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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
Get Tickets
Listen Here for free:
https://www.opendoorplayhouse.
Run Time: 13:34
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/
18aprallday14junThe Winter’s TaleIn modern verse translation by Tracy Young
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Skylight Theatre Company premieres Tracy Young’s modern verse translation of William Shakespeare's The Winter’s Tale opening at Skylight Theatre on Thursday, April 24 at 8:00pm (with previews on April 18, 19, and
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Skylight Theatre Company premieres Tracy Young’s modern verse translation of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale opening at Skylight Theatre on Thursday, April 24 at 8:00pm (with previews on April 18, 19, and 23) running through Saturday, June 14, 2025.
In the Los Angeles debut of Play On Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale has been reimagined in an accessible, 90-minute modern English translation adapted by Young and Lisa Volpe. This vibrant retelling of a story about love, loss, and rebirth is helmed and directed by Young whose innovative and award-winning work has been seen in productions at Actor’s Gang, Cornerstone Theater Company, and the celebrated Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
The Winter’s Tale will run most Thursdays at 8:00pm, 8:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3:00pm on Sundays, but irregularities exist in the schedule starting in May; always check online. Skylight Theatre is located at 1816 ½ N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Opening night tickets are priced at $48+. Regular shows are priced between $20-$42 (students: $20; seniors 50+: $35.) Preview tickets are priced at $15+. There are a limited number of Pay-What-You-Can tickets to any performance, using code ACCESS (advance sale only). For more information and reservations, please visit: https://www.skylighttheatre.
Set in the present day, Young’s music-infused translation of The Winter’s Tale tells the story of Leontes, a tyrannical ruler consumed by delusion who defies the law of Apollo and plunges his kingdom into darkness. Amidst the terror that ensues, a princess emerges, wielding extraordinary power to heal the land and its people. “It is required you do awake your faith!” cries Paulina, the witch, as the dead return to life in this magical tale of hope and forgiveness.
Skylight’s production of The Winter’s Tale is forging the first collaboration between Skylight Theatre Company and Play On Shakespeare, a non-profit organization that began as part of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s initiative to examine plays through the lens of the English we speak today, which was launched in 2015 under Bill Rauch.
“I was first drawn by Play On Shakespeare’s commitment to commissioning dozens of contemporary playwrights and translations made by playwrights who embodied many different lived experiences and share a deep love and curiosity about language,” says Armando Huipe, Skylight’s Executive Director. “They were all tasked with matching Shakespeare’s linguistic rigor as they approach the text and structure,” Huipe adds, “in order to make Shakespeare’s plays engaging and accessible to today’s audiences.”
“Right now, the picture is bleak, and it’s growing bleaker every day. The Winter’s Tale offers up a story where people find hope, forgiveness, and music in the face of tyranny. It reminds us how things that die in the winter are reborn in the spring,” said Gary Grossman, Skylight Producing Artistic Director.
Play On Shakespeare translations aim to follow the same rigor and pressure as the original, which means honoring the meter, rhyme, rhetoric, image, metaphor, character, action and theme. The work must be structured in iambic pentameter. Within this context productions of the translations can still go through the same creative process that all classics go through: the director’s vision and creative interpretation. The Oxford Dictionary definition of translate is “to carry on.” The Play On Shakespeare series is intended to “carry on” the successful communication between actor and audience.
Skylight embraces the tenets of Play On Shakespeare and is proud to introduce this important non-profit organization to LA audiences.
Joining Tracy Young, Skylight and Play On Shakespeare in their inaugural association are scenic designer Christopher Scott Murillo (Princess Grace Foundation Award); Brandon Baruch, lighting design; C. Yuri Son, Costume Design; Celina Lee Surniak, Intimacy & Fight Coordination; and Benjamin Pryor as Dramaturge. Casting is by Victoria Hoffman and includes a diverse array of artists including Trans actors who help shape the world that Young has imagined. The acting ensemble is comprised of Audrey Cirzan, Shaan Dasani, Israel Erron Ford, Victoria Hoffman, Spencer Jamison, Iman Nazemzadeh, Misha Osherovich, Miguel Perez, Quest Sapp, KT Vogt, and Daniel Deyoung.
“[Play On Shakespeare] translations transform the theatergoing experience from Shakespeare’s time to ours by updating the language, wordplay, and wit to engage audiences the way they would have been engaged in the early modern theater.”
– New York Times
Playing
April 18 (Friday) - June 14 (Saturday)
Venue
Skylight Theatre
1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027
Get Tickets
Prices:
Previews $15+
Opening night tickets: $48+
Regular: $20 – $42
Students: $20
Seniors: $35
To access a limited amount of Pay-What-You-Can tickets to any performance, use a code ACCESS. Advance sale only
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
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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.
26aprallday15junFosteredChaya Doswell
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A WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY Fostered is an adult comedy about a unconventional family in Scarsdale, New
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A WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY
Fostered is an adult comedy about a unconventional family in Scarsdale, New York. Set in 2016, just prior to the election, and moving into 2017, parents Karen and Sandy Foster are ready and excited to make some big changes in their lives. Their plans are thwarted by their adult children who return home, one by one, beset with problems. Each family member is forced to take a good hard look at who they’ve been pretending to be. Karen and Sandy find a way to move ahead with their lives as they, and their children, learn to embrace their authentic selves…and oh, there’s vodka!
ONE FAMILY. THREE GENERATIONS. AND A REFUGEE.
Playing
April 26 (Saturday) - June 15 (Sunday)
Venue
Pacific Resident Theatre
703 Venice Blvd. Venice, CA 90291
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
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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/
18aprallday14junThe Winter’s TaleIn modern verse translation by Tracy Young
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Skylight Theatre Company premieres Tracy Young’s modern verse translation of William Shakespeare's The Winter’s Tale opening at Skylight Theatre on Thursday, April 24 at 8:00pm (with previews on April 18, 19, and
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Skylight Theatre Company premieres Tracy Young’s modern verse translation of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale opening at Skylight Theatre on Thursday, April 24 at 8:00pm (with previews on April 18, 19, and 23) running through Saturday, June 14, 2025.
In the Los Angeles debut of Play On Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale has been reimagined in an accessible, 90-minute modern English translation adapted by Young and Lisa Volpe. This vibrant retelling of a story about love, loss, and rebirth is helmed and directed by Young whose innovative and award-winning work has been seen in productions at Actor’s Gang, Cornerstone Theater Company, and the celebrated Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
The Winter’s Tale will run most Thursdays at 8:00pm, 8:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3:00pm on Sundays, but irregularities exist in the schedule starting in May; always check online. Skylight Theatre is located at 1816 ½ N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Opening night tickets are priced at $48+. Regular shows are priced between $20-$42 (students: $20; seniors 50+: $35.) Preview tickets are priced at $15+. There are a limited number of Pay-What-You-Can tickets to any performance, using code ACCESS (advance sale only). For more information and reservations, please visit: https://www.skylighttheatre.
Set in the present day, Young’s music-infused translation of The Winter’s Tale tells the story of Leontes, a tyrannical ruler consumed by delusion who defies the law of Apollo and plunges his kingdom into darkness. Amidst the terror that ensues, a princess emerges, wielding extraordinary power to heal the land and its people. “It is required you do awake your faith!” cries Paulina, the witch, as the dead return to life in this magical tale of hope and forgiveness.
Skylight’s production of The Winter’s Tale is forging the first collaboration between Skylight Theatre Company and Play On Shakespeare, a non-profit organization that began as part of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s initiative to examine plays through the lens of the English we speak today, which was launched in 2015 under Bill Rauch.
“I was first drawn by Play On Shakespeare’s commitment to commissioning dozens of contemporary playwrights and translations made by playwrights who embodied many different lived experiences and share a deep love and curiosity about language,” says Armando Huipe, Skylight’s Executive Director. “They were all tasked with matching Shakespeare’s linguistic rigor as they approach the text and structure,” Huipe adds, “in order to make Shakespeare’s plays engaging and accessible to today’s audiences.”
“Right now, the picture is bleak, and it’s growing bleaker every day. The Winter’s Tale offers up a story where people find hope, forgiveness, and music in the face of tyranny. It reminds us how things that die in the winter are reborn in the spring,” said Gary Grossman, Skylight Producing Artistic Director.
Play On Shakespeare translations aim to follow the same rigor and pressure as the original, which means honoring the meter, rhyme, rhetoric, image, metaphor, character, action and theme. The work must be structured in iambic pentameter. Within this context productions of the translations can still go through the same creative process that all classics go through: the director’s vision and creative interpretation. The Oxford Dictionary definition of translate is “to carry on.” The Play On Shakespeare series is intended to “carry on” the successful communication between actor and audience.
Skylight embraces the tenets of Play On Shakespeare and is proud to introduce this important non-profit organization to LA audiences.
Joining Tracy Young, Skylight and Play On Shakespeare in their inaugural association are scenic designer Christopher Scott Murillo (Princess Grace Foundation Award); Brandon Baruch, lighting design; C. Yuri Son, Costume Design; Celina Lee Surniak, Intimacy & Fight Coordination; and Benjamin Pryor as Dramaturge. Casting is by Victoria Hoffman and includes a diverse array of artists including Trans actors who help shape the world that Young has imagined. The acting ensemble is comprised of Audrey Cirzan, Shaan Dasani, Israel Erron Ford, Victoria Hoffman, Spencer Jamison, Iman Nazemzadeh, Misha Osherovich, Miguel Perez, Quest Sapp, KT Vogt, and Daniel Deyoung.
“[Play On Shakespeare] translations transform the theatergoing experience from Shakespeare’s time to ours by updating the language, wordplay, and wit to engage audiences the way they would have been engaged in the early modern theater.”
– New York Times
Playing
April 18 (Friday) - June 14 (Saturday)
Venue
Skylight Theatre
1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027
Get Tickets
Prices:
Previews $15+
Opening night tickets: $48+
Regular: $20 – $42
Students: $20
Seniors: $35
To access a limited amount of Pay-What-You-Can tickets to any performance, use a code ACCESS. Advance sale only
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
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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.
26aprallday15junFosteredChaya Doswell
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A WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY Fostered is an adult comedy about a unconventional family in Scarsdale, New
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A WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY
Fostered is an adult comedy about a unconventional family in Scarsdale, New York. Set in 2016, just prior to the election, and moving into 2017, parents Karen and Sandy Foster are ready and excited to make some big changes in their lives. Their plans are thwarted by their adult children who return home, one by one, beset with problems. Each family member is forced to take a good hard look at who they’ve been pretending to be. Karen and Sandy find a way to move ahead with their lives as they, and their children, learn to embrace their authentic selves…and oh, there’s vodka!
ONE FAMILY. THREE GENERATIONS. AND A REFUGEE.
Playing
April 26 (Saturday) - June 15 (Sunday)
Venue
Pacific Resident Theatre
703 Venice Blvd. Venice, CA 90291
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
06mayallday01junLife of PiLolita Chakrabarti
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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
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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
18aprallday14junThe Winter’s TaleIn modern verse translation by Tracy Young
Show Info
Skylight Theatre Company premieres Tracy Young’s modern verse translation of William Shakespeare's The Winter’s Tale opening at Skylight Theatre on Thursday, April 24 at 8:00pm (with previews on April 18, 19, and
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Skylight Theatre Company premieres Tracy Young’s modern verse translation of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale opening at Skylight Theatre on Thursday, April 24 at 8:00pm (with previews on April 18, 19, and 23) running through Saturday, June 14, 2025.
In the Los Angeles debut of Play On Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale has been reimagined in an accessible, 90-minute modern English translation adapted by Young and Lisa Volpe. This vibrant retelling of a story about love, loss, and rebirth is helmed and directed by Young whose innovative and award-winning work has been seen in productions at Actor’s Gang, Cornerstone Theater Company, and the celebrated Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
The Winter’s Tale will run most Thursdays at 8:00pm, 8:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3:00pm on Sundays, but irregularities exist in the schedule starting in May; always check online. Skylight Theatre is located at 1816 ½ N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Opening night tickets are priced at $48+. Regular shows are priced between $20-$42 (students: $20; seniors 50+: $35.) Preview tickets are priced at $15+. There are a limited number of Pay-What-You-Can tickets to any performance, using code ACCESS (advance sale only). For more information and reservations, please visit: https://www.skylighttheatre.
Set in the present day, Young’s music-infused translation of The Winter’s Tale tells the story of Leontes, a tyrannical ruler consumed by delusion who defies the law of Apollo and plunges his kingdom into darkness. Amidst the terror that ensues, a princess emerges, wielding extraordinary power to heal the land and its people. “It is required you do awake your faith!” cries Paulina, the witch, as the dead return to life in this magical tale of hope and forgiveness.
Skylight’s production of The Winter’s Tale is forging the first collaboration between Skylight Theatre Company and Play On Shakespeare, a non-profit organization that began as part of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s initiative to examine plays through the lens of the English we speak today, which was launched in 2015 under Bill Rauch.
“I was first drawn by Play On Shakespeare’s commitment to commissioning dozens of contemporary playwrights and translations made by playwrights who embodied many different lived experiences and share a deep love and curiosity about language,” says Armando Huipe, Skylight’s Executive Director. “They were all tasked with matching Shakespeare’s linguistic rigor as they approach the text and structure,” Huipe adds, “in order to make Shakespeare’s plays engaging and accessible to today’s audiences.”
“Right now, the picture is bleak, and it’s growing bleaker every day. The Winter’s Tale offers up a story where people find hope, forgiveness, and music in the face of tyranny. It reminds us how things that die in the winter are reborn in the spring,” said Gary Grossman, Skylight Producing Artistic Director.
Play On Shakespeare translations aim to follow the same rigor and pressure as the original, which means honoring the meter, rhyme, rhetoric, image, metaphor, character, action and theme. The work must be structured in iambic pentameter. Within this context productions of the translations can still go through the same creative process that all classics go through: the director’s vision and creative interpretation. The Oxford Dictionary definition of translate is “to carry on.” The Play On Shakespeare series is intended to “carry on” the successful communication between actor and audience.
Skylight embraces the tenets of Play On Shakespeare and is proud to introduce this important non-profit organization to LA audiences.
Joining Tracy Young, Skylight and Play On Shakespeare in their inaugural association are scenic designer Christopher Scott Murillo (Princess Grace Foundation Award); Brandon Baruch, lighting design; C. Yuri Son, Costume Design; Celina Lee Surniak, Intimacy & Fight Coordination; and Benjamin Pryor as Dramaturge. Casting is by Victoria Hoffman and includes a diverse array of artists including Trans actors who help shape the world that Young has imagined. The acting ensemble is comprised of Audrey Cirzan, Shaan Dasani, Israel Erron Ford, Victoria Hoffman, Spencer Jamison, Iman Nazemzadeh, Misha Osherovich, Miguel Perez, Quest Sapp, KT Vogt, and Daniel Deyoung.
“[Play On Shakespeare] translations transform the theatergoing experience from Shakespeare’s time to ours by updating the language, wordplay, and wit to engage audiences the way they would have been engaged in the early modern theater.”
– New York Times
Playing
April 18 (Friday) - June 14 (Saturday)
Venue
Skylight Theatre
1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027
Get Tickets
Prices:
Previews $15+
Opening night tickets: $48+
Regular: $20 – $42
Students: $20
Seniors: $35
To access a limited amount of Pay-What-You-Can tickets to any performance, use a code ACCESS. Advance sale only
26aprallday15junFosteredChaya Doswell
Show Info
A WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY Fostered is an adult comedy about a unconventional family in Scarsdale, New
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A WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY
Fostered is an adult comedy about a unconventional family in Scarsdale, New York. Set in 2016, just prior to the election, and moving into 2017, parents Karen and Sandy Foster are ready and excited to make some big changes in their lives. Their plans are thwarted by their adult children who return home, one by one, beset with problems. Each family member is forced to take a good hard look at who they’ve been pretending to be. Karen and Sandy find a way to move ahead with their lives as they, and their children, learn to embrace their authentic selves…and oh, there’s vodka!
ONE FAMILY. THREE GENERATIONS. AND A REFUGEE.
Playing
April 26 (Saturday) - June 15 (Sunday)
Venue
Pacific Resident Theatre
703 Venice Blvd. Venice, CA 90291
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
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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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.
