Trump in Space, winner of the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival Encore! Producer’s Award, extends again, playing Friday nights at The Second City Hollywood Studio Theatre. The book and lyrics are by Gillian Bellinger and Landon Kirksey with music by Tony Gonzalez and Sam Johnides. Frank Caeti is the director.

8pm FRIDAY NIGHTS ONLY!

Trump in Space is Star Trek meets Avenue Q meets Trump, a musical battle of good vs. bad and ideals vs. opportunism. This original musical is an epic space adventure filled with all the sci–fi tropes we love and all the politics we love to hate. Four hundred years in the future, the fallout of the Trump administration has left humans stranded without a planet. Captain Natasha Trump, a direct descendant of President Donald J. Trump, races to find humanity a new planet because the earth blew up!

Said Shari Barrett of BroadwayWorld.com, “Laughs abound with each farcical situation based on political satire to the max – with great ensemble harmonies throughout.” Trump in Space proudly occupies a spot on the StageRaw.com Top Ten.

Running time is one hour.

The cast includes Gillian Bellinger, Landon Kirksey, Mary Lou, Scott Palmason, Nicole Pellegrino, Joy Reguilano, Jessie Sherman, Jim Shipley, and Rob Warner.

https://www.secondcity.com/shows/hollywood/trump-space-musical/

Pageant Productions and Canon Theatricals present Miss America’s Ugly Daughter: Bess Myerson & Me written by Barra Grant.

Writer/performer Barra Grant is back with her darkly hilarious mother-daughter story: the true, inside tale of Grant’s seismic relationship with her mother, Bess Myerson. Performed by Grant and Monica Piper, Eve Brandstein directs.

Grant’s critically acclaimed play is her fascinating account of growing up a confused ugly duckling in the shadow of her spectacular mother. An awkward, chubby kid with frizzy hair, buck teeth and no obvious talent, Barra was beauty queen Myerson’s only child. The first and only Jewish Miss America, Myerson was famous — an accomplished pianist, television personality, New York City’s first Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, a close advisor to Mayor Ed Koch, and a national spokesperson against anti-Semitism — until she became infamous, falling in love with the wrong man and going down with her Mafia boyfriend in a judge-bribing scandal.

In the play, Barra takes us on the journey of her life: a feisty struggle as she tries to fit in at school, meet the right man, find a career and forge her own place in the universe. But Bess (voiced off stage by Piper) is ever-present, fixated on “improving” Barra by molding her into a version of herself. Barra’s final challenge occurs when she has a daughter of her own and has to discover a whole new set of parenting skills.

Miss America’s Ugly Daughter opens on Friday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m., with performances thereafter on Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 6 p.m.; and Mondays at 8 p.m. through March 24 (dark Sunday, Feb. 24).

Three preview performances will take place on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Feb 3 at 6 p.m.; and Monday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m.,

More info: www.missamericasuglydaughter.com

ÉLAN Ensemble has announced its inaugural production, the world premiere of How We’re Different from Animals, based on short stories from “No One Belongs Here More Than You” by Miranda July. Under the direction of Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx.

Over three years in the making, ÉLAN Ensemble’s inaugural production is the culmination of the company’s work, adapting Miranda July’s book of short stories “No One Belongs Here More Than You.” The show breathes life into July’s quirky, lonely, odd, lovable characters in an oddly hilarious tapestry that reflects the complexity, isolation, and unexpected connectivity of life in Los Angeles.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Julian Juaquin, Adam Lebowitz-Lockard, Tarah Pollock, Elmira Rahim, and Danielle Reynolds.

Miranda July is a film director, screenwriter, singer, actress, author, and artist. Her body of work includes film, fiction, monologue, digital media presentations, and live performance art. She wrote, directed, and starred in the films Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) and The Future (2011). Along with her book of short stories “No One Belongs Here More Than You” (2007) she wrote the novel “The First Bad Man” (2015).

Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx is an Ovation Award nominated director and serves as Director of Cultural Programming at A Noise Within. He has worked as adjunct MFA faculty at USC School of Dramatic Arts. He has served on the California Arts Council and the LA County Arts Commission grant review panels. He is on the Latinx Theatre Commons National Advisory Committee and held the position of Vice Chair of the Alliance of LA Playwrights for five years. He has worked with Center Theatre Group, East West Players, Boston Court Theatre, Skylight Theatre Company, 24th Street Theatre, Playwrights’ Arena, Pacific Resident Theatre, Chalk Rep, EST/LA, Bootleg Theater, Coeurage Theatre Company, Company of Angels, and Watts Village Theatre Company, among others. He is a National Directors Fellowship finalist.

ÉLAN is a deeply diverse ensemble of actors rooted in the innovative physical approach to theatrical creation taught in the Master of Fine Arts in Acting program at USC. The company always begins work from a state of alive readiness (élan) and then brings itself, body-and-soul, to the collaborative process of devising theatrical works and adaptations. Rooted in Los Angeles, ÉLAN pushes the limits of naturalism and brings text to life through the human body to create a surprising and deeply felt collective experience.  The mission is to create innovative theatrical productions based in a physical approach to text in order to provide LA audiences with a deep collective experience that reflects us as a community.

Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm

www.facebook.com/elanensembletheatre/

@elanensemble

instagram.com/elanensemble

Menander Productions and Jamie Pierce have announced a limited engagement of the world premiere comedy Attack of the Second Bananas by Gina Torrecilla at the Zephyr Theatre in West Hollywood, directed by Ryan Bergmann.

Who killed beloved stage stars Ruby Moss and Andrea Hammond? Find out as the LAPD detective on the case pieces together the clues. Attack of the Second Bananas is a comedy noir about the ultimate price of fame. Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Jean Marie Baiardi, Katie Canavan, Tom DeTrinis, Adam Huss, Travis Leland, Tim McKernan, Kendra Munger, Jeanne Simpson, and MaryAnn Welshans. Set design is by Pete Hickock, lighting design is by Matthew Brian Denman, costume design is by Ovation Award-winner Allison Dillard, and sound design is by Becca Kessin. Brittney Wheeler is assistant director and Adam Bloomfield is stage manager.

Gina Torrecilla is an actor and a writer. Television acting credits include Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Citizen, Scandal, Madmen, Bones, and others. Theatre acting credits include Die, Mommie, Die!, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Failure: A Love Story, Currency, The Exit Interview. On film: Britney Baby … , Twinkies and Donuts. Writing work includes All’s Well That Ends, The American Sisters, Used, You Can Always Tell, and The Basement. She is currently working on a new play about the life of Artemisia Gentileschi.

Preview performances on Wednesday, February 27 and Thursday, February 28, at 8pm. Opening is set for Friday, March 1, at 8pm.  The regular running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm.

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4032619

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.

• Written and Performed by Nancy Ma
• Directed by Geoffrey Rivas
• Produced by The Latino Theater Company

Previews: Feb. 28 and March 1; Performances begin: March 2
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.
• Fridays at 8 p.m.
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.
• Sundays at 4 p.m.

More info: https://www.thelatc.org/home2019

https://www.facebook.com/theLATC

Follow us on twitter and instagram: @theLATC

Anna Ziegler’s Photograph 51 Puts Overlooked Science Pioneer in Focus at South Coast Repertory

It has been called the most important photograph ever taken—an image that led to a breakthrough in genetics research. The X-ray crystallographer who took it, Rosalind Franklin, is at the heart of Anna Ziegler’s Photograph 51,  directed by Kimberly Senior.

The story follows Franklin, a British science pioneer, whose groundbreaking role in the discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure in the 1950s is still often overlooked. Based on a true story, Photograph 51 offers an intriguing portrait of a complex, courageous woman who makes her way in a male-dominated field. As rival teams of researchers compete for a breakthrough, Franklin—focused and unbending—is locked in a race of her own.

“In looking at moments in history—and, in this case, at the work of Rosalind Franklin—we are able to shed light on our present moment,” said Senior. “Photograph 51 urges us to let these long-unacknowledged voices sing so that we may hear their echo as we raise up the next generation of scientists, professionals and leaders.”

The cast includes Giovanni Adams, George Ketsios, Anil Margsahayam, Riley Neldam, Joshua Odsess-Rubin and Helen Sadler.

Photograph 51 was produced in London’s West End and won Britain’s WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play (for the production with Nicole Kidman, directed by Michael Grandage). The Telegraph called the play “a triumph.”

Ziegler’s works also have been produced at Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Williamstown Theater Festival, Geffen Playhouse, The Old Globe Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre and many others. Her play Actually won the Los Angeles Ovation Award for Playwriting for an Original Play; The Last Match was nominated for the Craig Noel Award for Outstanding New Play; A Delicate Ship was a New York Times Critic’s Pick; The Wanderers won the Blanche and Irving Laurie Theatre Visions Fund; and Boy was nominated for the New York Outer Critics Circle’s John Gassner Award for a New American Play. She holds commissions from Roundabout Theatre Company, Second Stage Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Geffen Playhouse. Oberon Books published a collection of her work, Anna Ziegler: Plays One.

Previews Sunday, March 3, at 2 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, March 5-7, at 7:45 p.m.

Plays Tuesdays-Sundays, March 9-10; March 12-17; and March 19-23, at 7:45 p.m.

Saturdays-Sundays, March 9-10; March 16-17; and March 23-24 at 2 p.m.

ASL-interpreted: Saturday, March 16, at 2 p.m.

Special Events:

Post-Show Discussions:  Tuesday, March 12, and Wednesday, March 13. Discuss the play with Photograph 51 cast members during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory’s literary team. Julianne Argyros Stage.

For complete information, visit: www.scr.org.

www.facebook.com/pg/SouthCoastRepertory

@SouthCoastRep

Black Super Hero Magic Mama

World Premiere in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse
Written by Inda Craig-Galván
Directed by Robert O’Hara
Featuring Noah Abbott, Reiko Aylesworth, Walter Belenky, Daryl C. Brown, Kevin Douglas, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Cedric Joe & Cynthia Kaye McWilliams

When a mother loses her 14-year-old son to a police shooting, she is unable to face the ensuing flurry of media attention. Crippled by grief, she retreats into a fantasy world of superheroes and arch-villains that inhabit the comic book created by her son before his death. This world premiere play helmed by lauded director Robert O’Hara is both heartbreaking and highly inventive. With unbridled imagination, Los Angeles-based playwright Inda Craig-Galván’s Black Super Hero Magic Mama gives us the hero we have been waiting for.

Previews for Black Super Hero Magic Mama begin Tuesday, March 5.

Playing Tuesdays – Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.

LAFPI Night at the Geffen Playhouse is Friday, March 8th! Join other playwrights at 7pm in the lobby for drinks for this special evening! https://www.facebook.com/events/505499519975168/

LAFPI Members! Use code MAGIC to save 25% off plus waived fees on all price levels and all performance dates March 5 – April 14, 2019. Secure by phone at 310.208.5454 or online at www.bit.ly/BSHMMGP.

More info www.geffenplayhouse.org

@geffenplayhouse  #BSHMMGP

Following sold-out performances at the Westside’s Odyssey Theatre, the acclaimed production of Laura Maria Censabella’s moving, funny and thought-provoking drama,  Paradise, produced by Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions and American Oasis, will re-open for a limited run at the Matrix Theatre.

What is the science behind first love? Two outsiders, a gifted Yemeni-American teenager at a poorly rated high school in the South Bronx and her disillusioned biology teacher, form an unlikely scientific partnership in the hope of securing her a scholarship. But when conflicts arise over differences in religion, culture and the boundaries of mentorship, their capacity to alter the course of each other’s lives becomes greater than either had imagined.

Paradise was commissioned by Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, dedicated to developing new works about science and technology, and was a runner-up for the 2016 Saroyan/Paul Playwriting Prize for Human Rights.

Starring Medalion Rahimi (ABC’s Still Star-Crossed, feature films Before I Fall and upcoming She’s in Portland) and Jeff Marlow (Henry IV with Tom Hanks, Reduced Shakespeare Company, numerous productions at South Coast Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, the Geffen, etc.). A visiting production at the Matrix Theatre.

Performances: March 8 – March 31
• Thursday at 8 p.m.: March 28 ONLY
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: March 8, 15, 22, 29
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: March  9, 16, 23, 30
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: March 17, 24, 31 (dark March 10)

Visit www.Plays411.com/Paradise

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY presents the Third Show of its 2018-2019 Season!

The world premiere of FRIENDS WITH GUNS
Written by STEPHANIE ALISON WALKER
Directed by RANDEE TRABITZ

You think you know your friends, your neighbors, your spouse, but what happens when you suddenly find out they have a garage full of guns? This new dark comedy explores the complicated issue of gun proliferation when two young liberal couples are forced to confront their assumptions about who should own a gun and why. The time of easy answers regarding this issue is long gone. In the wake of current events, we are all forced to reexamine our strongly held beliefs about gun ownership. Friends With Guns explores the question of what we can compartmentalize…and what we can’t. It examines what happens when guns enter the conversation. It pulls the curtain back on liberals with guns. It asks what happens when suddenly one person in a marriage does a 180 on the gun issue. And it does all of this through a female lens.

The cast of FRIENDS WITH GUNS will feature (in alphabetical order): Brian Graves as
Josh, Kate Huffman as Shannon, Arianna Ortiz as Leah and Christian Telesmar as Danny.

FRIENDS WITH GUNS will preview on Tuesday, March 12 at 8pm; Wednesday, March
13 at 8pm & Thursday, March 14 and will open on Friday, March 15.

Performances are Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm.

STEPHANIE ALISON WALKER (Playwright) Her plays include: Friends With Guns
(Chapel Theatre Collective, The Road Theatre, Uprising Theatre,) The Abuelas (Teatro
Vista in Chicago February 2019,) The Madres (NNPN Rolling World Premiere with Teatro
Vista, Skylight Theatre, Moxie Theatre and Shrewd Productions and premiered in Spanish
in Mexico with La Troupe in San Miguel de Allende,) The Art Of Disappearing (16th Street
Theatre,) American Home (Little Candle Productions) and more. Honors include: Craig
Noel Award Nomination for Outstanding New Play for The Madres, Dramatists Guild
Foundation Writers Alliance Grant Recipient, Blue Ink Award (winner,) Ashland New
Plays Festival (two-time winner,) BETC Generations Prize (winner,) O’Neill Playwrights
Conference (two-time finalist,) CTG/Humanitas Prize (finalist) and more. Stephanie is a
proud NNPN Affiliate Artist, Dramatists Guild Member, member of the Playwrights Union
and the Antaeus Playwrights Lab.  She lives in Los Angeles with her brilliant husband Bob
and their spirited sons.

RANDEE TRABITZ (Director) is a director based in Los Angeles. She recently returned
from NYC’s Dixon Place with long-time collaborator John Fleck and his acclaimed
Blacktop Highway. Randee’s work has been seen in Berlin and Greece, large venues like
MOCA’S Geffen Contemporary, California Adventure, Cal Plaza, LA Opera, Disney
Cruiselines and the Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita, but her heart is in intimate
theater, specializing on new plays with writers like: Stephanie Allison Walker, Julie
Hebért, Bridget Carpenter, Jessica Goldberg, Jamie Brandli, Jennie Webb, Elizabeth
Dement, Susan Merson, Doug Cooney, etc. Her work has garnered some prizes, (LA
Weekly Award, Garland and Ovation Awards, Finalist Short and Sweet Festival) and been
awarded grants (CAD, Durfee and Flintridge). She also teaches and directs at a variety of
universities, most recently Cal-State Los Angeles, and Cal Tech.

More info: roadtheatre.org/event/friends-with-guns/

@roadtheatre 

The Echo Theater Company opens its 2019 season with theLos Angeles premiere of The Wolves, the debut play by “playwright to watch” Sarah DeLappe that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Alana Dietze (Dry Land) directs.

From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, these 16- and 17-year-olds navigate big questions and wage tiny battles with the ferociousness of a pack of adolescent warriors. There’s super-cool #7, the striker (Katherine Cronyn); skinny, kind #2 (Minzi) and childlike #8 (Ellen Neary), both on defense; three midfielders: brainy #11 (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson), stoner girl #13 (Jacqueline Besson) and #7’s insecure sidekick, #14 (Donna Zadeh). Goalie #00 (Makeda Declet) is an anxious perfectionist, and the awkward new girl, #46 (Caitlin Zambito), is just trying to fit in. Team captain, #25 (Connor Kelly-Eiding), does her best to keep the girls focused on the game, and Soccer Mom (Alison Martin) provides the orange slices.

The Wolves is DeLappe’s first produced play. It premiered in 2016 at off-Broadway’s The Duke at 42nd Street as a Playwrights Realm production in association with New York Stage & Film and Vassar’s Powerhouse Theatre, where it enjoyed a sold-out run and transferred to Lincoln Center the following year. It was a co-winner of the American Playwriting Foundation’s inaugural Relentless Award and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the Yale Drama Series Prize. The Pulitzer committee describes it as “a timely play about a girls’ high school soccer team that illuminates with the unmistakable ping of reality the way young selves are formed when innate character clashes with external challenges.” In his New York Times “Critic’s Pick” review, theater critic Ben Brantley calls it “A thrilling debut play… theater that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”

The Wolves opens on Saturday, March 16, with performances continuing on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 4 p.m.; and Mondays at 8 p.m. through April 22. Three preview performances are set for Wednesday, March 13; Thursday, March 14; and Friday, March 15, all at 8 p.m.

Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Ave in Los Angeles, CA 90039. On-site parking is free. For reservations and information, call (310) 307-3753 or go to www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.

Visit us on facebook: www.facebook.com/echotheater
Follow us on twitter: @echotheater

World premiere of ‘The Mother of Henry’ by Evelina Fernández
set in 1960s working class melting pot of Boyle Heights

The times they are a changin’. Travel back to the working class melting pot of Boyle Heights of the 1960s with the Latino Theater Company’s upcoming production, written by LTC resident playwright Evelina Fernández and helmed by artistic director José Luis Valenzuela. The world premiere of The Mother of Henry runs March 23 through April 14at The Los Angeles Theatre Center. Low-priced previews begin March 15.

Five diverse employees in the return department at Sears form a tight bond as they cope with upheaval in their personal lives, their community and the rapidly changing world around them during the course of one tumultuous and historic year – 1968. Connie, a Latinx single working class mother, realizes her agency and discovers her true identity when the anxieties of war, civil unrest and political assassinations plaguing the country tragically affect her own life. Infused with period music and Fernández’s trademark magical realism, The Mother of Henry features the acting talents of Esperanza America, Mary-Beth Manning, Xavi Moreno, Ella Saldaña North, Gary Patent, Robert Revell and Cheryl Umaña.

“The characters are loosely based on my mom and her friends, who worked together at Sears,” Fernández explains. “In the ‘60s, Boyle Heights was still very diverse, and she worked with all kinds of people: Jewish, Italian, Canadian, German, Japanese. So many of the women in the community were patriotic — until their kids died in the war. Then the anti-war movement came to Boyle Heights.”

The Sears, Roebuck & Company Mail Order Building, located at 2650 East Olympic Boulevard in Boyle Heights, was built in 1927 as a distribution center for the company’s mail order department. Designed in the Art Deco style and one of the largest buildings in Los Angeles, it attracted more than 100,000 visitors in the first month of operation. Considered to be one of the iconic landmarks of LA’s Eastside, it has been the subject of several renovation proposals since the mid-1990s. It was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument in 2004 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Click here to view photos.

The creative team for The Mother of Henry includes set designer Emily McDonald, lighting designer Cameron Mock, sound designer John Zalewski, projections designer Yee Eun Nam and costume designer Carlos Brown. The stage manager is MIchelle A. Prudente.

The Latino Theater Company is dedicated to providing a world-class arts center for those pursuing artistic excellence; a laboratory where both tradition and innovation are honored and honed; and a place where the convergence of people, cultures and ideas contribute to the future. Now in its 33rd year, LTC has operated The Los Angeles Theatre Center, a landmark building in Downtown’s Historic Core, since 2006.

The Mother of Henry opens on Saturday, March 23 at 8 p.m., with performances thereafter taking place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. through April 14. Five preview performances take place March 15 through March 22 on the same schedule. Tickets range from $20–$50, except opening night which is $60 and includes a post-performance reception. The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. Parking is available for $5 with box office validation at Joe’s Parking structure, 530 S. Spring St. (immediately south of the theater). For more information and to purchase tickets, call (866) 811-4111 or go to http://thelatc.org/.

Open Fist’s annual political pop-up in speakeasy setting:
‘What Matters Now’ gives voice to playwrights across the U.S.
What Matters Now?/! (Another Political Pop-Up of the Theatrical Kind) — Open Fist’s annual “political pop-up” features a rotating roster of short plays by writers from across the country that explore our nation’s current social and political climate and how the past year has affected us. Finding it hard to get off the couch and get to the theater? Open Fist has brought the couches to Atwater Village Theatre, creating a cozy, speakeasy setting where patrons can arrive early or stay late to have a drink and a chat with the cast and fellow audience members.

The Playwrights: Jaisey Bates,Dorothea Cahan, Cary Gitter,Brett Hursey, Timothy Mooney, Jessica Moss, Bonnie Ratner, Eric Henry Sanders, Bara Swain, Amanda Weier, Natalie Zutter

The Directors: Christopher Cappiello, Christopher Cedeño, Art Hall, Laura James, Rod Menzies, Jan Munroe, Michael Steinbach, Amanda Weier

The Actors: Jack Aldridge, Lane Allison, Chloe Berlinger, Bryan Bertone, Phillip William Brock, Brittany Lauren Brown, Stephanie Crothers, Lori Gambero, Caroline Klidonas,Dylan Maddalena, Neil Oktay, Katie May Porter, Beth Robbins, Kenia Romero, Steven Royce, Judith Scarpone, David Shofner, Megumi Smisson, Dionna Veremis, Ann Marie Wilding

Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director

Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m.
(Doors open one hour prior to show time so you can enjoy the relaxed, speakeasy setting.)

RAIN AND ZOE SAVE THE WORLD
Written by Crystal Skillman
Directed by Christopher James Raymond

Two Seattle teenagers embark on an impulsive motorcycle journey to join a group of oil protesters on the east coast.

Writer Bio
CRYSTAL SKILLMAN is an award winning dramatist. Her plays include Geek and Cut (NYTimes Critics Picks), as well as Pulp Vérité (Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission, 2018 Last Frontier Theatre Conference Selection), and Rain and Zoe Save the World, announced as the winning script for the 2018 Earth Matters On Stage (EMOS) New Play Competition. Crystal is the musical theater bookwriter of Mary and Max (with composer/lyricist Bobby Cronin, adapted from the animated film by Adam Elliot). She is also the book writer of  Postcard American Town (composer/lyricist Lynne Shankel), just selected for the 2018 Rhinebeck Writers Retreat. Mary and Max was just anounced as the winner of Journalist Prizefor the 2018 MUT Awards, recently featured in American Theater magazine for its Pace New Musicals production, and announced for Theater Calgary’s upcoming season where the musical will be directed by Stafford Arima opening this fall. Crystal’s play King Kirby, co-written with her husband writer Fred Van Lente (about the comic book artist Jack Kirby) was a NYT Critics Pick, and Geek!, after premiering in New York, has received several independent productions around the world, and its high school version has been put on at numerous high schools. Her comic book and TV work includes: Eat Fighter, also written with Fred Van Lente, coming out on Line Web Toon this fall, the original pilot Paper Heroes (named one of the top three pilots by in the 2017 Final Draft’s Big Break contest, a finalist for the 2018 Orchard Project Episodic Lab, and one of the top fifty in the 2017 Launchpad Pilots competition.) She has written for “Adventure Time” comics (BOOM! Studios), and contributed to Marvel’s “Fantastic Four”, and “Slapstick” series. Other Awards/Commissions include: New York  Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Play (Vigil), Calgary Critter Award Nomination (King Kirby), and two EST/Sloan commissions.

Twitter & Instagram:  @TheBlankTheatre  theblanktheatre  #BlankLRS #TheBlank

Argonautika By Mary Zimmerman

Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott

A Noise Within (ANW), California’s acclaimed classic repertory theatre, is proud to present Argonautika, an epic theatrical journey full of human emotion by Tony® Award-winning director and playwright Mary Zimmerman, which made its world premiere in 2006 at Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre.

Argonautika is a fresh retelling of the classic Greek myth, The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts. Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece has been reframed for our time. Audiences will join the fantastic voyage and encounter Athena, Hera, Hercules, sirens, centaurs, and more—familiar mythological figures imbued with unexpected character and depth. This contemporary piece of theatre encompasses humor, love, and the unimaginable as Zimmerman reveals the humanity in the most monstrous of creatures in an unforgettable adventure for the ages.

ANW Producing Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott will direct Zimmerman’s work for the first time. The scenic design is by Frederica Nascimento; costume design by Jenny Foldenauer; lighting design by Ken Booth; original music composition / sound design by Robert Oriol; music direction by Dr. Melissa Sky-Eagle; fight choreography by Kenneth R. Merckx, Jr.; movement direction by Stephanie Shroyer; dramaturg is Dr. Miranda Johnson-Haddad.

Previews begin March 20 and opening night is Saturday, March 23.

Argonautika performs in repertory; for schedule and more information, visit www.anoisewithin.org/play/argonautika/

Symposium and Post-Show Conversations This run of Argonautika includes a symposium with University of California Irvine Associate Professor of Classics, Dr. Zina Giannopoulou, at 6:45 p.m. on March 20, 2019 and post-show conversations on April 12, April 21 (after the 2 p.m. performance), and May 3, 2019.

Connect with ANW: Twitter @anoisewithin, Instagram @anoisewithin & Facebook.com/anoisewithintheatre

Ada and the Engine

Written by Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Heidi Powers

Produced by Theatre Unleashed

SYNOPSIS:

As the British Industrial Revolution dawns, young Ada Byron Lovelace (daughter of the flamboyant and notorious Lord Byron) sees the boundless creative potential in the “analytic engines” of her friend and soulmate, Charles Babbage, inventor of the first mechanical computer. Ada envisions a whole new world where art and information converge––a world she might not live to see. It’s a music-laced story of love, friendship, and the edgiest dreams of the future. Jane Austen meets Steve Jobs in this poignant pre-tech romance heralding the computer age.

DATES AND TIMES:

March 21-31

Thursdays and Fridays – 8 p.m.

Saturdays – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sundays – 7 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.theatreunleashed.org

Catworks Productions is pleased to present the premiere of An Evening of One Acts: Bernadette Armstrong’s JOAN, directed by Collette Rutherford, and WHAT DID THEY SAY by  Wendy Winter, directed by Adam Matalon.

AN EVENING OF ONE ACTS

JOAN is an imaginary tale of Joan Crawford’s journey through the Bardo and her adjustment to the fact that her soul will move onto the unknown. During this dream state Joan reflects on–her life–her career–her enemies–her loves–those that helped create the film legend she became.

CAST FOR JOAN INCLUDES  Goreti da Silva – Joan Crawford; Christine Uhebe– Anonymous;  David Trice – News Announcer

WHAT DID THEY SAY explores gender and sexuality in an unconventional family dramedy, taking place in Los Angeles today. As experienced in today’s rough political climate, families don’t always share the same values. Family members can be rough among themselves, and where Julian’s dad is gay, and his older sister Harper identifies as a dyke, his twin sibling Felicia struggles to understand Julian’s gender identity.

CAST FOR WHAT DID THEY SAY INCLUDES:  Anna Garcia – Harper; David Garelik – Julian; Sue Gerver – Emily; Jon Marco – Christopher; Bryan Porter – Shane; Alec Schiff – Julianl Marinela Zubovic – Felicia

BERNADETTE ARMSTRONG – Playwright:  Moved to Los Angeles to work in film in the late 1990’s and after her first two films went to festivals she took a short hiatus from writing until she fell in love with small theater. Since 2008 she has had several successful theater projects produced in No Hollywood.  Her play The Reading Group was named ‘Pick of the Week’ by LA Weekly Magazine and in 2017 her play Simple Lives was nominated for “Outstanding Writing of an Original Play or Musical” by the Valley Theater Awards (the only woman nominated). Bernadette is currently working on a new project that she hopes to see on the stage in 2020. She’d like to thank the actors and crew for continuing to help her bring her characters to life and for the support of all who enjoy small theater.

COLLETTE RUTHERFORD – Director: Holds a B.A. in Theater from N.C. State University and has trained at the American Conservatory Theater and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Last fall she directed This is Not a Drill for SkyPilot Theatre’s One Act Festival. Other recent projects: Lysistrata Unbound (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble), 26th Annual Young Playwright Festival (The Blank), & Plaza Suite (Little Fish Theatre). Collette is a member of New American Theatre Company and Executive Director of Infinite Jest Theatre Company.

WENDY WINTER – Playwright :  Winter Is an American playwright, born in San Francisco, and a recent transplant to Los Angeles. She is married to John Mader, the original drummer for the musical “Wicked”and current drummer for the And Peggy Company of “Hamilton”, which just completed a run in Puerto Rico with Lin Manuel Miranda. Wendy has a BA in creative writing from San Diego State University.

ADAM MATALON – Director: Matalon is an award-winning director known for his work on A Boy a Man and a Kite (2019), Seasons in the Valley (2007) and You’ve Been Had! Celebrity Edition (2019).  He is an 2018 Emmy nominated producer and member of several Emmy winning production and directorial teams with a foundation in creative development and production. Born in NYC and raised in London, Adam has worked in freelance and corporate environments.

Performances will be Friday and Saturday 8:00PM.

Mar. 22 at 7:00:

Vickilyn Reynolds in Hattie McDaniel…. What I Want You to Know! This excerpt of the musical play gives a glimpse of the first African American to receive an Oscar® in Hollywood.

Mar. 23 at 3:00

Pam Levin in Modern Motherhood: This S**t Just Got Real. This comedic personal story gives an honest perspective of the hardest job in the world, PARENTING!

Vicki Summers in Bella, An Immigrant’s Tale. Paying homage to her Jewish immigrant grandmother from Russia, Vicki follows one woman’s journey to America.

Heather Keller in Chemo Barbie. A breast cancer diagnosis forces one woman to confront such issues as mortality, body image, relationships, fertility and mental health.

Sandy Brown in Oh, Yes She Did! History comes alive as Sandy Brown performs excerpts as legendary Black women Harriet Tubman and Shirley Chisholm, who changed the course of social justice in America forever.

Mar. 23 at 8:00:

Laura Biagi in The Breath of Self-Love. This piece explores longing and belonging of an immigrant living in Chicago.

Monique Debose in Mulatto Math. A biracial little girl’s journey to womanhood explores her uprooted confidence and vulnerability in a story centered around family, race and identity.

Lanessa Long in Nobody’s Really Helped Me. Filled with spicy, fluid piano riffs and slick character-filled vocals, this comedic excerpt shines light on identity, amidst angst.

Sarah Rose Reynolds in Squirrel!!! This piece follows a quirky, nutty girl as she fearlessly confromts her battles with ADHD while facing the unbearable challenges of adulthood, LGBTQ issues and suicidal ideations.

Sun. Mar. 24 at 3:00:

Debrianna Mansini in The Meatball Chronicles. As the dough is kneaded and the sauce thickened in Italian recipes, so too is the complexity of childhood, family and relationships in this culinary journey.

Candace Nicholas-Lippman in A Rose Called Candace. This unvarnished story of family, faith, fear and freedom is a testament to one woman finding truth and transformation along the way.

Julia Vally in Mal Coupé. A young girl grows up with a dream of becoming a prima ballerina but is unable to reach the standard of perfection that the classical aesthetic demands, causing her to spiral downward.

Sun. Mar. 24 at 7:00:

Ada Cheng in Loving Across Borders. An intense personal journey, this piece weaves tales of breaking rules and broken hearts across gender-based boundaries.

Kamakshi Hart in Wild at Hart. This is a brave story of transformation and triumph from the ravages of trauma, depression and abusive relationships.

 What do you do when one of the interconnected systems  which malfunctions is your own?  ​

Historical perspectives and staggering statistics collide with personal narrative, live-feed video, Shakespeare, and original movement to give embodied expression to the complexities of living with a chronic illness.

Creator Diana Wyenn, who has Type 1 diabetes, places her story and body at the center of the work, as both a carrier of disease and a vehicle for theatrical transmission. Co-written by Wyenn and Guy Zimmerman,Blood/Sugar challenges the binary of health and illness to create a vivid account of the life-sustaining self-care that diabetes demands of more than 422 million people worldwide.​

Each performance is followed by a conversation between Wyenn, the audience and a diabetes educator.​

DATES/TIMES

Wednesday, March 27, 7:30 pm – BUY TICKETS HERE

Thursday, March 28, 7:30 pm – BUY TICKETS HERE

Friday, March 29, 7:30 pm – BUY TICKETS HERE

​

VENUE

Bootleg Theater

2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057

Note: Bootleg Theater is ADA accessible and there is a FREE parking lot.

TICKETS

$25 – General Admission

KUKER & LEE (Sandra Kuker and Anita Lee), are delighted to announce the return of The Meatball Chronicles by Debrianna Mansini

The Meatball Chronicles follows one woman through humorous and sometimes heart wrenching meals that align with stories of her childhood, her relationships with men, and in particular, her complicated relationship to her mother. Mansini crafts this piece in a way that transcends her own story into universal themes that anyone who has a family can love. As she kneads the dough and thickens the sauce through each Italian recipe, the stories associated with those recipes reveal the complex ways that families cope, laugh, grieve, and show their love through food.

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/spgPcrCxSI0

performances on Friday, Saturday 8PM and Sunday 3PM

Note:  Debrianna Mansini can also be seen March 24th at Theatre 68.  She will be presenting a condensed version of The Meatball Chronicles as part of the 26th Annual LA Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF).  The shortened performance will be at 3:00PM, as part of a three act:  “Family, Food, And Freedom”.

Debrianna Mansini has been seen in both film and television.  Best known for her recurring role on Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, also Hell or High Water, Crazy Heart, Messiah with Beau Bridges (post production), Rattlesnake (Netflix-post production) and Awakening In Taos, as the voice of Georgia O’Keeffe, with Ali MacGraw narrating (PBS).  She is featured in The Dust Monologues (released on Oscar Sunday).  Mansini is also an actor, creator, and co-writer of the web series Cyphers and the upcoming Reaction 21. She is a New York trained actor with a passion for activism. “I believe deeply in using my skills to promote community and consciousness.” 

@dmansini on twitter
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Lemur Mom (because we can’t all be Tiger Moms) is one woman’s eye-opening journey into life on the spectrum. Megan Dolan has the distinct feeling she’s not the right mom. As she navigates support groups, child psychologists, and playdates trying to help her son communicate, she makes countless wrong turns along the way. She finally must face the truth about herself in order to help her son.

This hilarious and touching one person show explores the power of resilience, kindness, and the value of showing up. Megan forges a path from believing she’s the wrong mom to knowing she’s the only mom for her unique and gifted son.

Samantha Simmods-Ronceros from NoHO Arts District says, “Lemur Mom does an extraordinary job of exploding the mother myth in hilarious, heartrending and brilliantly funny ways…Megan Dolan is a star, let me just put that out there right away …she is lovely and sweet and endearing and seriously talented.”