Review: THE HOT LIST! What's Hot This Month on L.A. Stages

What made the Hot List? THE ART COUPLE from Sacred Fools Theatre Company at The Broadwater, SELL/BUY/DATE at Geffen Playhouse, and ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL in Independent Shakespeare Co.'s new studio theater. Check out the latest recommendations below and go see a show! Reviews by BWW Sr. Editor Ellen Dostal (LADCC).

The Art Couple - Sacred Fools, through April 7
This world premiere sitcom-style play written by and starring Brendan Hunt as Vincent van Gogh (yes, that one) finds Neil Simon suffering from writer's block while working on THE ODD COUPLE until a mysterious bus boy offers up inspiration in an absurdly comic turn of events. It boasts not one odd couple among its cast of characters but two - the second consisting of van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, who had been roommates in Arles, France for a short time in 1888 - three, if you count a pair of dizzy sisters from the circus who show up in Act II. Hunt's writing is a roller coaster ride of flagrant disregard for decorum and gut-punching poignancy that offers an inside look at the price of genius. If you like a wacky theatrical world, this one's for you. Tickets: www.sacredfools.org

Sell/Buy/Date - Geffen Playhouse, through April 15
From a lecture class somewhere in the technically-advanced future, a British professor looks back to today for an examination of how sex has shaped the world and defined the dynamic between men and women across all walks of life. Some buy it, others sell it, but few understand the mental and emotional toll our obsession with sex takes. Here, in a touching and often humorous 85-minute solo play, irresistible writer/performer Sarah Jones gets down to the nitty gritty, portraying a vivid array of characters with impeccable precision and a stunning amount of heart. It's one of the standout performances of the year and will make you laugh as much as it will make you think. The show has been extended through April 15th and rush tickets are available for all performances. You'll kick yourself if you miss it. Tickets: www.geffenplayhouse.org

All's Well That Ends Well - Independent Shakespeare Co., through April 22
Independent Shakespeare Co. opens its new Studio Theatre with Shakespeare's adventurous play about a plucky young woman who decides to take matters into her own hands. With bag of medicine from her late father and a plan to heal an ailing king, she sets out to gain a husband, or die trying. Melissa Chalsma directs the engaging production, which combines a traditional sensibility and a modern style that is as entertaining today as it would have been for Shakespeare's audience in Elizabethan times. Risqué language, compromising situations, and a whole lot of laughs go into Helena's (April Fritz) hard-won happy ending making this a bright, smart, fun night out at the theater that leaves the audience with plenty to discuss after the final curtain. Full review HERE. Tickets: www.iscla.org

Coming up on the watch list:

ICE, March 31 - June 10
A world premiere by Leon Martell about what it means to be American.
24th Street Theatre www.24thstreet.org

The Willows, April 6 - May 5
A world premiere play by Kerri-Ann McCalla about family, loss, and love as a young man's plans to take over the family funeral home business are interrupted when the one that got away returns. Bootleg Theatre www.bootlegtheater.org

What Happened When, April 11 - 26
West coast premiere of Daniel Talbott's provocative memory play that unspools as a ghost story. Echo Theatre Company www.echotheatercompany.com

Belleville, April 18 - May 13
A modern day thriller by Amy Herzog starring Anna Camp and Thomas Sadoski.
Pasadena Playhouse www.pasadenaplayhouse.org

South Pacific, April 20 - May 13
Glenn Casale directs this Rodgers & Hammerstein classic dealing with romance and racism in the South Pacific during wartime. La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts www.lamiradatheatre.com. Also playing The Soraya in Northridge, April 13 - 15 www.valleyperformingartscenter.org

Blues in the Night, April 27 - May 20
A story about three women and the men who have done them wrong in a night of sizzling blues featuring songs by Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, and Harold Arlen. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts www.thewallis.org

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