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Read more about the article Fringe, Smoot, Caesar, and More: Paul Birchall’s Got It Covered

Fringe, Smoot, Caesar, and More: Paul Birchall’s Got It Covered

"Stage Raw was sorry to hear about the passing of the great local and Seattle theater designer Gary Smoot, who died in Seattle last May. Amongst his many contributions to shows at L.A.’s Circle X, Smoot served as production designer for productions of Love Loves a Pornographer, The American Book of the Dead, and for his extremely memorable set design in Great Men of Science, No 21 and 22. He’d been a multi-award winner of many LA Weekly, Garland, and LADCC accolades, and, in addition to frequent gigs with New York theaters, was a long time company member of Seattle’s Annex Theatre." -- BY PAUL BIRCHALL

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Read more about the article When Words Mattered: Murray Mednick Interview, Part 2

When Words Mattered: Murray Mednick Interview, Part 2

Murray Mednick: "I was working as a waiter. Maybe it’s my age now and I’ve been through the mill. But, you know, I’m ok now… But it’s very important that theater arts, especially the avant-garde, the experimental side, be supported. To live and make a living at what you do is morally right." -- INTERVIEW BY GRAY PALMER

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Read more about the article Stealing From the Collection Plate: Sacred and Profane in Our Theater
Photo by Elena Jasic

Stealing From the Collection Plate: Sacred and Profane in Our Theater

"First Baptist Church was not, ultimately, my tabernacle. When I found my faith, it was a different kind; and although my churches' resources are nowhere near those of FBC, the services still often involve an audience, singing and listening to music, and speeches about the ephemeral, eternal and sacred. And there are still turds in the punchbowl." -- BY WILLIAM SALYERS

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Read more about the article ‘Was it Rape Then’? In a Short Film, L.A. Women Leaders Use Shakespeare’s Words to Examine Rape Culture

‘Was it Rape Then’? In a Short Film, L.A. Women Leaders Use Shakespeare’s Words to Examine Rape Culture

"In the U.S. alone, 1 in 5 women will be a victim of rape in her lifetime. The film boldly draws attention to the largely glossed-over rape culture and portrays the women within it with strength and wisdom, adopting dialogue originally written for male roles as their own, channeling a strength and endurance that survivors hold. It also celebrates a wonderful intersection of the Los Angeles Theatre Community." -- by VANESSA CATE

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Read more about the article Spring News Roundup: Paul Birchall’s Got It Covered

Spring News Roundup: Paul Birchall’s Got It Covered

". . . Another plaintiff in the AEA lawsuit, Michael A. Shepperd, was just elected to the union’s National Council – yes the same Council that overturned a 2/3 referendum of local membership to preserve the 99-Seat Plan, in April 2015. AEA’s National Council, in its actions, has been largely dismissive of the stated concerns of Los Angeles stage actors over the past two years." -- BY PAUL BIRCHALL

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Read more about the article Murray Mednick on the Primacy of Words and Language in the Theater

Murray Mednick on the Primacy of Words and Language in the Theater

"Mednick is perhaps L.A.’S most entrenched playwright, having resided in Southern California since 1975 and writing singularly poetical-spiritual works saturated in wry, existential and sometimes morbid wit. Mednick was the the driving force behind the Padua Playwrights Festival, founded in 1978 and home to the likes of Sam Shepard and Maria Irene Fornes – a festival performed outdoors in the foothills of Claremont. It was at this festival the Mednick premiered is epic The Coyote Cycle." -- BY GRAY PALMER

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Read more about the article The Mad Russian and the Dane, Part 3: Interviewing Rudi

The Mad Russian and the Dane, Part 3: Interviewing Rudi

"When he came out everybody was yelling “Rudi, Rudi, Rudi!” As he passed me I said quietly, 'Mr. Nureyev.' He stopped and said 'Yes?' I don’t remember the details, but I assume I reminded him of who I was and asked him for an interview. I don’t recall if he agreed, or referred me to his manager, Chris Allen. But whatever happened, I was set up with an interview before the last Sunday matinee of his production of 'The Nutcracker.'" -- BY NEAL WEAVER

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Read more about the article Karen Eilbacher Shines a Light on LGBT Community in “Fun Home”

Karen Eilbacher Shines a Light on LGBT Community in “Fun Home”

“As individuals and as a nation, we could all use a little more soul-searching of the nature Eilbacher describes. The musical’s subtle advocating for understanding and connection are needed now more than ever in a country (and world) that is increasingly divided. Though, Eilbacher cautions against labeling the show more relevant simply because of political climate. 'It just so happens that our world really, really needs a show like this,'” she says. BY MAUREEN LEE LENKER

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