Ben Rovner

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including a Riveting Drama About Holocaust-Era Poland

Our critic Deborah Klugman found Tadeusz Slobodzianek's drama, about Polish complicity in the German Nazis' persecution of Polish Jews in the 1940s, and presented by Son of Semele Ensemble at Atwater Village Theatre, to be a model of stagecraft and emotional to watch. For all the lastest new theater ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week

Adapter-performer Brian T. Finney has adapted Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness in what Paul Birchall describes as "hypnotic." It's this week's pick of the week. Neal Weaver found charm and passion in Actors' Co-op's revival of The Miracle Worker. See below for all the latest new theater reviews. ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Garry Marshall Directing a Play About the Making of Double Indemnity

Lost Moon Radio did another bang-up job hosting the 34th annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards Monday night. (See the full list of L.A. Weekly Theater Award winners here.) Thanks to Lauren Ludwig, Trish Hadley and the LMR troupe for their talent, and thanks for all the kind missives from people who had ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including a Pycho-Sexual Boxing Match

Pycho-sexual spectacles got nods from our critics this week, including Illyrian Players' Lord Blackberry's Apocalypse and our Pick of the Week, Tender Napalm. Nice reviews also for Doma Theatre Company's Dreamgirls at the MET, Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice at A Noise Within, Latino Theatre Company's Melacho ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including an Unusual Look at Motherhood

This week, our critics enjoyed composer and musical director Gregory Nabours' 90-minute musical The Trouble With Words (Coeurage Theatre Company at the Unknown Theatre) as well as a quartet of one-acts at the Lillian under the collective title Unscreened. This week's Pick goes to Dorothy Fortenberry ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Prancing Horses on a Stage the Size of a Football Field

The Canadian troupe Cavalia wowed critic Lovell Estell III this week with its equestrian spectacle Cavalia's Odysseo. Good notices also for Diane Glancy's The Bird House at the Autry National Center, and for a revival of Carlos Murillo's Dark Play (or Story for Boys) at the Whitmore-Lindley The ... More >>

Compleat Female Stage Beauty

An Astral Dick, Some Hair and a Compleat Female Stage Beauty in This Week's New Theater Reviews.

A three-person series of sketches about Laotians in America, Regugee Nation is this week's Pick. Click here for all New Stage Reviews, or go to the jump. Also, check out this week's stage feature Wednesday eve on Hands on a Hardbody, a new musical developed at and presented by La Jolla Playhouse, ... More >>

Stage Raw: Circle X and Bootleg Hook Up to Read Plays

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSTheater FEATURE on John StepplingCIRCLE X AND BOOTLEG HOOK UP TO READ PLAYS Circle X Theatre Company and Bootleg are joining forces to present a series of Monday night readings of new works, starting September 13, at the Bootleg venue. Playwrights s ... More >>

Stage Raw: City Garage Bids Adieu to Fourth Street

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWS Cover Story on LATE's The War Cycle2011 MARK TAPER FORUM SEASON ANNOUNCED ​John Lithgow Photo by Nigel Perry John Lithgow will ring in the New Year spinning yarns in Stories By Heart, previously produced at the Lincoln Center and at the National ... More >>

Stage Raw: How Do Actors Do It?

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on My Penis, In and Out of TroubleHOW DO ACTORS DO IT? As told by Alan Mandell, who was among a dozen or so actors auditioning for the movie This Must Be the Place, starring Sean Penn. The role was for a man 94-years old. Mandell, being ... More >>

Theater Reviews: Parasite Drag, Free Man of Color, Witch Ball

Also, Groundlings River Adventure, Flat, The Exercise, Engagementand more

Stage Raw: Free Man of Color

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWS STAGE FEATURE on Opus, at the Fountain TheatreNEW REVIEW GO FREE MAN OF COLOR ​Photo by Michael LamontA young, well-spoken and highly educated black man is tapped to become the leader of a nation. But it's not who you think. The year is 1828, the ... More >>

Stage Raw: Trauma Dolls

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWS This week's cover story on Pee-wee Herman; this week's Stage feature on An Oak TreeTRAUMA DOLLS ​Photo courtesy of Highways Next Friday and Saturday, January 29 and 30, at 8:30 p.m. Highways presents (Un)Concrete Musique, a trio of of multimedia m ... More >>

Stage Raw: The Future Belongs to Us?

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS NEW THEATER REVIEWS This week's stage features on Ben Bradley's Murder and The Princess and the FrogTHEATRE OF NOTE MARATHON ​ Fire-eater Julia Prud'homme Photo by Kiff Scholl Theatre of NOTE presents its 15th annual Performance Marathon this coming Saturday, Jan. ... More >>

Stage Raw: Impacted Wednesday

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSTHEATER NEW REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on Charles Duncombe's The Trojan Women and Julie Hebert's TreeIMPACTED WEDNESDAY​ Equivocation: Photo by Michael Lamont Three big openings on Wednesday: The  U.S. premiere of TR Warszawa's T.E.O.R.E.M.A.T. (Polish director Grzego ... More >>

Stage Raw: Does Your Acting Career Have That Sinking Feeling?

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on Rachel Rosenthal at 83DOES YOUR ACTING CAREER HAVE THAT SINKING FEELING?​Captain Smith looks out over oceans of opportunity There's still hope of a rescue! Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, seeks an actor to play the Titani ... More >>

Stage Raw: Getting Intimate With Michael Kearns

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on Rachel Rosenthal at 83MICHAEL KEARNS GETS INTIMATE​L.A. Weekly's 2007 "Queen of the Angels" Michael Kearns performs his solo performance piece, Intimacies, at the drkrm Gallery and Performance Space in Eagle Rock, 2121 San Fernando ... More >>

Stage Raw: Rachel Rosenthal at 83

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSLATEST NEW REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on Poland, where theater is hipRACHEL ROSENTHAL AT 83 ​The Rachel Rosenthal Company (founded in 1989) is throwing a fundraiser to help celebrate the performance artist's 83rd birthday, past achievements and the upcoming publication o ... More >>

Stage Raw: L.A. shows NYC-bound

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSLATEST THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on Leonard Nimoy and Company of AngelsL.A. SHOWS HEADING EAST ​SoulArt Productions presentation of Alex Lyras' The Common Air - a nominee in last year's L.A. Weekly Theatre Awards solo performance award for its 2008 run at the Asylu ... More >>