanatophobia, the fear of dying. That phobia devours his every waking moment and sends him to places no one wants to go. This is one reason he stays in the relationship because there is only one person that can help him. Tisdale brings a manic energy to the character, some moments possibly forced, but there has to be a bigger meaning to his overall objective, something that requires another level from his creative channel. That aside, this is a very fine performance.

Heather Merthens plays Dawn, a person who loves the situation she is in, but ultimately knows that it has to end somewhere down the road, that it cannot last forever. The character is young and unaware and has much to learn, her heart is in the right place, and she is capable of learning from her mistakes. That said, Merthens really needs to play one character off another so that in the end she gets what she wants, and she really has to want it.

Agatha Nowicki is the character, Dear. And if the group as a collective is the body, Dear is the brains, in a metaphysical, fifth dimension, weird sort of way. Dear always has the answers. She runs The Pied Piper Restaurant and she is reliable to a fault. So what does she want? Good question, hard answer from Nowicki on this night. She’s got everything she wants, two men, one woman in a gratifying post apocalyptical-like sexual relationship. Her every need is at her fingertips, and there’s a job in the future if she accepts the married man even though it means the end of her life as she knows it. So, what fuels her fire?

Ben Reno plays the younger brother, Evan. Evan is an arrogant, cocky college kid, majoring in journalism, who knows it all and wants to party hard while he’s there in New York visiting his older brother. He’s also there to bring a message from their parents. Reno gives a wonderful performance of a young man who knows little, learns a lot, and then is worldly to a fault at the end. Actually the worldly part didn’t ring true to me but the other parts shows an actor who is gifted. It is an exceptional performance.

Patrick Scott Lewis is Donovan the owner of the building and appears late in the show. Suffice to say that he comes bringing gifts and bad news. Lewis gives the character a grand physical life of a crazy mixed up man who has one motive in mind when he comes. The character never gives up and repeats himself until he gets what he wants. Conflicted about what is to happen, the sweat pouring from his brow, he repeatedly dabs himself with his handkerchief to get through the moment. The funny thing about this character is that he is as whacked out as the rest of the characters, but he's the one with the money. So, that makes him the wisest, or the smartest person in the room? Or does he just have chrometophobia, the fear of money. This is a grand wildly comedic performance that should not be missed.

Alex Zoppa, Henry Reno, and Joey Tuccio, the Producers did a great job.

Tiffany Thomas is the Production Stage Manager.

Dan Red is the Lighting Designer and everything worked to perfection.

Amelia Gray is the Assistant Director.

David Goldman is the Associate Producer/Publicist.

And Todd Mendeloff is the Associate Producer.

Run! Run! Run! And take someone who has allegrophobia, the fear of being late. Get there early and have a cheese sandwich at Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese.

Reservations: www.PiedPipersLA.com

Abigail Vega (l.), Elizabeth Nungaray, Pili Valdes, Kelley Williams, Khanisha Foster - Photo Joy Sequina

By Joe Straw

Yipes, there are a lot of writers on this show, and all women. Good thing because I was looking for another perspective, a female perspective, a Latina perspective.

Teatro Luna (Moon Theatre), the nation’s only All-Latina theatre troupe (Really?) from Chicago, presents “Generation Sex”, a world premiere engagement of a new comedy directed by Alexandra Meda and developed by Abigail Vega at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, through May 17^th, 2015.

The show time varies 7:00pm and 9:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm. Please check with the box office for show times.

“Generation Sex is about sex: straight sex, same-sex, androgynous sex, rough sex, sweet sex, romantic sex, celibacy, virginity, promiscuity, hooking up, feminist sex, but especially Millennial sex and the impact that new technology has had in the search for and acquisition of sex and hopefully, connection.” - The press release.

Dear Mom,

I saw a show on Saturday night with six lovely women in this All-Latina comedy troupe. Except I think they were four Latinas and one African American woman. Their names were Khanisha Foster, Elizabeth Nungaray, (she looks a lot like Mickie), Pili Valdés, Abigail Vega, Kelley Williams, and Denise Walls (who did not perform the night I was there).

Elizabeth Nungaray

They came out and… you know, here’s the thing… we never spoke about sex while I was growing up in the South. And these women let all of this information out like it was on the tip of their tongue. They weren’t embarrassed by it – not in the least.

I remember riding back in the car from grandma’s house when you spoke about of woman who was raped; it was kind of disturbing for us as well as for you.

Certainly, this show was an eye-opening experience and there were some things that I just didn’t quite get. Some things worked really well, others not so well. I suppose you could consider this show a series of vignettes, not linear as usual in a play. And yet, the performers in this show are very open, they want to be heard, and they want to give you a story. Some of it was like a Latina Chorus Line without the songs.

Pili Valdes, Khanisha Foster, Kelley Williams

There was this one scene where Australian women are in the outback chasing down the elusive clitoris. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so out there.

Kelley Williams

And then there was a woman who was raped and her circle of friends told her that it wasn't really rape. I’m 100% sure they weren’t her real friends.

I loved the one about this old lady, in the Deep South. Being a Georgia girl, I thought you would like this one too. Her voice was so rich and southern. I wanted it to go all night long. That sounds kind of weird, a double entendre, and no pun intended. And no, I’m not talking about sex, but she was. Lord have mercy.

This was one of them shows that you could participate in and take snap shots if you wanted to. No flash though, or some lady was going to come down and take your camera away. And you could whop and holler all you wanted during the performance. Some did. Some didn’t. I had a bad cough, so no hollering for me. Don’t worry, I’m okay.

This was a user-friendly theatrical experience where they took you out at one point in the show to buy drinks and then escorted you back in, after you were a little high. And while those folks left, we got to play some games. But that didn’t work so well on this night.

I still didn’t understand why sex was such a mystery in our household. Remember when you told Jim to tell me about the birds and the bees? He took me out on the front steps and talked about corn. Wow that was confusing – I hope that got a laugh out of you.

I always loved your laugh.

Anyway, I got the show, I got what they were trying to say and I learned a lot, not a lot about sex, but about women’s lives and their day-to-day living. And here’s a reality, I really cared about these women, each and every one of them.

Overall some things worked to perfection, others, well, no so well.

I’ll tell you what I really liked was the thing that looked like a film, a woman and her diary. The character was a 40-year-old virgin (oops, an unmarried lady) looking for the right person and wasn’t that the ideal way to find love. It was a movie that was a book, about a girl and a guy, and getting naked. Sorry.

Alexandra Meda was the director and there were so many things that were right about this production.

I get it and it made me think. I think I understand what you went through, being a single mother with five kids. And the writers of this show tackled a lot of issues including domestic abuse and overcoming adversity in the face of grave dangers. And, you know, I don’t have to remind you about that. Family secrets.

I’m going to send you some pictures I took. The women were really pretty and they were smart too and, in the end, I can’t help but wish them the best, in the same way that I wish my girls the best.

Ysaye McKeever did the choreography and was also an important part of the show, I mean look at those women dance!

Elizabeth Nungaray

Sorry, I didn’t write more often. You know me and letters.

Anyway, I hope this letter finds you. I miss your laugh, the way you’d throw your head back. I catch myself doing that too.

And I hope you can hear me whisper, “ I love you,” this one last time.

Joe

Run! And take someone, well why not make it your mother.

Reservations: 866-811-4111

An L.A. Journey – The Story of Lorenzo Alfredo by Emmanuel Deleage & Lorenzo Alfredo

This is a Man’s World by Sal Lopez

Paloma by Anne Garcia-Romero

André & Dorine by Jose Dault and Garbine Iñsausti

King Dick by Christian Levatino

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo – adapted by Jonathan Holloway

Little Red – Book by Anthony Aguilar & Oscar T. Basulto – Music by Quetzal Flores – Lyrics by Anthony Aguilar & Quetzal Flores

The Misanthrope by Moliere

The Great Divide by Lyle Kessler

Orphans by Lyle Kessler

Annie, Jr. Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin, Book by Thomas Meehan

Hellman v. McCarthy By Brian Richard Mori

finding Nick by Nicholas Guest

A Chorus Line – Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban, Book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante

Virgin by Alyson Renaldo

Chavez Ravine an L.A. Revival – by Culture Clash

D’ Lo: D’FunQT (defunct) by D’Lo

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side by Derek Ahonen