Steven Leigh MorrisHosted by Rubén Martínez and Raquel Gutiérrez, Loyola Marymount University,
KCET Community Television and VARIEDADES present The Ballad of Ricardo Flores Magón at the Ford Amphitheatre September 28, 2012, 8 p.m., 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. The show features Quetzal, augmented by members of the Martínez del Río band, musical performances by Marisoul Hernández, Chicano Son, Ceci Bastida, and Los Illegals, a “performance lecutre” by Josh Kun, and actors Joe Grimm and Phil Lamarr.
A Mexican-style variety show frames a chapter of L.A. history, the life and times of Mexican revolutionary Ricardo Flores Magón. “The show evokes the 'progressive' era of early 20th century Los Angeles, where activists gathered at the Old Plaza in Downtown and faced off with their political nemeses: the Los Angeles Times and the LAPD.” The performance will be taped for broadcast on KCET as part of its “Live @ the Ford” series. fordamphitheatre.org
or call (323) 461-3673.
Click here for the latest New Theater Reviews, or go to the jump. Also check out this week's stage feature on the new Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA, and it's presentation of Rhinoceros
NEW THEATER REVIEWS, scheduled for publication September 27, 2012
GO A KIND OF LOVE STORY
Credit: Sacred Fools
Jenelle Riley's lighthearted comedy is seriously funny and endearingly sweet. Mark (Michael Lanahan) and Ally (Carrie Wiita) were indoctrinated, while growing up, by fairy tales, Disney movies, romantic comedies and Hollywood endings. Each is convinced that the perfect mate is out there somewhere, if they could only find him/her. Meanwhile, both suffer all the hurts and indignities inflicted by the dating game. Treated like doormats by their friends, ridiculed by their acquaintances, they desperately hold onto their optimism despite unhelpful advice from a vain and dunderheaded Superman (Will McMichael) and condescending Belle (Rebecca Larsen) from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Ally puts up with a boorishly obnoxious boyfriend (Rick Steadman) because she thinks he's better than nothing, while Mark is surrounded by women who think he's a great guy but wouldn't dream of dating him. Erin Matthews provides a hilarious portrait of Ally's voluptuous, airheaded roommate, and there are sterling performances by Carrie Keranen, Curt Bonnem, Jennifer Christina Smith, Donelle Fuller and Terry Tocantins. The witty and handsome set design by Tifanie McQueen and whimsical projections by Anthony Backman add to the fun. Uncredited hair and wigs enhance character. Sacred Fools Theatre, 660 N. Heliotrope Drive, Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m. (added perf Thurs., Oct. 18 & 25, 8 p.m.); through Oct. 28. (310) 281-8337, sacredfools.org. (Neal Weaver)
ONASSIS
Credit: John Eder
For most people, Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis was best known for three things: acquiring the ultimate trophy wife in the person of presidential widow Jackie Kennedy; his decadelong affair with opera diva Maria Callas; and creating a vast, international shipping empire through freebooting Blofeldian guile. But that trio is not the focus of this oddly laudatory and overly laundered rags-to-riches tribute by solo-performance biographer Anthony Skordi (also co-writer with Willard Simms). Skordi's Onassis is a slyly mischievous, perennially priapic wheeler-dealer bent on leveraging respect from a world that considers him little more than a vulgar and grasping arriviste. His tragic flaw is in approaching his personal and family relationships with the same calculated ruthlessness as in his business dealings. Unfortunately, neither director Bruce Katzman's crisp staging (on Adam Haas Hunter's efficient set) nor Skordi's zesty, Zorba-like portrayal are finally able to transcend a text that has all the poetry and none of the depth of the man's Wikipedia entry. Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; through Oct. 28. (323) 465-4446, stellaadler-la.com. (Bill Raden)
ORESTES 3.0: INFERNO
Credit: Paul M. Rubenstein
This world premiere is another installment of Charles L. Mee's reimagining of Euripides' Greek tragedy Orestes, relating the violent, politically challenging myth to contemporary society. While awaiting trial for murdering his mother, Orestes (Johanny Paulino) is being tortured by three Furies. His sister, Electra (Megan Kim), with whom he has an incestuous relationship, is tugging him back from the brink of madness. Mee has woven in references to L.A., as Helen of Troy (the fine Katrina Nelson) prances out in a Marilyn-esque bathing suit, talking about her skincare regimen; later, the cast “drives” rolling chairs while checking their iPhones and trying not to crash. True to form, Mee never shies away from discussions of graphic sex, and S&M figures prominently. The problem stems not from his adaptation (though 20 minutes could be shaved off) but from the company executing it. Mee has a longtime collaborative relationship with Anne Bogart's SITI Company, a natural fit for the intensely physical component of most of his scripts. While Frédérique Michel's choreography and direction are artful attempts, her cast is, for the most part, simply not seasoned enough to produce a cohesive vision. City Garage, Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave., Building T1, Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; thru Nov. 25. (310) 319-9939, citygarage.org. (Rebecca Haithcoat)
RHINOCEROS UCLA'S Center for the Art of Performance presents Theatre de la Ville-Paris' production of Ionesco's classic. See Stage feature.
THE SQUARE ROOT OF WONDERFUL
Credit: Steve Jarrard
In Carson McCullers' creaky drama, a
woman named Molly (Meg Wallace) vacillates between two lovers: her
abusive ex-husband, Phillip (Ned Liebl), a famous writer whose stock is
plummeting, and her new guy, John (Ryan Gangl), a straight-arrow
romantic who adores her. The romance with John is blossoming when a
boozy Phillip, just released from a sanitarium, appears to plead for
another chance. Weighed down with contrivances and awkward exposition, a
bad play like this one can be improved on — sometimes even rescued —
by accomplished performances. Instead, this script's flaws are squared
twice over, owing to Wallace's vacuous delivery and Gangl's wooden
presence. Liebl brings talent and heat to the production, displaying his
character's vulnerability, as well as his menacing side. Carolyn Crotty
is persuasive and sympathetic as his spinster sister, and Helen Wilson
enlivens the show as his pompous mom. All three performers deserve
better material. Steve Jarrard directs. Collaborative Artists Ensemble
at the Raven Playhouse, 5233 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8
p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; through Oct. 14. (323) 860-6569, ravenplayhouse.com. (Deborah Klugman)
TEXAS LOVES LYLA! Thanks to TV shows like RuPaul's Drag Race, spiteful and venomous drag queens now seem to be almost as ubiquitous as the stars in the heavens. Given this thought, what a pleasure it is to find oneself in the company of writer-performer Jeffrey Wylie's alter diva Lyla KaRug, a small-town Texas matron who eschews the traditional he-she values of camp and sarcasm for the sake of folksy warmth and graciousness. Wylie's solo show takes place on a set constructed to resemble a small-town Texas backyard in which his creation, Lyla, holds forth on her podcast, offering helpful advice on loving oneself, flaws and all. Wylie's genial character is certainly appealing, but it's unfortunate that the play is little more than a threadbare sketch, with no story to speak of, and sadly leaves almost no impression whatsoever. A little venom might actually have spiced things up. Theater Asylum Lab, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd, Hlywd.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 7 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; through Oct. 7. theatreasylum-la.com. (Paul Birchall)
PICK OF THE WEEK: THREE VIEWS OF THE SAME OBJECT
Love,
aging and death contour Henry Murray's multilayered play Three Views of
the Same Object. Academic professionals Poppy and Jesse (Allan Miller
and Anne Gee Byrd) have had a long, fruitful marriage but now are in the
waning stages of life. He is suffering from terminal cancer, while
booze and prescription drugs assuage her crippling physical and
emotional maladies. “If I felt like you look, I'd be asking for a couple
of aspirin,” Poppy quips in a moment of wry humor. At the heart of this
bittersweet story, however, is their suicide pact, and it is the
painful (and often funny) working out of this solemn agreement that
galvanizes the piece with emotional resonance while offering a haunting
portrait of the grim reality faced by many senior citizens. This play
uses multiple actors in three parts, each disclosing different
perspectives on and dramatic chemistry of the couple's bleak
circumstances.It's the savvy direction of co-directors John Perrin
Flynn, Brett Aune and Hollace Starr that keeps the action flowing
smoothly on Stephanie Kerley Schwartz's handsome, meticulously appointed
set. Performances are all terrific. Complementing Byrd and Miller's
stellar portrayals are K. Callan, Shelly Kurtz, Nancy Linehan Charles
and, as caretaker Ms. Widkin, Catherine Carlen. Rogue Machine Theatre,
5041 Pico Blvd., Fri,-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; through Oct. 28. (855)
585-5185. (Lovell Estell III)
GO YEAR OF THE RABBIT
Credit: Betsy Newman
Watching Keliher Walsh's multifaceted mini-saga about war feels like peering through a kaleidoscope at tiny, glittering particles that shift and tumble before locking into place to reveal a pattern. The three related storylines are presented in a fragmented fashion until the connections eventually are revealed. One involves a bomber flight duo, Lt. Bridges (Ashanti Brown) and Lt. Skinner (Will McFadden), and the impact and subsequent fallout their intimacy has on their tour of duty in the Persian Gulf. The unifying storyline is that of Lieu (Elyse Dinh), a Vietnamese child orphaned and cursed by the horrific war that destroyed her country. Lieu's presence touches all the characters, whether they realize it or not. Dinh's graceful and alluring performance adeptly evolves from a small child to a survivalist to a woman on a mission, and her lilting accent perfectly complements Walsh's evocative and poetic language. Despite the play's choppy nature, Dinh's complex performance is reminiscent of a fluid stroke of calligraphy. Brown also is outstanding as a woman carving out her military career under the watchful eye of her ex-military father (Meshach Taylor). Director James Eckhouse elicits fine performances from all (Walsh also has a key role in her own play), and Joseph Slawinski's dramatic sound design beautifully counterpoints some subtle music cues. In repertory with The Belle of Belfast. Ensemble Studio Theatre L.A. at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; through Oct. 28. (323) 644-1929, ensemblestudiotheatrela.org. (Pauline Adamek)
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