Reviews – Theater

Pocatello Reviewed by Deborah Klugman Rogue Machine at The Met Through April 10 RECOMMENDED

Only The Moon Howls Reviewed by Pauline Adamek Theatre Unleashed Through March 12 RECOMMENDED

This play, by writer-producer Paul S. Flores, sets out to examine the life of Salvadoran immigrants in the U.S., but it’s also part of an attempt to stop gang violence. It examines, among other things, the role of placas in gang life. (“Placas” is barrio slang for body tattoos that proclaim one’s membership and unwavering loyalty to the gang.)

In playwright Jane Martin’s romance, the two characters at the center of the love story are named Jack and Jill. It is not immediately clear why this is, since neither of the lovers goes up a hill, falls down, or breaks his or her crown.

Before attending the opening night of fashion designer Octavio Carlin’s, HollyWould, I watched the Republican National Debate. Antonin Scalia was found dead that morning, and the first question posed to the candidates was whether the current POTUS, Barak Obama, should appoint a replacement judge to the Court.

Robert Lawrence Nelson’s melodrama about two lonely people finding a connection disappoints on almost all fronts. While the performances from the two leads — Julie Dolan as Samantha and Chad Addison as Toby — are solid, with both actors plumbing some complicated emotional depths, the production as a whole fails to ignite. That’s because its sodden storyline lands like a wet blanket.

Barcelona Reviewed by Deborah Klugman Geffen Playhouse Through March 13 RECOMMENDED

An Act of God Reviewed by Neal Weaver The Ahmanson Theatre Through March 13 RECOMMENDED