Theatrical, One-Person, Improv, and Comedy shows, Music, Dance, and Award Shows registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
Theatrical, One-Person, Improv, and Comedy shows, Music, Dance, and Award Shows registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
Better Lemons had a fantastic year and we couldn’t have done it without the fantastic critics, publicists, and audience members who share their love of Los Angeles theater, by posting on Better Lemons and sharing their favorite shows and their reviews on social media.
We are especially grateful for all the Registered Critics who took their time this past year to rate shows they have reviewed to be included in our LemonMeter.
There were 1200 productions registered on Better Lemons in 2019! Out of those registered shows, over 600 received at least one review from a Critic and 201 were reviewed by Audience members. Out of these shows, we selected the winners that were most favored by Critics and/or Audiences.
Here is a list with all the Better Lemons SWEET productions of 2019:
(33 shows out of 1200 productions received
a DoubleSWEET #LemonMeter rating
from audience and critics)
TALES FROM THE POWDER ROOM at the Whitefire Theatre
41 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
IF WE RUN at the Lounge Theatre
32 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
RAISED BY WOLVES at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre
32 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
TO DAD WITH LOVE: A TRIBUTE TO BUDDY EBSEN at Theatre West
30 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
14 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
FERTILE: A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE EXPECTATION OF PROCREATION currently at the Whitefire Theatre
27 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
8 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
HOLLYWOODN’T at the Santa Monica Playhouse
20 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
THE BULLY PROBLEM at the Arena Theatre – Theatre of Arts
17 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
9 Critics reviews – 94% Sweet
THE NARCISSIST NEXT DOOR at the Complex Theatre
15 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
4 Critics reviews – 75% Sweet
THE ELEPHANT MAN at the El Portal Theatre
14 Audience reviews – 96% Sweet
7 Critics reviews – 93% Sweet
MONO/POLY at the Odyssey Theatre
14 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
5 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
MASTERS OF THE DARK REALM at the Actors Workout Studio
14 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
4 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
BUNNY THE ELF LIVE! currently at the Stages in Fullerton
14 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
CRACK WHORE, BULIMIC, GIRL-NEXT-DOOR at the Complex Theatre
14 Audience reviews – 96% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
A BIT MUCH at the Lounge Theatre
12 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
(IM)PERFEKT at the Santa Monica Playhouse
11 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
5 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
BLACKBOXING at the Complex Theatre
10 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
5 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
MIL GRUS at the McCadden Place Theatre
10 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
5 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
TRANSFERENCE at The Broadwater
9 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
6 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
SCRAPS at the Matrix Theatre
8 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
15 Critics reviews – 87% Sweet
SUPPORTIVE WHITE PARENTS at The Broadwater
8 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
4 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
NEIL SIMON’S MUSICAL FOOLS by the Open Fist Theatre Company
7 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
13 Critics reviews – 92% Sweet
ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL at the Actors Workout Studio
7 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
8 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
FALLEN SAINTS: SALEM at the Actors Workout Studio
7 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
7 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
SAVING CAIN at the Hudson Theatres
6 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
5 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
THE LAST CROISSANT at The Broadwater
5 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
6 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
TREYA’S LAST DANCE at the Hudson Theatres
4 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
10 Critics reviews – 95% Sweet
OLIVIA WILDE DOES NOT SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE at the Complex Theatre
4 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
6 Critics reviews – 92% Sweet
CLARISSANT at the Atwater Village Theatre
4 Audience reviews – 88% Sweet
4 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
CIRQUE DU GISELLE at the Assistance League Theater
4 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
4 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
BATTER UP: MY BRAIN ON BASEBALL at studio/stage
4 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
4 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
JOAN AND WHAT DID THEY SAY – AN EVENING OF ONE ACTS at Theatre Unlimited (T.U. Studios)
4 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
TREASON at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre
4 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
45 MILLIGRAMS at The Broadwater
3 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
3 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
(32 shows out of 1200 productions received
a minimum of 10 audience reviews
and have received a SWEET #LemonMeter rating by the Audience)
TALES FROM THE POWDER ROOM at the Whitefire Theatre
41 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
IF WE RUN at the Lounge Theatre
32 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
RAISED BY WOLVES at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre
32 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
TO DAD WITH LOVE: A TRIBUTE TO BUDDY EBSEN at Theatre West
30 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
FERTILE: A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE EXPECTATION OF PROCREATION currently at the Whitefire Theatre
27 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
AN EXCUSE TO BEHAVE BADLY at the Lounge Theatre
22 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
HOLLYWOODN’T at the Santa Monica Playhouse
20 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
THE BULLY PROBLEM at the Arena Theatre – Theatre of Arts
17 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
TELENOVELA at the Actors Workout Studio
16 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
AMERICAN STRANGER THE MUSICAL at Studio C
16 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
THE NARCISSIST NEXT DOOR at the Complex Theatre
15 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
MONO/POLY at the Odyssey Theatre
14 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
MASTERS OF THE DARK REALM at the Actors Workout Studio
14 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
BUNNY THE ELF LIVE! currently at the Stages in Fullerton
14 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
CRACK WHORE, BULIMIC, GIRL-NEXT-DOOR Complex Theatre
14 Audience reviews – 96% Sweet
THE ELEPHANT MAN at the El Portal Theatre
14 Audience reviews – 96% Sweet
MANDY PICKS A HUSBAND at the Actors Company
13 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
A BIT MUCH at the Lounge Theatre
12 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
ASK A BLACK WOMAN at Studio C
12 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre
12 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
BIRTHDAY at the Actors Company
12 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
(IM)PERFEKT at the Santa Monica Playhouse
11 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
LEAVING PRINCE CHARMING at the Lounge Theatre
11 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
ENERJOYCE…EVOLUTION OF A PISCES BABY BOOMER at the Santa Monica Playhouse
11 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
YES. NO. MAYBE. at the Complex Theatre
11 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
BECOMING PEACE: A ONE WOMAN DRAMEDY ABOUT POWER, CULTURE, VIOLENCE AND NONVIOLENCE at the Lounge Theatre
10 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
CAT SH!T CRAZY…FROM HOT MESS TO HOT MAMA IN FOUR SIMPLE CATS at the Whitefire Theatre
10 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
OCTOPI WALL STREET at the New American Theatre
10 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
EMBRACE LOVE FREE at the Santa Monica Playhouse
10 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
BLACKBOXING at the Santa Monica Playhouse
10 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
MIL GRUS at the McCadden Place Theatre
10 Audience reviews – 100% Sweet
(92 shows out of 1200 productions received
a minimum of 10 critic reviews
and have received a SWEET #LemonMeter rating by the Critics)
DANIEL’S HUSBAND at The Fountain Theatre
26 Critics reviews – 96% Sweet
WITCH at the Geffen Playhouse
21 Critics reviews – 93% Sweet
HANDJOB by the Echo Theater Company
21 Critics reviews – 79% Sweet
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at the Ahmanson Theatre
21 Critics reviews – 76% Sweet
THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN by the Antaeus Theatre Company
20 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
SKINTIGHT at the Geffen Playhouse
19 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE by the Antaeus Theatre Company
19 Critics reviews – 97% Sweet
BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY at The Fountain Theatre
19 Critics reviews – 79% Sweet
LATIN HISTORY FOR MORONS at the Ahmanson Theatre
18 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE at the Ahmanson Theatre
18 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
1776 THE MUSICAL at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
18 Critics reviews – 94% Sweet
BRONCO BILLY – THE MUSICAL at the Skylight Theatre Company
18 Critics reviews – 92% Sweet
AN INSPECTOR CALLS at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
18 Critics reviews – 81% Sweet
DEADLY at the Sacred Fools Theater Company
18 Critics reviews – 75% Sweet
ON BECKETT at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
17 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
HELLO DOLLY at the Pantages Theatre
17 Critics reviews – 97% Sweet
READY STEADY YETI GO at the Rogue Machine Theatre
17 Critics reviews – 82% Sweet
TOO MUCH SUN at the Odyssey Theatre
17 Critics reviews – 82% Sweet
SALVAGE at the Lounge Theatre
16 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
LOOT at the Odyssey Theatre
16 Critics reviews – 91% Sweet
ANNE, A NEW PLAY at the Museum of Tolerance
16 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES at the Geffen Playhouse
16 Critics reviews – 84% Sweet
NICK DEAR’S FRANKENSTEIN at A Noise Within
16 Critics reviews – 78% Sweet
RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL at the Pasadena Playhouse
15 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
INDECENT at the Ahmanson Theatre
15 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
15 Critics reviews – 97% Sweet
DANA H. at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
15 Critics reviews – 97% Sweet
EIGHT NIGHTS by the Antaeus Theatre Company
15 Critics reviews – 93% Sweet
FALSETTOS at the Ahmanson Theatre
15 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
A KID LIKE JAKE by the IAMA Theatre Company
15 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
LACKAWANNA BLUES at the Mark Taper Forum
15 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
HYPE MAN at The Fountain Theatre
15 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
SCRAPS at the Matrix Theatre
15 critics reviews – 87% Sweet
OTHELLO at A Noise Within
15 Critics reviews – 80% Sweet
PARADISE at the Matrix Theatre
15 Critics reviews – 77% Sweet
LINDA VISTA at the Mark Taper Forum
15 Critics reviews – 77% Sweet
AUGUST WILSON’S JITNEY at the Mark Taper Forum
14 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
TO DAD WITH LOVE: A TRIBUTE TO BUDDY EBSEN at Theatre West
14 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum
14 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
DIANA OF DOBSON’S by the Antaeus Theatre Company
14 Critics reviews – 93% Sweet
MOBY DICK – REHEARSED at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum
14 Critics reviews – 89% Sweet
THE SOLID LIFE OF SUGAR WATER by Deaf West Theatre
14 Critics reviews – 89% Sweet
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Pasadena Playhouse
14 Critics reviews – 75% Sweet
TWO TRAINS RUNNING AT MATRIX at the Matrix Theatre
13 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
IN CIRCLES at the Odyssey Theatre
13 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
TWELFTH NIGHT at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
13 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
RAGTIME at the Chance Theater
13 Critics reviews – 96% Sweet
NEIL SIMON’S MUSICAL FOOLS by the Open Fist Theatre Company
13 Critics reviews – 92% Sweet
WITNESS UGANDA at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
13 Critics reviews – 92% Sweet
THE JOY WHEEL at the Ruskin Group Theatre
13 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
THE WOLVES by the Echo Theater Company
13 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
FAITH HEALER at the Odyssey Theatre
13 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
THE NICETIES at the Geffen Playhouse
13 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
ARGONAUTIKA at A Noise Within
13 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
THE PRODUCERS at the Celebration Theatre @ The Lex
13 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
FEFU AND HER FRIENDS at the Odyssey Theatre
13 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
LIGHTS OUT: NAT “KING” COLE at the Geffen Playhouse
13 Critics reviews – 85% Sweet
GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
13 Critics reviews – 77% Sweet
HAPPY DAYS at the Mark Taper Forum
12 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
CANYON at theLos Angeles Theatre Center
12 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
THE VANDAL at the Chance Theater
12 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
DEATH OF A SALESMAN at the Ruskin Group Theatre
12 Critics reviews – 96% Sweet
NANCY F***ING REAGAN at the Secret Rose Theatre
12 Critics reviews – 88% Sweet
AMERICA ADJACENT at theSkylight Theatre Company
12 Critics reviews – 83% Sweet
DEFENDERS at The Broadwater
12 Critics reviews – 79% Sweet
ANASTASIA at the Pantages Theatre
12 Critics reviews – 75% Sweet
JULIUS WEEZER at the El Portal Theatre
11 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
ANDY WARHOL’S TOMATO at the Pacific Resident Theatre
11 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
BURIED CHILD at A Noise Within
11 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
11 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
HERSHEY FELDER: A PARIS LOVE STORY at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
11 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
ANNA IN THE TROPICS by the Open Fist Theatre Company
11 Critics reviews – 95% Sweet
THE GLASS MENAGERIE at A Noise Within
11 Critics reviews – 95% Sweet
AT THE TABLE at The Road Theatre Company
11 Critics reviews – 91% Sweet
MISS LILLY GETS BONED at the Rogue Machine Theatre
11 Critics reviews – 91% Sweet
SISTERS IN LAW at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
11 Critics reviews – 91% Sweet
THE GREAT LEAP at the Pasadena Playhouse
11 Critics reviews – 91% Sweet
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Odyssey Theatre
11 Critics reviews – 86% Sweet
M. BUTTERFLY at the South Coast Repertory
11 Critics reviews – 77% Sweet
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER by The Group Rep/Lonny Chapman Theatre
10 Critics reviews – 100% Sweet
TREYA’S LAST DANCE at the Hudson Theatres
10 Critics reviews – 95% Sweet
DAMES AT SEA by the Sierra Madre Playhouse
10 Critics reviews – 95% Sweet
NEVER IS NOW at the Skylight Theatre Company
10 Critics reviews – 95% Sweet
THE NEW ONE at the Ahmanson Theatre
10 Critics reviews – 95% Sweet
FRIENDS WITH GUNS at The Road Theatre Company
10 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL by 5 Star Theatricals
10 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
DISNEY’S FROZEN at the Pantages Theatre
10 Critics reviews – 90% Sweet
THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE by the 24th STreet Theatre
10 Critics reviews – 85% Sweet
SPECIAL at the Theatre of Note
10 Critics reviews – 85% Sweet
SWEENEY TODD – THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET at the South Coast Repertory
10 Critics reviews – 85% Sweet
FIFTEEN MEN IN A SMOKE-FILLED ROOM at Theatre 40
10 Critics reviews – 85% Sweet
LOOSE KNIT by The Group Rep/Lonny Chapman Theatre
10 Critics reviews – 80% Sweet
It’s that time of month where most of the events coming up have a holiday theme that has absolutely nothing at all to do with shopping which for me is a good thing. I am so burnt out from hearing about all the sales going on. So if you would like another way to spend your money, here are some suggestions that might add some magic to this holiday season.
First up is an enchanting Immersive Nutcracker Cocktail Fete. Even though the show doesn’t start until next Thursday, December 12th, tickets are going fast so I’m adding it to my column now.
It’s midnight on Christmas – the most magical hour. The Stahibaum family are fast asleep, all except for Clara, whose waking dream leads her on an adventure alongside mischievous mice, candied royalty and a heroic nutcracker.
Travel back in time to experience the classic story of The Nutcracker like never before as actors, music and creative cocktails transform a 19th century parlor into an enchanting winter wonderland. Join your favorite characters as they use everything in the room including you, to create a comical and intimate take on this timeless tale.
This show is part immersive theatre and part cabaret. Guests will also have the option of choosing three tasteful spiked beverages and themed drinks. You will witness first hand the story coming to life all around you with the help of a selection of costumes to dress up in, parlor games and a cheeky remote controlled mouse. You will also get to waltz with the Sugar Plum Fairy, fence alongside the Nutcracker and find yourself cast in some of the lead roles.
THE IMMERSIVE NUTCRACKER COCKTAIL FETE is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season and indulge in true holiday spirit. This is a 21+ event.
The show will take place from 12/12/2019 to 01/19/2020 and is located at 1039 Olive Street, Los Angeles CA 90015. Tickets are $65.00. To purchase tickets and for more information go to fever.com or NutcrackerCocktailFete.com.
On December 5th through the 22nd, BOB’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY OFFICE PARTY is returning to the Atwater Village Theatre and having seen this show in the past, I promise you a really over the top fun time.
The show has earned a solid cult following with audiences and critics alike. Playwright Joe Keyes and Rob Elk are proud to bring back the longest running Holiday hit. Now in their 24th year, this hilarious and irreverent comedy has become a vital part of every Christmas season in Los Angeles since 1995.
Briefly, every year insurance agent Bob Finhead’s whacked out friends and clients stop by his small town Iowa office for their annual holiday bash. The town Mayor, the Sheriff, the twin Farmer sisters, the stoner, the town floozy and the pastor’s wife have already RSVP’d for this year’s event, but Bob has dreams of a bigger life and wants to escape their narrow minded thinking.
Will Bob be able to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional inventor and move to the big city or will he come to realize how much he is the heart and soul of the town? Will any of this matter once the party starts, the bickering and fighting begins and the drinks hit the floor?
Well you’re just going to have to travel to The Atwater Village Theatre located at 3269 Casitas Avenue to find out.
For more information including cast schedule go to BobsOfficeParty.com or call 1-800-838-3006.
Finally a different kind of comedy show… SANTASIA which is now in its 20th year at the Whitefire Theatre. The show includes an extremely creative and dedicated group of actors who take us on yet another journey through their own very unique Christmas imagination.
They will once again entertain us with their delightfully warped and seasonally fueled stories, songs and glorious dance extravaganzas. At its heart, it’s a sketch show with claymation and live action films created by brothers Shan and Brandon Loeser which are liberally sprinkled through the evening and some very elaborate dance numbers choreographed by Tania Pearson-Loeser.
But in the end, this show is really all about love – their love for Christmas, their love for each other and their love for giving us their own very hysterically funny version of what Christmas really means to them all. One moment you will be laughing and the next, you will be wiping a tear from your eye from remembering those who will be missed around the tree this year.
For tickets and more information go to Santasia.com. The Whitefire theatre is located at 13500 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks.
Whatever you choose to do this week, make it a fun one.
Theatrical shows, Film Festivals, Musicals, and Interactive/Immersive Escape Rooms NOW registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
Tuesday nights will be devoted to new short Films.
Thursday evenings will be the occasion for Thirsty Thursdays, an occasion for artists to socialize and network, sponsored by Silent Pool Gin. https://t.co/3D37zs2jWq— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 24, 2019
Short+Sweet Hollywood Dance Festival https://t.co/oTCqo4pnih
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
Short Latinx plays. Each of four groups of plays is named after a performing icon.
Group Montalban
Friday, October 11 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, October 12 at 2:00 p.m.; Sunday, October 13 at 9:00 p.m.
Perro Amor. Directed by Paloma Lopez. https://t.co/5bOeYYEb1w— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
Four days of short plays by LGBTQ artists and/or with LGBTQ themes. Each group of plays is named after a performing icon. https://t.co/cTZyQiVMa5
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
CONSTANTINOPLE
The editor of a feminist journal and a guerrilla fighter coordinate missions for the recovery of women and children abducted during the genocide. https://t.co/jAiM8FxyBy pic.twitter.com/QlZA28SiDg— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
San Fernando Valley Master Chorale: Grand Finale – Popular Musical & Opera Show-stoppers.
Enjoy grand ensemble pieces from well-known Opera and Broadway classics! Artistic Director Charlie Kim leads the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale (SFVMC) https://t.co/a3NMmHwZus pic.twitter.com/2f4wzDkhEJ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
THE ABUELAS – A surprise visit from two strangers exposes a devastating secret in Stephanie Alison Walker’s visceral look at the repercussions of Argentina’s so-called “Dirty War. https://t.co/YVydRkDci3 pic.twitter.com/dJoDsOofgm
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
THE ART OF DINING – The play takes place in the late 70s in upscale New Jersey at the shore. Ellen and Cal have opened a restaurant, The Golden Carrousel, and after four weeks, the place is taking off with the dinner crowd. https://t.co/xFNb0fgirT pic.twitter.com/fvksUESJFt
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
Based on his screenplay of the same name, Trace Oakley has adapted “The Manitou House” especially for Culver City Public Theatre and their annual Halloween production. https://t.co/DflzOpdbgu pic.twitter.com/UXVh4GXIJc
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
THE SUNSHINE BOYS deftly showcases the late Neil Simon’s brilliant ear for sidesplitting dialogue and his sharp eye for physical comedy. Yet beneath the raucous laughter are two vulnerable people struggling to make sense of their lives. https://t.co/CgOphhjiFh pic.twitter.com/wOeJQgdKiB
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
A Christmas Carol – ANW’s delightfully festive, musically merry holiday tradition returns! Families love the inspirational story of Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge—the perfect burst of boundless good cheer for the season. https://t.co/rloD4cq2jG pic.twitter.com/eTsfhZ4n3m
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
The Second City’s fourth annual “2019 Diversity in Comedy Festival” is a 4-day festival taking place on October 17, 18, 19, 20. LADCF will feature diverse performers in the realm of sketch, improv, stand-up, original pilots, and video shorts, through… https://t.co/K07zXCMxVz pic.twitter.com/WQAYhdia8F
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
The next selection of the Off the Page Series of monthly staged readings will be “Silent Sky”.
When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. https://t.co/IvtwJ8UCh1 pic.twitter.com/1Y9yKQdXSK
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 1, 2019
The Glendale Center Theatre (GCT) has done it again and brought yet another original musical adaption of the 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R. A. Dick of ‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir’. https://t.co/IgjeIdfXuI
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 2, 2019
Ravenswood Manor- A CAMP-HORROR-SOAP-OPERA IN 12 EPISODES
Taking a page from the cult classic "Dark Shadows", Justin Sayre's Ravenswood Manor brings audiences the gothic and hilarious goings-on of a small New England town during the spring of 1976. https://t.co/lX7TukjrsM
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 2, 2019
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DEAR JERRY SEINFELD – Steven Brandon and Ari Stidham (“Scorpion”) present the world premiere of Dear Jerry Seinfeld, with book and lyrics by Alex Lewis (“Bring the Funny”) and Greg Smith, music by Alex Lewis and Michael Teoli, directed by Greg Lewis. https://t.co/mocJRdRaNj pic.twitter.com/zDkwKvJSIM
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 2, 2019
“What If? – A Musical Parody” directed by Bruce Kimmel, produced by Doug Haverty, with musical direction by Richard Allen, returns to Los Angeles for Two Nights only, Wednesday, October 23 and Thursday, October 24 at 8pm. https://t.co/FTAlHZxF1J pic.twitter.com/tCC3CCslCN
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 2, 2019
KEY LARGO – WORLD PREMIERE ADAPTATION & GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE COMMISSION
Welcome to the eye of the storm! Key Largo is a bold reimagining of Maxwell Anderson’s Broadway hit that became the iconic noir film starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. https://t.co/pXTNzYMjiP— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 3, 2019
The Thanksgiving Play – How does one celebrate Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month at the same time? https://t.co/PIKnEcIe1o
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 3, 2019
SISTERS IN LAW-This new production, based on Linda Hirshman’s New York Times bestseller, celebrates the friendship – and conflict – between two modern-day legends who became the United States Supreme Court’s first female justices. https://t.co/0ntJOwCXqF pic.twitter.com/kHCQphLEIK
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
The Legend of Little Girl Blue is a beautifully orchestrated mixture of classical, jazz, and rhythm & blues sounds with riveting storytelling of the musical bond between an artist from one era influenced by a legend from the past. https://t.co/twDLpayiEH pic.twitter.com/pqiZRMNIH0
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
FRANKENSTEIN – WORLD PREMIERE. Mary Shelley’s modern myth awakens new questions of scientific enquiry and moral responsibility for each generation. https://t.co/0lgLVi1d43 pic.twitter.com/LJ5X0N9ejs
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
THE SÉANCE – Madam Ruby has invited you and a few guests to participate in her Séance and step beyond the veil. But who or what will be waiting for you? This is a frightening interactive theatre experience with live actors and special effects. https://t.co/pWHkbtdkU4 pic.twitter.com/s8WK97PYBz
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
The puzzles can be challenging and are designed to test adults. If your party will have children under the age of 13 we recommend checking out Fun House-KIDS! https://t.co/lwpjWrPNKL pic.twitter.com/w69G1blMys
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
THE HEX ROOM –This is a real life adventure game where you are in the center of the action! Can you survive a horror film? This murderous horror movie fan wants to watch you try. https://t.co/kr52oMdi4f pic.twitter.com/aWRCZacmqC
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
AN ESCAPE ROOM WITH A FUN TWIST! THE PSYCH WARD IS AN INTERACTIVE GAME OF DEDUCTION, TRUST, AND BETRAYAL WITH ESCAPE ROOM, BOARD GAME, AND IMMERSIVE THEATRE ELEMENTS. https://t.co/2Hb6In3YbZ pic.twitter.com/cd291yaR8l
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
CIRCLE X THEATRE CO.
is thrashed to present
THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PREMIERE OF
punkplay
Written by Gregory S. Moss
Co-Directed by Matt Bretz and Lisa Sanaye Dring
Limited Engagement Opens Saturday, November 16
at Atwater Village Thea https://t.co/91YR7xU3Gw pic.twitter.com/oyJgPSueoT
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
Turn back the hands of time for an intimate evening with legendary jazz songstress Billie Holiday: Lanie Robertson’s play with music treats the audience to one last performance by the iconic singer. https://t.co/J3nlo6noGL pic.twitter.com/boLxFaeiMW
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Joy to all mankind? Bah! Humbug! Spend an evening in the company of a mean, tight-fisted, squeezing, grasping, clutching old miser. https://t.co/mmoo1bhE8M pic.twitter.com/0MyLv0j7C9
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
Theatre of NOTE
presents the world premiere of
Fruition
by Alexis DeLaRosa
Directed by Lauren Smerkanich
Limited engagement opens Thursday, November 7
at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood https://t.co/bh5NRBnxsm pic.twitter.com/6sD8qgO9q4
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 5, 2019
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
& McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT
THE SECOND SHOW OF THEIR 2019-2020 SEASON!
ROALD DAHL’S
MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Book by Dennis Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin https://t.co/B29BpwpFh2 pic.twitter.com/K8EXFwVkv8
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 6, 2019
LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is thrilled to announce
FRANCES FISHER
(“Titanic,” Native Gardens)
will star as QUEEN ELEANOR &
GREGORY HARRISON
(“Trapper John, M.D. https://t.co/SfwYCvIcxv pic.twitter.com/4kRwkwAdSu
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 6, 2019
THE SANTALAND DIARIES – “A sardonic, merrily subversive tale—just the antidote to bright-eyed joy before too many shopping days have passed. Worth more than a photo album full of Santas!” NY Newsday. https://t.co/5liGzYQV8G pic.twitter.com/fU0eyAUENy
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) October 6, 2019
Theatrical shows, Film Festivals, Fringe Festivals, Dance, and Shakespeare NOW registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For more shows visit our Calendar. For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
Sun. 10/6 – Addams Family
Special live concert with The Sinister String Quartet performing a pre-show tribute to the Addams Family score. https://t.co/93qnwXxv0K pic.twitter.com/MRHWg5iXW7
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 19, 2019
Wed. 10/9 – Evil Dead (2013) Special appearance by Dana DeLorenzo (star of Ash Vs Evil Dead, the Evil Dead television series) who will introduce the film and participate in a moderated Q&A after the screening. https://t.co/jdEPBryjcI pic.twitter.com/O4gmIvFweS
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Thu. 10/24 – Hocus Pocus (1993)
Special Event – composer John Debney (The Greatest Showman, The Orville) will be joining for a post-show discussion on scoring the film. https://t.co/NQDkKaBdRv pic.twitter.com/DMAfL0PlGz
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Fri. 10/25 – Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Spend the evening on the rooftop watching the classic Zack Snyder flick with free MontalBags filled w/ candy!
THE PLOT: https://t.co/MyD2uuxs2c pic.twitter.com/hWT9XQmUZc
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Sat. 10/26 – The Mummy
Special live concert with The Sinister String Quartet performing a pre-show tribute to the Mummy score with free MontalBags filled w/ candy!
THE PLOT: https://t.co/EriWGs2d5E pic.twitter.com/pX8ZJhtWrP
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Sun. 10/27 – Ghostbusters (1984)
Join us for a very special screening of Ghostbusters! The OC Ghost Busters will be on hand in uniform displaying the tools & equipment of the Ghost Busters. https://t.co/rHKcqCUiwl pic.twitter.com/tPv4vh8zlm
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Wed. 10/30 – Beetlejuice
Spend the evening on the rooftop watching the classic Tim Burton hit with free MontalBags filled w/ candy!
Sip on a Beetle JUICE custom-made cocktail by the venue’s trusty mixologist, Joel Ramos. https://t.co/P3xH9CrGQn pic.twitter.com/PrsQNf3JV4
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Thu. 10/31 – Get Out
Spend the spookiest night of the year with Jordan Peele’s Academy Award-winning movie with free MontalBags filled w/ candy! https://t.co/wHm2Z4Eiec pic.twitter.com/5p5qgDB2Ye
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Fri. 11/1 – Coco
Celebrate Day of the Dead with the historic venue transformed by Ricardo Montalbán (and his family). Visitors gifted with free MontalBags filled w/ candy! https://t.co/TSClzi5JXO pic.twitter.com/Q66Jbe9rgj
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson unfolds the African American legacy in the first chronological episode of his celebrated American Century Cycle—a soaring, mystical tale of a man desperate for redemption in 1904 Pittsburgh. https://t.co/waIKYNpE4w pic.twitter.com/Bcvtlo7XV3
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 16, 2019
DRIVING WILDE is Jacqueline Wright’s very free, very contemporary, shockingly frank and surreal adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. https://t.co/ypXvFjOGK4 pic.twitter.com/4jvDQBDakr
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 16, 2019
Multi-talented performer Kiki Ebsen honors her father, entertainer Buddy Ebsen, in a multi-media show, co-designed by Kiki and her brother Dustin Ebsen. https://t.co/795TbfHCKU pic.twitter.com/14GNmYIE5m
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 16, 2019
Charlotte Stay Close is a brutally funny and moving play about three young people, who must navigate love, loss and and the complicated bond between sisters. https://t.co/VeTjpsk3XF pic.twitter.com/5hnAVsZMjC
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 16, 2019
MY NAME IS MOMMY is a one woman show written & performed by April Wish and directed & developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson. https://t.co/1Hivlhb0Pv pic.twitter.com/XeUgEuR9Un
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 16, 2019
JACK AND THE GIANT https://t.co/ZbguQLLZ4D pic.twitter.com/FcFRTVOb8t
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 17, 2019
A hilarious musical adaptation of the Neil Simon play, Fools, with book and lyrics by Simon, and music and lyrics by Phil Swann and Ron West. https://t.co/FlkuBF65nr pic.twitter.com/KdDqFyO0T2
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 17, 2019
Jenny has a plan. A plan to get pregnant. Everyone says, time is running out – she just turned 35, after all. #LATheatre #LATheater #LAThtr #FertilethePlay #HeatherDowling #WhitefireTheatre #SoloShow #HFF19 #AwardWinner #DoubleSWEET #LemonMeter #Motherhoo https://t.co/v9HGuEY2nE pic.twitter.com/xhPxFPTs0b
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
At the top of their game, yoga apparel giant Jojomon is hit with a terrible scandal that sends them into freefall. Desperate to recover their earnings and reputation, newly hired CEO Joan stakes everything on an unlikely plan. https://t.co/3xjSJaNoVX pic.twitter.com/41W8prNrrw
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
This Halloween, Director Mikey Mulhearn and Intimacy/Fight Director Celina Surniak transform the space beneath EverBar into an arena of death. https://t.co/rv5hxiLZM0 pic.twitter.com/6sSOkq31YM
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Tonoccus McClain (“The Lion King”) and his special guests will take the audience on a self-reflecting musical journey through the influences of musical theatre, jazz, pop, gospel, and other surprises. https://t.co/YxfsDpGw1R pic.twitter.com/oM6kUXtJOS
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
Set in America’s heartland, Sam Shepard’s powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning play details, with shocking hilarity, the disintegration of the American Dream. https://t.co/BtZYeG4vKa
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 18, 2019
September 5 – 29, 2019
Greenway Arts Alliance
Co-Production with Artists at Play
Los Angeles Premiere
THE CHINESE LADY
By Lloyd Suh
Directed by Rebecca Wear
Featuring Amy She and Trieu Tran, with Hao Feng and Stephanie WongTICKETS ($15 – $34): https://t.co/yxLFsU0JAL pic.twitter.com/mC4oqxPyLC
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 19, 2019
POWER-HUNGRY, R&B-SINGING, CARNIVOROUS PLANT SETS ITS SIGHTS
ON WORLD DOMINATION!This deviously delicious sci-fi musical comedy comes to the Playhouse for the musical theater event of the season with some deliciously devious new twists. https://t.co/aZvz84QhHB pic.twitter.com/F2cniC2uig
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 19, 2019
ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY
Presents the First Show of its 2019-20 Season!
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Jonathan FoxLimited Engagement Begin Thursday, October 3 at The New Vic in Santa Barbara!
“Is this her https://t.co/BJktlXtRux pic.twitter.com/GLZBm2i7SE
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 19, 2019
LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE “THEATRE FOR A NEW GENERATION” PRESENTS “I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY” By Celeste Raspanti Directed by Donna Inglima
Performances Begin Saturday, October 19 for Two Weeks Only at the Laguna Playhouse! https://t.co/NaoWXqssin pic.twitter.com/NKQeyDQUzD
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 19, 2019
5-star theatricals announces its full cast joining ADAM PASCAL (Broadway’s Rent, Aida)
as Professor Harold Hill in its upcoming production of THE MUSIC MANBook, Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson
Musical Direction by Brad Ellis https://t.co/yuvGD6T0l1 pic.twitter.com/oiob2nkBLj— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 19, 2019
NEVER IS NOW!
What happens when people from diverse backgrounds experience the firsthand accounts of ten survivors who were labeled “undesirable” and thrust into Hitler’s systematic genocide? Playwright Wendy Kout disturbingly links then and now. https://t.co/Pzrh8luL1M pic.twitter.com/qwbZPZ3vaC
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 19, 2019
Sex, faith, and violence are all part of this intricate package of connections in Miss Lilly Gets Boned. Bekah Brunstetter imaginatively explores the tenuous and permeable boundaries that separate our civilized side from our more animalistic one, and the https://t.co/2mfQaF5CQ3 pic.twitter.com/ApTnL17F1d
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
Harold Pinter’s “The Dumb Waiter” tells the tragicomic tale of two hit men hiding out in the basement of a derelict building waiting for the delivery of their next victim. https://t.co/IpX2cUatjx pic.twitter.com/eeBwbgrSjA
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
The Group Rep presents BARRYMORE by William Luce, with Robert Benedict as Barrymore, featuring Todd Andrew Ball, directed by Robert Benedict, produced by Todd Andrew Ball. https://t.co/Xedw08hPBu pic.twitter.com/QiV3LZ5tAS
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
The Porters of Hellsgate Theatre Company presents William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, directed by Associate Artistic Director Gus Krieger. https://t.co/fBwL36J2le pic.twitter.com/aaj7xJzXpI
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
Half Truths, Full Plate
Inside of a small Hell’s Kitchen apartment in New York City, three generations of women share laughter and delicious food–but each of them will be forced to push beyond the surface and speak their truth… https://t.co/044YieF8Jh pic.twitter.com/a1YsfWVWJI— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
Towne Street Theatre’s Autumn Outings and its October Showcase Presents: Milkcrate Monologues! Milkcrate Monologues is a one of a kind fresh take on Hiphop Theater exploring the narratives & messages that can be delivered through the form of Rap. https://t.co/xKRjixdEEV pic.twitter.com/IXytLbgeKf
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
Towne Street Theatre’s Autumn Outings and its October Showcase Presents: Sum Poetry 2! We are showcasing one-of-a-kind and creative spoken word artists from all over LA. https://t.co/iuxy7WGOwH pic.twitter.com/c0q09i155r
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
Conversations ‘Bout The Girls
A fresh, inspiring performance piece about the relationship women have with their breasts. It brings into view the mysterious, sometimes misunderstood, and often controversial realm of women’s bodies and body images. https://t.co/6vJXolYOgu pic.twitter.com/Mct2QakeBv— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
In this world premiere play by Alisa Tangredi, a woman must see the truth and find acceptance in a fantastical adventure through grief and loss, fairy tales, and realities. And, yes … there’s a bear. Directed by JJ Mayes and Bree Pavey. https://t.co/n28kXN9czD pic.twitter.com/3rv2VO0G6n
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 20, 2019
Welcome to the Binge! Your new BFF!
Two weeks of free theatre October 12 to 27, 2019
with encore performances through November 15!Santa Monica Group Theatre presents The BFF aka The BINGE Fringe Festival of Free Theatre https://t.co/8PIqvtfaNU pic.twitter.com/femiXVRCWQ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 22, 2019
MASOCH AND DESADE
Two archetypes walk into a bar–a bar at the edge of the New World, named for America’s first great poet, owned and operated by an African American.
The archetypes in question are, however, profoundly European. https://t.co/a37i0eIagO pic.twitter.com/4taKnGUG4l— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 22, 2019
Award-winning theatre company Son of Semele Ensemble is proud to present its third mainstage production for the 2019 season, “4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane”. https://t.co/ENO7VnNELw pic.twitter.com/FGwuqbK8A8
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 22, 2019
The acclaimed Los Angeles Youth Ballet, directed by Andrea Paris-Gutierrez, presents a delightful family-friendly double-bill featuring “Peter & the Wolf”, Prokofiev’s beloved symphonic fairy tale of courage and ingenuity… https://t.co/LwAV2WsAJS pic.twitter.com/bmd9gXUrMC
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) September 23, 2019
Theatrical shows NOW registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For more shows visit our Calendar. For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
In this dark comedy written by the Academy Award Winning Writer/Director of In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Valene and Colman are brothers residing in the far reaches of rural west Ireland. https://t.co/OFHaEfQth9 pic.twitter.com/rum9du6lpn
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 13, 2019
Celebrated singer/actress Valerie Perri and her twin sons composer/singer/multi-instrumentalists Jack and Benny Lipson bring their unique musical show “All in the Family,” directed by Barbara Epstein, to the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura for two https://t.co/f0SzKXKjOB pic.twitter.com/jGR6dfYkCL
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 13, 2019
Hot off a successful run at the Hollywood Fringe, the most evil man in the world Sylus Rothchild is running for President. He’s the only candidate who has a puppet as his campaign manager, and a warrant out for his arrest. https://t.co/pYo2Qyyyuo pic.twitter.com/tvWQazb8VA
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 13, 2019
POLITICAL. POWERFUL. PASSIONATE. TIM RICE AND ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S MASTERPIECE ‘EVITA’ TAKES OVER THE HISTORIC ERNEST BORGNINE THEATRE. https://t.co/zjDgg9yQ5z pic.twitter.com/SRaPABIMaE
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 14, 2019
Paying homage to the genius of William Shakespeare, Impro Theatre’s company spontaneously creates a brand new play in The Bard’s unmistakable style. https://t.co/ZzqaODTZFG pic.twitter.com/cdNnqS9xuy
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 14, 2019
Storybook Theatre’s version of Beatrix Potter’s classic tale is hopping into Theatre West this Fall. As always at Storybook, there will be plenty of audience participation and singing and dancing. https://t.co/jUaqayClsq pic.twitter.com/REo7sSKPUU
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 14, 2019
HANDJOB – When a gay writer hires a man to work as a “shirtless cleaner,” homophobia, racism and issues of consent bubble to the surface.This outrageous comedy will leave you gasping with shock and laughter as it explores the deepest sensitivities… https://t.co/ZKqDWiz1Tp pic.twitter.com/8WtjpZATde
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 15, 2019
WINNER Producers’ Encore Award & NOMINEE Best Solo Performance 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival! Jenny has a plan. A plan to get pregnant. Everyone says, time is running out – she just turned 35, after all. https://t.co/v9HGuEY2nE pic.twitter.com/JRcR1yACCL
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 16, 2019
Hollywood’s drunkest magic show, DIRTY TRICKS w/ The New Bad Boys of Magic, extends into its second smash(ed) year at the newly renovated The Three Clubs. https://t.co/EOgYalKYAp pic.twitter.com/R8SmoglCjG
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 16, 2019
A staged reading of a new play, which was a 2018 NYT Critic’s Pick. Written by Gracie Gardner, directed by Kate Bergstrom. Presented outdoors on The Fowler Museum’s Goldenberg Terrace, ATHENA is a coming-of-age comedy by critically acclaimed playwright https://t.co/GPlg21sRZt pic.twitter.com/KCzekGIX92
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 16, 2019
Elizabeth is convinced her husband Robert is at death’s door, and she’s determined to get the whole brood together for a final family holiday, quickly, before his bird has flown. https://t.co/tj2Ddpq2Q7 pic.twitter.com/WwaIK2i0mS
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) August 19, 2019
Just returning to Los Angeles from a two-month stint in New York I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Sigrid Gilmer’s meta-theatrical send up to the “mama drama” genre, Mama Metal by the IAMA Theatre at the Atwater Village Theatre.
After my rousing experience previewing the show, I spoke with the two leads backstage. And this time, instead of transcribing my conversation, I just recorded it on my phone. Thus, “Backstage with Roger Q.”, a new theatre gossip/show biz kiki podcast experience was born. Expect more of these recordings from time to time. In the meantime, listen and enjoy!
And support this great show! Tickets and info are below: IAMATheatre.com/shows
Featured image: Mama Metal with Lee Sherman and Courtney Sauls – IAMA Theatre Company
Theatrical shows registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For more shows visit our Calendar. For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
“Your typical Midwestern-African American-Gay-Cat Loving-Sagittarian-Coming-of-Age Story in Los Angeles. A Black gay boy from Missouri shares his long and liberating journey to weight loss, dating in the gay-app era, while unpacking the complex intersectionality of race and sexual orientation– and the twisted heartbreak and humor that ensues.”
Too Blunt! https://t.co/3x4VFbRhhC
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“CLEMENTINE celebrates the exhilaration of motherhood, balancing poetic passages with humorous detours into the modern realities of raising small children…[moving] forward and backward through time, exploring the pressures and the promises of parenthood. Unapologetically feminist and powerfully tender, CLEMENTINE studies a matriarchal family’s traditions, exploring the connection between generations through Wish’s lens as both a mother and a daughter…In this dynamic and often hilarious piece, April Wish has crafted a love letter to her daughter, Clementine, as well as to the little girl she used to be herself.”
Clementine https://t.co/zwaw3uHxRd
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“Please enter the Opposite of Longing Chamber and state your primary symptom of longing. And where do you feel it in your body? And how much do you feel it on a scale of 1 to 10? And are you running out of time? The Institute for The Opposite of Longing can cure that thing deep in the pit of your body. But what happens when its owners and operators can’t let go of the little boy they had to give back? And can’t stop reenacting the day they packed his bags and watched him go. Or tucking him in at night or talking to his empty shoes or unpacking the bag of his things they keep hidden. What happens when these are the women who are responsible for curing that thing, that thing you feel deep in the pit of your body? Please enter the Opposite of Longing Chamber. We can help you. The process is simple.”
The Institute for The Opposite of Longing https://t.co/widrEjJeq1
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“’Radicals’ is a Bollywood Musical about a love story struggling to survive in the war-torn valleys of Kashmir, aimed at tackling Islamophobia and the trauma of warfare on civilians.”
Radicals https://t.co/kD5o3FkfxD
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“The siren call is driving me to my end, like a ship to wreck on rocks”. Two frustrated actors accidentally kidnap their favorite movie star… or is it really her? What is identity in a world where myths are stronger than we dare think? A dramedy about identity and oneness, frustrated actors, classism, depression, myths and a quote by Albert Camus.”
Siren Call https://t.co/p4f5oOhbFM
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“’Love, Madness and Somewhere in Between’ is a no holds barred glimpse into a mystical journey filled with love, pain, insanity, and redemption. Scattered along the way is a sprinkling of ironic comic commentary that can only come from a true survivor. “Jimmy” is not so much a hero but more a human being traversing an abusive childhood, a descent into alcoholism and finally plunging into a world of fantastical personifications which dwell amidst humanity’s darkest sins. Will closure, forgiveness, and healing come in the unlikely form of the “angel warriors” – patients on the pediatric cancer ward of Children’s Hospital? Does pure love, in fact, transform and redeem, or are some lives beyond salvation?”
LOVE, MADNESS, AND SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN https://t.co/3gwPQJbCZV
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“In ‘Tattered Capes,’ it’s Kevin and Stephanie Connolly’s fifth wedding anniversary, and Kevin has a night of celebration planned for them. Of course, this means he won’t be going out on his regular patrol of Metro City as his alter-ego, M-Pulse, the self-appointed Eminence of Electromagnetism. But things should be fine without him for one night, right? Wrong. One would think that there could be no secrets left between a husband and wife after five years of matrimonial bliss, but when a powerful supervillain’s attack interrupts Kevin and Stephanie’s date, a hero’s unmasking bears significant consequences for the Connollys…consequences that will resonate and redefine their relationship forever. ”
Tattered Capes https://t.co/Jy74N6zHbQ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“A true journey in to and out of Scientology. ‘Moving, hilarious, heart-breaking and redemptive.’ Lets you experience for yourself how Scientology devours money and lives.’ -Chicago Reader ‘Schenkelberg easily switches characters and time periods with dizzying energy, that is both exhilarating and electrifying.’- Edge Media ‘At the top of the best performed, brilliantly written, elegantly directed one person shows I have ever seen.’- Buzz News”
Squeeze My Cans https://t.co/i02zmye5u9
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“On a bitterly cold London evening, schoolteacher Kyra Hollis receives an unexpected visit from her former lover, Tom Sergeant, a successful and charismatic restaurateur whose wife has recently died. As the evening progresses, the two attempt to rekindle their once passionate relationship only to find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires. Can they find their way back to each other, or has the time for their tumultuous romance reached its end? ”
Skylight https://t.co/YQjvZqdQCX
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“’Tigers Be Still’ — a ferociously funny play from New Girl writer Kim Rosenstock — centers around the infinitely-trying-to-be-optimistic Sherry Wickman, who has earned her art therapy degree and promptly moved back in with her family. Matters take a turn for the better once she gets hired as a substitute art teacher. Now if only her mother would stop hiding upstairs, her sister would stop watching Top Gun from the couch, her petulant patient would do one of his assignments, her boss would leave his gun at home, and someone would catch the tiger that escaped from the local zoo, everything would be just perfect.”
Tigers Be Still https://t.co/c6KqAkg0iv
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to keep your dream alive. CORINA: FROM LAP DANCE TO SUNDANCE is a one-woman show about finding purpose and direction to a life long dream in the least likely of places. A story of family, tradition, and perseverance.”
CORINA, From Lap dance to Sundance https://t.co/zg8ZmmVSWO
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 6, 2019
“The performers include: Florence LaRue, an original member of The 5th Dimension, the pop group that so often dominated the charts in the 60s and 70s with their hit songs, will perform some of the award-winning singing group’s big hits. Freda Payne will perform an excerpt from her show Ella Fitzgerald, First Lady of Song, bringing to life the immortal Ella Fitzgerald and her revered career as an extraordinary jazz singer. Sheetal Gandhi in BAHU-Beti-Biwi (Daughter-inLaw, Daughter, Wife). A tour-de-force excerpt combining dance, stirring vocalization, and percussive text that glides between humorous portraiture and active resistance. Juli Kim shares two dance works. Five Drum Dance exemplifies Korean traditional music with a touch of Western influence. New Leaf, deeply rooted in Korean “Han,” symbolically unfolds the innocence of the new leaf when there is change in life.”
Legends, Movement and Memories https://t.co/NLsj2nbZq9
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 7, 2019
“This joyfully irreverent black comedy entwines issues of identity with pop culture icons to tell a truly unique mother-daughter story. Sterling Milburn’s mother is dying and Sterling is falling apart. She attempts to keep it together by rewriting the past with the help of two titans of the American theater and the world’s greatest heavy metal band — but Sterling’s mother refuses to follow the script. A love letter to those who shape our lives, hold us together and break our hearts.”
Mama Metal https://t.co/GdSHfQ1dFi
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 7, 2019
“Incorporating music, multimedia, humor, a touch of mythology, and embodying over twenty characters, Margaret whimsically puts her psyche on stage to explore her struggle with self-acceptance and her experience of two mental breakdowns. Margaret explores not only what outside influences molded her personality when she was growing up and as an adult, but also confronts two internal voices, representing the competing compulsions of artistry (Puella) and perfectionism (Miss Perfect). Realizing in the end that what she has been taught her whole life was right, doesn’t work for her.”
Dancing to the Edge of a Cliff: One Woman’s Musical Mythological Journey toward Self-Acceptance https://t.co/QLsSnZE8H0
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 7, 2019
“Elliott and Michael are best friends. They’re of different temperaments. Elliott is boisterous and outgoing. Michael is more tentative and shy. One day, Elliott dies in an accident. He’s allowed to come back to earth, where he can only be seen by Michael. Elliott is tasked with finding Michael a new best friend. Only then will Elliott earn his angel wings and be allowed to ascend into Heaven. Michael wants to be friends with Ciara. Will Elliott be able to help Michael connect with Ciara, or will he mess things up for them all? Will Michael and Ciara ultimately become friends? Will Elliott earn his angel wings? The cast is unique in the fact that most of the performers are differently-abled: John JT Tucker Jr. (Elliott), has Down syndrome. He is the star of the A&E tv series Born This Way. Domonique Brown (Michael) has autism and recurs on the Netfiix series Atypical. He’s the nephew of Marvin Gaye. Spencer Harte (Ciara) has autism and also recurs on Atypical. The supporting players include Coby Bird who has autism and will be a regular on a Netflix series to be announced; and Caley Versfelt, who has Down syndrome.
The rest of the cast is neurotypical and includes Brendan McCay, Stanson Chung, Alexa Russo and Callie Ott.”
Ride or Die: The Hip-Hop Musical https://t.co/bZZRrZNZu1
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 7, 2019
“Scotty D, just a city boy from South Detroit, invites you on a Journey, showing you how karaoke saved his life, and how it can save yours, too. With stories, power ballads, big anthems, and cheesy pop, and a bit of bopping, we might even save the World. Don’t stop believing!”
Karaoke Saved My Life https://t.co/aZNglk2jmo
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 7, 2019
“Texas. 1964. Following a deadly car crash, four cheerleaders navigate through the afterlife. Both Lucifer and God herself pay a visit, and High School drama turns into madness in this strange nightmare of a story – a never-ending fight song.”
Fight Song! https://t.co/PPeglWkTdp
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 8, 2019
“Isaac Easton, a recently retired boxer, and his former sports manager open a gym together to help advance the popularity of female boxing. When their first female boxer gets into trouble only three weeks from the fight, they scramble to find a new fighter to train. Enter Zoey Jones, a young and shy fighter who has never fought in the professional circuit. Easton and Jones take a crash course in trusting and learning from each other over three weeks in preparation for the fight, and the two often butt heads. Can Jones pull out a win and save Easton’s reputation and gym? Through voice-overs and grueling workouts in preparation for the fight, this one-act play shows the audience how intimate a platonic relationship between a man and woman can be, the beauty of physical strength, and what happens when you are stuck in fight or flight mode.”
Fight or Flight https://t.co/lzlIsxuxOt
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 8, 2019
“Moti Buchboot, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, created this show in response to the 2017 Charlottesville riots. He reveals lessons learned from his Hungarian grandmother who began her life in a village in Hungary, survived the Holocaust, and eventually settled in a small town in Israel. Buchboot’s tale unfolds through storytelling, Yiddish song, puppetry, and baking.”
Five Pieces of Paper: Stories My Hungarian Grandmother Refused to Tell Me and Other Family Tales https://t.co/z0ruFDoifB
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 8, 2019
“The power of positive thinking goes hilariously wrong when a new neighbor teaches two dispirited best friends an Ancient Peruvian Self Help Philosophy. Instead of their lives being transformed they end up held hostage by two inept kidnappers. ‘Be careful who you wish for’ has never been more appropriate.”
The Narcissist Next Door https://t.co/Mpc6AB9tNl
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 8, 2019
“Set in the fictional British-ish kingdom of Crumpeton, POCKETS spins the tale of Bellamina Crumbledunk, a noble preteen, who becomes a pickpocket to win the attention of her overextended mother, the Duchess. Bellamina’s misadventures take her into the underbelly of society, where she accidentally becomes the leader of a criminal uprising, but will she have the heart to sabotage her mother’s well-laid plans for Crumpet Day? #CheckYourPockets for tickets to this fast-paced, funny, and touching period piece to find out!”
POCKETS https://t.co/15qbRvDE1d
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 8, 2019
“Five short comedies exploring the middle age white male struggle to fit in during these confusing times.
FANDOM – navigating politics
POLITE RACISM – analyzing ethnicity
SUICIDE PACT – tolerating millennials
BRITTLE TROMBONE – contemplating economics
FANTASY FOOTBALL – grasping identity”
Straight White Men Trying to Woke https://t.co/9lPSqiDge9
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 8, 2019
“Selected as an Honorable Mention for the Hollywood Fringe 2019 due to it’s cultural theme, “Girl From Schenectady” is a story about a 38-year-old Nigerian Woman from Schenectady New York who is still a Virgin. Her story begins with her Journey to finding True Love. However, her plan is to find Mr. Right and to lose her Virginity before she turns 40. The story takes place at the Airport, while Ayo is waiting for her next flight to take off, she describes the metaphoric places she has traveled to Find True Love. She takes the Audience on a ride to her past and her Nigerian family traditions, Culture, and Values. She struggles to break free from her Nigerian Generational Cycle, Parental Divorce, Failed Marriages and to keep history from repeating itself. Ayo also takes the Audience on her dating journey starting with a Nigerian Man. She also dates a Mexican Man, an Italian Man and an African American Man. After several attempts to finding True Love and Losing her virginity before 40, she goes on a self-discovery, and Lands in the last place she ever thought she would find True Love.”
Girl From Schenectady https://t.co/cp5plbJ05b
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 9, 2019
“Ruby gets off the bus from Utah with “nothing but tap shoes in her suitcase and a prayer in her heart.” As fate would have it, she is immediately cast in the chorus of a Broadway show. When the theatre is forced to close, Ruby’s songwriting sailor boyfriend persuades the Captain of his ship to allow the show to move on deck. Voila! Dames at sea! When the show’s lead gets seasick, Ruby may have to go on for her. Will Ruby come back a star? Do you need to ask? Dames at Sea at once pays affectionate homage to and sends up the optimistic early Broadway musicals of the 30s and 40s. It’s filled with songs, tap-dancing and romance from start to finish. It is suitable for general audiences.”
Dames at Sea https://t.co/Q0FHY4Bv4Q
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 9, 2019
“During the height of The Troubles, in a rural pub on the border of Northern Ireland, Mary Friel, a barmaid, strives to maintain harmony amongst the men in her life. Ancestral legends and secrets are revisited and a cycle of violence is revealed: can they forgive injustice and cruelty from their past, or will the cycle continue? Enjoy a Guinness and whiskey as a group of actors take you to Neil Friel’s pub–a safe place for a good story–until it isn’t. In this bare-bones production of Rory and the Devil you can enjoy the best of what Irish storytelling has to offer.”
Rory and the Devil https://t.co/1bIGtBfxyQ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 9, 2019
“It’s 1981! The corpse of disco, the flames of punk, the plastic smell of new wave, and the balls of rock ‘n’ roll, all converge and merge on a seemingly peaceful street in West Hollywood, CA, along with the stories of a 12-year-old boy raised by a pill-popping single mother and the many gay men in their life…Against a backdrop of music, ‘JOHNNY ’81’ weaves together a collection of stories based on a 12-year-old boy’s experience of living in West Hollywood during the early 1980s. These semi-autobiographical tales bring to life the humor and drama of how a group of gay men became strange and amazing surrogate fathers to a pre-teen boy and his younger brother…’JOHNNY ’81’ is like spending the day listening to an old record album, or like being at a concert, with stories that make us reflect on our lives and the world we live in, or tales that make you just want to get up out of your seat and dance!”
Johnny ’81 https://t.co/cqRPgnOwOy
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 9, 2019
“’Voice from the Village’…is based upon one of Los Angeles greatest playwrights, Lynn Manning and his in real time visit to Skid Row Studios on Monday, August 26, 2013 for an interview on “The Qumran Report”, hosted by Melvin Ishmael Johnson to talk about his life growing up in Watts and turning a tragic situation into an art form.”
Voice From The Village – A play about Lynn Manning by Melvin Ishmael Johnson https://t.co/XcKn1W7weB
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“It’s Saturday night, and Erik and Connor are looking to get laid. When they try their luck on a hook-up app, the night takes a turn they never expected and their true desires are revealed.”
If It Goes There https://t.co/swtfge0FPP
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“When 85% of the world is afflicted with a mysterious case of ‘The Flake,’ one man volunteers to travel through space and time to stop it. ‘A Time Traveler’s Guide to the Present’ is a far-out, amped-up, one-man show about the hunt for human connection. ”
A Time Traveler’s Guide to the Present https://t.co/LQXR7egy83
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“’The Scorpion and the Frog: a time-killer’ is a comic interpretation of the oft-told story/fable/allegory/whatchamawhoositz about a frog who agrees to take a scorpion across a river. Will the two make it to the other side of said river? Will they learn anything? Will they grow as [an] intelligent species? Will these questions entice you to actually leave your homes and see this play?”
The Scorpion and the Frog: a time-killer https://t.co/7wVTPnZD9b
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“In ‘Uprooted,’ the creatures of Vanessa Boss’ inner world take you on the flight of her life! A disturbance triggers violent weather, endangering matriarch Elda, the elder tree, the voice of Vanessa’s wisdom. Elda leads Vanessa’s inner fantasy creatures on a journey to remind Vanessa of her strength, but Vanessa’s demons take control of the flight and her mind as she is moved, again and again, facing bullies, saying unexpected goodbyes to friends, and hoping for the day to come where she’ll get to choose where home is. But is home a place or a feeling? Full of exciting adventure, triumph, and heartbreak, Vanessa frees herself from the restraints of her inner demons and proclaims her power to define her own fate. Uprooted is a young woman’s resilient story of growing into the strong, rooted woman she is meant to be. ”
Uprooted https://t.co/KiQ5cnPBMl
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“Orangutan is a haunting and absurd one-woman show about the mother of a brutish (slightly orange) would-be dictator, and the tribalism that’s tearing our country apart. Deutch’s provocative dark comedy was inspired by Bill Maher’s challenge to Donald Trump’s outrageous Obama “Birther” claims. Maher offered to donate five million dollars to the charity of Donald Trump’s choice if Trump produced a birth certificate that proved he was not half-ape. Trump’s lawyer responded: ‘Attached hereto is a copy of Mr. Trump’s birth certificate, demonstrating that he is the son of Fred Trump, not an Orangutan.’ Trump then sued Bill Maher for five million dollars…”
ORANGUTAN https://t.co/LihwdU0WKw
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“In this new play, Neil, a mediocre musician, and Kurt Cobain wannabe, moves to Los Angeles to “make it” as a rockstar. Through the constant ups and downs of LA living, Neil struggles between pursuing his passions or taking the practical path in life. Should he keep chasing his dreams or stop? This 60-minute three-person show explores idealism vs. cynicism, the practicality of pursuing art in a capitalist society, and millennials’ struggle with mental health.”
ALL OUR PRETTY SONGS https://t.co/JMkowSTogw
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“Aren’t you tired of going to the theater and seeing the same old shit? Check out ‘Naked Man Rising,’ a crowd favorite from the Solo Creation Festival. We’re talking sold out, folk. This tale of revenge rips through the stage like a Grindhouse film and features a balls-to-the-wall performance by Canadian Wildman and naturalist Kyle Durack. Not for your Grandma…unless, she’s a badass. Winner of the Hollywood Fringe Scholarship for first-time Producers, Kyle is thrilled to bring ‘Naked Man Rising’ to the 2019 Fringe Festival. The writing is crisp and the play moves along at a deft pace. But the words are simply a vehicle for Kyle Durack’s powerful interpretation. The Canadian actor was born with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, and in this piece, he sheds his disability along with his clothes to reveal the inner strength concealed by a “weakened” body. ‘Naked Man Rising’ mixes humor and action. Durack uses his physicality well as he tells the story.”
NAKED MAN RISING https://t.co/0ChZy94aqq
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“The cult of Abaddon has a problem. The Angel of the Abyss, the figure with which they worship, is demanding a new leader. But not just anybody will qualify. Only the darkest, most demented contestants stand a chance at obtaining total power. A sadist, a murderer, and a predator, all share one common goal: to become the leader of the finest cult, the Ascendants of Abaddon. There’s only one problem. In order to obtain this position, they must go up against each other in a riveting competition to impress the cult’s current leader: Adam. He’s spectacularly charming and possesses the uncanny ability to influence all those who cross his path. With secrets spilled and matches met, the three contestants grow more and more daring with their desperate attempts to gain total power. However, no matter what happens, no matter who lies and who cheats, Adam always calls the final shots.”
HELL’S FINEST https://t.co/YZqzATYNrq
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“The hilariously touching tale of a tall man in tight spaces, finding clarity and avoiding a quarter-life crisis in Southeast Asia, all while wearing strappy velcro sandals except to the wedding of the century. Tired of the monotony of New York City corporate life, Royce, an ambitious 20-something, trades in his promising media research career for a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia. In this live one-man show, Royce brings you on an 8-country adventure toward self-discovery. During ‘Not Here Right Now,’ audiences are treated to true stories and experiences of Royce’s inspiring journey from corporate citizen to world traveler. The original production of Not Here Right Now was successfully funded on Kickstarter thanks to the support of 165 people from around the world.”
Not Here Right Now https://t.co/kM4UXQzToI
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“A raucous evening of comic stories, told by a woman who has seen a few things. Actress and humorist Jennifer Brown examines how the truth can play out in a variety of ways. What exactly is “the truth”? And when you are asked to tell the truth, whose truth do you stand in?”
IF TRUTH BE TOLD https://t.co/6SrBSVdv2R
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“A comedic romp through depression, eating disorders and self-loathing! Crack Whore, Bulimic, Girl-Next-Door is a one-act play chronicling one woman’s journey through her depression and bulimarexia. It is a painfully funny look at body image, addiction, and the obsession with fitting into society’s ideal of beauty and thinness. It is part poetry and prose, part sketch and part narrative with a few snappy dance numbers mixed in. Three actresses portray one woman in various stages of her eating disorder and crippling depression. They are joined by one male actor portraying various influences in her childhood development, teenage years and young adulthood. This autobiographical theatrical experience intimately exposes the perils of womanhood, the rawness of living through sexual trauma and culminates in discovering the inner strength to live comfortably in one’s own skin ”
Crack Whore, Bulimic, Girl-Next-Door https://t.co/MhoFViY3ih
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“Previous Fringe award winners team up for this year’s Hollywood Fringe to create the First official Bouffon/Clown troupe “MIL GRUS” led by world-renowned physical theater artist Dean Evans of “Honeybuns” fame. Be prepared as this motley crew of miscreants crawl out of the gutter to make you question reality in the most exhilarating way. This timeless satire features improvised feats of physical and existential comedy that defy explanation and provoke unfettered, eery glee. Come see what’s behind the curtain, starting June 9, 2019, at The Mccadden Place Theatre”
Mil Grus https://t.co/UCkiImfY9c
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“As seen on America’s Got Talent (quarter-finalists) and countless television shows around the world! Prepare for a fountain show like you’ve never seen before! The Human Fountain’s hilarious choreographed water spitting routines will keep you laughing and thirsty for more. Always making a splash on stage, literally — the group has endless tricks up their sleeves (and in their mouths) giving you performances that are one-of-a-kind. Inspired by the world’s most famous fountains, the comedy group adds a human touch to give you one of the most unique experiences you’ve ever seen. They couldn’t be more excited to premiere their full-length show for Hollywood Fringe.”
Human Fountains https://t.co/JHjdDRcz91
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“Cast members from the National Tour of ‘Les Misérables’ (now at the Pantages Theatre through June 2) will perform in a very special cabaret concert to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and PAWS/LA. Patrons will support two great causes as they enjoy an intimate evening of cabaret-style performances. The evening will also feature a silent auction, allowing audience members to bid on items graciously donated by the Broadway community and local businesses.”
Les Mis-Cast https://t.co/RKaA9r1S3E
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“What would you do with only a month left to live? What would you look back on with nostalgia or regret? With laughter as the best medicine, Funeral Potatoes is a dark comedy about death and friendship, examining what makes it all worth it when you’ve spent your entire life planning for a future you won’t have.”
Funeral Potatoes https://t.co/CVUChxgrWD
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“Somebody Feed Phil: Dublin’ LA FOOD BOWL FEATURED EVENT. Join Phil Rosenthal, creator, writer and producer of the hit comedy “Everybody Loves Raymond” for a special screening of his Netflix hit ‘Somebody Feed Phil: Dublin’ and a conversation with Phil. This fantastic event will be teamed with none other than Nick Shipp (Upper West) who will be teaming the event with a specially curated Irish themed assortment of food! Specialty drinks provided…Screening with talk-back 75 mins. Nick Shipp Meal With Phil 75 minutes will be followed by a Q&A with Phil and Arena Cinelounge-Clamorhouse-LA Times-Phil Rosenthal event.”
Food and Film- Somebody Feed Phil: Dublin https://t.co/ZfUnQGtxle
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“NC-17 LA FOOD BOWL FEATURED EVENT MON. MAY 20 – The 1989 crime drama is arguably Peter Greenaway’s most famous (or infamous) film, which first shocked audiences at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival and then on both sides of the Atlantic. A gang leader (Michael Gambon), accompanied by his wife (Helen Mirren) and his associates, entertains himself every night in a fancy restaurant that he has recently bought. Having tired of her sadistic, boorish husband, the wife finds herself a lover (Alan Howard) and makes love to him in the restaurant’s coziest places with the silent permission of the cook (Richard Bohringer). Sergio Corbia of Ciabatta Bar and Fabiolus Cafe crafts a specialty menu that complements Greenaway’s paradoxical comments on the relations between eating and sex, love and death.”
Food and Film – The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover https://t.co/eUSAD8dj4o
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
It’s here: The #lafoodbowl! What events will you be hitting? https://t.co/0N5QB7p11E
— Trashfish (@Trashfishbox) May 3, 2019
“the 2nd annual trump family special original musical comedy’ parodies [the] First Family in “yuge” way. What if the First Family put on a live musical TV special – just like the Brady Bunch – starring Ice Princess Ivanka, her numbnut brothers, a still-not-caring Melania, and a host of ex’s and deplorables.”
The 2nd Annual Trump Family Special https://t.co/WnnjSeInZE
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“A child’s birthday party takes an unexpected turn when the scheduled magician doesn’t show and the job is filled by a drunk and wayward vagrant. There are prizes. You should come. Use discount code BETTERLEMONS for 20% off their regular ticket price of $15”
Princess Magic’s Trash Fire Time Revue https://t.co/FmNS09EhsD
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 10, 2019
“As their final show of Season 27, Actors Co-op Theatre Company is proud to present Lucas Hnath’s The Christians, directed by Thomas James O’Leary, produced by Carly Lopez. When the pastor of a megachurch unilaterally decides to enlighten his congregation with his own personal revelation, he is faced with doubt and dissension among his flock. Hnath’s Obie Award-winning play examines the schism in today’s church and the role of faith in America. ”
THE CHRISTIANS https://t.co/AAKc1aNnBp
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“The Group Rep presents StoryTime, a story salon produced by Patricia Willson, featuring fresh, live personal stories as entertainment – – an evening of joy, sadness, and a touch of comedy on Sunday, May 12 at 7:00 pm, at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, CA, at the edge of the NoHo Arts District.
Authors performing their stories include Vince Cefalu ‘Eyes of A Child,” Devon Curry ‘Mach Two,’ Jana DiMaggio ‘Conventional Wisdom,’ Rick Hall ‘Mom’s Home Cooking,’ Tripp Mills ‘A Rainbow God Box,’ Madeline Morgan ‘Salute to Storytellers,’ Candace Nicholas-Lippman ‘Don’t Get It Twisted, I Love My Mama,’ Lila Silvern ‘This Sperm is For You,’ Jonathan Leigh Solomon ‘Hello in There,’ Lan Tran ‘Overpolite, Shanghai’ed and Homeless in Vietnam,’ and Pat Willson ‘Momma.’ ”
StoryTime https://t.co/wpfYF5uA1a
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“The Whitefire Theatre Musical Mondays is proud to present…the musical spoof SHAME OF THRONES: The Musical returns to L.A. for more hilarious re-imagining of the show’s backstabbing siblings, clever imps and dragon mamas, all set to an addictive rock score that’ll stick in your head (unless the king orders it off, natch)…Watch your favorite daring and most despised characters sing and dance towards epic plot twists and the coveted Iron Throne.”
SHAME OF THRONES: The Musical https://t.co/YHJhMwk46q
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“The Group Rep presents AVENUE Q…This fresh and unusual Tony-award winning musical is a coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Its characters lament that as children, they were assured by their parents, and by Sesame Street, that they were ‘extraordinary’ and ‘could do anything’; but as adults, they have discovered, to their surprise, that in the real world their options are limited, and they are actually ordinary like everyone else. This quirky musical ranks 24th on the list of the longest running shows in Broadway history. Avenue Q is notable for the use of puppets, animated by unconcealed puppeteers. ”
AVENUE Q https://t.co/yE3Am8vTxL
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“In remembrance of the 20th Anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, Loft Ensemble and the Whitefire Theatre are co-producing and reviving Paul Storiale’s award-winning drama The Columbine Project directed by Bree Pavey. An atemporal retelling of the events leading up to, during and following the April 20, 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, the play challenges what we think we know about the victims, families, teachers and the shooters themselves. Praised by LA theatre critics, survivors and families of the victims. The Columbine Project was created from direct correspondence with people involved in and affected by the event”
THE COLUMBINE PROJECT https://t.co/BjVO4BUI51
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“Let’s Write a Musical is an emotional rollercoaster ride of music, laughter, and tears. David Hamilton decides to write a musical after he is diagnosed with cancer. While the couple deals with the ups and downs of their cancer journey, so are the characters in the musical on a rollercoaster ride of mishaps and shenanigans.”
Let’s Write a Musical https://t.co/ixgBzrRw40
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“When the world has gone to the birds, the cuckoo is king. Two shiftless con men scheme to exploit the power of the birds by encouraging them to build a fortress in the sky, from where they can lord over mankind and Gods alike. Aristophanes’ classic comedy THE BIRDS is about corruption, weakness, and power; how easily people are exploited based on fear, ego and greed; and how even noble ideas may be corrupted if those who have power are irresponsible and/or selfish. (Sound like anything going on now? Hm? Too soon?) Or, as John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton said to an Anglican bishop, ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…’”
Aristophanes’ THE BIRDS https://t.co/b29QYcJV5B
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“Welcome to the school of hard Glocks. Jordan Maverick is one of the nation’s most highly-trained teachers – an excellent marksman, a black belt in Jujitsu, and an engaging History teacher. But when he transfers to one of the most dangerous schools in the country, he’ll face one of his biggest fears: co-teaching with the loose cannon Miss Pitts. Can they find a way to work together in time to solve the school’s problems? This favorite from Season 13 of Serial Killers at Sacred Fools returns as a complete production at this years Hollywood Fringe.”
Jordan Maverick, History Teacher https://t.co/Dazb5vltLQ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“’Every day’s a goddamn audition.’ Based on the ‘Serial Killers’ 2018 Playoffs winner, ‘COME BACK’ is the hilarious yet touching story of Edie and Petey Stevenson, an overbearing stage mother and her hapless son, attempting to stage a ‘comeback’ performance. One of three shows Sacred Fools is proud to present as part of this year’s Hollywood Fringe.”
Come Back! https://t.co/8WlIimRl7d
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 11, 2019
“Who is the best Drag Queen in the whole wide world? Now’s your chance to find out — at the first ever Drag Queen of the Year Pageant Competition Award Contest Competition. Millions of the best Drag performers from around the world applied, but only eight will compete, carefully chosen by a mysterious group of anonymous Drag Elders. ▪︎ The contestants are (in alphabetical order) Abhora (Miami, FL); Astrud Aurelia (Phoenix, AZ); Calypso Jeté (Los Angeles); Lyle (Los Angeles); Gigi Monroe (Juneau, AK); Kat Sass (Chicago, IL); Sabbyiana (Montebello, CA); and Aurora Sexton (Los Angeles). ▪︎ Judged upon the criteria of Presence, Energy, Nuance, Integrity, and Stunningness, this is a pageant for everyone — Drag Queens, Drag Kings, Trans Artists, Hyper Queens, Bio Queens, AFAB Queens — from first-timers to established pageant powerhouses. ▪︎ The celebrity guest host is Jackie Beat. The judges are (in alphabetical order) Nicole Byer, Jiggly Caliente, Landon Cider, Gia Gunn, Sharon Needles, Peppermint, and Willam.”
The Drag Queen of the Year Pageant Competition Award Contest Competition https://t.co/PJ9PiRjMRp
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 12, 2019
“During an ostentatious wedding reception at a Knoxville, Tennessee estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings below. They are Frances, a painfully sweet but sheltered fundamentalist; Mindy, the cheerful, wise-cracking lesbian sister of the groom; Georgeanne, whose heartbreak over her own failed marriage triggers outrageous behavior; Meredith, the bride’s younger sister whose precocious rebelliousness masks a dark secret; and Trisha, a jaded beauty whose die-hard cynicism about men is called into question when she meets Tripp, a charming bad-boy usher to whom there is more than meets the eye. As the afternoon wears on, these five very different women joyously discover a common bond in this wickedly funny, irreverent and touching celebration of the women’s spirit.”
5 Women Wearing the Same Dress https://t.co/nc6uAqF1VH
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 12, 2019
“’Hide Your Fires: Butoh Lady Macbeth’ brings the audience alongside the accursed spirit of Lady Macbeth to experience her nightmare of stifled ambition, unfulfilled desire, and ultimate loss. Telling the story solely through her perspective, this production fuses Japanese Butoh dance, movement, and various texts to take you inside the mind and body of one of Shakespeare’s most famous villains.”
Hide Your Fires: Butoh Lady Macbeth https://t.co/uLrKvKyEhI
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) May 12, 2019
Theatrical shows registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For more shows visit our Calendar.
For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
“Lee Atwater changed the American political playbook. Through his wedge issue tactics, smear campaigning, and diabolical media strategy, he orchestrated George H.W. Bush’s 1988 Presidential campaign and became one of Washington’s elite power players. But, by age 40, Lee Atwater was dead, his spectacular career over in a flash, and his legacy just another story to spin. SON OF A BITCH chronicles Atwater’s transformation from a scrappy Southern strategist, to the “lying, character-assassinating, knife-fighting son of a bitch” he eventually became. Spanning the course of ten years, the play examines the legitimacy of Atwater’s “crimes”. Was he a “bad boy”, a victim of his time, or the product of American ambition?”
Son of a Bitch https://t.co/7DNObgxzSB
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 8, 2019
“‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’ follows each of the words in that joke as a character. Throughout the play’s two acts, each word tries to figure out their meaning as individual words and within the joke, as they all attempt to reach the ‘real world’. The play is as ridiculous as the joke, but nonetheless, it is rooted in very serious themes. The words are a joke to the entire world, but that becomes the most meaningful part of who they are, and the most redemptive. After a sold-out run in London last year, ‘Why did the chicken cross the road’ is proud to have its American premiere at HFF!”
Why did the chicken cross the road? https://t.co/h0jgkhgwSS
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 8, 2019
“Cabaret, classic showtunes, and comedy–what more do you need? Absolutely nothing, so join Victoria Gordon and her three-piece band for an hour of beloved standards and hilarious vignettes.”
VICTORIA GORDON – LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD FRINGE https://t.co/coUGMgDrcf
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 8, 2019
“Sorry About My Friend is making its premiere run at HFF. Inspired by true events, the play follows the journey of college students, Alyssa and Rachel, through their tumultuous years as roommates at Texas Tech University in Lubbock from 2006-2010. This quirky odd couple, with perfectionist Rachel and wild child Alyssa, learns even fast friendship has its hiccups. A dramedy in eight vignettes, clocking in at an hour, Sorry About My Friend visits the fall and spring semesters of each year at school.
In the era of female empowerment, come celebrate the complicated beauty and power of female friendship. Obsessive Rachel plays by the rules while wisecracking Alyssa writes her own rulebook. Will the girls’ differences build a bond like Thelma and Louise or burn down a city like Joan and Bette? Please join us June 10th- 29th at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre – 5636 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038 – for a show that will make you thankful you’ve already graduated. ”
Sorry About My Friend https://t.co/FCBEGuIFEg
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 8, 2019
“WORLD PREMIERE OF A Year in Dragonfly, a one-woman show dictating the survival story of her journey after being brutally attacked by the man she loved. Told in all original spoken word and song, she narrates her navigation back from the darkest corners of fear, shame, and depression associated with domestic abuse.”
A Year in Dragonfly https://t.co/rk8qZEa87x
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 9, 2019
“A highly theatrical fever-dream that employs magical realism to tell the kaleidoscope journey of a strong and passionate woman facing an impossible tragedy. A desperate mother searches for her disappeared son amidst a totalitarian regime in an unnamed Latin American country. Produced by the Latino Theater Company in association with Mexico’s Foro Shakespeare, an independent non-profit space that generates and develops projects of direct social impact through the performing arts. Presented in Spanish with English supertitles.”
Revoluciones https://t.co/mt3NFTV5Kx
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 9, 2019
“It is Courtney’s wedding day, and her mom, Delia is making sure that everything is perfect. The groom is perfect, the dress is perfect, and the decorations (assuming they arrive) will be perfect. Then, like in any good farce, the doorbell rings. And all hell breaks loose. So much for perfect.”
One Slight Hitch https://t.co/rCrcKrXBCi
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 9, 2019
“The marshallARTS Family Series presents The Root Beer Bandits –A Rootin’ Tootin’ Wild West Musicale, at the Garry Marshall Theatre in a new, updated pull-out-all-the-stops version complete with live band, added songs, a revised book, and all-new costumes for its 15th anniversary…When Polly delivers a letter to Sheriff Bailey of Sarsaparilla City, they discover that Copper Penny is scheming to steal the city’s famous root beer supply. With Sally Sue Tucker, a trailblazing female entrepreneur named helping her, and Sheriff Bailey, Polly sets things right and makes it clear that everyone is capable of greatness, no matter what their circumstances may be. Hold onto yer hats, ‘cuz laughs are sure to be a-plenty in this high-paced vaudevillian show including a chase, a Ho’ Down, a sing-off at high noon, and although the show has a surprise ending, its no surprise that girl power saves the day!”
The Root Beer Bandits – a Rootin’ Tootin Wild West Musicale https://t.co/kTrUl5zZB5
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 10, 2019
“Set in 1994, Famous takes audiences into a world ruled by sex, money, and power taken at any cost. Just nominated for his first Oscar, Jason Mast is throwing a celebratory party at his Hollywood Hills home that serves as the backdrop for an intricate plan to confront his past with the night unfolding at an adrenaline-rushed pace. Driven by a devastating need to expose the truth, Jason’s attempt to control the outcome of the evening ignites a chain of events that push the boundaries of real friendship and reveals the true cost of fame.”
FAMOUS https://t.co/kJSkYafF2F
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 10, 2019
“A staged reading of Side Man will be performed as a selection in Sierra Madre Playhouse’s ongoing Off the Page series of play readings.
The story: Set in 1953 and traveling to 1985, this lovely and poignant memory play unfolds through the eyes of Clifford, the only son of Gene, a jazz trumpet player, and Terry, an alcoholic mother. alternating between their New York City apartment and a smoke-filled music club, Clifford narrates the story of his broken family and the decline of jazz as popular entertainment. Clifford recalls the key moments in his life, such as the day when he, fresh out of college, picked up his first unemployment check and was congratulated by Gene and his bandmates. Gene’s music career on the big band circuit ultimately crumbles with the advent of Elvis and rock-n-roll. Terry begs him to get a nine-to-five job to support the family, but Gene refuses to enter the “straight world” of regular paychecks, mortgages, and security. For Gene, who knows jazz better than his own son, music is not just a job; it’s his life. their marriage slowly dissolves and young Clifford is witness to it all. as things worsen, Clifford assumes the role of parent and throws the hopeless Gene out of his mother’s apartment. When an adult Clifford visits Gene in a rundown jazz club after years of separation, he requests that the old man play his mother’s favorite song, the old standard ‘Why Was I Born?’”
Side Man https://t.co/zBhP5HNji9
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 10, 2019
“The return of the legendary Miss Coco Peru in her latest solo show. Miss Coco loves to reminisce. In fact, she’s very good at it. In ‘Have You Heard?,’ Coco performs some of her favorite monologues and songs spanning her long career, as well as some new stuff too. Whether you’ve heard all or some of these stories or you’re a Coco virgin, come see why Lily Tomlin called Coco, “one of the last great storytellers,” and experience the trailblazing Queen who elevated drag whilst still wearing sensible heels.”
Miss Coco Peru: Have You Heard? https://t.co/YpcZ3RUX55
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“A radical edit of Shakespeare’s text, one that focuses on ‘What makes a nation submit to a tyrant?’ Yet fundamentally this remains a character piece, an exploration of the tragedy that is the life of one of the Bard’s greatest villains.”
Richard III: Hour of the Tyrant https://t.co/ElW9u8sUKF
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“In Transference, a woman awakens from hypnotherapy and remembers all of her past lives…and that her therapist has been the love of her life in every lifetime. This world premiere dark romantic comedy tells the story of a woman hoping to get it right at long last, or at least not get murdered this time. Expert psychology gives way to pithy metaphysical repartee gives way to death threats. It’s truly a love story that explores the most important question in any relationship: How long can you hold a grudge? ”
Transference https://t.co/ToHKnlIiKI
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“Launching the season of family is the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, “Next to Normal” by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. The production open April 12, 2019 and is directed by Artistic Director Craig Tyrl. ‘Next to Normal’ tells the story of Diana Goodman and her family, struggling to find happiness and normality against a twenty-year backdrop of bi-polar disorder, depression, and grief. The musical examines mental illness and its powerful impact on the family unit. ”
Next to Normal https://t.co/GM1SCojCkZ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“Nilo Cruz’s poignant and poetic 2003 Pulitzer Prize-winning play captures 1929 Florida at a time when cigars were still rolled by hand and lectors were employed to educate and entertain the immigrant workers. The arrival of a new lector is cause for celebration, but when he reads Anna Karenina to the cigar rollers, he unwittingly becomes a catalyst in the lives of his avid listeners, for whom Tolstoy, the tropics and the American dream prove a volatile combination.”
Anna in the Tropics https://t.co/oIEC4A1nQQ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“Celebration, under the artistic direction of Michael A. Shepperd, Cherry Poppins and Orgasmico present a very special guest production, the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival award-winning burlesque rock musical (Best Musical, Best World Premiere & Bechdal Wallace Award), DR. NYMPHO VS. THE SEX ZOMBIES … Every family has issues. No issues run deeper than those of the brilliant pathologist and matriarch Dr. Nimfa Delacroix. She was a nymphomaniac in the past but now lives a “normal life” with her nuclear 21st-century family. All of her demons must be confronted however, when the outbreak of a deadly STD launches in Atlanta, turning its residents into zombies that promises the end of civilization. Can Nimfa unite her family? Can she overcome her past? Can she save the world? Find out in ‘DR. NYMPHO VS THE SEX ZOMBIES!’”
DR. NYMPHO VS. THE SEX ZOMBIES https://t.co/4TGMzojix4
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“One of history’s darkest crimes is one of Shakespeare’s darkest works. Parental Discretion Advised, Graphic Content The ancient Roman legend of Lucretia is said to have been the catalyst for the Empire to become a Republic. Shakespeare takes a glimpse into the depraved mind of Tarquin as he assaults his friend Collatine’s wife, Lucrece, who takes her own life out of shame. Listen in to our own radio adaptation of this violent, profound, and beautifully-written epic. ”
The Rape of Lucrece https://t.co/rDmRdO0Mhg
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“What if your ‘person’ comes along right when you’ve been forbidden to find one? A Mormon tragedy in one act. Elder P. happily accepted the call to serve a Mormon mission in Sweden. He started out with the best of intentions: to serve the Lord faithfully, chastely, and exclusively for two years. He promised to lay aside all personal relationships for that entire time, subjecting himself instead to the constant scrutiny of a 24/7 working missionary companion. Then she showed up…”
Lock Your Heart, Elder P. https://t.co/iZ2YUSK4sv
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“A shack in a swamp. A woman hires two gunslingers to help her defend her home against a mysterious and ravenous beast intent on destroying the human race. Everyone feels the presence of the beast, but no one can prove it’s real. Maybe the only way to protect ourselves is to lay our bodies bare on the altar and call forth our worst fears, our biggest regrets, and the baddest evil we can dream up. This production of Back Bog Beast Bait comes to you from Scavengers, a collective of artists who value the gritty, sensory worlds Sam Shepard spent his life meticulously creating.”
Better Lemons readers receive $5 off with the discount code ANWLemon when you purchase your tickets.”
Back Bog Beast Bait https://t.co/dpw0WvzRA6
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“When the head of a Neighborhood Watch program gets fed up with the goings-on in her neighborhood, she takes things into her own hands. A comedy about what goes on in the neighborhood and who’s watching.”
Neighborhood Watch https://t.co/wRH7LcCeGZ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 12, 2019
“A comedy about death, conceived in grief, birthed by Amrita Dhaliwal & Gemma Soldati. These Accountants of Death work tirelessly to record the death toll. Confined to The Living Room, the occupational hazards wear on these two clowns as they learn the meaning of life and death. An absurd and physical jaunt brimming with existential phone calls, impaired dancing and the love of a goldfish. Students of Dr. Brown, Spymonkey’s Aitor Basauri, Paolo Coletto and Teacher’s for Cirque du Soleil’s, John Gilkey’s Idiot Workshop in Los Angeles, Amrita Dhaliwal and Gemma Soldati have devised a clown show inspired by their loss of loved ones. Devised and developed at The Lyric Hyperion Theatre, this show rides the very fine line between comedy and tragedy. Employing physical and absurdist theatre techniques, this show leaves the audience laughing and crying and thrust out into the night to ponder it all.”
The Living Room https://t.co/nOqe6Mrf6C
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 13, 2019
“Santa Monica Playhouse Benefit Series and Jassem Inc present in collaboration with Jessica Lynne Johnson a preview or a premiere of Lynne Jassem’s (From Homo to Como) latest show Tapping My Way To The Nuthouse. A one performance only special event…A burgeoning neurotic evolves into a full-fledged tap dancing, mime, storytelling, multimedia, nutcase…Come watch the trip! DOES INSANITY WIN? Take the travails of a burgeoning nutcase…throw in a little OCD, mix with a bissel paranoia…and you are up and down in the world of tap and mime and characters galore…a multi-media dance journey through the insanity of showbiz.”
Tapping My Way To The Nuthouse https://t.co/fd0p7Pa3pm
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 13, 2019
“Teens Take on the Multiple Tony Award-winning, Coming-of-Age Musical ‘SPRING AWAKENING’ at the Stella Adler Theatre. Directed by 14-year-old George Baron and Featuring a Young Adult Cast.”
Spring Awakening https://t.co/jDHJ7BpNtZ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 14, 2019
“Everyone is invited to step back into 1919 — one hundred years ago — and see this lost classic as it was meant to be seen, with live accompaniment by the doyen of silent film musicians, Michael Mortilla, and violinist Nicole Garcia. This exciting event will be introduced by Houdini expert John Cox (www.wildabouthoudini.com). Michael will talk about the importance of music in the silent era. The Grim Game is a silent drama that showcases Houdini’s astonishing, world-famous talents as an escapologist, stunt performer and aviator. The film presents a series of Houdini’s trademark stunts and escapes and builds to an airplane pursuit climaxed by a mid-air collision.”
Houdini in “The Grim Game” https://t.co/lddtAF6aKc
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 14, 2019
“Oracles and Miracles, by Norelle Scott, based on the best-selling novel Oracles and Miracles by Stevan Eldred-Grigg, follows the journey of two working-class sisters growing up in Christchurch, New Zealand. Born in 1929 they are children of the Depression. They grow to adulthood through the time of the Second World War, and become mothers in the Baby Boom of the early fifties. Nick-named Ginnie and Fag the sisters are driven by the hope of a better life, consumed with love stories, romantic ideals, and luxuries they can only dream of. Told with humor, passion, insight, and authenticity, ‘Oracles and Miracles’ celebrates the lives of courageous women..”
Oracles and Miracles https://t.co/K4tfeUL2VQ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 14, 2019
“’Catastrophe!’ is a comic exploration of the modern world as seen through the eyes of the clown. Philadelphia theatre artist Hank Curry explores the pitfalls and pratfalls of modern life as he tries on several unique identities, each with their own troubles and travails. Run away and join the circus of modern society with this new play that reveals and celebrates the commonalities that make us human in ways that can be challenging but are ultimately joyful.”
Catastrophe! https://t.co/nQJ7GqAfHV
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 14, 2019
“A musical comedic ode to our favorite pets, and a loving parody of musicals, ‘DOGS’ is about a pack of stray pit bulls that get separated and adopted. Although they fight their new domestic lives, they learn to stop worrying and love humans. ‘DOGS’ follows a pack of pit bull mixes as they live proudly on the street… until they’re found by the pound and put into adoption. When the alpha of the pack reveals to his new owners that he and dogs everywhere can speak, humans realize they’re no longer on top of the food chain.
”
DOGS: The Musical https://t.co/v2VFwN2ejS
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 15, 2019
“The last century has undergone a sensational transformation inspired by our innate desire to provide a brighter future for the generations to come. But what happens when one generation’s hope for the future steals the hope of another’s?”
Ripple https://t.co/4iKFpsrBas
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 15, 2019
“Lisa Verlo performs HOLLYWOODN’T a solo show and personal journey across Hollywood’s unsettling sexual landscape, directed by and developed with Jessica Lynn Johnson. A musical memoir told with candor and insight into the life of an actress before women dared to speak up. With original songs co-written with Frank Simes, Musical Director for The Who, Lisa Verlo brings humor and a light heart to a heavy subject. Creative visuals and video projections add to the multimedia recounting of her experiences on the casting couches of LA. Hollywoodn’t was featured, on Wednesday, February 13, as part of SOLOFEST 2019 at the Whitefire Theatre, the largest solo theatre festival on the West Coast.”
HOLLYWOODN’T https://t.co/m3bvcMokxQ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 15, 2019
“ASSMONKEY: In Conversation is a hilariously fast faced and upfront tale of anxiety, crutches and the characters you discover when you’re on road to recovery. The show takes a sideways look at mental health and ways in which we may hit the self destruct button. ASSMONKEY merges comedy genres through stand up, spoken work, silly songs and character work. Abetted by some “semi” scientific research, you’ll encounter some bizarre renditions of personalities from Sophia’s past, from doctors to yoga teachers. We’ll take you on an uplifting journey from addiction to self help and wellbeing. Expect silliness, wank jokes, bad costumes, flailing and maybe even a little tenderness.”
ASSMONKEY https://t.co/oH3h9UhMzp
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 15, 2019
“From the team that brought you the 2017 Hollywood Fringe International Award Winner & Pick of the Fringe, ‘LADIES IN WAITING: THE JUDGEMENT OF HENRY VIII’ comes their next project…Not Your Marmee’s Little Women. Assigned with the super boring task of writing a morality tale for girls, Louisa May Alcott finds herself in a state of writer’s block. That is until she turns to figures and stories from her own life. Lines between fact and fiction begin to blur, as ‘Little Women’ is played out upon the stage. Louisa must confront her characters, family, and a demanding public. Life may be the best inspiration, but what if you are afraid to learn who you are? ”
meg jo beth amy & louisa https://t.co/Bw0OD16oBp
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 15, 2019
“School president, award-winning debater, perfect GPA, dreamy boyfriend. What doesn’t 18-year-old Sofia have? The strength to keep living. After taking her life, Sofia is stuck in limbo and relives her last memories in an effort to understand what went wrong. The stage becomes a life-sized version of her journal as she makes her way through the incidents preceding her death. We meet her family and friends in her journal; explored through home videos, original music, and theater. Step inside the mind of modern adolescence.”
I Could Take a Nap, but Killing Myself would be more Productive https://t.co/zcPoyVTnzM
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 15, 2019
“Jenny has a plan. A plan to get pregnant. Everyone keeps telling her that time is running out, she just turned 35, after all. So, when those pesky urine tests keep coming back negative, Jenny decides to take action and fix the problem. That’s when she runs into real problems and real questions about fertility and motherhood. As Jenny faces the world of “mom options” – egg freezing, in-vitro, adoption, and more – the conversation about the expectation of procreation really begins. Taking into account a whirlwind of outside opinions from her mom, her friends, doctors, a beloved neighbor – and even God – Jenny must ultimately look within to discover what motherhood means to her, what it means to be Fertile.”
FERTILE: A Conversation About the Expectation of Procreation https://t.co/v9HGuEY2nE
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) April 15, 2019
Theatrical shows registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For more shows visit our Calendar.
For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
“Archway Theatre’s immersive post-modern retelling of the aftermath of the Trojan War. Priam, Hector, and Paris are all dead. Queen Hecuba and the women of Troy are now the spoils of war, and must await their fate at the hands of the conquering Greeks.”
Trojan Women https://t.co/c8lAh8u3WA
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 5, 2019
“Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group proudly presents their All-New Horror-Theatre Spectacular haunted by The Golden Age of Hollywood in 1930’s. While the only escape from The Great Depression were the movies, there was no escape for those entrapped by the glitter of Tinseltown: These restless spirits of stars and villains from yesteryear rise from their forgotten graves – to wander their final resting place and re-live their final moments in eternal damnation!”
Cemetery of Tortured Souls https://t.co/PkIehhqTzt
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 5, 2019
“Open Fist’s annual “political pop-up” features a rotating roster of short plays by writers from across the country that explore our nation’s current social and political climate and how the past year has affected us. Finding it hard to get off the couch and get to the theater? ”
What Matters Now?/! (Another Political Pop-Up of the Theatrical Kind) https://t.co/eO9Dc15Qyi
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 5, 2019
“The record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber that has captivated audiences in over 30 countries and 15 languages, is now on tour across North America! Audiences and critics alike are rediscovering this beloved musical with breathtaking music, including one of the most treasured songs in musical theater—”Memory”. Winner of 7 Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL, CATS tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn. The original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Phantom, School of Rock, Sunset Boulevard), original scenic and costume design by John Napier (Les Misérables), all-new lighting design by Natasha Katz (Aladdin), all-new sound design by Mick Potter, new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton) based on the original choreography by Gillian Lynne (Phantom) and direction by Trevor Nunn (Les Misérables) make this production a new CATS for a new generation!…Now and Forever.”
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 5, 2019
“The Meatball Chronicles follows one woman through humorous and sometimes heart wrenching meals that align with stories of her childhood, her relationships with men, and in particular, her complicated relationship to her mother.
Mansini crafts this piece in a way that transcends her own story into universal themes that anyone who has a family can love. As she kneads the dough and thickens the sauce through each Italian recipe, the stories associated with those recipes reveal the complex ways that families cope, laugh, grieve, and show their love through food.”
THE MEATBALL CHRONICLES https://t.co/JeaXAH94lA
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 6, 2019
“In spring of 1895, Oscar Wilde was larger than life. His masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, was a hit in the West End and he was the toast of London. Yet by summer he was serving two years in prison for gross indecency. Punished for “the love that dare not speak its name,” Wilde remained devoted to his beloved, Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas. The Judas Kiss revolves around two pivotal moments in his life: the day when, cajoled by Bosie into an ill-fated trial, he decides to stay in England and face imprisonment, and a night when, after his release two years later, the lover for whom he risked everything betrays him again. David Hare’s masterful play pulses with the ecstasy and anguish of an enamored heart.”
The Judas Kiss https://t.co/Vn6UFavzjY
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 6, 2019
“Brewster’s back! Rising from the ashes with a slick plan for a bottled water plant on reservation land. There’s mixed agreement and opposition from family and friends, including an old flame with a grudge—but is he the secret ingredient for success? This play was workshopped as Corn Soup. Native Voices at the Autry is devoted to developing and producing new works for the stage by Native American, Alaska Native, and First Nations playwrights..”
Native Voices at the Autry Presents Pure Native https://t.co/Jd9aT9ybrR
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 6, 2019
“’The Elephant Man’ is based on the life of John Merrick who lived in London during the latter part of the 19th Century. A horribly deformed young man who has been a freak attraction in traveling side shows, John is found abandoned and helpless and is admitted for observation to Whitechapel, a prestigious London hospital. Under the care of the famous young doctor, Fredrick Treves, Merrick is educated and introduced to London society. Through their eyes, he is changed from sensational object of pity, to an urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati. It his dream that he will become a man like any other…but unbeknownst to him, he exceeds even that.”
THE ELEPHANT MAN https://t.co/bmjmaB2fLW
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 6, 2019
“An Evening Of One Acts: JOAN and WHAT DID THEY SAY
JOAN is an imaginary tale of Joan Crawford’s journey through the Bardo and her adjustment to the fact that her soul will move onto the unknown. During this dream state Joan reflects on–her life–her career–her enemies–her loves–those that helped create the film legend she became.
WHAT DID THEY SAY explores gender and sexuality in an unconventional family dramedy, taking place in Los Angeles today. As experienced in today’s rough political climate, families don’t always share the same values. Family members can be rough among themselves, and where Julian’s dad is gay, and his older sister Harper identifies as a dyke, his twin sibling Felicia struggles to understand Julian’s gender identity.”
JOAN and WHAT DID THEY SAY – An Evening of One Acts https://t.co/X8RZSfPq15
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 6, 2019
“The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (LADCC), which presented its first awards for excellence in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Ventura County a half-century ago, has begun the gala celebration of its 50th anniversary by announcing its nominations for the year 2018 (Dec. 1, 2017 – Nov. 30, 2018).
The LADCC is further thrilled to announce that this historic occasion will take place on Monday, April 8, 2019 at one of the region’s most historic and beautiful theatres, Pasadena Playhouse, at 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena.”
LA DRAMA CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS https://t.co/wy40kT9odJ
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 6, 2019
“In the working class melting pot that was Boyle Heights in the 1960s, five diverse employees in the return department at Sears form a tight bond as they cope with upheaval in their personal lives, their community and the rapidly changing world around them. Connie, a Latinx single working class mother, realizes her agency and discovers her true identity when the anxieties of war, civil unrest and political assassinations plaguing the country tragically affect her own life. Infused with period music and magical realism.”
The Mother of Henry https://t.co/td6av1jTsx
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 8, 2019
“Neil LaBute’s 2001 drama “The Shape of Things” is set in a small university town in the American Midwest and centers on the lives of four young students who become emotionally and romantically involved. How far would you go for love? For art? What would you be willing to change? What price might you pay? Such are the painful questions explored in the play. A young student drifts into an ever-changing relationship with an art major while his best friend’s engagement crumbles, unleashing a drama that peels back the skin of two modern-day relationships.”
The Shape of Things https://t.co/g3apJ2bWwN
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 8, 2019
“For a record-breaking 15th year, it’s time once again to “get ready to match the stars” with a new edition of Dennis Hensley’s The MisMatch Game. The side-splitting parody of the ‘70s game show has set the rafters ringing with laughter since its debut in 2004. The show the LA Times calls, “witty, ribald … an adventure in surrealist era bending” returns to the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre for two hilarious shows.”
The MisMatch Game https://t.co/OmqEFEHn4k
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 8, 2019
“The overall theme of the Festival will be I, Woman and the theme of the Opening Night GALA will be In Tribute To. The Champagne GALA and Awards Ceremony will take place on March 22, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. nd will be directed by Denise Dowse (Imposters) and hosted by Starletta DuPois (The Notebook) and Kym Whitley (Young and Hungry). The event will honor five women of exceptional achievement and contribution to the world of theatre (Eternity Awardee- Jenifer Lewis; Integrity Awardee- Leslie Ishii; Maverick Awardee- Sandra Tsing Loh; Rainbow Awardee- Whitney Weston; and posthumously, Infinity Awardee-Carol Channing. There will be special live performances in addition to the awards presentation.”
Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival https://t.co/2JkKj2k893
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 8, 2019
“Past and present issues of women including current the #MeToo movement are explored through a collection of dramatic, humorous and thought-provoking, monologues, poems and dance. All the material is written by women. Sunday performances are followed by an audience talkback.”
IN RESPONSE: Year of the Woman (Still) https://t.co/QGWGHPPvpy
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 8, 2019
“Church Basement Ladies, a celebration of the church basement kitchen and the women who work there, features four distinct characters and their relationships as they organize the food and the problems of a rural Minnesota church. From the elderly matriarch of the kitchen to the young bride-to-be learning the proper order of things, the show and music give us a touching, funny look at their lives as we see them handle a record breaking Christmas dinner, the funeral of a dear friend, a Hawaiian Easter Fundraiser, and a steaming hot July wedding. They stave off potential disasters, share and debate recipes, instruct the young, and keep the Pastor on due course while thoroughly enjoying, (and tolerating) each other. Funny and down to earth, you will recognize these ladies as they begin to see the Church year unfold from below the House of God.”
Church Basement Ladies https://t.co/ipzG1CEigq
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 9, 2019
“So do a little dance! Make a little love! Get down tonight with The Sunshine Experience – the nation’s premier tribute to KC and the Sunshine Band. “Shake, Shake Shake Your Booty” to their funky tunes and fall in love with KCSB’s triple-platinum sound all over again! ‘Cause “That’s the way–uh huh, uh huh–I like it!” The Sunshine Experience delivers a high-energy, adrenaline-pumping show with spot-on musical arrangements and amazing choreography.”
The Sunshine Experience https://t.co/tcypkWtFxo
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 9, 2019
“A Terrible Show for Terrible People is a raunchy and rambunctious, non-verbal solo clown performance that is both boner- and vomit-inducing. Physical comedian Bonnie He takes the audience through a voyeuristic window into personal tragedy, triumph, and titillation. Mostly titillation. Hehe. TIT-illation. You’re not just watching a Terrible Show – you’re participating in the destruction of common decency.”
A Terrible Show for Terrible People https://t.co/oZwMFSIfxD
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 9, 2019
“LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is thrilled to present a co-production with the Rubicon Theatre Company, the critically acclaimed (LA Times Critics’ Choice) production of HEISENBERG, written by Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) directed by Katherine Farmer (South Pacific, Gulf View Drive) and starring Faline England (Valentine’s Day) & Joe Spano (Hill Street Blues and NCIS). Comments Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Executive Director Ellen Richard, “What a special opportunity to co-produce this critically acclaimed production with the Rubicon Theatre Company. Simon Stephens has written a funny, tender and quirky love story that celebrates human relationships in all their complexity. Faline England and Joe Spano are giving masterful performances under the brilliant direction of the gifted Katharine Farmer.”
HEISENBERG https://t.co/h0epDQvcUt
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 9, 2019
“Fresh off an LA Stage Alliance Ovation nomination for Lead Actor in a Play, WTFN brings back Andrew Perez in the Encore Award-winning THE SECOND COMING OF KLAUS KINSKI!…resurrected for 3 consecutive Friday nights — March 22, 29 & April 5 at the Pico Playhouse…Klaus Kinski is one of the most celebrated and controversial actors in the history of world cinema. The reckless abandon with which he approached both life and art left him tortured, demonized and worshipped. He now resurrects to shake your souls with one last command performance. THE SECOND COMING OF KLAUS KINSKI.”
The Second Coming of Klaus Kinski (Limited Run!) @thepico_la now registered on #BetterLemons #LAThtr #LATheatre https://t.co/rLdT9acIaD
— Better Lemons (@BetterLemons) March 11, 2019
I love going to The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. On a recent visit there, I happened upon a postcard for a new show called S.O.S. Looking at it closer, I learned that the Wallis had recently formed an acting troupe. Looking at it even further, I saw it was a new devised show being presented in conjunction with Circle X. This took me forward and back. Forward to some devising projects that I am working on this spring and backward to the nascence of Atwater Village Theatre, when Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA and Circle X were sharing what was a renovated either toy or pillow factory in a part of town that was quickly becoming a new hub for creative thought and millennial lifestyle romping. That was about 10 years ago.
I digress.
The task at hand: to find out what are S.O.S. and the Wallis Studio Ensemble. To help me on this quest, I got in contact with director Madeleine Dahm. Here’s what I learned from her.
Roger Q. Mason (RQM): To my knowledge, Wallis Studio Ensemble is a fairly new company here in Los Angeles. Tell me a little about the history of the group?
Madeleine Dahm (MD): In the 2016 I approached The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts about the idea of a company for early-career actors, that represented the diversity of actors here in LA and explored theatre as a force for social change – they liked the idea and so Grow at the Wallis joined with me in launching the ensemble. Since its inception two-and-a-half years ago, The Ensemble has steadily acquired a reputation for creating socially conscious, cutting-edge theatre, with a strong physical component. The Ensemble has mounted four full-length productions at The Wallis and performed at two international performing arts festivals.
2018 saw the mounting of Douglas Adams environmental satire The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (LA Times ‘Pick of the Week’) and Disposable – an original devised work that examined the intersection between environmental destruction and human displacement, also seen at The San Diego International Fringe Festival in June 2018. It was hailed as “hauntingly beautiful” (San Diego Tribune) and “mesmerizing….this is avant-garde theater that sticks with you long after the curtain comes down.” (ArtNow LA).
In 2016/17 The Ensemble premiered at The Wallis Thebes, a contemporary feminist adaptation of the Greek classic by British playwright Gareth Jandrell, and its first original devised play Word of Mouth, an examination of Post-Truth and a response to the 2016 election rhetoric. Word of Mouth was not only featured on National Public Radio by Priska Neely, but was also seen at Rise Up LA and at The Crisis Art Festival in Tuscany, Italy, where The Ensemble spent a week in residence in July 2017.
S.O.S. cast member Siera Williams, a member of The Wallis Studio Ensemble – photo by Jo Rodriguez
RQM: Your current show is being presented in conjunction with Circle X. How did you link up with the company?
MD: This is not a partnership with Circle X, we are renting their theatre for this particular run. We really wanted to get outside of The Wallis space this year and into the 99 seat theater community, and we are very excited that Atwater Village Theater and Circle X were able to assist us with that.
RQM: What was the inspiration for S.O.S.?
MD: As we discuss topics and themes for our yearly devised work, we are always drawn to contemporary issues that directly impact our company members and their communities. The one thing that we found ourselves coming back to as we began this process three months ago, was the general sense of alienation and isolation felt by many people right now. With so much focus today being on attaining financial wealth it’s interesting that a country’s GDP is not related to the overall happiness felt by all its citizens, in fact it seems to be the opposite. Recent studies by the World Health Organization and United Nations have revealed that feelings of loneliness and alienation are reaching global epidemic proportions, and that this general sense of feeling disconnected is reaching many communities worldwide. So much so that now many countries have actually appointed ministers for loneliness in their governments, the UK being the most recent. There is no easy answer or fix to this problem but we wanted to explore how small acts of kindness, and authentic expressions of love can help us reach across the divide, and remember more thoughtful ways to interact with each other.
S.O.S. cast member, Viva Kanani Obiajulu Wittman, a member of The Wallis Studio Ensemble – photo by Jo Rodriguez
RQM: This piece is devised. What was your devising process for this show? I’m curious to learn more about the dynamic between you and the ensemble members specifically.
MD: The devising process usually begins by brainstorming topics and themes that are of interest to the company – as we begin to narrow down themes that we would like to explore, each member brings in support materials that can include text, photographs, music, newspaper articles, videos, all kinds of references. There is a lot of discussion in the early stages but, once we have landed on a specific focus for the work, we primarily begin developing the piece through improvisation. The devising process is very long and much of the material that is originated in the studio actually ends up on the “cutting-room floor.” As we hone in on the arc of the piece, many wonderful moments that we have created simply no longer have a place in the work and so we have to let them go. As the Director of a devised work it is my job to be the keeper of the initial vision and to bring all of the elements together in a cohesive way. It’s like shooting a movie out of sequence, sometimes you’re working on a section that will end up being at the end, but you’re working on it first. Devising can be challenging for actors because there isn’t an obvious through line that you would have with an existing play, and so there is a lot of trust that has to develop between director and actor, and actor and actor. It requires actors who are willing to jump off at the deep end, and have faith that we will get to where we need to by the end of the process.
RQM: What’s next for Wallis Studio Ensemble?
MD: We hope to bring S.O.S to the Hollywood Fringe Festival this year. Then we have our second production of the season, which will be at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts June 6th through 9th, that will not be a devised piece but rather an existing play, on which we have yet to decide.
Featured photo: Cast of S.O.S. – photo by Jo Rodriguez
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