STAGE LISTINGS
STAGE LISTINGS FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, April 25-May 1, 2024
OPENING THIS WEEK
All Theaters, Region-Wide:
THE BALD SOPRANO Frédérique Michel & Charles Duncombe’s adaptation of Eugene Ionesco’s iconic play which launched the Theatre of the Absurd. City Garage, 2525 Michigan Ave. Building T1, Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 4 pm; thru June 2. www.citygarage.org
THE BODY’S MIDNIGHT In Tira Palmquist’s play, a couple sets out on an American road trip but their plans are derailed by a troubling diagnosis and the beautiful impermanence of the world around them. IAMA at Boston Court Pasadena, 70 Mentor St., Pasadena. Opens Sat., April 27; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm, Mon. , May 6 & May 20, 8 pm; thru May 26. bostoncourtpasadena.org
GALILEE 34 Eleanor Burgess’s play takes a look at what happened to the disciples after the Crucifixion of Yeshua or Jesus. South Coast Repertory, 655 Towne Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Opens; Wed.-Sat., 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., 2 pm; thru May 12. https://www.scr.org/plays/productions/23-24-season/galilee-34/
HITLER’S TASTERS Michelle Kholos Brooks’s dark comedy is based on the largely unknown story of young German women conscripted to taste Adolf Hitler’s food for poison and explores the way girls navigate sexuality, friendship, and patriotism during the Third Reich. Rogue Machine (Upstairs at the Henry Murray Stage in the Matrix Theatre) 7657 Melrose Ave, Hollywood. Opens Sat., April 27; Fri. & Mon., 8 pm, Sat., 5 pm, Sun., 7 pm; thru June 3. https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org/
NORA Ingmar Bergmann’s stage adaptation of A Doll’s House distills the play down to its essential core. Antaeus Theatre Company, 110 East Broadway, Glendale. Opens Fri., April 26; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Mon., 8 p.m. thru May 26. https://antaeus.org/show-details/nora
SINGULARITIES or the Computers of Venus Set in three different time periods, Laura Stribling’s play looks at the lives of women astronomers in three different time periods as they grapple with light, love and the infinite. The Road Theatre Company, The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd., N. Hollywood. Opens Fri., April 26; in rep, check website for schedule; thru June 2. www.RoadTheatre.org
URBAN DEATH A haunting and boundary-pushing theatrical attraction “consisting of a series of shocking and bloody wordless vignettes, and mind-blowing physical feats.” Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hollywood. Opens Fri. April 26. Fri.-Sat., 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm; thru May 11. ZombieJoes.Tix.com
CONTINUING PERFORMANCES
Larger Theaters, Region-Wide:
RECOMMENDED “A” TRAIN
Annie Torsiglieri (Photo by Lore Photography)
Set against the backdrop of an imagined subway station, Annie Torsiglieri’s solo show follows the character of Amy as she struggles to understand why her young son can memorize the names of every subway stop in the correct sequence but doesn’t seem to want to play with his brother. Stage Raw’s review. Rubicon Theatre Company, The Karyn Jackson Theatre, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura; Wed.-Sat., 7 pm, Wes., Sat., Sun., 2 pm; thru April 28. www.rubicontheatre.org
ANTIGONE Sophocles classic tragedy, in which a young woman risks her life to bury her brother, is an exploration of morality, law, gender roles, and the depths of human suffering. The Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250 ½ Atlantic, Long Beach; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm, Thurs., May 2, 8 pm; thru May 4. www.LBShakespeare.org.
CINDERELLA Storybook Theatre’s Cinderella is a funny version specifically created to appeal to young children and the whole family. Stage Raw’s review. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, L.A.; Sat., 1 pm; thru June 1. www.theatrewest.org
RECOMMENDED FAT HAM
Marcel Spears and Nikki Crawford (Photo by Jeff Lorch)
A young, gay Black man confronts a Shakespearean-sized dilemma when the ghost of his dead father shows up at his family’s BBQ wedding reception, demanding his murder be avenged. Stage Raw’s review. Geffen Playhouse, 10866 Le Conte Ave., Westwood; Wed.-Sat., 8 pm, Sat.-Sun., 2 pm, Sun.,7 pm; thru May 11. www.geffenplayhouse.com
FUNNY GIRL A musical that tells the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Stage Raw’s review. Ahmanson Theatre, downtown LA. Tues.-Sat., 8 pm, Sat., 2 pm, Sun., 1 pm & 6:30 pm; thru April 28. https://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/ahmanson-theatre/2023-24/funny-girl/
HAMLET Shakespeare’s famous tragedy about a young prince prompted to revenge by the ghost of his murdered father. Stage Raw’s review. Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 Anaheim St., Long Beach. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru May 4. www.lbplayhouse.org,
IN THE HEIGHTS Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the lyrics and score for this musical. a journey into the lives of the residents of the Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City. Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 East Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm. Sun., 2 pm; thru May 5. www.simi-arts.org
JERSEY BOYS The musical follows the fascinating evolution of four blue-collar kids who became one of the greatest successes in pop-music history. La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada; Thurs.., 7:30 pm, Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sat., 2 pm, Sun., 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm, dark Sun. April 21, 6:30 pm; thru May 12. https://lamiradatheatre.com
KAIROS In Lisa Sanaye Dring’s play, two people fall in love during a tectonic shift in society. Stage Raw’s review. East West Players, David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso Street, downtown LA. Thurs.-Fri. and Mon., 8 pm, Sat., 2 and 8 pm, Sun., 5 pm; thru April 28. https://www.eastwestplayers.org/
RECOMMENDED KING HEDLEY
The ninth play in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle: After seven years in prison, King Hedley re-enters society eager to rebuild his life, but quickly confronts the inescapable challenges facing Black men in Reagan-era Pittsburgh. Stage Raw’s review. Stage Raw’s interview with director Gregg T. Daniel. A Noise Within, Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sat.-Sun., 2 pm, Thurs., 7:30 pm; thru April 28. www.anoisewithin.org
PRELUDE TO A KISS; THE MUSICAL “For better or worse” takes on new meaning when a mysterious guest requests a kiss at a couple’s wedding, changing their lives forever. South Coast Repertory, Segerstrom Stage, Costa Mesa; Wed.-Thurs, 7:30 pm. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sat., 2:30 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru May 4. https://www.scr.org/plays/productions/23-24-season/prelude-to-a-kiss-the-musical/
RECOMMENDED TARTUFFE
Bruce Turk and Christopher M. Williams (Photo by Jason Niedle)
Richard Wilbur’s adaptation of Moliere’s classic in which a clever charlatan worms his way into the good graces of members of a wealthy family. Stage Raw’s review. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach; Wed.-Sat., 7:30 pm, Sat., 2 pm, Sun., 1 pm & 5:30 pm; Also Thurs., April 25, 2 pm & Tues., April 30, 7:30 pm, dark May, 5:30 pm; thru May 5. www.lagunaplayhouse.com
TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS Based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed, the play follows the relationships between an anonymous advice columnist named Sugar and the many real-life readers who pour out their hearts to her. Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center on the Cripe Stage, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 7 pm; thru April 28. www.ChanceTheater.com
Intimate Theaters, Hollywood:
DINNER WITH FRIENDS In Donald Margulies’ prize-winning play, an encounter between two couples results in the examination of marriage, friendship, commitment, betrayal and the possibility of loneliness. Stage Raw’s review. Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., W. Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru April 28. www.OnStage411.com/Friends
RECOMMENDED FATHERLAND
Ron Bottitta and Patrick Keleher (Photo by Jenny Graham)
In Stephen Sachs’s new play, a 19-year-old faces the hardest day in his life when he testifies in federal court after informing the FBI of his father’s involvement in the January attack on the Capitol. Stage Raw’s Review. The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., E. Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm & 7 pm, Mon., 8 pm; thru May 26. www.FountainTheatre.com
RECOMMENDED MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA
Logan Leonardo Arditty and Kevin Daniels (Photo by Jeff Lorch)
When his husband dies, a Black man finds himself the owner of a drive-in movie theater and a caregiver to his late husband’s straight, white teenage son. Stage Raw’s review. Rogue Machine at The Matrix, 7657 Melrose Avenue, W. Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 3 pm, Mon., 8 pm; thru May 19. www.roguemachinetheatre.org
THE ONE A mix of comedy and spoken word poetry, the show tackles ideas of monogamy and faithfulness in a world where polyamory and consensual non-monogamy are more accepted. The Broadwater, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 4 pm; thru May 11. https://tinyurl.com/mwzw8ajb
TWELFTH NIGHT Shakespeare’s comedy in which a quick-witted young woman assumes the disguise of a page boy for a duke and finds herself at the center of an explosive love triangle. Actors Co-op, David Schall Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 7:30 pm, Sun., 2:30 pm; thru May 12. www.ActorsCo-op.org
Intimate Theaters; Downtown LA, South LA, East LA:
EN MI JARDÍN (In My Garden) Healing With Our Stories A 10-minute new works play festival. CASA 0101 Theater 2102 East First Street (at St. Louis Street), Boyle Heights; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 4 pm; thru May 12. www.casa0101.org
Intimate Theaters, Valleys in LA County:
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT ‘EM Lee Redmond’s play about a philanderer in a coma who want to hear what the various women in his life have to say when they are all in the room at the same time. Lonny Chapman Theatre, Upstairs at GRT (Second Floor), 10900 Burbank Blvd., N. Hollywood; Thurs. & Sat., 7:30 pm, Sat., 4 pm; thru May 12. www.thegrouprep.com
RECOMMENDED COULD I HAVE THIS DANCE
Ll
oyd Pedersen and Clara Rodriguez (Photo by Doug Engalla)
Doug Haverty’s comedy-drama looks at modern love, complicated relationships, working-from-home and a family that is actually functional. Stage Raw’s review. The Group Rep, N. Hollywood.; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru May 5. www.thegrouprep.com
RECOMMENDED FREUD ON COCAINE Re-opening of Howard Skora’s comedy, which draws on the documents and recollections of neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud that attest to his decade-long use of cocaine. Stage Raw’s review. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Fri., 8 pm; thru May 3. FreudOnCocaine.com
RECOMMENDED THE GREEN BOOK WINE CLUB TRAIN TRIP
Dominique Howard and Jazmine Nichelle (photo by Daniel J. Parker)
A woman traveling to Jim Crow Missouri find herself staying in a boarding house that is actually a bordello. Stage Raw’s review. Loft ensemble, 11031 Camarillo St., N. Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 7 pm; thru May 5. www.loftensemble.org
HIGH MAINTENANCE In Peter Ritt’s dark comedy, an unfairly disgraced actor makes her comeback in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, opposite a robot that may bring about the end of the acting profession. Stage Raw’s review. The Road Theatre, Magnolia Blvd., N. Hollywood.; check website for schedule; thru May 19. www.RoadTheatre.org
RECOMMENDED MEN IN SUITS
Nick Osborne and Anthony Casabianca (Photo by Grant Terzakis)
Jason Milligan’s play about hitmen in the 1990s. Stage Raw’s review. Playhouse West – Magnolia Studio, 10634 Magnolia Blvd., N. Hollywood., Sun., April 28, 7 pm; Sun., May 5, 7 pm; thru May 5. Playhousewest.com/reservations
NICKY AND THE ANGELS The musical follows three teenage theater kids in the spring of 1982 in the City of Angels as they are falling in love with musicals, the big bright world outside of high school, and the wrong people. The Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks.; Sun., 7 pm, thru May 19. www.nickyandtheangels.com
VERSIFIED! THE HUMAN EQUATION Poetry meets theater in this show about what happens when our lines cross and in an open glance we see our neighbor, our spouse, our daughter, the stranger in the laundromat. For a moment we recognize them and, as their gaze meets ours, we are also understood. Stage Raw’s review. Two Roads Theater, 4348 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City; Fri.-Sat., 7:30 pm; thru April 27. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/versified-the-human-equation-tickets-807325039927?aff=oddtdtcreator
THE WITNESS ROOM Pedro Antonio Garcia’s life and death drama is set a witness room where four hardened New York City police officers battle each other over charges of corruption, racism, morality, loyalties, and the blue wall of silence. Stage Raw’s review. The Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; Sat., 8 pm; thru May 4. www.whitefiretheatre.com
Intimate Theaters, West Side and Beaches:
ALEICHEM SHOLOM Chris DeCarlo and Evelyn Rudie’s musical follows the life of the beloved Yiddish story-teller Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th St., Santa Monica. Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 3 pm; thru May 19. https://www.santamonicaplayhouse.com/aleichem-sholom.html
INTO THE BREECHES A stage director’s wife sets out to produce an all-female version of Shakespeare’s Henriadwhile her husband is off at war. Written by George Brant. Theatre 40, 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills.; Thurs.-Fri., 7:30 pm, dark Fri., April 5 & Thurs. April 18; thru April 26. https://theatre40.org
RECOMMENDED KING
Pat Kinevane (Photo by Maurice Gunning)
A solo show written and performed by Pat Kinevane: Luther, a man from Cork named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., only leaves his apartment for essential journeys — and to perform as an Elvis impersonator. Luther struggles to live life to the fullest in this exploration of prejudice, privilege and resilience, Stage Raw’s review. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 20m; thru May 5. OdysseyTheatre.com
OPHELIA Steven Marks’ existential dramedy dealing with time-shifting, finding one’s destiny and the quest to fix a “broken life.” Stage Raw’s review. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Thurs.-Sat., 8 pm; thru May 18. www.stefanmarks.com/ophelia
POWER AND LIGHT John Strysik’s play about Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla and their battle for the development of electricity. Stage Raw’s review. Theatre Forty, 241 S, Moreno Drive, in the Mary Levin Cutler Theatre, Beverly Hills; check website for schedule; thru April 30. http://theatre40.org.
RECOMMENDED STALIN’S MASTER CLASS
Ilya Volok, Randy Lowell, John Kayton and Jan Munroe (Photo by Jenny Graham)
Politics collide with art when “Father of the People” Joseph Stalin and Soviet cultural minister Andrei Zhdanov summon composers Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich to the Kremlin for a vodka-fueled “music lesson.” Stage Raw’s review. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA.; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru May 26 OdysseyTheatre.com
UNSAVORY FELLOW Writer/performer Nick James’ show about his pursuit of the Hollywood dream. Santa Monica Playhouse, on the Main Stage, 1211 Fourth St., Santa Monica.; Thurs. & Sat., v7:30 pm; thru April 27. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unsavory-fellow-a-one-man-show-starring-nick-james-tickets-789781677257?aff=oddtdtcreator
RECOMMENDED A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
Isabella DiBernardino, Peter Gregory and Maria O’Connor (Photo by Joy Daunis)
Arthur Miller’s classic drama about a longshoreman whose life unravels when his niece falls for an immigrant. Stage Raw’s review. Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd., Pacific Palisades. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru April 28; www.pacificpalisades.org
Intimate Theaters, Neighboring Counties:
No shows submitted.
Special Events:
THE 8TH ANNUAL LA GET DOWN FESTIVAL AT GREENWAY COURT THEATRE A celebration of LA’s arts communities through hip-hop and spoken word in honor of U.S. national poetry month. Greenway Court Theatre, Fairfax Ave., W. Hollywood. Thru April 27. www.GreenwayCourtTheatre.org
This week:
Fri., April 26 — Gold Standard – Performance — Presented by Palms Up Academy a celebration of the Asian Diaspora in poetry, music, and magic.
Sat., April 27, 2 pm — Trans Conversation Project — Showcase — A “write your story” event hosted by Maddox Pennington
Sat., April 27, 8 pm — Inkslam Invitational — An annual festival closer is presented by Da Poetry Lounge with $2,500 in prizes.
CINDERELLA Inland Pacific Ballet (IPB) presents its original ballet adaptation of the classic fairy tale. Lewis Family Playhouse, 10525 Cultural Center Drive, Ranch Cucamonga, Sat.-Sun., April 26-27, 11 am & 4:30 pm. https://ipballet.org; https://ipballet.org/cinderella/; admin@ipballet.org;
STAR-CROSSED The Verdi Chorus Spring 2024 Concert, First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica, 1220 2nd Street, Santa Monica. Featuring excerpts from Idomeneo and Don Giovanni, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Gounod’sRomeo et Juliette, and Lehar’s The Merry Widow. Sat., April 27, 7:30 pm, Sun., April 28, 4 pm. www.verdichorus.org
UNASSISTED RESIDENCY LIVE Fritz Coleman’s live show for “woke boomers,” covers topics from Zoom school to retirement to becoming vegan to pharmaceuticals to celebrating growing up and growing old! El Portal Theatre, 5260 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hollywood. Sun., April 28, 3 pm. https://nohoartsdistrict.com/noho-theatres/fritz-colemans-unassisted-residency-live/
-Listings compiled by Deborah Klugman
