Shari Barrett - Page 22

Both one-acts in this masterful and memorable double-billing, directed by Steven Robman, are reflective and confessional in nature, with each of the main characters portrayed by masterful actor Brian Dennehy sharing tales of their lives in an attempt to make sense of the way it has turned out for them, especially since the present does not seem to have lived up to the excitement of the past. Perhaps that universal truth is what united these two one acts, with O'Neill and Beckett asking audiences to take a look back at our own lives and realize that even when things seem hopeless and/or meaningless, memories of times past may be the thing to break your downward spiral.

It is Bo's hard-learned lesson about romance and respect that keeps BUS STOP in the forefront as one of the great classic American romance stories. And thanks to the talented cast and director Ann Hearn Tobolowsky's attention to detail and effective use of freeze framing cast members while others speak, these well known characters will reach out and grab you by the heart, stirring your emotions as lessons are learned, partnerships are formed, and everyone gets exactly what they want by the time the road re-opens, especially a naive cowboy and a 19-year old hick singer from the Ozarks determined to make a better life for herself.

SAFEHOUSE '77 is a site-specific interactive show with a mixture of historical and pop-cultural influences in the exciting world of spy movies. The evening begins after parking in a Bank of America lot a few blocks away from the party house where Connie (Ashley Jones, decked out in high-waisted bell bottom jeans), the sister of our party host, Sharon (Katie Rediger), meets us and goes over a few rules for the evening before escorting us to the party. Just prior to entering, each guest is given an ERA YES badge, every one different in color with an animal sticker in its center. Of course, there is a purpose which soon becomes apparent once the party begins.

I cannot even think of enough accolades to share about the current production being staged by Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors) at the Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles) through December 9. The totally entertaining and artistically brilliant production, directed and choreographed by NAACP Theater Award-winner Jeffrey Polk, pulled me in from the moment it started until the end, given the amazingly talented cast who bring the characters so realistically to life that you can actually feel all the emotions each is going through from moment to moment. You will laugh, be fearful, cry and celebrate with all of them by the time the show ends.

Formidable actress Betsy Moore brilliantly portrays Alice as an adult who questions whether or not to end her life due to personal and professional road blocks. Her mind wanders, creating a visit from Mira, an extraterrestrial "star caller" from one of Tiptree's stories, portrayed by Megan Rippey, phantasmagorically dressed by Lena Sands in mermaid-like, metallic green, who leads Alice on an episodic, emotional journey through the shadows of her past where, despite her life's accomplishments, buried pain and unmet desires reside. During her journeys, Alice encounters her younger selves (Isabella Ramacciotti as Little Alice and Paula Rebelo as Young Alice) during the dreamlike remembrance sequences in which Alice travels to Africa with her mother (Anneliese Euler), becomes an officer in the Army, works for the CIA and the Pentagon before she started writing science fiction under the male pen name of James Tiptree, Jr. as a last grasp for life at the age of 50.

The 1936 Hungarian play PARFUMERIE by Miklos Laszlo has the humble distinction of living in the shadow of the more famous movies (and Broadway musical) that it inspired. In fact, Hollywood has cashed in on the play not once but three times - the first adaptation was the 1940 Ernst Lubitsch romantic comedy 'The Shop Around the Corner,' starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, which was followed by the 1949 screen musical version 'In the Good Old Summertime,' starring Judy Garland, and much later by the 1998 Nora Ephron movie 'You've Got Mail,' with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. And of course, the Broadway musical 'She Loves Me' - adapted from the play by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joe Masteroff - opened in New York in 1963 and is now one of the most beloved (and revived) musicals during the Christmas season each year. All I can say is for those who enjoy this story of mistaken identity between pen-pal lovers should see one of those versions

Inspired by a 1970 Federico Fellini film, OLD CLOWN WANTED centers on three aging clowns who compete for a job in a room with no windows and very little furniture, in which theater and circus arts are intertwined in an absurdist, cynical, tender and very funny look at aging and man's fear of uselessness in society. The entertaining and non-stop action in this new translation from the French by Jeremy Lawrence, is appropriately directed by Romanian-born Florinel Fatulescu, who has won numerous theater awards for his daring and innovative style. While the overall production seemed very Italian in nature to me, there was certainly enough Vaudevillian slapstick schtick to keep audiences laughing from start to finish.

The musical is a send-up of the cult classic movie and other sci-fi films and TV shows of the 1950s, melded with plot elements from "The Tempest" along with dialogue bits from multiple Shakespeare plays. That was part of the fun for me, catching so many Shakespearean quotes perfectly placed in the dialogue of Bob Carlton's musical set on a spaceship sometime in the future, featuring a galaxy of 1950's and 1960's rock and roll classics including "Wipeout," "Good Vibrations," "Great Balls of Fire," "All Shook Up," "Monster Mash" and "We Gotta Get Out of this Place." And what an outrageously fabulous band under the musical direction of Trevor Wheetman and Omar D. Brancato, both of whom rocked the house on guitars while believably playing Ensign crew members onstage.

In UK UNDERDOG, Steve Spiro tells his autobiographical story as a young Jewish boy in London who transforms himself, through sheer force of will (and plenty of chutzpah) from a bullied underdog to martial artist, boxer, community leader and animal rights activist. Along the way, he portrays not only himself from childhood to current time, but also every other person he knows including his always-in-the-kitchen mother, his taxi driver father, critical yet loving Nana who spent her days obsessed with American TV shows, his best friend Erch, town bully John Turner, the coach who helped build his confidence, and Roger, the bi-polar Drama teacher who changed the focus of his life into being a Thespian by day and a fighter at night.

In this new era of storytelling, the annual DELUSION series remains one of the most popular interactive events given its absolute commitment to quality and originality. Beginning in 2011 as the passion project for creator Jon Braver, a film and theatre director, action coordinator, and Disney Imagineering consultant, the past five seasons have captivated sold out audiences by taking them into an other-worldly adventure where all agree to play their part in order to move the story forward from room to room where live actors, creature effects, stunts, elaborate set design, and an original score weave together a tale unlike any other.

Directed by Howard Teichman for the West Coast Jewish Theatre at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica on a beautifully detailed split-level set designed by Kurtis Bedford and lit by Ellen Monocroussos, Neil Simon's classic took on a more emotional dedication from the cast with Simon's passing on August 26, 2018 during the show's rehearsal process. But even though Teichman keeps the pace moving along at a steady pace, running at almost 3 hours with very little laughter, the play, though extremely well written and performed, does seem a bit long and drawn-out as there certainly were moments when it could have ended much sooner and still been as effective.

IN ANOTHER ROOM is a site-specific immersive play in which guests will wander the rooms of a purportedly haunted house in Culver City, coming face to face with various souls that have lived and died and suffered tragedy within its walls. After meeting with two hosts, one of whom will take your photo to be sure your soul is clear enough to enter the house without disrupting the spirits there, a ploy of course as the photos will become part of the show later on, guests are invited to knock on the front door for entrance into the evening's adventure.

Those who lived through the World War II years will certainly recognize the name of ambitious and charismatic J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Berkeley-trained scientist who found himself called upon to spearhead the largest scientific undertaking in all of human history: the Manhattan Project and the creation of the Atomic bomb which the United States government believed would bring about a swift end to World War II. And although it did that, what was the cost on those involved with the project or subjected to its first tests without proper protection from the released radiation, as well as those in Hiroshima and Nagasaki when the bombs were exploded over those cities. Was it even wise to develop the ability to split atoms given how the world has changed since then or the threat of total annihilation which hangs over us daily?

The Harold Clurman Laboratory Theater Company is presenting a limited engagement of Henry James' classic horror tale THE TURN OF THE SCREW in an adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher under the direction of Don K. Williams, featuring Sean Spann and Emily Sulzberger playing a total of 10 roles between them. It's a tale of a young governess just before the turn of the last century who is tasked with the care of two rather peculiar children at a country estate in England. Within a week of arriving, the governess comes to believe the children are possessed by the previous groundskeeper and governess who have since died. But is that really the case?

Space Oddity - The Ultimate David Bowie Experience is a live, multi-media spectacle that takes you on a musical journey through the constantly metamorphosing career of Rock and Roll's most celebrated innovator, starring David Brighton who inhabits the mind, body and soul of David Bowie and his amazing Space Oddity band. I guarantee you will experience a stunning note-for-note theatrical concert event which transports audiences back in time through some of the most exciting moments in the history of Rock music. From the moment the concert begins, you will experience Bowie's miraculous transformation from space-aged rock idol to polished mainstream media star via his timeless classics that forever changed the face of pop culture. David Brighton's salute to the most electrifying performer of our time will have you believing you are in the presence of Bowie reincarnated.

For those too young to remember those days, just think about the movie "Dirty Dancing" to get a sense of the rustic environment known as The Catskills, referred to the 'Mountains' or the "Borscht Belt" about ninety minutes north of New York City, which was the place to be for Jewish families to enjoy an escape from the big city during the hot summer months of the 50's and 60's. Days were spent eating, exercising, eating, dancing, napping, eating, laying in the sun, then getting a nosh before enjoying each evening's entertainment featuring a great many of the comedians who began their careers there before becoming major stars.

Written in much the same style as The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman where a small group of actors portray several characters sharing their experience of living through a tragic local event and its aftermath on the town, Eric Ulloa's 26 PEBBLES does not just recount what happened on December 14, 2012, but is more about how the people of the Newtown community reached out to their neighbors to bond, cope and heal from that devastating tragedy in order to move forward with their lives to a more hopeful future.

Please tune in to Shannon Penrod's interview on Autism-Live.com with THE BOYS NEXT DOOR director Jeremy Aldridge and featured actor August McAdoo on Thursdays October 4 and 18 at 11:45 AM Pacific Time on both dates, at which time they will be talking about their involvement with those on the Autism spectrum as well as their participation in the CRE Outreach production opening Friday, October 12 through Saturday, November 10, 2018 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 3:00pm (except dark 10/21) at The Blue Door, 9617 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.

Those of us who can remember the tumultuous 1960s will certainly see moments of our own lives in the World Premiere of A 60's TRILOGY by Tommy Carter which connects race relations and the Vietnam War to present day. And on this 50th Anniversary of the Tet Offensive and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F. Kennedy, this first project between USVAA Vets Repertory and Revenant Stage (formerly The Elephant Theatre), directed by David Fofi, is sure to add fire to the flame of social revolution in the air today.

Most of the MARTIANS text is taken from Ray's own words from interviews and books he's written on the art of writing, as well as adaptations of his Martian stories The Strawberry Window, The Blue Bottle, The Messiah and Night Call, Collect. Adapted with and directed by Jeff G. Rack, Mount personifies Bradbury to a tee as, acting as our guide to mankind's next great adventure to the planet Mars, allowing us to get to know the mind and heart of the great writer who believes that humanity can only survive by carrying our culture out into the Universe. In fact, one of Bradbury's favorite films was Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 'Going to the stars, taking your culture with you, and living forever! That's what it's all about!' Bradbury said. That's the theme explored in MARTIANS: AN EVENING WITH RAY BRADBURY.