Oklahoma!Reviewed by Steven Leigh MorrisAhmanson TheatreThru Oct. 16RECOMMENDED For full review, see Stage Feature.Composer-lyricists Rodgers and Hammerstein were the grandsons of Jewish immigrants to New York and understood very well both the American pressures of assimilation and the spurning of outsiders that culminates in the sacrifice of those who don’t belong. (The stream of victims is […]

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The Secret World of Archy and MehitabelReviewed by Socks WhitmoreWhitefire TheatreThru October 15 RECOMMENDEDNot every theatergoer may consider themselves a fan of comic strips from the early 20th century, but first-time playwright Dan Gilvezan has set out to change that. The Secret World of Archy and Mehitabel is a new play based on the writings and […]

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Dragon Show: The Extended TailReviewed by V CateSpy BrunchThru October 2nd  RECOMMENDEDFew humans have ever had the pleasure to see a fairy with their own two peepers. But as fate would have it, the magics have aligned, a mighty being has awoken, and a portal has opened in the garage space of an otherwise innocuous […]

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The RomanticsReviewed by Joseph KlinkCity of West Hollywood and Classical Theatre Lab – Kings Road ParkThru September 25RECOMMENDEDAfter a summer of staying indoors to escape insufferable heat, there is a unique opportunity to be found in a welcoming, shaded park in West Hollywood. For over 15 years, the City has partnered with Classical Theatre Lab […]

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Silent SkyReviewed by Taylor KassSierra Madre PlayhouseThrough October 9RECOMMENDEDIt might be a man’s world, but the stars belong to everyone. Lauren Gunderson’s 2011 Silent Sky follows the true story of 20th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt (Ann Marie Wilding), whose work on the brightness of stars revolutionized the field, despite her not being allowed to touch a […]

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13Reviewed by Steven Leigh MorrisSimi Valley Performing Arts CenterThru Sept. 18RECOMMENDEDThis 2008 musical (with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, book by Dan Eilish and Robert Horn) is aimed at 13-year-olds and performed almost entirely by teens. (Netflix has just released a movie adaptation). The tropes within its theme of pre-adolescent angst — including […]

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Animal Farm Reviewed by Deborah KlugmanA Noise WithinThru October 2RECOMMENDEDGeorge Orwell began writing Animal Farm in the waning months of 1943.  The book was conceived in response to the evils of Stalinist Russia and the disturbing tendency of many left-leaning British intellectuals to excuse the regime’s murderous excesses and cruelties. Never an officially declared socialist […]

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MacbethReviewed by Taylor KassIndependent Shakespeare Co.Through September 4RECOMMENDEDMacbeth is Shakespeare’s eternal jewel – one of his most gutsy, vivid, and well-paced plays. But rarely is it as scary as it deserves to be. David Melville’s production for the Independent Shakespeare Company’s outdoor stage at Griffith Park cuts straight to the heart of what makes Macbeth […]

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Valley SongReviewed by Dana MartinInternational City TheatreThrough September 11th RECOMMENDEDInternational City Theatre’s latest production of South African playwright Athol Fugard’s Valley Song is a welcomed beacon of light. First produced in 1995, Valley Song is Fugard’s first work post-apartheid. He searches for hope through the messiness and confusion of a rapidly shifting world and finds it […]

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CinderellaReviewed by Julyza CommodoreSanta Monica PlayhouseThru August 26RECOMMENDEDAlmost 40 years after debuting at the Santa Monica Playhouse in 1984, Cinderella is back as a part of the Summer Twilight Theatre Series. It’s the classic story of Cinderella finding her prince charming, except with many twists.It’s refreshing and exciting to see such a beloved classic done […]

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