SCENE IN LA
BY
STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH
April 2018
Here are some of the shows you can see in our local theatres this month:
OPENING
“Medea” Medea is a wife, a mother, and an immigrant. When her husband abandons his family for a new life, she exacts an appalling revenge and destroys everything she holds dear. First staged at the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens, Greece, Medea has intrigued and terrified audiences for nearly 2,500 years. Written by Euripedes, version by Ben Power, and directed by Bradley Griffin, it runs April 4 through April 7 at the Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University in Malibu. For tickets call 310-506-4522 or visit www.arts.pepperdine.edu.
“Confessions of a Mulatto Love Child” is a hilarious, touching, and poignant story of a daughter, her eccentric mother, and the deep bond they forged on an extraordinary coast-to-coast journey. Written by Bellina Logan, and directed by Maggie Soboil, it runs April 6 through May 6 at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-860-7300 or visit www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre.
“Midnight Requisitions” three sisters, Gray (Serena Anis), Ash (Laura Walker) and Heather (Kelsey Risher) gather for their father David’s (Morris Schorr) wake. Their long-estranged mother Maggie (Michelle Begley) arrives with her new husband Ernesto (Gerry Del Sol) hoping to make a new start with her daughters, but when buried hurt, anger and misunderstandings begin to surface, the family discovers that David’s life was not what everyone thought it was. Written by Craig Jessen, and directed by James Carey, it runs April 6 through April 29 at the Arena Stage, Hollywood’s Theatre of Arts in Hollywood. For tickets call 772-828-0668 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3368581.
“Play On!” IT'S THREE DAYS before the opening night of Murder Most Foul and the biggest mystery is whether the cast can make it through even one rehearsal. But how can they do that when the set isn't done and the playwright keeps rewriting the script? A fast and funny backstage farce for the whole family! Written by Rick Abbot, and directed by Sherry Coon, it runs April 6 through May 13 at the Pierson Playhouse in Pacific Palisades. For tickets call 310-454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org.
“Waste Land” is a serio-comedy that lays bare the tumultuous love between T.S. Eliot and his first wife and muse, Vivienne. As he writes the poem that would be his masterpiece, a circle of notable friends—Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Gertrude Stein and Bertrand Russell—populate his life with witty banter, biting commentary, and moments of joy and self-doubt that informs all of their work. Written by Don Nigro, and directed by Steve Jarrard, it runs April 6 through May 5 at the studio/stage in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-860-6569 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3321593.
“Little Black Shadows” is set in pre-Civil War Georgia, where child-slaves Toy and Colis spend long days on the plantation silently serving adolescent twins in the big plantation house. But in the dead of night, Toy and Colis’ world comes alive, as they lie beneath their masters’ beds whispering stories to each other through a vent in the wall. When the Father announces that the family is moving to Louisiana, the children face uncertain futures and wonder if they dare come out of the shadows. Written by Kemp Powers, and directed by May Adrales, it runs April 8 through April 29 at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. For tickets call 714-708-5555 or visit www.scr.org.
“Nathan Gunn Flying Solo” America’s leading baritone Nathan Gunn sings selections from classic American musicals, contemporary songs and a little bit of opera fun in his personal story, FLYING SOLO. This “Sexiest Man Alive” recounts how he became elder of his heritage, the Scottish Clan GUNN, and learned what life is really about is this world premiere, moving, musical journey. But there’s a whole lot more to this story about a boy who wants nothing more than to please his Scottish Dad as he becomes an elder of his heritage, the Scottish Clan GUNN, and who ends up realizing what life is really about. Written and directed by Hershey Felder, with music by Michael Bagby, it runs April 8 through April 22 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets call 949-497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
“Vote, Pray, Love” In 2016, Ryan O’Connor took a break from show business to work as a Field Organizer for the Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign in Pontiac, Michigan. Now returning to the cabaret stage, Vote, Pray, Love is an exploration of how his 150-pound weight loss, sobriety from drug and alcohol abuse, a career implosion, and a sudden divorce led to his unlikely redemption in the middle of nowhere. Told through story and song, O’Connor's uniquely comic and vulnerable voice shines in this exciting, engaging, and emotionally cathartic night of entertainment. Written by Ryan O’Connor, and directed by Marissa Jaret Winokur, it runs April 8 through April 16 at the Celebration Theatre at The Lex in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-957-1884 or visit www.CelebrationTheatre.com.
“Significant Other” follows Jordan, a single, young professional with a close group of female friends who slowly drift away as they each get married while he searches for his own “Mr. Right.”. Written by Joshua Harmon, and directed by Stephen Brackett, it runs April 11 through May 6 at the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-208-5454 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.
“What Happened When” On a snowy night in a rural farmhouse, three siblings huddle together in the dark with a flashlight, while the audience (unseen by them) gathers closely around. Written by Daniel Talbott, and directed by Chris Fields, it runs April 12 through April 26 at the Echo Theater Company Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater. For tickets call 310-307-3753 or visit www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.
“The Willows” At The Willows funeral home, Mark is being groomed to take over the family business from his father. But an unexpected reunion with the one that got away could derail those carefully laid plans in this moving new play about family, loss and love. Written by Kerri-Ann McCalla, and directed by Jessica Hanna, it runs April 12 through May 5 at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. For tickets call 213-389-3856 or visit www.bootlegtheater.org.
“All Shook Up” The songs of Elvis Presley form the backdrop for this musical about a mysterious, leather-jacketed stranger who shakes up a small Midwestern town in the 1950s. Tony Award Winner Joe DiPietro's tale of the cross-dressing, mistaken identity and romance that ensue was inspired by Twelfth Night and other Shakespearean comedies. Featuring the hit songs we have learned to love "Love Me Tender," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Can't Help Falling in Love.". Written by Joe DiPietro, it runs April 13 through April 22 at the El Portal Theatre Debbie Reynolds Mainstage in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-508-4200 or visit www.elportaltheatre.com.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” involves the doings of two best friends, Jack and Algy (Algernon). Jack lives in the country, protective of his young ward, the “excessively pretty” heiress Cecily Cardew. But he likes to get away to London and the attractions of the city, so he has invented a rascally brother in London named Ernest to whom he must occasionally attend, necessitating his periodic departure from the country. The biggest draw in London for Jack is Algy’s cousin, the beautiful Gwendolen Fairfax. Algy, meanwhile, goes to Shropshire posing as Ernest in an attempt to woo Cecily. It also turns out that both women are attracted to men with the name of Ernest, so naturally both fellows make arrangements to have themselves re-christened. In the course of things, the deceptions of Jack and Algy will be found out. Can their lady loves possibly forgive them? It ultimately turns out that Jack and Algy share more in common than they could possibly have imagined, and that they have destinies that neither could have suspected. Written by Oscar Wilde, and directed by Rebecca Lynne, it runs April 13 through April 28 at the Brand Park in Glendale. For tickets visit www.deanproductionstheatre.com.
“The Intimacy Effect” It’s Matt Appel’s 40th birthday and his wife Amy can’t stop crying. His brother and sister-in-law arrive for a celebratory dinner and are ambushed with news that threatens to fracture the Appel family’s already strained relationships. As the past intrudes upon the present, boundaries between public and private lives decay, bringing the darkest parts of each family member into the light. Written by Jeff Tabnick, and directed by Eric Hunicutt, it runs April 13 through May 6 at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit www.theintimacyeffect.brownpapertickets.com.
“L.O.V.E.R.” Accomplished actress Lois Robbins takes us on a poignant and comic journey as one woman explores her sexual history, in what ultimately becomes her coming of age story. L.O.V.E.R. is a riff on childhood, adolescents and finally adulthood from a grown-up woman’s point of view. Written by Lois Robbins, and directed by Sonia Sebastian, it runs April 13 through May 12 at the Zephyr Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-960-5770 or visit www.plays411.com/lover.
“Lost in the Light” centers on headstrong student Angel Taylor, blind since birth, who has always taken her sighted family's hyper-vigilance in stride alongside their overwhelming love and support. At the dawn of her budding journalism career, Angel learns about a rare opportunity to gain her vision through an experimental surgery. Along with her family, Angel grapples with the conflicting notions of seeing for the very first time or continuing to live in darkness. What will happen if she gains her vision but then finds herself lost in the light? A play with original songs that forces audiences to grapple with the question: Would you risk an experimental surgery if it meant it could restore your sight? Written by Pelita Dasalla, with music by Laurie Grant and Chloe Copoloff, and directed by Greg Shane, it runs April 13 through May 12 at the Blue Door in Culver City. For tickets visit www.creoutreach.org/lostinthelight.
“Belleville” concerns young Americans Zack and Abby: they appear to be a perfect couple, with the perfect ex-patriot life in Paris – a funky bohemian apartment in up-and-coming Belleville, a stable marriage, and Zack’s noble mission at Doctors Without Borders to fight pediatric AIDS. But when Abby finds Zack at home one afternoon when he’s supposed to be at work, their marriage begins to show cracks as an ordinary night unravels into a modern-day thriller. Herzog’s new play is a Hitchcock-style drama, and a captivating evening of intrigue and suspense. Written by Amy Herzog, and directed by Jenna Worsham, it runs April 18 through May 13 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-7529 or visit www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org.
“My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy” is the hilarious tale of Brad Zimmerman’s struggle to fulfill his dream and make it as a comedic actor in New York. One-part standup, one-part theatrical, and all parts uproarious, the show has garnered rave reviews wherever it has played, including sold-out runs off-Broadway and at dozens of other venues throughout the USA. Written and directed by Brad Zimmerman, it runs April 19 through June 10 at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. For tickets call 855-448-7469 or visit www.mysonthewaiter.com.
“Native Son” Suffocating in rat-infested poverty on the South Side of Chicago in the 1930s, Bigger Thomas struggles to find a place for himself in a world whose prejudice has shut him out. After taking a job in a wealthy white man's house, Bigger unwittingly unleashes a series of events that violently and irrevocably seal his fate. Written by Nambi E. Kelley from the novel by Richard Wright, and directed by Andi Chapman, it runs April 19 through June 3 at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale. For tickets call 818-506-1983 or visit www.Antaeus.org.
“Death Before Cocktails” When your famous twin sister’s suicide letter instructs you to put together a makeshift wake in a Palm Springs cocktail lounge, what can you do but grant her final wish? LA writer Lana arrives in Palm Springs to host an evening with competing ex-lovers, surprising new flames, and enough arousing confessions to raise the dead. Written and directed by Laureen Vonnegut, it runs April 20 through May 13 at the Theatre 68 in North Hollywood. For tickets visit www.buytickets.at/deathbeforecocktails/155994.
“Hair” defined the “rock musical,” exuberantly celebrating the hippie counterculture, anti-war movement and sexual revolution of the 1960s with a rainbow score of hits – including “Aquarius,” “Hair,” “Easy to be Hard,” “Be In,” “Where Do I Go?” “Good Morning Starshine,” and “Let the Sunshine In” – that have become ingrained in pop culture. Written by James Rado, with music by Galt MacDermot, lyrics by James Rado, and directed by Michael Arabian, it runs April 20 through June 30 at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles.
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” Who is the monster and who is the man? For the first time ever on the Civic Arts Plaza stage, Victor Hugo’s classic novel comes to life with dramatic spectacle and songs that soar! With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the show is based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios film of the same name, and features popular songs such as “God Help the Outcasts.” This is musical theatre at its best! Written by Peter Parnell, based on the Victor Hugo novel, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and directed by Misti B. Wills, it runs April 20 through April 29 at the Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks. For tickets call 800-745-3000 or visit www.5startheatricals.com.
“The Immigrant” Rural Central Texas, 1909. A young Russian-Jewish immigrant, newly arrived in America through the port of Galveston, pulls his banana cart into the hamlet of Hamilton. Fleeing the vicious pogroms of his homeland, he has sought refuge in the land of the free. Able to speak only Yiddish, alone in the midst of a staunchly Christian community, he is offered shelter. Over the next 30 years, he makes a home and raises a family in this tiny town. THE IMMIGRANT is the story of a young Russian-Jewish couple and the local couple that take them in, as religion meets religion, culture meets culture, fear meets fear, and love meets love. Written by Mark Harelik, and directed by Simon Levy, it runs April 20 through May 26 at the Sierra Madre Playhouse in Sierra Madre. For tickets call 626-355-4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.
“Their Finest Hour: Churchill and Murrow” This full-length play sheds light on the unique relationship between Winston Churchill and Edward R. Murrow during the early years of WW II when England was under attack by Hitler’s air-force. Murrow, who was covering the war for CBS Radio News, not only became friendly with Churchill, but had a passionate and adulterous love affair with the Prime Minister’s daughter-in-law. Written by Willard Manus, and directed by Stu Berg, it runs April 20 through May 25 at the Write Act Repertory @ the Brickhouse Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3328722.
“Bad Jews” A beloved grandfather has died and a treasured family heirloom with religious significance is up for grabs — but who’s the most deserving? Bossy, overbearing, self-declared “super-Jew” Daphna? Her wealthy cousin Liam, just returned from skiing with his shiksa girlfriend, Melody? Or Jonah, Liam’s younger brother, who finds himself in the impossible position of peacemaker as the two rivals argue, insult and try to outwit each other to the bitter, hilarious end? Written by Joshua Harmon, and directed by Dana Resnick, it runs April 21 through June 17 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-477-2055 Ext. 2 or visit www.OdysseyTheatre.com.
“Ice” Two baseball players from Sinaloa, Mexico arrive in the U.S. with big dreams... but no documents. Armed with their Tia's famous salsa recipe, the pair works day and night to make their taco truck the “Uncle Sam” of mobile restaurants. Will a contest to be “the most American food truck” at Dodger Stadium for the 4th of July prove to Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they belong? For adults and kids 8 and up. Written by Leon Martell, and directed by Debbie Devine, it runs April 21 through June 10 at the 24th Street Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 213-745-6516 or visit www.24thstreet.org.
“Noises Off” features an under-rehearsed and over-worked cast and crew with a penchant for drama more personal than professional, readying themselves for the world premiere of a new play with the auspicious title Nothing On. As the production progresses, the bumbling cast brings down the house – literally! Written by Michael Frayn, and directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott, it runs April 21 through May 20 at the A Noise Within in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-3121 or visit www.ANoiseWithin.org.
“South Pacific” Prepare yourself for some enchanted evening! Rodgers & Hammerstein’s epic musical romance makes its La Mirada Theatre debut! Although well-known for its extraordinary score – “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Ha’i,” “There is Nothin’ Like A Dame,” and “A Wonderful Guy” – SOUTH PACIFIC is also a deeply felt drama. Its portrayal of Americans stationed in a foreign culture in wartime is as relevant today as when it first thrilled audiences in 1949. Written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and directed by Glenn Casale, it runs April 21 through May 13 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in La Mirada. For tickets call 562-944-9801 or visit www.lamiradatheatre.com.
“Dirty Blonde” Explore the phenomenon of the legendary Mae West, one of America's most enduring and controversial pop culture icons, in this sparkling romantic comedy with music about a guy, a gal, and their mutual admiration for one voluptuous blonde. Magically woven into the story is a celebration of songs and laughter of Mae West’s racy life and saucy career. Written by Claudia Shear, and directed by James W. Gruessing, Jr., it runs April 26 through April 29 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets call 949-497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
“Blues in the Night” The 26 hot and torchy numbers - by icons Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen and more - tell of the sweet, sexy and sorrowful experiences that three women have with the lying, cheating, snake of a man, who represents the men who do them wrong. Written and directed by Sheldon Epps, it runs April 27 through May 20 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. For tickets call 310-746-4000 or visit www.TheWallis.org/Blues.
CONTINUING
“King Lear” follows an aging sovereign who announces that he will divide his kingdom among his three daughters in proportion to their professed affection for him. When his youngest daughter Cordelia refuses to flatter her father falsely, Lear becomes irrational and enraged, exiling his beloved child and his longtime friend and advisor, the Earl of Kent, and the kingdom is thrown into a state of confusion. More family drama ensues when Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, convinces his father that his half-brother Edgar intends to murder Gloucester. Lear’s elder daughters Goneril and Regan reveal their true natures and turn on their father; and Lear, his Fool and companions find themselves in a raging, bitter storm. As the monarchy collapses, Lear descends into madness. Lear ultimately comes to understand the folly of his actions, too late to save those who were most loyal to him. Written by William Shakespeare, and directed by James O’Neil, it runs through April 1 at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura. For tickets call 805-667-2900 or visit www.rubicontheatre.org.
“Sing, Bibi, Sing! The Untold Tales of Bibi Osterwald” Chronicles the untold tales of Bibi Osterwald, veteran actress of stage and screen. As the renowned standby for Hello Dolly, Bibi worked with some of the biggest names in the biz and left her legacy to her granddaughter to share. Tonight, we crack open Bibi’s songbook and weave together their two stories to celebrate the triumphs…and trials that accompany forging a career in the arts. The musical lineup spotlights popular jazz standards, go-to staples from Bibi’s nightclub act, and of course, some Broadway medleys. Written by Elise Arndt, with music by Doug Peck, and directed by Christine O’Grady, it runs through April 8 at the Write Act Rep at The Brickhouse Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets visit www.elisearndt.com.
“Keith Moon: The Real Me” explodes on the stage with the turmoil and excitement of the wildest drummer in rock and roll history. A living legend during his lifetime, Keith Moon still stands as the pinnacle of rock-star extremism — both in life and in music. The show explores Moon’s state of mind as he attempts to save himself from the unbearable burden of living up to (or down to) his self-created legend of ‘Moon the Loon.’ As Moon attempts to save himself, he takes the audience on a journey through his early struggles, joining The Who, and their rise as one of the world’s greatest rock bands. By the show’s end, the audience intimately knows the man behind the myth — his acute vulnerability and insecurity, and his struggle to escape the ever-looming rock and roll crash landing. Contains explicit language and adult themes of drug use and sexuality. Written by Mick Berry, with music by Pete Townshend, and directed by Nancy Carlin, it runs through April 15 at the Hudson Theatre Mainstage in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-965-9996 or visit www.plays411.com/keithmoon.
“Pigs and Chickens” While working at a chaotic tech startup, a woman tries to overcome her hellish anger management problem and get along with her buggy coworkers, human and otherwise. Marek Glinski breathes humor into the perils of individuals coexisting with technology. Written by Marek Glinski, and directed by Kevin Comartin, it runs through April 15 at the Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA in Los Angeles. For tickets call 818-839-1197 or visit www.dime.io/events/pigs-and-chickens.
“Sell/Buy/Date” Tony Award-winning playwright and performer Sarah Jones (Bridge & Tunnel) comes to the Geffen Playhouse as a dazzling medley of characters in Sell/Buy/Date, an exuberant new show inspired by the real-life experiences of people affected by the sex industry. Directed by Carolyn Cantor and brimming with Jones’ masterful, multicultural characterizations, Sell/Buy/Date presents an honest, moving and even humorous look at a complex and fascinating subject, all while preserving the full humanity of voices seldom heard in the theater. Written by Sarah Jones, and directed by Carolyn Cantor, it runs through April 15 at the Geffen Playhouse Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-208-5454 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.
“Shrew!” delves into Kate’s and Petruchio’s back stories. For Kate, it’s breaking free of the constraints on women of the late 16th century and enjoying all the rights and opportunities that men in her society enjoyed. For Petruchio, it’s a smoothing-out of his stock braggadocio with more complicated dimensions and creating in him a suitable spouse for Kate. Written by Amy Freed, and directed by Art Manke, it runs through April 21 at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. For tickets call 714-708-5555 or visit www.scr.org.
“All's Well That Ends Well” features an extraordinary heroine. Helena is a young woman brought up by her father to be a physician. She falls in terrible, unrequited love with Bertram, the son of the Countess her father served. When Bertram leaves to seek his fortune, she sets out in a pursuit both daring and foolhardy. It is a journey that requires all her intelligence, spirit, and more than a little subterfuge. Featuring live music played by the cast. Written by William Shakespeare, with music by Dave Beukers, and directed by Melissa Chalsma, it runs through April 22 at the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex in Atwater Village. For tickets call 818-710-6306 or visit www.iscla.org.
“El Niño” Will the winds blow? The rains come? The cat die? Legendary local playwright Justin Tanner fashions a new laugh-out-loud comedy that encompasses his talent for writing and touching on an equally brilliant underbelly of sadness for humankind. Once again discover all that you’ve come to love about a Tanner piece, including his regular cast. Written by Justin Tanner, and directed by Lisa James, it runs through April 22 at the Rogue Machine in the MET Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 855-585-5185 or visit www.roguemachinetheatre.com.
“Laughter on the 23rd Floor” follows the rollercoaster antics that catapult a not-your-average 1950s writers’ room into the comedy fray, as they frantically attempt to please their larger-than-life boss of a weekly comedy variety show. Locked in an ongoing battle with NBC executives, who fear the show’s humor is too sophisticated for Middle America, the writing and fighting of the team expose the social and political undercurrents of the 1950s—reflecting back the ongoing tensions in today’s America in this updated, reimagined production. Written by Neil Simon, and directed by Michael A. Shepperd, it runs through April 22 at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank. For tickets call 818-955-8101 or visit www.garrymarshalltheatre.org.
“The Night Forlorn (or, Waitin’ on Godsford)” is a re-imagining of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, set in the West during the 1870s. At a campfire out on the prairie, two none-too-bright cowpokes wait for their leader Godsford and for instructions about “the plan.” There’s been a hanging in town, and they may or may not have been part of it — in the flurry of what happened, things are somewhat unclear to them. All they are sure about is that Godsford has told them to meet them here by the tree. Into their midst come several tumbleweed characters — all of whom may change the course of their destiny in one way or another. A comedic journey which utilizes the roots of vaudeville as well as the absurdity of Beckett, the play is in many ways an homage to the elegiac westerns of Ford and Peckinpah. Written by Steve Nevil, and directed by Arden Teresa Lewis, it runs through April 22 at the Theatre West in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-851-7977 or visit www.theatrewest.org.
“Akuma-shin” In 1956, a giant kaiju (monster) destroys Tokyo and sends seismic waves of fear, anger and ignorance through generations. Facts are questioned, history is alternatively written and modern politics is set against primal religion in this ferociously civilized cautionary tale of two nations coping with their own damaged legacies. Can humanity reckon with the monsters that rise against us, the ones that live within us all? Written by Kenley Smith, and directed by Scott Leggett, it runs through April 28 at the Broadwater Theater Complex in Los Angeles. For tickets visit www.sacredfools.org.
“Macbeth” Combining the beautiful, macabre text of Macbeth with movement and dance, this production explores Shakespeare's brutal play of a Scottish king driven mad from his own ambitions from a different angle that's all too relevant today. In this debut show, Lady Macbeth is a survivor of horrifying abuse, flipping the script and challenging us to end the cycle of violence perpetrated through toxic masculinity, often passed on from father to son. Written by William Shakespeare, and directed by Heidi Powers, it runs through April 29 at the McCadden Place Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets visit www.survivingmacbeth.brownpapertickets.com.
“Threat” is a story of a psychotherapist who tries to control a bipolar, brilliant and dangerous maniac in order to save innocent lives but finally is forced to a make a bold choice between honoring her oath and protecting others. It asks the question of whether a psychotherapist treating a troubled student could have prevented the carnage we’ve seen time and time again at schools across America. Full of suspense and catharsis, Threat is a tense exploration of narcissism, risk and self-realization. Written by Louis Felder, and directed by Asaad Kelada, it runs through May 4 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets call 805-419-8327 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3343157.
“The Mousetrap” A group of strangers is stranded in a boarding house during a snow storm, one of whom is a murderer. Suspects include the newly married couple who run the house, a spinster with a curious background, an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, a retired Army major, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. Into their midst comes a policeman, traveling on skis. He probes the background of everyone present, and rattles a lot of skeletons. Written by Agatha Christie, and directed by Sonny Lira, it runs through May 6 at the Crown City Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-605-5685 or visit www.crowncitytheatre.com.
“Mulatto Math” Original music fuels writer/performer Monique DeBose's exploration of race, family and identity through the lens of being mixed race. Written by Monique DeBose, with music by Monique DeBose, and directed by Denise Dowse, it runs through May 6 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets visit www.MulattoMath.com.
“Damaged Furniture” After a shocking furniture accident claims the life of his uncle, an LA actor must work in his family business in Brooklyn, and is confronted not only by his dysfunctional family, but what lead him to become an actor in the first place. Written by Howard Skora, and directed by Jim Fall, it runs through May 26 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets visit www.damagedfurniture.brownpapertickets.com.
Enjoy life more – see a show tonight!
