Lonny Chapman News

It's the most wonderful time of the year, especially for the Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, which for 40 years has provided holiday cheer for children-in-need.

Actor/playwright Doug Haverty will become Group Rep's new artistic director in January 2020. In our conversation he tells our readers in great detail about the upcoming season and talks in depth about his vision for the theater. How long have you been a member of Group Rep? DH: I started in 1983, so 36 years.

A riotous script and a veteran cast who know their way around comedy highlight a bravura production of 'The Man Who Came To Dinner,' Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's classic 1939 play about a sidelined theater critic, forced to be wheelchair bound in a house in small town Ohio. Jim Beaver, Barry Pearl, and Kay Cole starr in this outrageously funny revival.

The Group Rep's world premiere production of A Twisted Christmas Carol, written by Phil Olson, directed by Doug Engalla, produced by Alyson York, a Texas style spoof of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol,” played to a sold out crowd at opening night. The play runs December 15, 2019 through January 12, 2020, Upstairs at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, California.

A Twisted Christmas Carol marks Doug Engalla's eighth production as Director at The Group Rep. Doug has worked with Phil Olson since 1997 on a number of productions, including five World Premieres in the Don't Hug Me series (most recently, as director of Don't Hug Me, We're Family in 2018), as well as the 2016 World Premiere of A Nice Family Christmas (featuring Tony Award-nominated actor, Marcia Rodd) at The Group Rep. A Twisted Christmas Carol is Doug's sixth World Premiere as Director with Phil Olson. Doug's cast of Phil Olson's A Nice Family Gathering - also in 2016 at The Group Rep - earned a Best Ensemble, Small Theatre nomination from the NAACP Theatre Awards. Doug's previous directing project at the Group Rep was for Neil Simon's Rumors in 2018. He is preparing to open A Twisted Christmas Carol this Sunday December 15. You have such a great rapp

The Group Rep presents Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's beloved farce THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, directed by Bruce Kimmel, produced by Doug Haverty. The comedy classic takes place a few weeks before Christmas in small town USA, after a famously outlandish NYC radio personality is invited to dine at the house of the well-to-do local factory owner. But this sharp-tongued celebrity slips on a patch of ice outside the front door and injures his hip. Confined to the house for a month, he drives his hosts mad by insulting them, monopolizing their world, wreaking havoc with romantic antics and receiving a constant stream of bizarre guests, including performers, scientists, penguins and even paroled convicts. As Christmas Day approaches mayhem ensues and fate delivers a comeuppance. 

This interview is directed to playwright Phil Olson, so tremendously popular for his Don't Hug Me series of musicals. His new play A Twisted Christmas is about to open Upstairs at GrouRep on December 14. Tell our readers about your A Twisted Christmas Carol. When you say that it is the Dickens tale Texas style, what exactly do you mean? Is there a lot of the humor of Don't Hug Me and its characters in this piece? A Twisted Christmas Carol is a Texas spoof of Charles Dickens' classic story, a?oeA Christmas Carol.a??

The Group Rep presents Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's beloved farce THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, directed by Bruce Kimmel, produced by Doug Haverty. The comedy classic takes place a few weeks before Christmas in small town USA, after a famouslya??outlandish NYC radio personality is invited to dine at the house of the well-to-do local factory owner. Buta??this sharp-tongued celebrity slips on a patch of ice outside the front door and injures his hip. Confineda??to the house for a month, he drives his hosts mad by insulting them,a??monopolizing their world, wreaking havoc with romantic antics anda??receiving a constant stream ofa??bizarre guests, including performers,a??scientists, penguins and even paroled convicts.a??As Christmas Day approachesa??mayhem ensues and fate delivers aa??comeuppance.a??

Actor/director/author Bruce Kimmel is best known to audiences for his tremendous work with Kritzerland, his own company that produces updated albums of classic musicals as well as recordings of new ones like his A Carol Christmas, produced last year at Group Rep and currently nominated for several BroadwayWorld Awards. Kimmel is about to open The Man Who Came to Dinner at Group Rep on December 6. In our convesation he talks about his fondness for the play and gives us his vision for a successful production of it. How do you envision The Man Who Came to Dinner onstage? BK: Fast. Funny. I love the play, have played Banjo twice, so it's really fun to come back to it as a director. The comedy is as funny as it's always been and it's also great to be able to bring whatever we can bring to it. But, for me, pace is key - the play can run long, but I'm making sure that doesn't happen here. Why do you think it has endured all these years even though it's a period piece with the mention of many, many names people today do not recognize? BK: The central situation is so relatable - someone takes over your house and your life, and disrupts everything, but, in the end, ends up being helpful to people. Add to that, the assortment of crazies who populate Sheridan Whiteside's wo

Kay Cole and Barry Pearl join the cast of the Group Rep's production of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's beloved farce THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, directed by Bruce Kimmel and produced by Doug Haverty.   The play runs December 6, 2019 through January 12, 2020 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, California.

The Group Rep presents the world premiere premiere of A Twisted Christmas Carol, a comedy written by Phil Olson, directed by Doug Engalla, produced by Alyson York, a Texas style spoof of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol,' December 14 - January 12, Upstairs at the Group Rep on the second floor of the Lonny Chapman Theatre.

Jim Beaver joins the cast as Sheridan Whiteside in the Group Rep's production of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's beloved farce THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, directed by Bruce Kimmel and produced by Doug Haverty.  

What If? A Musical Revue directed by Bruce Kimmel, produced by Doug Haverty, with musical direction by Richard Allen, returns to Los Angeles for Two Nights only, Wednesday, October 23 and Thursday, October 24 at 8:00 pm, as a fundraiser for The Group Rep Theatre Company at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, one of the oldest producing theatre companies in greater Los Angeles.

Drina Durazo and Gus Krieger are about to open an adaptation of Night of the Living Dead at Group Rep on October 4. In our conversation they talk about the excitement of presenting this Halloween treat. Gus Krieger (Writer): Original stage plays include Deity Clutch, Sherlock, Through The Looking-Glass, The Armadillo Necktie, and Breaking Bard. Awards include the Spirit of the Fringe Award for Best Writing, Scenie Awards for Best World Premiere Play and Outstanding Production, and the Valley Theatre Award for Best Play. Krieger's first produced feature screenplay a?oeThe Killing Rooma?? premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. As writer-director-producer, Krieger's films include the philosophical thriller 'The Binding,' and the award-winning hip-hop drama 'My Name Is Myeisha.' Additionally, Krieger is the Associate Artistic Director of The Porters of Hellsgate, which will become the first Los Angeles theatre company to produce the complete works of William Shakespeare.

The Group Rep is proud to present George A. Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead,' adapted for the stage by Gus Krieger, directed by Drina Durazo, produced by Larry Eisenberg, October 4 through November 10, on the Main Stage of the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood. California.

Director/actress Linda Alznauer directed Trapped at Tea Time at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival and Arthur Miller's All My Sons at Upstairs-at-the-Group-Rep (2018). Also Upstairs at the Group Rep, she directed and appeared in And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little by Paul Zindel (2017) and Another Antigone by A.R. Gurney (2016). Other LA credits include Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing at Two Roads Theater in Studio City (2014) and Visiting Oliver at JET Studios in NoHo (2014). NY credits include Blind Date at Open Pulse One Act Festival on Theater Row. Linda is a graduate of the USC Film School. She has recently opened Otherwise Engaged at Upstairs at the Group Rep.

The Group Rep presents Simon Gray's award-winning wry, dry comic play OTHERWISE ENGAGED directed by Linda Alznauer. In the blithely, sexually-indulgent 70s, a hooked-on-sex book publisher actually craves a tranquil afternoon of Wagner's Parsifal to soothe the savage beast within. But what he encounters is a constant barrage of neighbors, friends, relatives, strangers, aspiring writers and even his wife back from out-of-town with late breaking news. They all need something from him and all he wants is a quiet afternoon, but as we all know — there's no peace for the wicked. 

The Group Rep presents Simon Gray's award-winning wry, dry comic play OTHERWISE ENGAGED directed by Linda Alznauer. In the blithely, sexually-indulgent 70s, a hooked-on-sex book publisher actually craves a tranquil afternoon of Wagner's Parsifal to soothe the savage beast within.

The Group Rep presents LOOSE KNIT, written by Theresa Rebeck, directed by L. Flint Esquerra, produced by Katelyn Ann Clark, a seductively smart, dark comedy about women who, once a week gather to knit. As the sweaters pile up, their lives fall apart. August 2 - September 8, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm, at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood.