WestFest Opens This Week At Theatre West with THIS ALMOST JOY, A PERFECT EVENING, and More
Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2.
By: Blair Ingenthron Oct. 02, 2022
WestFest 2022 will present two full weekends of shows, a different presentation each week, to entice the loyal audiences who have returned for WestFest every year, as well as to introduce new audiences to the richly varied work of the city's longest-running, continuously operating professional company. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 2. Each week's program runs two hours, plus intermission.
When Theatre West was founded sixty years ago, its initial purposes included serving as a laboratory situation where writing, acting and directing could be developed and perfected. This included the development of new and exciting works, works of a non-commercial and experimental nature, with an eye to enhanced performances but presented with minimalist production design. At least once each year, Theatre West has included a festival of such works, providing audiences to see interesting work they might not otherwise have a chance to see, at a bargain ticket price. The WestFest has become among Theatre West's most enduringly popular attractions and biggest ticket-sellers.
The calendar of events follows:
Week One: October 7- October 9:
This Almost Joy
That place of being almost, almost, any moment now, almost but-not-quite,,,,
Written by Barbara Lindsay. Directed by Donald Moore.
Cast: Jeanine Anderson, Bonnie Kalisher, Richard Reich, Bill Sehres.
A Perfect Evening
Sometimes it's hard to find love, even in a fancy and romantic restaurant.
Written and directed by Clara Rodriguez.
Cast: Philip Sokoloff, Seemah Wilder Idelson, Ari Wojciech, Sara Ballantine.
150 Years of Walking
The more things change, the more they remain the same. Is there a cycle, do we recognize the cycle, and if we see the cycle, can the cycle be broken?
Written by David Lindsey. Directed by Veronica Thompson.
Cast: Daphne Jones, Aron Cobbs, Aneisha Hughes, Joe Nassi, Jarrol Taylor.
Close Encounter
A cosmetologist's tale.
Written by Kres Mersky. Directed by Paul Gersten.
Cast: Kres Mersky.
The Dead Comedian
Dead comedians get the last laugh.
Written and directed by Lloyd J. Schwartz.
Cast: Cecil Jennings.
Starry Night
Camping can be dangerous....in a lot of different ways.
Written and directed by Clara Rodriguez.
Cast: Zoe Echo, Cecil Jennings, Paige Pedersen.
Neighbors
Feuding neighbors find an incongruous bond when a difficult teenager runs away.
Written and directed by Arden Teresa Lewis.
Cast: Heidi Appe, Alan Schack.
Week Two: October 14- October 16
Bittersweet Oranges
What happens when a long-simmering dark family secret finally boils over?
Written by Marc Littman. Directed by Rick Simone.
Cast: Mimi Kmet, Ernest McDaniel, Cecil Jennings, Amelia Vargas.
Rope
One woman, one rope, one unexpected friendship.
Written by Kres Mersky. Directed by Paul Gersten.
Cast: Kres Mersky.
Strangers in a Lost Land
On a desert island, two survivors of a shipwreck have a strange encounter.
Written and directed by Cecil Jennings.
Cast: Paige Pedersen, Tessa Nesbet, Charles Smith.
Spider Wars
Oh, what a tangled bed we leave....
Written and directed by Donald Moore.
Cast: Rick Simone, Ashley Taylor.
Just Like That
Complex issues come to surface as political and racial tensions pull apart the hearts and minds of a young married interracial couple.
Written and directed by James A. Goins.
Cast: Cynthia Vassor, Ari Wojciech.
Death and Cold Cuts
They say that "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing." Wanna bet?
Written by Garry Kluger. Directed by Arden Teresa Lewis.
Cast: Mary Somers, Amelia Vargas.
As some of the pieces are works-in-progress, WestFest is not being submitted for critical review.
WestFest producers: Garry Kluger, Donald Moore. Ernest McDaniel. Theatre West managing director: Eugene Hutchins.
WestFest 2022.. At Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, in Los Angeles, CA 90068. This is near Universal City, North Hollywood and Studio City. There is parking in a lot across the street (fee charged). October 7- October 16, 2022. Fri. & Sat. at 8:00 p.m., Sun. at 2:00 p.m. General admission: Suggested donation of $15 at the door. Information: (323) 851-7977. Website: www.theatrewest.org
Covid-19 safety protocols in effect on performance dates will be observed. As of this writing, audience members will be masked and requested to provide proof of vaccination (vax card or digital record).
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