A POLITICAL CONVENTION IN SEARCH OF DIRECTION An ambitious recreation of the 1944 Democratic National Convention gets the atmosphere right but leaves even a knowledgeable observer bewildered…
NEEDS A STRONGER DOSE There’s heart and humor in this solo show, but not enough theatrical vitality The Best Medicine, now at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, is a well-meaning, sympathetic tale …
LITTLE WOMEN, GRAND AMBITIONS Literature, ballet, and Los Angeles history come together in an enchanting visit to the world of the March sisters With the publication of Little Women, Louisa …
A TREE GROWS ON 24TH STREET Mike Kenny’s lyrical world premiere makes magic Simplicity fused with memory is one of the foundations of poetry, and truth finds its most eloquent expression i…
PERICLES IS WORTH THE VOYAGE A questionable framing device doesn’t sink Boston Court’s lively take on Shakespeare’s rarely staged adventure The groundlings who attended William Shakesp…
PIAF, WITHOUT THE PARROTING Eleanora Owen finds the heartbreak and defiance inside the Little Sparrow’s songs Édith Piaf’s life overflowed with the severest of extremities: the writhing…
SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THIS A gloriously excessive spectacle eventually falls victim to an overdose of songs The Nocturne Theatre in Glendale is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues in t…
WHEN THE MESSAGE OUTSHOUTS THE DRAMA Keith Szarabajka’s timely war drama is fueled by conviction but overwhelmed by its own rhetoric Slava Ukraini! (Or Waiting for Elon) by Keith Szarabajk…
THE POLITICS OF MARRIAGE Strong writing and performances outweigh a staging that plays it safe The worst that can be said of Ray Richmond‘s Another Distraction From the Epstein Files at Ba…
THE WAR THAT FOLLOWED HIM HOME Rather than celebrate a legend, Brian Rohan reveals the man still haunted by war At the outset of World War II, Jimmy Stewart (1908–1997) became the first ma…
LIFE IN A BLENDER A chaotic solo show anchored by an engaging performer. Kelly Mullis‘s solo show Army Brat at the Broadwater Second Stage carries a very accurate subtitle: “The Fever Dr…
BURNED BY AMBITION Sometimes the bravest artistic choice is asking for help. In Theft of Fire, Garrett Hildebrandt is presentable, well-spoken, talented, and smart. However, he’s not as ta…
FROM BARK TO HEART A barking-dog complaint grows into something far more interesting I have been a fan of Richard Lucas since I reviewed his short, humorous, autobiographical novel The Dog L…
ET TU, SHOESTRING? An ambitious historical comedy collapses under its own weight— but not without flashes of promise There are many different reasons for failure. All of them sting. The Fa…
UNDER PRESSURE Ann Noble directs Ann Loud in a nicely twisted mystery set in a multi-crew submersible some 30,000 deep. Ann Loud, who penned the script and plays all five characters, skillfu…
CALAMITY JANE MEETS LAS VEGAS A charming tribute delivers plenty of Doris Day favorites, even if the biography occasionally takes a back seat Day After Day (The Life and Music of Doris Day) …
GHOSTS WITH HEARTBEATS Jon Schnitzer finds warmth and wonder beneath the bumps in the night Something Spooky, written and performed by Jon Schnitzer, is more about heart than haunting. Yes, …
A COMMUNITY OF ONE Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer-winning drama finds theatrical poetry in loneliness and hope Primary Trust is the sort of play that reminds us why theater matters. I want to stat…
MAD SCIENCE, SANELY STAGED Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s Cold War satire still packs a comic sting The Actors’ Gang has been a pillar of L.A. theater since 1988, when they burst onto the scene…
REACHING FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM Henry Ong’s final play transforms one man’s remarkable life into a timely cautionary tale Ascent is a small gem. It is not ostentatious enough to be affix…
LONG LIVE THE ABSURD Michael Michetti’s visually stunning staging transforms Ionesco’s meditation on death into a thing of eerie beauty It is rare, nowadays, when a play by the Romanian …
THE MINOTAUR IN THE MIRROR A powerful performance anchors a portrait that never fully reveals its subject The journey of Picasso: Le Monstre Sacré to the Odyssey Theatre in L.A. is both con…
A HYMN WITHOUT THE HALLELUJAH A polished, well-acted drama that never quite ignites Hymn by playwright Lolita Chakrabarti is a well-crafted piece, with detailed characters and dialogue that …
THE KISS OF DEATH A drama overloaded with “dots” that just don’t connect The Ruskin Group Theatre’s production of Stephen Fife’s Blue Kiss starts off with promise. Todd (Casey Morr…
KAFKA IN AMERICA— AND LOST AT SEA Striking visuals adrift in an overlong adaptation Who isn’t familiar with Franz Kafka (1883–1924), the tormented Czech writer? Or The Metamorphosis, K…