Theater Listings

For the Week of Dec. 7-14 Opening This Week Larger Theaters Smaller TheatersHollywood, West Hollywood, Downtown The Valleys Westside, Beaches Special Events

Comments (0) By L.A. Weekly Theater Critics, Compiled by Derek Thomas Friday, Dec 7 2007

...continued from page 7

ASTROGLYDE 2007 Six shorts by the Zombie Joe Underground. ZJU THEATER GROUP, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 15. (818) 202-4120.

@HEART See New Reviews.

GO THE BALD SOPRANO Even in Eugene Ionesco’s bizarre world, a good laugh is still a good laugh, thanks to director Frederique Michel’s assured staging that comes marbled in cool irony. A middle-aged couple, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Jeff Atik and David E. Frank in drag), relaxes in a suburban living room not far from Paris. Suddenly, the Smiths’ friends, Mrs. and Mr. Martin (Cynthia Mance and Bo Roberts), show up on the doorstep — and soon the characters are babbling and ejaculating random bits of nonsense. Michel sets Ionesco’s wonderfully random and playful plot with impeccable comic timing. CITY GARAGE, 1340½ Fourth St. (alley), Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5:30 p.m.; thru Dec 16. (310) 319-9939. (PB)

GO THE CHICAGO CONSPIRACY TRIAL Director Frank Condon brings back the courtroom docudrama (co-written by Condon and Ron Sossi) that put this theater on the map almost 30 years ago. This political equivalent of The Jerry Springer Show depicts the kangaroo court that tried defendants for conspiring to disrupt the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The event is an utterly compelling and dispiriting clash between belligerent soldiers on both sides, within an infirm justice system. ODYSSEY THEATRE ENSEMBLE, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., W.L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 16 (some Sun. and Wed. perfs, call for schedule). (310) 477-2055. (SLM)

CHRISTMAS TIMES Holiday vignettes by Melanie MacQueen. THEATRE 40 AT THE REUBEN CORDOVA THEATER, 241 Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 16. (310) 364-0535.

CINDERELLA Chris DeCarlo and Evelyn Rudie’s adaptation of the fairy tale. SANTA MONICA PLAYHOUSE, 1211 Fourth St., Santa Monica; Fri., 6 p.m.; thru Dec. 14. (310) 394-9779.

CONFESSIONS OF A CHRISTMAS BANSHEE Holiday musical storytelling, by Wendy Rosoff. LANKERSHIM ARTS CENTER, 5108 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 7-8, 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 9, 3 p.m. (866) 811-4111 or www.christmasbanshee.com.

LIGHT SENSITIVE Vox Humana presents Jim Geoghan’s romantic comedy. PICO PLAYHOUSE, 10508 W. Pico Blvd., W.L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 & 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 23 (no perf Dec. 9). (323) 769-5794.

SCREWBALLS Writer-director Jonathan Edelman strives hard to capture the humor of a classic screwball comedy, but this belabored farce never gets past its own conceit. Events unfold at a resort motel in Arizona and revolve around the proprietress, Abby (Martha Gehman), whose engagement to a nerdy guy named Neil (Herb Mendelsohn) unravels when her ex-husband, Guy (Scott Weintraub), shows up. There’s also an identity switch from a potion that supposedly engenders hilarious misapprehensions. In fact one’s forced not merely to suspend disbelief but to relinquish it entirely. A visiting production at the ODYSSEY THEATRE, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., W.L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 15. (310) 477-2055. (DK)

THE SECOND SHEPHERD’S PLAY Zany antics lead up to the story of the Three Wise Men. RICHARD GOAD THEATRE, 4250 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 22. (562) 997-1494.

TANGO Slawomir Mrozek’s 1964 drama about differing generational values. NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY, E. Seventh St. and Alamitos Ave., Long Beach; Tues.-Thurs., 7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 15 (added perf Dec. 15, 2 p.m.). (562) 985-5526 or www.calrep.org.

Special Events

CHARLES PHOENIX’S DISNEYLAND TOUR OF DOWNTOWN L.A. Guided tour of “the other Magic Kingdom,” with stops at Adventureland (Olvera Street), Fantasyland (Bob Baker Marionette Theater), the Haunted Mansions (Victorian homes on Carroll Street) and more. Meet at UNION STATION, 800 N. Alameda St., dwntwn.; Sun., Dec. 9, noon. (866) 754-3374 or www.charlesphoenix.com.

A CHRISTMAS BARREL Holiday-themed comedy sketches by Mike Hammari, Matt Thueson, Katie deSplinter and Meredith Green. ECLECTIC COMPANY THEATRE, 5312 Laurel Canyon Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri., Dec. 7, 8 & 10 p.m. (818) 508-3003 or www.eclecticcompanytheatre.org.

HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Cabaret benefit for AIDS Project Los Angeles. KEY CLUB, 9039 Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd.; Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m. (310) 274-5800.

JOKETOWN A guy walks into a bar, hilarity ensues, by Forrest Hartl. CERRITOS COLLEGE, BURNIGHT CENTER THEATRE, 11110 Alondra Blvd., Cerritos; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 7-8, 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 9, 2 p.m. (562) 467-5058 or www.cerritos.edu/theatre.

L.A. VOZ Spoken-word tribute to Jose Montoya and Sonia Sanchez. LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER, 514 S. Spring St, dwntwn.; Sat., Dec. 8, 7 p.m. (323) 461-3673.

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS Musical revue starring The Young Americans. LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada; Fri., Dec. 7, 8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 8, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 9, 2 p.m. (562) 944-9801.

MAJOR BARBARA Reading of George Bernard Shaw’s comedy. SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.; Wed.-Fri., Dec. 12-14, 8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 15, 3 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 16, 2 p.m. (310) 440-4500.

NO SHAME THEATRE Fifteen scripts go from page to stage an hour before showtime. POWERHOUSE THEATRE, 3116 Second St., Santa Monica; Fri., Dec. 7, 11 p.m. (310) 396-3680.

POOR DOG BARKS: AN ART FESTIVAL Four new plays, plus art, dance, music and performance art. ATWATER PLAYHOUSE, 3191 Casitas Ave., L.A.; Sat., Dec. 8, 1-11 p.m. (323) 556-1636 or www.atwaterplayhouse.com.

SHOUT! Meme Kelly’s memoir. WEST ANGELES PERFORMING ARTS THEATER, 3020 S. Crenshaw Blvd., L.A.; Sat., Dec. 8, 3 & 7 p.m. (323) 733-8707.