The Reconciliation DinnerReviewed by Amanda L. AndreiPower Mac Center Blackbox Theater at Circuit Makati in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.ClosedNote: The production reopens at PETA Theater Center, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines: August 5-20, 2023RECOMMENDEDNote: This review is part of a reflection essay on Stage Raw contributor Amanda L. Andrei’s sojourn to the Philippines, in order […]

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MacbethReviewed by Philip BrandesWill Geer Theatricum BotanicumThrough September 23RECOMMENDEDIt’s good to be the King—or is it? The titular Scottish monarch and his Lady consort discover many reasons to regret their lust for power in the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum’s haunting production of Macbeth.Making excellent use of a 26-member ensemble and the outdoor Topanga venue’s expansive […]

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Julius CaesarIndependent Shakespeare CompanyReviewed by Taylor KassThrough July 30thRECOMMENDEDPower is a slippery slope. In William Shakespeare’s political drama Julius Caesar, returning hero Caesar (David Melville, who also directs this production) is a larger-than-life figure, complete with adoring crowds, magnificent statues, and the promise of a crown. But to senators Brutus (William Elsman) and Cassius (Sabra […]

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MiseryReviewed by Terry MorganThe Garage TheatreThrough August 12 RECOMMENDEDFor some unknown reason, Southern California is having a little theater horror boom at the moment, with at least four shows playing concurrently – Beetlejuice, Exorcistic, The Ants and Misery. As a horror fan, I intend to see them all. I previously expressed my disappointment with The Ants […]

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The Fire at the Edge of the EarthReviewed by Socks WhitmoreEight Ball Theatre at The Hudson Guild TheatreThrough July 30, 2023RECOMMENDED“I think the future could be so much better than the present… if we get it right.”On the tiny stage of the Hudson Guild Theatre, two lovers on the precipice of their relationship (and the […]

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Garden of AllaReviewed by Joseph KlinkTheatre WestThrough July 23, 2023RECOMMENDEDWho is Alla Nazimova? A cunning and revolutionary artist of the early 1900s, she was internationally recognized for her work in theater and silent film. She studied with Constantin Stanislavski at the Moscow Art Theatre, she performed Ibsen and Chekhov on Broadway, she was openly part […]

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The TempestReviewed by Martίn HernándezThe Antaeus Company, Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts CenterThrough July 30RECOMMENDEDDirector Nike Doukas adds a three-piece combo and rocking beat to Shakespeare’s tale of magic, revenge, and love in a production that is part musical, part radio play, and all fun. Rather than a set that depicts the play’s island […]

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Into the WoodsReviewed by Socks WhitmoreAhmanson TheatreThrough July 20, 2023RECOMMENDEDOnce upon a time, in the far-off kingdom of Los Angeles, the touring production of Stephen Sondheim’s twisted musical fairytale Into the Woods arrived on the stage of CTG’s Ahmanson Theatre. After six months on Broadway starring Tony-winning veterans like Sara Bareilles and Brian d’Arcy James, […]

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The Cherry OrchardReviewed by F. Kathleen FoleySouth Pasadena Theatre Workshop Through August 6RECOMMENDEDWatching The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov’s last play, you might somehow be put in mind of a horror movie where the characters blunder into the cellar knowing full well that a psychotic slayer is at large.The foolishly feckless aristocrats in the play, whose beloved cherry […]

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Fetch Clay, Make ManReviewed by Deborah KlugmanKirk Douglas TheatreThrough July 2RECOMMENDEDIt’s hard to imagine two public figures more dissimilar in their representation of the African American community than Stepin Fetchit, an actor whose fame rested on his clichéd portrait of a lazy shuffling Negro, and Muhammad Ali, a champion boxer and cultural icon who defied […]

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