IL BIDONE
Saturday, January 19th, 2008RECOMMENDED
“Aging small-time con man Augusto, who swindles peasants, works with two
younger men: Roberto, who wants to become the Italian Johnny Ray, and
Bruno, nicknamed Picasso, who has a wife (Iris) and daughter and wants to
paint. Augusto avoids the personal entanglements, spending money at clubs
seeking the good life. His attitude changes when he runs into his own daughter,
Patrizia, whom he rarely sees, and realizes she’s now a young woman and in need
of his help to continue her studies. His usual partners are away, so he goes in with
others to run a swindle, and they aren’t forgiving when he claims he’s given the
money back to their mark. They leave him beaten, robbed, and alone.”
(read more)
THE COMMON AIR
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
One superb actor. Six fascinating characters. Ninety minutes of compelling
and thought-provoking drama. This is The Common Air, sure to be
remembered at year’s end as one of the finest solo performances of 2008.
(read more)
KERR PACKAGE
Sunday, January 13th, 2008NOT RECOMMENDED
Kerr Package is a program of one-acts by Kerr Seth Lordygan, the best of which is
entitled List, directed by Kevin Fabian. In it, a married couple, Georgie and
Rendell, make a list of celebrities they give each other permission to sleep with.
Georgie’s list includes Steve Carell and George Clooney, while Rendell selects
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlize Theron, and a fictitious rock star named Lana
Lenore. When Rendell happens to meet the sexy (and available) Lana, he
makes good on their agreement, only to find that Georgie cannot forgive him.
List moves quickly and cinematically from scene to scene, makes good points
about the differences between the ways men and women regard love and sex,
and could easily be expanded into a full-length one act or even two act play.
Kylie Delre and Kevin Blake are excellent actors who give believable
performances as Rendell and Georgie, and Rachel Castillo has the right sexy
looks and “whatever” attitude to bring Lana to sultry life. Mason Halberg and
Bob Simpson also score in supporting roles, and share a great “surprise!” moment.
(read more)
A FEMININE ENDING
Saturday, January 12th, 2008
Amanda is a 25-year-old oboist and aspiring symphonic composer, though these
days she’s settled for a mundane job writing jingles that are deliberately
annoying because those are the kind that stick in your head. The oboe, she tells
us in one of her many asides to the audience, is “the Hamlet of musical
instruments.” If played poorly it sounds like a dying duck. If played well, it is the
instrument which best approximates the human voice. It is the oboe which
tunes the entire orchestra, Amanda informs us.
(read more)
WIT
Friday, January 11th, 2008
Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize winning Wit is a play one approaches with a certain
trepidation. Its subject matter is, after all, illness and death. Not a likely candidate
for an “entertaining” evening of theater. Yet somehow, miraculously, Wit is indeed
an entertaining, unexpectedly funny (it has more laughs than many a comedy),
and ultimately transformative evening of theater.
(read more)
EDGE
Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Sylvia Plath is at her desk, facing away, deep in concentration, as the audience
enters the theater. She remains so for perhaps ten minutes until the lights dim, she
turns to us, and it is Angelica Torn whose face we see, and whose voice announces
“This is the last day of my life.” For the next two hours plus, we are reminded again
and again that today, February 11, 1963, is the day that Sylvia Plath will take her
own life.
(read more)
ANYTHING
Friday, December 21st, 2007
The Elephant Theatre Company’s world premiere production of Anything, written by and starring Timothy McNeill and directed by David Fofi is a perfect example of how rich and rewarding our Los Angeles stage scene is. Exquisitely written and acted, sensitively directed, and gorgeously designed, Anything marks a noteworthy conclusion to 2007 and an auspicious start to ETC’s 12th season of live theater.
(read more)
THE CRUCIBLE
Saturday, December 15th, 2007
When Arthur Miller’s The Crucible was written in 1953, it was considered an allegory
for the McCarthy “witch hunts,” in which Communism took the place of Satan in
the original Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Today, as religious fundamentalists (of
various creeds) use blind belief in dogma as a way to persecute those they
disagree with, The Crucible stands even stronger than before as an indictment of
religious fanaticism gone amok. 2007 seems an particularly fitting time for a revival
of this Miller classic, and the production currently running at the Matrix more than
does justice to Miller’s words.
(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.
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