Shari Barrett

Pablo Picasso’s obsession with his work often destroyed those he professed to love. Brilliantly incarnated by Tate in a challenging, powerfully intelligent study, Picasso passionately defends his reputation in an explosive, often disturbing voyage of self-revelation.

Director Celia Mandela Rivera shares her background in theatre, what drew her to directing this play, her vision for the characters and staging it in Little Fish's intimate new space and why she thinks its exploration of love, fidelity, and friendship remains as fresh and provocative today as when it first premiered.

The play takes place inside the home of Carlota and her three daughters where time seems to have stood still. But their cloistered world is suddenly shaken when the youngest daughter encounters a handsome stranger in town for his father’s funeral. It offers a sharp and often humorous critique of a moral code that suppresses desire in the name of respectability.

Astounding triple-threat talent is on display in big production numbers with attention-grabbing scenic elements by brilliant designers add to the artistic wonder of the entire production helmed by EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal, choreographed by Janelle Dote Portman, with music direction by Marc Macalintal.

I spoke with Jason and Chuma about their involvement with the play, how they interpret their characters and the story, and what new insights they hope to audiences will gain.

Be ready to play your part to find out who can you trust and who wants to destroy The Liminary. Depending on the questions asked and information gathered via audience participation, the process and ending will be different at each of the performances.

Here's what playwright Paul Webb shared about the world premiere of Warsaw, a moving meditation on survival, forgiveness, and the invisible threads that bind our lives together.

We never get a sense of what draws these two women to each other (other than sex), or what they have in common other than auditioning for acting work. Nor do we witness them falling in love, which makes it difficult to care whether or not their relationship succeeds.

Olivia Dufault on her unconventional play, its genesis, why she decided to bring its world premiere to Los Angeles, and how she hopes audiences will react to what she calls a tale of “love, shame, and the human need for connection.”

Darilyn Burtley brings the essence of Tina Turner's stunning stage presence to life!

I spoke with Julie about creating the women in this play who are deeply spiritual people who were raised in the Baptist church and have been wounded by it.

I spoke with Evelina Fernández about the play which blends intimate family drama with elements of magical realism to explore themes of memory loss, family dynamics, and the complexities of caring for aging loved ones. 

Brilliantly directed by Mike Reilly, Casey Morris and Carolina Rodriguez are both impeccable in their roles as teacher and student, with Rodriguez’s Susan a true master at emotional game playing.

I spoke with actor Babak Tafti who plays Omid, the only male student in the class of Iranian students learning to speak English.

With a cast of ten actors portraying more than 26 characters, it was bold choice for the intimate theater. But thanks to Perloff’s direction and choice of actors, anyone with the slightest interest in Shakespeare will find the play and its characters captivating.

What does it mean to live as your true, authentic self? I spoke with Level Up! playwright Gabriel Rivas Gómez on blending live performance with projection and inventive design to explore identity, family, and transformation.

When Tony “accidentally” brings his conservative parents over for dinner a night too early, all hell breaks loose as the polished socialites clash with the chaos and disorder of the Sycamore clan, which raised the roof with laughter thanks to Cate Caplin’s spot-on direction and the impeccable comedic timing instilled in her perfectly-cast ensemble.    

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, FAIRVIEW written by Jackie Sibblies Drury, makes its Los Angeles Premiere at Rogue Machine, directed by Oz Scott who I spoke with about his vision for the production.

In this next chapter, Sara takes on many personas who interact with her mother during her lifetime, each one a standout as an individual through unique voice and movement thanks to Sara's great skill with improvisation.

Veteran director Jack Heller returns to the Odyssey Theatre to helm a visiting production of Sex, Lies and Harold Pinter, an evening of two rarely staged Pinter one-acts—both darkly comic, both unmistakably unsettling. Opening night is set for March 20, with performances continuing through April 26.