Who’s the Most Popular Playwright in L.A.? Part Two

"But there’s a question beyond what we should expect from the Bard. That question is, how should we process our disappointment on those occasions that Shakespeare’s productions come up short. This question virulently divides artists." -- BY MAUREEN LENKER

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Henry Ong: The Shyest Man in the Theater

“I have no idea how this came about,” Ong explains about his penchant to promote anybody but himself. “I’m a very, very shy person. I’m socially award, and very private. I always found myself among people who have tremendous credits and so, I find that when I discovered the iPhone, I would take pictures and post them and ask, who are these famous people? I don’t think I could ever be an actor because [I have] so much insecurity. When I say ‘famous,’ it’s tongue in cheek, but I feel that everybody deserves to be seen, and wants to be seen. So anybody who lets me post their picture, I post their picture. I’d rather not be in any of these pictures.” -- BY STEVEN LEIGH MORRIS

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Who’s the Most Popular Playwright in L.A.? Part One

"On the 400th anniversary of his death, what makes Shakespeare endure as a seminal artistic figure in a city thousands of miles from the land of his birth? What brings Angelinos back to Shakespeare summer after summer? Why has a Moliere summer festival never taken hold? Is 'The Imaginary Invalid' or 'Tartuffe' not as theatrical, and goofy, and accessible as 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' or 'Romeo and Juliet?'" --BY MAUREEN LENKER

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