BUEN CAMINO: My 540 Mile Walk Through Rain, Resentment, and Redemption

By Susan Edsall

Susan has a perfect life, a perfect love, and perfect happiness. When she suddenly undergoes an unexpected loss, her perfect life ends. Consumed by excruciating pain, she finds it nearly impossible to imagine any future worth living. Until, on an ordinary drive to the grocery store, she hears The Voice. The trouble is, Susan doesn’t believe in Voices. And yet, when The Voice tells her to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain, she obeys despite knowing absolutely nothing about this ancient pilgrimage. With only her pack and her pain, she begins a far-flung journey through 540 miles of unrelenting rain and temperatures that rarely get above 50 degrees. With the help of some improbable Spiritual Guides and the Camino itself, will Susan learn to be free of the baggage blinding her from finding her true purpose in life? Or will the rain and the grind only increase her despair? Told through 26 captivating characters and dynamic multimedia, BUEN CAMINO explores themes of grief, surrender, and meaning. Playwright and Performer Susan Edsall is a published author. BUEN CAMINO is making its debut as an Official Selection of the SOLO STARS series in West Hollywood.

Content warning: This show includes themes of grief and loss, suicide ideation, alcohol use, and some strong language.

Produced by Soaring Solo Studios

SNEAK PEEK PREVIEW Saturday, December 21, 8:00, Pay-What-You-Can, ticket link: https://zephyrtheatre.stagey.net/projects/11301?embed=false&performance_id=26039&tab=performance

Here Comes The Night 

Written by Lisa Kenner Grissom
Directed by Dana Schwartz
Produced by Moving Arts

How far can female friendship go to bridge the abortion divide? 

When Olivia, a musician’s wife and climate science advocate, invites Maggie, an old friend turned social media influencer, to spend the weekend while she has an at-home medical abortion, she doesn’t realize that Maggie is about to throw Olivia off course. And actually, these women of different generations are about to alter each other’s lives in ways they hadn’t expected or imagined. What happens when a woman’s right to choose becomes a litmus test for all of her life choices?

Previews January 16 & 17; opens Saturday, January 18

Playing Fridays & Saturdays @ 8pm; Sundays @ 4pm; Mondays @ 8pm

CLICK FOR TICKETS

THE CAST

Meeghan Holloway as Olivia
Julia Manis as Maggie

Award-winning ‘Four Women in Red’ highlights Missing Murdered Indigenous Women in world premiere at the Victory

Someone knows. Somewhere. The Victory Theatre Center presents the world premiere of Four Women in Red, a provocative new play, written by Laura Shamas (Chickasaw Nation) and directed by Jeanette Harrison (Onondaga), about four resilient women searching for their missing loved ones. Opening night is set for January 17 at The Victory Theatre Center in Burbank, where performances continue through February 23. Three low-priced previews take place January 10, 11 and 12.

Carolyn Dunn (Tunica-Choctaw/Biloxi, Mvskoke), Harriette Feliz (Chumash), Zoey Reyes (Diné and Chicana) and Jehnean Washington (Yuchi, Seminole and Shoshone) star as four First American women desperate to find missing friends and relatives in the face of apathetic sheriffs and dwindling clues. Are their loved ones lost? Were they taken? Are they even alive? This moving new play celebrates the power of community as the four women seek answers against all odds. Their roller coaster journey involves mystery, grief, prayer and moments of sudden joy.

Indigenous women are currently facing an epidemic of violence, with some of the highest rates of physical and sexual violence in the nation.

“Women and girls are disappearing, and no one will look for them,” says Victory Theatre Center producing artistic director Maria Gobetti. “It’s horrifying.”

“It breaks my heart,” says Shamas. “I wrote this play to raise awareness about this very real crisis. Congressional hearings were held last month to try to address some of these issues, but most Americans are unaware of this horrible ongoing emergency, and we must take action.”

Four Women in Red was first developed by Native Voices, the only Actors’ Equity theater company in the country dedicated to developing and producing new plays by Native artists. Written during the pandemic for a virtual Native Voices Short Play Festival, an expanded, full-length version was selected for the 2022 Native Voices Festival of New Plays. The Victory’s world premiere production, championed by Gobetti and board members Zilah Mendoza, Donna Preacher–Hall and Herb Hall, marks the first time a play developed by Native Voices has been produced by another Los Angeles theater. The play is the recipient of a prestigious Los Angeles New Play Project (LANPP) grant. In addition, the production is supported in part by a Burbank Community Arts Grant.

“Four Women in Red exposes an issue that touches nearly every Native family, yet one that most people are completely unaware of,” explains Harrison. “Deb Haaland, currently Secretary of the Interior under Biden—the first Native woman ever appointed to a cabinet position—has started the Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU), so this is a particular moment in history. If we can let people know the true impact of programs like this, it may help.”

The creative team for Four Women in Red includes costume designer Lorna Bowen (Muscogee Creek Nation, Seminole and Cherokee); lighting designer Grayson Basina (Ojibwe); production designer Evan Bartoletti; sound designer Jose Medrano Velazquez; graphic designer Nipinet Landsem (Ojibwe and Michif, descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation); dramaturg Gail Bryson; and photographer Tim Sullens. The associate producer is Lisa Lokelani Lechuga and the stage manager is Ngan Ho-Lemoine. Maria Gobetti and Evan Bartoletti produce.

Four Women in Red opens for press on January 17 and runs Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. through February 23. Three preview performances take place January 10 through January 12 on the same schedule. Tickets range from $20 to $41. The Victory Theatre Center is located at 3324 W. Victory Blvd in Burbank, CA 91505. For information and to purchase tickets, call (818) 841–5421 or go to thevictorytheatrecenter.org.

Here Comes The Night 

Written by Lisa Kenner Grissom
Directed by Dana Schwartz
Produced by Moving Arts

How far can female friendship go to bridge the abortion divide? 

When Olivia, a musician’s wife and climate science advocate, invites Maggie, an old friend turned social media influencer, to spend the weekend while she has an at-home medical abortion, she doesn’t realize that Maggie is about to throw Olivia off course. And actually, these women of different generations are about to alter each other’s lives in ways they hadn’t expected or imagined. What happens when a woman’s right to choose becomes a litmus test for all of her life choices?

Previews January 16 & 17; opens Saturday, January 18

Playing Fridays & Saturdays @ 8pm; Sundays @ 4pm; Mondays @ 8pm

CLICK FOR TICKETS

THE CAST

Meeghan Holloway as Olivia
Julia Manis as Maggie

Award-winning ‘Four Women in Red’ highlights Missing Murdered Indigenous Women in world premiere at the Victory

Someone knows. Somewhere. The Victory Theatre Center presents the world premiere of Four Women in Red, a provocative new play, written by Laura Shamas (Chickasaw Nation) and directed by Jeanette Harrison (Onondaga), about four resilient women searching for their missing loved ones. Opening night is set for January 17 at The Victory Theatre Center in Burbank, where performances continue through February 23. Three low-priced previews take place January 10, 11 and 12.

Carolyn Dunn (Tunica-Choctaw/Biloxi, Mvskoke), Harriette Feliz (Chumash), Zoey Reyes (Diné and Chicana) and Jehnean Washington (Yuchi, Seminole and Shoshone) star as four First American women desperate to find missing friends and relatives in the face of apathetic sheriffs and dwindling clues. Are their loved ones lost? Were they taken? Are they even alive? This moving new play celebrates the power of community as the four women seek answers against all odds. Their roller coaster journey involves mystery, grief, prayer and moments of sudden joy.

Indigenous women are currently facing an epidemic of violence, with some of the highest rates of physical and sexual violence in the nation.

“Women and girls are disappearing, and no one will look for them,” says Victory Theatre Center producing artistic director Maria Gobetti. “It’s horrifying.”

“It breaks my heart,” says Shamas. “I wrote this play to raise awareness about this very real crisis. Congressional hearings were held last month to try to address some of these issues, but most Americans are unaware of this horrible ongoing emergency, and we must take action.”

Four Women in Red was first developed by Native Voices, the only Actors’ Equity theater company in the country dedicated to developing and producing new plays by Native artists. Written during the pandemic for a virtual Native Voices Short Play Festival, an expanded, full-length version was selected for the 2022 Native Voices Festival of New Plays. The Victory’s world premiere production, championed by Gobetti and board members Zilah Mendoza, Donna Preacher–Hall and Herb Hall, marks the first time a play developed by Native Voices has been produced by another Los Angeles theater. The play is the recipient of a prestigious Los Angeles New Play Project (LANPP) grant. In addition, the production is supported in part by a Burbank Community Arts Grant.

“Four Women in Red exposes an issue that touches nearly every Native family, yet one that most people are completely unaware of,” explains Harrison. “Deb Haaland, currently Secretary of the Interior under Biden—the first Native woman ever appointed to a cabinet position—has started the Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU), so this is a particular moment in history. If we can let people know the true impact of programs like this, it may help.”

The creative team for Four Women in Red includes costume designer Lorna Bowen (Muscogee Creek Nation, Seminole and Cherokee); lighting designer Grayson Basina (Ojibwe); production designer Evan Bartoletti; sound designer Jose Medrano Velazquez; graphic designer Nipinet Landsem (Ojibwe and Michif, descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation); dramaturg Gail Bryson; and photographer Tim Sullens. The associate producer is Lisa Lokelani Lechuga and the stage manager is Ngan Ho-Lemoine. Maria Gobetti and Evan Bartoletti produce.

Four Women in Red opens for press on January 17 and runs Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. through February 23. Three preview performances take place January 10 through January 12 on the same schedule. Tickets range from $20 to $41. The Victory Theatre Center is located at 3324 W. Victory Blvd in Burbank, CA 91505. For information and to purchase tickets, call (818) 841–5421 or go to thevictorytheatrecenter.org.

Pasadena Playhouse Announces 
World Premiere Musical Adaptation from 
EGOT-Winners Pasek and Paul (Dear Evan Hansen)

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: The Musical 
An iTheatrics Musical 

                       Music and Lyrics                        
Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Ari Afsar, Emily Xu Hall, 
Joriah Kwamé, Mark Sonnenblick

Libretto
Timothy Allen McDonald, Sara Wordsworth

Based on the Books by
Bernard Waber
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile & The House on East 88th Street

Vocal Arrangements and Incidental Music       
Daniel Mertzlufft

Directed by Nina Meehan      

February 15 – March 16, 2025
at The Colony Theatre in Burbank
Tickets at pasadenaplayhouse.org or by calling 626-356-7529

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: The Musical splashes onto the stage with a song to sing! Join Lyle as he and his new human friends face their fears and find their voices. Inspired by Bernard Waber’s much-loved picture books, this lively musical features new music by EGOT-winning composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land). A celebration for the whole family, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: The Musical is packed with humor, heart, and showstopping tunes that will have audiences of all ages roaring with song.

Tickets:            Starting at $34 (Everyone ages 2+ needs a ticket)
Member Price: 20% off
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

Performance Schedule:  Saturdays and Sundays – 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM

Ages:               5-12 year olds and their families