AN EMPTY PLATE IN THE CAFÉ DU GRAND BOEUF
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
The Laguna Playhouse serves up a tangy comedic soufflé in the West Coast Premiere of An Empty Plate In The Café Du Grand Boeuf—with a surprise “be careful what you wish for” dénouement worthy of O Henry.
(read more)
THE MUSCLES IN OUR TOES
Saturday, May 30th, 2009
The last time there was a 20th high school reunion at the El Portal Forum Theatre, the returning grads were a quartet of 60s-hits-singing housewives who called themselves The Marvelous Wonderettes. In Stephen Belber’s just opened The Muscles In Our Toes, the returnees are four male buddies and the music providing a soundtrack to their reunion is performed by Culture Club, Eurythmics, and other 1980s icons. Whereas The Marvelous Wonderettes was light and fluffy fun, The Muscles In Our Toes makes for far darker fare, at times shocking, but often hilarious in its own edgy way.
(read more)
BABYLON HEIGHTS
Thursday, May 28th, 2009NOT RECOMMENDED
WARNING: Language in this play and in my review is rated NC-17.
(read more)
COME BACK LITTLE HORNY
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
Meet the Maloneys, your average upper-middle class Palo Alto family:
(read more)
SETUP & PUNCH
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Nine years following her acrimonious split from Brian, Vanya (nee Yvonne Patricia) takes pen to paper to write (yes, write, not email) her onetime creative partner with a request. “Dear Brian,” she writes. “I know I can’t make up with you but I hope we can be friends.”
(read more)
THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED
Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Diversionary Theatre’s production of The Little Dog Laughed makes several things perfectly clear. First, that despite the out, proud, and successful-as-ever Neil Patrick Harrises and T.R. Knights et al, the closet is alive and well in Hollywood. Second, that Douglas Carter Beane’s comedy may be the funniest Broadway show yet about gay movie stars, lesbian agents, and bisexual hustlers. Third, and the best news of all for San Diego audiences, Diversionary’s cast of four locally-based actors stands up very nicely to their Broadway counterparts, thank you very much.
(read more)
INCORRUPTIBLE
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Can you imagine anything more improbable than a screwball comedy set in a monastery in 13th Century Europe? Wacky, zany, and madcap are not adjectives one would normally use to describe what Wikipedia refers to as “a period of cultural decline or societal collapse that took place in Western Europe between the fall of Rome and the eventual recovery of learning.” And yet Michael Hollinger’s Incorruptible is indeed a wacky, zany, madcap romp which takes place in 1250 France. I saw Incorruptible at the Colony Theatre in 2001—and loved it—and I am delighted to report that Theatre 40 has put together an equally rib-tickling production—now available for your delectation.
(read more)
IS HE DEAD?
Friday, May 1st, 2009
Straight men in drag have made for sure-fire comedy since long before Milton Berle donned wigs, lipstick, and gowns on TV’s Texaco Star Theater back in the 1950s and Barry Humphries created Dame Edna several decades later. Charley’s Aunt made the first of his/her six Broadway appearances way back in 1893, and only five years after that Mark Twain wrote Is He Dead?.
(read more)
Since 2007, Steven Stanley's StageSceneLA.com has spotlighted the best in Southern California theater via reviews, interviews, and its annual StageSceneLA Scenies.
COPYRIGHT 2026 STEVEN STANLEY :: DESIGN BY