MELANCHOLY PLAY
Saturday, June 13th, 2026
Quirkiness and whimsy meet operatic grandiosity meet Sarah Ruhl’s unique take on love and life at Hollywood’s Madnani Theatre in Melancholy Play, a terrific talent showcase for some of LA’s brightest young theatrical stars and as effervescent a comedic treat as any Ruhl lover could wish for.
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MELT
Friday, June 12th, 2026A nerdy gay college theater kid and the school’s hunky hockey team captain take an instant (but definitely not permanent) dislike to each other when auditioning for a same-sex romantic two-hander in Shak Kanish’s promising new play Melt, playing this weekend only at the Lee Strasberg Institute’s Marilyn Monroe Theatre.
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ANASTASIA
Monday, June 8th, 2026
Anastasia The Musical provides a glorious close to the 2025-2026 La Mirada Theatre season as a Disney-style animated flick for the kiddies gets transformed into an epic romantic musical for grown-ups blessed by one fabulous performance after another and the most gorgeous costumes and cinematic backdrops in town.
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MY ONE WOMAN SHOW (THE SEARCH FOR A TRUTHFUL MOMENT)
Saturday, June 6th, 2026
I’ve reviewed only 6 autobiographical solo shows over the past 5 years but acclaimed L.A. theater multi-hyphenate Stefan Marks’s exceptional My One Woman Show: The Search For A Truthful Moment has made it a very lucky 7.
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A TIME TO KILL
Monday, June 1st, 2026Hudson Long as plucky street lawyer Jake Brigance and Anica Petrovic as the comely University of Mississippi law student who is by his side every step of the way are the two best reasons to catch John Grisham’s A Time To Kill at the Group Rep. Not so much its clunky direction and only so-so design.
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SOUL SACRIFICE
Monday, June 1st, 2026A 9-year-old Mexican American begins her journey towards adulthood in Boyle Heights circa 1970 in Consuelo G. Flores’s powerful autobiographical family drama Soul Sacrifice, a solid CASA 0101 World Premiere production that would be even better with a child actress in its leading role.
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GRANGEVILLE
Saturday, May 30th, 2026
Can two brothers estranged for over half their lives possibly find a path back towards reconciliation after decades of accumulated pain, anger and resentments? It is this question that is at the heart of Grangeville, Idaho-born-and-bred playwright Samuel D. Hunter’s most recent mini-Midwest-masterpiece, now getting an absolutely superb West Coast Premiere at the Ruskin Group Theatre.
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PRIMARY TRUST
Friday, May 29th, 2026
The Pulitzer Prize Board doesn’t always get it right but they most definitely did in 2024 when they opted for hope, healing, and heart over heavy-handedness in honoring Eboni Booth’s Primary Trust, now getting a much anticipated Los Angeles Premiere at the Mark Taper Forum, with the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
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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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