David McKnight

The passions and purpose of creators in the community and around the country are the centerpiece of weekly virtual conversations on Into the Absurd: A Virtually Existential Dinner Conversation presented every Saturday at 5 pm on Zoom and Facebook Live by The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium.

Members of the 'Pro99' movement of Actors' Equity Association have issued an open letter to AEA's newly elected president, Kate Shindle, in response to her victory and to her inaugural address as president of the national union for actors and stage managers. The open letter is signed by over 400 Equity members (listed below), including such notable names as Ed Asner, Francis Fisher, Sally Kirkland and Alfred Molina. The 'Pro99' movement formed in late 2014 in opposition to AEA's rollout of a new plan that will effectively force 'intimate theaters' in Los Angeles to pay Equity actors minimum wage, go 'non-union' or even close - despite an overwhelming vote against the plan by 66% of the Los Angeles membership on an advisory referendum. 'Pro99' members around the nation, who take their name from the current AEA '99 Seat Plan' that allows members to volunteer in smaller venues, oppose AEA's new promulgated plan. They are requesting that Equity leadership put a moratorium on the plan until local members' voices can be heard, and that the union work with its members to develop an alternative plan that will more realistically address the needs of the Los Angeles theater community.

A reading of the free-flowing, hip hop-style 'Used To Was (Maybe Did)' by Brian Dykstra will be presented by CTG and Inner-City Arts tonight, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. as part of CTG's DouglasPlus programming. Directed by Margarett Perry, the free reading will take place in Inner-City Art's Rosenthal Theater. A reception with the artists will follow the performance.

A reading of the free-flowing, hip hop-style 'Used To Was (Maybe Did)' by Brian Dykstra will be presented by CTG and Inner-City Arts on Saturday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. as part of CTG's DouglasPlus programming. Directed by Margarett Perry, the free reading will take place in Inner-City Art's Rosenthal Theater. A reception with the artists will follow the performance.

Jitney is the eighth play in August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle and recently completed a critically acclaimed run at SCR (South Coast Rep) in Orange County. It has now transferred to the Pasadena Playhouse through July and certainly stands tall as one of Wilson's earliest and best kitchen sink dramas. The production has sensational acting and direction by Ron OJ Parson and balances enough humor with the heartache of real life to make it thoroughly absorbing and entertaining fare.

The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Charles Dillingham, interim Executive Director) and South Coast Repertory, will present August Wilson's JITNEY, directed by Ron OJ Parson. Performances will begin June 21 through July 15, with an official press opening on Sunday, June 24, 2012, at 5:00 p.m at The Pasadena Playhouse. Check out a sneak peek of the production photos below!

August Wilson's Jitney, a play about a ragtag group of drivers of gypsy cabs-known as jitneys-closes out SCR's 2011-2012 season, with an all-star cast led by Charlie Robinson, who last wowed SCR audiences in another Wilson hit, Fences. Ron OJ Parson, who has previously directed Jitney at St. Louis Black Rep, directs the show, which runs on the Segerstrom Stage now through June 10. See photos of Charlie Robinson and the cast of JITNEY on stage below!

August Wilson's Jitney, a play about a ragtag group of drivers of gypsy cabs-known as jitneys-closes out SCR's 2011-2012 season, with an all-star cast led by Charlie Robinson, who last wowed SCR audiences in another Wilson hit, Fences. Ron OJ Parson, who has previously directed Jitney at St. Louis Black Rep, directs the show, which runs on the Segerstrom Stage from tonight, May 11 - June 10.

August Wilson's Jitney, a play about a ragtag group of drivers of gypsy cabs-known as jitneys-will close out SCR's 2011-2012 season, with an all-star cast led by Charlie Robinson, who last wowed SCR audiences in another Wilson hit, Fences. Ron OJ Parson, who has previously directed Jitney at St. Louis Black Rep, will direct the show, which will run on the Segerstrom Stage from May 11 - June 10.