Writer: Ernest Kearney

Ernest Kearney, an award-winning L.A. playwright and rabble-rouser of note, has worked as literary manager or as dramaturge for among others The Hudson Theater Guild, Nova Diem and the Odyssey Ensemble Theatre, where he still serves on the play selection committee. He has been the recipient of two Dramalogue Awards and a finalist or semi-finalist three times in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition. His play Peddle was selected by the Midwest Theatre Network as one of the best plays of 1997. His most recent work 'The Salt Prince' was awarded honors from the Nathan Miller History Play Contest as well as the Fremont Center Theatre Play Contest. A passionate theatre and history buff, Mr. Kearney's reviews can be found on workingauthor.com and TheTVolution.com. Hang with him on Facebook. Comments welcome.
Nov

Jacaranda Presents the Concert Premiere of ARKHIPOV

In Cicero’s ancient admonition of the dire consequences which great power imperils, the sword dangling above Damocles is suspended by a single strand of horsehair.
In Arkhipov we are shown, that lacking the support of even the thinnest thread, salvation must depend on a single heart beat.

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Nov

Smile

Osborne has provided each of her characters with their own thread, but all these are mere snippets, incapable of guiding the audience to an understandable conclusion, and so thin as to slip out of sight through the floorboards.

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Oct

Crude

Doctor Zomba’s Ghost Show, David Lucarelli’s loopy homage to late night television horror hosts, was plainly rooted in his appreciation for the hi-jinks of Jeepers Creepers, Elvira and others.
Lucarelli reveals himself as a dedicated “Metalhead” with his new production, Crude.

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Oct

Animal Farm

This is an appreciatively fine production of superb stagecraft and plain merit who’s only failing can be described as having stayed too stringently within the lines of the original material.

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Oct

A Terrible Show for Terrible People

I am a self-confessed sucker for good clowning and Bonnie He offers that up. Better still she offers up “nasty” good clowning!

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Oct

Ayano

Versteeg, who also wrote the play, manages to convey Cooper’s slow unraveling succinctly and with great sympathy while capturing both Cooper’s physicality and performance persona to perfection.

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Sep

Valley Song

Fugard’s plays are celebrated, and justly so, because they awoke in audiences worldwide a righteous indignation over a government’s cruel and unjust maltreatment of an entire people.

In Valley Song, there is no cause for indignation, only an appeal for acceptance

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Jul

CAMP GINGER

Though told with both sweetness and sincerity, the tale itself is one in which we are all very familiar, by now. However, while the tale may not be that exceptional, the teller most certainly is.

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Jul

Blood Pig

I’m not sure if Playwright Devin Arnold has watched a little too much League of Gentlemen or not anywhere near enough. He may not even have a clue what I’m talking about should he read this —…

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Jul

Mr. Malcolm’s Music Factory

Ritchey’s show is a clever conceit that combines an education to the basic elements of musical composition, an introduction to the global musical styles and most important of all the value and potency of music for smoothing a troubled mind. Even if that troubled mind belongs to a six-year-old.

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Jul

BREED OR BUST

This seems to me Raven’s greatest strength: that her forthright and direct approach to story-telling, with its heightened sense of honesty and effortless infusion of humor creates a sense of intimacy with an audience.

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Jul

The Undiscovered Country: A Skeptic’s Guide to the Afterlife

Larry Davidson’s show about his near death experience is best when he drops the excess and is just just himself….

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Jun

Camp Ginger: An Original Musical

Protean faced Steve Trzaska shows a flair for performing and a talent for characterization that is perfectly prodigious to behold.

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Jun

Dying for Our Voices

I believe that Raven Kras who wrote and directed this work is sincere in her passion for this cause, but she needs to pull her ego out of this enterprise. She needs to engage and exploit the talents and abilities of others if she truly wants this effort to succeed.

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Jun

DI Lady DI

Within the constraint of a single hour Munson takes us through Diana, Princess of Wales’ whole twisted history of a fairy tale gone horribly wrong….

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Jun

THE TANNER

Alex McSherry takes his clue from Historian John Keegan’s classic work The Face of Battle, in his rousing narration of the battles of William Wallace (Braveheart) …

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Jun

Vincerò – The Italian Opera Experience on the Fringe!

Germán Gholami, Diana Silova, Asuka Uchida and Natalja Sticco are the real deal, and frankly I cannot remember when I’ve heard such stunningly powerful singers on a stage the size of the McCadden Theatre.

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Jun

Cassandra

Cassandra has a good deal going for it. The notion of creating a musical about the tragic heroine of Greek myth Cassandra employing the music of Patti Smith is immediately intriguing.

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Jun

Too Big For Her Britches

Pezik’s transitions from character to character are dynamically delineated facilitating both the dramatic and comedic aspects of her story.

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Jun

Call Me Elizabeth

The production, directed by Erin Kraft is exceedingly well mounted, and Boye captures Taylor to perfection.

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