PRINCES OF KINGS ROAD

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Los Angeles architectural history brought to life, Princes of Kings Road is an ambitious idea conceived, written and directed by Tom Lazarus.  Lazarus has been writing for a long time and his decision to tackle the estranged relationship between former architectural partners Rudolph Schindler (John Nielsen) and Richard Neutra (Ray Xifo) is a very good idea on the brink of success.  A unique performance space, the Neutra Museum in Silver Lake has serious challenges to the production.  Lazarus’s dialogue and the dramatic build of the story work just fine.  The challenge is for the audience in the seats behind the front row to see and hear the actors.

It is 1953. Schindler, now 66, is in Cedars of Lebannon Hospital for a condition that has had him there for a long time.  He has not had to share a room with anyone and is catered to lovingly by dedicated Nurse Rothstein (Heather Robinson), whom we first meet half naked as she changes her clothing in Schindler’s room.  Schindler is a notorious rogue and even in his diminished state, he has an eye for the ladies.  As a referee for the ensuing action, Robinson does well.  She has wanderlust and yearns to become a stewardess to see the world, but in the meantime she commands the boys and they fall under her charms.

Enter Schindler’s old colleague, Neutra and the sparks fly.  It’s been over twenty years since they have had anything to do with one another.  Neutra’s had a heart attack.  The only bed available is the last one...  in the room where Schindler resides.   Schindler is forced to confront his old pal and their story unfolds.  Had the play been staged in such a way as to create a more intimate connection to the audience and had black outs (literally just overhead florescents  abruptly winking out and then on again to convey a passage of time) been avoided with the device of scene changes while the audience simply watched, the flow of the piece would have worked more efficiently.  The use of projected slides on a large screen stage right supplemented the dialogue with passages of lovely cello music played by Neutra's wife, Dione, from an archived recording.  With a different set up of the hospital room the slides might have been projected directly over the actors to potentially more interesting effect.  Of course, as this space was never intended for theatre, that challenge may have been too difficult.  I discussed with a director friend the set up and we agreed that the use of a ‘tennis court’ staging with only two rows of seats might have allowed the piece a more intimate quality.

All of that said, given the limitations of the space and the only available lighting choices, the story of these two giants of architecture whose influence on World Modern Design is undeniable, is a worthy effort.  Nielsen  and Xifo (ringers for the actual men) with German/Austrian accents fulfill the needs of the characters.  The bombast of Schindler and the humility of Neutra shine through.  As the play resolves, Nurse Rothstein tells Schindler that a bed has opened up and he may be in a ‘private’ situation again. Schindler waves away the opportunity and as the men reconcile their long standing issues, in their hospital gowns, the two giants partner again to create a new project.  

It would be wonderful to see this show in a more traditional theatre setting.

THE PRINCES OF KINGS ROAD

Written and directed by Tom Lazarus

Neutra Institute and Museum of Silverlake
2379 Glendale Blvd.
Silverlake, CA 90039

Sept. 12-Oct. 4, 2015
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 18, 25; Oct. 2
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 12 (opening), 19, 26; Oct. 3
• Sunday at 4 p.m.: Sept. 27 ONLY
• Sundays at 5 p.m.: Sept. 13, 20, Oct. 4 (no 5 p.m. performance on Sept. 27)
• Sunday at 7 p.m.: Sept. 27 ONLY
Tickets and Information:
Call (323) 641-7747  

 www.ThePrincesofKingsRoad.com

SONDHEIM UNSCRIPTED! YES!!

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The last outing of the Impro Theatre Company for me was The Western Un-Scripted.  The beauty of this band of actors lies in that unspoken glance, a love of the Theatre, taking the suggestion to ‘have fun with it’ deeply to heart and to stay in the moment.  Having an audience who loves you is very helpful, too.  Having the great musical skills on hand that the music director / Piano Man Peter Smith brings to the mix is vital. It’s truly wonderful and so much fun.

Ensemble Sondheim Unscripted  Photo: Jill Mamey

Having seen good improv and marginal improv and disastrous improvisation, I’m not all together a fan of the medium. When it’s done well, well.. that’s amazing.  The issue is ego. When ego leaps in, then the ensemble takes a hike. In tonight’s version of Sondheim Unscripted, that never once happened even with the direction turning to the Gods on Mount Olympus... and Down Below as well.  The scholarship and skill of this crew is undeniable.  One thing that I’d have appreciated would have been A Chorus Line sort of introduction with the players holding up headshots that had their names in bold type.  I was blown away by especially by Michele Spears, who is a founder of the company and credited with being a co-director. However,  the ‘direction’ comes from within the ensemble.  

What happens in Toluca Lake at The Falcon, will NOT stay in Toluca Lake because when the word gets out what a good time this company is having, The Falcon will be packed and the audience will be enchanted and probably making plans to come back for more just to see if the company can top themselves.

As in most Improv shows, we need an object..  what?  A Crock Pot? And four notes for the score.  I don’t know much about music but a B flat made things wonky in the best of ways. 

To recount the plot, is a challenge.  Somehow we wound up with Greek Gods on Mount Olympus and Hades down below hustling for all he’s worth a slap and tickle with Minerva (Spears).   The ensemble found its way into Broadway tunes and made them work!  One hopes that the group records their performances and may consider workshopping some of them into finished pieces. 

As Zeus decides to abandon Olympus, he utters, “Eternity Sucks…” The existential nature of the show with Gods and mortals mixing it up shows the scholarship and extraordinary skills of these talented actors. 

I'm just listing the credited cast.   I adore Spears. She played Minerva… We have eight actors and Smith at the keyboard.  The eight are among the following:  Daniel Blinkoff, Ted Cannon, Kari Coleman, Josh Dean, Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden Bashar, Brian Michael Jones, Brian Lohmann, Dan O’Connor, Edi Patterson, Jen Reiter, Paul Rogan, Cory Rouse, Ryan Smith, Floyd VanBuskirk, Patty Wortham!

Needless to say, but I must:   To see improvisation at this level with the special bent of a dedicated theme on an amazing trompe d’oeil set by Sandra Burns and fly by the seat of the pants lighting by Leigh Allen, it’s a must see. It’s what theatre is supposed to be: entertaining, enlightening, exceptionally smart and thought provoking.. though the laughs may trump the thinking part.  These actors are like a well oiled machine with silly putty for gears that may head in an odd direction, but never too far afield for someone to not grab the brass ring and make hay with it if you like to mix your metaphors!  Must see. Must!  Discounts for returnees! 

IMPRO THEATRE’S  SONDEHEIM UNSCRIPTED

The Falcon Theatre

4252 Riverside Drive

Burbank, CA 91505

Through September 27, 2015

Tickets and Information: 818 955 8105

Falcontheatre.com

EL GRANDE CIRCUS DE COCA COLA ESTRENO MUNDIAL! EXTENDED-O

EL GRANDE CIRCUS DE COCA COLA  WORLD PREMIERE!

EXTENDED!!   AND ... MOVING TO THE COLONY THEATER IN BURBANK!  OPENS SOON!  

DON'T        MISS           THIS           ONE!

After more than forty years, this hilarious old chestnut has new life.  Written by Ron House (the original Pepe Hernandez) based on the wonderful El Grande De Coca Cola created by Alan Shearman, Diz White, John Neville-Andrews and House, the new version is irrepressible, unfathomable, energetic silliness of the highest order.  The Skylight Theatre is large enough for a full audience to roll in the aisles if need be and the opportunity abounds for a solid two hours.  As flamboyant Maestro Pepe Hernandez (Marcelo Tubert, whose first language was actually Spanish), slaughters with Spanglishish pronouncements and impersonations.  He also offers el coupono por uno dollar off on acting lessons in the Hernandez Technique that he says surpasses Stanislavsky and Strasberg and probably the guy who taught at the Skylight for years, Milton Katselas. 

Marcelo Tubert as Pepe Hernandez

Pre-show, Consuela (Lila Dupree, who also produces) and her seester, Maria (raven haired Olivia Christina Delgado), charm the audience, calling out celebrities who have attended.  “Helen Mirren” was hustled for possible jobs by Consuela, who passed out her resume to everyone with both of her credits including her phone number. 

Director, Alan Shearman, brings the show quickly to a boil and without pause, the audience is dragged kicking and screaming with laughter through skits and audience participation.  One highlight of the show is a tribute to Napoleon with drummer Juan (Aaron Miller)’s enormous effort to put a gigantic cannon ball into a cannon that fills half of the stage.  On drums Miller, shows a mad passion for rocking the show with abandon.  Worth the price of admission alone!

Multi-talented Paul Baird, as handsome Miguel, has an amazing tale to tell.  Evidently, he arrived at a call back audition for a show being cast adjacent to El Grande.   Knowing nothing about the show, he peeked in to see what was going on having been rejected from the audition that he was late for.  Producer, Lila Dupree, noticed him and invited him in, declaring to Shearman that he might be right for Miguel, who plays piano, is fluent in Spanish and would also play a German knife thrower.  His resume listed his attributes and when he could do the language (El Grande is mostly in Spanish.. ish..), ride a unicycle and play the piano and  accordion as well as capture the silliness of all the characters that House has expanded upon, the show was cast.  The actor, indeed every actor, has endless energy and rocks the two hours of nonstop Circus, including riotous interstitial commercials for El Coca Cola, the sponsor of the show? 

John Iacovelli’s cheesy circus set creates a perfect scene.  Live music created by Baird, fills the space.  There are encounters with Chupacabra (the circus’s wild tiger) who eats a Subaru leaving only a side mirror for Miguel to admire himself in. 

Plans for this show are extensive with a hoped for date in the West End of London on the agenda.  This is a romp that must be experienced.  For a limited time only at the Skylight, El Grande Circus de Coca Cola is an absolute must see for everyone who loves to laugh.  How the cast keeps the energy up is amazing and the tears of joy that return even remembering the evening cannot describe how much fun this production engenders.  Wonderful. It’s just wonderful. 

EL GRANDE CIRCUS DE COCA COLA

By Ron House

Directed by Alan Shearman 

The Skylight Theatre

1817 ½ N. Vermont Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90027

Fridays, Saturdays at 8:30 and Sundays at 3PM

Through SEPTEMBER 20, 2015

Tickets and Information:

Http://skylighttix.com

213 761 7061

OFF THE KING’S ROAD by Neil Koenigsberg

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Having recently seen LOVE AND MERCY, the film based on the life of Brian Wilson, seeing Neil Koenigsberg‘s OFF THE KING’S ROAD is at once charming as well as being the sort of thing that brings one to consider the business of aging in the world, especially in the United States and how each of us deals with the inevitable.  We must employ Love and we must absolutely employ Mercy in our dealings with one another.  Having a close friend in the throes of dementia right now and understanding more than I might like to understand about end of life issues, absorbing the message in what we usually call a ‘straight play’ takes on a life of its own.

For more than fifty years, actor Tom Bower (Matt Browne) has been a theatre person.  Though playing an older character, the energy of the guy is palpable. He weathers the weary efforts of a man whose wife has died and now, he is alone and lonely.  He has been in the care of psychiatrist Dr. Yablonsky (harried Thaddeus Shafer) for the past six months and is now in London in an attempt to find some happiness as a widowed person. He is dealing with major issues that have brought him all the way from California to this charming pension, Off The King's Road, the name and the location in question. 

Joel Daavid’s excellent set is put to excellent use with excellent effects, including really effective and excellent interstitial music by Joseph “Sloe” Slawinsky.  The matinee that I saw had a few glitches that will smooth out as the run gets fully on its feet, however, Amy Madigan’s smooth and sensitive direction keeps her diverse cast all on the same page and energetic. 

We meet Freddie (Michael Uribes) the perfectly enthusiastic concierge for the charming old Victorian turned guest hotel just off The King’s Road where casual guests and one resident call home.  The resident, Ellen Mellman (protean Casey Kramer), is the very model of a slightly lumpy yet very modern middle aged Brit who is also lonely. She brightens considerably at the arrival of Matt.  She has a cat, Christina, who factors eloquently into the plot.  Meanwhile, Matt is attempting to have some fun and with the shrink’s help (whom he calls in the middle of the day in London and the middle of the night in California) he employs a large blackboard to plot his London Adventures.  Matt has also factored in something that some might find unusual for a man in or approaching his seventies.  He calls her “Jenna.”  She’s inflatable and marginally cuddly.  We also meet Sheena, (gorgeous Maria Zyrianova) not the queen of the jungle, but an import from Zagreb, who firmly requests her fee in advance. 

The chemistry of the cast and the poignancy of this story makes me want to see it again after it’s been cooking for a little while.  One major issue, however, is with the conclusion of the play. To me, how much better it would be to bring the curtain down three minutes sooner.  We were ready for the end and for reasons that made no sense to me, it rather stumbled off into the dark.     

OFF THE KING’S ROAD by Neil Koenigsberg

The Odyssey Theatre

2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90025

Through August 2, 2015

Tickets and Information:

www.plays411.com/kingsroad

323 960 7712

PICNIC: Stuffed Peppers at Antaeus

William Inge’s 1953 Pulitzer Prize winning play, pre Feminist and post war, sweats into Labor Day with the sound of an inbound freight.  The Potts family and the Ownenses share a back yard. Robert Selander’s terrific set is a nice reproduction of a modest home complete with tree and sky and a swing.  Kitty Swink as Helen Potts, a single woman in her middle age who tends her aging mother, enters in curlers and a house dress.  The Potts and the Owens have been neighbors for a long time and convene with casual friendship. Labor Day is coming and with it, on that train that just blew through, some trouble and some changes.  The simplicity of the playwright’s message may not have seemed so simple sixty years ago when women of a certain age had expectations of them.  Matriarch Flo Owens, senses trouble when she sees Helen’s new helper.  Flo rents rooms to teachers and raises her two daughters. Millie (Conner Kelly-Eiding) is a feminist in waiting as she reads Carson McCullers’ Ballad of the Sad Café.  Elder, prettier sister Madge (Jordan Monaghan), becomes the eye of the hurricane coming closer as the picnic comes together.

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 Flo has her eye on the trouble that is brewing in the person of newly arrived Hal Carter (Daniel Bess).

It’s Hal, shirtless, with striking pecs that sets some hearts a flutter and it’s through Hal whom we see right off the bat that things are going to change.  Flo has high hopes for daughter Madge, who at eighteen is working at the five and dime and is being courted by a well to do townie, Alan Seymour (Ross Philips).  Their embers are not glowing brightly and dim even more the minute that Madge and Hal lay eyes on one another. 

Inge’s characters all have their pathways set and he manipulates them in not an unexpected way.  It’s the fifties and director Cameron Watson has taken care to steep the actors deeply in the times.  Haircuts and costumes by Terri A. Lewis are right on.  Opening night pace took time to percolate, but once things got rolling, the steam from Hal and Madge was palpable.  A well done B plot exposes the frustrations of  lonely school teacher, Rosemary Sydney (Gigi Bermingham), ‘the old maid school teacher.’ She becomes compromised with beau, Howard Bevans (John DeMita), whose introduction of a bottle of whiskey to the party expand the notion of In Vino Veritas far beyond the pale.  Rosemary hijacks the show briefly while in her cups.  To save face in local society, she must not be caught in an indiscretion and better yet, should really be married.

The driving force of the wild man, Hal Carter, former football star at the same college where he was in a fraternity with Alan Seymour, moves like a freight train through the play.  Alan is, at first, surprised and happy to see his old pal who tells him that he, Hal, was ‘one authentic hero!’  To which Hal in unexpected candor replies, “only between the goal posts…”  The double entendre of the statement takes a while to sink in.  Hal is a rake and ramblin’ boy.  Madge is ripe for the picking. The picnic is all checkered gingham with a dark underbelly that Antaes exposes with élan.  It’s a good production of a good play.  Dated. Classic. Inge’s clearly written characters work out their issues in unsurprising ways. The passions and the jealousies and the individual arcs of each of these simple folks make for an enjoyable evening in the Theatre!

PICNIC by William Inge

Antaeus Theatre Company

5112 Lankershim Boulevard

North Hollywood, CA 91601

Tuesdays through Sundays

June 26 through August 15, 2015

For tickets and information

818 506 1983 / www.Antaeus.com

  

 

MURDER BLOOD BEAR STORY

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Katelyn Schiller is a very interesting actress.  Very.  

 Her credits are substantial and her idea of a good time is to bring her Murder Blood Bear Story to the Hollywood Fringe Festival.  She’s in that tiny little Elephant studio at the Theatre Asylum at Lillian Way and Santa Monica Boulevard for only a couple of more performances. 

If she takes my suggestion, she’ll have a more appreciative audience and maybe have even more ‘happiness’ for the effort.  Schiller enters as the forty seat house fills up.  By this time, I’m guessing that not only is she getting a few more friends than the ones who loyally show up for the opening, but folks who have just heard that this story (goosed along nicely by a wonderful graphic by the ‘blonde’ in a submissive pose with the image of great brown bear right behind her) and are as curious as I was.  She enters with a rag tag suitcase and a few props including a tiny little bird on a string on a stick that she flits about the theatre with. She lands the bird on the shoulder of the lady in front of me.  Schiller’s eyes are wonderful pools of questions and possibly elusive answers.  After flirting with the little bird on the string, she comes nose to nose with me!  Undeniably beautiful, I think I may be kissed, but like a bunny in the woods, she turns and scampers to the stage zip zap. 

She speaks in the language of the twenty-somethings of the 21^st Century.  Sometimes incomprehensible (except to the millenials in the audience) and sometimes crystal clear.  She is full of energy and wants to be happy.  She tells stories and creates dialogue with other characters whom she also becomes. I was never too sure who was who but the energy is palpable and her quest, her never ending quest for joy and happiness is ongoing and going and going.  She sings. She dances. She is menaced by the bear.  I am unsure of the blood and the murder, but there is the feeling of the bear, for sure.  The audience loves her.   She is lovely.  I’m unsure of the platinum blonde approach and wonder if that was significant in some way?

The problem.  Sight lines.  Even in this tiny black box, Schiller lays her suitcase and her props on the floor.  If only she had a prop table that would allow us to easily see the props that are significant to her story.   A table would give her not only a place easily seen, but also another set piece that she might use for telling the story.  Perhaps it is her intention to keep part of the audience craning our necks to see the props and even her when she’s doing some  scenes literally on the floor.  I wanted to see everything.  Katelyn Schiller had moments of perfection preceded by and followed by moments of just okay.  She wrote this by herself and it’s all her own story.  Director Payden Ackerman must have made suggestions, but the flow of Murder Blood Bear Story seems to emanate from the heart and soul of this young actor.  Down the road, if she keeps the blonde, she may become Goldie Hawn or… Kate Hudson?  Or, even better, she’ll emerge as Katelyn Schiller and those of us who saw her quest for happiness will be able to say, “Oh.. I saw her when…”

Murder Blood Bear Story

Written and Performed by Katelyn Schiller

Theatre Asylum Elephant Studio

1078 Lillian Way

Hollywood, CA 90038

Only two more performances:

Monday June 22  @ 5:30PM

Thursday June 25 @ 10: 00PM

Tickets and Information:

http:/hff15.org/2122

WATERFALL AT THE PLAYHOUSE

 When the Pasadena Playhouse decides to go all in, the results are, by definition, spectacular.  With the new seats and the decision to employ not only a large company of mostly Asian actors, singers and dancers, but a complete orchestra in the pit, Southern California musical lovers are in for a treat. 

Richard Maltby Jr.’s WATERFALL explores artistic director Sheldon Epps’ goal of expanding diversity at the State Theater of California, doing it in a way that embraces Thai/Siamese culture as it was influenced by the Japanese in the years before World War II  and then. later into the war.  Thai newcomer, Bie Sukrit stars as Noppon, a Siamese kid who longs to be an American. He embraces the West with gusto and is encouraged by his pals.  Enter Katherine (Emily Padgett), a Carole Lombard/Ginger Rogers blonde, who falls immediately in the loving eye of Noppon.  Though she is married to an older man, Noppon, so smitten, finds himself  ironically, an escort for the beautiful woman.

(L-R) Emily Padgett and Bie Sukrit. Photo Credit: Jim Cox.

The love story that evolves is simple and sad.  Katherine confesses that her real love in life has been to paint.  Thus the beautiful image that sums up the play.  Given an afternoon to be alone, Noppon and Katherine explore a waterfall in the Thai countryside.  The practical waterfall is another coup for The Playhouse.  The orchestra could use a couple of umbrellas.  Sasavat Busayabandaht’s scenic design fills the stage with gorgeous surprises.

The cast and ensemble employ traditional Thai costumes by Wade Laboissonniere    as well as a beautiful display of kimonos which become problematic in the storyline.  Most impressive are the ensemble numbers, however none of the tunes by David Shire really leave one humming on the way out of the theatre. 

Co–director/choreographer Dan Knechiges and director Tak Viravan imbue the production with lively and intricate dance and musical numbers.  With the problems of the times advancing, there is never much of a feeling of danger beyond some cultural issues and the inappropriate connection between Katherine and Noppon. The show, however, is spectacular in scope and for those interested in the politics of the times and the interracial issues of Thai/Japanese connections, this is a must see, if for no other reason than to bask in the pageantry.

WATERFALL by Richard Maltby Jr.

The Pasadena Playhouse

39 South El Molino Avenue

Pasadena, California 91101

Plays through June 28, 2015

Tickets and Information:

PasadenaPlayhouse.org

626 356 7529

THE TROUBLE WE COME FROM at The Falcon

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Michael Weston and Scott Caan (Photo by Jill Mamey)

It is such a pleasure to see actors who ‘make it’ with a film career or a television series come back to the stage.  Kudos to Scott Caan (Dano Williams on the new Hawaii Five-0 ) who penned this swiftly moving two act piece.  As the ‘actor’ Vince, he also backs up the talented Michael Weston (Charlie).  The source of the title remains a mystery.  Charlie, is a playwright who has written a play that Vince is starring in. The theater is a small one right next to where Charlie lives. At rise we see him rush into his apartment finding remnants of an unwelcome visit.  The red string bikini can only belong to Joanna, the hot raven haired lover with whom he has enjoyed celestial erotica, though he has just found out that he is about to become a father with his current squeeze, Shelley.

Teri Reeves (photo by Jill Mamey)

  

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The amazing performances by Teri Reeves as four completely different women is noteworthy because even though we know from the program that Joanna, Samantha, The Blonde and Kelly are all played by Ms Reeves, her approach and delivery for each one is sexy and believable.  No stereotypes for her.  Her Kelly is especially moving.

Playwright Caan may be writing autobiographically.  It’s not hard to surmise that this handsome young actor has had a dalliance or two on the road to Honolulu.  The dialogue is snappy, funny and thoughtful.  Caan and Weston explore their  relationship with Caan’s character pumping Charlie for details of his sexual exploits. He  then has an exploit of his own on the couch, in the shower and elsewhere!  Charlie is emotionally at risk.  He is easily aroused and is attractive to and attracted to many women, including the four love interests whom we meet during the course of the play.  Toward the end, we meet the woman who dismissed him with an email, Kelly, after a three day quiet period.  It’s been three years and Kelly returns to rekindle what has become dead cold: Ms Reeves at her best.  

An odd twist brings Charlie’s babymomma, the Aussie, Shelley, (Claire van der Bloom) to the stage with an interesting conclusion  best left to the reader to figure out.  Have we been watching a play or is this an observation of the real lives of these interesting folks who, of course will go on with their lives after the curtain falls?

Director Matt August positions his actors comfortably. The dialogue moves apace with the feeling of Billy Wilder or Frank Capra blossoming crisply.  Beautiful multifunctional set by Stephen Gifford and appropriate lighting by Luke Moyer are all up to Garry Marshall’s Falcon standards.  Seeing this show will be a pleasure or maybe a problem for folks who have found themselves torn and distracted by too many love interests.  Playwright Caan rounds out his characters well, especially his own, who while playing an ‘actor’ transcends the acting possibly becoming a guy whom he may be observing in the mirror every day!

THE TROUBLE WE COME FROM by Scott Caan

The Falcon Theatre

4252 Riverside Drive

Burbank, CA 91505

Thursdays through Sundays

Closes July 12, 2015 (no show July 4^th)

Tickets and information

818 955 8101

or falcontheatre.com

ANTAEUS COMES TO GLENDALE

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Chuck Wike and Cindy Cleary

At a ‘groundbreaking’ ceremony on Broadway in Glendale today, it was announced that the critically acclaimed Antaeus Theatre Company will move operations from their tiny theater on Lankershim in NoHo to a brand new space in Glendale.  The new Antaeus will feature an eighty seat primary theater as well as a flexible forty seat Black Box.  In a gathering of about 150 well wishers, including City Manager Scott Ochoa and Library / Arts and Culture Director Cindy Cleary along with Council members Paula Divine and Laura Friedman, memorial scrolls were presented and the welcome mat was rolled out with red carpet on Broadway.

 Kurtwood Smith hosted. Smith was joined by company members including a moving speech by Chairman of the Antaeus Board, David Gindler, 

Board Chairman David Gindler

who made a promise that no one would ever be denied access to seeing a play for lack of funds.  Jokes were made about investing in an organization whose goal was not to make money.  Highlight of the gathering was a genuinely moving recitation by  Ramon de Ocampo… slightly altered from Shakespeare’s words from Henry V as the king stirs his troops to battle at Agincourt. 

"This day is called the feast of...  Groundbreaking: He that outives this day and comes safe home, will stand a tip-toe when the day is named .. and rouse him at the name of... Groundbreaking!" 

Ocampo raised the banner high and roused the troops… the troopers and supporters.  I shall remember this day, when Glendale embraced true art and pledged to move forward into making the Glendale’s Arts District and all the City friendly to all of the Arts that make us human beings. 

I  wax poetic as a citizen of Glendale, where the arts have struggled in the past, but with the renovation of The Alex Theater; the coming of the Museum of Neon Art just down the street on Brand, and now a professional theatre company of our own, there may be hope yet for our fair city. 

Photos by Geoffrey Wade

5 Sirens: Beware of Rocks! Hollywood Fringe

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My first foray into the land of the Hollywood Fringe Festival had me standing in line over on Lillian in the newly named Hollywood Theatre District with a whole bunch of very enthusiastic theatre goers in the middle of a Saturday afternoon.  Eventually, we filed into the space.  The Theatre Asylum Lab is a tiny venue with about forty seats, packed.   After the lovely producer, Laurel Wetzork, guides me to an aisle seat, a tall woman sits down in front of me. Five shows in fifty minutes.  I can tough it out.   

In the first short play, Kiera Nowacki’s SPOCK AT BAT, I could only see one of the actors, Jenny Curtis as Lacy the sports fan. I could not see Robert Seeley.  He’s a pal! (disclaimer.. um.. he’s an old pal) and I wanted to see both actors’ work.  I leaned way out into the aisle and caught most of what turns out to be a somewhat lame attempt to pair a woman baseball freak  and a geek who loves all of SciFi and Fantasy and knows the difference. Decent performances, but  tough sell.  Curtain, I slip to the front row where the air conditioning is blowing a light gale.

The second ten minute piece also featured Seeley as Charley, a guy who needs direction.  Turning on a Bondage and Discipline theme, Nya (Tora Kim) banters heavy dialogue by Caron Tate in WHATEVER WORKS. It’s a love story. It’s a tough dramatic turn.  Seeley is at a considerable disadvantage as he leaves his geeky kid behind from the first piece and quickly becomes the much older Subordinate to Nya’s believable Dominatrix.  The intense dedication to some aspects of B and D that I now cannot ‘unsee’ may be a bit much for this intimate setting.    

Juilana Robinson and Kara Ludke come next in a clever turn featuring the older sister, Paige on the phone from California to her level headed sis who is across the country.  Sarah Dzida’s DON’T PANIC takes a page from a sitcom with the younger sister ‘talking down’ the panicky Californian from her intense situation and then the tables turn and the roles reverse as the younger sister gets upset.  Cute and well presented, the least complicated of the Sirens’ Songs.

Autumn McAlpin wrote TEN YEARS LEFT which features again Kim, Seeley, Curtis and Ludke with a brisk addition of Bart Tangredi as a fast talking agent.  A nice change up for Ms Curtis as a writer with ten years to live.  A symbolic kitchen timer sits on the stage to remind us, as the years tick by for the writer.  Her husband, daughter, doctor and agent all plague her to get work done as she withers from a debilitating disease.  Ms Curtis as the writer struggles silently as the others circle like vultures.  McAlpin may have something here for a full length production.

OUT OF HERE by Laurel Wetzork is a double edged sword.  Her SciFi approach brings us a beautiful space alien, GRA (Tora Kim) armed with some gadgets that may have come from Men in Black as it becomes necessary to disarm a local good old Missouri boy, Bill (Henry Kemp), who has been implanted with devices to advance his intellect and prowess far beyond those of mortal men.   He begins to seduce the GRA whose response drew the best laughs of the afternoon.  Kemp must have been speaking English, but for the life of me understanding him was a major challenge. There might have been some great lines that I just missed.  Kim, then, was the sharp edge of my metaphor and Kemp was pretty dull.

It's ambitious for a group of women to issue a Siren Call in the form of five completely different short pieces. Given some seasoning each author may have material to expand.  

Check the Hollywood Fringe site for dates and times. 

http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/daily

Antaeus to open cultural center in Glendale!!

This just in from Lucy Pollak, public relations liaison for Antaeus Theatre Company.  

Good news for Glendale, California!   

Having reviewed many shows at the tiny Antaeus venue on Lankershim in NoHo, I am thrilled for this  band of professional artists and welcome them to Glendale.  That they will dedicate their entire space to two theaters and art gallery space  reflects the company's commitment to culture and Art!  

Onstagelosangeles applauds this important move forward for Glendale and for Antaeus.  Fund raising continues. An additional million dollars is needed.  At a tenth of the funds that our long lost A Noise Within raised, let's hope that the year of renovation for 110 E. Broadway will move forward apace!  This is a big step forward for Glendale.  Congratulations, Antaeus! 

Antaeus to open cultural center in Glendale
Groundbreaking set for June 11 at 10 a.m.

GLENDALE, Calif (June 3, 2015) – The Antaeus Theatre Company has announced that it will break ground for a new cultural arts center in Glendale on June 11 at 10 a.m. The City of Glendale has approved plans submitted by the company to transform a 7,600 square-foot retail building at 110 East Broadway into an intimate, yet comprehensive performing arts facility. Renovation is expected to take place over the course of a year.
The new Antaeus cultural arts center will be located in Glendale’s growing downtown Art and Entertainment District, east of Brand Blvd. and across from the Americana, which features ample parking, attractive outdoor spaces and pedestrian access. It will house an 80-seat theater and a 40-seat black box, as well as a lobby gallery and a classics library. Renowned theater designer John Sergio Fisher is the architect.
“The groundbreaking on June 11 launches the next chapter for one of the region’s theater gems,” says Antaeus board president David Gindler. “With its illustrious roster of ensemble members, its commitment to inspire audiences through the performance of great classical theater and the wide ranging impact of its educational programs, Antaeus now can look forward to a wonderful new space that will enable its family of actors and audiences to continue to explore stories with enduring themes for generations to come.”
The Antaeus board of directors and the company’s ensemble members, who together share a passion for Antaeus’ artistic mission and community engagement, have already raised a substantial portion of the funds required, in collaboration with local individual and institutional donors. A capital campaign (“Play On!”) is being launched to raise the $1,000,000 still needed for the renovation.
Antaeus is a multiple award-winning cooperative theater ensemble founded to empower the actor and to bring classical theater to the greater Los Angeles area. The company exists to create a family of artists and audiences and is dedicated to exploring stories with enduring themes. Renowned for its practice of “partner casting” all of its productions, audience members never see an understudy and frequently return to see the same play in the hands of an equally gifted but very different set of actors. Other signature programs include Antaeus’ tri-annual ClassicsFest reading series, and its acclaimed arts education and outreach programs for students, educators and audience members that connect the essentially human elements in classical texts to contemporary issues and ideas.
Speakers at the June 11 event will include City of Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian and Antaeus member Kurtwood Smith, as well as representatives from the Downtown Glendale Association, the Glendale Chamber of Commerce and the Armenian American Chamber of Commerce.
In the interim, Antaeus will continue to produce at its 49-seat theater on Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood that it has called home for nine years. Picnic by William Inge is scheduled to run June 25 through Aug. 16, with Uncle Vanya set to open on Oct. 15.

Hoyt Hilsman on the AEA Election

Hoyt Hilsman reports on Huffington Post.  His take on the recent election of officers and councilors for the Actors Equity Association make sense to me.  This is posted with his permission:

This week, the membership of Actors Equity, the union of American stage actors, voted to oust an incumbent president - virtually unprecedented in the history of the organization. The ouster was the result of an organized revolt by actors in Los Angeles, who have been fighting Equity's efforts to gut LA's vibrant intimate theater scene. While the election is the first step in a long battle, it may significantly impact the future of American theater.

Actors Equity has a long and proud history of championing the rights of actors, beginning in 1913 when it was founded by a courageous group of a few hundred actors. The union has been in the forefront of the struggle for civil rights and freedom of expression, notably during the McCarthy era when it refused to ban blacklisted performers. However, as the LA battle illustrates, Equity has at least temporarily lost its way.

As far back as the 1950's and '60's, when the burgeoning Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway movements were spawning a generation of playwrights, directors and actors who would dominate the next generation of American theater, as well as film and television, the seeds of the future have been planted in storefronts, basements and church halls where actors not only perform, but build sets, sew costumes and staff the box office. They devote their time - inevitably without pay - not only because they love the theater, but also because they want a chance to experiment, to test their creative wings and to dream beyond the boundaries of commercial theater.

While Equity has sometimes been resistant to these grassroots movements - as they were initially to Off and Off-Off-Broadway - it has also been instrumental in helping these movements to grow and blossom. In the case of New York, Equity came to recognize the importance of nurturing new theater companies and carved out a number of exceptions to its strict union rules to permit actors to work in non-commercial theater. This, in turn, led to a vital and prolific theater scene in New York that produced many of the most significant plays and theater companies of the twentieth century.
There is no doubt that Actors Equity has a vital role to play in American theater in the 21st century, much as it did throughout the 20th century. However, if it wants to preserve its vital role it must change its vision of the future, as well as the manner in which it pursues that vision. Its heavy-handed approach to the Los Angeles theater community reveals serious flaws both in Equity's vision of the future and its ability to implement any vision at all. From the beginning, Equity misread the sentiment of its LA membership - perhaps out of a myopic view of LA theater - or simply out of ignorance. To compound the problem, Equity ham-handled the rollout of their proposal, turning what may have been intended as an opening gambit for discussion into a dictat from an uncaring union.

Hopefully, the union leadership has learned its lesson after the open revolt of LA membership and the ouster of an incumbent president. Ironically, the bungled rollout of Equity's LA theater proposal may have strengthened the hand of other insurgent groups in New York, Chicago and other cities, who would like to see a more progressive approach to their small theater scene. New York's Showcase Code is in many respects more restrictive than LA's, and actors in Chicago small theaters are in an even worse situation. As actor Chris Agos wrote in his book about the Chicago acting scene "The overwhelming majority of live theater in Chicago is happening in storefront spaces and being done by actors who aren't affiliated with AEA. Audiences will see innovative, powerful performances in these theaters, but they simply can't afford to pay their actors a living wage."

Far from killing off LA's intimate theater scene, Equity may have spawned a national movement to follow LA's lead. As in any adventurous endeavor, the quality of Los Angeles theater varies wildly from the groundbreaking and inspiring to the narcissistic and pedestrian. However, the same can be said of the early days of Off and Off-Off-Broadway. This is the nature of the theater, of creativity and of change. Whatever one's view of the LA theater scene, it is indisputably one of the most vital theater communities in the country, if not the world, and could certainly serve as a model for the future. At this important turning point in its proud and storied history, Equity has the opportunity to provide leadership for the next century of American theater. Let us hope that it will step up and embrace that opportunity.