Shari Barrett - Page 5

Certainly, almost every American can talk about how we are descendants of immigrants who dreamed of living in a free country and did whatever was necessary to arrive on our shores. As a direct descendant of four grandparents and one parent who escaped from Eastern Europe in the early 20th Century, when I read about the Fountain Theatre presenting the world premiere of DETAINED, written by The Lily's 2021 Lorraine Hansberry Award-winning playwright France-Luce Benson, 'a gripping new docudrama composed of a compilation of true stories that explores the rippling impact of mass deportations on families,' I knew I wanted to speak with her about her inspiration and vision for the play.

Interview with award-winning playwright/director Sharon Yablon whose love of surrealism, noir and the darker side of Los Angeles led to the creation of A GARDEN OF TERRIBLE BLOOMS, which offers a dreamlike tour of short plays led by characters through a city that is vanishing, even as they move through it. Each play is set in a different part of L.A., or in nearby places where locals go to escape the city, but find themselves still haunted by it.

The world premiere of COLOROPOLIS, written by A.P. De La Caridad, directed by Travya Santos Gatz and Tor Brown, opens this Friday, February 11 at 8pm and runs through Sunday, February 27 only at Loft Ensemble, located at 11031 Camarillo Street in North Hollywood, 91602. Here is my interview with the talented trio on their vision for the production and the process of bringing it to the stage.

Michael Leoni, a writer, bi-coastal director, and founder of the production company An 11:11 Experience, has created productions both on stage and in film which have brilliantly focused attention on the pitfalls of modern society, especially in the entertainment industry and on homeless street kids. Since it's been over a year since I have spoken to him, I decided to reach out about the recent opening of his film Famous as well as what has been going on in his artistic world this past year.

Brian White is co-hosting this year's 62nd Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration to be broadcast live from the stage at The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Friday, December 24 from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. The program will air on PBS SoCal on Friday, December 24 and stream on PBSSocal.org, KCET.org and holidaycelebration.org. Out of an abundance of caution given the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, there will be no live audience at the event. For more information, including a complete list of scheduled performers, please visit holidaycelebration.org

As a kid growing up in Los Angeles, the greatest movie town in the country (if not the world), I remember how special it was to attend Saturday movie matinees with my cousins in the late 50s and early 60s. But it was not until I attended the special Dapper Opening Night Fan Event on Thursday, December 9th just prior to the December 10th opening of WEST SIDE STORY at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood that those childhood memories were rekindled, thanks to the magical retro world created not only within the theater but the neighborhood itself.

In partnership, Skylight Theatre Company and Playwrights' Arena have launched the first of four World Premiere productions for the 2021/2022 Season with Inda Craig-Galván's play A HIT DOG WILL HOLLER. Read my interview with her about the process of bringing the play to life onstage at the Skylight Theatre.

Here is your first look at cast members Michael Mullen, Randy Oppenheimer and Bruce Schroffel in THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS SHOW (ABRIDGED) by Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse. This festive and fun holiday comedy revue by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, directed by Alison Boole with Assistant Director Jeremy Palmer, and produced by Rhonda Yeager-Hutchinson by special arrangement with Broadway Publishing Inc., opens Friday, December 3 through Sunday, December 19 on Friday/Saturday at 8pm and Saturday/Sunday at 2pm.

Having a dream is like running with scissors. Just one false step and the journey, or even your life, can be over.  I asked SALVAGE director Damian D. Lewis about his own dream and how much he was willing to do to achieve it. The same theme runs through SALVAGE centering around Harley, a singer-songwriter whose wife is expecting their first child and his journey to deciding what is more important - pursuing his dream or accepting the responsibilities of family life.

Pacific Opera Project will continue its 2021-2022 fairytale-themed opera season with an outdoor, family-friendly production of Englebert Humperdinck's iconic opera HANSEL AND GRETEL. at one of its favorite venues, Forest Lawn Glendale, for performances on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 5:00pm; Sunday, November 14, 2021 at 5:00pm; Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 5:00pm; and Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 5:00pm. Here is your first look at Kara Morgan as Hansel, Emily Rosenberg as Gretel, and Melanie Ashkar as the Witch.

Here's my interview with director Simon Levy on Lucy Kirkwood's funny and astonishing Tony-nominated play is a taut and disquieting thriller about responsibility, reparation and what one generation owes the next. With the outside world in chaos following a devastating environmental disaster, two retired nuclear engineers live a quiet life in a remote cottage on the lonely British coast - until a surprise visit from a former colleague upends the couple's equilibrium and trust. LA. premiere at the Fountain Theatre from Saturday, November 6 through January 23. Featured in the cast are Ron Bottitta, Elizabeth Elias Huffman, and Lily Knight, all three well known around the L.A. theatre scene.

ArtsUP! LA presents VETERANS EMPOWERMENT THEATRE COMEDY NIGHT, a one-night comedy event where talented Veterans get on the mic and speak the truth!!  This will be a night of poignant, hilarious stand-up comedy that you don’t want to miss on November 4th at 7PM at The Blue Door Theatre, 9617 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA.  The show will also be screened virtually: link to be provided with ticket purchase. Veterans Comedy Night will also be re-screened in honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11th.

Kentwood Players is proudly presenting MTI’s ALL TOGETHER NOW! as a Gala Red Carpet Fundraising event, directed by Susan Goldman Weisbarth, produced by Gail Bernardi, with musical consultant Mike Walker and choreography by Victoria Miller. Performances take place on Friday, November 12 at 8pm, Saturday, November 13 at 8pm, and Sunday, November 14 at 2pm. Audience members are invited to dress up, walk the red carpet, and have your photo taken on our outdoor front patio while you sip champagne. There will be lots of goodies and a few surprises too!

Kentwood Players will hold open auditions for The Ultimate Christmas Show (Abridged), a holiday comedy revue by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, on Saturday, October 16th from 11am to 2pm and Monday, October 18th from 7pm to 9pm. Callbacks will be held on Thursday, October 21st at 7pm by appointment only. This is a non-equity/non-paid production directed by Alison Boole, with Assistant Director Jeremy Palmer, for Kentwood Players by special arrangement with Broadway Publishing Inc.Auditions will be held in person at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90045 with rehearsals to begin on Saturday, October 23rd.  Show run dates are December 3rd to December 19th, 2021, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. 

I was so impressed with the two new plays I saw, Boulevard of Bold Dreams and Pretender, I decided to speak with New Works Festival Co-Producer Jonathon Saia (who is also active with the Morgan-Wixson as a D.E.I. Committee Member and Play Reading Committee Member) to find out more about how and why the New Plays Festival came into existence.

LOVE, LINDA: THE LIFE OF MRS. COLE PORTER had its Off-Broadway premiere in 2013 featuring music and lyrics by Cole Porter, with Book by Stevie Holland and Gary Wiliam Friedman. The show will have its Southwestern Regional Premiere October 16-24 at the 2nd Story Theatre in Hermosa Beach before moving October 30-31 to the Renaissance Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. Through song and story, Deborah Robin promises a tour-de-force performance as Mrs. Cole Porter. And as a fan of Cole Porter’s music but not knowing anything about his wife or their life together, I wanted to find out a bit more about the production, especially what led Deborah Robin to take on the role.

Here is your first look at onstage photos of the Kentwood Players cast of VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, a comedy by Christopher Durang, opening Friday, September 17 through Sunday, October 10, 2021 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm. Originally slated to open in March 2020, the cast has been rehearsing virtually since the shutdown began immediately after their final dress rehearsal, and is very excited to finally be back onstage inside the newly refurbished Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90045.

The need for personal isolation during 2020 appears to have led to a plethora of solo shows being developed and performed online and in person in which performers create mostly autobiographical tales meant to unify their own experience with the rest of us. So when I heard about Rachel Parker's world premiere of her darkly funny, moving The Wolfe & The Bird premiering at the Matrix Theatre on September 18, I decided to ask her about its development as well as the many characters which play a part in her story via voiceover artists.

Meet the Kentwood Players cast of Christopher Durang's hilarious comedy VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, opening at the newly refurbished Westchester Playhouse on Friday, September 17 to Sunday, October 10. The cast features (from left) Isabella Petrini (Nina), Chris Morrison (Vanya), Valerie Sullivan (Sonia), Jeff Dewitt (Spike), Sarilee Kahn (Masha), Giovanni Navarro (Spike) and Susan Stangl (Cassandra). .Photo by Shari Barrett

Audition submissions for the Kentwood Players production of ALL TOGETHER NOW! will open on Tuesday, September 28-Thursday, September 30, 2021. Auditions are open to all ethnicities, genders and ages (over 18) and must be submitted digitally and should include one uptempo song and one ballad from the Broadway theatre repertoire. Please include your resume and photo. Auditions should be submitted to weisbarthsusan@gmail.com