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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
As many times as I’ve seen Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on TV, I don’t think
I’ve ever attended a major professional theatrical production, so I didn’t want to
pass up the chance to see South Coast Rep’s 28th annual production of the
Christmas classic.
What a treat it was!
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CINEPHILIA
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
New York cinephiles Johnny and Arden are 20something “friends with benefits,” or at least that’s how Johnny would refer to his “recreation” with Arden. She, on the other hand, considers their four-and-a-half years’ worth of occasional sex + conversations about movies a “relationship.” Imagine her dismay upon learning that Johnny plans to move to Los Angeles, that he’s already started packing, and that worst of all, it’s because he met a girl three weeks ago and the move out west is to be with her. Then there’s Johnny’s roommate of five years, Plato, who despite dating girls seems even more in love with Johnny than Arden is…and far more distraught about Johnny’s impending departure. Add to the mix the arrival of Johnny’s new girlfriend Natalie, and you’ve got Cinephilia, 80 absorbing minutes of clever conversation and twisted relationships.
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VARIATIONS ON A THEME: THE BEST
Sunday, November 25th, 2007The Chance Theatre threw a block party in June and two hundred people
attended. After seven hours of “boisterous fun” and interaction, 100 short
plays were submitted to the Chance, all based on the theme “The Best.” Of
the initial 100, 6 were eventually chosen to make up an evening of theater
entitled Variations on a Theme: The Best.
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DAWN’S LIGHT: THE JOURNEY OF GORDON HIRABAYASHI
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
It’s rare that all elements of a production (writing / acting / directing / design)
come together as perfectly as they do in East West Players’ world premiere
production of Jeanne Sakata’s Dawn’s Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi.
That this production not only engrosses, entertains, and moves an audience but
also educates and informs them as well makes it a must-see.
(read more)
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