Stephen Gifford

Spring Awakening

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Stage Raw: Juno and the Paycock

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSStage FEATURE on God of Carnage and The Merchant of Venice​Photo by Ron Sossi Writes Paul Birchall of Sean O'Casey's play at the Odyssey, "This staging of O'Casey's play artfully mixes blarney and despair in almost equal measure." Mayank Keshaviah e ... More >>

Theater Reviews: The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Crucible, Goodbye, Louie ... Hello

Also, Tartuffe, Silent Sky, The Bluest Eye and more

Stage Raw: The Crucible

New Theater ReviewsTheater Awards ReportTheater Awards Slide-Show by Timothy Norris​Photo by Byron Turk is from Theatre Banshee's production of The Crucible, which critic Amy Lyons argues is a powerful manifestation of our culture of fear; Bill Raden was less impressed with Lauren Gunderson's new ... More >>

Theater Reviews: Groundlings Singles Cruise,The Next Fairy Tale, 'Til Death Do Us Part

Also, The Young Man From Atlanta, Oh, Momma and Obama and more

Stage Raw: Groundlings Singles Cruise

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSStage FEATURE on Re-Animator the Musical and AlcesteL.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS NOMINEESNEW REVIEW GO GROUNDLINGS SINGLES CRUISE ​Photo by Shawn Bishop Sketches by the Groundlings' "A" cast of master improv artists reliably fall into three catego ... More >>

Stage Raw: Lease Subsidy Program Gets Another Lease

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSCURRENT FEATURE ON BORN TO BE ALIVE and THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACELEASE SUBSIDY PROGRAM GETS ANOTHER LEASE A recommendation by L.A.'s Chief Administrative Officer Miguel Santana to restructure (eliminate) the city's Lease Subsidy Program for non- ... More >>

Oh, Those Riotous Comedies

The Marriage of Figaro and The Playboy of the Western World

Playboy of the Western World

The Marriage of Figaro and The Playboy of the Western World

Stage Raw: L.A. Theater Aesthetic?

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on The Event and Kharmful Charms of Daniil Kharms THE 31ST ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDSGROUNDLINGS SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN ​is one of almost a dozen new productions being reviewed this weekend. For the complete slate, hit the More tab at the ... More >>

Theater Reviews: Cave Quest, Lobby Hero, Broads!, Wirehead

Also, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Forgiveness, Oedipus El Rey and more

Stage Raw: Kharmful Charms of Daniil Kharms

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW REVIEWSTHEATER FEATURE On The Subject Was Roses and The Ballad of Emmett Till THE 31ST ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDSNEW REVIEW KHARMFUL CHARMS OF DANIIL KHARMS ​Photo by Taso PapadakisHere's a fascinating oddity:  A series of short works by a now almost ... More >>

Theater Reviews: The Ballad of Emmett Till, Dual Citizens, The Subject Was Roses

Also, Wit, Calliope Rose, Barbra’s Wedding and more

Stage Raw: "Wit," and other New Reviews

 COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW REVIEWSTHEATER FEATURES ON NORTH ATLANTIC AND ED HARRIS THE 31ST ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDSNEW REVIEW GO WIT ​Photo courtesy of Actors' Co-opPlaywright Margaret Edson won the Pulitzer Prize for this intense drama  about an English poetry pro ... More >>

Stage Raw: Ten to Life

Last week's NEW THEATER REVIEWS are embedded in the current COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS; also, see this week's THEATER FEATURE on Kevin King's The Idea ManTEN TO LIFE"Hacienda Heights" (from Ten to Life) Photo by Nic Cha KimNEW REVIEW GO TEN TO LIFE Leave logic at the door  and you'll get ... More >>

Theater Reviews: Our Town, The Crucible, Big

Also, The Fantasticks, Courting Vampires, A Number and more

Stage Raw: The Seafarer

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, THIS WEEK'S COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS  NEW REVIEW: THE SEAFARER at the Geffen PlayhouseJohn Mahoney and Andrew Connolly in The Seafarer Photo by Michael LamontNEW REVIEW GO THE SEAFARER If you're seeking innovation in the theater, look elsewhere. Conor McPherson's I ... More >>

Stage Raw: Stick Fly

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: THE WEEKEND'S NEW THEATER REVIEWS EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS COMING WEEK'S COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSand this week's THEATER FEATURE: an Off-Broadway roundupReviewed this week: the world premiere of Richard Greenberg's Our Mother's Brief Affair at South Coast Rep; the west coast ... More >>

Theater Reviews: Mauritius, Tennessee Williams Unscripted, Home Siege Home

Plus, Misalliance, Desperate Writers: The Final Draft and more

Misalliance

Plus, Misalliance, Desperate Writers: The Final Draft and more

Stage Raw: "Song of Extinction" Wins Steinberg/ATCA Prize

THIS WEEK'S COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSFor the weekend's New Reviews, press the "Continue Reading" tab at the bottom of this section.SONG OF EXTINCTION WINS STEINBERG/ATCA PRIZE A scene from the world premiere of Song of Extinction; Photo courtesy of Moving Arts. The largest national award for ... More >>

Stage Raw: Photograph 51

THE 30TH ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY AWARDS, HOSTED BY JAKE BRODER AND VANESSA CLAIRE SMITH (OF LOUIS & KEELY: LIVE AT THE SAHARA) IS HAPPENING  AT THE EL REY ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, MONDAY NIGHT MARCH 30. DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 P.M.,  AND NO IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO RSVP OR BUY TICKETS.BRODER AND SMITH ... More >>

Stage Raw: Grease

L.A.DRAMA CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS TONIGHT AT EL PORTALL.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS TWO WEEKS FROM TONIGHT AT THE EL REYPURCHASE TICKETS TO THE 30TH ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS ON MARCH 30TH; HERE ARE THE NOMINEES GREASE at the PantagesGrease Photo by Joan MarcusNEW REVIEW GREASE Born of NBC's re ... More >>

Stage Raw: Before Kirk Douglas Forgets

PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE 30TH ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS ON MARCH 30TH AT THE EL REY; HERE ARE THE NOMINEES. BEFORE I FORGETKirk Douglas in Before I Forget. Photo by Craig Schwartz The gift in Kirk Douglas' one-man show, Before I Forget,  that opened over the weekend in the theater name ... More >>

Theater Reviews: Bruising for Besos, Dracula, Burn This

The Threepenny Opera, Laws of Sympathy, and more

Stage Raw: Getting Physical

DRACULADracula is this week's Pick. See review by pressing the Continue Reading tab at the bottom of this section. (All New Reviews are embedded within the Comprehensive Theater Listings.) Photo by Michael Lamont GETTING PHYSICAL Two bills of physical comedy are being performed at Sacred Fool ... More >>

The 30th Annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards

The Arts Crisis Edition

Stage Raw: L.A. Weekly Theater Awards Nominees

Light up the Sky is this week's Pick of the Week. Light up the Sky Photo by Maia Rosenfeld THEATER PICK Moss Hart's sharp, hard-boiled 1946 farce, Light up the Sky, is the quintessential backstage tale of the mid-20th century. His characters are often based on real people: fast-talking produ ... More >>

Stage Raw: Your Source for Free and Discount Theater Tickets

FREE AND DISCOUNT THEATER TICKETS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW Plays411 is offering FREE & Discount Tickets: You only pay $3.50 Service Fee, or Half-off where indicated. Advance Reservations only: Go to: plays411.com, then select the show, use Promo Code: "LETMEIN" (unless otherwise instructed ... More >>

Stage Raw: Leslie Jordan's Trip Down the Pink Carpet

This Week's Theater Pick Leslie Jordan's Autobiographical Trip Down the Pink Carpet If a zest for life is infectious, there's probably no more delightful a carrier than Leslie Jordan. A diminutive stage, film, Emmy Award-winning TV actor, and fugitive from the Bible Belt, Jordan regales us ... More >>

Stage Raw: Ivanov

IVANOV Ivanov Photo Credit: Thomas Aurin Berlin's Volksbühne presents its U.S. premiere of Chekhov's Ivanov at UCLA's Freud Playhouse tonight and Satruday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 7 p.m. Click here for more information. FOURPLAY @ BOSTON COURT The Pasadena theater hosts readings of four new ... More >>

Stage Raw: Cocks of the Walk

COCKS OF THE WALK The same people who brought us Naked Boys Singing are at it again -- this time showing considerable more restraint with a musical revue subtly named Hangin' Out -- described as "a celebration of the human body . . . exploring different aspects of nudity in song and dance." Now ... More >>

Stage Raw: The Little Dog Laughed

>NEW REVIEW THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED As Gertrude Stein once put it (but not about this play), "It's almost about something, and then it's just not." Douglas Carter Beane's comedy brings with it the New York cast that put the play on the map, and secured Julie White a Tony for her role as a Holly ... More >>

Stage Raw: Lodestone Says Goodnight and Good Luck

Check back here Monday after noon for the upcoming weekend's NEW THEATER REVIEWS of The Little Dog Laughed, Douglas Carter Beane's comedy about being oneself in Hollywood and elsewhere, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre; Deborah Pryor's mystical Appalachian one-act The Love Talker at Son of Semele Ens ... More >>

Stage Raw: Critic-O-Meter

CRITIC-O-METER In case you're wondering what Rob Kendt has been up to in New York City, since leaving his post as editor of Back Stage West, first look no further than his byline - now Rob Weinert-Kendt. That's what a wedding can do. He's also been having bowls of matzoh ball soup at the Polish ... More >>

Stage Raw: Broadway Cares

BROADWAY CARES This Sunday, November 23, 2008 at 10 p.m., the cast of Spring Awakening (currently at the Ahmanson ) will perform a special show at L.A.'s Upright Cabaret with proceeds to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and other local charities here in the southland. Mark’s Restau ... More >>

Theater Reviews: Eat the Runt, Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, Cute With Chris

Miss Witherspoon, The Bourgeois Gentilhomme and more

Stage Raw: A Conversation With Robert Lepage

Miss Witherspoon, The Bourgeois Gentilhomme and more

Stage Raw: Director-Teacher Milton Katselas dies at 75

Miss Witherspoon, The Bourgeois Gentilhomme and more

Stage Raw: Apollo bound for Oregon

Miss Witherspoon, The Bourgeois Gentilhomme and more

Stage Raw: CTG Receives $90,000 New Play Development Grant

Miss Witherspoon, The Bourgeois Gentilhomme and more

Stage Raw: The Sequence

Miss Witherspoon, The Bourgeois Gentilhomme and more

Theater Reviews: Hamlet, Razorback, The Most Mediocre Story Never Told

Also, Earth Sucks, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Politico!

Stage Raw: You've Come to the Right Place

Also, Earth Sucks, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Politico!

Stage Raw: Latino New Works Fest

Also, Earth Sucks, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Politico!

Shots in the Dark

Stephen Sondheim’s brooding Assassins

Theater Reviews: Assassins, The Comedy of Errors

Also, Looped, Of Equal Measure, and more

Lady

Also, Looped, Of Equal Measure, and more

Theater Reviews: Lady, A Chorus Line, I Gelosi

Also, The Legendary Times of Bulgakov, and more