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The Ruffian on the Stair Reviewed by Deborah Klugman Hicks Street Productions at the LGBT Center Through July 28 Joe Orton was only 34 when he was bludgeoned to death by Kennegth Halliwell, his jealous lover and one-time writing partner. Halliwell envied Orton’s newfound celebrity as an up-and-coming playwright, launched after the BBC aired The […]
Men On Boats Reviewed by Dana Martin Son of Semele Ensemble Through July 28 Playwright Jacklyn Backhaus is navigating uncharted territory with her adventurous play Men On Boats, which tells the dramatic (mostly true) story of the first government sanctioned exploration of the Grand Canyon in 1869. Son of Semele’s current production is youthful and heartfelt, though the […]
Naughty with a Band Reviewed by Iris Mann Greenway Court Theatre Closed For several years Los Angeles theater has been inundated with one-person, autobiographical productions that showcase the actor’s life story, with all its angst and triumphs over various forms of adversity. The phenomenon brings to mind the line that closed every episode of Naked […]
Dames at Sea Reviewed by Lara J. Altunian Sierra Madre Playhouse Extended through August 3 Derived during a time of Hollywood escapism triggered by the Great Depression, 1930s musicals tend to feel frivolous. Nonetheless, the genre experienced a semi-revival in the turbulent ’60s, which lead to the production of George Haimsohn and Robin Miller’s Off-Off-Broadway parody: Dames at […]
The Producers Reviewed by Deborah Klugman Celebration Theater Extended through August 26 I’ve always admired Celebration Theatre for its expert staging of technically demanding plays in tiny venues. The company’s musical productions — last year’s Cabaret, The Boy from Oz (2016) and Women of Brewster Place, the Musical (2010) — have been especially impressive.Now comes The Producers, […]
Naked Came the Neighbor Reviewed by Lara J. Altunian Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group Through July 14 RECOMMENDED Nosy neighbors, nauseating neighbors, and nude neighbors, oh my! Michael Sargent’s Naked Came the Neighbor is a hilarious hour-long foray between a coke-snorting rock star and the naturalist living next door. Sabotage and mysticism play a strong role in this battle […]
Dinner with Friends Reviewed by Taylor Kass Crimson Square Theatre Company Closed Dinner with Friends begins with ingredients essential for any successful dinner party — delicious food, good friends, and an earth-shattering revelation of infidelity.Middle-aged married couple Gabe (Jay Huguley) and Karen (Samantha Sloyan) are best friends with fellow married couple Tom (Chris Devlin) and […]
Good Boys Reviewed by Terry Morgan Pasadena Playhouse Through July 21 When, in 2008, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa premiered Good Men and True, his tale of privileged young prep school students acting badly, it certainly wasn’t new or surprising — this sort of pernicious behavior has gone on for generations. But the obnoxious, beer-relishing example of Brett […]
