Derrick McDaniel News

Deaf West's THE SOLID LIFE OF SUGAR WATER features Sandra Mae Frank (the extraordinary deaf actor who starred as Wendla in all three of their Spring Awakening productions at Inner-City Arts, at the Wallis and on Broadway) as Alice, who uses ASL to communicate along with deaf actor Tad Cooley who portrays Phil, although his character was not written as hearing-impaired in the script. Speaking actors Natalie Camunas and Nick Apostolina give voice to Alice and Phil's most private thoughts, both in and out of bed, by shadowing the actors and often portraying other characters being described during Alice and Phil's ASL conversations, with the quartet's true partnership presenting both characters visually and verbally to perfection.

Vs. Theatre Company announces that its critically acclaimed production of Sam Shepard's masterpiece TRUE WEST, directed by Scott Cummins (Killer Joe, Bug) is EXTENDING through SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 at Vs. Theatre, 5453 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Deaf West Theatre presents the American premiere of The Solid Life of Sugar Water by Tony Award-winning playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child).

Vs. Theatre Company presents Sam Shepard's masterpiece TRUE WEST, directed by Scott Cummins (Killer Joe, Bug). TRUE WEST will open on Friday, July 26 at 8pm and will perform through Saturday, August 31 at Vs. Theatre, 5453 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Visible Ink and the Beverly Hills Playhouse have announced a new production of Stephen Sachs's critically-acclaimed comedy/drama Bakersfield Mist, set for a limited nine-performance run at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Under the direction of Amir Korangy, the cast will feature Diane Cary and John Mawson. Opening is set for Friday, July 12, at 8pm. The regular running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 4pm through July 28.

Visible Ink and the Beverly Hills Playhouse have announced a new production of Stephen Sachs's critically-acclaimed comedydrama Bakersfield Mist, set for a limited nine-performance run at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Under the direction of Amir Korangy, the cast will feature Diane Cary and John Mawson. Opening is set for Friday, July 12, at 8pm. The regular running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 4pm through July 28.

The Road Theatre Company announces that the fourth and final show of its 2018-2019 season, the Los Angeles premiere of AT THE TABLE, written by Michael Perlman and directed by Judith Moreland is EXTENDING through SATURDAY, JULY 20 at the Road Theatre on Lankershim, 5108 Lankershim Blvd.

there is an excellent staging of Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, directed by Jack Heller as a visiting production at the Odyssey Theatre, presented by Dance On Productions in association with Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger, that will allow you to forget how much time passes due to the skill of its playwright, understanding by its director, the brilliance of its cast, and most importantly, Joel Daavid's incredible multi-level scenic design which fills every possible inch of the stage with not only the two-room Kowalski apartment but also several outdoor spaces including a winding New Orleans-style wrought iron staircase leading up to their neighbor's front-door balcony. And from the moment I walked in and sat down, it was easy to hear all the audience accolades rightly being thrown Daavid's way.

For many students, it is a requirement to read CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by Fyodor Dostoevsky. But, in my opinion, the much-too-long, repetitive text is difficult to follow as much of the action takes place within the mind of its protagonist, Raskolnikov, who admits he murdered two women and is trying to understand what lead him to do so. So, when I heard Working Barn Productions was presenting Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus's Jefferson Award-winning, three-person adaptation of the famous novel as a psychological inquiry into the troubled mind of a murderer, I thought perhaps this was the perfect way to re-visit the story.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, announce that their third show of its 2018-2019 season, the world premiere of FRIENDS WITH GUNS, written by Stephanie Alison Walker and directed by Randee Trabitz is EXTENDING through SATURDAY, MAY 11 at the Road Theatre on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Paul Storiale's award-winning drama The Columbine Project directed by Bree Pavey, co-produced by the Whitefire Theatre and Loft Ensemble, is an atemporal retelling of the events leading up to, during and following the April 20, 1999 shooting at Columbine High School. The Columbine Project challenges what we think we know about the victims, families, teachers and the shooters themselves. 

Caroline Gottlieb, Visible Ink Productions, and the Beverly Hills Playhouse have announced a new production of Tom Kempinski's critically-acclaimed drama Duet for One, set for a five-week run at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Under the direction of Allen Barton, the cast will feature Mia Christou and Howard Leder. Opening is on Friday, April 12, at 8pm. The regular running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through May 12.

'All My Sons' is the story of Joe Keller (played by the engaging Mark Belnick), a successful, middle-aged, self-made man who has done a terrible and tragic thing, by framing his business partner for a crime that caused the death of hundreds of servicemen from World War II, and engineering his own exoneration. Now, his son Chris (the charismatic Jack Tynan) is about to marry the partner's daughter (the solid Alexis Boozer Sterling), the incident is revisited, and his lie of a life is unraveled.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, present the fourth and final show of its 2018-2019 season, the Los Angeles premiere of AT THE TABLE, written by Michael Perlman and directed by Judith Moreland. AT THE TABLE will preview on Saturday, May 11 at 8pm; Sunday, May 12 at 2pm; Tuesday, May 14; Wednesday, May 15 & Thursday, May 16 at 8pm and will open on Friday, May 17 at 8pm and run through Sunday, July 7 at the Road Theatre on Lankershim, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. (in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center) in North Hollywood.

Caroline Gottlieb, Visible Ink Productions, and the Beverly Hills Playhouse have announced a new production of Tom Kempinski's critically-acclaimed drama Duet for One, set for a five-week run at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Under the direction of Allen Barton, the cast will feature Mia Christou and Howard Leder.  Opening is on Friday, April 12, at 8pm. The regular running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through May 12. 

Once again, the NAACP Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch's Theatre Viewing Committee has spoken, and the nominations are in for the 28th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards. This year's pedigreed list of nominees collectively represents a rich, extensive dossier of legacies and accolades for both stage and screen. These nominees include members of a legendary 'gospel royal family' as well as a Legend whose part of an elite group of artists in the EGOT winners circle. These, along with all their fellow nominees, will be honored for their excellence on the small and large stages during our annual awards dinner, slated to be held on Monday, June 17, 2019, 6:00 p.m.at the prestigious Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Working Barn Productions presentsMarilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus's Jefferson Award-winning adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's famous novel, Crime and Punishment,a thrilling 90-minute psychological inquiry into the troubled mind of a murderer. Peter Richards directsMichael Trevino (CW's Roswell, New Mexico; The Vampire Diaries) in the role of Raskolnikov; Lola Kelly (Circle X, Chance Theatre, SCR, REDCAT) andBrian Wallace (End of the Rainbow at La Mirada, Cash on Delivery at the El Portal) play all the other characters.Crime and Punishment will run April 27 through May 26 at the Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica.

Coin & Ghost in association with Vs. Theatre Company present the World premiere of Love Is Another Country, a radical reimagining of Sophocles's Antigone at Vs. Theatre in Los Angeles from Friday, February 1 through Saturday, March 2, 2019. The third production of Coin & Ghost's inaugural season, Love Is Another Country is a new play written by the prolific Bay Area theatre artist Lisa Marie Rollins and her first full-length work to be produced in Los Angeles. Directed by Kendall Johnson, the production brings together the ancient tale of Antigone with the deaths of innumerable black men and women at the hands of police. Part ritual, part rage, part collective ask to the audience, the play follows three women of the Chapman family as they navigate living as black women in a country that claims to love them. For more information, please visit https://coinandghost.org/liac.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, present the third show of its 2018-2019 season, the world premiere of FRIENDS WITH GUNS, written by Stephanie Alison Walker and directed by Randee Trabitz. FRIENDS WITH GUNS will preview on Tuesday, March 12 at 8pm; Wednesday, March 13 at 8pm & Thursday, March 14 and will open on Friday, March 15 at 8pm and run through Sunday, May 5 at the Road Theatre on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce that the second show of its 2018-2019 season, the critically acclaimed, world premiere of DEATH HOUSE, written by Jason Karasev and directed by Michael Peretzian is EXTENDING through SATURDAY, MARCH 23 at the Road Theatre on Lankershim, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.