Shari Barrett - Page 42

Farce is a very difficult type of comedy to do well. It takes the ability of actors to present real characters in outrageously unreal situations so that we care about what happens to them. Just using over-the-top mannerisms and loud vocalizations does not accomplish this, and what you wind up seeing onstage are caricatures rather than real people who just get caught in outrageous situations beyond their control. Such is the case with the two one acts now being presented at Santa Monica's Morgan-Wixson Theatre, The Still Alarm by George S. Kaufman and Black Comedy by Peter Shaffer.

NOT THAT JEWISH is a wonderful evening of entertainment and laughs in the Jewish Women's Theatre's new home at The Braid Theater in Santa Monica, an extension of the Bergamot Arts District. Monica Piper shares her autobiographical journey trying to prove just what it takes to be Jewish, especially when you never attend temple. She discovers that ultimately, it comes down to having a Jewish heart, something anyone can have as long as it is filled with compassion, humor, doing good deeds, acceptance of others, and a deep love of family. It is by Yiddish definition what it takes to be a mensch, a real good person.

In the history of musical theater, there is little question of the cultural significance of "CATS." It was the first branded spectacle musical and its biggest song "Memory" became an instant standard. All the big musicals that have come along since owe a debt of gratitude to the special effects and overall spectacle "CATS" allowed the world to experience for the first time onstage. Due to the size of the production and the incredible cast requirement for dozens of triple-threat actors and actresses who can handle the operatic score and dancing from tap to jazz to ballet, "CATS" is a treat to behold for audiences of all ages whenever a production comes to town.

Proving that money makes their world go around, financial advisors bicker about the falling stock market and how to best keep making money as their clients are losing their portfolios. With each desiring to be at the top of his game, none is safe from the backstabbing devised to make sure only the cream of the crop rises to the top no matter the cost to anyone else. "It's not how smart you are, it's how smart the world thinks you are" seems to be motto of these cutthroat sharks.

Israeli playwright Anat Gov grew up in a country surrounded by other countries that wanted to blow her homeland out of existence. Perhaps living on the edge of destruction for so long enhanced her ability to face disaster with a sense of hope and laughter. Now being presented by the West Coast Jewish Theatre, the American Premiere of her play O MY GOD deals with the power of faith, belief and how best to cope with the obstacles of everyday life with a sense that all will work out for the best. The production runs through June 7 at the Pico Playhouse in West LA.

Directed by playwright Angeliki Giannakopoulos, the world premiere of MY CHILD: MOTHERS OF WAR is based on her award winning documentary of the same name, which aired nationally on PBS. Composed of a collection of true intertwining monologues telling stories of six mothers whose lives were radically changed when their sons were sent to fight the war in Iraq, the play focuses on the struggle women face before, during and after their child leaves their protective arms and learns to be an adult on the battlefield, whether or not they ever return home.

Kentwood Players presents Amy Herzog's dramatic comedy '4000 Miles' from Friday, May 15 to Saturday, June 20, 2015 This mufti-award winning play centers on 21-year old Leo, who after suffering a major loss while he was on a cross-country bike trip, seeks solace from his feisty 91 year-old grandmother Vera in her spacious rent-controlled Greenwich Village apartment that hasn't been redecorated since 1968. Over the course of the month of September in current time, these unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder, and ultimately reach each other in many ways.

San Francisco playwright and performer Trevor Allen spent a few years in Southern California portraying Pluto, Mr. Smee, the Mad Hatter and other characters in his 5'5' height range on his quest for voice clearance and his dream of becoming Peter Pan. The boy who never wanted to grow up recounts his tales of backstage debauchery, sex, drugs, kicks to the crotch, militant managers, and quirky coworkers in this unique coming-of-age tale that blows pixie dust in your eyes while offering a glimpse behind the ears of the Magic Kingdom.

What does it take to become a charismatic spiritual leader, one who has people questioning and empowering their own faith? Is it possible in our media soaked society to grab the attention of millions of people simply by speaking your mind and sharing your faith, ultimately proving the power of positive thinking? THE POWER OF DUFF is ultimately about a person who is fundamentally ambivalent about religion, even about spirituality - who undergoes an emotional transformation, which in turn leads him to a position of being a suddenly looked-to spiritual leader even as his ambivalence continues.

In 1948, a decade before Motown, John Dolphin opened his soon-to-be world famous Dolphin's of Hollywood record store in South Los Angeles, just off legendary Central Avenue, but his contributions to music and the formative years of rock 'n' roll have often been overlooked. Based on the book "Recorded In Hollywood: The John Dolphin Story," this new musical features 16 original songs by Andy Cooper to match the musical era of the 1950s, as well as hit cover songs associated with the story including Sam Cooke's "You Send Me," The Penguins' "Earth Angel" and "Wheel Of Fortune" by The Hollywood Flames.

What happens when two of the world's most extraordinary theater companies, the England's Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Scotland, make the decision to work together on a sequel to Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, one of his darkest and most powerful works? It's no less than a magical combination of talent that makes an improbable tale seem to be the essence of truth about sex, politics and power. Patricia Wolff, Interim Artistic Director of The Wallis adds, "David Greig's thrilling new drama brilliantly straddles the ancient and modern worlds, playing like a cross between "Game of Thrones" and "House of Cards."

Thanks to Wilson Milam's fast paced direction and the highly gifted cast, CORKTOWN '57 truly becomes not only a serious look at a family in distress for both religious and political reasons but also a great history lesson on how intolerance can lead you down the wrong path to salvation. And how many examples of that can you find in today's world? Too many to count, I'm afraid.

SIGHT UNSEEN by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies opened on Broadway in 2004 and went on to win an Obie Award for Best New American Play, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Play, and brought Laura Linney a Theatre World Award and nominations for both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards. It centers on celebrated artist Jonathan Waxman who, despite immense popularity, yearns for something more in his life. His soul-searching leads him to visit an old girlfriend and former muse he selfishly dismissed over a decade before.

Due to the enormous success of their first show, Sixth Avenue presented an encore of its National Tour 'ILove99 The Musical!' cabaret event to save Los Angeles intimate theatre on Tuesday, March 24 at the Dragonfly on Hollywood's Theater Row. Produced by Adam Silver and directed by Alan Smithee (wink wink) featuring returning and additional performers, the event proved to be a real meeting of the minds for both union and non-union audience members. And what a show it was, giving both AEA union members as well as non-members a chance to enjoy great entertainment while rallying everyone to go out and encourage all union member to vote NO on the proposed union changes that could wipe out intimate theater in Los Angeles.

The online world of social media began long before the internet exploded with email services and today's outlandish graphics and photo capabilities. Local BBS online systems allowed its members to log on, visit various chat rooms on lots of topics and create a world unto themselves by just typing away and watching plain text conversations fly by at rapid speed. No graphics - no photos - just words from however many users were in that particular chat room. It was a heady time when anyone could pretend to be whoever they wanted to be and create worlds where each of us could be a star - or the controller of everyone and everything going on in that imaginary room. Have avatar, will travel.

Most people who change career paths make that choice due to being let go from a job or being offered a new challenge that seems to be something more rewarding. But what about those who walk away from a successful career, from a job with a great salary and excellent benefits, to go back to a more simple life that offers a more fulfilling way to express your creativity when a second chance comes along? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be that lucky?

Winner of the Barclays Stage Award for Best Show for Children and Young People, LIFEBOAT by Nicola McCartney is a true story of courage, survival and enduring friendship set during World War II. In September 1940, a ship, the City of Benares, set sail from Liverpool for Canada. Onboard were 90 evacuees trying to escape the relentless bombing and dangers of war-torn Britain. Four days into its journey, the ship was torpedoed and sank. Only eleven of the evacuees survived, including two fifteen-year-old girls, Bess Walder (Ashley Smith) and Beth Cummings (Hannah Donaldson) who spent 19 terrifying hours in the water on an upturned lifeboat during a harsh, relentless storm. Through their will to survive in spite of their dire situation, they endured to tell their story so the bitter consequences of World War II on so many innocent, young children will never be forgotten.

Trevore Ross stages this splendid revival of a production originally created by Spanish director Emilio Sagi for the Teatro Real in Madrid. Thanks to his stellar ensemble who do the lion's share of changing the sets while playing multiple roles, the opera is just as lovely to watch as it is to hear with the entire cast harmonizing spectacularly and playing their parts for all the laughs they can muster. THE BARBER OF SEVILLE is performed in Italian with simultaneous English translations projected over the stage.

Following spectacular performances at Upstairs at Vitello's, The Catalina Jazz Club and the El Caballero Country Club, Fraser Entertainment Group moves to Rockwell Table & Stage on Monday, March 16 with the critically- acclaimed ongoing series AN EVENING OF CLASSIC BROADWAY. This show welcomes a new cast of singers from Broadway, television and film.

NEXT TO NORMAL tells the story of a mother, Diana Goodman, who struggles with bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness has on her family. This contemporary musical is an emotional powerhouse that addresses such issues as grieving a loss, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the day-to-day reality of suburban life. With provocative lyrics and a thrilling score, this musical shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family's world intact. The production plays more like a modern operetta as there is little dialogue with most of the story being told via the story-forwarding song lyrics.