THE EYES HAVE IT

Thanks to a wonderful theatre friend, Amanda Weier, I was directed to meet Dr. Lee of  CCRS in The Valley.  Dr.Lee is an amiable professional who pays attention and has a great staff to guide patients to what may one of the most life changing procedures in their lives. 

At the unlikely corner of Van Nuys and Addison at 4954 Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, my first visi was a challenge.  At first I couldn't find the door! Surprise!! Comfortable offices are upstairs in a MiniMall! Fact is that it's an oasis one flight up.  Entry is round the back by the free parking.

To say that the prospect of eye surgery is a little anxiety provoking is an understatement. Somehow, this experience brought me to the realization that there are truly kind and generous folks who take 'taking care'  of others seriously.

The professional treatment that I experienced at CCRS LASIK ICL Center Sherman Oak left me confident with my diagnosis and suggestions that Dr. Lee provided.

Next steps are up to me.  Crossing my fingers that I'll be brave and move forward.

Even though this is my theatre review site..There is a lingering of drama from the drive to see Dr.Lee and so.. for clear sight, find the clinic and take steps to clear vision.

michael sheehan

onstagelosangeles

 s

X's Tons Millions

Performance venue ARC up in Pasadena hosts an unusual production created by Daniel Sullivan: X's Tons Millions.

Sullivan's exploration of the effect on human beings by the war machine is highly stylized  and extremely intense. It's a trip.. "A requiem in voice, dance and sound" 

Co director Adrian A. Cruz says,, "Sullivan’s text brings together four distinct, yet isolated points of view; the bureaucratic war machine… the direct impact on the land, creatures and people… the unaffected
citizen bystander… and the irrational abstraction of the act itself. A provocative intersection from all angles, progressively bringing them closer into a haunting, impactful and sonorous question mark — one that we must all reckon with.” 

 "X's Tons Millions" is a road map to an evening of amazing dedication by the finely tuned cast.  The ARC space is one that lends itself to what these folks have meticulously cobbled together: Passion with theatrical skill and physical movement combine with a dedication that reminds me of The Living Theatre of the sixties.  Cast Member Tina Preston touts a connection to Beck and Malina who made important social commentary so long ago.

Daniel Sullivan's text and movements may be for a hip audience. There is a visceral and emotional connection with each vignette as the ensemble moves as one.. The stage pictures and sounds and lighting effects enhance each episode.

I was reminded visually of the late video artist, Bill Viola, when watching this intense presentation.. The slow motion movements are part of training as an actor to create images that . in this case.. reflect and enhance the text.

The short presentation is,   essentially, ART! The messages come as much from the physical presentation as from the text.  

I was particularly impressed with a comment from an audience member  who said that the work "came right into me."  I was less emotionally engaged and more intrigued by the theatrical aspects which were more intellectual than visceral. 

That said, recalling the dedicated physical training that was evident in work by The Company Theatre, The Open Theatre and The Living Theatre so long ago,  Sullivan's piece presents an echo of that work from days gone by.

The visceral work speaks for itself and I would guess that folks more sophisticated than I in the audience will come away with a message that is beyond my ken. 

Come to the ARC and allow the work to unfold. Don Preston on bass is worth the price of admission alone.     

X's Tons Millions has a short run.  It's strong work and deserves an audience.

 Cast: 

Augusto J. Ferriols 

Tina Preston, 

Marti Skoler, 

Lisa Vo, 

Tate Navarro, 

Jacqueline Wright

The creative team includes Lighting Designer Kathy Nolan, Live Musical accompaniment Don Preston, and Choreographer
Augusto J. Ferriols. 

Amanda Weier of Open Fist lends her expertise as Production Consultant. 

X’s Tons Millions 

written by Daniel Sullivan

Co directed by  

Roxanne Rogers 

Adrian A. Cruz

ARC Pasadena  

1158 E. Colorado Blvd  

Free parking around in back!

Pasadena, California 
Tickets are $25.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.onstage411.com
Enter: “X’s Tons Millions” in search bar.

 

'Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular'

Driving home from this 'Spectacular' at the largest Q  Center in the world??  The Moon looms large,waning gibbous at the Sunset Boulevard horizon.  Having just experienced this amazing new production by  Rogue Artists Ensemble, a co-production with the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, the burning of the Hollywood sign on stage lingers in memory. This is a queer show.: choose your definition: they all work.

 Queer is the generic and the now popular way that queer people have taken back the pejorative and wear it on their sleeves and probably with rainbow shoulder tattoos.

Queer .. from my experience. in days gone by, the term was a heavy indictment: a label mostly for the swishy kid at school, everyone in the drama program : a label right up there with faggot, fairy and pansy. Language changes and times change and now using this term that was formerly a damning reference is trotted out by Rogue Artists Ensemble to describe their current Spectacular!

Make no mistake. This prop heavy, tech heavy, projection heavy hunk of art . though a  little light on the "acting" side is nothing short of Phantasmagorical.. 

The spectacle rises above the thin love story of Felix (Kurt Kanazawa) and Clay (David Ellard). Felix is the new stunt kid on (the) set ready to  step into the the Cuban heels of a stunt gal who, it seems, just can't cut the physical action, around which the entire production is constructed.

Kurt Kanazawa
Photo by Bryce Darlington

Our Narrator (Amir Levi) puts Rip Taylor and Rip's voice to shame.  The Host may be annoying on purpose? Of couse, when the goal is to crank up the audience and keep the volume at eleven for most of the show, both vocally and visually, it is . at once.. the way director, Sean Cawelti, must have meant for it to be. Nuance is only a vague appellation for this Spectacular. 

Thankfully, we do have nuance now and then. 

As with other favorites from RAE, especially the immersive "Kaidan" and then "Wood Boy Dog Fish," this all in  ensemble presents Rogue behavior first and acting choices right behind.. The presentational  piece explodes with the conceit that this is  what it's like on a challenging low budget movie set.  The love story of  Kanazawa  and Ellard  becomes a threesome with a spectacular rendition of Clay as a full sized, frighteningly realistic mannequin: Design by Jack Pullman. Clay Puppet steals the show leading us to guess that Clay Puppet must represent the closeted queer stunt man (not an 'old timer'  but vintage) who resists embracing his closeted queerness: his denial? of his homosexuality,. Meanwhile, bouncy little Felix blossoms as he attains his stride as a respected stunt performer. There's a slight flavor of All About Eve with Clay playing catch up.

The wonderful thing about Rogue Artists that makes me want to laud them to the skies is their absolute fearless attack of ideas: imagining new ways to incorporate big BIG prop and costume business and lighting and  video and right on the stage video of miniatures in live performance  projected on large  video screens. Use of green screen & 'spectacular' imaginings are worth the price of admission alone.

Parking is a bear at the Center. The continental seatng of the Main Stage means that finding a seat that allows full vision of center stage is a must.

Often Happy Fall is like a three ring circus. Some effects need work. When Clay is displaced by Clay Puppet, we still see the actor giving voice to his alter ego..The puppet steals the show for me, and with a SPECTACULAR Screaming Queen full blown over the top finale, that's saying something.

In the past the broad scope of this dedicated theatre ensemble has been a welcome challenge in the land of often traditional theatricals .. 

My favorite show of RAE remains Kaidan!  Set in an old storage facility in the heart of Los Angeles. "Happy Fall"  shows that RAE has fearlessly taken a huge leap of faith with a ton of cash invested in video, props and costumes. Huge! 

This show turns on Stunt Players.  My stint as a stunt performer  guides me to appreciate the rough and tumble  physicality of this 'spectacular' presentation.

It's fun to boost a tremendous effort and this one is a must see, especially for WeHo and residents of the Swish Alps off Santa Monica Boulevard. Applause to Chelsea Sutton and the Rogue Artists Ensemble!

 

CREATIVE TEAM
COSTUME DESIGN
ANDREW JORDAN
CO-SCENIC DESIGN
KEITH MITCHELL
CHOROEGRAPHER
CODY BRUNELLE-POTTER
VIDEO DESIGNER, 

CO-SCENIC DESIGNER
SEAN CAWELTI
LIGHTING DESIGN
AMBER SHIFT
 

ROGUE ARTISTS ENSEMBLE’S
HAPPY FALL: A Queer Stunt Spectacular
WRITTEN BY
LISA SANAYE DRING with ROGUE ARTISTS ENSEMBLE
DIRECTED BY
SEAN CAWELTI
COMPOSER
ADRIEN PREVOST
CO-PRODUCED BY
ROGUE ARTISTS ENSEMBLE · CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL and the
LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER

Cast:
DAVID ELLARD · AMIR LEVI* · KURT KANAZAWA* LUCAS BRAHME · GABRIEL CROOM* · CACARLOS R CHAVEZ · KELSEY KATO · MAIA LUERTIANA RANDALL-QUANT · MIKKI YAMASHIRO · JERRY ZOU

'Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular'

• Written by Lisa Sanaye Dring with Rogue Artists Ensemble
•  Directed by Sean Cawelti
• Co-Produced by Rogue Artists Ensemble, Los Angeles LGBT Center and Contemporary American Theater Festival. 

Renberg Theatre
Los Angeles LGBT Center
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza
1125 N McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038

 

Performances Aug. 22–Sept. 8
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: Aug. 22 (opening night), Aug. 29, Sept. 5
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Aug. 23, Aug. 30, Sept. 6
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Aug. 31 and Sept. 7 ONLY (dark Aug. 24)
• Sundays at 3 p.m.: Aug. 25, Sept. 1 (understudy performance), Sept. 8

Special events:
• Sunday, Aug. 25: an interactive stunt demonstration with stunt coordinator Celina Lee Surniak follows the performance.
• Thursday, Aug. 29: a pre-show stunt puppet-making workshop (7 p.m.) at the Advocate & Gochis Galleries; create your own puppet and learn how to get involved in the puppetry community.
• Friday, Aug. 30: a pre-show “Meet-the-Artists” celebration (7:15 p.m.) at the Advocate & Gochis Galleries, to uplift the visual artists whose work is on display at the “Take/Action: Stunts, Spectacle and Queer History” exhibit.
• Saturday, Aug. 31: a pre-show blessing from the Los Angeles chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and a post-show discussion on the history of drag. Come dressed to express and join in the fun!
• Sunday, Sept. 1: post-performance Rogue Artists Ensemble VIP Fundraiser celebrating 20 years of groundbreaking new work in Los Angeles (ticketed event/separate admission; information at rogueartists.org)
• Saturday, Sept. 7: a post-performance conversation with Happy Fall composer Adrien Provost.
• Sunday, Sept. 8: an Action Star Dress–Up event; come dressed as your own action star and join Rogue Artists for a special fashion runway with prizes for selected winners.

TICKETS:
$45-$78 (including fees)
Understudy performance on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 3 p.m.: Pay-What-You-Can
bit.ly/happyfall24

 

 

 

 

 

PATIENT 13 TELLS ALL AT THE MATRIX

 

 

 

There is so much praise that  should come to any performer who creates from life or from whole cloth.. a one person show. It's lightning in a bottle tossed into a sea of doubt and fear and chance. It's a way. The Way.. The Way that can be described is not The Way.. thanks to Lao Tzu.

In the case of Patient 13 (author / performer Gail Thomas) .. the tiny little upstairs space at the Matrix, the Henry Murray Stage, is a sardine can. It's a 'Living Room" with sparce seating : front row and back row. The ability to work this tiny stage calls for skill and the collaboration with an author and a director and some tech advice that, when it gels, it can be magical.   Certainly, Gail Thomas has her 'stuff' together and her story is one that, for her, must be told. Why this preamble?  Beause I admire Thomas for sharing intimate moments and being glad that I have never touched my own bladder.

What the audience may almost totally miss is the gorgeous pre- show set of an 'office' that reflects the essence of what Thomas's stories.. are all about.  Papier Mache Cows! Why is this little preshow 'office' important? Because it contains the essence of what The Patient 13 story is all about. 

Thomas enters and mentions the cows.. but most of us have bounded up the heart attack stairs to the Henry Murray Stage  in a rush to find a seat that is advantageous. 

 

We can't take a minute to enjoy the art.   Note to Stage Manager whose name I cannot find. Open the door to the 'office' and allow the audience to enjoy it. Whomever did that work . whose name I cannot find.. did a fine job.  There is no set for the performace. really.. so? Unfortunately,  most of the time, the performer is in unflatttering half light.

The last show I saw in the Henry Murray was the Hitler thing. Again, the "office" was integral to the show.. but I only caught it on the way out..as I did the cows tonight.

Notwithstanding the bravery of MsThomas's's tell all with intimate details story, the upside is that regardless of marginal direction and really inadequate lighting and half of the time straining to understand the actor, there are nuggets of stuff: moments  of revelation in her story that, as she recounts them,  bringing them to life, we see beyond the recitation to another plane of story telling.

Every one person show rides on the back of the storyteller.. if the show is  first person and written by the story teller.  Duh.. When Ms Thomas gets to the meat and potatoes..and mushrooms of this tale, the mood and the energy elevate. Regardless of crumby lighting effects (the stalag lights from the Hitler thing are supposed to light the way. They do not)  

Regardless.. as we get to the message and leave the crust behind, something happens.

Gail Thomas  is a brave woman.  The beats of her story .. to me.. were pretty much on one level until the flashy part.. the business of self disscovery and the polemic giving permission to Simply Be.. Just be a person. Just be an actor. Just be a woman. Just...   be..

Stage manager   Rich Wong

 “Patient 13” Written and performed by Gail Thomas / Directed by Dan Oliverio
Opening August 16, 2024 with reception to follow
8pm Fridays, 

3pm Saturdays, 1pm Sundays through September 1

Upstairs on the Henry Murray Stage
Recommended for ages 16+

Rogue Machine at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

On the Henry Murray Stage

 You are invited to stay for a talkback with the writer/performer & the director after Saturday performances

 

 .

Rogue Machine.. sorta.. presents HUMAN ERROR

 

 

HUMAN ERROR  by Eric Pfeffinger makes a West Coast debut that might make a pretty good pilot for a TV comedy series.. The Honeymooners, The Flintstones, The Life of Riley,  The Neighbors  meet social issues and "modern" medicine. 

The premise  pretty much works except for the staging.  The wide wide stage at The Matrix  leaves some portion of the audience in the dark from time to time. Opportunities for  action and movement are passed by.

Each of the five characters in this play (Andrew Hawtrey, Kristen Vaganos, Kapil Talwalkar, Kiel Kennedy, Lauren Burns) seems to stand with one foot in the play and one foot on their own. This means that acting styles range from screeching at the top of one's lungs: glass breaking!!! to subtle and thoughtful rendering of the part where good old liberal me is challenged by the difficult logic of the very pretty blonde.  

I encourage all who love theatre to  support this show. Arrive early for stadium seating as seats far audience left and right become a challenge for 'getting' the whole performance.   Bring a cushion if you have a tender behind. The seats are fifty  years old.

When one is knocked out by the functional bare bones set by James Morris, lighting design by Rachel Manheimer and  truly wonderful  interstitial original? music by Christopher Moscatiello? and my wishing about fifteen minutes in that I was somewhere else, it is a tough call.

There are moments when the audience was raucous  in response to the predictable antics that came in two full dimensions from the actors. Early on, there is a missed opportunity for blood.  See if you can  catch it. Had there been blood, to me.  an infusion may have elevated the premise to farce that would have supported some of the acting styles. 

What is the premisw? Well you may ask.  Human Error. No spoiler alert. Just go and see what you think and take a pal ready for some well timed jokes. The rhythms of the story lend themselves to the essential sit com pattern of set up, beat, punch line.  rim shot.

Flip side?  Had director Joshua Bitton encouraged his actors to play with one another and to set a standard for vocal projection and character development, leaving behind their stereotypical renditions allowing the emergence of more human characters, the premise and the title would, to me, be a more thorough and all together more interesting production.  

Why this mixed message? The audience was enthralled with the energy and presentation by all five actors.  (Well, it was opening night) One critic near by was laughing really  hard and shot to their feet at the curtain call!  So. some of this is on me. That's why it is vital that if you read my stuff, you will ignore the digs and see for yourself why there should be blood.  

 A gusher would be wonderful!

 HUMAN ERROR

By Eric Pfeffinger

Directed by Joshua Bitton

West Coast Premiere under Off the Clock with Rogue Machine Theatre

Cast:

Lauren Burns (Heather) 

Andrew Hawtrey (Dr. Hoskins)

Kiel Kennedy (Jim)

Kapil Talwalkar (Sameer0

Kristen Vaganos (Madelyn)

Crew:

James Morris (Scenic Design)

Rachel Manheimer (Lighting Design)

Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design)

Christine Cover Ferro (Costume Design)

Rich Wong (Rehearsal Stage Manager)

Ramón Valdez (Running Stage Manager)

Run time approximately 90 minutes (no intermission)

WHAT: “Human Error”

Written by Eric Pfeffinger

Directed by Joshua Bitton

Produced by: Guillermo Cienfuegos

A Rogue Machine Production

Age recommendation 13+

WHERE: ROGUE MACHINE (in the Matrix Theatre)

7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

(Street parking) Good luck with that. Arrive early and watch for 'in the neighborhood restrictions'

 

WHEN: 

Opening: 8pm on Saturday, August 10, 2024

Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Saturdays; 3pm Sundays 

Closing: September 1, 2024

 

HOW: Reservations at https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org/

 

HOW MUCH: 

General Seating: $45

Seniors: $35

Students with ID and children under 18: $25

Shows4Less: Aug. 16 ($10+), Aug. 23 ($15+), Aug. 30