Shari Barrett - Page 36

THE HAIRY APE at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble through July 17 tells the story of Robert 'Yank' Smith, a brutish ship laborer who searches for a sense of belonging in a world controlled by the wealthy elite who he believes only see him as a dirty and hairy ape rather than a real human being. As head coal stoker on an ocean liner, Yank (Haile D'Alan whose incredible and extremely physical performance lifts the entire production to the highest artistic quality) is in his element where he rules his dark, hot, hard-drinking smoky world while managing a group of six other coal stokers who seem to prove their resemblance to simians no matter what they do thanks to the brilliant and totally physical ape-like choreography of their every move by director Steven Berkoff. It's truly a wonder as to how the ensemble manages to keep their energy at such a high level throughout the entire show.

It's fairly common that people will compare their own circumstances with other people's lives and come up feeling short, especially in the romance or financial departments in their own relationship. But as much as we may admire what others appear to have that we do not, when we learn the truth on what goes on behind closed doors, even the most wonderful of relationships can turn out to be not what it appears to be, proving the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence… or boat for that matter.

One of the basic rights of freedom in America is the right to free speech. This allows for anyone to state an opinion or belief whether or not anyone else likes what is being said - and hopefully to not be threatened or attacked. Certainly the ability to express yourself and believe in what you want to believe is a basic human right in American society. But challenging those who disagree with what the 'majority' believe often causes outrage and sometimes even violence against those who have the right to say whatever they want. Such is the case right now, given the political scene leading up to the Presidential elections this year, Lawrence Meyers' script really should be shared with school students today to remind them about what it takes to protect their basic rights and how Americans cannot allow the government or any industry to attempt censorship, and how important it is to allow others to state a differing opinion without stooping to violence against them. Be and let be. Why is this always so impossible?.

Each of us has our own vision of what paradise looks like. It could be a city of skyscrapers or a tropical island, or perhaps a lovely wooded area as it changes colors with the seasons. Our search may take us to the far reaches of the globe, or perhaps to the small town where we were raised that now seems to be the perfect place for us to settle down and make a great life. Of course, there is no guarantee the place you select will contain all the colors of paradise you imagine, given how tough it is for small towns everywhere to survive when people move on after local businesses start shutting down. Such is the case at THE SPITFIRE GRILL in Gilead, Wisconsin.

How often have you disagreed with your parents or siblings about their political views? Certainly in this election year with such polarized candidates running for the highest office, it does not take much to understand how political beliefs can split families and friends apart. The divisive world of Washington D.C. politics in now center stage at the Bram Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts through June 4. Starring Christine Lahti, Jason Ritter and Georgia King in a new production directed by Michael Wilson.

Geoffrey Nauftts' witty and provocative NEXT FALL takes a hard look at faith, commitment and unconditional love. Set in a hospital waiting room following a life-threatening traffic accident, we meet an assortment of people linked to the patient Luke (Tom Berklund), a handsome young gay man still closeted from his conservative and devoutly religious parents Butch (Stephen Mac Howard) and Arlene (Zachary Barton) who are the only ones allowed to visit their son in the ICU.

In our modern online age where effective marketing can boost sales in designated markets, what is the difference between racial marketing and targeted marketing? Is an effective marketer really a racist in disguise or just a clever strategist who knows how to make the most money for his company's product? Such are the issues addressed in the Los Angeles premiere of HONKY written by Greg Kalleres and directed by Gregg Daniel for Rogue Machine in their new home at the Met Theatre. Taking a satiric look at the symbiotic relationship between bigotry and commercialism, HONKY is a socially-relevant comedy about different people, white and black, navigating the murky waters of race, rhetoric and athletic footwear.

Sometimes last minute changes of director can raise a struggling play into a masterful team effort showing the brilliant humor meant to be mined from an award-winning script. Such was the case for co-director/actor David Graham when two previous directors had to step aside and he was asked to take over directing TABLE MANNERS at Little Fish two days before the first rehearsal. Along with his co-director Stephanie Coltrin, the perfect casting in all the roles and the skill of knowing just how far to take the characters in this comedy of family manners gone bad makes for two hours of close-up fun for every member of the audience.

Much like the much-loved musical "Fiddler on the Roof," IN THE HEIGHTS focuses on family love and traditions being challenged by the beliefs of the next generation. In our modern world where a good education can make all the difference, what does it take for a poor family to put a cherished only child through an expensive university? And what happens when the student cannot keep up and drops out and gets romantically involved with someone her parents don't think is good enough? And what happens when a neighborhood is challenged by urban renewal and its flavor is about to be lost? Can it be saved when local shop owners must leave their beloved neighborhood when rents rise?

When I heard the Morgan-Wixson Theatre was presenting THE FOREIGNER by Larry Shue, I was hesitant to review the show, wondering why anyone would want to produce a show I had found offensive and not at all funny the first time I saw it elsewhere. But I am happy to report director Michael Rothhaar has mined every moment of humor in Shue's play, keeping me and the audience in stitches throughout thanks to his obvious knowledge on how to present it, as well as his excellent casting of all roles.

Fugitive Kind Theater is the presenting company, which for eleven years has engaged in creating boundary-breaking shows. This production takes the group to new heights, setting the story in what appears to be a fantasy circus world on the island of Illyria where anything goes and people are allowed to be whoever and whatever they want to be. It's a small society, but one most of us could certainly enjoy living in given the lack of stress and having any real work to do. But of course, such an idyllic world cannot last, and it is the dark side of Illyria we visit in SHINE DARKLY, ILLYRIA.

Based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, Fiddler on the Roof is one of the most beloved stage musicals of all time which so magically weaves music, dance, poignancy and laughter into such an electrifying and unforgettable historical experience. The Tony Award-winning musical has captured the hearts of people all over the world with its treasured tale of family and tradition, especially to those of us who can trace our origins back to the small Jewish Shtetels in Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th Century.

Every director has their bucket list of plays they wish to direct or perhaps even appear in someday. Director Alan Mandell has long been enamored with the work of Samuel Beckett and has toured with original productions of Waiting for Godot and Endgame directed by Beckett. With his 80-year career in theatre and innate understanding of the absurdist's work, Mandell has now directed Endgame at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, starring in the production with Barry McGovern. This is the second Beckett play in which the two actors have appeared together, the first being Waiting for Godot in 2012 at the Mark Taper Forum. And their stage camaraderie is a wonder to behold.

The premiere of THE SUPERHERO AND HIS CHARMING WIFE as presented by Not Man Apart, the amazing Physical Theatre Ensemble, was born from a dream in which heroes, villains, witches and a changing wife fill the stage with incredible athletic movement performed by a cast of ten. As are most dreams, it is an absurd and deeply philosophical hero story dramatized in the world of the graphic novel, an entertaining wild journey into our fear of the unknown told through emotionally expressive physicality..

Every year, Hollywood studios spend millions upon millions of dollars on TV pilots, the test shows that networks order before deciding which shows should become full-fledged series or wind up being locked away in a vault never to be seen again. For every pilot that eventually airs, there are three that never will see daylight, even though there are thousands of hopeful writers, directors and actors in our town that work around-the-clock during pilot season, hoping their work will be picked up and make them a lot of money as a hit TV series.

ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS by Jane Martin is a satirical romp across the stage of American Theatre, that holds a hilarious mirror up to the live theatre entertainment from coast to coast. The story focuses on Holly (Gillian Shure), a wildly popular TV star, who needs to get theatrical street cred to be considered for film. On a whim she signs on to do Anton Chekov's "Three Sisters" in a small repertory theatre in Texas where she can hire directors and pull all the strings as the show's financial backer. The entire cast is portrayed by women in this ensemble piece that combines the depth of Chekov and the levity of a Bravo sitcom.

I am always interested in seeing a conventional play being presented in an unconventional way. So when I heard about director Blake Silver undertaking a production of Henry James THE TURN OF THE SCREW adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, produced by Haldane Morris, and presented lit only by flashlights held by audience members in a room seating only 20, I knew it would be no like other production of the ghost story I had ever seen before. And I was right.

Kentwood Players presents "Clybourne Park" by Bruce Norris from May 13 through June 18, 2016 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Westchester, CA 90045. The production directed by George L. Rametta and produced by Lauren A. Jarvis by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service. Inc. The cast features (in alphabetical order) Pauline Bugembe, Harold Dershimer, Jeremy Patrick Hamilton, Jen Kerner, Matt Landig, Damon Rutledge, and Andrea Stradling.

2Cents's Acting Out INK Fest is back for its 3rd exciting year, organized by its Founding President and Artistic Director Kristin Boule. The Fest is being held for 3 days this weekend at the Hudson Theatres in Hollywood, right in the heart of Theatre Row and the LA 99-seat community. INK FEST 2016 features fully produced 1-act plays, ranging from 10-60 minutes, organized in themed-groups, featuring over 100 artists from playwrights to directors to actors and street artists celebrating the FEMALE PLAYWRIGHT and ART. A total of 21 plays by 19 female playwrights are being presented, with 19 directors and 49 actors. What's more, the festival will flood not just the theatre, but also the street & the Hudson Cafe, serving wine & beer all weekend long, with special events scattered throughout.

While the writing is a bit disjointed and the story much too difficult to follow due to many comments spoken only in Polish by Ilia Volok as Zemon, a Polish taxi driver who provides various services to Maria, the acting by the two leads Seamus Mulcahy and Deanna Dunagan is superb. But while their characters are fascinating in their complexity and Robin Larsen's direction keeps the action moving briskly around the three rooms making up Tom Buderwitz's scenic design (which places the set in the middle of the space with audience members seated on both sides), this up close and personal theatrical experience seems to have something lacking in the fabric of the writing to keep you interested in what exactly is going on between these two lost souls.