Tag: awards


Spotlight Series: Meet Composer, Conductor, Lyricist, and Producer Christopher Raymond

This Spotlight focuses on composer, conductor, lyricist, and producer Christopher Raymond who has won an NAACP, Stage Raw, and Broadway World Awards for his work in theatre. Chris has also music directed several Los Angeles area awards shows as well as 14 productions with DOMA Theatre Company in Hollywood, among many others. And in December 2018, he became Music Director for Valley Outreach Synagogue in Calabasas where Passover and Shabbat services are being LiveStreamed from home.

Shari Barrett (SB): What would you like readers to know about your professional background?

Christopher Raymond (Chris): I started my career at the age of 15 by playing in the band for Jason Robert Brown’s 13 The Musical at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and on Broadway.

(SB): I saw 13 The Musical at both the Kirk Douglas Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum and really loved the energy in the show. And all the teenage emotions bursting at the seams reminded me of many challenging days I experienced as a middle and high school teacher.

(Chris): I then went on to study music at CalArts, and am now a composer, lyricist and music director, and have won an NAACP, Stage Raw, and Broadway World Award for my work in theatre.

I co-wrote the theme song for the show, Troy (which opened at the 80,000-seat Beijing National Stadium in July, 2017), and music directed and orchestrated the Ovation Awards twice (at The Ahmanson Theatre and at the Theatre at Ace Hotel). I also music directed / arranged the LA Drama Critics Circle Awards twice.

I music directed, conducted and played piano for 14 productions with DOMA Theatre Company in Hollywood, including prominent revivals of Avenue Q, American Idiot, and Dreamgirls (which was awarded “Best Musical” by the LA Drama Critics Circle Awards and the LA Times Awards.)

I recently wrote the book, music and lyrics for Scarlet Letter: The Musical, which had a workshop production at Greenway Court Theatre. A highlights reel for the musical is available on YouTube here:

In December 2018, I became Music Director for Valley Outreach Synagogue in Calabasas. Working with Rabbi Ron Li-Paz, Cantor Michael Li-Paz, Chaplain Jennifer Eaves Nye and the rest of the VOS team is a continually inspiring experience.

(SB): How has COVID-19 affected your work at your Synagogue?

(Chris): The quarantine orders began in Los Angeles shortly before Passover. Due to this, we at VOS held two virtual Seders on our website. The Rabbi, Cantor, Chaplain, and myself LiveStreamed our Seders from our respective homes as our congregation joined us from their homes. It was a beautiful way to create joy and unity during a challenging time for the world.

We are currently LiveStreaming our Shabbat Services on Friday nights and all of our classes are being held online. We are grateful to live in a time when technology allows us to continue functioning and providing help as a Synagogue while our leadership and membership remain safely isolated at home.

(SB): How are you keeping the Arts alive while at home by using social media or other online sites?

(Chris): I have been recording / composing music in my home studio and I have also been making musical videos for Valley Outreach Synagogue’s website. I have also had an opportunity to watch and support many friends’ musical and arts-related projects online, which has been a joy.

(SB): What thoughts would you like to share with the rest of the L.A. Theatre community while we are all leaving the Ghostlight on and promising to return back to the stage soon?

(Chris): As a community, we are all going through uncharted waters, but I believe that at the end of the day we will be stronger and hopefully a bit wiser from the lessons we’ve learned during this pandemic. May we all stay safe and do our best to keep up our spirits/morale by continuing to learn, grow and create / appreciate art.

This article first appeared on Broadway World.


Vote for your Favorite Critic of 2019

LA’s Theatre Critics are an integral part of LA Theatre and now it’s our turn to recognize them with the Better Lemons Critic Awards.

There are nine categories for the Better Lemons Critic Awards that you can vote for:

“I LOVE LA” Award – the critic who did the most to promote LA Theatre in 2019

“Up Late” Award – the most prolific critic in 2019

“Say What?” Award – the most provocative critic

“Enlightenment” Award – the critic who does the most to inform and educate

“Name Dropper” Award – the critic most likely to review the big shows in the big theatres with the big names and the big budgets

“Theatre Hound” Award – the critic most likely to review the hidden gems, off the beaten path, those with short runs and small budgets

“Silver Tongue” Award – the most persuasive critic, capable of enticing anyone into a theatre seat

“Director” Award – the critic who is most likely to write reviews that inform the artists

and the

“Fomenter of Revolution” Award – the critic most likely to stir a conversation about theater, politics, and social justice

Click here to vote!

If you’d like to know more about the critics, go to Better-Lemons.com/registered-critics.

Better Lemons has two groups of Critics: those who have registered with us and those who have not.

Those who are registered with us, we call Registered Critics. These Registered Critics post their own review excerpt to production pages that are registered on Better Lemons. They also give each production a Sweet, Sweet and Sour, or Sour LemonMeter rating. (We don’t send out critics to review shows, so please contact the critics directly via their publication if you need a reviewer!)

Critics who have not registered with us, post their reviews online and those reviews get submitted to us by the publicists, directors, or producers of shows that are registered on our site.  The Better Lemons team also finds reviews, and then selects the pull-quote, determines the Sweet, Sweet and Sour, or Sour LemonMeter rating, and links to the original source of the review.

We appreciate and celebrate the work of all Critics, but are especially grateful for the Critics that have registered with us! Their review excerpts and LemonMeter ratings are published as soon as they submit it (their submission doesn’t need to wait to be approved).

These Registered Critics ensure that the productions are getting a LemonMeter rating quickly and that their submission reflects their own opinion, not that of a publicist, producer, or a Better Lemons team member.

We appreciate these Registered Critics and we’d like to thank them, each and every one of them.

To celebrate these Critics, we are having our first Annual Top Critics Award, where our readers will be able to vote for their favorite Critic from our list of Registered Critics.

Please look at the profile pages of each Registered Critic, read their reviews if you are not familiar with them, and place your votes on the form below by 10pm on Wednesday, January 22nd.


Female Fusion Spotlight on Arianne MacBean

Arianne MacBean is a writer, educator and Artistic Director of The Big Show Co., a LA-based interdisciplinary performance group. Although when asked how she would describe herself she leads with choreographer, her biography on her company page does not list that among her many titles. In contrast, her Instagram profile defines her as “Choreographer, Writer, Educator, Girl Gang Boss.” She dances and performs with her company, but specifically says that she is no longer a dancer. This enigmatic question of self categorization set off a conversation full of layered responses and complex ideas related to identity, process and creation. Her journey to become the artistic force that she is today was and continues to be long, winding and constantly evolving.

Like most creatives in Los Angeles, MacBean wears many hats, has numerous titles and shoulders many responsibilities. In addition to being the director and force behind the Big Show Co., she was the Director of the Dance Program at Oakwood Secondary School for eighteen years, and is now adjunct faculty at Cal State University Long Beach, Pasadena City College, and Glendale Community College. Her classes include graduate seminars in Dance Management, graduate level Modern Technique and Composition, Beginning and Intermediate Hip Hop, Modern Technique and Dance History. She is a regular facilitator of professional development workshops for LAUSD teachers on how to promote diversity in the classroom through movement. Through the Big Show Company, she leads Memory Writing Workshops at Casa Treatment Center in Pasadena, for women in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse, and she has spent many years working with U.S. military veterans leading free Memory Writing & Movement Workshops. She is a published author. Her academic dance works include Dancing into Diversity – a curriculum for self-discovery, empathy and creative leadership, which was published in the 2014 special teacher edition of The Journal of Dance Education and Scripting the Body, an essay and curriculum which was published in 2001 and which continues to guide her work today. She also wrote a charming children’s book, Backyard Fairies. In 2012, she was awarded the year-long CHIME Mentorship Grant, produced by the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company in San Francisco, which is a mentorship program for professional choreographers. Other recent awards include the 2018-19 Cultural Trailblazer Award and 2016-17 Artist-in-Residence Grant from the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as the 2016-17 & 2017-18 California Arts Council Veterans Initiative in the Arts Grant.

The Big Show Co. was founded in 1998 and has five core members. In addition to MacBean, the company includes Angelina Attwell, Genevieve Carson, Brad Culver, and Max Eugene.

left to right: Max Eugene, Arianne MacBean, Genevieve Carson, Brad Culver, and Angelina Attwell. Photo: Dyanne Cano

Both men began as actors and have become movers. The women are all technical dancers, but as they have worked together for over a decade, those lines have become blurred. What you see in The Big Show Co.’s work is the result of literal years of breaking down then rebuilding creativity.

“When that core group came together, we started to develop this creative process. It was unlike anything we had ever done before and we started making work that was unlike anything we had ever seen before and we called it dance theatre. We generated the text and the movement simultaneously and we started to refine and then I started to think about the creative problem solving…..to codify it, to think of it not just as creating material for performance but as a way of processing information that feels to me a little bit more authentic to life.”

“I grew up, even in grad school with this idea of the integrity of the art. There was a lot of judgement…that these ideas need to be completed. I still feel all of those things and bring all of that but I wanted process to reflect what I wanted to show up on the stage which was much more dynamic and not tied up or wrapped up in a string, which is much more reflective of the way I live; I have ideas, they come, they melt away, I’m laughing, then I’m crying because I am so sad at what I’m laughing at and then I’m pissed and I love this person then I hate them all in the same minute. We called it the creative problem solving method.” She jokes that naming the process was mostly for grant writing purposes.

Once they had solidified and codified this method, they looked out, away from the core group of dancers/performers and sought to apply it to more diverse communities. At the suggestion of a friend’s husband, himself a veteran, she started working with groups of veterans in free workshops and began to develop the idea of memory making as a performative act. A result of that undertaking was The Collective Memory Project, a show that was developed and performed at The Ford Theatres in June of 2018. Creating the show was a three year long process.

The Collective Memory Project at The Ford Theatres, June 2018 Photo: Timothy Norris

Joining the core company members for the Collective Memory Project in June were Heraclio Aguilar, Edem Atsu-Swanzy, Armen Babasoloukisn, and Priscilla Songsanand. It is impossible to write about all of the elements of this incredible performance so I have linked to two reviews, The Berkeley Daily Telegraph and Broadway World. I would also urge you to check out the Work in Progress video: The Collective Memory Project, and both the Collective Memory Project Promotional Video and The Collective Memory Project Reel. I saw both the developmental workshop and the performance. It was astounding and glorious and emotional. As MacBean says so eloquently, “Every veteran wears their service differently.” The journeys taken throughout the evening were both immense and minute and all of it was intensely moving.

When asked about her work as an activist, the issue of self identity was once again raised. “I don’t really see myself as an activist. The work that I do is creative work and I think it is activism, but it is a collaborative community process and its this really intuitive listening and pushing and guiding and listening and pushing and guiding. And re-visioning with the material that comes in front of me, we start with text and start mining human experience. Then you have to guide these non-performers into thinking performatively and thinking about storytelling, but there is the goal of art, but that separates from the trauma of it…”

That stated, there are multiple avenues that Arianne pursues with the creative memory writing process; Memory Writing Workshops, Memory Movement Workshops and Creative problem solving. For example, in addition to veterans, she works with women in recovery from addiction. These workshops are mainly writing, though as with everything that Arianne is associated with, movement finds a way in. In contrast to the work that led to the Collective Memory Project, the workshops are not performative. They are about personal growth and the journey that each individual takes.

All of this creativity, whether focused on a performative or personal goal is intense and can be triggering for both the participants and MacBean. The related issues of balance and care came up in our conversation in numerous ways: in regards to being a mom and teacher, as a guide and therapeutic leader, and in her family life. MacBean has a husband and two tween daughters. She is close to her parents, who live in Berkeley, where she grew up. Her mom has stage four breast cancer and was just diagnosed with Dementia and Alzheimers. There is a lot to juggle and she is open about having her own therapist to help deal with it all. Even with the stress, MacBean expresses gratitude and excitement for her complicated family and life, and for how she has grown artistically with and as a result of it. Once she had kids, she found that she had to start integrating more of the sides of herself, moving on from the heady space of academia into a softer, more accepting place. Her motherhood and teaching is intertwined with her creative output. “It’s all part of the process…with my family, we have always danced.” She found that there was a stripping down of self restriction and self judgement both in her own work and in the work she of others she watched. She had to let go of the pretentiousness of it all, the academic certainty of right and wrong when it came to art and open up to much more fun. “I had to start to watch musical theater, and LOVE it!” She shares a family tradition; the Backyard Big Show. Friends and family who love to dance but may not be dancers themselves come together to create once a year. Everyone brings a dish to share and a dance for the show. The Backyard Big Show echos the work she does with her company. It is an organic process of working with communities and creating art while not taking yourself seriously. There really is a lot of play, both in the family celebration and in the creation of ultimately serious but still entertaining and joyous dance theatre.

From The Big Show Co Instagram

MacBean and The Big Show Co. will be in residence at the Ford Theatres in the Fall 2019 with a new project entitled, She/Her: Memory Trace – dance theatre exploring femininity and the military veteran experience. The project was inspired partially from a memory that was explored in the first show; attending San Francisco Ballet performances at the Opera House with her mom. She was already thinking about the influences of mothers, women and feminine energy on memory when one of the veterans contacted her about writing about his mom. This desire was partially inspired by the journey that MacBean is going through with her own. “I started to think about the military and men and this really male dominated space and how do they feel about the women in their lives, and how the women in their lives have affected how they think of themselves as men in relation to the military. Then I thought about the very few women who did come to our writing workshops and how they had extremely different experiences than the men, which then made me wonder about my own relationship with ‘femaleness’. I have always been more of a masculine woman. I have never been much of a girly girl. Nathan Clum, The Dramaturg and Co-Facilitator for all Collective Memory Project Writing Workshops, is gay and he is always thinking about his femaleness and we are in this new culture with gender fluidity being so much more accepted than before. The show will jump from this perspective to further explore the idea of durable memory and seek to discover at a deeper level why and how “memory and identity is a creative act.”

The Big Show Co. is still seeking veterans to work on this new project.

Paid Workshops and Performance!
Male & Female Veterans Wanted!
Must be available on the following dates/times:

– Workshops: Sundays, September 8, 15, 22, 29, October 6, 13, 27; 10am – 1pm at the Ford’s Community Room
– Project Launch Showing on the Terrace at the Ford Theatre, Saturday, November 2, 10-4pm. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
– Wrap-Up Workshop: Sunday, November 17; 10-1pm

Project Launch Showing at the Ford Theatres:
Saturday, November 2, 2019
10am-4pm

If you are interested, please send a resume via their website contact form at TheBigShowCo.com/contact.

There is so much more to Arianne MacBean than is possible to share in this article; her love for Hip Hop, her passion for teaching, the joy that talking about her children brings to her face. I would encourage you to check out her irreverent Instagram account, her amazing performances, and maybe take part in one of the workshops. The possibilities that are opened up by her work and collaborations are infinite.


The Better Lemons 2019 Fringe Audience and Critics Choice Awards

As of this post, the critics and the audiences have spoken, resulting in almost 99 Hollywood Fringe productions receiving a SWEET #LemonMeter rating and 19 Fringe productions receiving #DoubleSWEET ratings (both critics and audience members agreeing on a sweet production).

It takes three reviews from critics or three reviews from the audience to generate a #LemonMeter rating.

The Better Lemons Fringe Audience and Critics Choice Awards, as well as the DoubleSweet Awards are based on the number of reviews submitted before the time of publication.

The shows with the most reviews receive the Audience and the Critics Choice Awards. The Awards are based on the number of reviews, regardless of the #LemonMeter rating of Sweet, Sweet and Sour, or Sour.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THESE WINNERS who have registered their shows on Better Lemons and encouraged audiences and critics to voice their opinion about their show, regardless of the outcome!

Audience Choice Awards:

1st Place
TALES FROM THE POWDER ROOM

2nd Place
RAISED BY WOLVES
IF WE RUN

3rd Place
HOLLYWOODN’T

Critics Choice Awards:

1st Place
BOXING LESSONS
THE BULLY PROBLEM

2nd Place
POCKETS
SCARLETT FEVER
FERTILE: A Conversation About the Expectation of Procreation
THE SAME ROOM

3rd Place
(IM)PERFEKT
TRANSFERENCE
MIL GRUS
TATTERED CAPES
OLIVIA WILDE DOES NOT SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE
WIGFIELD
SON OF A BITCH
THE SCORPION AND THE FROG: A TIME-KILLER

The DoubleSweet Awards are based on the SWEET #LemonMeter rating by both Critics AND Audience members as of Friday noon, June 5th.

DoubleSweet Awards:

(in order of most audience reviews)

RAISED BY WOLVES
IF WE RUN
HOLLYWOODN’T
THE BULLY PROBLEM
FERTILE: A Conversation About the Expectation of Procreation
THE NARCISSIST NEXT DOOR
BUNNY THE ELF LIVE!
A BIT MUCH
CRACK WHORE, BULIMIC, GIRL-NEXT-DOOR
(IM)PERFEKT
TRANSFERENCE
MIL GRUS
START SWIMMING
SUPPORTIVE WHITE PARENTS
SAVING CAIN
BATTER UP: MY BRAIN ON BASEBALL
CIRQUE DU GISELLE
THE LAST CROISSANT
PIT OF GOBLINS
OLIVIA WILDE DOES NOT SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE
TATTERED CAPES
45 MILLIGRAMS
HOW I BECAME A SUPERHERO


Stage Raw Announces 2018 Theater Awards Recipients

Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition included productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. Stage Raw is a community funded professional journalism website that was created in response to the decline of arts coverage in local mainstream and alternative media.
The Awards ceremony was held Monday night, August 20, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles, hosted by Coeurage Theatre Company, and co-directed by Jer Adrianne Lelliott, Thaddeus Shafer and Lauren Ludwig.
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
Bjørn Johnson, Red Speedo, Road Theatre Company
VIDEO/PROJECTION DESIGN
J-Walt Adamcyk and Hannah Beavers, Paradise Lost:Reclaiming Destiny, Not Man Apart at Greenway Court Theatre
SOUND DESIGN
Jeff Gardner, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN
John Bass, Paradise Lost:Reclaiming Destiny, Not Man Apart at Greenway Court Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN
Wendell C. Carmichael, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Jeff Gardner, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
CHOREOGRAPHY
Anne-Marie Talmadge, Alina Bolshakova, Leslie Charles Roy Jr., and the NMA Ensemble, Paradise Lost:Reclaiming Destiny, Not Man Apart at Greenway Court Theatre
MUSICAL DIRECTION
Dylan Price, 33 Variations, Actors Co-op
SET DESIGN
Joel Daavid, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Bryonn Bain, Lyrics From Lockdown, The Actors’ Gang
TWO PERSON PERFORMANCE
Alex Hernandez & Tonya Pinkins, Time Alone, Belle Reve Theatre Company
SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE
Harry Groener, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
MALE COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Josh Clark, The Hothouse, Antaeus Theatre Company
LEADING MALE PERFORMANCE
Desean Kevin Terry, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
SUPPORTING FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Dawn Didawick, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
FEMALE COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Anna Lamadrid, Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Boops, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
LEADING FEMALE PERFORMANCE (TIE)
Nan McNamara, 33 Variations, Actors Co-op
ADAPTATION
Nambi E. Kelley, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
PLAYWRITING
Alessandro Camon, Time Alone, Belle Reve Theatre Company
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
COMEDY ENSEMBLE
El Niño, Rogue Machine Theatre
ENSEMBLE
Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
COMEDY DIRECTION
Felix Solís, The Giant Void In My Soul, Ammunition Theatre Company
DIRECTION
Michael Michetti, A Streetcar Named Desire, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
MUSICAL OF THE YEAR
Pacific Overtures, Chromolume Theatre
REVIVAL OF THE YEAR
Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
Rotterdam, The Skylight Theatre
QUEEN OF THE ANGELS
Dolores Chavez
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Norman Lloyd
To view the list of nominees, go to Better-Lemons.com/featured/stage-raw-announces-its-2018-theater-awards-nominees


The TVolution 2018 Hollywood Fringe Awards!

And here they are

The TVolution

2018 Hollywood Fringe Awards…

BEST OF THE FRINGE AWARD

Burglars of Hamm’s Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk

BEST SOLO SHOW (FEMALE) AWARD

Katt Balsan – Balls’ON

BEST SOLO  SHOW (MALE) AWARD

Joshua Thomas – Let There be Thistles

BEST MUSICAL AWARD

New Musicals Inc.’s:  Manson’s Girls

BEST COMEDY AWARDS (TIE)

Mackers! & The Day I Became Black

BEST DRAMA AWARD

Ain’t That America

BEST ENSEMBLE AWARD

Pervert

Robert Watkins, Nick Howard & Gabrielle Farrow

BEST ACTOR

John Braham (Red) Ain’t that America

BEST ACTRESS

Yokko (Medea) Butoh Medea

BEST DIRECTOR

Christopher Johnson – The School of Night’s Hercules Insane

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHOW

Still

THE ESSENCE OF FRINGE AWARD (tie)

Jack Benny (A Ménage En Train) & Shilo Kloko 

Awards aside, there are, still, far many more individuals whose talents deserve some note of distinction and we at TheTVolution wish the privilege of acknowledging them:

Honors to the following Productions:

Hush by Madcap Creative

Sex and the Musical by For the Love of Parody Productions

The Runaway Clone by Zaftig Inc., The Unknown Artists & Ruckus Rockwell

Echoes by Redbeard Theatre & Fringe Management LLC

Honors to the following Actors:

Jim Martyka (Hans Gruber) A Very Die Hard Christmas

Ben Hethcoat (Chris Burden) A Beast/A Burden

Matt Curtin (Allen Ginsberg) Beatniks: A New Musical

Jeff Sumner (Creep) Dracula’s Taste Test

Steven Syzdio (Abbie Hoffman)
Uncivil Correctness:
Osama Bin Laden, Joan Rivers, Abbie Hoffman

Tim Kopacz (Philip) Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk

Chris Chapman (Henry V) Henry V (And Cocktail Party)

David Garver (Trent) American Conspiracy

 Honors to the following Actresses:

Joana Knezevic (Mrs. Alving) Ghosts

Megan Rose Ruble (Susan Atkins) Manson’s Girls

Corsica Wilson (Jessica Burden) A Beast/A Burden

Tracy Leigh (Words) Easy Targets: Artists & Heroes

Pam Eberhardt (Laura) The Runaway Clone

Rachel Berman (Diane di Prima) Beatniks: A New Musical

Cyanne McCaerin (Constance Wilde) The Importance of Being Oscar

Virginia Tran (Kerri) Skin Jobs

Koni McCurdy (Birdy) Blind Spots

Melanie Holmes (Lily) Negative Spaces

 Honors to the following Performers:

Christopher Piehler – Sink or Swim

Burt Grinstead & Anna Stromberg – Dr Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Alli Miller – Craftlesque

Evan McNamara – Last Christmas

Cooper Bates – Black When I Was a Boy

Jordan Rountree – Epic Fail

Honors to the following Writers:

Mitchell Bisschop – I Can Hear You Now

Jim Vejvoda – Skin Jobs

Davia Schendel (Book, lyrics and music) – Beatniks: A New Musical

Benjamin Schwartz – American Conspiracy

Giovanni Zuniga – Pervert

John Braham –  Ain’t That America

Michael Shaw Fisher (Book, lyrics and music) – Doctor Nympho vs the Sex Zombies

Pam Eberhardt (Book, lyrics)  and Jonathan Brenner (music) – The Runaway Clone

Joe Hernandez-Kolski & Joshua Silverstein — The Joe & Joshua Show  (2018 edition)

Honors to the following Directors: 

Jonghee Woo – Ghosts

Gregory Crafts – A Very Die Hard Christmas

Branda Lock – Let There Be Thistles

Jin Blanchette – The Women of Lockerbie

Changting Lu – House of Tales

Albert Dayan – Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk

Matt Ritchey – American Conspiracy

Dan Schultz – Ain’t That America 

TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE 2018 HOLLYWOOD FRINGE
A MODEST REMINDER:

SUCCESS IS NOT GAUGED BY AWARDS
OR
THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS
BUT
BY THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ONE’S OWN EFFORTS.
CONGRATULATIONS TO FRINGERS ONE AND ALL.
LET’S DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR!

Reprinted with permission from TheTvolution.com


Stage Raw Announces its 2018 Theater Awards Nominees

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.
Stage Raw is a community funded professional journalism website that was created in response to the decline of arts coverage in local mainstream and alternative media.
A catered nominees reception and Stage Raw fundraiser party is being held at the The Skylight Theatre in Los Feliz, on Tuesday, July 24, 7 – 10 p.m. Tickets are $100 (which includes complimentary admission to the Theater Awards ceremony), in support of Stage Raw. All nominees are invited as complimentary guests of Stage Raw.
(Nominees include everybody whose name appears on the list below; all actors and understudies named in the program for all ensemble categories; all actors, understudies, directors, playwrights, stage managers, choreographers, designers and producers in the categories of Best Revival, Best Musical and Best Production; and in the category of Production Design: all producers, directors, and designers.)
The evening will include live music and performances by Burglars of Hamm; Cheray O’Neal; Padua Playwrights; and Kristina Wong.
At the nominees reception, there will also be a silent auction of drawings created for this event by Alan Mandell, Ken Sawyer, French Stewart, Vanessa Stewart, Richard Fancy, Jon Mullich, Jon Lawrence Rivera, Stephen Sachs, Simon Levy, Gary Grossman, Kristina Wong, Michael A. Shepperd, Ken Werther, David Elzer, Jaime Robledo, Leo Marks, Nike Doukas, Tom Jacobson, Kirsten Vansgness, David Melville, Jessica Hanna, Steven Stanley, Philip Littell, Mark Seldis, Katharine Noone, Tony Abatemarco, Ann Closs-Farley, Herbert Siguenza, Jules Aaron, and more.
The Awards ceremony is slated for Monday night, August 20, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles, hosted by Coeurage Theatre Company, directed by Jer Adrianne Lelliott, and celebrating the theme of “community.” Tickets are $30.
Tickets for both events can be found at Eventbrite.com/e/stage-raw-theater-awards-tickets-46961390784#tickets, or visit StageRaw.com and press the “2018 Theater Awards” tab.
The 2018 Nominees are:
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
Guillermo Cienfuegos, Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
Bjørn Johnson, King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
Bjørn Johnson, Red Speedo, Road Theatre Company
Bjørn Johnson, Stupid Kid, Road Theatre Company
Edgar Landa, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
Doug Oliphant, Br’er Cotton, Zephyr Theatre
Jones (Welsh) Talmadge, Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
VIDEO/PROJECTION DESIGN
Omolara Abode, Lyrics From Lockdown, The Actors’ Gang
Nicholas Acciani, 33 Variations, Actors Co-op
J. Walt Adamcyk and Hannah Beavers, Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
Benjamin Durham, This Land, Company of Angels
Corwin Evans, The Art Couple, Sacred Fools Theater Company
Hana Sooyeon Kim, Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Boops, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Hana Sooyeon Kim, With Love and a Major Organ, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Yee Eun Nam, Br’er Cotton, Zephyr Theatre
Tom Ontiveros, The House in Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
SOUND DESIGN
Joseph V. Calarco, The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage Theatre Company
Jeff Gardner, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
Jeff Gardner, The Hothouse, Antaeus Theatre Company
Jeff Gardner, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
Jeff Gardner, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
Christopher Moscatiello, The Devil’s Wife, The Skylight Theatre
Christopher Moscatiello, Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
John Nobori, With Love and a Major Organ, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Robert A. Ramirez, Master Class, The Garry Marshall Theatre
John Zalewski, I Carry Your Heart, Bootleg Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN
Brandon Baruch, The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage Theatre Company
John E.D. Bass, Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
Elizabeth Harper, The House In Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Elizabeth Harper and Rose Malone, With Love and a Major Organ, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Matt Richter, I’m Not A Comedian… I’m Lenny Bruce, Theatre 68
Pablo Santiago-Brandwein, Time Alone, Belle Reve Theatre Company
Andrew Schmedake, 33 Variations, Actors Co-op
Andrew Schmedake, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
Andrew Schmedake, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
COSTUME DESIGN
Wendell C. Carmichael, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
Allison Dillard, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Celebration Theatre
Christine Cover Ferro, Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
Ashphord Jackoway, Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
Terri A. Lewis, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
Linda Muggeridge, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
Michael Mullen, Fixed, Echo Theater Company
Lena Sands, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Jeff Gardner, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
Kangaroo Rat (Tim Desrosiers and Anna Bell), Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
Bernie Sirelson, Alysia Michelle James, and Elisa Rosin, Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
Surrija, The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage Theatre Company
CHOREOGRAPHY
Joel Daavid, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
Joyce Guy, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
Carolyn Katz, Daedalus’ Daughter, Bootleg Theater
Michael Marchak, Pacific Overtures, Chromolume Theatre
Jen Oundjian, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
Roman Pantoja, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Celebration Theatre
Anne-Marie Talmadge, Alina Bolshakova, Leslie Charles Roy Jr., and the NMA Ensemble, Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
MUSICAL DIRECTION
Jake Anthony, The View Upstairs, Celebration Theatre
Gina Belafonte, Lyrics From Lockdown, The Actors’ Gang
Jennifer Lin, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Celebration Theatre
Dylan Price, 33 Variations, Actors Co-op
Lyndon Pugeda, Honky Tonk Laundry, Hudson Mainstage Theatre
Dimitri Toscas, Master Class, The Gary Marshall Theatre
SET DESIGN
Nicholas Acciani, 33 Variations, Actors Co-op
Joel Daavid, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
Justin Huen, This Land, Company of Angels
John Iacovelli, Bled For The Household Truth, Rogue Machine Theatre
John Iacovelli, El Niño, Rogue Machine Theatre
John Iacovelli, King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
David Mauer, Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
Jeff McLaughlin, Stupid Kid, Road Theatre Company
Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
Victoria Tam, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Giovanni Adams, Love Is A Dirty Word, VS Theatre
Alex Alpharaoh, WET: A DACAmented Journey, Ensemble Studio Theatre L.A.
Bryonn Bain, Lyrics From Lockdown, The Actors’ Gang
Keight Leighn, (A)partment 8, The ABC Project
Ronnie Marmo, I’m Not a Comedian, I’m Lenny Bruce, Theatre 68
Tina Preston, Don’t You Ever Call My Anything But Mother, Open Fist Theatre Company
TWO PERSON PERFORMANCE
Martin Rayner & Martyn Stanbridge, Freud’s Last Session, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Misty Cotton & Bets Malone, Honky Tonk Laundry, Hudson Mainstage Theatre
Tim Cummings & Brian Henderson, The House In Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Gary Patent & Dan Via, Plunge, Son of Semele Theater
James Eckhouse & Graham Sibley, Redline, IAMA Theatre Company
Alex Hernandez & Tonya Pinkins, Time Alone, Belle Reve Theatre Company
SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE
Noel Arthur, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
Ryan Brophy, Rotterdam, The Skylight Theatre
Eduardo Fernandez-Baumann, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
Harry Groener, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
Rob Nagle, Stupid Kid, Road Theatre Company
Jeris Poindexter, Runaway Home, The Fountain Theatre
Gabriel Romero, The Madres, The Skylight Theatre
Montae Russell, King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
Desean Kevin Terry, A Streetcar Named Desire, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Adolphus Ward, King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
MALE COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Josh Clark, The Hothouse, Antaeus Theatre Company
Drew Droege, Die, Mommie, Die!, Celebration Theatre
Alex Elliott-Funk, Supper, Theatre of NOTE
Alex Fernandez, Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
Leo Marks, The Hothouse, Antaeus Theatre Company
Roman Pantoja, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Celebration Theatre
Darrett Sanders, Supper, Theatre of NOTE
Joel Scher, Supper, Theatre of NOTE
LEADING MALE PERFORMANCE
Daniel Bess, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
Benjamin Burdick, Bled For The Household Truth, Rogue Machine Theatre
Joe Hart, Stupid Kid, Road Theatre Company
Bruce Ladd, 33 Variations, Actors Co-op
Ben Martin, Walking To Buchenwald, Open Fist Theatre
Esau Pritchett, King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
Graham Sibley, Redline, IAMA Theatre Company
Adam Silver, Exit Strategy, The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Davidson/Valentini Theatre
Desean Kevin Terry, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
SUPPORTING FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Dawn Didawick, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
Emily Goss, Forever Bound, Atwater Village Theatre
Ella Joyce, King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
Ciera Payton, King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
Maya Lynne Robinson, Runaway Home, The Fountain Theatre
Maya Lynne Robinson, A Streetcar Named Desire, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Michaela Slezak,Lord of the Underworld’s Home for Unwed Mothers, The Skylight Theatre
Cheryl Umaña, This Land, Company of Angels
Karen Malina White, Runaway Home, The Fountain Theatre
Christine Woods, Cult of Love, IAMA Theatre Company
FEMALE COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Anna Lamadrid, Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Boops, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Debra Jo Rupp, The Cake, Echo Theater Company
Paige Lindsey White, With Love and a Major Organ, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
LEADING FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Corryn Cummins, Lord of the Underworld’s Home for Unwed Mothers, The Skylight Theatre
Carolyn Hennesy, Master Class, The Garry Marshall Theatre
Margarita Lamas, The Madres, The Skylight Theatre
Nan McNamara,33 Variations, Actors Co-op
Jaimi Paige, A Streetcar Named Desire, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Ashley Romans, Rotterdam, The Skylight Theatre
Camille Spirlin, Runaway Home, The Fountain Theatre
Heidi Sulzman, Bugaboo and The Silent One, The Lounge Theatre
Miranda Wynne, Rotterdam, The Skylight Theatre
ADAPTATION
Nambi E. Kelley, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
Jones (Welsh) Talmadge, Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
Mary Zimmerman, The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage Theatre Company
PLAYWRITING
Giovanni Adams, Love Is A Dirty Word, VS. Theatre
Alex Alpharaoh, WET: A DACAmented Journey, Ensemble Studio Theatre L.A.
Bekah Brunstetter, The Cake, Echo Theater Company
Alessandro Camon, Time Alone, Belle Reve Theatre Company
Bernardo Cubría, The Giant Void In My Soul, Ammunition Theatre Company
Leslye Headland, Cult of Love, IAMA Theatre Company
Jeremy J. Kamps, Runaway Home, The Fountain Theatre
Dan O’Brien, The House in Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Evangeline Ordaz, This Land, Company of Angels
Marja-Lewis Ryan, Bugaboo and the Silent One, The Lounge Theatre
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Caught, Think Tank Gallery
Daedalus’ Daughter, Bootleg Theater
King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
This Land, Company of Angels
Time Alone, Belle Reve Theatre Company
With Love and a Major Organ, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
COMEDY ENSEMBLE
Bad Jews, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
The Cake, Echo Theater Company
Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Boops, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
El Niño, Rogue Machine Theatre
The Giant Void In My Soul, Ammunition Theatre Company
The Hothouse, Antaeus Theatre Company
Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
Supper, Theatre of NOTE
With Love and a Major Organ, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
ENSEMBLE
33 Variations, Actors Co-op
Exit Strategy, The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Davidson/Valentini Theatre
King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
Pacific Overtures, Chromolume Theatre
Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, Greenway Court Theatre
Runaway Home, The Fountain Theatre
The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage Theatre Company
COMEDY DIRECTION
Lindsay Allbaugh, Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Boops, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Jennifer Chambers, The Cake, Echo Theater Company
Guillermo Cienfuegos, Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
Lisa James, El Niño, Rogue Machine Theatre
Jessica Kubzansky, With Love and a Major Organ, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Dana Resnick, Bad Jews, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Felix Solís, The Giant Void In My Soul, Ammunition Theatre Company
DIRECTION
Andi Chapman, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
Gregg T. Daniel, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, Caught, Think Tank Gallery
Carol Katz, Daedalus’ Daughter, Bootleg Theater
Thomas James O’Leary, 33 Variations, Actors Co-op
Robert Mandel, Freud’s Last Session, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Michael Michetti, A Streetcar Named Desire, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
Jaime Robledo, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
Michael A. Shepperd,Rotterdam, The Skylight Theatre
Annie Tippe, Cult of Love, IAMA Theatre Company
MUSICAL OF THE YEAR
Dessa Rose, Chromolume Theatre
Pacific Overtures, Chromolume Theatre
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Celebration Theatre
REVIVAL OF THE YEAR
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus Theatre Company
King Hedley II, The Matrix Theatre
Les Blancs, Rogue Machine Theatre
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, After Hours Theatre Company
Rhinoceros, Pacific Resident Theater
A Streetcar Named Desire, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
Caught, Think Tank Gallery
The House in Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Sacred Fools Theater
Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company
Rotterdam, The Skylight Theatre
Runaway Home, The Fountain Theatre
The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage Theatre Company
This Land, Company of Angels
Time Alone, Belle Reve Theatre Company
QUEEN OF THE ANGELS
Dolores Chavez
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Norman Lloyd


Awards, Interviews, Trigger Warnings, the Middle-Aged Female Voice, and More Local, National, and International News to Inspire, to Stir, and to Entertain

LOCAL

The Better Lemons Fringe Awards

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THESE WINNERS who have registered their shows on Better Lemons and encouraged audiences and critics to voice their opinion about their show, regardless of the outcome, and to those who submitted all the reviews from online publications! read more here

The Blank Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director Daniel Henning Named a 2018 Pride Honoree by California Legislative LGBT Caucus

Daniel Henning, the Founding Artistic Director of Hollywood’s Blank Theatre, has been named a 2018 Pride honoree by the California Legislative LGBT Caucus. A special floor ceremony was held on June 18 during the California State Assembly floor session in Sacramento. Honorees were presented with resolutions in commemoration of their accomplishments and contributions to the LGBT community. read more here

Audio Interview: The cast of “The Blade of Jealousy” at Whitefire Theatre by Ashton Marcus

Dashing Melchor moves to Los Angeles to court his online dating connection but unexpectedly falls in love with a mysterious veiled lady (Magdalena), and she with him. He later meets her sans veil but is unimpressed, thus igniting Magdalena’s jealousy–of herself! A madcap comedy of disguise and deception, Henry Ong’s modern take on a 17th century Spanish play is surprisingly relevant today, in light of society’s obsession with outward beauty and how it relates to self-worth. listen to the podcast here

AUDITION: She Loves Me

Set in a 1930s European perfumery, we meet shop clerks, Amalia and Georg, who, more often than not, don’t see eye to eye. After both respond to a “lonely hearts advertisement” in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters that they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown. Join Amalia and Georg to discover the identity of their true loves… and of all the twists and turns along the way! get the breakdown here

Audio Interview: The cast of “THEIR FINEST HOUR: CHURCHILL AND MURROW” at Write Act Rep’s Brickhouse Theatre by Ashton Marcus

This full-length play sheds light on the unique relationship between Winston Churchill and Edward R. Murrow during the early years of WW II when England was under attack by Hitlers air-force. Murrow, who was covering the war for CBS Radio News, not only became friendly with Churchill, but had a passionate and adulterous love affair with the Prime Ministers daughter-in-law. listen to the podcast here

A Conversation with June Carryl by Roger Q Mason

I met June Carryl back in 2010 when the two of us were participants in Directors’ Lab West. Her ideas about theatre mesmerized me because of their narrative specificity and rootedness in sound dramaturgical practices. In 2011, June was part of my playwright renaissance: I’d taken about 3 years off of writing in order to find out why I still told stories through this medium. When Son of SemeleTheatre invited me to present my play ONION CREEK, an Adam and Eve tale set in rural Texas, I immediately called June because she was an exciting theatrical mind whom I knew would direct the HELL out of that piece. My instinct was right – her work on the show was wonderful. But more importantly, I learned that she was a fellow writer, and her mentorship of my creative development process (as a burgeoning post undergrad finding his way in LA’s theatre scene) helped mold the writer I am today. read more here

Audio Interview: The cast of “The Foreigner” at Little Fish Theatre

Charlie, a pathologically shy Englishman, accompanies his friend Froggy on a trip to rural Georgia. Charlie is overcome with fear at the thought of having to make small talk with strangers, so Froggy informs the locals that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. From the author of The Nerd comes another sidesplitting and heart warming comedy brimming with misunderstanding and mischief. “one comic surprise after another.” — THE NEW YORKER listen to the podcast here

Audio Interview: The cast of “The 39 Steps” at International City Theatre

The 39 Steps — Hitchcock meets hilarious in this fast-paced comedy mystery thriller for anyone who loves the magic of theater. Train chases, plummeting planes and old-fashioned romance lead to a death-defying finale as a cast of four actors breathlessly reenacts hundreds of characters, locations and famous scenes from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film of the same name. Winner of the 2007 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and the 2008 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. listen to the podcast here

A White House without art

This White House has been, and is likely to remain, home to the first presidency in American history that is almost completely devoid of culture. In the 17 months that Donald Trump has been in office, he has hosted only a few artists of any kind. One was the gun fetishist Ted Nugent. Another was Kid Rock. They went together (and with Sarah Palin). Neither performed. read more here

Fountain intern Saif Saigol is passionate about theatre and social activism

Hello Fountain community! My name is Saif Saigol and I am the new Development Intern at The Fountain Theatre this summer.

A little bit about me: I am an Indian-Pakistani-Canadian raised in Montreal, Quebec. I came to the US in 2012 to pursue my high school studies at a boarding school in Connecticut. Currently, I’m an undergrad student with a Music Major and Gender & Sexuality Studies Sequence, and I’ll be graduating from Claremont McKenna College next Spring, in 2019. Music, theater, and all performing arts are my passion and source of comfort in life. As a performer, I’ve trained classically as a vocalist for 6 years, and specialize in the Lied and operatic traditions. I’m also a proud member of the Claremont Shades, a co-ed a cappella group of the Claremont Colleges. read more here

2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards Announced

The fourth annual Stage Raw Theater Awards – celebrating the best work in L.A.’s intimate theater scene as determined by StageRaw’s jury of critics will take place on Monday night, August 20, 2018 at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. read more here

Bringing boring theatre to the masses

We’re into the thick of the summer theatre season, so lets see what’s on offer down the road at Stratford.

The cover of this year’s Stratford Festival playbill features “The Music Man.” And you can’t help but notice the title role of Harold Hill, the shyster who bamboozles the 1912 white-bread midwestern town of River City is, unconventionally, played by a black actor. read more here

NATIONAL

At One California High School, Gender Neutral & Color Conscious Casting in “1776”

The musical 1776 has been a favorite of my family’s for decades, but I never considered it for my high school’s annual musical until I realized the opportunity that lay in gender-neutral, as well as color conscious, casting. read more here

14 Theatre Stars to See on the Big Screen This Summer

Catch stage favorites Daveed Diggs, Brian Tyree Henry, Carrie Coon, and more at the movies.

Whether you’re a Hamilfan who’s been waiting with bated breath for Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal’s lauded film Blindspotting, or you’ve been looking for a romantic comedy starring your stage favorites, here are 14 stage stars taking their talents to the big screen from now until Labor Day. read more here

‘I’m determined to leave this landscape in better condition than when I found it,’ writes theatre-maker Mish Grigor. Photograph: Caiaimage/Martin Barraud/Getty Images

Theatre shuts out the working class. I’m devastated to think of the voices silenced

Middle-class stories about middle-class problems continue to dominate the stage. That needs to change

In 2015, I made a theatre show, The Talk, about my working class family and their working class sex lives. I interviewed them about their sexual histories, and edited their stories into verbatim scenes that I get audiences to read. read more here

INTERNATIONAL

Dame Gillian Lynne obituary

Choreographer and dancer who breathed new life into musical theatre with the hit shows Cats and The Phantom of the Opera

Since the 1970s, British musical theatre has boasted a professionalism and audacity once thought exclusive to Broadway. Much of the credit, entrepreneurial and creative, has gone to Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber, but an equally vital force was the choreographer, director and dancer Gillian Lynne, who has died aged 92. She pioneered a striking fusion of ballet, jazz and vaudeville dance, most famously in Cats (1981). read more here

Theatre binge-watching: how long could you sit in a theatre?

Another two-part stage play has opened in the West End, just down the road from the Harry Potter double bill. But how long could you sit in a theatre – and is theatrical binge-watching here to stay?

Seven hours is a long time to sit anywhere, not least in a West End theatre with limited legroom. read more here

A theatre experience for babies, performed in a tent

You’ve heard the one about the bull in the china shop, but what about the crowd of babies in the theatre?

A trio of Christchurch women have launched a theatre company offering shows aimed at babies and toddlers.

Cubbin Theatre Company’s first show Up and Away opens on July 3 in the Isaac Theatre Royal’s Gloucester Room. read more here

Edgy theatre content sparks off-stage debate about trigger warnings

New audience advisories warn of specific plot points that could trigger emotional trauma

If you want to trigger a strong response from theatre folk, ask them how they feel about trigger warnings: The debate about if and when to use them has the theatre community deeply divided.

These new type of audience advisories warn of specific plot points that may provoke psychological trauma in some audience members. read more here

Playwright Charlotte Jones: ‘The middle-aged female voice is not heard enough in theatre

After a string of early hits, Charlotte Jones abandoned stage writing for TV, radio and film. Now returning to theatre with The Meeting, she tells Holly Williams how women writers are still marginalised in the industry

A pacifist, Quaker community during the Napoleonic wars may not be the obvious setting for a thriller or passionate love story. But Charlotte Jones is a playwright used to pulling off unusual juxtapositions and her first play in seven years, The Meeting, brings together all those elements. read more here

A view of the Globe Theatre, Bankside, London circa 1600, the first Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s playing company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men but was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by June 1614. (Photo by Epics/Getty Images)

The Globe theatre fire of 1613: when Shakespeare’s playhouse burned down

On 29 June 1613, the original Globe theatre in London, where most of William Shakespeare’s plays debuted, was destroyed by fire during a performance of All is True (known to modern audiences asHenry VIII). But what caused the fire and when was the new Globe theatre rebuilt? read more here

A history of theatre in 30 quotations: ‘Acting’s just waiting for the custard pie’ by The Irish Times

‘Beckett is a confidence trick perpetuated on the 20th century by a theatre-hating God’ read more here


The Eighth Annual Eddon Awards

The Best of LA Theatre for 2017 by Don Grigware

There are undoubtedly other productions worthy of merit in 2017 which I did not cover. This list is based solely on what I saw and reviewed.

  • Alphabetical listings; Equity, Equity-waiver & Non-Equity productions are mixed
  • Artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories
  • No set, costume, technical awards. I leave those to the bigger awards and to the expertise of those who really know those fields inside out.
  • Don’t take these choices too seriously. After all, it’s just one man’s opinions.
  • This year I have trimmed down categories to include a smaller number of winners in each. I have also separated plays and performances into Large Space and Small Space.

BEST PRODUCTION in a Large Space

Hamilton – Pantages Theatre
The Red Shoes – Ahmanson Theatre
Something Rotten – Ahmanson Theatre
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time – Ahmanson Theatre
Head of Passes – Mark Taper Forum (MTF)
Heisenberg – MTF
Oklahoma – 3D Theatricals
Kiss of the Spider Woman – Welk Resorts Theatre. Escondido
Cagney – Debbie Reynolds Mainstage at the El Portal
Driving Miss Daisy – Colony

BEST PERFORMANCE – Large Space

Ensemble – Pantages Theatre
Carmen Cusack – Bright Star, Ahmanson Theatre
Phylicia Rashad – Head of Passes
Mary Louise Parker/Denis Arndt – Heisenberg
Ensemble – Oklahoma
Richard Bermudez, Jeffrey Scott Parsons, Natalie Nucci – Kiss of the Spider Woman
Robert Creighton and Ensemble – Cagney
Donna Mills and Ensemble – Driving Miss Daisy
Tyne Daly/Robert Forrester – Chasing Mem’ries, Geffen Playhouse
Al Pacino, Judith Light, Miles Gaston Villanueva – God Looked Away – Pasadena Playhouse
LaChanze – Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Carly Bracco – Peter Pan – Cabrillo Music Theatre

BEST DIRECTOR – Large Space

Thomas Kail – Hamilton
Andy Blankenbuehler – choreographer

BEST PRODUCTION in a Small Space

Lost in Yonkers – Group rep
Stupid Kid – The Road Theatre Company
Separate Tables – Theatre 40
The Man Who Came to Dinner – Actors Co-op
The 39 Steps – Actors Co-op
Frida: Stroke of Passion – Macha Theatre

BEST PERFORMANCE – Small Space

Bennett Saltzman, Roslyn Cohn, Loraine Shields – Lost in Yonkers
Taylor Gilbert and Rob Nagle & Ensemble – Stupid Kid
Roslyn Cohn and Diana Angelina – Separate Tables
Ensemble – Man Who Came to Dinner/39 Steps
Odalys Nanin – Frida: Stroke of Passion

BEST DIRECTOR – Small Space

Cameron Watson – Stupid Kid

BEST NEW PRODUCTION

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical – La Jolla Playhouse

UNIQUE or SPECIAL EVENTS

An Evening of Classic Broadway – Rockwell Table and Stage
Freddy – LA City College in association with the Fountain Theatre
An Evening with Debbie Reynolds – El Portal Mainstage

BEST CABARET/CONCERT ARTIST: MALE

James Snyder – Soliloquy – Catalina Jazz Club
Levi Kreis – Broadway at the Keys – LGBT Center
Robert Yacko – Sterling’s Upstairs at the Federal

BEST CABARET/CONCERT ARTIST: FEMALE

Kay Cole – Souvenir – Sterling’s Upstairs at the Federal
Donna McKechnie – Same Place, Another Time – Catalina Jazz Club
Jean Louisa Kelly – For My Folks – Sterling’s Upstairs at the Federal

BEST CDs

Lyn Stanley – The Moonlight Sessions
Levi Kreis – Broadway at the Keys
Robyn Spangler – Something Cool, The Billy Barnes Sessions
Calabria Foti – In the Still of the Night
Rebecca Spencer – Still, Still, Still


Annual Ticket Holder Awards 2017 Part II

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY
Desean Kevin Terry, LES BLANCS, Rogue Machine
RUNNERS-UP: Jim Abele, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse; Denis Arndt, Heisenberg, Taper; Tim Cummings, The House in Scarsdale, Boston Court; Bo Foxworth, Building the Wall, Fountain; Edward Gero, The Originalist, Pasadena Playhouse; Russell Harvard, At Home at the Zoo, Wallis; Brian Henderson, The House in Scarsdale, Boston Court; Troy Kotsur, At Home at the Zoo, Wallis; Eric Larson, Blackbird, Grove Theater Center; Ross Phillips, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus; Augustus Prew, The Pride, Wallis; Nick Salamone, Billy Boy, Playwrights’ Arena; Stephen Stocking, Archduke, CTG/Taper
BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Charlotte Gulezian, Blackbird, Los Angeles LGBT Center
RUNNERS-UP: Kimberly Alexander, Resolving Hedda, Victory; K Callan, Pie in the Sky, Victory; Jessica Collins, The Pride, Wallis; Addie Daddio, The Lost Child, Skylight; Ros Gentle, Grey Nomad, Australian Theatre Company; Candace Hammer, Blackbird, Grove Theater Center; Mary-Louise Parker, Heisenberg, Taper; Phylicia Rashad, Head of Passes, CTG/Taper; Maya Lynne Robinson, Runaway Home, Fountain; Ashley Romans, Rotterdam, Skylight; Debra Jo Rupp, The Cake, Echo; Sammi Smith, Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight, Coeurage; Rachel Sorsa, Billy Boy, Playwrights’ Arena; Sandy Velasco, Nicky, Coeurage; Caro Zeller, The Devil’s Wife, Skylight
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Garen Scribner, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, Pantages
RUNNERS-UP: Demian Bichir, Zoot Suit, CTG/Taper; Rob McClure, Something Rotten!, CTG/Ahmanson; A.J. Shively, Bright Star, CTG/Ahmanson; Matt Walker, How the Princh Stole Christmas!, Troubies
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Deedee Magno Hall, NEXT TO NORMAL, East West Players
RUNNERS-UP: Misty Cotton, Honky Tonk Laundry, Hudson; Carmen Cusack, Bright Star, Ahmanson; Sara Esty, An American in Paris, Pantages; Beth Kennedy, How the Princh Stole Christmas!, Troubies; Susan Kohler, Jacques Brel is…, Odyssey; Bets Malone, Honky Tonk Laundry, Hudson; Ashley Shaw, The Red Shoes, CTG/Ahmanson
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Harry Groener, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Antaeus
RUNNERS-UP: Amir Abdullah, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine; Josiah Bania, Archduke, CTG/Taper; Will Bradley, Walking to Buchenwald, Open Fist; Ryan Brophy, Rotterdam, Skylight; Aric Floyd, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine; Ben Martin, Walking to Buchenwald, Open Fist; Jeris Poindexter, Runaway Home, Fountain; Leon Russom, The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage; Dylan Saunders, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse; Matthew Wilkas, The Pride, Wallis
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Dawn Didawick, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Antaeus
RUNNERS-UP: Amiellynn Abellera, Walking to Buchenwald, Open Fist; Alana Arenas, Head of Passes, Taper; Anne Gee Byrd, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine; Sarah Hollis, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse; Laura James, Walking to Buchenwald, Open Fist; Joanne McGee, Archduke, CTG/Taper; Katie Pelensky, The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage; Jocelyn Towne, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus; JoBeth Williams, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecological Oncology Unit at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City, Geffen Playhouse
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Blake Hammond, SOMETHING ROTTEN!, CTG, Ahmanson
RUNNERS-UP: Rick Batalla, How the Princh Stole Christmas!, Troubies; Etai Benson, An American in Paris, Pantages; Jeff Blumenkrantz, Bright Star, Ahmanson; Scott Cote, Something Rotten!, CTG/Ahmanson; Tom Hewitt, Finding Neverland, Pantages; Liam Mower, The Red Shoes, CTG/Ahmanson; Darick Pead, Into the Woods, Ahmanson; Nick Spangler, An American in Paris, Pantages
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Abby Corrigan, FUN HOME, CTG, Ahmanson
RUNNERS-UP: Isa Briones, Next to Normal, East West Players; Emily Ferranti, An American in Paris, Pantages; Maggie Lakis, Something Rotten!, CTG/Ahmanson; Karen Murphy, Finding Neverland, Pantages; Gayton Scott, An American in Paris, Pantages
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A PLAY
Allison Blaize, Taylor Gilbert, Michelle Gillette, Joe Hart, Rob Nagle, Ben Theobald, STUPID KID, Road Theatre Company
RUNNERS-UP: Alan Abelew, Michael Antosy, Ron Bottitta, Jacque Lynn Colton, Sheelagh Cullen, Darius De La Cruz, Alex Elliott-Funk, Mat Hayes, Gera Hermann, Liesel Kopp, Yusef Lambert, J.B. Waterman; Arsenic and Old Lace, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Brian Robert Burns, Francesca Choy-Kee, Gene Gillette, Josephine Hall, John Hemphill, Robyn Kerr, Adam Langdon, Felicity Jones Latta, Kathy McCafferty, Tim McKiernan, J. Paul Nicholas, Maria Elena Ramirez, Geoffrey Wade, Benjamin Wheelwright Amelia White, Tim Wright; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Andrew Carter, Tom DeTrinis, Drew Droege, Julanne Chidi Hill, Nathan Mohebbi, Gina Torrecilla, Pat Towne; Die, Mommy, Die!, Celebration Theatre
Natali Anna, Kristin Couture, Max Lloyd-Jones, Kevin Matthew Reyes, Nagham Wehbe, Cynthia Yelle; Kiss, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Michael Chieffo, Yvette Cason, Jeff Gardner, Peri Gilpin, Beth Grant, Ryan Johnson, Alfred Molina, Larry Poindexter, Jim Rash, Ceilia Witt; Miracle on 34th Street, Pasadena Playhouse
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A MUSICAL
Pierre Adeli, Adam Bennett, Julia Finch, Lee Margaret Hansen, Adam Jefferis, Dora Kiss, Joshua R. Lamont, Will McFadden, Mary Eileen O’Donnell, Stephanie Pinnock, Cihan Sahin, Bob Turton, Guebri VanOver, Miroslav Vejnovic, Sabra Williams, Paulette Zubata; HARLEQUINO: ON TO FREEDOM, Actors Gang
RUNNERS-UP: Robert Petkoff, Susan Moniz, Kate Shindle, Abby Corrigan, Alessandra Baldacchino, Carly Gold, Karen Eilbacher, Robert Hager, Lennon Nate Hammond, Pierson Salvador; Fun Home, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
Lucy Anders, Kyle Nicholas Anderson, Kate Bailey, Daniel Beeman, Brandon Bieber, Mandie Black, Jeff Brooks, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Ian Campayno, Pierce Cassedy, Scott Cote, Drew Franklin, Josh Grisetti, Blake Hammond, Cameron Hobbs, Autumn Hurlbert, Maggie Lakis, Rob McClure, Ralph Meitzler, Patrick John Moran, Joel Newsome, Con O’Shea-Creal, Adam Pascal, Kaylin Seckel, Sarah Quinn Taylor, Tonya Thompson and Emily Trumble; Something Rotten!, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR 2017
Paris Fitzpatrick, MATTHEW BOURNE’S EARLY ADVENTURES, Wallis Annenberg Center
RUNNERS-UP: Jordan Cole, Finn Faulconer, Mitchell Wray, Ben Krieger, Finding Neverland, Pantages; Adam Langdon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, CTG, Ahmanson; Gavin Lewis, The Heart of Robin Hood, Wallis
BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE
Kirsten Vangsness, MESS, Theatre of NOTE
RUNNERS-UP: Hershey Felder, Our Great Tchaikovsky, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion, Geffen Playhouse
BEST CABARET/CONCERT PERFORMANCE
Levi Kreis, BROADWAY AT THE KEYS, LA LGBT Center
Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS, LA LGBT Center
BEST ONSTAGE ORGASM… EVER
Maya Lynne Robinson, FUTURE SEX, INC., Lounge Theatre
RUNNERS-UP: No one even close.
BEST PLAYWRIGHT
Guillermo Calderon, Kiss, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Tim Robbins, Harlequino: On to Freedom, Actors Gang
RUNNERS-UP: Mike Bartlett, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse; Jon Brittain, Rotterdam, Skylight; Bekah Brunstetter, The Cake, Echo; Alexi Kaye Campbell, The Pride, Wallis; Hally Feiffer, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecological Oncology Unit at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City, Geffen Playhouse; Lauren Gunderson, Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight, Coeurage; Tom Jacobson, Walking to Buchenwald, Open Fist; Rajiv Joseph, Archduke, CTG/Taper; Dan O’Brien, The House in Scarsdale, Boston Court; Nick Salamone, Billy Boy, Playwrights’ Arena; Simon Stephens, Heisenberg, Taper; Sharr White, Stupid Kid, Road
BEST ADAPTATION OR TRANSLATION
Lisa Kron, Fun Home, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
RUNNERS-UP: Boni B. Alvarez, Nicky, Coeurage; Matthew Bourne, The Red Shoes, CTG/Ahmanson; David Farr, The Heart of Robin Hood, Wallis; James Graham, Finding Neverland, Pantages; John Klein, Resolving Hedda, Victory; Simon Stephens, The Curious Incident…, CTG/Ahmanson; Craig Lucas, An American in Paris, Pantages
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Michael Arden, The Pride, Wallis Annenberg Center
RUNNERS-UP: Ryan Bergmann, Die, Mommy, Die!, Celebration; Gregg T. Daniel, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine; Bart DeLorenzo, Kiss, Odyssey; Elina De Santos, Arsenic and Old Lace, Odyssey; Julianne Donelle, Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight, Coeurage; Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident…, CTG/Ahmanson; Dave Fofi, Lone Star, Zephyr; Maria Gobetti, Resolving Hedda, Victory; Michael Kearns, Shades of Disclosure, Skylight; Jeremy Adrianne Lelliott, Blackbird, Grove Theater Center; Beth Lopes, Nicky, Coeurage; Michael Michetti, The House in Scarsdale, Boston Court; Michael Michetti, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse; Jon Lawrence Rivera, Billy Boy, Playwrights’ Arena; Giovanna Sasdelli, Archduke, CTG/Taper; Michael A. Shepperd, Rotterdam, Skylight; Anna Stromberg, Blackbird, Los Angeles LGBT Center; Cameron Watson, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus; Cameron Watson, Stupid Kid, Road
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Sam Gold, Fun Home, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
RUNNERS-UP: Walter Bobbie, Bright Star, Ahmanson; Noah Brody and Ben Steinfeld, Into the Woods, Ahmanson; Dan Fishbach, Jacques Brel is…, Odyssey; Nancy Keystone, Next to Normal, East West Players; Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!, CTG/Ahmanson; Diane Paulus, Finding Neverland, Pantages; Tim Robbins, Harlequino: On to Freedom, Actors Gang; Kiff Scholl, Future Sex, Inc., Lounge; Luis Valdez, Zoot Suit, CTG/Taper
BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, Fun Home, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
RUNNERS-UP: Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy, Finding Neverland, Pantages; Peter Bayne, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse; Simon Carpentier, Luzia, Cirque du Soleil; Salka Sol Eyfeld, The Heart of Robin Hood, Wallis; Lalo Guerrero, Zoot Suit, CTG/Taper; Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, Something Rotten!, Ahmanson; Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star, Ahmanson; Tim Robbins, Harlequino: On to Freedom, Actors Gang
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION
Micah Young, Fun Home, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
RUNNERS-UP: Anthony DeAngelis, Bright Star, Ahmanson; Brian P. Kennedy, Something Rotten!, Ahmanson; Anthony Lucca, Jacques Brel is…, Odyssey; Marc Macalintal, Next to Normal, East West Players; Evan Rees, Into the Woods, Ahmanson; David Robbins, Harlequino: On to Freedom, Actors Gang; David Andrews Rogers, An American in Paris, Pantages; Daniel Valdez, Zoot Suit, CTG/Taper
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Matthew Bourne, Matthew Bourne’s Early Adventures, Wallis Annenberg Center
Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris, Pantages Theatre
RUNNERS-UP: Imani Alexander and Dara Weinberg, Jacques Brel is…, Odyssey; Matthew Bourne, The Red Shoes, CTG/Ahmanson; Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, The Curious Incident…, CTG/Ahmanson; Joyce Guy, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine; Mia Michaels, Finding Neverland, Pantages; Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!, Ahmanson; Maria Torres, Zoot Suit, CTG/Taper
BEST SET DESIGN
Steven C. Kemp, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus
RUNNERS UP: Michael Arden, The Pride, Wallis; Lez Brotherston, The Red Shoes, CTG/Ahmanson; Bunni Christie, The Curious Incident…, CTG/Ahmanson; Bob Crowley, An American in Paris, Pantages; Bruce Goodrich, Arsenic and Old Lace, Odyssey; Benoit Guerin, Nicky, Coeurage; Jeff McLaughlin, Stupid Kid, Road; G. W. Mercier, Head of Passes, Taper; Karyl Newman, At Home at the Zoo, Wallis; David Zinn, Fun Home, CTG, Ahmanson
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Ann Closs-Farley, Zoot Suit, CTG/Taper
RUNNERS-UP: Gregg Barnes, Something Rotten!, Ahmanson; Lez Brotherston, The Red Shoes, CTG/Ahmanson; Giovanna Buzzi, Luzia, Cirque du Soleil; Wendell C. Carmichael, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine; Bob Crowley, An American in Paris, Pantages; Allison Dillard, Die, Mommy, Die!, Celebration; Alex Jaeger, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse; Suttirat Anne Larlarb, Finding Neverland, Pantages; Terri A. Lewis, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus; Amanda Martin, Arsenic and Old Lace, Odyssey; Danae Iris McQueen, The Pride, Wallis; Halei Parker, How the Princh Stole Christmas!, Troubies; Sarah Figoten Wilson, The Devil’s Wife, Skylight
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Travis Hagenbuch, The Pride, Wallis Annenberg Center
RUNNERS-UP: William Adachek, Jacques Brel is…, Odyssey; Christopher Akerlind, Into the Woods, Ahmanson; Paule Constable, The Red Shoes, CTG/Ahmanson; Jeff Croiter, Something Rotten!, Ahmanson; Natasha Katz, An American in Paris, Pantages; Karyn D. Lawrence, Next to Normal, East West Players; Kenneth Posner, Finding Neverland, Pantages; Pablo Santiago, Zoot Suit, CTG/Taper; Jared A. Sayeg, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Jeff Gardner, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Antaeus
Jeff Gardner, Les Blancs, Rogue Machine
RUNNERS-UP: Peter Bayne, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse; Joseph V. Calarco, Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight, Coeurage; Joseph V. Calarco, The Secret in the Wings, Coeurage; Ian Dickinson, The Curious Incident…, CTG/Ahmanson; Paul Groothuis, The Red Shoes, CTG/Ahmanson; Kai Harada, Fun Home, CTG, Ahmanson; Peter Hylenski, Something Rotten!, Ahmanson; Rebecca Kessin, Die, Mommy, Die!, Celebration; John Nobori, The House in Scarsdale, Boston Court; Joshua D. Reid, The Pride, Wallis; Jon Weston, An American in Paris, Pantages
BEST STUNT / FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
Joe Bostic, The Heart of Robin Hood, Wallis Annenberg Center
RUNNERS-UP: Bjorn Johnson, Stupid Kid, Road; Mike Mahaffey, The Devil’s Wife, Skylight
BEST CGI / VIDEO DESIGN
Jon Driscoll, Finding Neverland, Pantages Theatre
59 Productions, An American in Paris, Pantages Theatre
RUNNERS-UP: Christopher Ash, Our Great Tchaikovsky, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; Tom Ontiveros, The House in Scarsdale, Boston Court; Finn Ross, The Curious Incident…, CTG/Ahmanson; Hana Sooyeon Kim, Miracle on 34th Street, Pasadena Playhouse; Jason H. Thompson, Liana and Ben, Circle X at Atwater Village
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Max Humphries, Puppet Design, Luzia, Cirque du Soleil, Dodger Stadium
April Metcalf, Wig and Hair Design, King Charles III, Pasadena Playhouse
Erhard Stiefel, Mask Design, Harlequino: On to Freedom, Actors Gang
MOST ABUSED STAGEHAND OF 2017
Sean Spencer, RESOLVING HEDDA, Victory Theatre Center


Annual Ticket Holder Awards 2017 Part I

As I begin the first year of my fourth decade obsessing over such an unprofitable madness as supporting, defending, and creating art in a town where such noble efforts are hardly appreciated at all, I humbly offer, for the 26th time, my choices for the best work done this year in our poor maligned desert climes by our stalwart little theatrical community despite everything we do and why we do it being thwarted and dismantled by a union with which I was affiliated for six-and-a-half decades. For many years, at the end of every bio, I would proclaim to be a “proud member of Actors Equity Association.” Now, I’m about as proud of AEA as Meryl Streep must be watching the clip of her awards speech referring to Harvey Weinstein as a god.

So, it seems to have been the Year of the Director in El Lay, if my awards reflect the season and the small percentage of shows any reviewer here can possibly devour. So many amazing creations, such an abundance of talent energizing our stages in 2017 despite AEA’s greed-based efforts to stifle our voices.

You’ll notice the elephant in the room right away, I’ll bet–or should I say Founding Father Not in the House. In the Troubie’s hilariously topical How the Princh Stole Christmas, creator Matt Walker’s tiny-handed humbuggy purple title character first notes that the rhyming in their reinvented Prince lyrics sounds like the score from Hamilton, but than he tosses that comparison aside with, “Why are we referencing Hamilton when nobody’s seen it?”

From everything I’ve heard or listened to, I’m purdy durn sure Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical phenomenon would indeed be high on my list of winners this year but, yes, despite the long-running engagement here at the Pantages this year, I haven’t seen it either. The producers decided besides the Times and the Daily News, they didn’t need the B-list press to sell their massive hit show, I guess, cuzzin’ I tweren’t invited and I’m way too cheap–or spoiled after 31 comped years as a reviewer–to pay $500 to $1,500 a ticket to see anything except the live execution of Donald Trump on CNN.

So I guess I’ll wait until it returns here next time when us secondary critics will be invited. Shit, at age 71, it gives me something to live for, ya know?

My 26th annual TicketHolder Awards are now posted on my TicketHoldersLA website in two parts. You can read it below and click on my site for more photos.

PART ONE

BEST PRODUCTION of 2017
1. STUPID KID, Road Theatre Company
2. THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
3. LES BLANCS, Rogue Machine at the Met
4. THE HOUSE IN SCARSDALE, Boston Court Performing Arts Center
5. THE PRIDE, Wallis Annenburg Center for the Performing Arts
6. ROTTERDAM, Skylight Theatre Company
7. KING CHARLES III, Pasadena Playhouse
8. KISS, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
9. WALKING TO BUCHENWALD, Open Fist Theatre Company
10. NICKY, Coeurage Theatre Company

RUNNERS-UP: Archduke, CTG/Mark Taper Forum; At Home at the Zoo, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; Billy Boy, Playwrights’ Arena at Atwater Village Theatre; Blackbird, Grove Theater Center; Blackbird, LA LGBT Center; The Cake, Echo Theatre Company; Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight, Coeurage Theatre Company; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecological Oncology Unit at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City, Geffen Playhouse; Resolving Hedda, Victory Theatre Center

BEST REVIVAL PRODUCTION OF 2017
1. CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Antaeus Theatre Company
2. NEXT TO NORMAL, East West Players
3. DIE, MOMMIE, DIE!, Celebration Theatre
4. ZOOT SUIT, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum
5. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF 2017
1. FUN HOME, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
2. SOMETHING ROTTEN!, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
3. HARLEQUINO: ON TO FREEDOM!, Actors Gang
4. MATTHEW BOURNE’S EARLY ADVENTURES, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
5. THE RED SHOES, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
6. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, Pantages Theatre
7. BRIGHT STAR, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
8. FINDING NEVERLAND, Pantages Theatre
9. HOW THE PRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, Troubadour Theatre Company
10. OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

SPECIAL EVENTS AND PERFORMANCES
LUZIA, Cirque du Soleil at Dodger Stadium
MIRACLE ON 34th STREET: A LIVE RADIO PLAY, Pasadena Playhouse


Is the Hollywood Fringe really ‘fringe’?…. by a Disheartened Fringe Participant

I wrote, directed, and performed in a show in the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival, and I came away rather disheartened.
At first, I thought that this was completely my fault. I went straight to the drawing board to assess where I went wrong; marketing? Price? Budgeting? What was it that led me to have a rather unsuccesful brief run?
I’m not an egomaniac, but I am very confident in my abilities as an artist, and I strongly believe my product was of a high standard. I had industry professionals, some with decades of theater and acting experience under their belt, come and assess (brutally, honestly) my show. Yet all the feedback, and everyone who came to the show, was very positive…
In fact, people were really impressed. It was, according to many, the bravest and best original piece of theatre they had seen in a long time, and one of the best on offer at the festival (this also coming from other festival artitsts and theatre staff).
So, if the product was at a good standard, what happened?
Ticket sales were low. Very low… I mean, one evening, I had 6 people in the audience (including my usher, mother, and roommate).  Probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my career.
I had a pretty small budget, but I ran ads on the Fringe website, put flyers in all the places we could put flyers, and put the word out on social media and through all available channels. I followed the ‘marketing advice’ completely.  Maybe I could have done better with marketing, I guess, but I don’t think I did terribly either.
What I noticed was that all the shows with lines out doors, and coincidentally, all the shows that won awards, were artists returning with the same company and building off success of previous years. The ‘popular kids’ of the fringe had an advantage and I guess, rightly so.
It just doesn’t sit well with me that as I watched the same people getting up to accept awards, I couldn’t help but feel that this establishment who was trying to be so ‘un-Hollywood’ , was in fact, very ‘Hollywood’.  It was a glorified popularity contest. The best show was probably not going to the best show, but in fact, just the most popular show.
Doesn’t this contradict what the term ‘fringe’ means??…
In my experience, going to a “fringe” theatre festival is about going to the most obscure, international, and weird pieces of theatre. The more unknown the piece, the better. That’s fringe. Not the piece that has a big budget because of success from last year’s show. Those people should be working to get their pieces in a proper theatre season at a proper theatre and ‘graduating’ to be the ‘adults’ of the theatre world.
I had moderate ‘success’. I had an extension, producers award, and an audience critic award from an established (independent) review site. But to be honest, there were half a dozen awards at the ceremony that I, and others, thought I deserved at least a nomination for.
But given that the majority of my audience members were friends, collegues, connections, and people in my life, I was never going to scoop any of these awards. Again, I’m not looking for validation, but it’s very unsatisfying as an artist to be so handicapped when it comes to recognition by your peers.
I was disheartened by the fact that you could have the most heartfelt, original piece of storytelling at the festival, yet you haven’t got a chance of winning any of the awards, because you simply won’t get the crowds. You will quite literally drown in the swamp that is Hollywood Fringe.
Does the festival need judges to go to each show to make it fair? Maybe.
Could I have done things better on my end? Of course.
Does the festival need to have a big think about supporting emerging, new, international artists? Absolutely.
I didn’t feel a big sense of ‘community’. It felt like high school. The ‘cool kids’ of returning years snubbed the new kids. The festival didn’t really value the concept of originality or creativity from new practitioners.
Long story short, I wouldn’t the Hollywood Fringe again, nor would I recomment it to any other practitioner.
I thought I was alone, but the more I voiced my concerns, the more I learned that others felt the same, and that other festivals around the world were a lot more in line with the ‘fringe’ concept than the Hollywood festival…
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a big task to hold that many practitioners and run such a diverse and complex organisation, but the word ‘fringe’ should certainly be omitted from their title unless some serious changes are made.
Yours Sincerely
A Disheartened Artist


The Winners of the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival

The 8th Annual Hollywood Fringe Festival concluded last night with its annual Award Ceremony and Closing Night Party. Over 800 people attended the Award Ceremony, which took place at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre.
The Fringe community of participants and attendees voted for all Freak Awards winners. Winners include:
Top of the Fringe: Shakeslesque (To Thine Own Cherry Be True)
International: Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII
Fringe First (World Premiere): Turbulence!
Cabaret & Variety: Shakeslesque (To Thine Own Cherry Be True)
Comedy: Easy Targets
Dance & Physical Theatre: Definition of Man
Ensemble Theatre: The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Musicals and Operas: Turbulence!
Solo Performance: Under the Jello Mold
Immersive Theatre: A(partment 8)

SPONSORED AWARDS:

ShoWorks Don’t Wait. Create! Award: Chimpskin
The Screamiest: A(partment 8)
The Spirit of the Fringe, Never in a Box Award: TOYS
The Duende Distinction: Christina Evans – Choreography – TOYS
Tip Your 2Cents Award for Distinctive Voices: Chimpskin
The Ripest Show: Definition of Man
A Little New Music Award for Outstanding Songwriting: Turbulence!
Larry Cornwall Award: Magic 8 Ball (My Life with Asperger’s)
Rogue Machine’s “Premiere” Award: Urban Unrest – Urban Theatre Movement
Beyond Bechtel-Wallace Award: Thanksgiving
Diversity in American Theatre Award: In the Valley of The Shadow
Soaring Solo Artist Award: Magic 8 Ball (My Life with Asperger’s)
The Inkwell Playwright’s Promise Award: In the Valley of The Shadow
Short and Sweet Award: CHATTER
O-Face Award for Orgasmic Achievement (Most Orgasmic Performance): Yozmit Walker – Do You: Migration of the Monarchs
Best Fringe Flyer: An Evening With John Wilkes Booth
The Unleashed Award: Thanksgiving
The LAFPI Most Wanted Award:
Actors Company, Art of Acting Studio, Assistance League Playhouse, Epiphany Space, Complex Theatres, Hudson Theatres, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Rogue Machine @ MET Theatre, studio/stage, The Loft, Theatre of NOTE, Three Clubs, Thymele Arts, Urban Social House, The New Collective

THE ENCORE! PRODUCERS AWARD:

Complex Theatres – Video Games, Narcissus and Echo, Trixie: The Musical, Human Hothouse: The Aftershow, 13th Grade, Desert Warrior, Claim Jumper, Even If It’s Wrong, Toys, Confessions of an Arab Woman, Incantesimo, Mistero Buffo, Too Many Hitlers, Ripley’s Dystopia, Broke and Ugly, Mary’s Medicine, Under the Jello Mold, Slashed, An Evening with John Wilkes Booth, Do You. Migration of the Monarchs
Lounge Theatre – Bitch Brow, I’m Too Fat For This Show, Just Like Life, NICAEA, Sapo Cancionero: Live Your Heart Out, Thanksgiving, The Girl Who Jumped Off The Hollywood Sign, Transmission – A One Tran Story
Sacred Fools Theatre – Quantum Entanglement, Bono & the Edge Waiting for Godomino’s, Easy Targets, Definition of Man, Divorce: The Hip Hop Musical, The Joe & Joshua Show!, Why We Become Witches, Kinsherf’s Coat, A Harmony Boy’s Christmas, Charlie Moose Makes His Move, 12 Bars, Urban Theatre Movement presents: Urban Unrest, The King’s Language, High Rise, Orange Mango Cabaret
Three Clubs – Buffy Kills Edward, Shakespeare and Chill, Hot Dates, Legends of the Hidden Three Clubs, Psychosical, Nights at the Algonquin Round Table
Studio/Stage – Blamed: An Established Fiction, Nothing Bad: A Werewolf Rock Musical, Here Comes Rutherford, Herpes: A Love Story, The Tempest: All Women Cast, So You Want to be a Vampire, The Spidey Project, Three Can Keep A Secret, MEXISTANI! Growing up Mexican and Pakistani in America, Gamers
The New Collective – Just Sayin, Got A Minute, I Do, Do You?, Life… Death… and Entertainment
Actors Company – A Void, Bravo 25, Dead Boys, Dying City, missmatch, Pagliaccis, Songs of the Fall, The Complete History of Drag in a Few Mo-mo, Trump in Space
Asylum – 6 Figures, 86’d, Andy: The Red Nosed Warhola, CHATTER, Cheek (and other stories), Chemo Barbie, CringeFest: An Uncomfortable Anthology, Devadasi, A Story of Sex, Power and Devotion, Hello Again! The Songs of Allan Sherman, L.A. Homebody/ The Anxiety Cure, Just Old Woman from Old Country, Save Me a Spot!, Scarlet Pimpernel, SECRET IDENTITY CRISIS, Secure Storage, SNATCHED…Stories From Down There, Solomon: King Poet &, Lover – A Tale of One Man & 700 Wives, Space or The Number of Nothing, Terror on The High Seas, The Amitycode, The Brick: A One Man Musical, The Motherfucker With The Hat, The Rise and Fall of Dracula, The Sacred Beasts, The Second Coming of Klaus Kinski, This Our Now, Two Motherfuckers on a Ledge, Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen