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march
07feballday31mar(Un)DrinkableAlyssa Ahle
Show Info
In 2014, Flint, Michigan changed the source of its water supply. This resulted in the contamination of its drinking and bathing water, causing a dozen fatalities and sickening dozens
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In 2014, Flint, Michigan changed the source of its water supply. This resulted in the contamination of its drinking and bathing water, causing a dozen fatalities and sickening dozens more. The changes in the water supply were motivated by the greed of a few people in power and by systemic racism: The city was 54% Black.
(Un)drinkable stars Barika Phillips Bell, Jaycee Porter and Sue Gisser. Bernadette Armstrong directs.
Dana Hall is the playwright. Dana Hall has been an actor for over two decades. She is also an accomplished and award-winning author, playwright, speaker, and mental health therapist. Her award-winning children’s book, Beyond Words, was released in 2020.
LISTEN to (Un)drinkable
https://www.opendoorplayhouse.
We are honoring the month of Black History with 3 powerful plays – one about the Flint Michigan water disaster (Un)Drinkable, Feb. 7th, one about the murder of George Floyd, Whitesville, presented in 3 parts, Feb. 13th, 14th, and 15th and Beethoven and Misfortune Cookies, February 28th- one about a professor who lost his position at the University of Arkansas – or is it Alabama?) after a white female student complained about his ‘photo presentation’ as he explained the meaning of Strange Fruit, sung by Billie Holiday…..
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 from 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.
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
February 7 (Wednesday) - March 31 (Sunday)
Venue
Virtual
Online
Presented by
Open-Door Playhouse[email protected] 9 Pangloss St., Henderson NV 89002
Get Tickets
Free. Listen online:
https://www.opendoorplayhouse.org/opendoortheaterplays/undrinkable
01marallday24Power to the QueendomShaWanna Renee Rivon
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LOFT ENSEMBLE PRESENTS A WORLD PREMIERE IN SAWYER’S PLAYHOUSEPOWER TO THE QUEENDOM WRITTEN BY ShaWanna Renee Rivon DIRECTED BY Diane Reneé MARCH 1 – 24
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Playing
march 1 (Friday) - 24 (Sunday)
Venue
Loft Ensemble
11031 Camarillo Street, North Hollywood, 91602
Get Tickets
General admission is DONATE WHAT YOU WANT. The performance schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm. Seats may be reserved online at www.loftensemble.org or by phone at (818) 452-3153.
02marallday13aprA Froggy BecomesBecky Wahlstrom
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‘A Froggy Becomes’ WHAT: Middle School is Hell. Especially for a seventh-grade girl somewhere in the 1980s whose ‘friends’ tease her relentlessly, whose father is an ogre, who desperately wants her mother to run
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‘A Froggy Becomes’
WHAT:
Middle School is Hell. Especially for a seventh-grade girl somewhere in the 1980s whose ‘friends’ tease her relentlessly, whose father is an ogre, who desperately wants her mother to run away with their priest, and whose stupid science project is due, and she can find NO ONE to help her with it! A Froggy Becomes is a tale for grownups, written from the perspective of Bumpy Diggs (Sandra Kate Burck), a scrappy little weirdo struggling to survive the troubles at home and the horrors of seventh grade. It is a memory play steeped in magical realism. Replete with an ogre (Peter Breitmayer), flying priests, Satan worshippers, beer, Dorito’s bags, and of course, Madonna.
WHO:
• Written by Becky Wahlstrom
• Directed by Pat Towne
• Starring Deandra Bernardo, Peter Breitmayer, Sandra Kate Burck, Kyra Grace, Jeremy Guskin, Ana Id, Carmella Jenkins, Michael Lanahan, Johanna McKay, Bradley Sharper, Tom Sys, Kyle Tomlin
• Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director
WHEN:
Previews: March 2–March 8
Performances: March 9–April 13
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: March 8 (preview); March 15; March 22; March 29; April 5; April 12
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: March 2 (preview); March 9 (Opening Night); March 16; March 23; March 30; April 6; April 13
• Sundays at 7 p.m.: March 3 (preview); March 10; March 17; March 24; March 31; April 7
WHERE:
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
• FREE parking in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) lot one block south of the theater.
OTHER:
Appropriate for ages 12+
Visit www.openfist.org;
Playing
March 2 (Saturday) - April 13 (Saturday)
Venue
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Avenue
Presented by
Open Fist Theatre Company
Get Tickets
TICKET PRICES:
● All performances except previews:
o General Admission: $30
o Seniors/Veterans: $25
o Under 30: $20
● Previews: Pay-What-You-Want
– www.openfist.org; (323) 882-6912; [email protected]
03mar(mar 3)7:00 pm30(mar 30)8:00 pm5 One-Act Plays by Wendy WassersteinWendy Wasserstein
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Five lesser known short comedic one-act plays by Wendy Wasserstein will be performed in this one hour long show, illuminating the author’s humanity, irreverence and wit. Wendy Wasserstein was one
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Five lesser known short comedic one-act plays by Wendy Wasserstein will be performed in this one hour long show, illuminating the author’s humanity, irreverence and wit. Wendy Wasserstein was one of the leading feminist voices in the theatre during the late 20th century, and she won a Pulitzer-Prize for her play “The Heidi Chronicles”.
Playing
3 (Sunday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:00 pm
Presented by
Foster Cat Productions[email protected]
Show Info
Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT) is pleased to present 2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist Zora Howard’s STEW as its first production of 2024. STEW tells a captivating, funny, and intimate story about the
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Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT) is pleased to present 2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist Zora Howard’s STEW as its first production of 2024.
STEW tells a captivating, funny, and intimate story about the relationship between mothers, daughters and the realities that bind them together.
Jade King Carroll (McCarter Theatre’s Intimate Apparel and The Piano Lesson, Portland Stage’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) directs this equally funny and heartbreaking play.
STEW features iesha m. daniels (Rogue Machine Theatre’s can i touch it?, Arena Stage’s Waiting Room) as Lil Mama, Greta Oglesby (Guthrie Theatre’s Into The Woods, Penumbra Theatre’s The Piano Lesson) as Mama, Roslyn Ruff (Broadway’s Skin of our Teeth and Fences) as Lillian, and Nedra Snipes (North Coast Repertory Theatre’s Intimate Apparel,Geffen Playhouse’s The First Deep Breath) as Nelly.
STEW was conceived by Zora Howard and marked her debut as a playwright. The production premiered off-Broadway at Walkerspace in January 2020. Howard was a 2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for STEW.
STEW runs from March 7 to March 24, 2024, with the opening on Saturday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Performances are held at The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles. The schedule is Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Note: There are two preview performances on Thursday, March 7 and Friday, March 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Playing
march 7 (Thursday) - 24 (Sunday)
Venue
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
Presented by
Ebony Repertory Theatre
Get Tickets
Tickets range from $35.00 – $55.00 and are available online at www.ebonyrep.org or by phone at 323-964-9766.
Groups of 10 or more are available via email at [email protected] or 323-964-9766.
07marallday07aprThe RevolutionistsLauren Gunderson
Show Info
Ophelia’s Jump Theatre Presents The Revolutionists Written by Lauren Gunderson March 7 through March 30, 2024 “A sassy, hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure ...wonderfully wild and raucous...” Cincinnati Enquirer “...an astoundingly accomplished show...a cause for rejoice... Ingeniously conceived and
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Ophelia’s Jump Theatre Presents The Revolutionists
Written by Lauren Gunderson
March 7 through March 30, 2024
“A sassy, hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure
…wonderfully wild and raucous…”
Cincinnati Enquirer
“…an astoundingly accomplished show…a cause for rejoice…
Ingeniously conceived and delivered.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Upland, CA (February 29, 2024) – Continuing their 2024 Season, Ophelia’s Jump Productions (OJP) presents The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson, a fantasy-comedy
imagining a meeting between four women during France’s Reign of Terror. The production will be performed at Ophelia’s Jump, located at 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite I, in Upland, from March 7 through April 6, 2024.
Directed by Sheila Malone, The Revolutionists features Molly Billman as Charlotte Corday, Candida Celaya as Marie Antoinette, Medina Senghore as Marianne Angelle, and
Andrea Stradling as Olympe de Gouges as real and fictional revolutionary thinkers carving out their legacies in a changing world. As Lauren Gunderson tells it, “…the play has
really turned into a grander story about stories. Why we need to make art, what art does
in times of crisis, how stories connect eras and philosophies across time.”
THE STORY: Four beautiful, badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette,
and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the
extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world. It’s a true story. Or total fiction.
Or a play about a play. Or a raucous resurrection…that ends in a song and a scaffold.
Lauren Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since
2015, topping the list thrice including 2022/23. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. She is a playwright, screenwriter, musical book writer and children’s author who lives in San Francisco. She graduated from NYU Tisch as a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.
2009 Porterfield Way, Suite I,
Upland , CA 91786
909-734-6565
opheliasjump.org
@opheliasjump
THE REVOLUTIONISTS
Written by Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Sheila Malone
Featuring: Molly Billman, Candida Celaya, Medina Senghore and Andrea Stradling
Location: 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, Upland, CA 91786
Preview: March 7, 2024
Regular Run: March 8 through 30, 2024
Curtain Times:
Friday, March 7 8:00pm (Preview)
Saturday, March 9 8:00pm
Sunday, March 10 4:00pm
Thursday, March 14 7:30pm- “Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward
Friday, March 15 8:00pm
Saturday, March 16 8:00pm
Sunday, March 17 4:00pm
Thursday, March 21 7:30pm- “Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward”
Friday, March 22 8:00pm
Saturday, March 23 8:00pm
Sunday, March 24 4:00pm
Thursday, March 28 7:30pm – “Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward”
Friday, March 29 8:00pm
Saturday, March 30 8:00pm
Thursday, April 4 7:30pm – “Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward”
Friday, April 5 8:00pm
Saturday, April 6 8:00pm
Ticket Information
All seats $35, $30 for college students with ID and children under 10. Thursdays are
“Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward” with a $20 minimum.
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 an award-winning, non-profit regional theatre company based in
Claremont and performing in Claremont and Upland. Ophelia’s Jump Productions was founded in 2013 by women and queer artists and educators who believe that the purpose of theatre is to create unending conversations, spark imagination, incite conscience, and elicit a visceral response. OJP aims to invigorate the creativity and intellect of our community by working with local and regional artists to tell compelling stories and
educate new generations of theatre lovers.
Ophelia’s Jump is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
Additional information available at opheliasjump.org or [email protected]
Playing
March 7 (Thursday) - April 7 (Sunday)
Venue
Ophelia's Jump
2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, Upland, CA 91786
Get Tickets
Ticket Information
All seats $35, $30 for college students with ID and children under 10. Thursdays are
“Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward” with a $20 minimum.
Online ticketing available at opheliasjump.org.
Please call 909-734-6565 for tickets and information on group discounts.
13marallday31A Shayna MaidelBarbara Lebow
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LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS A SHAYNA MAIDEL Written by Barbara Lebow
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LIMITED ENGAGEMENT BEGINS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13
AT THE LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE!
“…a tribute to the sustaining power of family.” – New York Times
February 20, 2024…Laguna Beach, CA…LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE presents A SHAYNA MAIDEL, written by Barbara Lebow and directed by Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director David Ellenstein. A SHAYNA MAIDEL will begin previews on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (with a press opening on Sunday, March 17 at 5:30pm) and run through Sunday, March 31, 2024 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Dr. in Laguna Beach.
A SHAYNA MAIDEL (which means “a pretty girl” in Yiddish) is a touching memory play about two sisters reconnecting after years of separation and a hopeful story about the resiliency of the human spirit. The play, set in New York City in 1946, explores family, faith, and forgiveness in the pursuit of a better future.
Director David Ellenstein reflects, “When I first directed A Shayna Maidel in 1990, it proved to be a moving and profound experience for me, not only as a theatre artist, but as a human being. Though set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, it was the story of one family’s courage and strength in dealing with profound tragedy. The beauty and inherent power in the play was felt by all who worked on it and all who attended. The production helped to shape my concept of what great theatre can do; how it can affect not only the audience but the artists that work to bring it life. It helped to set my course going forward as a theatre artist.
And so here, in 2024, Laguna Playhouse has chosen to bring this beautiful and important play to the stage once again. Its intriguing story and timeless message of resiliency and hope resonates as truly and purely as when I first encountered it. It is with great excitement that I approach the work for a third time, knowing once again that I will find a life affirming experience awaiting me. Theatre has power to make our world a better place. A Shayna Maidel is a great example of theatre embracing what it is to be a human being and lifting it to the special optic of the stage for us all to experience together.”
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST
DAVID ELLENSTEIN (Director) Born into a theatrical family, David Ellenstein has been working in professional theatre for the better part of five decades. In May 2023, he was named Artistic Director of Laguna Playhouse, after filling the role in an interim capacity since September 2023. In addition, he has been the Artistic Director of North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, CA since 2003. At Laguna Playhouse, credits include directing The Angel Next Door, Chapatti, Alexandros and playing “Einstein” in Picasso at The Lapin Agile. Other directorial credits include The Chosen at Paper Mill Playhouse; Halpern and Johnson and Sonia Flew at Coconut Grove Playhouse; The Glass Menagerie, Rocket City and Honky Tonk Angels at Alabama Shakespeare Festival; His Royal Hipness at 59E59 in NYC; and Long Day’s Journey into Night at Renaissance Theatre. As Artistic Director at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach since 2003, over 60 Directorial credits including Way Down River, The Tempest, A Moon for the Misbegotten, The Outsider and The Homecoming. His career includes acting credits of playing the title roles in Hamlet at LA Theatre Center and LA Rep; Richard III at California Shakespeare Festival; Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof at Moonlight Stage; Jonathan in Sight Unseen, Max in Laughter on the 23rd Floor and Matt in Talley’s Folly at North Coast Rep as well as over three dozen film and television episodes.
BARBARA LEBOW (Playwright) is a Santa Barbara resident who grew up in New York, moved to Atlanta in the 1960s, and joined Academy Theatre’s developmental workshop, eventually becoming playwright in residence. Among her plays with first productions there are A Shayna Maidel, The Left Hand Singing, Cyparis, The Keepers, Trains, The Adventures Of Homer McGundy Revised, Little Joe Monaghan, Tiny Tim Is Dead, and several plays for young audiences. Theaters producing her work include Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Hartford Stage Company, Jean Cocteau Repertory Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, the Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Ensemble Theatre of Santa Barbara. A Shayna Maidel (Off-Broadway 1987-’89) continues receiving regional and international productions. Its adaptation received a Best Picture Emmy in 1992. In addition to her own writing, Barbara has facilitated play creation with disenfranchised segments of the population including homeless and addicted individuals, youth at risk, developmentally and physically disabled persons, and women in prison and worked with residents of Los Prietos Boys Camp, supported by a grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Playwriting, a TCG/Pew Theatre Artists Residency, an NEA/TCG Residency, an Atlanta Mayor’s Fellowship in the Arts, a Georgia Governor’s Award in the Arts, and a Distinguished Service Award from the Santa Barbara County Probation Department.
The cast of A SHAYNA MAIDEL features Samantha Klein (If I Forget at the Fountain Theatre – LADCC Award)as “Mama,” Zarah Mahler (Broadway: Soul Doctor, Appropriate at the Mark Taper Forum) as “Lusia Pechenik,” Eden Malyn (Sex and Other Disturbances at Portland Stage; Bad Jews at The English Theatre of Frankfurt/ETC Santa Barbara) as “Rose Weiss,” Josh Odsess-Rubin (Photograph 51, Sense and Sensibility at South Coast Repertory) as “Duvid Pechenik,” Marnina Schon (Tony Kushner’s Brundibar at Berkeley Rep; Once at South Coast Repertory) as “Hanna,” and Joel Swetow (Henry IV at Antaeus Theatre; Les Blancs at Rogue Machine) as “Mordechai Weiss.”
ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING
A SHAYNA MAIDEL will preview on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:30pm; Thursday, March 14 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Friday, March 15 at 7:30pm; Saturday, March 16 at 7:30pm (with a press opening on Sunday, March 17 at 5:30pm) and run through Sunday, March 31, 2024 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Dr. in Laguna Beach.
Performances will be Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm & 5:30pm. There will be added performances on Thursday, March 21 at 2:00pm and Tuesday, March 26 at 7:30pm. There will be no performance on Sunday, March 31 at 5:30pm.
Tickets range from $45 – $84 and can be purchased online at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling (949) 497-2787. Group discounts are available by calling 949-497-2787 ext.229. Prices subject to change.
The box office is open Tuesdays – Sundays: 12pm to 4pm; Mondays open 2 hours prior to show time and until 15 minutes after curtain. Open until showtime on all performance days.
For more information on all shows and programming visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com. LAGU
Playing
march 13 (Wednesday) - 31 (Sunday)
Venue
Laguna Playhouse
606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach
Get Tickets
Tickets: $45.00 – $84.00 (Prices subject to change)
For tickets – visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com
13marallday07aprOne of the Good OnesGloria Calderón Kellett
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Lana Parrilla and Carlos Gomez lead the World Premiere of ONE OF THE GOOD ONES with Isabella Gomez, Nico Greetham, and Santino Jimenez A new comedy by Gloria Calderón Kellett, the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix’s
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Lana Parrilla and Carlos Gomez
lead the World Premiere of
ONE OF THE GOOD ONES
with Isabella Gomez, Nico Greetham,
and Santino Jimenez
A new comedy by Gloria Calderón Kellett,
the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix’s One Day at a Time
directed by Kimberly Senior
Wednesday March 13, 2024 to Sunday, April 7, 2024
Press Opening March 17, 2024
Tickets at pasadenaplayhouse.org
PASADENA, CA (February 1, 2024) – Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California and recipient of the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, announces casting for the world premiere of Gloria Calderón Kellett’s One of the Good Ones, a new comedy from the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix's One Day at a Time (March 13 to April 7) which will be helmed by Kimberly Senior (Broadway’s Disgraced). One of the Good Ones marks the first Latine commission in the Playhouse’s 100 year history and is Danny Feldman’s first commission in his time as Producing Artistic Director. The cast of One of the Good Ones is led by Lana Parrilla (Once Upon A Time, The Lincoln Lawyer) as Ilana and Carlos Gomez (Broadway’s In the Heights) as Enrique, and features Isabella Gomez (Netflix’s One Day at a Time, The Goldbergs) as Yoli, Nico Greetham (Disney’s Newsies; Love, Victor; American Horror Story) as Marcos, and Santino Jimenez (Netflix’s One Day at a Time) as Pedro.
The creative team includes Tanya Orellana (Scenic Designer), Denitsa Bliznakova (Costume Designer), Jaymi Lee Smith (Lighting Designer), Jeff Gardner and Andrea Allmond (Sound Designers), and Casting by RBT Casting (Ryan Bernard Tymensky, CSA). The Stage Management team includes David S. Franklin (Production Stage Manager) and Miriam Mendoza (Assistant Stage Manager).
The ultimate family showdown is on in the world premiere of this new comedy commissioned by Pasadena Playhouse. When the “perfect” Latina daughter brings her boyfriend home to meet the parents, her family’s biases and preconceptions are put on full display. As tensions run high and hilarity ensues, everyone must navigate the ins and outs of family dynamics and the boundaries of acceptance — all while tackling the age-old question: what does it truly mean to be an American? Meet your new favorite family in this laugh-out-loud, heartfelt story from Gloria Calderón Kellett, the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix’s One Day at a Time.
Tickets and information for One of the Good Ones are available at pasadenaplayhouse.org, by phone at 626-356-7529, and at the box office at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101.
About Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse, the official State Theater of California and recipient of the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is one of the most prolific theaters in the country. The Playhouse has staged thousands of original productions since its founding in 1917 including premieres of works by Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, Suzan Lori Parks and hundreds more. For decades, its pioneering School for Theater Arts was a training ground for actors and theatermakers who went on to make significant contributions to the entertainment industry. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman since 2016, Pasadena Playhouse’s productions and community programs are centered on its founding idea of being a living force in its community, making theater for everyone.
Playing
March 13 (Wednesday) - April 7 (Sunday)
Venue
Pasadena Playhouse
39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101
Get Tickets
Tickets: Prices start at $40
Online — PasadenaPlayhouse.org
By phone at 626-356-7529
In person — Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, located at 39 South El Molino
Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
19mar9:30 pmMADE IN AMERICATERUKO NAKAJIMA
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The Off-Broadway show MADE IN AMERICA is coming back to LA! 9:30pm on Tuesday March 19th, 2024! MADE IN AMERICA will be
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The Off-Broadway show MADE IN AMERICA is coming back to LA!
9:30pm on Tuesday March 19th, 2024!
MADE IN AMERICA will be performed at The Lyric Hyperion Theatre (2106 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027). It will start at 9:30pm.
$20.00 General Admission.
MADE IN AMERICA Ticket Link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/made-in-america-tickets-853323472477
MADE IN AMERICA is a funny yet shockingly raw autobiography written and performed by Japanese born artist Teruko Nakajima. She flees her homeland to escape a life filled with physical and emotional abuse. She tries surviving in America by becoming a Dominatrix, salsa dancer, and night club madame. But as the pressures in this new world overwhelm her, Teruko must learn to love herself before her own trauma destroys her.
MADE IN AMERICA is a brutally honest, surprisingly entertaining, and heartbreakingly life-affirming love letter to the human experience. It’s a story for women, Asians, first-generation immigrants, and anyone who is fighting to make their dreams come true.
Teruko’s show shines a necessary light on the tragedies of domestic violence, mental health, child abuse, sexual assault, and suicide. But ultimately provides inspiration to anyone who suffers and needs help.
Her dog Titi performs too.
MADE IN AMERICA received tremendous accolades at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2022. Winner: Best Solo Show, Solo Splash Award, Best One Person Show (LA Theatre Bite Award), Pick of the Fringe, The Hollywood Encore Producers’ Award, Hollywood Fringe Festival Scholarship and Critics’ Choice ENCORE at Cincinnati Fringe Festival 2023.
MADE IN AMERICA WEBSITE: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7419
RUNNING TIME: 60 minutes
APPROPRIATE AUDIENCE:
18
*Contains very mature contents.
Playing
(Tuesday) 9:30 pm
Venue
Lyric Hyperion Theatre
2106 Hyperion, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Presented by
Teruko Nakajima310-409-6690 1054 North Vista Street, Apt4, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Get Tickets
$20.00 General Admission
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/made-in-america-tickets-853323472477
22marallday14aprL.A. Unmaskedplays by Tamadhur Al-Aqeel, Diana Burbano, Allie Costa and MJ Kang
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Celebrating 65 years as Los Angeles' oldest non-profit theater company, Company of Angels presents the return of its annual L.A. Short Play Festival: "L.A.
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Celebrating 65 years as Los Angeles’ oldest non-profit theater company, Company of Angels presents the return of its annual L.A. Short Play Festival: “L.A. Unmasked,” after a 3-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. The festival features 8 new short plays by Los Angeles based playwrights that pose the question: now the Covid masks are off (mostly), what masks do we wear that present an aspect of who we are?
“L.A. Unmasked” features plays by women playwrights Tamadhur Al-Aqeel, Diana Burbano, Allie Costa and MJ Kang.
Join us on Saturday, March 30th for LAFPI Night at Company of Angels – $10 tickets + reception with playwrights and artistic staff starting at 7 p.m. – complimentary wine or beverage! Click Here and use code LETSPLAY.
‘With the Los Angeles Short Play Festival, Company of Angels continues its commitment to supporting diverse LA-based artists and telling stories from unique, underrepresented voices.” said Armando Molina, Artistic Director.
“L.A. Unmasked” also features short plays by David J Crawford, Ethan Dizon, John Dubiel and Mauro Flores, Jr.; the plays are directed by Mauro Flores Jr., Doug Kaback, Tanya Kane-Parry, Justin Lord, Elana Luo, Kelie McIver, John Miyasaki, and Jeff Torres. Supervising Director is Tanya Kane-Parry.
“L.A. Unmasked” opens on Saturday, March 23rd at 8 p.m. (previewing Friday, March 22), with performances thereafter on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. through April 14th. One preview performance takes place March 22nd on the same schedule.
Company of Angels is located in the Legacy L.A campus at 1350 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033. Limited free parking and street parking available.
For reservations and information, visit • https://www.companyofangels.org/unmasked
Playing
March 22 (Friday) - April 14 (Sunday)
Venue
Company of Angels
1350 San Pablo St., Los Angeles, CA 90033
Get Tickets
TICKET PRICES:
• All performances: $20; $15 students and seniors (65+); $10 group tickets (10 or more – use code GROUP)
Join us on Saturday, March 30th for LAFPI Night at Company of Angels – $10 tickets + reception with playwrights and artistic staff starting at 7 p.m. – complimentary wine or beverage! Click Here and use code LETSPLAY.
24mar7:00 pmVictorian Psychedelic Sleepover PlayMak Shealy
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On the eve of a 16th birthday, four teens meet after their writing is rejected by the school lit mag to create a Literary Zine of their own. Seeking editorial
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On the eve of a 16th birthday, four teens meet after their writing is rejected by the school lit mag to create a Literary Zine of their own. Seeking editorial guidance, they conjure the ghosts of writers past and find themselves possessed by the spirit, chaos and conflict of the Victorian Era radicals they have long admired.
Playing
(Sunday) 7:00 pm
Venue
Atwater Village Theater
3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039
Presented by
Ensemble Studio Theatre, Los Angeles
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Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival. Playwrights:Lynn McNutt, Liza Dealey-Thomason, Shelley Cooper, Alina Cenal, Ada Cheng, Dee Freeman, Karen A. Clark, Janice Creneti, Vanessa Cruz, Paige Wilhide, Jovelyn Richards, Clarinda Ross,
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Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival. Playwrights:Lynn McNutt, Liza Dealey-Thomason, Shelley Cooper, Alina Cenal, Ada Cheng, Dee Freeman, Karen A. Clark, Janice Creneti, Vanessa Cruz, Paige Wilhide, Jovelyn Richards, Clarinda Ross, Kathryn Taylor Smith.
Thursday, March 28-
Karen A. Clark in The Women.
In this excerpt, through music and spoken word, Karen honors women and also reflects on the women in her family, particularly her mother.
Friday, March 29
Janice Creneti in My Year of Saying No
Join Janice on her Covid-19 journey of rejecting patriarchy, perfection, and guilt to find her way back to herself.
Vanessa Cruz in Metal, Plastic, Skin
This piece explores how vulnerability fatigue impacts Vanessa’s experiences as a disabled woman, and how medical equipment has been a form of freedom, survival, and assimilation in this inaccessible world.
Paige Wilhide in Break-Up Addict
This piece weaves together a hilarious and heartfelt narrative of one woman’s journey to overcome sex and love addiction through her spiritual healing of the heart.
Saturday, March 30 at 3 p.m.
Jovelyn Richards in She Cry Dem Blues
A night of solitude, secrets, sensuality, and confessions come together at Tootsie’s, a 1930s Detroit jazz club, where the owner’s unspoken love finally reveals his true feelings.
Saturday, March 30 at 8 p.m.
Clarinda Ross in Spit Like a Big Girl
A Southern “daddy’s girl” grows up and learns to fiercely advocate for her differently-abled daughter..
Kathryn Taylor Smith in A Mile in My Shoes
Esther, an omniscient “Shoe Whisperer,” walks us through a day of her life on Skid Row.
Sunday, March 31 at 3 p.m.
Shelley Cooper in Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum
Jenny Lind, known as the “Swedish Nightingale,” speaks of a side of a side of P.T. Barnum that she came to know on her American tour.
Alina Cenal in Cuba: My Return
A woman returns to her motherland, Cuba, after being gone for 54 years.
Ada Cheng in The Memories We Keep.
A woman reflects on the meaning of memories in her complex relationship with her mother.
Dee Freeman in Poison Gun
A six-year-old remembers being placed in the impossible position of telling what she knew about her grandfather’s secret to authorities in the Deep South.
Sunday, March 31 at 7 p.m.
Lynn McNutt in BLUE: A Rhapsody in Blubber
A baby blue whale, an old man, and a mother intertwined by whale song dive deep into these separate, yet united, stories.
Liza Dealey-Thomason in Supernova
Supernova is a fanciful musical that successfully explores the need to be the hero who tries to take care of everyone else and ultimately arrives at the celebration of discovering the joy of taking care of self.
Festival Director: Jessica Lynn Johnson. Executive Producer: Adilah Barnes.
Thurs. at 6:30, Fri. at 8:00, Sat. at 3:00 and 8:00, Sun. at 3:00 and 7:00.
Playing
march 28 (Thursday) - 31 (Sunday)
Venue
Theatre 68
5112 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
Presented by
Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival
Get Tickets
Tickets to the March 28 GALA are $60 each or $100 a pair (includes reception). Tickets to each of the weekend’s other five shows are $25 for early birds (through March 10) and $30 thereafter. A VIP all access pass for the entire weekend is $150. Group sales (10 ) for the GALA, $45. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.lawtf.org . For more information, questions or ticket prices, visit us at [email protected] or call us at (818) 760-0408.
april
02marallday13aprA Froggy BecomesBecky Wahlstrom
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‘A Froggy Becomes’ WHAT: Middle School is Hell. Especially for a seventh-grade girl somewhere in the 1980s whose ‘friends’ tease her relentlessly, whose father is an ogre, who desperately wants her mother to run
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‘A Froggy Becomes’
WHAT:
Middle School is Hell. Especially for a seventh-grade girl somewhere in the 1980s whose ‘friends’ tease her relentlessly, whose father is an ogre, who desperately wants her mother to run away with their priest, and whose stupid science project is due, and she can find NO ONE to help her with it! A Froggy Becomes is a tale for grownups, written from the perspective of Bumpy Diggs (Sandra Kate Burck), a scrappy little weirdo struggling to survive the troubles at home and the horrors of seventh grade. It is a memory play steeped in magical realism. Replete with an ogre (Peter Breitmayer), flying priests, Satan worshippers, beer, Dorito’s bags, and of course, Madonna.
WHO:
• Written by Becky Wahlstrom
• Directed by Pat Towne
• Starring Deandra Bernardo, Peter Breitmayer, Sandra Kate Burck, Kyra Grace, Jeremy Guskin, Ana Id, Carmella Jenkins, Michael Lanahan, Johanna McKay, Bradley Sharper, Tom Sys, Kyle Tomlin
• Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director
WHEN:
Previews: March 2–March 8
Performances: March 9–April 13
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: March 8 (preview); March 15; March 22; March 29; April 5; April 12
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: March 2 (preview); March 9 (Opening Night); March 16; March 23; March 30; April 6; April 13
• Sundays at 7 p.m.: March 3 (preview); March 10; March 17; March 24; March 31; April 7
WHERE:
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
• FREE parking in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) lot one block south of the theater.
OTHER:
Appropriate for ages 12+
Visit www.openfist.org;
Playing
March 2 (Saturday) - April 13 (Saturday)
Venue
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Avenue
Presented by
Open Fist Theatre Company
Get Tickets
TICKET PRICES:
● All performances except previews:
o General Admission: $30
o Seniors/Veterans: $25
o Under 30: $20
● Previews: Pay-What-You-Want
– www.openfist.org; (323) 882-6912; [email protected]
07marallday07aprThe RevolutionistsLauren Gunderson
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Ophelia’s Jump Theatre Presents The Revolutionists Written by Lauren Gunderson March 7 through March 30, 2024 “A sassy, hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure ...wonderfully wild and raucous...” Cincinnati Enquirer “...an astoundingly accomplished show...a cause for rejoice... Ingeniously conceived and
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Ophelia’s Jump Theatre Presents The Revolutionists
Written by Lauren Gunderson
March 7 through March 30, 2024
“A sassy, hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure
…wonderfully wild and raucous…”
Cincinnati Enquirer
“…an astoundingly accomplished show…a cause for rejoice…
Ingeniously conceived and delivered.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Upland, CA (February 29, 2024) – Continuing their 2024 Season, Ophelia’s Jump Productions (OJP) presents The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson, a fantasy-comedy
imagining a meeting between four women during France’s Reign of Terror. The production will be performed at Ophelia’s Jump, located at 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite I, in Upland, from March 7 through April 6, 2024.
Directed by Sheila Malone, The Revolutionists features Molly Billman as Charlotte Corday, Candida Celaya as Marie Antoinette, Medina Senghore as Marianne Angelle, and
Andrea Stradling as Olympe de Gouges as real and fictional revolutionary thinkers carving out their legacies in a changing world. As Lauren Gunderson tells it, “…the play has
really turned into a grander story about stories. Why we need to make art, what art does
in times of crisis, how stories connect eras and philosophies across time.”
THE STORY: Four beautiful, badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette,
and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the
extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world. It’s a true story. Or total fiction.
Or a play about a play. Or a raucous resurrection…that ends in a song and a scaffold.
Lauren Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since
2015, topping the list thrice including 2022/23. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. She is a playwright, screenwriter, musical book writer and children’s author who lives in San Francisco. She graduated from NYU Tisch as a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.
2009 Porterfield Way, Suite I,
Upland , CA 91786
909-734-6565
opheliasjump.org
@opheliasjump
THE REVOLUTIONISTS
Written by Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Sheila Malone
Featuring: Molly Billman, Candida Celaya, Medina Senghore and Andrea Stradling
Location: 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, Upland, CA 91786
Preview: March 7, 2024
Regular Run: March 8 through 30, 2024
Curtain Times:
Friday, March 7 8:00pm (Preview)
Saturday, March 9 8:00pm
Sunday, March 10 4:00pm
Thursday, March 14 7:30pm- “Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward
Friday, March 15 8:00pm
Saturday, March 16 8:00pm
Sunday, March 17 4:00pm
Thursday, March 21 7:30pm- “Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward”
Friday, March 22 8:00pm
Saturday, March 23 8:00pm
Sunday, March 24 4:00pm
Thursday, March 28 7:30pm – “Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward”
Friday, March 29 8:00pm
Saturday, March 30 8:00pm
Thursday, April 4 7:30pm – “Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward”
Friday, April 5 8:00pm
Saturday, April 6 8:00pm
Ticket Information
All seats $35, $30 for college students with ID and children under 10. Thursdays are
“Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward” with a $20 minimum.
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 an award-winning, non-profit regional theatre company based in
Claremont and performing in Claremont and Upland. Ophelia’s Jump Productions was founded in 2013 by women and queer artists and educators who believe that the purpose of theatre is to create unending conversations, spark imagination, incite conscience, and elicit a visceral response. OJP aims to invigorate the creativity and intellect of our community by working with local and regional artists to tell compelling stories and
educate new generations of theatre lovers.
Ophelia’s Jump is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
Additional information available at opheliasjump.org or [email protected]
Playing
March 7 (Thursday) - April 7 (Sunday)
Venue
Ophelia's Jump
2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, Upland, CA 91786
Get Tickets
Ticket Information
All seats $35, $30 for college students with ID and children under 10. Thursdays are
“Pay What You Can/Pay It Forward” with a $20 minimum.
Online ticketing available at opheliasjump.org.
Please call 909-734-6565 for tickets and information on group discounts.
13marallday07aprOne of the Good OnesGloria Calderón Kellett
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Lana Parrilla and Carlos Gomez lead the World Premiere of ONE OF THE GOOD ONES with Isabella Gomez, Nico Greetham, and Santino Jimenez A new comedy by Gloria Calderón Kellett, the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix’s
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Lana Parrilla and Carlos Gomez
lead the World Premiere of
ONE OF THE GOOD ONES
with Isabella Gomez, Nico Greetham,
and Santino Jimenez
A new comedy by Gloria Calderón Kellett,
the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix’s One Day at a Time
directed by Kimberly Senior
Wednesday March 13, 2024 to Sunday, April 7, 2024
Press Opening March 17, 2024
Tickets at pasadenaplayhouse.org
PASADENA, CA (February 1, 2024) – Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California and recipient of the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, announces casting for the world premiere of Gloria Calderón Kellett’s One of the Good Ones, a new comedy from the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix's One Day at a Time (March 13 to April 7) which will be helmed by Kimberly Senior (Broadway’s Disgraced). One of the Good Ones marks the first Latine commission in the Playhouse’s 100 year history and is Danny Feldman’s first commission in his time as Producing Artistic Director. The cast of One of the Good Ones is led by Lana Parrilla (Once Upon A Time, The Lincoln Lawyer) as Ilana and Carlos Gomez (Broadway’s In the Heights) as Enrique, and features Isabella Gomez (Netflix’s One Day at a Time, The Goldbergs) as Yoli, Nico Greetham (Disney’s Newsies; Love, Victor; American Horror Story) as Marcos, and Santino Jimenez (Netflix’s One Day at a Time) as Pedro.
The creative team includes Tanya Orellana (Scenic Designer), Denitsa Bliznakova (Costume Designer), Jaymi Lee Smith (Lighting Designer), Jeff Gardner and Andrea Allmond (Sound Designers), and Casting by RBT Casting (Ryan Bernard Tymensky, CSA). The Stage Management team includes David S. Franklin (Production Stage Manager) and Miriam Mendoza (Assistant Stage Manager).
The ultimate family showdown is on in the world premiere of this new comedy commissioned by Pasadena Playhouse. When the “perfect” Latina daughter brings her boyfriend home to meet the parents, her family’s biases and preconceptions are put on full display. As tensions run high and hilarity ensues, everyone must navigate the ins and outs of family dynamics and the boundaries of acceptance — all while tackling the age-old question: what does it truly mean to be an American? Meet your new favorite family in this laugh-out-loud, heartfelt story from Gloria Calderón Kellett, the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix’s One Day at a Time.
Tickets and information for One of the Good Ones are available at pasadenaplayhouse.org, by phone at 626-356-7529, and at the box office at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101.
About Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse, the official State Theater of California and recipient of the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is one of the most prolific theaters in the country. The Playhouse has staged thousands of original productions since its founding in 1917 including premieres of works by Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, Suzan Lori Parks and hundreds more. For decades, its pioneering School for Theater Arts was a training ground for actors and theatermakers who went on to make significant contributions to the entertainment industry. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman since 2016, Pasadena Playhouse’s productions and community programs are centered on its founding idea of being a living force in its community, making theater for everyone.
Playing
March 13 (Wednesday) - April 7 (Sunday)
Venue
Pasadena Playhouse
39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101
Get Tickets
Tickets: Prices start at $40
Online — PasadenaPlayhouse.org
By phone at 626-356-7529
In person — Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, located at 39 South El Molino
Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
22marallday14aprL.A. Unmaskedplays by Tamadhur Al-Aqeel, Diana Burbano, Allie Costa and MJ Kang
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Celebrating 65 years as Los Angeles' oldest non-profit theater company, Company of Angels presents the return of its annual L.A. Short Play Festival: "L.A.
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Celebrating 65 years as Los Angeles’ oldest non-profit theater company, Company of Angels presents the return of its annual L.A. Short Play Festival: “L.A. Unmasked,” after a 3-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. The festival features 8 new short plays by Los Angeles based playwrights that pose the question: now the Covid masks are off (mostly), what masks do we wear that present an aspect of who we are?
“L.A. Unmasked” features plays by women playwrights Tamadhur Al-Aqeel, Diana Burbano, Allie Costa and MJ Kang.
Join us on Saturday, March 30th for LAFPI Night at Company of Angels – $10 tickets + reception with playwrights and artistic staff starting at 7 p.m. – complimentary wine or beverage! Click Here and use code LETSPLAY.
‘With the Los Angeles Short Play Festival, Company of Angels continues its commitment to supporting diverse LA-based artists and telling stories from unique, underrepresented voices.” said Armando Molina, Artistic Director.
“L.A. Unmasked” also features short plays by David J Crawford, Ethan Dizon, John Dubiel and Mauro Flores, Jr.; the plays are directed by Mauro Flores Jr., Doug Kaback, Tanya Kane-Parry, Justin Lord, Elana Luo, Kelie McIver, John Miyasaki, and Jeff Torres. Supervising Director is Tanya Kane-Parry.
“L.A. Unmasked” opens on Saturday, March 23rd at 8 p.m. (previewing Friday, March 22), with performances thereafter on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. through April 14th. One preview performance takes place March 22nd on the same schedule.
Company of Angels is located in the Legacy L.A campus at 1350 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033. Limited free parking and street parking available.
For reservations and information, visit • https://www.companyofangels.org/unmasked
Playing
March 22 (Friday) - April 14 (Sunday)
Venue
Company of Angels
1350 San Pablo St., Los Angeles, CA 90033
Get Tickets
TICKET PRICES:
• All performances: $20; $15 students and seniors (65+); $10 group tickets (10 or more – use code GROUP)
Join us on Saturday, March 30th for LAFPI Night at Company of Angels – $10 tickets + reception with playwrights and artistic staff starting at 7 p.m. – complimentary wine or beverage! Click Here and use code LETSPLAY.
10aprallday28“A” TRAINAnnie Torsiglieri
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Rubicon Theatre Company of Ventura Continues 25th Anniversary Season with West Coast Premiere Run
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Rubicon Theatre Company of Ventura
Continues 25th Anniversary Season with West Coast Premiere Run of
“A” TRAIN
Written and Performed by Broadway Veteran Annie Torsiglieri
(Top Girls, Parade & Miss Saigon)
Directed by Risa Brainin
Original Music by Brad Carroll
Limited Engagement –
April 10 – 28, 2024 at the Rubicon Theatre!
March 14, 2024 (Ventura, CA) – Rubicon Theatre continues the company’s 25th Anniversary Season with the West Coast Premiere run of “A” TRAIN, an award-winning play-with-music about a mother’s journey on the autism train. Told with humor, insight and a few choice expletives, “A” TRAIN is written and performed by Broadway veteran ANNIE TORSIGLIERI (Top Girls, Parade and Miss Saigon) and directed by RISA BRAININ, with original music by BRAD CARROLL. Rubicon’s production of “A” TRAIN begins previews April 10 at The Karyn Jackson Theatre in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District, 1006 E. Main Street. There will be a Gala Opening on April 13 (also press night). Opening night tickets include a post-show reception at the theatre with Torsiglieri, the creative team and special guests, and a tax-deductible donation to support Rubicon’s education programs. The production runs Wednesdays through Sundays through April 28, 2024. For tickets, go to www.rubicontheatre.org or call (805) 667-2900. During the production of “A” TRAIN, Rubicon will partner with The Art of Autism, a nonprofit which empowers and connects individuals within the autism community through participation in the Arts. Artwork from talented autistic artists will be on display in The Rose Room and downstairs gallery throughout the entire production.
Set against the backdrop of an imagined subway station, “A” TRAIN takes audiences on an exhilarating theatrical ride as the character of Amy struggles to understand why her young son can memorize the names of every subway stop in the correct sequence but doesn’t seem to want to play with his brother. When her son is diagnosed with autism, she tries to understand just what that means and struggles with her preconceptions of what “happiness” looks like. As we travel with Amy on her hilarious and sometimes emotional journey, we meet other parents, family members, educators, medical professionals, and individuals who identify as autistic.
Says Rubicon Artistic Director KARYL LYNN BURNS, “Annie’s courageous performance gives us a visceral sense of what it’s like to be different, or to love someone who is different. She seamlessly weaves together multiple perspectives and provides a powerful and profound experience for us as audience members, filled with unexpected dramatic twists, humor, pathos and song. It’s a true tour-de-force and we are thrilled to share her artistry and talents with our audiences!”
“A” TRAIN is inspired by Torsiglieri’s own family’s journey. ““A” TRAIN was born out of a desire to share the messiness of life,” says Torsiglieri. “I hoped that by telling my story, I could create a softer landing for my son, shining a light on our search for happiness.”
Once she had the idea, Torsiglieri, began working with friend and director Risa Brainin to develop the piece. She began her process by talking with others whose lives were touched by autism. Says Torsiglieri, “Many excerpts are verbatim from those interviews and I’m grateful to those who generously shared their stories and gave me permission to embody them onstage.”
The first developmental production of “A” TRAIN was through the LAUNCH PAD program at University of California Santa Barbara, with Brainin directing and working dramaturgically with Torsiglieri. The workshop production won an Indy Award and Charles Donelan of The S.B. Independent called the piece, “The best solo show, and quite likely the best original play of any kind, to come out of Santa Barbara this decade…the emotional impact cannot be overstated.”
Jen Maxcy of the Skirball Cultural Center described “A” TRAIN as, “…a near perfect example of how a talented storyteller has the power to change the world.”
Playmakers Repertory Company produced a short run of “A” TRAIN in North Carolina. At the United Solo Festival in New York City, “A” TRAIN received awards for Best Production and Best Encore. Rubicon’s production is the first full run of “A” TRAIN.
ANNE TORSIGLIERI’s Broadway credits include Top Girls, Parade, Blood Brothers and Miss Saigon. She also performed in the National Tour of Les Misérables (as Fantine). Off-Broadway and regional credits include work with Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, McCarter Theater, The Huntington, Playmakers Rep, Northern Stage and more. Annie is the recipient of Back Stage West/DramaLogue and Garland Awards for her performance in The Heiress (Berkeley Rep), the NH Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her titular role in The Drowsy Chaperone (New London Barn Playhouse), and a Santa Barbara Indy Award for Stupid F*ing Bird (as Emma, Elements Theater Collective). Other recent favorite roles include Tracey in Lynn Nottage’s Sweat and Donna in Mamma Mia! (both Northern Stage), Shakespeare’s Falstaff (The Death of Kings), and Rose (Gypsy). Annie is a professor and Director of the B.F.A. Acting program at UCSB and founder of AMPLIFY, a theatre initiative to support underrepresented voices. Annie received both a Fox Fellowship and Hellman Family Fund Fellowship and is a graduate of Princeton University and the Juilliard Drama Division.
Director RISA BRAININ makes her Rubicon debut with “A” TRAIN. A freelance director and Founder/Artistic Director of the groundbreaking new play development program LAUNCH PAD at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Brainin served as Artistic Director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Associate Artistic Director for both Kansas City Repertory Theatre and Indiana Repertory Theatre, and Resident Director at the Guthrie Theater. Other directorial credits include plays at American Players Theatre, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Clarence Brown Theatre, Commonweal Theatre, Denver Center Theatre, Elements Theatre Collective, Ensemble Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre, History Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Illusion Theatre, Kansas City Actors’ Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Mixed Blood, New Harmony Project, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Playmakers Repertory Company, Portland Stage Company, Red Bull Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Skylight Theatre, Syracuse Stage and TheatreSquared. She directed the premiere of Bob Stromberg’s That Wonder Boy in Minneapolis and the United Solo Festival in NY (Winner – United Solo Festival and Backstage Award, Best One Man Show and Best Direction). She is honored to have worked with Annie Torsiglieri on “A” TRAIN from the very beginning through LAUNCH PAD and also at the United Solo Festival in NY (Winner – Best Production and Best Encore) and Playmakers Repertory Company. A graduate of the Carnegie-Mellon University Drama Program, Brainin has served on grant panels for the Theatre Communications Group and the National Endowment for the Arts. Brainin is past President of the Board of Trustees of the National Theatre Conference and a member of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre.
Composer BRAD CARROLL is a recognized regional theatre director, music director and composer. His work has taken him all over the U.S. as well as to Europe, the UK and Japan. His musical works include Lend me a Tenor, The Musical (Gielgud Theatre, London); Christmas is Here Again (with Renegade Animation and PCPA Theaterfest); Amelia Lost (Librettist), with Composer Larry Delinger; A Christmas Carol: On the Air(Composer/Co-Author) for Utah Shakespeare Festival; and Cio Cio San, an opera-theatre piece (Composer/Arranger). He has created music for dramatic productions ranging from Cyrano de Bergerac and King Lear to Death of a Salesman and To Kill a Mockingbird. Carroll worked in various capacities for companies including the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, PCPA Theaterfest, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Idaho Shakespeare, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Anchorage Opera, UN Las Vegas, UC Santa Barbara, University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign and Roosevelt University in Chicago, as well as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in L.A. and Perry Street Theatricals in NY. He served as a writer, director and musical arranger for Walt Disney Entertainment International, Tokyo DisneySea, and his musical arrangements and orchestrations have been performed by such prestigious ensembles as the San Francisco Symphony and the Boston Pops.
The creative and technical staff for “A” TRAIN includes Set, Lighting & Projection Designer MICHAEL KLAERS, Assistant Director INDIGO RUNGE, Production Stage Manager JULIA DONLON, Technical Director ANTHONY M. COLOMBO, and Associate Artistic Director STEPHANIE A. COLTRIN.
Rubicon’s 25th Anniversary Season is dedicated to MARY ANN COHEN. Annie Torsiglieri’s performances is generously underwritten by DR. JEANNE P. ADAMS, who is also a 25th Season Sponsor, along with DR. JEFFREY GROVE.
“A” TRAIN previews April 10 through 12, with a Gala Opening on April 13 (also press night). Opening night tickets include a post-show reception at the theatre with Torsiglieri, the creative team and special guests, and a tax-deductible donation to support Rubicon’s education programs. Performances continue through April 28, Wednesdays at 2 and 7 p.m. (talkback following), Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $30 – $79.50 with discounts available for subscribers, students, seniors, active military and groups of 10 or more.
To purchase tickets online, or for more information about “A” TRAIN, visit www.
Playing
april 10 (Wednesday) - 28 (Sunday)
Venue
Rubicon Theatre Company
1006 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001
Get Tickets
Prices: $30 – $79.50; Discounts for Subscribers, Students, Military, Equity, and Groups of 10 or more
Tickets: (805) 667-2900 www.rubicontheatre.
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