Raised in Captivity at The Renegade Theatre

Photo by Tony Maesto

Raised in Captivity

by Nicky Silver

The Renegade Theatre

(1514 N. Gardner Street, Los Angeles 90046)

A production of The Renegade Theatre Group

 

Date of reviewed performance: August 27, 2011

Cast

Sebastian - Alejandro Romero

Dylan, Roger - Marco Dapper

Bernadette - Krystal Kennedy

Kip - Anthony Trexler

Hillary, Miranda - Betina Mustain

The Renegade Theatre Company is an amalgamation of acting school and independent theatre group, helmed by teacher and actor Chick Vennera. Nicky Silver's dark, quirky comedy Raised in Captivity is a brave choice for a cast populated by students, and in this production they more than rise to the challenge.

Estranged siblings Sebastian (Alejandro Romero) and Bernadette (Krystal Kennedy) awkwardly reconnect at their mother’s funeral. Sebastian left home at 16 to pursue a life in New York as a writer, but now primarily lives on credit cards. The cynical and bitter Bernadette is married to a rather submissive dentist and is prone to emotional outbursts. Despite (or because of) Bernadett's neurosis, she invites Sebastian to come stay with her and her husband. Sebastian turns her down and flees to New York to meet with his therapist, whom he immediately fires. The therapist (Betina Mustain), does not take the dismissal very well and has an emotional breakdown in her office. Sebastian again flees and the therapist begins a journey of self-mutilation as punishment for being a bad... well, everything.

As complicated as all of that sounds, it is only the beginning: Shortly after the funeral, Bernadette's dentist husband, Kip (Anthony Trexler), announces he's quitting dentistry to learn to paint. Sebastian reveals he's in love with his pen pal, who is also a convicted murderer (Marco Dapper). Sebastian's therapist oddly moves into Bernadette and Kip's house. And the less-than-nurturing Bernadette has a baby. This is a play that moves at break-neck speed, with a dozen different subplots moving in a dozen different directions.  But despite (or because of) the glut of plot points, the ending relies on a series of bizarre confessions and out of left field, ridiculous resolutions to tie the story up.

That's not to say it isn't entertaining, because it really is. Ultimately, the theme is that of alienation, and each character illustrates this in his own over-the-top way. And despite (or because of) the blood, the bitterness and the ever-present specter of death,  it is also very funny. Paradox is the very center of this work.

All of the actors in this show are immensely talented. Krystal Kennedy and Anthony Trexler take turns stealing scenes from each other. Betina Mustain does such a tremendous job doing double duty as the troubled psychologist and the embodiment Sebastian and Bernadette's mother, that for a moment I wasn't wholly sure it was the same actress. Marco Dapper is impressive as a talking head vision of Sebastian's pen pal/convict/love interest, but his charisma and engaging stage presence are most apparent in a scene where he plays Roger, a male escort. Alejandro Romero, who stars in and directs this piece, delivers the show's most subdued performance. He has such a different tone that, periodically, it feels as though his character wandered in from another play. This is likely the result of the glitch in directing oneself. While the difference is at times distracting, it can also be viewed as another (perhaps unintentional) layer in Nicky Silver's discourse on distance.

Raised in Captivity runs now through September 18th on Saturdays (8:00pm) and Sundays (6:00pm). Tickets are $20 at the door or in advance through plays411. For reservations, call 323-960-7792.

Directed by Alejandro Romero

Lighting Design by Mark Rogers

Stage Managers: Brianna Wibeto and Kirsten Atkinson

Costumes by Tracie Leapheart

Make-up by Samantha Marie

Passion at The Met Theatre

Passion
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine

Met Theatre (Mainstage)
(1089 N. Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles 90029)

A production of Doma Theatre


Date of reviewed performance: August 26, 2011


Cast
Fosca - Lindsay Zana
Clara - Melissa Cook
Giorgio - Nathaniel Reynolds
Doctor Tambourri - Sean McSweeney
Colonel Ricci - Duane Allen Thomas
Fosca's Mother, Mistress, Torasso - Corinne DeVries
Private Augenti - Timothy Miller
Sergeant Lombardi - Edgar Edgerly
Ludovic - Vincent Aniceto

The title of Stephen Sondheim's Passion is a bit of a misnomer. It would have been more apt to title it Obsession or Mental Illness. It is a chamber opera about a stalker. It is dark, uncomfortable and, at times, simply bizarre.

Within this piece, Sondheim attempts to define what love is and isn't. I’m not certain he’s ultimately successful at either, as actual love fails to appear in this production. Lust, romance, the aforementioned obsession and illness – all yes. But not love. Not really.

The Mainstage at the Met Theatre is an interesting space because it is larger than most independent theatres in Los Angeles but still tiny by musical theater standards. The relative intimacy of this venue serves such a disturbing show well; as our heroine shows complete disregard for the personal space of the object of her affection, the audience feels assaulted as well.

As the stage lights come up, Giorgio (Nathaniel Reynolds) and Clara (Melissa Cook) are in a lovers’ embrace, singing about their happiness with each other, despite having only been together a short time. We quickly learn, however, that Giorgio is a military man and has been given orders to ship out immediately. The two swear undying love for each other and promise to keep their passion alive via daily letters. Almost immediately upon arriving at his post, Giorgio hears about his commander’s sickly cousin, Fosca (Lindsay Zana) who lives at the encampment. Giorgio kindly offers to loan her his books to read, thus setting Fosca off on a frightening tear. She is convinced the two are different from everyone else (“they hear drums, we hear music”) and obsessively sets about trying to force Giorgio to love her. She is not subtle about it. Giorgio first politely resists, then carefully explains and finally becomes very angry. Fosca, undeterred, follows him to dinner, follows him within the encampment and follows him to Milan; all the while pleading her case between fits of hysteria.

Lindsay Zana has a remarkable voice and is impressive as the famously deranged Fosca. The show, however, belongs to Mr. Reynold's Giorgio. Nathaniel Reynolds, seen most recently in Santa Monica Theater Guild’s “Oklahoma!," portays the accomplished military captain Giorgio as one whose strength is apparent through sincerity and chivalry rather than macho displays. He maintains a stiff military posture and is often rigid; but when he breaks protocol to reason with Fosca, person-to-person, the sympathy he merits is amazing.

Melissa Cook's Clara is also a force to be reckoned with. While she initially comes across as a beautiful and loyal lover (the very template of a young idealist seen many times before), Ms. Cook quickly engages in an emotional burlesque, revealing Clara at the end to be strong, manipulative and ultimately pragmatic.

Passion isn't perfect. The ending of the show leaves audiences unsatisfied, and that has been the case since its Broadway debut in 1994. There is something just under the surface of the text that asks to be explored and never is.

Imperfections with the material notwithstanding, all three principal actors in Doma Theatre's production have powerful voices that ably carry the show throughout its twisted ride. The ability among the supporting players varies, but their vocal chops are more than adequate. Corinne DeVries deserves a special mention for her entertaining portrayal of a lone female servant amongst the soldiers, as well as her costume quick-changes and brief, memorable solos in each of her other two roles in the show.

Passion is presented on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm now through September 11, 2011. Tickets are $30 (VIP tables $40 per patron) at the door or in advance through plays411.

Directed by Marco Gomez
Musical Director: Brian Michael
Choreography by Angela Todaro
Stage Manager: JC Chavez
Costume Design by Brandy Jacobs
Technical Director: Jason Henderson
Property Manager: Hallie Baran
Lighting Design by Cullen Pinney
Sound Design by Jose Montiel

Dancing at Lughnasa at Dorie Theatre (The Complex)

Photo by Rick Frederick
(L to R) ZackaRya Santoro and Molly Leland

Dancing at Lughnasa
by Brian Friel

Dorie Theatre (at The Complex)
(6476 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles 90038)

A production of Chrysalis Stage



Date of reviewed performance: August 19, 2011

Cast
Michael Mundy - Gino Costabile
Christina Mundy - Molly Leland
Maggie Mundy - Andrea Gwynnel Morgan
Agnes Mundy - Suzy Harbulak
Rose Mundy - Helen McElwain
Kate Mundy - Gwendolyn Lewis
Gerry Evans - ZackaRya Santoro
Jack Mundy - Donal O'Sullivan

Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa, directed by Aaron Morgan for Chrysalis Stage, is a bittersweet memory play narrated by an adult Michael Mundy (Gino Costabile) detailing the summer of 1936, and the harvest-time Festival of Lughnasa. It is the last summer his mother and four aunts will spend together at their home in Ballybeg, a fictional town in rural Donegal, Ireland.


Michael’s recollection reveals the lives of the five Mundy sisters, Kate, Maggie, Agnes, Rose, and Michael’s mother, Christina, all spinsters who have formed a co-dependent support network for each other. The eldest, Kate (Gwendolyn Lewis), acts a stern mother figure to her adult sisters, never reluctant to speak her mind and put each in their place. Times are tough for the household and getting tougher. Kate is a schoolteacher and is the family’s main provider; Agnes (Suzy Harbulak) and Rose (Helen McElwain) earn a small amount of money by knitting gloves. The industrial age is at hand and the family is aware they are confined to an age that has passed and that the future will not welcome them.


There are also two important men in the sisters’ world. First is their older brother Jack (Donal O’Sullivan), a priest who has returned to Ballybeg from Africa after working as a missionary for twenty-five years. Suffering from malaria, he has become disoriented and frail. The other is Gerry Evans (ZackaRya Santoro), Michael’s absentee father and non-stop hustler. His annual visits are peppered with unfulfilled promises of prosperity and marriage to Christina (Molly Leland).


Dancing at Lughnasa is a modern-day classic and the writing is outstanding. Chrysalis Stage is faithful to Brian Friel’s remarkable script and has mounted an engaging and moving production. Especially impressive is the set design, which defines the small, crowded world of our characters while giving them an interesting space in which to play.


Aaron Morgan has also assembled a tremendous cast. There isn't a single weak performance in this production. Gwendolyn Lewis is wonderful as the prim and proper, rules-bound Kate. Andrea Gwynnel Morgan beautifully captures the sparkling humor and joyful resiliency of the Wild Woodbine addict Maggie. Molly Leland is touching as Christina and does a lovely job of conveying the emotions tied to the vagabond charmer (excellent ZackaRya Santoro) who abandoned her and re-abandons her over and over again.


Chrysalis Stage has presented an astounding piece of theater. GO. Bring your siblings, bring your handkerchiefs, but GO. It is not a production to be missed.


Dancing at Lughnasa will continue through August 28th on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 7:00pm. Tickets are $20 (Students $12/Seniors $15) at the door. You may reserve seats in advance by calling 323-960-7711 or writing boxoffice@chrysalisstage.com.


In September, Dancing at Lughnasa will move to the Vic Lopez Auditorium ("Little Vic" Backstage, 6700 Whittier Avenue, Whittier, CA). For more information about those showtimes, please visit their website.


Directed by Aaron Morgan
Stage Manager: Ashley Boehne Ehlers
House Manager: Paola Rodriguez
Costumes by Andrea Morgan and Courtney Sutton
Props Master: Courtney Sutton
Choreography by Veronica Lutz
Scenic Design by Aaron Morgan

This at Kirk Douglas Theatre

This

Written by Melissa James Gibson

Kirk Douglas Theatre

(9820 Washington Boulevard, Culver City 90232)

A production of Center Theatre Group

Date of reviewed performance: August 14, 2011

Cast

Jane - Saffron Burrows

Marrell - Eisa Davis

Tom - Darren Pettie

Allen - Glenn Fitzgerald

Jean-Pierre - Gilles Marini

In Melissa James Gibson’s award – winning play This, four friends thirty-something, decidedly middle-class 

friends are all coping with life changing struggles. Jane's (Saffron Burrows) husband has died, leaving her to raise a school-age daughter alone. Marrell (Eisa Davis) and Tom (Darren Pettie), are new parents in a troubled and failing marriage. The single and “annoying” Alan (Glenn Fitzgerald) is having an identity crisis and feels his journey so far has been a life wasted.

During a dinner party, a made-up game goes hilariously and horribly wrong, sending Jane scurrying home. Later, when Tom checks in on her, he reveals his long-buried feelings for her; which she is not so much surprised by as bewildered to have to suddenly deal with. Feelings are acted on, and Jane must decide whether to keep her indiscretions a secret or confess all and try to save her dearest friendship with Marrell. In the midst of it all, Marrell has introduced Jean-Pierre (Gilles Marini) into their group. He is a French “doctor-without-borders” and Marrell is hoping for a love connection with the forelorn Jane, though she's more than a little attracted to him herself.

Jean-Pierre is an outcast to the group in the most literal sense, but in some way each of the friends is an outcast in their own minds. They all met in college, but Tom was a groundskeeper there, not a student. Jane is a sort of stick-in-the-mud who doesn’t like games (or anything, really), is always on edge and resents being handled delicately by her friends, even though it’s the only way to handle her. Marrell is a jazz singer who had a baby to try to fix her marriage, is now exacerbated by it all but doesn’t feel she has a right to complain. Alan has a perfect memory, which he has segued into a career as a guest on talk shows, but he treats his gift like a circus act and longs to do something more meaningful.

Overall, the acting and direction are very good. Glenn Fitzgerald completely owns his character and is a master of line delivery, making his performance the more entertaining of the evening. The only criticism in casting is that Saffron Burrows doesn't play a very likeable Jane. This is unfortunate as it leaves the audience without a reason to try and empathize with her. 

The complex, jumbled set, which is constantly transforming from Tom and Marrell's loft apartment to Jane’s apartment or a nightclub, is practically a character all its own. Every piece of it moves and every nook and cranny is filled with accumulated clutter of life. It's a metaphor for not only the play, but for life itself. 

This runs through August 28th, with performances at 8pm Monday-Saturday, with an additional 2pm matinee performance on Saturday. On Sunday, the show times are 1pm and 6:30pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance by visiting their website.

Directed by Daniel Aukin

Scenic Design by Louisa Thompson

Costume Design by Jessica Pabst

Lighing Design by Matt Frey

Original Sound Design by Matt Tierney

The Merchant of Venice at The Whitmore-Lindley Theatre

The Merchant of Venice

Written by William Shakespeare

The Whitmore-Lindley Theatre

(11006 Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601)

A production of The Porters of Hellsgate

Date of reviewed performance: August 13, 2011

Cast

The Prince of Arragon - Daniel Armas

Salerio - Cynthia Beckert

Nerissa - Kelly Cretti

Tubal/Old Gobbo - Bert Emmett

Launcelot Gobbo - Sean Faye

Gratiano - Barry Finnegan

The Duke of Venice - David Ghilardi

Leonardo/Stefano - Sterling Hall

Servant to Portia - Melissa Harkness

Shylock - Gus Krieger

The Prince of Morocco - Doug Milliron

Solanio - Kate O'Toole

Antonio - Alex Parker

Jessica - Elisa Richter

Lorenzo - Dan Sykes

Portia - Liza de Weerd

Bassanio - Brian Weiss

The Porters Of Hellsgate have chosen one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays as their latest offering in this, their fifth season. It's a play that contains so much antisemitism Adolf Hitler used it as a source of propaganda. It's play where the heroes we are to root for brandish Christianity as a weapon. But The Porters, who have never shied from a challenge, take the Bard's text head-on without flinching. Thomas Bigley has helmed a brave production and possibly The Porters' best to date.  

What is updated is the setting. This interpretation opens in 1961 on the floor of the Venice Stock Exchange. Antonio (Alex Parker) makes a deal to borrow three thousand ducats from Shylock (Gus Krieger), a Jewish lender. Antonio needs the money for his friend Bassanio (Brian Weiss) who is planning to travel to Belmont to woo Portia (Liza de Weerd), a wealthy heiress. Shylock hates Antonio because of Antonio's blatant antisemitism and because Antonio lends money at zero interest, hurting Shylock's business. Shylock lends Antonio the funds on promise of bond that, should the loan fail to be repaid in due time, Antonio must pay the debt with a pound of his own flesh. 

In standard Shakespearean style, there are also a few love stories going on: Portia is sorting through her many wooers by way of a riddle-based game of her late father's concoction. Her maid Nerissa (Kelly Cretti), is courted by Gratiano (Barry Finnegan), a member of Bassanio’s entourage; Shylock’s daughter Jessica (Elisa Richter), runs away with young lothario Lorenzo (Dan Sykes) (also of Team Bassanio).

A talented cast is a given with Porters' productions and this is no different. Brian Weiss and Alex Parker's terrific performances are the engine of this production. Their intimate interactions and subtle exchanges are a constant reminder of how money defines not only their relationship to each other but to every other character in the play. Gus Krieger’s Shylock is a mesmerizing combination of angry victim and vengeful miser. Kelly Cretti is delightful as the sophisticated and protective Nerissa, the lady-in-waiting to Portia. Melissa Harkness is an audience favorite as Portia's animated and excitable servant. Doug Milliron and Daniel Armas also earn their share of laughs as a couple of the heiress's less worthy suitors. 

The 1960's costuming is brilliant, creating dashing leading men and smartly feminine heroines. Also period-specific are the songs chosen to fill the dark time during scene changes. "Big Bad John" and others feel like an 'America's Top 40" of 1961 and make you want to update your iTunes.   

The Merchant of Venice runs now through September 18th on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets are $20 ($15 for students/seniors) at the door or in advance through Brown Paper Tickets.

Directed by Thomas Bigley
Costume Design by Jessica Pasternak
Sound Design and Composition by Nicholas Neidorf
Lighting Design by Sterling Hall
Scenic Design by Thomas Bigley
Stage Manager: Nicholas Neidorf

Fear Factor: Canine Edition at Theatre Asylum

Fear Factor: Canine Edition
Written and Performed by John Grady


Theatre Asylum
(6320 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles 90038)


Date of reviewed performance: August 6, 2011

Don't let the title fool you. No one at this show is going to be locked in a meat freezer with Rottweilers or be forced to dine on Alpo. Instead, expect a powerful and poignant glimpse into the life of John Grady as he recollects the loss of his only love: Abby, a Bernese Mountain Dog. 

Despite the sadness that one expects when saying farewell to a cherished pet (and do bring Kleenex, there will be tears), there are many lighter, truly funny moments along the way. Mr. Grady guides the audience with expert storytelling skill on a road populated with relationships gone south, doggie yoga, community outreach and reality TV. And, as on any journey, there are complex intersections to cross (the dog or the girl?) and new roads to explore. When the saga does arrive at its inevitable destination, the audience feels every ounce of the weight and conflict as Abby's loyal owner. 

Fear Factor: Canine Edition is a fantastic one-person piece that will touch everyone who sees it, regardless of whether they are a pet owner.  It's well written, amazingly performed and completely genuine. It is a MUST see, in every respect. 

Fear Factor: Canine Edition has no further performances currently planned for the Los Angeles area, but will begin a run at the Edmonton Fringe Festival in Alberta, Canada August 11-21. Should you find yourself in the area, tickets can be purchased here.

Arts for LA introduces SPACE FINDER

Arts for LA is excited to share this new resource, SpaceFinderLA.org.  The site provides a long-awaited service for our arts and cultural community, enabling artists and organizations to seek and post information about venues countywide.  Please feel free to to distribute the information below to your friends & networks. 
    

SpaceFinderLA has arrived!

• “Where can I find a good rehearsal space?”
• “I need to a ‘wow’ location for our fundraiser.”
• “Where can I go to record songs?
  

SpaceFinderLA.org is the go-to Web site that can answer these kinds of questions. There are venues all over LA County that spark and serve the creative imagination but trying to find the right one can sometimes seem impossible. SpaceFinderLA – Creative Places for Creative People – offers the ability to search by dozens of criteria and an inventory of over 300 venues and growing! This service is free for both renters and seekers!
 
Please take a few minutes to test drive this new resource for yourself.
 
If you have a space to rent, list it! It takes only a few minutes and it’s free.
 
If you know colleagues with spaces to rent and/or space needs, please forward this info to them.
 
The success of this program relies on you. If you have comments or questions about SpaceFinderLA, please contact at LA STAGE Alliance at info@lastagealliance.com or call 213.614.0556. Your feedback and comments will help to make the site stronger and more useful to the LA County arts community.