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08feballday24aprBaconSophie Swithinbank
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Rogue Machine Presents the West Coast Premiere of “Bacon” Written by Sophie Swithinbank / Directed by Michael Matthews Extended through April 24th! Rogue Machine at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA
Rogue Machine’s West Coast Premiere of Bacon, by Sophie Swithinbank, takes an unflinching and unexpectedly humorous look at power and sexuality, through the dizzying lens of youth. Directed by Michael Matthews, and running upstairs on the Henry Murray Stage, the play stars Jack Lancaster (Darren) and Wesley Guimarães (Mark).
Mark is new at school and too scared to make friends. Darren is out of control and too scary to make friends. Worlds apart, but more similar than they realize, the pair form a complex and manipulative relationship. Before they know it, they’re embarking on a dangerous experiment that will alter the course of their lives.
“Utterly compelling. Beautiful and devastating to watch.” – The Stage
“Bacon is about what happens when teenagers learn to bully and humiliate each other before they learn to love and accept themselves, says playwright Sophie Swithinbank. “The two central characters, Mark and Darren, were born from an act of bullying I witnessed, which led me to explore the idea of learned negative behaviors. I began to connect the bullying incident to an intense and semi-toxic relationship I had experienced growing up. It was a confusing, dangerously exciting time. The play also explores the binaries of class in relation to sexuality, and how confidence and acceptance can be closely related to social standing, from family to family. Bacon is a relationship drama for the modern age.”
Sophie Swithinbank (Playwright) is a multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter, based in London. She is the 2023 winner of the Peggy Ramsay/Film4 Award. Her play Beans won the 2024 Sonia Friedman Prize for Best Play, and her play Bacon (Tony Craze Award Winner 2018) ran at Finborough Theatre in 2022, winning four Off West End Awards. Bacon has toured the UK, Australia, Canada and USA. Sophie has recently completed an attachment at the National Theatre, with whom she is developing an NT Connections play. Sophie has two new plays and a musical in development. For Theatre: Even in Arcadia (longlisted for Verity Bargate Award 2020), Circle Game (SouthwarkTheatre, shortlisted for Phil Fox Award 2020), Where There Is Smoke (National Theatre Learning), Come Inside (Bush Theatre) and The Superhero (Lyric Hammersmith). For TV: BACON (development with NBC Universal), L/OVER (MTV Finland), Sting (development with The Lighthouse film and TV). For film: Body Brokers (development with Eleven/No Ordinary).
Michael Matthews (Director) recently directed the World Premiere of June Carryl’s Blue at Rogue Machine before remounting the play at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the 7 Dials Playhouse in London’s West End. Selected credits include: Matilda, Billy & Ray, and End of the Rainbow at La Mirada, Failure: A Love Story at CTG/Kirk Douglas Theatre. At Laguna Playhouse, The Seafarer, 12 Angry Men, The Graduate (w/ Melanie Griffith), Funny Girl at 3D Theatricals, Sons of the Prophet (LA Premiere), Psyche: A Modern Rock Opera (World Premiere) Peter Pan: The Boy Who Hated Mothers (LA Premiere), Very Still & Hard To See (World Premiere). Celebration Theatre: Cabaret, Dream Boy (LA Premiere), Bootycandy (LA Premiere), The Color Purple, What’s Wrong With Angry? (LA Premiere), Take Me Out!, The Women of Brewster Place, The Musical (West Coast Premiere), Stupid Kids (LA Premiere), Beautiful Thing, The Bacchae. Broadway: Butley (Assistant Director). International: Sleeping Giant and The Bacchae (Edinburgh Festival Fringe). Michael is the recipient of 2 Ovation Awards and 9 nominations, 1 LA Weekly Award and 2 nominations, 2 NAACP Theatre Awards, 1 Stage Raw Award, 3 Joseph Jefferson Award Nominations, and is the recipient of the 2015 LADCC Award for Career Achievement in Direction.
Justin Okin (Producer) serves as the executive director of Rogue Machine Theatre, where he has produced On the Other Hand, We’re Happy (LADCC award for Outstanding Production) and Heroes of the Fourth Turning (LA Times’ “Best Theater of 2023”). At Rogue Machine, Justin has appeared in Stop Kiss, MilkMilkLemonade, Monkey Adored and Pocatello. He has served on the Board of Directors at Theatre of NOTE, where he performed in Entropy and Eat the Runt. At The Road Theatre Company, Justin co-produced four seasons of the Summer Playwrights Festival and performed in At the Table. Additionally, he associate-produced Tiny Little Town and performed in Hot Cat with Theatre Movement. Other acting credits include appearances at Center Theatre Group, Lincoln Center’s Directors Lab, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and The Public. He is the founder of Rogue Machine’s Playwright’s Roundtable which focuses on developing new works by some of theatre’s most creative new voices.
CAST: Jack Lancaster and Wesley Guimarães.
PRODUCTION TEAM: Stephen Gifford (Production Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Christine Cover Ferro (Costume Design), Jen Albert (Fight Choreographer), Joy DeMichelle (Intimacy Director), Tuffet Schmelzle (Dialect Coach), Victoria Hoffman (Casting), Rich Wong (Stage Manager).
Rogue Machine is the only company to receive the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Polly Warfield Award for “Best Season” three times (2023, 2016, 2011). Additionally, they won the Ovation Award for “Best Season” (2017). Rogue Machine produces new plays and important contemporary plays not yet seen in Los Angeles. Nine of their productions have been published by Samuel French, Dramatists Play Service or Broadway Play Publishing, and six of the productions have had subsequent staging’s at significant theatres, including Off Broadway, major regional houses and the Donmar Warehouse in London. Four world premieres, Razorback, Small Engine Repair, Lone-Anon, and One Night in Miami… were made into feature films, and playwright Kemp Powers was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of “Best Adapted Screenplay.” In recognition of its artistic achievement, administrative strength, development of new work and other significant contributions to the field of professional theatre in the United States, Rogue Machine is supported by the Perenchio Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, David Lee Foundation, the City and County of Los Angeles, The Ahmanson Foundation, and the Richenthal Foundation. Rogue Machine is a recipient of the American Theatre Wing’s National Theatre Company Grant.
Reservations & Schedule: https://www.
Playing
February 8 (Saturday) - April 24 (Thursday)
Venue
Rogue Machine Theatre
7657 Melrose Ave
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14marallday30aprRemembranceAllie Costa
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At Open-Door Playhouse, we bring the theater to you. Now Playing Remembrance by Allie Costa After the death of his father, a grief-stricken Hamlet is plagued by psychotic delusions making him think
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At Open-Door Playhouse, we bring the theater to you. Now Playing Remembrance by Allie Costa
After the death of his father, a grief-stricken Hamlet is plagued by psychotic delusions making him think several others have died and that he is at fault. He finds comfort in an unexpected source: the dearly not departed Ophelia.
Rachel Berney Needleman directs Kim Hlavac as Ophelia and Omari Williams as Hamlet.
Allie Costa is the playwright. Remarkably prolific, her many, many plays include Two Girls, Rise Up, Boxes Are Magic, This Used to Be My Playground, Mindstream, A Taste of the Future, Music of the Mind, Safe Distance, and more. She is also a director and actor.
Listen Here:
https://www.opendoorplayhouse.
Run Time: 13:34
Founded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors, and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception, Open-Door Playhouse has presented short and one-act plays by playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the play Custody. In 2023, the play What’s Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.
16,000 downloads since published!
If you would like to make a donation and support our podcast, you can go here.
Sound Production: Oak House Recording Studio in Altadena, CA with Sound Engineer David Peters. The team behind the mic, Producer and Founder of Open-Door Playhouse Bernadette Armstrong, Assoc. Producer Laree Griffith, who manages our website and newsletter.
Playing
March 14 (Friday) - April 30 (Wednesday)
Venue
Virtual
Online
Presented by
Open-Door Playhouse[email protected] 9 Pangloss St., Henderson NV 89002
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Listen Here for free:
https://www.opendoorplayhouse.
Run Time: 13:34
20marallday20aprBeatnik GirlLeda Siskind
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"Beatnik Girl" by Leda Siskind. This world premiere play by one of Theatre 40’s most accomplished playwrights tells the story of a young woman of vision and principle, Edi Gordon, as
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“Beatnik Girl” by Leda Siskind.
This world premiere play by one of Theatre 40’s most accomplished playwrights tells the story of a young woman of vision and principle, Edi Gordon, as she struggles with misogyny, antisemitism, and an unwanted pregnancy while trying to be a Beat poet. Set in New York’s lower east side in 1957, this sweet and touching new play is filled with lyrical original poetry, poignant humor and insight into the human condition that will stir the heart and take you back to the time of the Beat Generation – Kerouac, Ginsberg, Miles … and women too! Get in the groove!
Directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky.
Thurs.- Sat. at 7:30. Sun. at 2:00.
Playing
March 20 (Thursday) - April 20 (Sunday)
Presented by
Theatre 40(310) 364-3606 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Get Tickets
http://theatre40.org
$35.
29marallday20aprJane Eyreadapted by Elizabeth Williamson from the novel by Charlotte Brontë
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Mystery and romance abound in Gothic horror tale ‘Jane Eyre’ opening March 29 at A Noise Within Mystery and romance abound in a thrilling and heart wrenching tale of self-determination adapted by Elizabeth
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Mystery and romance abound in Gothic horror tale
‘Jane Eyre’ opening March 29 at A Noise Within
Mystery and romance abound in a thrilling and heart wrenching tale of self-determination adapted by Elizabeth Williamson from the classic novel by Charlotte Brontë. A Noise Within artistic director Geoff Elliott helms Jane Eyre for a March 29 opening at the company’s home in Pasadena, where performances continue through April 20. Previews begin March 23.
“I read the adaptation first, having never read the novel, and I couldn’t put it down—it set me on fire,” says Elliott. “It’s a deeply affecting love story that’s also a Gothic horror tale, at once stirring, terrifying, with an impending sense of violence, and, in the end, uplifting. Williamson did a remarkable job of distilling the novel, which I’ve since read three times, into a sweeping, fast-moving two hours that moves like a river.”
Orphaned as a child and determined to live life on her own terms, strong-willed Jane (Jeanne Syquia) takes a position at Thornfield Hall working as a governess for the brooding Edward Rochester (Frederick Stuart). There, she falls in love with her mysterious employer… until the discovery of a dark secret leads to a devastating aftermath. This bold and dynamic production offers a compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest for freedom and fulfillment in the face of devastating adversity.
The cast also includes Deborah Strang as Mrs. Fairfax, and Bert Emmett, Julia Manis, Trisha Miller and Riley Shanahan, who each take on multiple roles. Young Stella Bullock plays Jane as a child, as well as Mr. Rochester’s ward, Adele.
The creative team includes scenic designer Frederica Nascimento; costume designer Angela Balogh Calin; lighting designer Ken Booth; composer and sound designer Robert Oriol; wig and make up designer Tony Valdés; properties designer Stephen Taylor; dialect coach Andrea Odinov; and dramaturg Miranda Johnson-Haddad. The production stage manager is Candice Segarra-Stroud, assisted by Katelyn Hampton.
A Noise Within has been called “an oasis for those who love classic stories” by the Los Angeles Times and is a leading regional producer based in Pasadena, California. Under the leadership of Elliott and Rodriguez-Elliott, the award-winning resident theater company is honored to represent the entire community at its state-of-the-art, 324-seat performance space. In addition to producing world-class performances of classic theater, the organization runs robust education programs with the goal of inspiring diverse audiences of all ages. ANW is committed to anti-racist policies and practices across the entirety of the organization. By interpreting its mission to fully engage audiences through community and artist-centered work in multiple creative disciplines, ANW is striving to be a theater that better serves the entire community.
Performances of Jane Eyre take place March 29 through April 20 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. (no matinee on Saturday, March 29). Four preview performances take place on Sunday, March 29 at 2 p.m., and on Wednesday, March 26; Thursday, March 27; and Friday, March 28, each at 7:30 p.m.
A one-hour INsiders Discussion Group will take place prior to the matinee on Sunday, March 30, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Post–performance conversations with the artists will take place every Friday (except the preview) and on Sunday, April 6. Student matinees are scheduled on select weekdays at 10:30 a.m.; interested educators should email [email protected].
Tickets to Jane Eyre start at $51.50 (including fees). Student tickets start at $20. Tickets to the preview performances on Wednesday, March 26 and Thursday, March 27 will be Pay What You Choose starting at $10 (available online beginning at noon the Monday prior, and at the box office beginning at 2 p.m. on the day of the performance) Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.
A Noise Within is located at 3352 E Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (626) 356–3100 or go to www.anoisewithin.org.
Playing
March 29 (Saturday) - April 20 (Sunday)
Venue
A Noise Within
3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107
Get Tickets
TICKETS:
• Tickets start at $51.50 (including fees)
• Student tickets start at $20
• Wednesday, March 26 and Thursday, March 27 (previews): Pay What You Choose starting at $10 (available online beginning the Monday prior to that performance)
• Discounts available for groups of 10 or more
HOW:
www.anoisewithin.org
(626) 356-3100
05aprallday03mayYou Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!Keiko Green
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South Coast Repertory (Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel) brings you a theatrical
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South Coast Repertory (Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel) brings you a theatrical adventure from a finalist for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize—the world premiere of You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! by Keiko Green. Directed by Zi Alikhan, You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! runs April 5-May 3 on the Segerstrom Stage.
Green’s status as a Blackburn Prize finalist for You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! illustrates that she is one of the country’s most celebrated and rising playwrights. The Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest award recognizing women and non-binary writers for plays of outstanding quality written for the English-speaking theatre. Eleven finalist playwrights have gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
“In this genre-defying comedy about family, death, grief and ultimately life, Keiko Green casts a spell of deep theatrical magic,” read the statement announcing the nomination.
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! was featured at the 2024 Pacific Playwrights Festival, where its “epic, darkly comedic spectacle,” as Green called it, captivated audiences. It serves as an anchor production for this year’s PPF, May 2-4.
“It’s an irreverent, impossibly complicated, impossibly human and ridiculously theatrical comedy with a devastating underbelly,” Ivers said. “Making cancer and the Earth’s decay somehow funny, managing the large emotional load carried by all the family—and other characters—that surround the dying Greg and having it all end in a rave of sorts is no small feat. And yet, Keiko manages all that while creating characters who are real people and who represent a diverse population. It’s a world premiere not to be missed.”
The Play
Take your seat for a comic, irreverent celebration of life! Since Greg’s terminal diagnosis, he’s felt a deep connection to the Earth—and to save himself, he’ll need to save the planet. Viv desperately wants to savor every last minute with her husband. Meanwhile M, our emcee, searches desperately to find meaning in the chaos of their final year with Dad. A heartfelt family story and joyful theatrical event, as magical as the world itself.
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! addresses topics universal to everyone: family, humanity and celebrating life through the concept that you only live once. It spotlights Green’s comedic gift of bringing out humor in situations audiences least expect to find it. It’s a play perfect for our times—where we ask ourselves if the world is moving too fast.
“It’s fun and funny, but the events that take place and the spectacle part is what gets you. I’m trying to get people to laugh a little at things they’re not supposed to,” Green said.
“As Orange County’s only Tony Award-winning theatre, South Coast Repertory is deeply committed to bringing our community great plays that invite us to join together and reflect on our shared responsibility to each other,” Appel said. “Keiko Green’s brilliant play was written for this moment in time when we, like her characters, are navigating a rapidly changing world. I know that our community will see in this family a joyful approach to that familiar challenge. It is a play that calls on us to celebrate our time on earth with those closest to us and to deeply engage with society and the world.”
The Playwright
With the San Diego Union-Tribune calling Green, “one of the most prolific and whip-smart emerging playwrights around,” this is the perfect opportunity to see a new work from a fresh, exciting playwright.
A Los Angeles-based playwright, screenwriter and performer known for her dark comedies and irreverent takes on various elements of Asian and American life, Green’s work has been produced all over the United States, including The Old Globe, Seattle Public Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, Sound Theatre Company, Theater Mu and Actors Express. Her plays have been developed by the prestigious O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, The Kennedy Center, The National New Play Network, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Playwrights Realm, Atlantic Theater Company and The Old Globe and she currently holds commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation and Seattle Children’s Theatre/Kennedy Center.
Green’s second production of Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play just wrapped up at San Francisco Playhouse and the world premiere of Green’s Empty Ride just ended its run at The Old Globe. Earlier, Green won the San Diego Critics Circle Best New Play Award for Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play, and she won the Gregory Award for Best New Play for Nadeshiko. The Gregory Awards recognize the top productions and performances in Seattle theatre.
Her television credits include “Interior Chinatown” for Hulu. Originally from the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Green has a BA in Drama from NYU/Tisch and an MFA in Playwriting from UC San Diego.
The Director
The New York City-based Alikhan has directed plays all over the country, including Pasadena Playhouse, Primary Stages, Writers Theatre/TheatreSquared), Playmakers Repertory Company, Portland Center Stage, Geva Theater Center, Olney Theater Center and Paper Mill Playhouse, among others.
Alikhan’s direction of On That Day in Amsterdam at Primary Stages earned him Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations for Outstanding Director and his direction of Sanctuary City at Pasadena Playhouse was named “Best of the Year” by the Los Angeles Times. His direction of The Band’s Visit at Writers Theatre/TheatreSquared was named “Best of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune.
The Cast
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! features Joel de la Fuente (Greg), River Gallo (M), Rafael Goldstein (Will/Others), Anna LaMadrid (Lila/Others), Sharon Omi (Janet/Others) and Alysia Reiner (Viv).
de la Fuente (Instagram handle @joeldelafuente) makes his SCR debut after touring across the country in Jeanne Sakata’s one-person play Hold These Truths, which earned him the 2018 Outstanding Performance in a Principal Role from Theatre Bay Area. He appeared in two award-winning streaming shows: Netflix’s “Hemlock Grove” and Amazon Prime’s “The Man in the High Castle,” and was a series regular on “Space: Above & Beyond,” “Devils” and “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.”
Gallo (@rivergallo) is a Salvadoran-American actor, writer, filmmaker, and intersex activist. They are the writer, producer, and star of Ponyboi, the first narrative feature created by and starring an out intersex artist in cinema history. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and will be theatrically released by Fox Entertainment Studios on June 27. Gallo’s theater credits include Cordelia/Fool in King Lear at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway and Los Angeles. TV credits include “Love, Victor.” They were also featured in the critically acclaimed documentary Every Body, directed by Academy Award nominee Julie Cohen. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts (BFA) and USC School of Cinematic Arts (MFA), Gallo is thrilled to return to SCR, having played the role of M in the world premiere staged reading at the 2024 Pacific Playwrights Festival.
Among Goldstein’s credits is the role of Jake in Green’s 2023 world-premiere of Sharon at the Cygnet Theatre in San Diego, which earned him a Craig Noel Award nomination. After participating in the reading for You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!, Goldstein returns to SCR after playing Laertes and The Player in Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of Hamlet. A presence on Southern California stages since he was 12, Goldstein is a resident artist at A Noise Within.
LaMadrid (@the_annalamadrid) is recognized for playing Fake Angela on HBO’s first season of “The Rehearsal,” which join her other television credits as Rocio in “This Fool” and Lacey Gamble opposite Courtney Cox in “Shining Vale.” LaMadrid’s stage credits include productions at Pasadena Playhouse, IAMA Theatre Company, Echo Theater, Antaeus Theatre Company and Boston Court Pasadena.
Omi (@sharonkeikoomi) returns to SCR after her hilarious role as Elishiva in Galilee, 34 by Eleanor Burgess last spring. She has appeared in plays at Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, East West Players and Playwrights’ Arena, among many others. Omi’s recent credits include My Home on the Moon at San Francisco Playhouse, The Great Wave at Berkeley Repertory, Tales of Clamor at USC and No No Boy and Innocent When You Dream at L.A. Theatre Works. She won a Out on Film Festival Award for her role in the film Eat with Me. Omi’s recent television credits include “I Think You Should Leave,” “Young Sheldon,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders,” ‘General Hospital,” “Maggie,” and “The After Party,” among many others.
Reiner (@alysiareiner) is best known for playing Fig in seven seasons of “Orange is the New Black,” for which she won a SAG Award. She also originated the role of Agent Sadie Deaver in the 2023 Emmy and Critics Choice Award-winning “Ms. Marvel.” Reiner’s other recurring television roles came in “Better Things,” “The Deuce,” “Shining Vale,” and currently, “The Diplomat.” She also appeared in the popular film Sideways, in an Emmy Award-winning episode of “Broad City,” and head-to head with Viola Davis in “How to Get Away With Murder.” Her New York stage credits include My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre (The Public Theater), Jesus in Manhattan (Ensemble Studio Theatre) and Jayson with a Y (The New Group).
The Creative Team
The design and creative team includes Adam Rigg, scenic design; Lux Haac, costume design; Barbara Samuels, lighting design; Uptown Works, sound design; Nicholas Hussong, projection design; James Alsop, movement consultant and David Nevell, voice and dialect coach. Joanne DeNaut, CSA is the casting director, Maisie Chan is the production manager, Kathryn Davies is the production stage manager, and Lauren Buangan is the assistant stage manager.
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! received generous support from Honorary Producers Julia Voce and Nickie and Mickey Williams. The Corporate Honorary Producer is Haskell & White LLP.
Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $35 to $114, with additional discounts available for educators, seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.scr.org or by phone at (714) 708-5555. More information is available at www.scr.org.
Special Events
- Post-Show Discussions:
- Actor Conversations with members of the cast: Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 24.
- Community Conversation, a presentation and discussion surrounding a theme specific to You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!: Sunday, April 27.
- Inside the Season: Saturday, April 19 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Led by members of SCR’s literary staff, this lively 90-minute session includes in-depth interviews with cast members and artists from the production staff, revealing secrets and offering insights into You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! Tickets are $14 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.
- ASL Interpreted Performance: Saturday, April 26 at 2 p.m.
Location: South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the David Emmes/Martin Benson Theatre Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available on Park Center Drive, off Anton Boulevard.
ABOUT SOUTH COAST REPERTORY: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel. SCR is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theatres in the United States. While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern plays and musicals, SCR is renowned for its extensive new-play development program—The Lab@SCR—which includes one of the nation’s largest commissioning programs for emerging, mid-career and established writers. Of SCR’s more than 550 productions, one-quarter have been world premieres. SCR-developed works have garnered two Pulitzer Prizes and eight Pulitzer nominations, several Obie Awards and scores of major new-play awards. Located in Costa Mesa, Calif., SCR is home to the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio. www.scr.org
Playing
April 5 (Saturday) - May 3 (Saturday)
Venue
South Coast Repertory
655 Town Center Drive
Get Tickets
Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $35 to $114, with additional discounts available for educators, seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.scr.org or by phone at (714) 708-5555. More information is available at www.scr.org.
10aprallday18mayJust Like Usby Karen Zacarías, based on the book by Helen Thorpe
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Just Like Us is a gripping, non-fiction play inspired by Helen Thorpe’s bestselling book. It follows four Latina teenage girls whose close-knit friendship is tested by the realities of immigration status—and
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Just Like Us is a gripping, non-fiction play inspired by Helen Thorpe’s bestselling book. It follows four Latina teenage girls whose close-knit friendship is tested by the realities of immigration status—and the opportunities or barriers it creates.
Set in Denver, the story follows Clara and Elissa, who hold legal documents, while Yadira and Marisela do not. As they navigate high school and work toward college, they confront the stark differences in their paths. Student loans are not an option without a Social Security number, and when deportation looms over their families, even a dorm room may not provide refuge.
A true coming-of-age story, Just Like Us raises urgent and essential questions about identity, opportunity, and what it truly means to be American. More timely than ever, this powerful play is a must-see.
Playing
April 10 (Thursday) - May 18 (Sunday)
Venue
The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Presented by
Latino Theater Company
Get Tickets
PREVIEW $10
THURSDAYS $10
OPENING NIGHT $75
ADULT $48
STUDENT WITH ID $24
SENIOR 65+ WITH ID $24
VETERAN WITH ID $24
LAUSD Staff WITH ID $24
Groups of 6 or more get up to $10 OFF per Ticket. More Info here.
16aprallday18mayFurlough's Paradisea.k. payne
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FURLOUGH'S PARADISE WEST COAST PREMIERE Written by a.k. payne Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden Featuring Kacie Rogers & DeWanda Wise Cousins Sade and Mina used to be inseparable. Now leading very different lives, they return to their childhood town
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FURLOUGH’S PARADISE
WEST COAST PREMIERE
Written by a.k. payne
Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden
Featuring Kacie Rogers & DeWanda Wise
Cousins Sade and Mina used to be inseparable. Now leading very different lives, they return to their childhood town for the funeral of their mother and aunt. While Sade is on a three-day furlough from prison and Mina experiences a brief reprieve from her career and life on the West Coast, the two try to make sense of grief, home, love, and kinship. As the clock ticks down, the cousins grapple with their conflicting memories of the past and their shared hopes for the future. Poetic and theatrical, Furlough’s Paradise explores family dreams of a utopia yet to be realized.
Previews: April 16, 2025 – April 23, 2025
Opening Night: April 24, 2025
Closing Night: May 18, 2025
Join LAFPI Instigators for pre-show community and connections on on Thursday, May 1 for our next LAFPI Night at the Geffen! Info here: lafpi.com/events
LOCATION
Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Playing
April 16 (Wednesday) - May 18 (Sunday)
Venue
Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Get Tickets
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets currently priced at $36.00 – $139.00. Available by phone at 310.208.2028 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org. Fees may apply.
Visit https://www.geffenplayhouse.org/shows/furloughs-paradise/
24aprallday18mayThe Secret Comedy of WomenBarbara Gehring and Linda Klein
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THE SECRET COMEDY OF WOMEN CREATED AND PERFORMED BY BARBARA GEHRING AND LINDA KLEIN APRIL 24 – MAY 18 THE COLONY THEATRE IN BURBANK
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Playing
April 24 (Thursday) - May 18 (Sunday)
Venue
The Colony Theatre
555 N. Third Street, Burbank, CA 91502
Presented by
Philip Roger Roy
Get Tickets
TICKET INFO:
Purchase online at www.playhouseinfo.com or call (855) 448-7469.
For group sales info, call (888) 264-1788.
25aprallday11mayThe Violin MakerLisa Pearl Rosenbaum and Ronda Spinak
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ICT continues 40th anniversary season with American premiere of ‘The Violin Maker’ True story of luthier Amnon Weinstein is testament to hope and survival in dark times International City Theatre presents the American premiere of The Violin
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ICT continues 40th anniversary season with
American premiere of ‘The Violin Maker’
True story of luthier Amnon Weinstein
is testament to hope and survival in dark times
International City Theatre presents the American premiere of The Violin Maker, a new play based on the true story of Israeli violin maker Amnon Weinstein, who gathered and restored ruined violins that survived the Holocaust to create a remarkable collection known throughout the world as the “Violins of Hope.” Written by Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum and Ronda Spinak (artistic director of The Braid), with musical curation by Dr. Noreen Green (founding artistic director and conductor of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony), and directed by ICT artistic director caryn desai [sic], The Violin Maker opens April 25 for a three-week run through May 11. Performances take place at ICT’s home in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. Two low-priced previews are set for April 23 and April 24.
Weinstein (Bruce Nozick) began repairing violins rescued from the Holocaust as a way to keep their histories alive. This new play masterly weaves Weinstein’s extraordinary story with the true tales behind each of the violins — as well as with music, performed live on stage by Dr. Green on piano and Jonathan Rubin on the Shony Alex Braun violin. (Although the Shony Alex Braun violin is not one of the instruments that make up the Violins of Hope collection, it too survived the Holocaust, and we will learn its story during the course of the play.) But before Weinstein can bring these instruments back to life and to the world, he must wrestle with his own ghosts, and with those of his family. In addition to Nozick, the cast includes Sheer Aviram, Matthew Bohrer, Matthew Henerson, Lielle Kaidar, Morgan Dean Lauff and Aviva Pressman, each of whom plays multiple characters in Israel and the U.S. as well as, in memory, in Lithuania and Germany before and during World War II.
According to Rosenbaum and Spinak, “Luthier Amnon Weinstein took what might have become an exhibit of ruined instruments, restored them and put them into the hands of musicians all over the world so that a new generation can hear them. The survivors of the Holocaust will not be here forever, but these violins will continue to tell their stories for generations to come.”
Inspired by conversations Rosenbaum had with Weinstein, The Violin Maker received its world premiere in 2023 at the Bondi Theater in Sydney, Australia. An earlier version, written by Rosenbaum and developed with Spinak at The Braid, was presented as a theatrical work-in-progress under the title Stories from the Violins of Hope. This new, fully-staged play dives deeper, with more stories, scenes and additional music, to follow the arc of Weinstein’s life — from a proud Israeli boy who wanted nothing to do with the Holocaust and his family’s pain, to a man who devotes his life to repairing “stringed survivors” whose voices are now heard in concerts around the world, restoring the dignity of their owners for generations to come.
Since 2008, concerts featuring the violins in the collection have taken place around the world, in cities in Israel, Spain, Italy, England, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Romania, Mexico and the U.S. — including one given in conjunction with the Long Beach Symphony, which desai attended.
“Weinstein’s story is deeply moving, as are the stories behind the violins,” she says. They are a true testament to the role music can play to keep hope alive during desperate times.”
As explained on the Violins of Hope website, “The Nazis used music and especially violins to humiliate and degrade Jews in ghettos and camps. They confiscated many thousands of instruments from Jews all over Europe. Our concerts are the ultimate answer to their plan to annihilate a people and their culture, to destroy human lives and freedom. The sound of violins is often compared to the beauty of the human voice. When played with talent and spirit, it is known to reach out and touch hearts. This was the role of violins in the war – to touch hearts, kindle hope for better times and spread it around. Wherever there was music, there was hope.”
ICT’s creative team for The Violin Maker includes set designer Destiny Manewal, lighting designers Donna and Tom Ruzika, costume designer Kim DeShazo, sound designer Dave Mickey and prop designer Patty Briles. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The stage manager is John Freeland, Jr.
The Violin Maker runs April 25 through May 11 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Two preview performances take place on Wednesday, April 23 and Thursday, April 24 both at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $56 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, except opening night (Friday, April 25), and $59 on opening night and at Sunday matinees. Low-priced tickets to previews are $44.
International City Theatre is located in Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center’s Beverly O’Neill Theater at 330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802.For more information and to purchase tickets, call (562) 436-4610 or go to InternationalCityTheatre.org.
Playing
April 25 (Friday) - May 11 (Sunday)
Venue
International City Theatre
330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
Get Tickets
TICKET PRICES:
$44-$59
• Opening Night (April 25): $59 (includes post-show reception with the actors)
• Sunday matinees: $59
• Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (except Friday, April 25): $56
• Previews: $44
HOW:
InternationalCityTheatre.org.
(562) 436-4610
Show Info
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present
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LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS &
McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present
LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Book by Heather Hach
Based on the novel by Amanda Brown
and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture
Choreography by Dana Solimando
Musical Direction by Ryan O’Connell
Direction by Cynthia Ferre
OMIGOD YOU GUYS! Get ready to “Bend and Snap” as LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT announce full casting for their “pinkest” show of the season, LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, book by Heather Hach, based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture, with choreography by Dana Solimando, musical direction by Ryan O’Connell and direction by Cynthia Ferrer. LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, April 25 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 26 at 2 pm, have its official Press Opening on Saturday, April 26 at 8 pm and run through Sunday, May 18, 2025 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
A fabulously fun award-winning musical based on the beloved movie, LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICALfollows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances – this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal!
Elle Woods appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors, and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.
ABOUT THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
The Cast of LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL features Kathryn Brunner as “Elle Woods,” Michael Thomas Grant as “Emmett Forrest,” Nicholas James McDonough as “Warner Huntington, III,” Anna Mintzer as “Vivienne Kensington,” Anthea Neri Best as “Pauline,” Ed Staudenmayer as “Professor Callahan,” Jane Papageorge as “Brooke Wyndham,” Dahlya Glick as “Enid,” Grace Simmons as “Margot,” Bella Hicks as “Serena,” and Aurelia Michael as “Pilar.” The Ensemble will feature (in alphabetical order) Cristyn Dang, Grant Hodges, Nathan Madden, Donovan Mendelovitz, Bailey Renee Miller, Taylor Mettra, Davon Rashawn, Anthony Sanchez, Callula Sawyer, Rochelle Scudder (“Bruiser” Handler), Amir Jabari Bailey-Simmons, Krystle Rose Simmons, Rodrigo Varandas, and Rianny Vasquez. Swings are Emmy J. Lane and Ben Raanan.
CYNTHIA FERRER (Direction) has directed/choreographed major musicals around the country, including Singin’ in the Rain, 9 to 5, Damn Yankees, 42nd Street, Peter Pan, Camelot, King and I and Louisiana Purchase. She played leading roles in over one hundred musicals and in four Broadway/National Tours, including Singin’ in the Rain as the original “Kathy Selden.” Cynthia appeared in the films Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Georgia Rule, and television shows “Cougartown,” “Crossing Jordan,” “General Hospital” (Dr. Rachael Ryan), and “B Positive” with Garry Marshall, Julia Roberts, Carol Burnett, Alec Baldwin, and Courtney Cox.
DANA SOLIMANDO (Choreography) has earned numerous awards including three Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, seven Ovation Award nominations, a NAACP award nomination, and three L.A. Drama Critics Circle nominations for her choreography. International awards include the 2023 Koryfeusz award and 2022 Kiepura award nomination. Credits include: World Premiere of IRENA – The Irena Sendler story for Teatr Muzyczny Poznan (2023 Koryfeusz award and 2022 Kiepura award nom), Cabaret (2019 Ovation and L.A. Drama Critics Circle nominations), Rebel Genius (2019 World Premiere), American Idiot (Ovation nomination), Jersey Boys (McCoy Rigby), Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (5th Ave. Theater), Parade (Ovation nomination), Spring Awakening (Ovation nomination), Billy Elliot (L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award nomination), Ragtime (Ovation nomination), Damn Yankees (Ovation nomination), Swing! (L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards – Best Choreography), Miss Saigon at Macau International Arts Festival/McCoy Rigby Ent. (Ovation nomination), and many more.
RYAN O’CONNELL (Musical Direction) has worked on more than 75 productions as a musical director, orchestrator, and composer. Favorite credits: Ernest Shackleton Loves Me (2nd Stage NYC), Ragtime (First National Tour), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (La Mirada Theatre/McCoy Rigby Entertainment), Mary Poppins (Musical Theatre West) and Private Jones (Signature Theatre). He has helped create music for NBC, CBS, Fox, Netflix, Cartoon Network, Disney World, and Disneyland, where he currently works as a music director and teaching artist. www.ryanomusic.com.
The Design Team for LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL is as follows: Scenery Rental Provided by Front Row Theatrical Rental; Lighting Design by Anne McMills; Sound Design by Josh Bessom; Costume Design by Adam Ramirez; Hair/Wig Design by Katie McCoy Yagen; Projection Design by Jon Infante; Prop Rental is by The Music and Theatre Company; Properties Coordination by Kevin Williams. Animals by William Berloni Theatrical Animals. The Casting Director is Julia Flores. The Production Stage Manager is Bree Sherry.
ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING
LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, April 25 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 26 at 2 pm, have its official Press Opening on Saturday, April 26 at 8 pm and run through Sunday, May 18, 2025 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 pm; Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 2 pm & 8 pm; and Sundays at 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm. There is no performance on Sunday, April 27 at 6:30 pm.
There will be an Open-Captioned performance on Saturday, May 10at 2:00 pm. Talkbacks with the cast and creative team will be on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm and Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 pm.
Tickets range from $25 – $95 (prices subject to change) and can be purchased at La Mirada Theatre’s website www.LaMiradaTheatre.
Group, student, and military discounts are available. Children under 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue where the 91 and 5 freeways meet. Parking is FREE.
Playing
April 25 (Friday) - May 18 (Sunday)
Venue
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
14900 La Mirada Blvd
Get Tickets
Tickets range from $25 – $95 (prices subject to change).
Children under 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.
29aprallday01mayThe Hostage SituationAmy Dellagiarino
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In The Hostage Situation, chaos and comedy collide when an ordinary day in a corporate break room takes a darkly hilarious turn. Recently fired, Vic has come back to enact some revenge.
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In The Hostage Situation, chaos and comedy collide when an ordinary day in a corporate break room takes a darkly hilarious turn.
Recently fired, Vic has come back to enact some revenge. There’s just one problem: he has no idea what he’s doing. Nobody knows what the rules are for bathroom breaks, the office doesn’t have a first aid kit, and pretty soon, all the good flavors of donuts are gone. The only thing for certain is that Harry’s still mad about not being promoted. As donuts, grudges, and egos fly, the unlikely hostages are forced to confront their personal failures, office rivalries, and surprising connections.
Fast-paced, sharp-witted, and unexpectedly heartfelt, The Hostage Situation is a workplace comedy turned upside-down, proving that even in the darkest moments, there’s room for humor—and a little humanity.
Featuring:
Desiree Mee Jung, Brandon Blum, Palmyra Mattner, Phillip Curry, Jeff Verge, Jacqueline Misaye, Juan Francisco Villa
Directed by Hailey McAfee
Produced by Annie McVey & Daniel Shoenman
Production Stage Manager – Zoia Wiseman
April 29th, 30th & May 1st @ 8PM
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association
Broadwater Black Box
6322 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Playing
April 29 (Tuesday) - May 1 (Thursday)
Venue
Broadwater Black Box
6322 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Presented by
The Inkwell Theater
may
05aprallday03mayYou Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!Keiko Green
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South Coast Repertory (Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel) brings you a theatrical
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South Coast Repertory (Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel) brings you a theatrical adventure from a finalist for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize—the world premiere of You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! by Keiko Green. Directed by Zi Alikhan, You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! runs April 5-May 3 on the Segerstrom Stage.
Green’s status as a Blackburn Prize finalist for You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! illustrates that she is one of the country’s most celebrated and rising playwrights. The Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest award recognizing women and non-binary writers for plays of outstanding quality written for the English-speaking theatre. Eleven finalist playwrights have gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
“In this genre-defying comedy about family, death, grief and ultimately life, Keiko Green casts a spell of deep theatrical magic,” read the statement announcing the nomination.
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! was featured at the 2024 Pacific Playwrights Festival, where its “epic, darkly comedic spectacle,” as Green called it, captivated audiences. It serves as an anchor production for this year’s PPF, May 2-4.
“It’s an irreverent, impossibly complicated, impossibly human and ridiculously theatrical comedy with a devastating underbelly,” Ivers said. “Making cancer and the Earth’s decay somehow funny, managing the large emotional load carried by all the family—and other characters—that surround the dying Greg and having it all end in a rave of sorts is no small feat. And yet, Keiko manages all that while creating characters who are real people and who represent a diverse population. It’s a world premiere not to be missed.”
The Play
Take your seat for a comic, irreverent celebration of life! Since Greg’s terminal diagnosis, he’s felt a deep connection to the Earth—and to save himself, he’ll need to save the planet. Viv desperately wants to savor every last minute with her husband. Meanwhile M, our emcee, searches desperately to find meaning in the chaos of their final year with Dad. A heartfelt family story and joyful theatrical event, as magical as the world itself.
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! addresses topics universal to everyone: family, humanity and celebrating life through the concept that you only live once. It spotlights Green’s comedic gift of bringing out humor in situations audiences least expect to find it. It’s a play perfect for our times—where we ask ourselves if the world is moving too fast.
“It’s fun and funny, but the events that take place and the spectacle part is what gets you. I’m trying to get people to laugh a little at things they’re not supposed to,” Green said.
“As Orange County’s only Tony Award-winning theatre, South Coast Repertory is deeply committed to bringing our community great plays that invite us to join together and reflect on our shared responsibility to each other,” Appel said. “Keiko Green’s brilliant play was written for this moment in time when we, like her characters, are navigating a rapidly changing world. I know that our community will see in this family a joyful approach to that familiar challenge. It is a play that calls on us to celebrate our time on earth with those closest to us and to deeply engage with society and the world.”
The Playwright
With the San Diego Union-Tribune calling Green, “one of the most prolific and whip-smart emerging playwrights around,” this is the perfect opportunity to see a new work from a fresh, exciting playwright.
A Los Angeles-based playwright, screenwriter and performer known for her dark comedies and irreverent takes on various elements of Asian and American life, Green’s work has been produced all over the United States, including The Old Globe, Seattle Public Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, Sound Theatre Company, Theater Mu and Actors Express. Her plays have been developed by the prestigious O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, The Kennedy Center, The National New Play Network, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Playwrights Realm, Atlantic Theater Company and The Old Globe and she currently holds commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation and Seattle Children’s Theatre/Kennedy Center.
Green’s second production of Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play just wrapped up at San Francisco Playhouse and the world premiere of Green’s Empty Ride just ended its run at The Old Globe. Earlier, Green won the San Diego Critics Circle Best New Play Award for Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play, and she won the Gregory Award for Best New Play for Nadeshiko. The Gregory Awards recognize the top productions and performances in Seattle theatre.
Her television credits include “Interior Chinatown” for Hulu. Originally from the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Green has a BA in Drama from NYU/Tisch and an MFA in Playwriting from UC San Diego.
The Director
The New York City-based Alikhan has directed plays all over the country, including Pasadena Playhouse, Primary Stages, Writers Theatre/TheatreSquared), Playmakers Repertory Company, Portland Center Stage, Geva Theater Center, Olney Theater Center and Paper Mill Playhouse, among others.
Alikhan’s direction of On That Day in Amsterdam at Primary Stages earned him Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations for Outstanding Director and his direction of Sanctuary City at Pasadena Playhouse was named “Best of the Year” by the Los Angeles Times. His direction of The Band’s Visit at Writers Theatre/TheatreSquared was named “Best of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune.
The Cast
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! features Joel de la Fuente (Greg), River Gallo (M), Rafael Goldstein (Will/Others), Anna LaMadrid (Lila/Others), Sharon Omi (Janet/Others) and Alysia Reiner (Viv).
de la Fuente (Instagram handle @joeldelafuente) makes his SCR debut after touring across the country in Jeanne Sakata’s one-person play Hold These Truths, which earned him the 2018 Outstanding Performance in a Principal Role from Theatre Bay Area. He appeared in two award-winning streaming shows: Netflix’s “Hemlock Grove” and Amazon Prime’s “The Man in the High Castle,” and was a series regular on “Space: Above & Beyond,” “Devils” and “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.”
Gallo (@rivergallo) is a Salvadoran-American actor, writer, filmmaker, and intersex activist. They are the writer, producer, and star of Ponyboi, the first narrative feature created by and starring an out intersex artist in cinema history. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and will be theatrically released by Fox Entertainment Studios on June 27. Gallo’s theater credits include Cordelia/Fool in King Lear at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway and Los Angeles. TV credits include “Love, Victor.” They were also featured in the critically acclaimed documentary Every Body, directed by Academy Award nominee Julie Cohen. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts (BFA) and USC School of Cinematic Arts (MFA), Gallo is thrilled to return to SCR, having played the role of M in the world premiere staged reading at the 2024 Pacific Playwrights Festival.
Among Goldstein’s credits is the role of Jake in Green’s 2023 world-premiere of Sharon at the Cygnet Theatre in San Diego, which earned him a Craig Noel Award nomination. After participating in the reading for You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!, Goldstein returns to SCR after playing Laertes and The Player in Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of Hamlet. A presence on Southern California stages since he was 12, Goldstein is a resident artist at A Noise Within.
LaMadrid (@the_annalamadrid) is recognized for playing Fake Angela on HBO’s first season of “The Rehearsal,” which join her other television credits as Rocio in “This Fool” and Lacey Gamble opposite Courtney Cox in “Shining Vale.” LaMadrid’s stage credits include productions at Pasadena Playhouse, IAMA Theatre Company, Echo Theater, Antaeus Theatre Company and Boston Court Pasadena.
Omi (@sharonkeikoomi) returns to SCR after her hilarious role as Elishiva in Galilee, 34 by Eleanor Burgess last spring. She has appeared in plays at Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, East West Players and Playwrights’ Arena, among many others. Omi’s recent credits include My Home on the Moon at San Francisco Playhouse, The Great Wave at Berkeley Repertory, Tales of Clamor at USC and No No Boy and Innocent When You Dream at L.A. Theatre Works. She won a Out on Film Festival Award for her role in the film Eat with Me. Omi’s recent television credits include “I Think You Should Leave,” “Young Sheldon,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders,” ‘General Hospital,” “Maggie,” and “The After Party,” among many others.
Reiner (@alysiareiner) is best known for playing Fig in seven seasons of “Orange is the New Black,” for which she won a SAG Award. She also originated the role of Agent Sadie Deaver in the 2023 Emmy and Critics Choice Award-winning “Ms. Marvel.” Reiner’s other recurring television roles came in “Better Things,” “The Deuce,” “Shining Vale,” and currently, “The Diplomat.” She also appeared in the popular film Sideways, in an Emmy Award-winning episode of “Broad City,” and head-to head with Viola Davis in “How to Get Away With Murder.” Her New York stage credits include My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre (The Public Theater), Jesus in Manhattan (Ensemble Studio Theatre) and Jayson with a Y (The New Group).
The Creative Team
The design and creative team includes Adam Rigg, scenic design; Lux Haac, costume design; Barbara Samuels, lighting design; Uptown Works, sound design; Nicholas Hussong, projection design; James Alsop, movement consultant and David Nevell, voice and dialect coach. Joanne DeNaut, CSA is the casting director, Maisie Chan is the production manager, Kathryn Davies is the production stage manager, and Lauren Buangan is the assistant stage manager.
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! received generous support from Honorary Producers Julia Voce and Nickie and Mickey Williams. The Corporate Honorary Producer is Haskell & White LLP.
Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $35 to $114, with additional discounts available for educators, seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.scr.org or by phone at (714) 708-5555. More information is available at www.scr.org.
Special Events
- Post-Show Discussions:
- Actor Conversations with members of the cast: Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 24.
- Community Conversation, a presentation and discussion surrounding a theme specific to You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!: Sunday, April 27.
- Inside the Season: Saturday, April 19 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Led by members of SCR’s literary staff, this lively 90-minute session includes in-depth interviews with cast members and artists from the production staff, revealing secrets and offering insights into You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! Tickets are $14 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.
- ASL Interpreted Performance: Saturday, April 26 at 2 p.m.
Location: South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the David Emmes/Martin Benson Theatre Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available on Park Center Drive, off Anton Boulevard.
ABOUT SOUTH COAST REPERTORY: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel. SCR is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theatres in the United States. While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern plays and musicals, SCR is renowned for its extensive new-play development program—The Lab@SCR—which includes one of the nation’s largest commissioning programs for emerging, mid-career and established writers. Of SCR’s more than 550 productions, one-quarter have been world premieres. SCR-developed works have garnered two Pulitzer Prizes and eight Pulitzer nominations, several Obie Awards and scores of major new-play awards. Located in Costa Mesa, Calif., SCR is home to the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio. www.scr.org
Playing
April 5 (Saturday) - May 3 (Saturday)
Venue
South Coast Repertory
655 Town Center Drive
Get Tickets
Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $35 to $114, with additional discounts available for educators, seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.scr.org or by phone at (714) 708-5555. More information is available at www.scr.org.
10aprallday18mayJust Like Usby Karen Zacarías, based on the book by Helen Thorpe
Show Info
Just Like Us is a gripping, non-fiction play inspired by Helen Thorpe’s bestselling book. It follows four Latina teenage girls whose close-knit friendship is tested by the realities of immigration status—and
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Just Like Us is a gripping, non-fiction play inspired by Helen Thorpe’s bestselling book. It follows four Latina teenage girls whose close-knit friendship is tested by the realities of immigration status—and the opportunities or barriers it creates.
Set in Denver, the story follows Clara and Elissa, who hold legal documents, while Yadira and Marisela do not. As they navigate high school and work toward college, they confront the stark differences in their paths. Student loans are not an option without a Social Security number, and when deportation looms over their families, even a dorm room may not provide refuge.
A true coming-of-age story, Just Like Us raises urgent and essential questions about identity, opportunity, and what it truly means to be American. More timely than ever, this powerful play is a must-see.
Playing
April 10 (Thursday) - May 18 (Sunday)
Venue
The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Presented by
Latino Theater Company
Get Tickets
PREVIEW $10
THURSDAYS $10
OPENING NIGHT $75
ADULT $48
STUDENT WITH ID $24
SENIOR 65+ WITH ID $24
VETERAN WITH ID $24
LAUSD Staff WITH ID $24
Groups of 6 or more get up to $10 OFF per Ticket. More Info here.
16aprallday18mayFurlough's Paradisea.k. payne
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FURLOUGH'S PARADISE WEST COAST PREMIERE Written by a.k. payne Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden Featuring Kacie Rogers & DeWanda Wise Cousins Sade and Mina used to be inseparable. Now leading very different lives, they return to their childhood town
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FURLOUGH’S PARADISE
WEST COAST PREMIERE
Written by a.k. payne
Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden
Featuring Kacie Rogers & DeWanda Wise
Cousins Sade and Mina used to be inseparable. Now leading very different lives, they return to their childhood town for the funeral of their mother and aunt. While Sade is on a three-day furlough from prison and Mina experiences a brief reprieve from her career and life on the West Coast, the two try to make sense of grief, home, love, and kinship. As the clock ticks down, the cousins grapple with their conflicting memories of the past and their shared hopes for the future. Poetic and theatrical, Furlough’s Paradise explores family dreams of a utopia yet to be realized.
Previews: April 16, 2025 – April 23, 2025
Opening Night: April 24, 2025
Closing Night: May 18, 2025
Join LAFPI Instigators for pre-show community and connections on on Thursday, May 1 for our next LAFPI Night at the Geffen! Info here: lafpi.com/events
LOCATION
Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Playing
April 16 (Wednesday) - May 18 (Sunday)
Venue
Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Get Tickets
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets currently priced at $36.00 – $139.00. Available by phone at 310.208.2028 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org. Fees may apply.
Visit https://www.geffenplayhouse.org/shows/furloughs-paradise/
24aprallday18mayThe Secret Comedy of WomenBarbara Gehring and Linda Klein
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THE SECRET COMEDY OF WOMEN CREATED AND PERFORMED BY BARBARA GEHRING AND LINDA KLEIN APRIL 24 – MAY 18 THE COLONY THEATRE IN BURBANK
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Playing
April 24 (Thursday) - May 18 (Sunday)
Venue
The Colony Theatre
555 N. Third Street, Burbank, CA 91502
Presented by
Philip Roger Roy
Get Tickets
TICKET INFO:
Purchase online at www.playhouseinfo.com or call (855) 448-7469.
For group sales info, call (888) 264-1788.
25aprallday11mayThe Violin MakerLisa Pearl Rosenbaum and Ronda Spinak
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ICT continues 40th anniversary season with American premiere of ‘The Violin Maker’ True story of luthier Amnon Weinstein is testament to hope and survival in dark times International City Theatre presents the American premiere of The Violin
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ICT continues 40th anniversary season with
American premiere of ‘The Violin Maker’
True story of luthier Amnon Weinstein
is testament to hope and survival in dark times
International City Theatre presents the American premiere of The Violin Maker, a new play based on the true story of Israeli violin maker Amnon Weinstein, who gathered and restored ruined violins that survived the Holocaust to create a remarkable collection known throughout the world as the “Violins of Hope.” Written by Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum and Ronda Spinak (artistic director of The Braid), with musical curation by Dr. Noreen Green (founding artistic director and conductor of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony), and directed by ICT artistic director caryn desai [sic], The Violin Maker opens April 25 for a three-week run through May 11. Performances take place at ICT’s home in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. Two low-priced previews are set for April 23 and April 24.
Weinstein (Bruce Nozick) began repairing violins rescued from the Holocaust as a way to keep their histories alive. This new play masterly weaves Weinstein’s extraordinary story with the true tales behind each of the violins — as well as with music, performed live on stage by Dr. Green on piano and Jonathan Rubin on the Shony Alex Braun violin. (Although the Shony Alex Braun violin is not one of the instruments that make up the Violins of Hope collection, it too survived the Holocaust, and we will learn its story during the course of the play.) But before Weinstein can bring these instruments back to life and to the world, he must wrestle with his own ghosts, and with those of his family. In addition to Nozick, the cast includes Sheer Aviram, Matthew Bohrer, Matthew Henerson, Lielle Kaidar, Morgan Dean Lauff and Aviva Pressman, each of whom plays multiple characters in Israel and the U.S. as well as, in memory, in Lithuania and Germany before and during World War II.
According to Rosenbaum and Spinak, “Luthier Amnon Weinstein took what might have become an exhibit of ruined instruments, restored them and put them into the hands of musicians all over the world so that a new generation can hear them. The survivors of the Holocaust will not be here forever, but these violins will continue to tell their stories for generations to come.”
Inspired by conversations Rosenbaum had with Weinstein, The Violin Maker received its world premiere in 2023 at the Bondi Theater in Sydney, Australia. An earlier version, written by Rosenbaum and developed with Spinak at The Braid, was presented as a theatrical work-in-progress under the title Stories from the Violins of Hope. This new, fully-staged play dives deeper, with more stories, scenes and additional music, to follow the arc of Weinstein’s life — from a proud Israeli boy who wanted nothing to do with the Holocaust and his family’s pain, to a man who devotes his life to repairing “stringed survivors” whose voices are now heard in concerts around the world, restoring the dignity of their owners for generations to come.
Since 2008, concerts featuring the violins in the collection have taken place around the world, in cities in Israel, Spain, Italy, England, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Romania, Mexico and the U.S. — including one given in conjunction with the Long Beach Symphony, which desai attended.
“Weinstein’s story is deeply moving, as are the stories behind the violins,” she says. They are a true testament to the role music can play to keep hope alive during desperate times.”
As explained on the Violins of Hope website, “The Nazis used music and especially violins to humiliate and degrade Jews in ghettos and camps. They confiscated many thousands of instruments from Jews all over Europe. Our concerts are the ultimate answer to their plan to annihilate a people and their culture, to destroy human lives and freedom. The sound of violins is often compared to the beauty of the human voice. When played with talent and spirit, it is known to reach out and touch hearts. This was the role of violins in the war – to touch hearts, kindle hope for better times and spread it around. Wherever there was music, there was hope.”
ICT’s creative team for The Violin Maker includes set designer Destiny Manewal, lighting designers Donna and Tom Ruzika, costume designer Kim DeShazo, sound designer Dave Mickey and prop designer Patty Briles. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The stage manager is John Freeland, Jr.
The Violin Maker runs April 25 through May 11 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Two preview performances take place on Wednesday, April 23 and Thursday, April 24 both at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $56 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, except opening night (Friday, April 25), and $59 on opening night and at Sunday matinees. Low-priced tickets to previews are $44.
International City Theatre is located in Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center’s Beverly O’Neill Theater at 330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802.For more information and to purchase tickets, call (562) 436-4610 or go to InternationalCityTheatre.org.
Playing
April 25 (Friday) - May 11 (Sunday)
Venue
International City Theatre
330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
Get Tickets
TICKET PRICES:
$44-$59
• Opening Night (April 25): $59 (includes post-show reception with the actors)
• Sunday matinees: $59
• Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (except Friday, April 25): $56
• Previews: $44
HOW:
InternationalCityTheatre.org.
(562) 436-4610
Show Info
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present
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LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS &
McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present
LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Book by Heather Hach
Based on the novel by Amanda Brown
and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture
Choreography by Dana Solimando
Musical Direction by Ryan O’Connell
Direction by Cynthia Ferre
OMIGOD YOU GUYS! Get ready to “Bend and Snap” as LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT announce full casting for their “pinkest” show of the season, LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, book by Heather Hach, based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture, with choreography by Dana Solimando, musical direction by Ryan O’Connell and direction by Cynthia Ferrer. LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, April 25 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 26 at 2 pm, have its official Press Opening on Saturday, April 26 at 8 pm and run through Sunday, May 18, 2025 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
A fabulously fun award-winning musical based on the beloved movie, LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICALfollows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances – this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal!
Elle Woods appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors, and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.
ABOUT THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
The Cast of LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL features Kathryn Brunner as “Elle Woods,” Michael Thomas Grant as “Emmett Forrest,” Nicholas James McDonough as “Warner Huntington, III,” Anna Mintzer as “Vivienne Kensington,” Anthea Neri Best as “Pauline,” Ed Staudenmayer as “Professor Callahan,” Jane Papageorge as “Brooke Wyndham,” Dahlya Glick as “Enid,” Grace Simmons as “Margot,” Bella Hicks as “Serena,” and Aurelia Michael as “Pilar.” The Ensemble will feature (in alphabetical order) Cristyn Dang, Grant Hodges, Nathan Madden, Donovan Mendelovitz, Bailey Renee Miller, Taylor Mettra, Davon Rashawn, Anthony Sanchez, Callula Sawyer, Rochelle Scudder (“Bruiser” Handler), Amir Jabari Bailey-Simmons, Krystle Rose Simmons, Rodrigo Varandas, and Rianny Vasquez. Swings are Emmy J. Lane and Ben Raanan.
CYNTHIA FERRER (Direction) has directed/choreographed major musicals around the country, including Singin’ in the Rain, 9 to 5, Damn Yankees, 42nd Street, Peter Pan, Camelot, King and I and Louisiana Purchase. She played leading roles in over one hundred musicals and in four Broadway/National Tours, including Singin’ in the Rain as the original “Kathy Selden.” Cynthia appeared in the films Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Georgia Rule, and television shows “Cougartown,” “Crossing Jordan,” “General Hospital” (Dr. Rachael Ryan), and “B Positive” with Garry Marshall, Julia Roberts, Carol Burnett, Alec Baldwin, and Courtney Cox.
DANA SOLIMANDO (Choreography) has earned numerous awards including three Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, seven Ovation Award nominations, a NAACP award nomination, and three L.A. Drama Critics Circle nominations for her choreography. International awards include the 2023 Koryfeusz award and 2022 Kiepura award nomination. Credits include: World Premiere of IRENA – The Irena Sendler story for Teatr Muzyczny Poznan (2023 Koryfeusz award and 2022 Kiepura award nom), Cabaret (2019 Ovation and L.A. Drama Critics Circle nominations), Rebel Genius (2019 World Premiere), American Idiot (Ovation nomination), Jersey Boys (McCoy Rigby), Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (5th Ave. Theater), Parade (Ovation nomination), Spring Awakening (Ovation nomination), Billy Elliot (L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award nomination), Ragtime (Ovation nomination), Damn Yankees (Ovation nomination), Swing! (L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards – Best Choreography), Miss Saigon at Macau International Arts Festival/McCoy Rigby Ent. (Ovation nomination), and many more.
RYAN O’CONNELL (Musical Direction) has worked on more than 75 productions as a musical director, orchestrator, and composer. Favorite credits: Ernest Shackleton Loves Me (2nd Stage NYC), Ragtime (First National Tour), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (La Mirada Theatre/McCoy Rigby Entertainment), Mary Poppins (Musical Theatre West) and Private Jones (Signature Theatre). He has helped create music for NBC, CBS, Fox, Netflix, Cartoon Network, Disney World, and Disneyland, where he currently works as a music director and teaching artist. www.ryanomusic.com.
The Design Team for LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL is as follows: Scenery Rental Provided by Front Row Theatrical Rental; Lighting Design by Anne McMills; Sound Design by Josh Bessom; Costume Design by Adam Ramirez; Hair/Wig Design by Katie McCoy Yagen; Projection Design by Jon Infante; Prop Rental is by The Music and Theatre Company; Properties Coordination by Kevin Williams. Animals by William Berloni Theatrical Animals. The Casting Director is Julia Flores. The Production Stage Manager is Bree Sherry.
ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING
LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, April 25 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 26 at 2 pm, have its official Press Opening on Saturday, April 26 at 8 pm and run through Sunday, May 18, 2025 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 pm; Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 2 pm & 8 pm; and Sundays at 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm. There is no performance on Sunday, April 27 at 6:30 pm.
There will be an Open-Captioned performance on Saturday, May 10at 2:00 pm. Talkbacks with the cast and creative team will be on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm and Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 pm.
Tickets range from $25 – $95 (prices subject to change) and can be purchased at La Mirada Theatre’s website www.LaMiradaTheatre.
Group, student, and military discounts are available. Children under 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue where the 91 and 5 freeways meet. Parking is FREE.
Playing
April 25 (Friday) - May 18 (Sunday)
Venue
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
14900 La Mirada Blvd
Get Tickets
Tickets range from $25 – $95 (prices subject to change).
Children under 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.
29aprallday01mayThe Hostage SituationAmy Dellagiarino
Show Info
In The Hostage Situation, chaos and comedy collide when an ordinary day in a corporate break room takes a darkly hilarious turn. Recently fired, Vic has come back to enact some revenge.
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In The Hostage Situation, chaos and comedy collide when an ordinary day in a corporate break room takes a darkly hilarious turn.
Recently fired, Vic has come back to enact some revenge. There’s just one problem: he has no idea what he’s doing. Nobody knows what the rules are for bathroom breaks, the office doesn’t have a first aid kit, and pretty soon, all the good flavors of donuts are gone. The only thing for certain is that Harry’s still mad about not being promoted. As donuts, grudges, and egos fly, the unlikely hostages are forced to confront their personal failures, office rivalries, and surprising connections.
Fast-paced, sharp-witted, and unexpectedly heartfelt, The Hostage Situation is a workplace comedy turned upside-down, proving that even in the darkest moments, there’s room for humor—and a little humanity.
Featuring:
Desiree Mee Jung, Brandon Blum, Palmyra Mattner, Phillip Curry, Jeff Verge, Jacqueline Misaye, Juan Francisco Villa
Directed by Hailey McAfee
Produced by Annie McVey & Daniel Shoenman
Production Stage Manager – Zoia Wiseman
April 29th, 30th & May 1st @ 8PM
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association
Broadwater Black Box
6322 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Playing
April 29 (Tuesday) - May 1 (Thursday)
Venue
Broadwater Black Box
6322 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Presented by
The Inkwell Theater
06mayallday01junLife of PiLolita Chakrabarti
Show Info
LIFE OF PI FOUR WEEKS ONLY MAY 6 TO JUNE 1 | PRESS OPENING IS MAY 7 TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE AT
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FOUR WEEKS ONLY
MAY 6 TO JUNE 1 | PRESS OPENING IS MAY 7
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE AT CENTERTHEATREGROUP.ORG
Center Theatre Group announces LIFE OF PI, the Tony Award®-winning theatrical experience that has wowed audiences around the globe performing May 6 to June 1 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets are now on sale at centertheatregorup.org.
Produced by Simon Friend, Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, Mark Gordon Pictures, and NETworks Presentations, Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaptation of LIFE OF PI is based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel – one of the best-loved works of fiction and winner of the International Booker Prize (formerly Man Booker Prize) which has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. LIFE OF PI has become a global phenomenon with acclaimed engagements on Broadway, London’s West End and UK tour and now LIFE OF PI is thrilling US audiences on a multi-city tour.
After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy name Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.
Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, LIFE OF PI creates a visually stunning journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy. Martel’s extraordinary story of family, resilience and survival and the natural world combined with Chakrabarti’s brilliantly staged story speaks to every generation.
Critics rave that LIFE OF PI “gives new life to Broadway” (The Today Show) and is “one of the most visually stunning shows I have ever seen.” (Time Out) The global phenomenon was lauded as “an exhilarating evening of theater” (The Wall Street Journal), “a wonder to behold” (Entertainment Weekly) and “the single greatest innovation in puppetry ever to hit the global stage.” (NY Daily News)
Critic Alexis Soloski said, in The New York Times, “With dazzling imagination and sublime control, the show’s cast and crew conjure a delirious, dynamic, highly pettable world. And oh, is it a wonder. LIFE OF PI succeeds as a broader tribute to human ingenuity and animal grace. Yann Martel’s Booker Prize-winning novel — absorbing, florid — is a work of magical realism. Max Webster, the director, makes sure to deliver the magic and the realism both.”
She continued, “The animals here, designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, with movement direction by Caldwell, prowl and canter and leap with astonishing character and style. And Richard Parker, animated by three puppeteers at any given time, is the show’s striped jewel. Chuffing, growling and panting as he stalks the boat’s perimeter, he is at once beguiling, gentlemanly and quite dangerous.”
“At its most abstract, this a play about how we come to terms with our own choices, even with our own survival, and the stories we might tell to make those choices and that survival make sense.”
The puppetry and movement directors praised by Soloski were interviewed by The New York Times. Finn Caldwell said, “We look at anatomy. We look at pictures of skeletons of tigers, blow that up to a real tiger size and start marking on pieces of paper on the wall where the joints are all going to be. Because when we build on a framework, our armature, it wants to move like a tiger, because the limbs are all the right length. The joints want to move in the right way.”
Scarlet Wilderink, Global Associate Puppetry and Movement Director, said, “One of the most helpful tools for us is imagination. If the puppeteer is really seeing the thing, the audience will see the thing. The tiger’s fur, you know, he doesn’t have real fur. But if you imagine the softness of it, this sort of stretchiness of their skin, the weight — like if he collapses into Pi, how do you make him look like he’s soft in his lap? It’s part of the design because we’ve got all those bungees that tie all of the armature together, which makes him look like that. But the sensory stuff, I think, is in our minds.”
Leading the production is powerhouse actor Taha Mandviwala as Pi, supported by a dynamic company including Jessica Angleskhan, Alan Ariano, Pragun Bhardwaj, Ben Durocher, Shiloh Goodin, Anna Leigh Gortner, Austin Wong Harper, Aaron Haskell, Rishi Jaiswal, Toussaint Jeanlouis, Mi Kang, Intae Kim, Sharayu Mahale, Sinclair Mitchell, Maya Rangulu, Betsy Rosen, Anna Vomáčka, Sorab Wadia & Savidu Geevaratne.
LIFE OF PI is originally Directed by Max Webster, with the Tour Directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe, Set and Costume Design by Olivier and Tony Award winner Tim Hatley. The production features Puppet Design by Olivier Award winners Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, with Puppetry and Movement Direction by Finn Caldwell, supported by the Global Associate Puppetry and Movement Direction of Scarlet Wilderink with US Associate Puppetry and Movement Direction by Jon Hoche and US Assistant Puppetry and Movement Direction by Betsy Rosen. Lighting Design is by Tony Award winner Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling, Sound Design by Tony Award Winner Carolyn Downing, Video and Animation Design by Olivier and Tony Award winner Andrzej Goulding, Hair and Wig Design by David Brian Brown, Original Music Composed by Andrew T. Mackay, Dramaturgy by Jack Bradley, and Casting by Duncan Stewart and Patrick Maravilla with ARC Casting.
For the US tour, the team includes Associate Puppet Designer Caroline Bowman, Associate Scenic Designer Ross Edwards, Associate Costume Designer Robin L. McGee, Associate Hair and Wig Designer Meg Murphy, Associate Lighting Designer Paul Toben and Tim Reed, Associate Sound Designer Sam Clarkson and Elliott Williams with Sound Quiet Time, Associate Video and Animation Designer Brad Peterson with Dan Trenchard, Fight Direction from Rod Kinter and Puppet Captain Betsy Rosen.
The LIFE OF PI US tour Stage Management team is led by Kelsey Tippins with Matthew Brooks and Fouad Hassan, with Resident Director Jon Hoche. The Company Management team is Katie Cortez and Frank Deming II.
LIFE OF PI first opened to great critical acclaim with its cutting-edge visual effects at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2019. It took the West End by storm when it opened December 2, 2021, and ran for 500 performances at the Wyndham’s Theatre, winning five Olivier Awards in 2022, including Best New Play, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design. The global sensation made its North American Premiere at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University on December 4, 2022 before opening on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 9, 2023 to celebratory reviews and going on to win three Tony Awards (Best Scenic Design of a Play Best Lighting Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Play), four Drama Desk Awards (Outstanding Direction of a Play, Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play, Outstanding Projection and Video Design, and Outstanding Puppetry) and two Outer Critics Circle Awards (Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play or Musical and Outstanding Video or Projection Design of a Play or Musical).
Playing
May 6 (Tuesday) - June 1 (Sunday)
Venue
Ahmanson Theatre
135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, 90012.
Presented by
Center Theatre Group
Get Tickets
16mayallday18Frida- Stroke of Passion- The Immersive ExperienceOdalys Nanin
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"Frida- Stroke of Passion- The Immersive Experience" by Odalys Nanin. Odalys Nanin’s acclaimed 2017 show Frida- Stroke of Passion is revived for a limited engagement at Casa 0101 Theater in a
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“Frida- Stroke of Passion- The Immersive Experience” by Odalys Nanin.
Odalys Nanin’s acclaimed 2017 show Frida- Stroke of Passion is revived for a limited engagement at Casa 0101 Theater in a reimagined immersive staging. Immerse yourself into the world of the world-famous artist Frida Kahlo, where her paintings of vegetation and animals come alive in front of you, enhanced with the sounds of Frida’s world. A revealing look at Frida’s physical and emotional state of mind during the last week of her life, where reality and fantasy blend together imbued with enough haunting elements to make it a living dramatic experience.
The play begins on July 6, 1954, Frida’s 47th birthday. She will die exactly one week later. The narrative will explore the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. (There is an official account of her cause of death, but how did she die really?) This is not all, however. It is the story of a woman living as vibrantly as she can despite dwindling health and a world of pain.
She attempts to continue painting. Partially anesthetized by a mixture of tequila and painkillers, she is visited by many lovers, male and female, singer Chavela Vargas, movie star Maria Felix, Communist politician Leon Trotsky, entertainer Josephine Baker, Cuban spy Teresa Proenza, photographer Tina Modotti, and Frida’s husband, painter and muralist Diego Rivera. Some are physically present in her room, others are recreated and present in her vivid memory.
The relationship between Frida and Diego is deeply complex. Diego is incapable of sexual monogamy, so much so that he practically pushes Frida into the arms of other lovers. Yet their emotional attachment to each other is surpassingly deep and a thing of wonder.
Odalys Nanin is the playwright, director, and portrays Frida.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/frida-stroke-of-passion-the-immersive-experience-tickets-1257720579109
Playing
may 16 (Friday) - 18 (Sunday)
Venue
Casa 0101
2102 E. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033
Presented by
Macha Theatre
17may8:00 pmFrom a Yardie to a YankeeSardia Robinson
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"From a Yardie to a Yankee" by Sardia Robinson. Proceeds from this special performance will benefit a family of ten who were deeply affected by the Eaton Fire. Your support will help
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“From a Yardie to a Yankee” by Sardia Robinson.
Proceeds from this special performance will benefit a family of ten who were deeply affected by the Eaton Fire. Your support will help them rebuild and recover during this challenging time.
Sardia Robinson is originally from Jamaica. Wikipedia defines “yardie,” : ‘In the most innocuous sense, “yardie” can simply refer to a Jamaican national; as “yard” can mean “home” in Jamaican Patois, Jamaican expatriates who moved abroad to countries such as the U.K. and U.S. would often refer to themselves and other Jamaicans as “yardies”.’
Born into a poverty-stricken Jamaican neighborhood where crime, gangs and political revolution were the norm, Sardia had to step over corpses in the street on her way to school. Then an unplanned pregnancy led to yet more hurdles. Sardia’s engaging and unique storytelling style takes audience members on an emotional rollercoaster ride fraught with peril, pain, suffering, but also filled with humor, endearing characters, and the undeterred spirit to survive.
This vivid presentation portrays writer and performer Sardia Robinson’s epic struggles from the murderous streets of Kingston, Jamaica to the deadly consequences of Chicago’s drug wars. The one-woman show starring Robinson is full of colorful characters (she portrays eleven different roles), powerful portrayals, obstacles overcome, and heartwarming humor. This show will grip your heart and imagination.
From a Yardie to a Yankee has won awards across the country, among them the Best in Show Award at the TAG Studio Solo Festival, the Innovative Women in Theatre Award (Hollywood Fringe Festival), and Best Solo Production Award (Broadway World), It was listed as one of the Top Ten Shows to see in Los Angeles by Broadway World. The show recently toured New York, London, Jamaica and the Bahamas. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Sardia received the Great Black Women Alumni Award in recognition of her contributions to young performers from Chicago’s Mahogany Scholarship Heritage Foundation. Her stage credits include A Raisin in the Sun, Black Caesar, Lady M, For Colored Girls, and T3 Trojan. Her film credits include Justice Delayed, in which she stars as Amy Jacques Garvey, wife of activist Marcus Garvey; Neighbors Who Kill, and on TV, the hit sitcom airing in the Caribbean, House Out of Order, Double Cross, and Murder in the Thirst.
A few words about Altadena: Altadena is a haven of hope and inspiration, particularly for its middle-class Black residents. Nestled just north of Pasadena and less than 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles, this unincorporated suburb offers a unique blend of history, resilience, and natural beauty. (Unincorporated areas operate without city governments, relying instead on county services and resources.)
Surrounded by lush forests, diverse wildlife, and rolling hills, Altadena holds a special place in California’s history. It was one of the first areas in the state where middle-class Black families could own homes and thrive—at a time when restrictive housing policies barred many African Americans from property ownership. Though the Eaton Fire devastated parts of the community, erasing some of its rich legacy, Altadena remains a symbol of perseverance.
The area has also been home to many prominent Black and Caribbean figures, including the legendary Bahamian American entertainer, the late Sidney Poitier.
Here’s another way you can donate to assist Eaton fire survivors. Go to
Sardia explains why she is doing this performance: “My grandmother always said that we are here to be of service, and that wisdom has stayed with me throughout my life. Whenever I see people in crisis, in any way that I can help, I always jump at the opportunity. Being of service is what we are here to do, and to me, it always feels better to give than to receive.”
Directed and performed by Sardia Robinson.
Saturday at 8 p.m.
Playing
(Saturday) 8:00 pm
Venue
Theatre West
3333 Cahuenga Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90068
Presented by
Theatre West
Get Tickets
$40 online, $45 at the door.
http://theatrewest.org
323-851-4839
24may2:00 pm4:00 pmwho hurt you?Katie Đỗ
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who hurt you? by Katie Đỗ directed by Katherine Chou Saturday, May 24 at 2 pm who hurt you? centers Ellie Nguyễn, an ambitious Vietnamese-American actor, as she seems to lose everything she’s ever
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who hurt you?
by Katie Đỗ
directed by Katherine Chou
Saturday, May 24 at 2 pm
who hurt you? centers Ellie Nguyễn, an ambitious Vietnamese-American actor, as she seems to lose everything she’s ever wanted to a Half-White/Half-Vietnamese actor. As her dreams, nightmares, and realities fluctuate with her self-sabotage and insecurity, Ellie’s well-being takes a toll on herself and those around her. The consequences of Ellie’s decisions force a change in the world, one where they could all thrive or cease to exist, or both.
Playing
(Saturday) 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Venue
Los Angeles Theater Center
514 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Presented by
Artists at Play
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30mayallday29junThe Slow DragCarson Kreitzer
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Ophelia’s Jump Theatre Presents THE SLOW DRAG, a Jazz Play by Carson Kreitzer May 30 through June 29, 2025 Ophelia's Jump (OJP) celebrates Pride Month with it's production of The Slow Drag -
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Ophelia’s Jump Theatre Presents THE SLOW DRAG, a Jazz Play
by Carson Kreitzer
May 30 through June 29, 2025
Ophelia’s Jump (OJP) celebrates Pride Month with it’s production of The Slow Drag – a Jazz Play by Carson Kreitzer. The production will be performed at the OJP Theater located at 2009 Porterfield Way, Ste I, Upland, from May 30 through June 29, 2025. The Slow Drag is a play with a full complement of musical selections from the jazz era along with one original composition written for Ophelia’s Jump’s production by resident Music Director/Composer Janette Combs in consultation with Kreitzer.
About The Slow Drag – a Jazz Play: Inspired by the real-life story of Billy Tipton, a jazz musician, bandleader, and talent promoter who upon his death at home in 1989 of a bleeding ulcer, was discovered to have been a biological woman. A fact that he had kept secret even from his common-law wife and three adopted sons. Though varying ac-
counts exists about the events surrounding Tipton’s transition from female to male sometime during his high school, many stories mention his having wanted to play in his high school band, but not having been allowed because it was not considered an ap-
propriate activity for a girl. Though the details are hazy, there is not question that a few years after he graduated from high school, Tipton was working in bands as a musician and had transitioned to life as a man. Over the years, Tipton found a measure of success in music and was involved with three women who each during their time together referred to themselves as his wife. He adopted three sons with his third wife and later died at the age of 74 after refusing to go to a doctor for treatment.
Kreitzer’s play draws inspiration from Billy’s story in creating three fictional characters, a
cornet playing bandleader named Johnny Christmas, his beautiful and vibrant wife,
June Wedding, and their friend pianist Chester Kent, who is a black man passing as
white. The play picks up Johnny at the moment of death. As life is seeping away from him, he enters a liminal “cabaret” space where he performs his final show for the gathered audience-a survey of his life and love with June told through dialogue and the music that underscored all the important moments of his life and for which he may have kept the biggest secret of all.
The play includes jazz standards such as The Man I Love, The Way You Look Tonight,
Love Me Or Leave Me, Tea for Two, More than You Know, My Blue Heaven, They Can’t
Take that Away From Me and others, along with two original songs, Sweet Melinda and
Dream Waltz with lyrics by Carson Kreitzer.
2009 Porterfield Way, Suite I,
Upland , CA 91786
909-734-6565
opheliasjump.org
@opheliasjump
Production history: The Slow Drag was first performed at the American Place Theatre
in New York in 1996. It was subsequently performed in London at the Freedom Theater on February 4, 1997 and then moved to the Whitehall Theater in the West End in November, 1997. In the United States, the play requires that rights be separately acquired for each of the songs which has resulted in few US productions of The Slow Drag since the conclusion of it’s West End run.
About the Playwright:
Carson Kreitzer is an award winning playwright whose works center women often in messy, complicated, and/or extreme circumstances. Plays include: Freakshow, Self Defense or the death of some saleman, The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Slither, 1:23, Flesh and the Desert, and Lempicka among others.
Ticket Information: $57 general admission, High School & College Students 25% off,
College Student Rush– 50% discount at the box office starting 15 minutes to curtain;
Kids (13 and under) $46.
Online ticketing available at opheliasjump.org. Please call 909-734-6565 for tickets and
information on group discounts.
About Ophelia’s Jump
Ophelia’s Jump is a non-profit Performing Arts Theatre producing plays, the Midsummer
Festival in Claremont and music and various performances at our OJP Music Lounge.
Ophelia’s Jump Productions was founded by artists and educators who believe that the purpose of theatre is to create unending conversations, spark imagination, incite conscience, and elicit a visceral response. Ophelia’s Jump aims to invigorate the creativity and intellect of the community by working with local emerging artists. Ophelia’s Jump is
a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Additional information available at opheliasjump.org
or [email protected]
Playing
May 30 (Friday) - June 29 (Sunday)
Venue
Ophelia's Jump
2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, Upland, CA 91786
Get Tickets
Ticket Information: $57 general admission, High School & College Students 25% off,
College Student Rush– 50% discount at the box office starting 15 minutes to curtain;
Kids (13 and under) $46.
Online ticketing available at opheliasjump.org. Please call 909-734-6565 for tickets and
information on group discounts.
june
06mayallday01junLife of PiLolita Chakrabarti
Show Info
LIFE OF PI FOUR WEEKS ONLY MAY 6 TO JUNE 1 | PRESS OPENING IS MAY 7 TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE AT
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Show Info
FOUR WEEKS ONLY
MAY 6 TO JUNE 1 | PRESS OPENING IS MAY 7
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE AT CENTERTHEATREGROUP.ORG
Center Theatre Group announces LIFE OF PI, the Tony Award®-winning theatrical experience that has wowed audiences around the globe performing May 6 to June 1 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets are now on sale at centertheatregorup.org.
Produced by Simon Friend, Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, Mark Gordon Pictures, and NETworks Presentations, Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaptation of LIFE OF PI is based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel – one of the best-loved works of fiction and winner of the International Booker Prize (formerly Man Booker Prize) which has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. LIFE OF PI has become a global phenomenon with acclaimed engagements on Broadway, London’s West End and UK tour and now LIFE OF PI is thrilling US audiences on a multi-city tour.
After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy name Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.
Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, LIFE OF PI creates a visually stunning journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy. Martel’s extraordinary story of family, resilience and survival and the natural world combined with Chakrabarti’s brilliantly staged story speaks to every generation.
Critics rave that LIFE OF PI “gives new life to Broadway” (The Today Show) and is “one of the most visually stunning shows I have ever seen.” (Time Out) The global phenomenon was lauded as “an exhilarating evening of theater” (The Wall Street Journal), “a wonder to behold” (Entertainment Weekly) and “the single greatest innovation in puppetry ever to hit the global stage.” (NY Daily News)
Critic Alexis Soloski said, in The New York Times, “With dazzling imagination and sublime control, the show’s cast and crew conjure a delirious, dynamic, highly pettable world. And oh, is it a wonder. LIFE OF PI succeeds as a broader tribute to human ingenuity and animal grace. Yann Martel’s Booker Prize-winning novel — absorbing, florid — is a work of magical realism. Max Webster, the director, makes sure to deliver the magic and the realism both.”
She continued, “The animals here, designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, with movement direction by Caldwell, prowl and canter and leap with astonishing character and style. And Richard Parker, animated by three puppeteers at any given time, is the show’s striped jewel. Chuffing, growling and panting as he stalks the boat’s perimeter, he is at once beguiling, gentlemanly and quite dangerous.”
“At its most abstract, this a play about how we come to terms with our own choices, even with our own survival, and the stories we might tell to make those choices and that survival make sense.”
The puppetry and movement directors praised by Soloski were interviewed by The New York Times. Finn Caldwell said, “We look at anatomy. We look at pictures of skeletons of tigers, blow that up to a real tiger size and start marking on pieces of paper on the wall where the joints are all going to be. Because when we build on a framework, our armature, it wants to move like a tiger, because the limbs are all the right length. The joints want to move in the right way.”
Scarlet Wilderink, Global Associate Puppetry and Movement Director, said, “One of the most helpful tools for us is imagination. If the puppeteer is really seeing the thing, the audience will see the thing. The tiger’s fur, you know, he doesn’t have real fur. But if you imagine the softness of it, this sort of stretchiness of their skin, the weight — like if he collapses into Pi, how do you make him look like he’s soft in his lap? It’s part of the design because we’ve got all those bungees that tie all of the armature together, which makes him look like that. But the sensory stuff, I think, is in our minds.”
Leading the production is powerhouse actor Taha Mandviwala as Pi, supported by a dynamic company including Jessica Angleskhan, Alan Ariano, Pragun Bhardwaj, Ben Durocher, Shiloh Goodin, Anna Leigh Gortner, Austin Wong Harper, Aaron Haskell, Rishi Jaiswal, Toussaint Jeanlouis, Mi Kang, Intae Kim, Sharayu Mahale, Sinclair Mitchell, Maya Rangulu, Betsy Rosen, Anna Vomáčka, Sorab Wadia & Savidu Geevaratne.
LIFE OF PI is originally Directed by Max Webster, with the Tour Directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe, Set and Costume Design by Olivier and Tony Award winner Tim Hatley. The production features Puppet Design by Olivier Award winners Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, with Puppetry and Movement Direction by Finn Caldwell, supported by the Global Associate Puppetry and Movement Direction of Scarlet Wilderink with US Associate Puppetry and Movement Direction by Jon Hoche and US Assistant Puppetry and Movement Direction by Betsy Rosen. Lighting Design is by Tony Award winner Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling, Sound Design by Tony Award Winner Carolyn Downing, Video and Animation Design by Olivier and Tony Award winner Andrzej Goulding, Hair and Wig Design by David Brian Brown, Original Music Composed by Andrew T. Mackay, Dramaturgy by Jack Bradley, and Casting by Duncan Stewart and Patrick Maravilla with ARC Casting.
For the US tour, the team includes Associate Puppet Designer Caroline Bowman, Associate Scenic Designer Ross Edwards, Associate Costume Designer Robin L. McGee, Associate Hair and Wig Designer Meg Murphy, Associate Lighting Designer Paul Toben and Tim Reed, Associate Sound Designer Sam Clarkson and Elliott Williams with Sound Quiet Time, Associate Video and Animation Designer Brad Peterson with Dan Trenchard, Fight Direction from Rod Kinter and Puppet Captain Betsy Rosen.
The LIFE OF PI US tour Stage Management team is led by Kelsey Tippins with Matthew Brooks and Fouad Hassan, with Resident Director Jon Hoche. The Company Management team is Katie Cortez and Frank Deming II.
LIFE OF PI first opened to great critical acclaim with its cutting-edge visual effects at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2019. It took the West End by storm when it opened December 2, 2021, and ran for 500 performances at the Wyndham’s Theatre, winning five Olivier Awards in 2022, including Best New Play, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design. The global sensation made its North American Premiere at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University on December 4, 2022 before opening on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 9, 2023 to celebratory reviews and going on to win three Tony Awards (Best Scenic Design of a Play Best Lighting Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Play), four Drama Desk Awards (Outstanding Direction of a Play, Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play, Outstanding Projection and Video Design, and Outstanding Puppetry) and two Outer Critics Circle Awards (Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play or Musical and Outstanding Video or Projection Design of a Play or Musical).
Playing
May 6 (Tuesday) - June 1 (Sunday)
Venue
Ahmanson Theatre
135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, 90012.
Presented by
Center Theatre Group
Get Tickets
30mayallday29junThe Slow DragCarson Kreitzer
Show Info
Ophelia’s Jump Theatre Presents THE SLOW DRAG, a Jazz Play by Carson Kreitzer May 30 through June 29, 2025 Ophelia's Jump (OJP) celebrates Pride Month with it's production of The Slow Drag -
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Show Info
Ophelia’s Jump Theatre Presents THE SLOW DRAG, a Jazz Play
by Carson Kreitzer
May 30 through June 29, 2025
Ophelia’s Jump (OJP) celebrates Pride Month with it’s production of The Slow Drag – a Jazz Play by Carson Kreitzer. The production will be performed at the OJP Theater located at 2009 Porterfield Way, Ste I, Upland, from May 30 through June 29, 2025. The Slow Drag is a play with a full complement of musical selections from the jazz era along with one original composition written for Ophelia’s Jump’s production by resident Music Director/Composer Janette Combs in consultation with Kreitzer.
About The Slow Drag – a Jazz Play: Inspired by the real-life story of Billy Tipton, a jazz musician, bandleader, and talent promoter who upon his death at home in 1989 of a bleeding ulcer, was discovered to have been a biological woman. A fact that he had kept secret even from his common-law wife and three adopted sons. Though varying ac-
counts exists about the events surrounding Tipton’s transition from female to male sometime during his high school, many stories mention his having wanted to play in his high school band, but not having been allowed because it was not considered an ap-
propriate activity for a girl. Though the details are hazy, there is not question that a few years after he graduated from high school, Tipton was working in bands as a musician and had transitioned to life as a man. Over the years, Tipton found a measure of success in music and was involved with three women who each during their time together referred to themselves as his wife. He adopted three sons with his third wife and later died at the age of 74 after refusing to go to a doctor for treatment.
Kreitzer’s play draws inspiration from Billy’s story in creating three fictional characters, a
cornet playing bandleader named Johnny Christmas, his beautiful and vibrant wife,
June Wedding, and their friend pianist Chester Kent, who is a black man passing as
white. The play picks up Johnny at the moment of death. As life is seeping away from him, he enters a liminal “cabaret” space where he performs his final show for the gathered audience-a survey of his life and love with June told through dialogue and the music that underscored all the important moments of his life and for which he may have kept the biggest secret of all.
The play includes jazz standards such as The Man I Love, The Way You Look Tonight,
Love Me Or Leave Me, Tea for Two, More than You Know, My Blue Heaven, They Can’t
Take that Away From Me and others, along with two original songs, Sweet Melinda and
Dream Waltz with lyrics by Carson Kreitzer.
2009 Porterfield Way, Suite I,
Upland , CA 91786
909-734-6565
opheliasjump.org
@opheliasjump
Production history: The Slow Drag was first performed at the American Place Theatre
in New York in 1996. It was subsequently performed in London at the Freedom Theater on February 4, 1997 and then moved to the Whitehall Theater in the West End in November, 1997. In the United States, the play requires that rights be separately acquired for each of the songs which has resulted in few US productions of The Slow Drag since the conclusion of it’s West End run.
About the Playwright:
Carson Kreitzer is an award winning playwright whose works center women often in messy, complicated, and/or extreme circumstances. Plays include: Freakshow, Self Defense or the death of some saleman, The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Slither, 1:23, Flesh and the Desert, and Lempicka among others.
Ticket Information: $57 general admission, High School & College Students 25% off,
College Student Rush– 50% discount at the box office starting 15 minutes to curtain;
Kids (13 and under) $46.
Online ticketing available at opheliasjump.org. Please call 909-734-6565 for tickets and
information on group discounts.
About Ophelia’s Jump
Ophelia’s Jump is a non-profit Performing Arts Theatre producing plays, the Midsummer
Festival in Claremont and music and various performances at our OJP Music Lounge.
Ophelia’s Jump Productions was founded by artists and educators who believe that the purpose of theatre is to create unending conversations, spark imagination, incite conscience, and elicit a visceral response. Ophelia’s Jump aims to invigorate the creativity and intellect of the community by working with local emerging artists. Ophelia’s Jump is
a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Additional information available at opheliasjump.org
or [email protected]
Playing
May 30 (Friday) - June 29 (Sunday)
Venue
Ophelia's Jump
2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, Upland, CA 91786
Get Tickets
Ticket Information: $57 general admission, High School & College Students 25% off,
College Student Rush– 50% discount at the box office starting 15 minutes to curtain;
Kids (13 and under) $46.
Online ticketing available at opheliasjump.org. Please call 909-734-6565 for tickets and
information on group discounts.
