At Open-Door Playhouse, we bring the theater to you. Now Playing Take-Off

Alycia and Tyler meet on a flight from Houston to Los Angeles. As they experience extensive turbulence along the way, they distract themselves by sharing intimate secrets.

Bernadette Armstrong directs Christine Uhebe as Alycia and David Phurdham as Tyler.

Linda Shayne is the playwright. She graduated from UC Berkeley, worked in mental hospitals, and published articles about San Quentin State Prison ex-offenders, before she became a writer/director in film and TV. Shayne has written movies for Disney, Showtime, Imagine Entertainment, and directed for Nickelodeon,  Warner Bros, and Paramount. Shayne created a dramedy TV series for Quincy Jones, two animated series for Warner Bros, and a dramedy TV series to film in Thailand. She directed an award-winning documentary playing festivals and adapted a WW2 spy book for a Swiss producer. Recently, Shayne was hired to write/direct a rom-com movie.

Listen here or wherever you find your podcasts, such as Apple or Spotify, to name a few…
https://www.opendoorplayhouse.org/opendoortheaterplays/takeoff
Run Time: 13:26

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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.

Over 19,000 downloads since publication!

If you would like to make a donation and support our podcast, you can go here. 

Sound Production: Oak House Recording Studio in Pasadena, 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.

DRAGON MAMA
Part II of The Dragon Cycle
Written & Performed by Sara Porkalob
Directed by Andrew Russell

On the eve of her 60th birthday, Maria Porkalob Sr. fires up her new karaoke machine to regale her granddaughter Sara with her astonishing life story. As a lounge singer who escaped a gangster-controlled nightclub in Manila to become a free-range mother of five in the United States, Maria is a matriarch not to be trifled with. Broadway star and storyteller Sara Porkalob embodies dozens of characters in a trigenerational tour-de-force performance that fuses killer karaoke with laugh-out-loud comedy to tell her family’s incredible origin story.

Previews: March 4, 2026 – March 11, 2026

March 12 – April 12, 2026

Wednesday, Thursday 7:30 p.m.
Friday 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 p.m

Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at Geffen Playhouse

Sara Porkalob (Playwright & Performer)

Sara Porkalob is so excited to be back at the Geffen Playhouse! She is a writer, cultural worker, and creator behind The Dragon Cycle, a trilogy of matrilineal musicals about her Filipina-American gangster family; one play for each generation built around a central female protagonist. The first in the cycle, Dragon Lady, premiered at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre in 2017, with awards including three 2018 Gregory Awards for Outstanding Sound/Music Design, Outstanding Actress in a Musical, and Outstanding Musical Production, and a 2023 San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Choice for Solo Performance. The second in the cycle, Dragon Mama, premiered at American Repertory Theatre in 2019, with awards including two Elliot Norton Awards for Outstanding New Script and Outstanding Solo Performance, and the 2023 Craig Noel’s Outstanding Lead Performance in San Diego. The final play, Dragon Baby, is currently under a Geffen Playhouse finishing commission. She is a 2021 recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Theater. Broadway: “Edward Rutledge” in 1776. She’s also a Creative Consultant with the City of Seattle and their Creative Strategies Initiative (CSI), a new city effort that uses arts- and culture-based approaches to build racial and gender equity in non-arts policy areas like the environment, housing, workforce, and community development. She is currently writing her first feature film and hopes to adapt The Dragon Cycle for television one day. Socials: @sporkalob, www.saraporkalob.com

“The Best Boarding House in Delaware.” by Marja-Lewis Ryan.

Inspired by the chilling true crimes of Dorothea Puente—who ran a social security scam out of her boarding house for seniors—The Best Boarding House in Delaware explores themes of trust, vulnerability, and survival. Ryan brings her signature emotional depth and human insight to a story that amounts to a haunting warning about the invisibility of older women in this country.

Directed by Marja-Lewis Ryan. Starring Leigh Taylor-Young, Heidi Sulzman, Jesse Warner, and Michelle Gardner.

Thurs. at 8, Fri. at 8, Sat. at 3 and 7, Sun. at 3 and 7.

IG: @BestBoardingHouseinDE.

¡SÍ SE PUEDE! 

Written by Eliana Pipes

Directed by Sara Guerrero

New Center Theatre Group Touring Show

March 19 to April 18, 2026 in venues across Los Angeles
For more information, visit CTGLA.ORG/SiSePuede

March 3, 2026 (LOS ANGELES)—Center Theatre Group presents a new touring show under the CTG:FWD banner–¡SÍ SE PUEDE!–which will receive its world premiere March 19 to April 18 in venues across Los Angeles.

Written by Eliana Pipes and directed by Sara Guerrero, ¡SÍ SE PUEDE! follows trailblazing activist, Dolores Huerta, on her journey to improve conditions for farm workers. From co-founding the United Farmworkers with Cesar Chavez and Larry Itliong, to boycotts, marches, and high-stakes negotiations—her unwavering commitment to justice changed the course of history. Through a blend of movement, music, and actos inspired by El Teatro Campesino, experience the powerful transformation that happens when we come together to demand change.

As part of CTG’s commitment to its Angeleno community, ¡SÍ SE PUEDE! is coming to a neighborhood near you. At community spaces, libraries, and schools across Los Angeles, community members will experience this captivating story–created by and for Angelenos. Created in collaboration with local writers and theatremakers, the tour uplifts and reflects the people, events, and themes important to Los Angeles.

Co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association, Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta is one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century and a leader of the Chicano civil rights movement.

Jesus A. Reyes, CTG Director of Learning and Community Partnerships said, “Dolores Huerta’s life is an example for all of us to find courage and work together to make a better world. ¡SÍ SE PUEDE! is not just a slogan, it’s a call to action.”

The cast features Juan De La Cruz, Brandon English, Sol Joun, Myrna Velasco, Michael G. Martinez, and Monica Joelle Ortiz.

The creative team includes Joe Maldonado (Stage Manager), Dylan Dolson Gonzalez (Assistant Stage Manager), Ivette Tello (Costume Designer), Jesus Hurtado (Scenic/Prop Designer), Melani Falcon (Sound Designer), Moises Vazquez (Composer), and Victor Vazquez, CSA (Casting Director, X Casting).

CTG’s Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director Snehal Desai said, “One of my priorities at CTG has been creating work that is not only seen on our stages but also goes out into our beautiful city. I am proud to announce our first touring show, ¡SÍ SE PUEDE!, which brings the story of the fearless and tenacious advocate for the people, Dolores Huerta, to life in a new touring production that will visit schools, libraries, and community spaces across Los Angeles. It’s a love letter to Angelenos, created by Angelenos, and we can’t wait for you to experience ¡SÍ SE PUEDE! when it arrives in your part of our beautiful city.”

To learn about how to bring this show to your school, library, or community space, email Education@CTGLA.org.

 

¡SÍ SE PUEDE! is generously supported by Eastside Arts Initiative, Blue Shield, and the CTG Affiliates. The Culver City Julian Dixon Library performances are made possible in part by the City of Culver City and its Cultural Affairs Commission, with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Culver City Arts Foundation. A special thank you to CTG’s partners at Los Angeles Public Library, LA County Library, City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, the County of Los Angeles, East Los Angeles College, and El Teatro Campesino.

Showtimes & Tickets

All performances are free and presented in English with some Spanish.

• Palms-Rancho Library – 2920 Overland Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90064 Saturday, March 21 at 4pm

• Boyle Heights City Hall – 2130 E. 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90033 Thursday, April 2 at 3:30pm

• Culver City Julian Dixon Library – 4975 Overland Ave. Culver City, CA 90230 Saturday, April 4 at 2pm & 4:30pm
• Wabash Recreation Center – 2765 Wabash Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90033 Friday, April 10 at 6pm

For more information on ¡SÍ SE PUEDE!, visit CTGLA.org/SiSePuede. To learn about how to bring this show to your school, library, or community space, email Education@CTGLA.org.

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading not-for-profit theatre company, which, under the leadership of the Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director Snehal Desai, Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman, and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, programs the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Center Theatre Group is one of the country’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics, and circumstances to serve Los Angeles. Founded in 1967,  Center Theatre Group has produced more than 700 productions across its three stages, including such iconic shows as Zoot Suit; Angels in America; The Kentucky Cycle; Biloxi Blues; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Children of a Lesser God; Curtains; The Drowsy Chaperone; 9 to 5: The Musical; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. CenterTheatreGroup.org

“The Unexpected Guest” by Agatha Christie.

Lost in the fog, a stranger seeks refuge in a nearby house, only to find a man shot dead and his wife standing over him with a smoking gun. But the woman’s dazed confession is anything but convincing, and the unexpected guest decides to help. Remarkably, the police clues point to a man who dies two years previously, but as the ghosts of a past wrong begin to emerge, a tangled web of lies reveals family secrets and chilling motives, where the real murderer turns out to be the greatest mystery of all.

Directed by Warren Davis. Produced by David Hunt Stafford.

The Artists at Play Spring Readings 2026 are new plays commissioned and developed as part of the AAP Playwrights Group: The Neighborhood Project, creating new work that uncovers the rich cultural histories and vibrant social fabric within Asian ethnic enclaves throughout Los Angeles County.

Developed as part of AAP Playwrights Group: The Neighbohood Project, these new plays will take place throughout Los Angeles through June.

Saturday, March 21 at 2 pm

Dough Broke
by Sarah Cho

directed by Rebecca Wear

Los Angeles Theatre Center

Set in the Koreatown Plaza food court, Dough Broke follows a family whose deepest wishes go unfulfilled until a magical dumpling unexpectedly comes to life. Blending comedy and absurdity, the play explores the longing for what feels just out of reach and what happens when the thing you’ve wished for finally arrives.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Sunday, April 26 at 2pm

It’s Harder Than It Looks
by Carolyn Huynh

directed by Jennifer Chang

Los Angeles Theatre Center

At Josie’s mother’s funeral, three eccentric women crash the service claiming to be her mother’s badminton group. While learning how to play in the El Monte badminton gyms, Josie attempts to unpack the secret life her mother had and the mysterious circumstances around her death. Meanwhile, Josie’s dead mother’s ghost has a secret plan of her own—to get Josie to live a little.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Tuesday, May 26 at 5 pm

California Gold
by Katherine Chou

directed by Rebecca Wear

NOTE different venue: Cerritos Library

It’s senior year, and Noor, Sameera, Radhika, and Jennifer are going to save the world and be best friends forever…until a ritual goes awry, uncovering rifts that threaten to tear apart their friendship and hometown. As ghosts of lands new and old spill out into the streets of Cerritos and Artesia, the girls must navigate the external gaze, uncertain futures, and histories they barely understand to decide who they are and will be.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Sunday, June 7 at 2 pm

Djinn
by Aditi Pradhan

directed by Reena Dutt

Los Angeles Theatre Center

In 2024, Nasrin and her son, Ayan, live in Little Bangladesh in an apartment that Nasrin is sure is filled with djinns. In 1947, Lata and her son, Rahul, navigate being two of the first South Asians in the United States – while living in the same apartment. When revolution breaks out in each of their respective homelands in each of their respective time periods, Lata’s and Nasrin’s worlds will intersect in ways that they never imagined.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

SOMEBODY TO LOVE: A NEW MUSICAL AT RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY 

An evocative new Southern Gothic comedy comes to life on stage as award-winners Gigi Bermingham and Mamie Gummer team up for the world premiere of The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville, a sharply rendered full-length play by Julie Shavers. The cast includes Gigi Bermingham, Mamie Gummer, Julie Shavers, Angelie Simone, and Ashley Ward.

When eldest daughter Lucinda Moon returns home to her small Tennessee town for the July 4th holiday, she is greeted not only by fireworks but by the same women who shaped her -and the memories she can’t shake. What’s on the family’s porch picnic menu? Dark comedy, tragic poetry, and moments of pure sonic bliss when the Moon family finds their old harmonies. They’re keeping a burger on the grill, and a tumbler of frosé cold, just for you.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS THE
ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY & ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
PRODUCTION OF

ENGLISH
Written by Sanaz Toossi

Directed by Knud Adams

New York Times Critic’s Pick 

“Few are the standout gems—those plays that conquer an audience so wholly you feel a delicious two-way crackle in the room. English is one such gem.” (Tim Teeman, The Daily Beast). Straight off their critically acclaimed Broadway run, this strictly limited return engagement of this five time Tony nominated and Pulitzer Prize-winning sensation must end April 26.

Written by Sanaz Toossi and directed by Knud Adams, “English is a wonder, with unfailing wit, grace, and compassion” (Greg Evans, Deadline). Set in an Iranian classroom where four adult students and their teacher leapfrog through a linguistic playground, this is a funny, stunning triumph about the universal foibles of language and miscommunication. “The result is exquisite.” (Adam Feldman, Time Out New York).

World premiere of ‘The Storyteller of East LA’ celebrates
the resilience of family at Latino Theater Company

Dedicated to her mother, the newest work by Latino Theater Company resident playwright Evelina Fernández celebrates the sustaining power of love, compassion, storytelling, and the resilience of family. Jose Luis Valenzuela directs the world premiere of The Storyteller of East LA at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown Los Angeles,

Developed in the company’s Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group and set in East L.A., where Fernández grew up, the play blends intimate family drama with elements of magical realism to explore themes of memory loss, family dynamics and the complexities of caring for aging loved ones.

Lucy Rodriguez and Sal López (founding members of the Latino Theater Company alongside Fernández and Valenzuela) star as Mercedes, a 90-year-old woman with dementia, and Serafina, the guardian angel with whom Mercy interacts in “The Other Place,” a liminal space existing somewhere between memory and reality. As Mercy’s health declines, her daughters Grace and Mary (Zilah Mendoza and Brenda Banda) and granddaughter Lulu (Blanca Isabella) are forced to confront unresolved tensions and make difficult choices about her care. Their fragile caregiving arrangement is further strained when Mercy’s nighttime caregiver stops coming, afraid to leave home during ICE immigration raids. Daytime caregiver Josefa (Ruth Livier) faces similar fears, even as she tries to ensure that Mercy’s care continues.

Previews: April 9 – April 17
Performances: April 18 – May 17
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.

PARKING:
• $8 with box office validation at Los Angeles Garage Associate Parking structure, 545 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater)
• Metered parking available on streets surrounding the theater.
• Take the Metro: nearest stop is Pershing Square (two blocks west of The LATC)

EAT ME
by Talene Monahon

directed by Caitlin Sullivan

World Premiere
Part of the Pacific Playwrights Festival

Chris loves fine cuisine. He spends hours in a corner of the internet where like-minded foodies share their extraordinary culinary experiences. Stevie doesn’t eat fish with souls, Beatrice and Jen just baked a flax loaf and Cindy might have salad, later. In this wildly imaginative play by one of The New York Times’ Rising Theatre Stars of 2023, everyone is longing for something that makes them feel full—and when the meal is over, maybe they’ll be transformed.

Eat Me takes a look at the little-known psychological disorder known as Gourmand Syndrome, which is described as “a sudden, intense obsession with fine food and gourmet dining, typically following damage to the right anterior brain hemisphere. Patients develop a passion for eating, talking about, or preparing high-quality food, often accompanied by increased impulse control issues regarding food.”

Previews: Apr. 12 – 16, 2026
Opening Night: Apr. 17, 2026
Regular Performances: Apr. 18 – May 3, 2026
American Sign Language Performance: Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026, at 2 p.m.

Recommendation: Ages 16+

The Playwright

A Brooklyn-based playwright and actor, Monahon (IG handle: @talenemonahon) pursued theatre after winning the English Speaking Union’s National Shakespeare Competition while in high school. Winning the competition sent Monahon to Oxford for a summer studying Shakespeare. Her work has been produced Off-Broadway at Bedlam Theater, New Ohio and MCC, regionally at Trinity Repertory, Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.) and Peterborough Players, and internationally at Jermyn Street Theatre in London.

Her plays have been widely praised for bringing a nuanced and engaging lens to little-know historical events—and bringing those works into focus with humor inspired by everyone from Christopher Durang to Mel Brooks and Monty Python. The Good John Proctor was named one of The New Yorker’s “Top 10 Best Plays of 2023” and How to Load a Musket was tabbed as one of “The 10 Best Theater Productions of 2020” by TheaterMania. The New York Times called Monahon’s Meet the Cartozians “a richly layered and deeply engrossing work,” adding “Monahon has constructed a wildly funny piece that plays as pure entertainment.”

The Director

The New York City-based Sullivan (@caitesull) collaborated with Monahon on the world premiere of The Good John Proctor at Off-Broadway’s Bedlam Theatre Company. Her other directing credits include The Antiquities (Playwright’s Horizons and Goodman Theater), the Obie Award-winning The Keep Going Songs (LCT3), Find Me Here (Clubbed Thumb), Nova (The Lyceum Edinburgh and Pemberly) United States vs. Gupta (JACK and New Georges), WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY (Clubbed Thumb) and Sanctuary City (New York Theatre Workshop), among others.

Sullivan was a founding member and artistic director of Seattle’s critically acclaimed Satori Group, an alum of the Drama League Directors Project, and a former Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellow. She is a graduate of Williams College.

The Cast

Eat Me features Jake Borelli (Stevie), Sheldon D. Brown (Chris), Ann Gee Byrd (Cindy), Carolyn Ratteray (Jen), Kacie Rogers (Beatrice) and Jeorge Bennett Watson (The Gourmand).

Winner of two Hollywood Fringe Festival 2025 awards (Transcendent Craft Award, Daredevil Award), this true story dramatizes a 1995 trans custody battle. When a Los Angeles mother transitions while fighting for her daughter, “best interest of the child” becomes a weapon. Set inside family court where legal standards confront religious extremism and social pressure, this workshop ensemble reading features new songs, live music, and expanded scenes.

Based on creator/composer/performer Rejyna Douglass-Whitman’s own case, one that helped establish that gender identity does not define parental fitness. In 2026, as trans parents face renewed legal threats, this charged story offers both history and hope.

The Inkwell Theater presents a Workshop Reading of

“Solastalgia” by Sarah Tuft
Directed by Zoia Wiseman

Featuring: Paulyn Sreekhwan & Thomas Fiscella 

 April 14, 15 & 16, Tuesday – Thursday at 8pm

Solastalgia is a fierce, funny, and deeply moving eco-grief drama about what it means to feel homesick while still at home. When Addy, a sharp-tongued, non-binary teen displaced by wildfire, clashes with Paul, a grieving engineer whose town burned to the ground, the two are forced into an unlikely partnership inside a Ten-Step Climate Grief program. As generational tensions flare and secrets surface, their shared losses pull them beyond blame and into something far more fragile: connection.

Urgent, intimate, and unexpectedly hopeful, Solastalgia confronts climate anxiety, complicity, and survival in a burning world, asking whether healing ourselves might be the first radical act of saving it.

For more info visit inkwelltheater.com

Echo Theater Company’s ‘For Want of a Horse’ is an
absurdly funny, wildly unconventional love story 

The Echo Theater Company presents the world premiere of a darkly comic, deeply human exploration of love, desire and unconventional relationships. Written by trans playwright, screenwriter and comic book writer Olivia Dufault and directed by Echo associate artistic director Elana Luo, For Want of a Horse opens April 18 for a six-week run, through May 25, at Atwater Village Theatre. Three Pay-What-You-Want previews are set for April 15, April 16 and April 17.

Joey Stromberg (Echo productions of What Happened When and The Witchery) stars as Calvin. Calvin is devoted to his wife, Bonnie, played by Jenny Soo (recipient of a Stage Raw award for her performance in the Echo’s Gloria). But, as Calvin confesses to his best friend, PJ (Steven Culp, seen at the Echo in Handjob and The Enablers), if he’s to move forward, he needs to open up their relationship to include his new romantic partner. One complication: that partner would be Q-Tip (played by Griffin Kelly of HBO’s Emmy-winning series, Book of Queer) — and Q-Tip is a horse.

The play’s unusual subject matter was inspired by an unlikely 2014 New York magazine article titled “What It’s Like to Date a Horse,” part of the magazine’s “What It’s Like” series of in-depth interviews with people who lead atypical lives.

“Reading that article, I was immediately captivated, horrified and amused,” Dufault explains. “Whenever I feel those kinds of conflicting emotions, I know it’s a story worth exploring. I found myself deeply empathizing with that unnamed man, with his enormous capacity for self-loathing and self-hatred. That is the power— and the peril—of empathy.”

Awarded a Venturous Playwrights Fellowship for the play’s bold subject matter, Dufault has been working with the Echo to develop For Want of a Horse since 2023.

“For Want of a Horse is one of the funniest, strangest and most original plays I’ve read in a long time,” says Echo artistic director Chris Fields. “The Echo exists to champion plays that challenge conventions and move audiences in unfamiliar ways, and Olivia Dufault’s fearless voice is exactly the kind of work we love to produce.”

Dufault’s other plays include Year of the Rooster and The Tomb of King Tot, both named “Critic’s Pick” by The New York Times, and The Messenger. Her plays have been performed at the Ensemble Studio Theatre/Youngblood, the Flea Theatre, the Marin Theatre, the 52nd Street Project, the Theater for the New City, UpStart Theater, and the Stray Dog Theater, among others. In addition to the Venturous Playwrights Fellowship, she is the recipient of a Playwrights of New York Fellowship, a Sloan Commission, the David Colicchio Emerging Playwright Award, the Lipkin Playwriting Award, and three Harle Adair Damann Playwriting Awards. In television, she worked as story editor on AMC’S Preacher, was co-executive producer on FX’s Legion, and is a writer on Josh Zetumer’s Pagans, a supernatural drama currently in development at Netflix. In film, she wrote the feature The True Adventures of Wolfboy. She is the author of the upcoming graphic novel Laserworld.

The creative team for For Want of a Horse includes scenic designer Alex Mollo, lighting designer Matthew Richter, sound designer Alysha Grace Bermudez, and costume designer Leah Morrison. The production stage manager is Bianca Rickheim. Eve Gordon and Meghan McEnery are associate producers. Chris Fields and Marie Bland produce for the Echo Theater Company.

Founded in 1997, the Echo Theater Company has gained a reputation for producing and developing exciting new work. Under Fields’ artistic leadership, the company has championed playwrights for a quarter century, producing and commissioning numerous world premieres and introducing Los Angeles to playwrights David Lindsay-Abaire, Adam Rapp and Sarah Ruhl among others. The Echo has won countless Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, LA Weekly and Stage Raw awards, and is frequently cited on end-of-the-year “Best of Lists” including by the Los Angeles Times, LA Observed and NPR affiliate KCRW 89.9 FM, among others. The company was anointed “Best Bet for Ballsy Original Plays” by the LA Weekly and was a recipient of a “Kilroy Cake Drop” to honor its efforts to produce women and trans writers. KCRW declared that “Echo Theater Company is on a fierce journey,” and Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty calls it “the most vital center for offbeat drama in Los Angeles.” The Echo was honored by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle with the prestigious Margaret Harford Award for “Excellence In Theatre.”

For Want of a Horse opens on Saturday, April 18, with performances continuing on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 4 p.m.; and Mondays at 8 p.m. through May 25. Three preview performances are set for Wednesday, April 15; Thursday, April 16; and Friday, April 17, each at 8 p.m.

Tickets range from $15 to $42.75. Tickets to previews and all Monday night performances are Pay–What–You–Want starting at $15 if paying cash at the door plus an additional $1.50 per ticket fee if purchasing online or at the door with a credit card. Early Bird tickets to Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances are available through April 3 (online only) for $20 plus a $1.75 per ticket fee. Tickets to Friday, Saturday or Sunday performances purchased after April 3: $40 cash with an additional $2.75 fee per ticket if using a credit card.

Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Ave in Los Angeles, CA 90039. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (747) 350-8066 or go to www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.

Content warning: For Want of a Horse addresses mature sexual themes in an explicit (although non-graphic) manner and is recommended for ages 18 and up.

Company of Angels presents

THE BEAN TRIAL CIRCUS
by Tamadhur Al-Aqeel

directed by Tanya Kane-Parry

In a world where the Clowns have all the power, and everybody else is charged with terrorism, meet Mario Garfias: recent high school graduate, restaurant prep cook, and, a wielder of a weapon of mass destruction: a bucket of rotten beans. Step right up to Mario’s trial, where logic dissolves, language is weaponized, and the young defendant confronts not only the absurdity of the charges against him, but learns that his secret criminal intentions, unknown even to him, must be punished by a bunch of clowns. Drawing on absurdist theatrical traditions while speaking directly to contemporary immigration policies, THE BEAN TRIAL CIRCUS reenacts clown systems of clown power. It’s disturbingly comic and darkly familiar—a carnival of justice where truth takes a back seat to spectacle.

CAST
The Clowns
Melanie Reese
Jonathan C.K. Williams
Sophie Goldstein
Raul Vega Martinez

The Accused
José Cervantes

Understudy: Brandon Valdez

Playing Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 7pm

Join us on Sunday, April 26 for another LAFPI Night at the Theatre! Use code LAFPI for $5 tix (which include a glass of wine🍷 or other beverage.)

Visit companyofangels.org/beantrialcircus

On the LAFPI Night, plan to arrive at 6pm to catch up with friends and meet new instigators in the Company of Angels lobby… and get to know CoA artistic staff, “The Bean Trial” playwright Tamadhur Al-Aqeel and director Tanya Kane-Parry, as well as past and present CoA playwrights’ group members… with an eye to bringing in new playwrights! 

When you reserve your ticket, be sure to RSVP to lafpi.updates@gmail.com so we know to say hello!

Note there is FREE parking in lot attached to theatre; look for Legacy LA signs.

MILLENNIALS ARE KILLING MUSICALS
AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL COMEDY
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Nico Juber
Directed by Kristin Hanggi

Musical Direction, Arrangements, and Orchestrations by Anthony Lucca
Choreography by Michelle Elkin

With a contemporary pop-rock score, this new musical comedy offers a fierce, funny look at identity in the age of social media. Brenda, a single millennial mom, just wants to do better “adulting” (like the seemingly perfect Jake’s mom at her daughter’s school), when her younger #influencer sister Katrina shows up eight months pregnant and totally unprepared for motherhood. The three women work to shed the Greek Chorus of social media filters on their  lives to achieve their dreams.

PREVIEWS – Thursday 4/30 at 8pm & Friday 5/1 at 8pm
OPENS – Saturday 5/2 at 8pm
REGULAR – Friday at 8pm | Saturday at 2pm & 8pm | Sunday at 2pm & 7pm

The Artists at Play Spring Readings 2026 are new plays commissioned and developed as part of the AAP Playwrights Group: The Neighborhood Project, creating new work that uncovers the rich cultural histories and vibrant social fabric within Asian ethnic enclaves throughout Los Angeles County.

Developed as part of AAP Playwrights Group: The Neighbohood Project, these new plays will take place throughout Los Angeles through June.

Saturday, March 21 at 2 pm

Dough Broke
by Sarah Cho

directed by Rebecca Wear

Los Angeles Theatre Center

Set in the Koreatown Plaza food court, Dough Broke follows a family whose deepest wishes go unfulfilled until a magical dumpling unexpectedly comes to life. Blending comedy and absurdity, the play explores the longing for what feels just out of reach and what happens when the thing you’ve wished for finally arrives.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Sunday, April 26 at 2pm

It’s Harder Than It Looks
by Carolyn Huynh

directed by Jennifer Chang

Los Angeles Theatre Center

At Josie’s mother’s funeral, three eccentric women crash the service claiming to be her mother’s badminton group. While learning how to play in the El Monte badminton gyms, Josie attempts to unpack the secret life her mother had and the mysterious circumstances around her death. Meanwhile, Josie’s dead mother’s ghost has a secret plan of her own—to get Josie to live a little.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Tuesday, May 26 at 5 pm

California Gold
by Katherine Chou

directed by Rebecca Wear

NOTE different venue: Cerritos Library

It’s senior year, and Noor, Sameera, Radhika, and Jennifer are going to save the world and be best friends forever…until a ritual goes awry, uncovering rifts that threaten to tear apart their friendship and hometown. As ghosts of lands new and old spill out into the streets of Cerritos and Artesia, the girls must navigate the external gaze, uncertain futures, and histories they barely understand to decide who they are and will be.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Sunday, June 7 at 2 pm

Djinn
by Aditi Pradhan

directed by Reena Dutt

Los Angeles Theatre Center

In 2024, Nasrin and her son, Ayan, live in Little Bangladesh in an apartment that Nasrin is sure is filled with djinns. In 1947, Lata and her son, Rahul, navigate being two of the first South Asians in the United States – while living in the same apartment. When revolution breaks out in each of their respective homelands in each of their respective time periods, Lata’s and Nasrin’s worlds will intersect in ways that they never imagined.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

An evocative new Southern Gothic comedy comes to life on stage as award-winners Gigi Bermingham and Mamie Gummer team up for the world premiere of The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville, a sharply rendered full-length play by Julie Shavers. The cast includes Gigi Bermingham, Mamie Gummer, Julie Shavers, Angelie Simone, and Ashley Ward.

When eldest daughter Lucinda Moon returns home to her small Tennessee town for the July 4th holiday, she is greeted not only by fireworks but by the same women who shaped her -and the memories she can’t shake. What’s on the family’s porch picnic menu? Dark comedy, tragic poetry, and moments of pure sonic bliss when the Moon family finds their old harmonies. They’re keeping a burger on the grill, and a tumbler of frosé cold, just for you.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS THE
ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY & ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
PRODUCTION OF

ENGLISH
Written by Sanaz Toossi

Directed by Knud Adams

New York Times Critic’s Pick 

“Few are the standout gems—those plays that conquer an audience so wholly you feel a delicious two-way crackle in the room. English is one such gem.” (Tim Teeman, The Daily Beast). Straight off their critically acclaimed Broadway run, this strictly limited return engagement of this five time Tony nominated and Pulitzer Prize-winning sensation must end April 26.

Written by Sanaz Toossi and directed by Knud Adams, “English is a wonder, with unfailing wit, grace, and compassion” (Greg Evans, Deadline). Set in an Iranian classroom where four adult students and their teacher leapfrog through a linguistic playground, this is a funny, stunning triumph about the universal foibles of language and miscommunication. “The result is exquisite.” (Adam Feldman, Time Out New York).

World premiere of ‘The Storyteller of East LA’ celebrates
the resilience of family at Latino Theater Company

Dedicated to her mother, the newest work by Latino Theater Company resident playwright Evelina Fernández celebrates the sustaining power of love, compassion, storytelling, and the resilience of family. Jose Luis Valenzuela directs the world premiere of The Storyteller of East LA at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown Los Angeles,

Developed in the company’s Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group and set in East L.A., where Fernández grew up, the play blends intimate family drama with elements of magical realism to explore themes of memory loss, family dynamics and the complexities of caring for aging loved ones.

Lucy Rodriguez and Sal López (founding members of the Latino Theater Company alongside Fernández and Valenzuela) star as Mercedes, a 90-year-old woman with dementia, and Serafina, the guardian angel with whom Mercy interacts in “The Other Place,” a liminal space existing somewhere between memory and reality. As Mercy’s health declines, her daughters Grace and Mary (Zilah Mendoza and Brenda Banda) and granddaughter Lulu (Blanca Isabella) are forced to confront unresolved tensions and make difficult choices about her care. Their fragile caregiving arrangement is further strained when Mercy’s nighttime caregiver stops coming, afraid to leave home during ICE immigration raids. Daytime caregiver Josefa (Ruth Livier) faces similar fears, even as she tries to ensure that Mercy’s care continues.

Previews: April 9 – April 17
Performances: April 18 – May 17
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.

PARKING:
• $8 with box office validation at Los Angeles Garage Associate Parking structure, 545 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater)
• Metered parking available on streets surrounding the theater.
• Take the Metro: nearest stop is Pershing Square (two blocks west of The LATC)

EAT ME
by Talene Monahon

directed by Caitlin Sullivan

World Premiere
Part of the Pacific Playwrights Festival

Chris loves fine cuisine. He spends hours in a corner of the internet where like-minded foodies share their extraordinary culinary experiences. Stevie doesn’t eat fish with souls, Beatrice and Jen just baked a flax loaf and Cindy might have salad, later. In this wildly imaginative play by one of The New York Times’ Rising Theatre Stars of 2023, everyone is longing for something that makes them feel full—and when the meal is over, maybe they’ll be transformed.

Eat Me takes a look at the little-known psychological disorder known as Gourmand Syndrome, which is described as “a sudden, intense obsession with fine food and gourmet dining, typically following damage to the right anterior brain hemisphere. Patients develop a passion for eating, talking about, or preparing high-quality food, often accompanied by increased impulse control issues regarding food.”

Previews: Apr. 12 – 16, 2026
Opening Night: Apr. 17, 2026
Regular Performances: Apr. 18 – May 3, 2026
American Sign Language Performance: Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026, at 2 p.m.

Recommendation: Ages 16+

The Playwright

A Brooklyn-based playwright and actor, Monahon (IG handle: @talenemonahon) pursued theatre after winning the English Speaking Union’s National Shakespeare Competition while in high school. Winning the competition sent Monahon to Oxford for a summer studying Shakespeare. Her work has been produced Off-Broadway at Bedlam Theater, New Ohio and MCC, regionally at Trinity Repertory, Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.) and Peterborough Players, and internationally at Jermyn Street Theatre in London.

Her plays have been widely praised for bringing a nuanced and engaging lens to little-know historical events—and bringing those works into focus with humor inspired by everyone from Christopher Durang to Mel Brooks and Monty Python. The Good John Proctor was named one of The New Yorker’s “Top 10 Best Plays of 2023” and How to Load a Musket was tabbed as one of “The 10 Best Theater Productions of 2020” by TheaterMania. The New York Times called Monahon’s Meet the Cartozians “a richly layered and deeply engrossing work,” adding “Monahon has constructed a wildly funny piece that plays as pure entertainment.”

The Director

The New York City-based Sullivan (@caitesull) collaborated with Monahon on the world premiere of The Good John Proctor at Off-Broadway’s Bedlam Theatre Company. Her other directing credits include The Antiquities (Playwright’s Horizons and Goodman Theater), the Obie Award-winning The Keep Going Songs (LCT3), Find Me Here (Clubbed Thumb), Nova (The Lyceum Edinburgh and Pemberly) United States vs. Gupta (JACK and New Georges), WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY (Clubbed Thumb) and Sanctuary City (New York Theatre Workshop), among others.

Sullivan was a founding member and artistic director of Seattle’s critically acclaimed Satori Group, an alum of the Drama League Directors Project, and a former Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellow. She is a graduate of Williams College.

The Cast

Eat Me features Jake Borelli (Stevie), Sheldon D. Brown (Chris), Ann Gee Byrd (Cindy), Carolyn Ratteray (Jen), Kacie Rogers (Beatrice) and Jeorge Bennett Watson (The Gourmand).

Echo Theater Company’s ‘For Want of a Horse’ is an
absurdly funny, wildly unconventional love story 

The Echo Theater Company presents the world premiere of a darkly comic, deeply human exploration of love, desire and unconventional relationships. Written by trans playwright, screenwriter and comic book writer Olivia Dufault and directed by Echo associate artistic director Elana Luo, For Want of a Horse opens April 18 for a six-week run, through May 25, at Atwater Village Theatre. Three Pay-What-You-Want previews are set for April 15, April 16 and April 17.

Joey Stromberg (Echo productions of What Happened When and The Witchery) stars as Calvin. Calvin is devoted to his wife, Bonnie, played by Jenny Soo (recipient of a Stage Raw award for her performance in the Echo’s Gloria). But, as Calvin confesses to his best friend, PJ (Steven Culp, seen at the Echo in Handjob and The Enablers), if he’s to move forward, he needs to open up their relationship to include his new romantic partner. One complication: that partner would be Q-Tip (played by Griffin Kelly of HBO’s Emmy-winning series, Book of Queer) — and Q-Tip is a horse.

The play’s unusual subject matter was inspired by an unlikely 2014 New York magazine article titled “What It’s Like to Date a Horse,” part of the magazine’s “What It’s Like” series of in-depth interviews with people who lead atypical lives.

“Reading that article, I was immediately captivated, horrified and amused,” Dufault explains. “Whenever I feel those kinds of conflicting emotions, I know it’s a story worth exploring. I found myself deeply empathizing with that unnamed man, with his enormous capacity for self-loathing and self-hatred. That is the power— and the peril—of empathy.”

Awarded a Venturous Playwrights Fellowship for the play’s bold subject matter, Dufault has been working with the Echo to develop For Want of a Horse since 2023.

“For Want of a Horse is one of the funniest, strangest and most original plays I’ve read in a long time,” says Echo artistic director Chris Fields. “The Echo exists to champion plays that challenge conventions and move audiences in unfamiliar ways, and Olivia Dufault’s fearless voice is exactly the kind of work we love to produce.”

Dufault’s other plays include Year of the Rooster and The Tomb of King Tot, both named “Critic’s Pick” by The New York Times, and The Messenger. Her plays have been performed at the Ensemble Studio Theatre/Youngblood, the Flea Theatre, the Marin Theatre, the 52nd Street Project, the Theater for the New City, UpStart Theater, and the Stray Dog Theater, among others. In addition to the Venturous Playwrights Fellowship, she is the recipient of a Playwrights of New York Fellowship, a Sloan Commission, the David Colicchio Emerging Playwright Award, the Lipkin Playwriting Award, and three Harle Adair Damann Playwriting Awards. In television, she worked as story editor on AMC’S Preacher, was co-executive producer on FX’s Legion, and is a writer on Josh Zetumer’s Pagans, a supernatural drama currently in development at Netflix. In film, she wrote the feature The True Adventures of Wolfboy. She is the author of the upcoming graphic novel Laserworld.

The creative team for For Want of a Horse includes scenic designer Alex Mollo, lighting designer Matthew Richter, sound designer Alysha Grace Bermudez, and costume designer Leah Morrison. The production stage manager is Bianca Rickheim. Eve Gordon and Meghan McEnery are associate producers. Chris Fields and Marie Bland produce for the Echo Theater Company.

Founded in 1997, the Echo Theater Company has gained a reputation for producing and developing exciting new work. Under Fields’ artistic leadership, the company has championed playwrights for a quarter century, producing and commissioning numerous world premieres and introducing Los Angeles to playwrights David Lindsay-Abaire, Adam Rapp and Sarah Ruhl among others. The Echo has won countless Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, LA Weekly and Stage Raw awards, and is frequently cited on end-of-the-year “Best of Lists” including by the Los Angeles Times, LA Observed and NPR affiliate KCRW 89.9 FM, among others. The company was anointed “Best Bet for Ballsy Original Plays” by the LA Weekly and was a recipient of a “Kilroy Cake Drop” to honor its efforts to produce women and trans writers. KCRW declared that “Echo Theater Company is on a fierce journey,” and Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty calls it “the most vital center for offbeat drama in Los Angeles.” The Echo was honored by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle with the prestigious Margaret Harford Award for “Excellence In Theatre.”

For Want of a Horse opens on Saturday, April 18, with performances continuing on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 4 p.m.; and Mondays at 8 p.m. through May 25. Three preview performances are set for Wednesday, April 15; Thursday, April 16; and Friday, April 17, each at 8 p.m.

Tickets range from $15 to $42.75. Tickets to previews and all Monday night performances are Pay–What–You–Want starting at $15 if paying cash at the door plus an additional $1.50 per ticket fee if purchasing online or at the door with a credit card. Early Bird tickets to Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances are available through April 3 (online only) for $20 plus a $1.75 per ticket fee. Tickets to Friday, Saturday or Sunday performances purchased after April 3: $40 cash with an additional $2.75 fee per ticket if using a credit card.

Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Ave in Los Angeles, CA 90039. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (747) 350-8066 or go to www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.

Content warning: For Want of a Horse addresses mature sexual themes in an explicit (although non-graphic) manner and is recommended for ages 18 and up.

Company of Angels presents

THE BEAN TRIAL CIRCUS
by Tamadhur Al-Aqeel

directed by Tanya Kane-Parry

In a world where the Clowns have all the power, and everybody else is charged with terrorism, meet Mario Garfias: recent high school graduate, restaurant prep cook, and, a wielder of a weapon of mass destruction: a bucket of rotten beans. Step right up to Mario’s trial, where logic dissolves, language is weaponized, and the young defendant confronts not only the absurdity of the charges against him, but learns that his secret criminal intentions, unknown even to him, must be punished by a bunch of clowns. Drawing on absurdist theatrical traditions while speaking directly to contemporary immigration policies, THE BEAN TRIAL CIRCUS reenacts clown systems of clown power. It’s disturbingly comic and darkly familiar—a carnival of justice where truth takes a back seat to spectacle.

CAST
The Clowns
Melanie Reese
Jonathan C.K. Williams
Sophie Goldstein
Raul Vega Martinez

The Accused
José Cervantes

Understudy: Brandon Valdez

Playing Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 7pm

Join us on Sunday, April 26 for another LAFPI Night at the Theatre! Use code LAFPI for $5 tix (which include a glass of wine🍷 or other beverage.)

Visit companyofangels.org/beantrialcircus

On the LAFPI Night, plan to arrive at 6pm to catch up with friends and meet new instigators in the Company of Angels lobby… and get to know CoA artistic staff, “The Bean Trial” playwright Tamadhur Al-Aqeel and director Tanya Kane-Parry, as well as past and present CoA playwrights’ group members… with an eye to bringing in new playwrights! 

When you reserve your ticket, be sure to RSVP to lafpi.updates@gmail.com so we know to say hello!

Note there is FREE parking in lot attached to theatre; look for Legacy LA signs.

MILLENNIALS ARE KILLING MUSICALS
AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL COMEDY
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Nico Juber
Directed by Kristin Hanggi

Musical Direction, Arrangements, and Orchestrations by Anthony Lucca
Choreography by Michelle Elkin

With a contemporary pop-rock score, this new musical comedy offers a fierce, funny look at identity in the age of social media. Brenda, a single millennial mom, just wants to do better “adulting” (like the seemingly perfect Jake’s mom at her daughter’s school), when her younger #influencer sister Katrina shows up eight months pregnant and totally unprepared for motherhood. The three women work to shed the Greek Chorus of social media filters on their  lives to achieve their dreams.

PREVIEWS – Thursday 4/30 at 8pm & Friday 5/1 at 8pm
OPENS – Saturday 5/2 at 8pm
REGULAR – Friday at 8pm | Saturday at 2pm & 8pm | Sunday at 2pm & 7pm

REDCAT presents

the World-Premiere of Jibz Cameron’s

Hell in a Handbag

May 1-2, 2026

Queer performance artist Jibz Cameron, best known for her multimedia alter ego Dynasty Handbag, returns to Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) on May 1-2, 2026 for an evening of performance, film, and readings celebrating the debut of her memoir Hell in a Handbag.

The book Hell in a Handbag traces Cameron’s unique perspective shaped by a childhood spent with hippie clowns in Northern California, to making morbid zines as a teen in the East Bay punk scene, to in-your-face experiences of misogyny in New York City’s avant-garde theater scene. By turns both frank and funny, Cameron addresses the impact of addiction and mental illness in her life, as well as her mother’s suicide, in a candid account of her journey. This personal narrative culminates in the birth of Dynasty Handbag, and her gutting commentary on contemporary life. In a first, both Jibz Cameron and Dynasty Handbag will appear each evening to tell the story of these intimately intertwined halves of one iconic individual.

Please note: This program contains mature content including mentions of suicide and self-harm.

LOVEBORG PRODUCTIONS & Vs. STUDIO announce

IRONBOUND
By Pulitzer Prize-Winning Martyna Majok

Directed by Kimberly Alexander

The Los Angeles engagement of IRONBOUND marks the return of husband-and-wife duo Chad Coe and Marisa Van Den Borre, reuniting onstage after first meeting and falling in love while performing opposite each other in the world premiere of Jon Klein’s Resolving Hedda, an LA Times Critic’s Pick and Ovation-nominated production. That collaboration also sparked a lasting artistic partnership with director Kimberly Alexander, who starred alongside them in Resolving Hedda.

IRONBOUND takes place over the course of 20 years, through three relationships, and in one location – at a New Jersey bus stop. Polish immigrant Darja negotiates for her future with men who can offer her love or security, but never both. Though the world of Ironbound is a world of constant less – less safety, less softness, less margin for error – Darja is determined to build a life that measures in more than just survival. Each negotiation is an act of hope and every win, no matter how small, serves as proof that even in a life defined by “less,” something can still be gained.

IRONBOUND will open on Friday, May 1st and run through May 17th at The Madnani Theatre. Performances are Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm.

For exclusive $25 tickets use Discount code: LAFPI 

More Info & Tix Visit www.ironboundplay.com

Gregg T. Daniel directs West Coast premiere
of Lolita Chakrabarti’s ‘Hymn’ at Odyssey Theatre

Two middle-aged Black men from different backgrounds meet as strangers, but before long, they’re singing the same tune. Gregg T. Daniel directs the West Coast premiere of Hymn, a soul-affirming new play by Olivier Award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi, Hamnet). A co-production between Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Lower Depth Theatre, Hymn runs May 2 through June 14. Three low-priced previews precede the opening on April 29, April 30 and May 1.

At a moment when public conversation about men’s emotional lives, and the particular pressures facing Black men, has never been more charged, Hymn offers something rare: a portrait of male friendship that is tender, funny and utterly without apology. Set against a background of R&B rhythms, boxing and rounds of scotch, Hymn stars Jason Delane (Safe Harbor, Bulrusher, Three Sisters After Chekhov at Lower Depth Theatre; One Night in Miami at Rogue Machine) and Chuma Gault (Gem of the Ocean at A Noise Within, The Gun Show at Moving Arts) as “Benny” and “Gill.” The two men meet at a funeral; Gill knew the deceased, Benny did not. Soon they, and their families, have become close.

“I wanted to explore the often unseen nuance of a relationship between straight men—the insecurity, fussiness, vanity, fun and affection that I’ve seen between my male friends,” Chakrabarti explained in an interview. “I learned about sympathetic resonance, which is when a tuning fork vibrates because it feels the vibration of another tuning fork without ever touching it. I thought wow, what a beautiful idea. You have these two characters who can tune into each other and sing each other’s tune. Music and men.”

“Lolita’s delicious two-hander explores how two men can comfortably express affection and love for one another that’s not romantic or physical,” says Daniel. “Over the course of a year, they begin to open up, to risk their vulnerability. One of the things they find in common is a shared love of music, and the action plays out to the soundtrack of their youth.”

Hymn premiered in London at the Almeida Theatre, where the UK Guardian called it “a rich and moving ode to male friendship” and “hugely enjoyable.”

The creative team for this production includes scenic designer Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, lighting designer Donny Jackson, sound designer Alma Reyes-Thomas, costume designer Wendell C. Carmichael, properties designer Jenine Macdonald, choreographer Toran Xavier Moore, and dialect coach Paul Wagar. The stage manager is Jenny Nwene. Hymn is produced by Sally Essex–Lopresti for Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Drina Durazo for Lower Depth Theatre.

Founded in 1969 by Ron Sossi, a pioneer in the intimate theater movement who remained at the company’s helm for 56 years until his death last year at the age of 85, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is one of Los Angeles’ most adventurous companies, offering world-class live theater experiences in its three-theater complex.

That spirit finds a natural partner in Lower Depth Theatre, a dynamic, BIPOC-led company dedicated to producing powerful stories that reflect the diverse cultural, racial and gender experiences of the African Diaspora and beyond. Driven by excellence, risk-taking, and community-building, Lower Depth believes in the indelible power of theater to disrupt narratives, reveal truth, and heal connections — within ourselves and with each other.

Performances of Hymn take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. from May 2 through June 14, with one additional performance on Wednesday, May 27 at 8 p.m. Prior to opening, there will be three previews on Wednesday, April 29; Thursday, April 30; and Friday, May 1, each at 8 p.m. Tickets to all performances are $35, except for the previews which are $20. A $3 fee will be added to each ticket purchased with a credit card. Discounts are available for students and seniors.

The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 477-2055 or go to OdysseyTheatre.com.

Primary Trust

Cast: Petey McGee, Ugo Chukwu,
Rebecca S’manga Frank, James Urbaniak, and Luke Wygodny 

MAY 20 TO JUNE 28

Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Primary Trust, written by Eboni Booth and directed by Knud Adams, will perform May 20 to June 28 at the Mark Taper Forum (press opening is May 27). A New York Times Critic’s Pick, Primary Trust is a simple and elegantly crafted story of a man who finds a new job, new friends, and a new sense of worth, illustrating how small acts of kindness can change a person’s life and enrich an entire community.

Kenneth, a 38-year-old bookstore worker in a small upstate New York town, spends his evenings sipping Mai Tais at the local tiki bar with his best friend Bert. When he’s suddenly laid off, Kenneth faces challenges he has long avoided—with transformative and heart-warming results. Primary Trust is a touching story of new beginnings, old (and new) friends, and finding the courage to see the world for the first time.

The Artists at Play Spring Readings 2026 are new plays commissioned and developed as part of the AAP Playwrights Group: The Neighborhood Project, creating new work that uncovers the rich cultural histories and vibrant social fabric within Asian ethnic enclaves throughout Los Angeles County.

Developed as part of AAP Playwrights Group: The Neighbohood Project, these new plays will take place throughout Los Angeles through June.

Saturday, March 21 at 2 pm

Dough Broke
by Sarah Cho

directed by Rebecca Wear

Los Angeles Theatre Center

Set in the Koreatown Plaza food court, Dough Broke follows a family whose deepest wishes go unfulfilled until a magical dumpling unexpectedly comes to life. Blending comedy and absurdity, the play explores the longing for what feels just out of reach and what happens when the thing you’ve wished for finally arrives.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Sunday, April 26 at 2pm

It’s Harder Than It Looks
by Carolyn Huynh

directed by Jennifer Chang

Los Angeles Theatre Center

At Josie’s mother’s funeral, three eccentric women crash the service claiming to be her mother’s badminton group. While learning how to play in the El Monte badminton gyms, Josie attempts to unpack the secret life her mother had and the mysterious circumstances around her death. Meanwhile, Josie’s dead mother’s ghost has a secret plan of her own—to get Josie to live a little.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Tuesday, May 26 at 5 pm

California Gold
by Katherine Chou

directed by Rebecca Wear

NOTE different venue: Cerritos Library

It’s senior year, and Noor, Sameera, Radhika, and Jennifer are going to save the world and be best friends forever…until a ritual goes awry, uncovering rifts that threaten to tear apart their friendship and hometown. As ghosts of lands new and old spill out into the streets of Cerritos and Artesia, the girls must navigate the external gaze, uncertain futures, and histories they barely understand to decide who they are and will be.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Sunday, June 7 at 2 pm

Djinn
by Aditi Pradhan

directed by Reena Dutt

Los Angeles Theatre Center

In 2024, Nasrin and her son, Ayan, live in Little Bangladesh in an apartment that Nasrin is sure is filled with djinns. In 1947, Lata and her son, Rahul, navigate being two of the first South Asians in the United States – while living in the same apartment. When revolution breaks out in each of their respective homelands in each of their respective time periods, Lata’s and Nasrin’s worlds will intersect in ways that they never imagined.

Go Here for Tix and More Info

Gregg T. Daniel directs West Coast premiere
of Lolita Chakrabarti’s ‘Hymn’ at Odyssey Theatre

Two middle-aged Black men from different backgrounds meet as strangers, but before long, they’re singing the same tune. Gregg T. Daniel directs the West Coast premiere of Hymn, a soul-affirming new play by Olivier Award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi, Hamnet). A co-production between Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Lower Depth Theatre, Hymn runs May 2 through June 14. Three low-priced previews precede the opening on April 29, April 30 and May 1.

At a moment when public conversation about men’s emotional lives, and the particular pressures facing Black men, has never been more charged, Hymn offers something rare: a portrait of male friendship that is tender, funny and utterly without apology. Set against a background of R&B rhythms, boxing and rounds of scotch, Hymn stars Jason Delane (Safe Harbor, Bulrusher, Three Sisters After Chekhov at Lower Depth Theatre; One Night in Miami at Rogue Machine) and Chuma Gault (Gem of the Ocean at A Noise Within, The Gun Show at Moving Arts) as “Benny” and “Gill.” The two men meet at a funeral; Gill knew the deceased, Benny did not. Soon they, and their families, have become close.

“I wanted to explore the often unseen nuance of a relationship between straight men—the insecurity, fussiness, vanity, fun and affection that I’ve seen between my male friends,” Chakrabarti explained in an interview. “I learned about sympathetic resonance, which is when a tuning fork vibrates because it feels the vibration of another tuning fork without ever touching it. I thought wow, what a beautiful idea. You have these two characters who can tune into each other and sing each other’s tune. Music and men.”

“Lolita’s delicious two-hander explores how two men can comfortably express affection and love for one another that’s not romantic or physical,” says Daniel. “Over the course of a year, they begin to open up, to risk their vulnerability. One of the things they find in common is a shared love of music, and the action plays out to the soundtrack of their youth.”

Hymn premiered in London at the Almeida Theatre, where the UK Guardian called it “a rich and moving ode to male friendship” and “hugely enjoyable.”

The creative team for this production includes scenic designer Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, lighting designer Donny Jackson, sound designer Alma Reyes-Thomas, costume designer Wendell C. Carmichael, properties designer Jenine Macdonald, choreographer Toran Xavier Moore, and dialect coach Paul Wagar. The stage manager is Jenny Nwene. Hymn is produced by Sally Essex–Lopresti for Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Drina Durazo for Lower Depth Theatre.

Founded in 1969 by Ron Sossi, a pioneer in the intimate theater movement who remained at the company’s helm for 56 years until his death last year at the age of 85, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is one of Los Angeles’ most adventurous companies, offering world-class live theater experiences in its three-theater complex.

That spirit finds a natural partner in Lower Depth Theatre, a dynamic, BIPOC-led company dedicated to producing powerful stories that reflect the diverse cultural, racial and gender experiences of the African Diaspora and beyond. Driven by excellence, risk-taking, and community-building, Lower Depth believes in the indelible power of theater to disrupt narratives, reveal truth, and heal connections — within ourselves and with each other.

Performances of Hymn take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. from May 2 through June 14, with one additional performance on Wednesday, May 27 at 8 p.m. Prior to opening, there will be three previews on Wednesday, April 29; Thursday, April 30; and Friday, May 1, each at 8 p.m. Tickets to all performances are $35, except for the previews which are $20. A $3 fee will be added to each ticket purchased with a credit card. Discounts are available for students and seniors.

The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 477-2055 or go to OdysseyTheatre.com.

Primary Trust

Cast: Petey McGee, Ugo Chukwu,
Rebecca S’manga Frank, James Urbaniak, and Luke Wygodny 

MAY 20 TO JUNE 28

Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Primary Trust, written by Eboni Booth and directed by Knud Adams, will perform May 20 to June 28 at the Mark Taper Forum (press opening is May 27). A New York Times Critic’s Pick, Primary Trust is a simple and elegantly crafted story of a man who finds a new job, new friends, and a new sense of worth, illustrating how small acts of kindness can change a person’s life and enrich an entire community.

Kenneth, a 38-year-old bookstore worker in a small upstate New York town, spends his evenings sipping Mai Tais at the local tiki bar with his best friend Bert. When he’s suddenly laid off, Kenneth faces challenges he has long avoided—with transformative and heart-warming results. Primary Trust is a touching story of new beginnings, old (and new) friends, and finding the courage to see the world for the first time.