OJAI VALLEY SCHOOL

by Evan Henerson - January 25, 2025

The production’s thrifty staging directed by Judith Hendra for Topanga Actors Company feels stagnant instead of urgent, indifferent where it could have been thought-provoking....

by Michael Quintos - January 20, 2025

Directed by Mina Morita, the play—an emotionally-absorbing drama with sprinkled bits of comedy—is, at its core, a poignant exploration of deep friendships, colored by a devotion to cultural and religious identity and the fears of displacement and upheaval set against the backdrop of Iran's political...

by Harker Jones - January 21, 2025

The themes in DEATH OF A SALESMAN are universal and timeless, though that doesn’t mean they always resonate. Firmer direction and better sound would have elevated this production so that it landed with more heft....

by Evan Henerson - January 02, 2025

This deceptively dark world premiere, co-produced by People with Plays Productions and the Road Theatre Company at the Broadwater Studio Theatre, is not one for those looking to 2025 with visions of sunny skies ahead....

by Michael Quintos - January 01, 2025

A riotous, mostly silly, but also sometimes laughably odd theatrical entity, this touring production of this enjoyable, endearingly-familiar stage musical adaptation of the hit 1985 sci-fi comedy is definitely a fun time—but mostly due to its visual wow factor. For those who cherish the original fil...

by Jonas Schwartz-Owen - December 17, 2024

Lear deBessonet’s rollicking production of Once Upon A Mattress brings festive glee to the Southland....

by Evan Henerson - December 15, 2024

The mixture this time around is entertaining if not the company’s A-game. HOME ALONE-LY HEARTS CLUB, while providing plenty of laughs, feels thin…thin on merriment, thin on satirical edge and certainly thin on script....

by Amanda Callas - December 13, 2024

Little Women Ballet is the world premiere of a charming new ballet at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Mid-Wilshire.  This is a lavish, romantic, nostalgic, family-friendly night of dance that is not to be missed....

by Andrew Child - November 22, 2024

If you have yet to see the work of Handspring Puppet Company, hurry to get tickets for Life & Times of Michael K in its limited run. No one to my knowledge is maneuvering puppets quite like these masters....

by Amanda Callas - November 20, 2024

Written by acclaimed actress and playwright June Carryl and produced by Imagine Theatre, this light-hearted, fantastical voyage through the savanna is inspired by folktales and origin stories from South Africa.  There is a charming Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland feeling of whimsy and adventure af...