Part of “Skylight Live,” created in March 2020, this new series was inspired by an artistic community of theatre makers presenting new works. Skylight Theatre Company brings together some of LA’s most talented writers, directors and actors for weekly presentations of uplifting stories, written specifically for this medium. Viewable live on FaceBook or YouTube, each week this series includes an interactive conversation with audiences afterwards.

https://www.facebook.com/skylighttheatre/

https://www.youtube.com/user/SkylightTheatreCo/featured

Part of “Skylight Live,” created in March 2020, this new series was inspired by an artistic community of theatre makers presenting new works. Skylight Theatre Company brings together some of LA’s most talented writers, directors and actors for weekly presentations of uplifting stories, written specifically for this medium. Viewable live on FaceBook or YouTube, each week this series includes an interactive conversation with audiences afterwards.

https://www.facebook.com/skylighttheatre/

https://www.youtube.com/user/SkylightTheatreCo/featured

Part of “Skylight Live,” created in March 2020, this new series was inspired by an artistic community of theatre makers presenting new works. Skylight Theatre Company brings together some of LA’s most talented writers, directors and actors for weekly presentations of uplifting stories, written specifically for this medium. Viewable live on FaceBook or YouTube, each week this series includes an interactive conversation with audiences afterwards.

https://www.facebook.com/skylighttheatre/

https://www.youtube.com/user/SkylightTheatreCo/featured

Part of “Skylight Live,” created in March 2020, this new series was inspired by an artistic community of theatre makers presenting new works. Skylight Theatre Company brings together some of LA’s most talented writers, directors and actors for weekly presentations of uplifting stories, written specifically for this medium. Viewable live on FaceBook or YouTube, each week this series includes an interactive conversation with audiences afterwards.

https://www.facebook.com/skylighttheatre/

https://www.youtube.com/user/SkylightTheatreCo/featured

What happens when you want something so badly, you step out of reality to get it? L.A. Theatre Works presents Deal by Barbara Isenberg, a delightfully funny and surreal eight-minute foray into “short story cinema” starring Sean Astin and Sarah Drew. Deal premieres on the L.A. Theatre Works youtube channel at youtube.com/watch?v=o8xe86id40w&feature=youtu.be.

Originally published as a magazine piece, Isenberg’s Twilight Zone-esque tale introduces us to Marsha, a middle-class housewife who lives vicariously through the world of TV game shows. Astin and Drew bring the short story to vivid life — without changing a single word.

“This is not an adaptation,” notes LATW producing artistic director Susan Albert Loewenberg. “Sarah and Sean perform the story, word for word, in a creative new way that infuses it with an infectious vitality. It’s tremendous fun.”

“In all my years as a writer, nobody ever turned any of my articles into short films, much less with talent at the level of Sarah’s and Sean’s,” laughs Isenberg, an award-winning author and journalist. A former staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal as well as for the Los Angeles Times, where she remains a frequent contributor, Isenberg’s books include the best-sellers “Conversations with Frank Gehry” and “Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World’s Most Beloved Musical.” “Tradition” was produced as in audio book in 2016 by L.A. Theatre Works, voiced by actor Adam Grupper who was appearing in Bartlett Sher’s acclaimed Broadway revival of Fiddler at the time.

The creative team for Deal includes executive producer Loewenberg, producer and creative director Anna Lyse Erikson, director Sonia Malfa, editor and colorist Cole Greenbaum, and sound mixer and editor Ronn Lipkin. It is produced by L.A. Theatre Works with generous support from Good Company.

Enjoy Deal at youtube.com/watch?v=o8xe86id40w&feature=youtu.be.

Starting Thursday, June 18 – 3:00pm
ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE, A Pandemic Rom-Com
Written by Anna Mathias
Directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky
Performed by: Steve Hofvendahl,  Lily Knight, Rob Nagle
– Developed at Antaeus Playwright’s Lab

Available for viewing: www.youtube.com/user/SkylightTheatreCo

L.A. Theatre Works, the world’s leading producer of audio theater, has chosen six titles by Black playwrights from its extensive collection of work to stream free on its website.  The four plays written by women are  Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine by Lynn Nottage; The Mountaintop by Katori Hall; The Night Watcher, written and performed by Charlayne Woodard; and Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond.

Also available for free viewing are A Huey P. Newton Story, written, directed and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith; Ceremonies in Dark Old Men by Lonne Elder III.

Fabulation is two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage’s satirical tale about a successful African-American publicist (Charlayne Woodard) who stumbles down the social ladder after her husband steals her hard-earned fortune. Broke and pregnant, Undine is forced to return to her childhood home in the Brooklyn projects, where she must face the challenges of the life she left behind.

The Mountaintop is Katori Hall’s gripping, slyly humorous, Lawrence Olivier Award-winning re-imagining of events as they might have taken place at the Lorraine Motel on the night before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The LATW recording stars Aja Naomi King and Larry Powell.

In her acclaimed one-woman show The Night Watcher, playwright/performer Charlayne Woodard tells the story of a woman who chooses not to have children — only to be pulled into the real-life struggles of kids of all ages, races and backgrounds.

Stick Fly is Lydia Diamond’s powerful comedy-drama about an upper-class African American family (recorded for L.A. Theatre Works by Justine Bateman, Dulé Hill, Tinashe Kajese, Carl Lumbly, Terrell Tilford and Michole Briana White) wrestling with parental expectations, sibling rivalry, and issues of class and race during a vacation on Martha’s Vineyard.

“Even as we are drawn into the great stories and characters, these plays expand our knowledge and awareness of the Black experience,” says L.A. Theatre Works producing artistic director Susan Albert Loewenberg. “It is our pleasure to be able to provide free access to these state-of-the-art recordings to students, teachers and the general public.”

Go to https://latw.org/black-voices to streamline these titles for free.

Monkey Mind is a family rock musical about a bright, precocious teen driven to thoughts of suicide because of an over active mind.

The writer is an alcoholic with 33 years sober, who learned to control her mind using a simple method she’s passing on. She thought minds plagued by negative fears were addictive minds, until she became a teacher and realized too many students were plagued by the same malady. Thanks to the humor of her lyricist, Bill Berry, and the music by Gerardo Herrera, this lesson of life becomes an uplifting and fun experience.

To view, go to monkeymindthemusical.com

scroll down to “password’ and type in

monkeymind2019

FERTILE: A Conversation about the Expectations of Procreation

Written & Performed by Heather Dowling

Directed & Developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson

We are so excited to bring the award-winning FERTILE. to the stage via LIVE STREAM to support the beautiful Whitefire Theatre during this difficult time. And because it’s STREAMING not only is it safe, but ANYONE can watch from anywhere!

Thursday, July 30 at 7:00 pm PST
Aired virtually from Whitefire, Sherman Oaks, CA
FertileConversation.com

In Fertile, we meet Jenny, a woman with 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 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. In a sea of outside opinions from her friends, her 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.

CaltechLive! is excited to premiere the science-based Burst on Friday, August 21, at 12:00 PM PDT. The one-act play will be available at no cost for on-demand listening at events.caltech.edu

Recorded as a live radio play, this compelling three-woman drama centers on Silicon Valley wunderkind Sarah Boyd. Her start-up, Tactix, is ready to announce a revolutionary new polymer that will drastically reduce plastic waste across the globe.

But at the eleventh hour, Sarah faces a bevy of unexpected problems: a missing assistant, an unwelcome reporter, and nagging ethical concerns from her cautious CTO (and oldest friend).

Tenacious and charismatic, Sarah is unfazed by the mounting complications­—but will her passionate determination be enough to silence the doubters, especially when her relationships, her company, and the health of the planet itself are at stake?

Unfolding in real time, this compelling, character-oriented drama deftly explores gender politics and issues of environmentalism, industry, and ambition through a nuanced portrait of a woman who’s determined to save the world.

This play features explicit language and is recommended for listeners 18 years and older.

Burst was written by Rachel Bublitz. It stars Lea Madda as Jen Weaver, Kimberly Alexander as Sarah Boyd, and Sawyer Fuller as Alexis Lyons. It is directed by Miranda Stewart and produced by Brian Brophy. Aidan Fenwick served as science advisor to the production.

Burst is part of the Show Must Go On(line) series presented by CalechLive! and part of the MACH-33 Festival of New Science Driven Plays.

In August, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi when he was accused of whistling at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman who was a cashier at a grocery store. Four days later, Bryant’s husband Roy and his half-brother J.W. Milam kidnapped Till, beat him and shot him in the head. The men were tried for murder, but an all-white, male jury acquitted them. Till’s murder and open casket funeral galvanized the emerging Civil Rights movement. Bryant recanted her story in 2017, admitting that the court testimony she gave more than six decades prior was false and stating “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.”

“As America is now being challenged to face its racist history, I can think of no project more worthy,” says Fountain artistic director Stephen Sachs. “In addition to being the 65th anniversary of the murder, Aug. 28 also marks the 57th Anniversary of the historic March on Washington in 1963, and a 2020 march on Washington is being planned this year, on that date, as well.”

Part history, part mystery and part ghost story, Bayeza’s lyrical integration of past, present, fact and legend turns Emmett’s story into a soaring work of music, poetic language and riveting theatricality. The Fountain’s 2010 West Coast premiere was twice extended and won a combined total of 14 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, Backstage and NAACP awards for production, direction, playwriting and ensemble.  Bernard K. Addison, Rico E. Anderson, Lorenz Arnell, Adenrele Ojo and Karen Malina White will reprise their roles for the online reading, with Shirley Jo Finney again at the helm.

The Whitefire Theatre presents  Black Voices, a Livestream Solo Theatre Festival hosted and curated by Juliette Jeffers.

Evenings featuring the work of women are:

“Judgment Day”
Juliette Jeffers,  Writer & Performer
September 12, 2020 7pm (PST)

African-Americans have been struggling since the first slaves were brought to the United States in 1619. From Nat Turner to Alton Sterling, there has been much progress, but the struggle still continues. Why has God allowed this to happen? What if God was held responsible for all of the injustices that African-Americans have endured? “Judgment Day” is a very powerful piece that questions God’s motives. It questions our faith. It is daring. It is raw. It is thought provoking. It infuses fictional characters with non- fictional and the past with the present. Ultimately leaving us to ponder free will, destiny and culpability.

“Release and Let Go” Hosted by Juliette Jeffers
Oct 4, 2020 7pm (PST) Click Here for Tickets

“The Pan Story”
Emilie Borde, Writer & Performer
The Pan Story sheds light onto the late great Hugh Borde who was a famous Trinidadian steel pan drummer. He was a pioneer of his time and was appointed the leader of the Tripoli Steel Band in 1951. They traveled all over the world and an opportunity to open for Liberace took their band to a different level!

“Mama”
Saudia Rashed, Writer & Performer
Saudia uses her Black Girl Magic to tackle the ups and downs of motherhood. She gathers her strength from Wonder Woman, Michelle Obama and Beyonce along the way.

“Walk Good: A Jamerican Journey”
Roxanne Beckford, Writer & Performer
How the littlest Head Girl at St. Andrews Preparatory in Kingston, Jamaica became a driver in a presidential motorcade for the leader of the free world…after pit stops as beauty queen, a mother of four, and an actress.

“Chrissy Meth”
Crystal Bush, Writer & Performer
Oct 9, 2020 7pm (PST) Click Here for Tickets

In Chrissy Meth, a motherless child, growing up in the western suburbs of Chicago, she finds herself into a deep drug addiction. She finds hope and begins to put the pieces back together. She explores and challenges beliefs surrounding race and sex identity while showing that it’s never too late to come back and find one’s self-worth.

“Sistas Speak!”
Oct 10, 2020, 7pm (PST) Click Here for Tickets

An Evening of Spoken Word, Rap & Song featuring Juliette Jeffers/Host & poet, Jacqueliyn Brown Benefield/Singer, Amara Granderson/Poet, Frexinet Johnson/Rapper, Ocea Lei/Poet, & Candace Nicholas Lippman/Poet

“Poison Gun”
Dee Freeman, Writer & Performer
Oct. 17, 2020 7pm (PST) Click Here for Tickets

Based on events when she was 6 years old, Dee was best friends with her granddaddy Archie and living a carefree life in rural Louisiana.  Her world is turned upside down when her grandparents are murdered and she becomes a key witness in the investigation.  Her granddaddy told her a secret she promised never to tell, but the lead investigator, a manipulative racist cop, wants that secret to be revealed.

“Through My Eyes”
Angel Guice, Writer & Performer
Oct. 25, 2020 7pm (PST) Click Here for Tickets

Following the journey of a young woman who was once upon a time filled with so much love but allowed her circumstances and the distractions of this world to detour her from her ultimate purpose. She battles with herself and God about who she thinks she is until she is stripped of everything she has, she finally surrenders, and her creator shows her that she was created to spread love to all who are broken and to shed light to all those who are in dark places.  She reveals the different parts of herself through her world, through her eyes!

“Evolution of a Love Addict”
Natasha McCrea, Writer & Performer
Oct. 23, 2020 7pm (PST) Click Here for Tickets

A sneak peek into the mind of a woman on a funny electric ride through the world of dating, divorcing and the lessons learned while finding the Love that really matters. Fasten your seat belt and enjoy the Ride!

“Mamaisms”
Sonia Jackson, Writer & Performer
Nov. 8 , 2020  7pm (PST) Click Here for Tickets

Old-Fashioned Wisdom for a New Generation and a roller coaster of universal themes about grandmas, mamas, children and mothering. Sonia’s grandma guides a multi-generational cast of characters of little children playing, teens discovering, mamas tending and more to tell the stories that make us think about how to parent well and how to just be thoughtful, mindful and kind in life.

South Coast Repertory’s world premiere radio play, Ten Dollar Taco, is written and directed by Juliette Carrillo with music and sound design by David R. Molina. This SCR-commissioned work is part of the theatre’s new SCR commUNITY series.  Listen to it between now and  Sept. 27, 2020.

Ten Dollar Taco is part fantasy, part adventure and part archeological dig. This exciting new work explores the playwright’s growing connection to the culinary artistry of her Mexican and Californian heritage. The cast includes artists from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine as well as others from the Southern California community: Carmen Alatorre, Gustavo Arellano, Abel Thomas Garcia, Quinn Garcia, Anica Garcia-DeGraff, David R. Molina, Marcos Najera and Vincent Olivieri.

SCR commUNITY is the theatre’s new digital platform dedicated to amplifying the artists and narratives of our region by producing stories inspired by or about the rich diversity of people living in Southern California.

More details are available at www.scr.org.

WHAT:
Home — An archival video presentation of last season’s Latino Theater Company production of writer/performer Nancy Ma’s coming-of-age tale about growing up sandwiched between two cultures. Desperately seeking approval from her Chinese Toisan immigrant family, Nancy journeys away from her home in New York City’s Chinatown in search of the American Dream — only to learn that you can only find “home” when you accept where you come from.

WHO:
• Written and performed by Nancy Ma
• Directed by Geoffrey Rivas
• Lighting Design by Itzul Virgen
• Sound Design by Ivan Robles
• Projections by Yee Eun Nam
• Stage Manager: Cobalt McAvinue
• Presented by The Latino Theater Company

WHEN:
• STREAMING: Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET thru Thursday, Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
• Join Nancy Ma and Geoffrey Rivas for a follow-up, online conversation on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET, which will stream for 10 days.

HOW:
Streaming at www.thelatc.org

TICKET PRICE:
FREE

WHAT:
Just Like Us — A “sneak-peek” reading of Karen Zacarías’ play, which is based on Helen Thorpe’s bestselling book of the same name. This documentary-style piece follows four Latina teenage girls, two of whom are documented and two who are not, through young adulthood. Their close-knit friendships begin to unravel when immigration status dictates the girls’ opportunities — or lack thereof. The Latino Theater Company’s previously announced Los Angeles premiere will now take place at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in 2021. The reading on Friday, Sept. 25 will be preceded by a live, online conversation with the artists on Thursday, Sept. 24; the reading and the conversation will each stream for 10 days.

WHO:
• Written by Karen Zacarías
• Directed by Fidel Gomez
• Starring Richard Azurdia, Natalie Camunas, Michelle Castillo, Alicia Coca, Peter Mendoza, Elyse Mirto, Lys Perez, Geoffrey Rivas, Lucy Rodriguez, Kenia Romero, Alexis Santiago
• Stage Manager: Michelle Garcia
• Presented by The Latino Theater Company

WHEN:
• Reading of Just Like Us streams from Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET thru Sunday, Oct. 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
• An online conversation with the artists will precede the reading on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET and stream for 10 days.

HOW:
Streaming at www.thelatc.org

TICKET PRICE:
FREE