Jon Lawrence Rivera News

The Playwrights' Arena's world premiere of playwright Donald Jolly's BABY EYES presents a volatile, in-your-face telling of Gio, a diminutive teenage boy surviving bullies and homophobia in 1950's Baltimore. Jon Lawrence Rivera expertly directs his talented cast at a fast, smooth pace. Rudy Martinez totally inhabits the pivotal role of the elfin Gio who spends his days at school running from a gang of bullies and his evenings avoiding his demanding racist father Sal (a commanding Ted Monte).

Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena - the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights - is presenting  BABY EYES by Donald Jolly, with a cast that includes Jason Caceres, James Kaemmerling, Rudy Martinez, Ted Monte, Dennis Renard and Melvin Ward.

Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena - the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights - is thrilled to announce the cast for BABY EYES by Donald Jolly, which includes Jason Caceres, James Kaemmerling, Rudy Martinez, Ted Monte, Dennis Renard and Melvin Ward.

Playwrights' Arena is presenting the World Premiere of I GO SOMEWHERE ELSE by Inda Craig-Galvan. It is directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera and starring Kevin Coubal, Kita Grayson, Donna Simone Johnson, Inger Tudor and Cheri Lynne Vanden Heuvel.

Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena - the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, is thrilled to announce the cast for I GO SOMEWHERE ELSE by Inda Craig-Galvan, which includes Kevin Cougal, Kita Grayson, Donna Simone Johnson, Inger Tudor, and Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

Playwrights' Arena, Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director, the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works for the stage written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, is presenting the World Premiere of TAR by Tom Jacobson. It is directed by Edgar Landa and starring Noel Arthur, Adrian Gonzalez and Tim Ryan Meinelschmidt.

Playwrights' Arena, Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director, the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works for the stage written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, is presenting the World Premiere of TAR by Tom Jacobson. It is directed by Edgar Landa and starring Noel Arthur, Adrian Gonzalez and Tim Ryan Meinelschmidt

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will conclude their 22nd Anniversary season with Jason Robert Brown and Andrew Bergman's HONEYMOON IN VEGAS.  The one-night-only concert will take place at Glendale's historic Alex Theatre on Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 7:00 PM.   This staging will provide Southern California audiences a first look at this delightful musical.  

As it did last year with its first Block Party, Center Theatre Group continues to strengthen its relationships within the Los Angeles theatre community by creating additional avenues for the organization to work with local playwrights, actors, directors and designers to gain more exposure for their work in greater Los Angeles. This year, Center Theatre Group received 53 submissions for Block Party 2018 from intimate theatre companies in the greater Los Angeles area who each submitted one production that opened at their location between January 1, 2016, and May 30, 2017. This year's first Block Party 2018 selection is the Playwrights' Arena production of BLOODLETTING, written by Boni B. Alvarez and directed by Playwrights' Arena Artistic Director Jon Lawrence Rivera. The play opened at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City on Saturday, March 31 and closes Sunday, April 8.

The Playwrights' Arena production of "Bloodletting," which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre, will open this Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m. Written by Boni B. Alvarez and directed by Playwrights' Arena Artistic Director Jon Lawrence Rivera, "Bloodletting" is currently in previews and will close April 8.

What made the Hot List? A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at Theatre @ Boston Court, ALLEGIANCE by East West Players at the Aratani Theatre downtown, A WALK IN THE WOODS at Actors Co-op, and JACKIE UNVEILED at The Wallis. Check out the latest buzz below and go see a show! Reviews by BWW Sr. Editor Ellen Dostal (LADCC).

Casting is set for the Playwrights' Arena production of "Bloodletting," which Center Theatre Group" is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Boni B. Alvarez and directed by Playwrights' Arena Artistic Director Jon Lawrence Rivera, "Bloodletting" will begin previews March 29, open March 31 and close April 8.

Edward Anaya makes all the calls in the pueblo-well, he calls the numbers at the senior center's bimonthly bingo. But college acceptance letters kick-start an identity crisis: Who will Edward be if he leaves home and bingo behind? Like Ferris Bueller if he lived in a pueblo, Edward knows just what to say until romantic rejection, family antics, and community pressures leave him tongue-tied. New playwright Dillon Chitto brings the pueblo to the American theatre in this hilarious new play about tradition in a fast-changing world.

Playwrights' Arena, the only theater created and dedicated to producing bold new works for the stage written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, will be celebrating its 26th Anniversary with their annual fundraising gala, HOT NIGHT IN THE CITY. The event will be held at Barnsdall Gallery Theater, 4800 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, starting at 7:30 PM (with a VIP reception beginning at 6 PM). For tickets go to www.playwrightsarena.org or call 800-838-3006.

The only Equity theatre company dedicated exclusively to developing and producing new work by Native American artists, Native Voices presents the world premiere of Bingo Hall by Dillon Chitto (Mississippi Choctaw, Laguna, Isleta Pueblo).

Center Theatre Group has selected three local productions for the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Block Party 2018 will remount Celebration Theatre's production of Die, Mommie, Die!, Critical Mass Performance Group's production of Ameryka and Playwrights' Arena's production of Bloodletting. Each production will have a two-week run with 12 performances presented March 29 through May 20, 2018. The three visiting companies will receive the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage and market each production.

Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors) and Urban Theatre Movement (Paul Tully, Artistic Director and Gisla Stringer, Company Manager) present the world premiere of YERMA IN THE DESERT by Oliver Mayer (Off-Broadway's Blade to the Heat at The Public Theater) and co-directed by Marlene Forte and Edgar Landa. Urban Theatre Movement is the first Los Angeles theatre company recipient of Greenway Arts Alliance's Greenway Residency Program, created in celebration of GAA's 20th Anniversary Celebration. YERMA IN THE DESERT will open to the press at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles) on Friday, November 17 and play through December 16, 2017.

Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors) and Urban Theatre Movement (Paul Tully, Artistic Director and Gisla Stringer, Company Manager) present the world premiere of YERMA IN THE DESERT by Oliver Mayer (Off-Broadway's Blade to the Heat at The Public Theater) and co-directed by Marlene Forte and Edgar Landa. Urban Theatre Movement is the first Los Angeles theatre company recipient of Greenway Arts Alliance's Greenway Residency Program, created in celebration of GAA's 20th Anniversary Celebration. YERMA IN THE DESERT will open to the press at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles) today, November 17 and play through December 16, 2017.