Living Color Photos - Off-Off-Broadway

A native New Yorker, Neil Simon is recognized as Broadway's King of Comedy. Following his very successful 1961 production of COME BLOW YOUR HORN, Simon's name on a script basically meant instant box office sell-outs during the era from 1960-1980, the Great White Way's era of comic plays.

This Spotlight focuses on John Wuchte, a talented actor/director/writer/composer and amazing Tribal Acting theater creator, who I first met during last year's Hollywood Fringe Festival when I attended his masterful musical production Scarlett Fever which told the true story of the great search to find an actress to portray Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind in 1939. The production utilized John's unique style of performance, which he calls Tribal Acting; a combination of movement, gesture, song and dance, all accompanied by live percussion. And I was hooked!

Inspired by a 1970 Federico Fellini film, OLD CLOWN WANTED centers on three aging clowns who compete for a job in a room with no windows and very little furniture, in which theater and circus arts are intertwined in an absurdist, cynical, tender and very funny look at aging and man's fear of uselessness in society. The entertaining and non-stop action in this new translation from the French by Jeremy Lawrence, is appropriately directed by Romanian-born Florinel Fatulescu, who has won numerous theater awards for his daring and innovative style. While the overall production seemed very Italian in nature to me, there was certainly enough Vaudevillian slapstick schtick to keep audiences laughing from start to finish.

Any teenage girl enrolled in any secondary school around the world can tell you how they were tormented or teased by other girls for some reason, be it their weight, height, hair, or lack of the latest hip clothing to wear. Based only on physical appearance, little regard was paid by the most popular Queen Bee to the real circumstances of others' lives which prevented others from living up to her unrealistic expectations of those she was willing to call 'friends' in her inner circle. I can certainly remember being excluded from the more popular groups of friends in high school, not only for my weight but for my lack of interest in boys and obsession with The Beatles. Think back and I bet you can remember similar experiences you lived through or how you made fun of others you perceived as not being worthy of your inner circle friendship.

Today's subjects, Bill Largess and Ann Norton, are living their theatre lives as the Artistic Director and Executive Director of one of the gems in our local theatre scene.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley continues its 2016/2017 season with a musical saga of immigrant America, Rags. From the creators of Fiddler on the Roof and Wicked, this exhilarating musical follows the journey of Jewish immigrants Rebecca and her son David, who find themselves navigating the teeming, turn-of-the-century tenements of New York. A soaring, tuneful score (music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) illuminates this sweeping saga (book by Joseph Stein) of dreams and disillusions, love lost and inspiration found, and the heart and soul of the American character. It was declared "A winner, warm and witty. You are tempted to rise cheering," by The Mercury News. Rags will be directed by TheatreWorks Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, who notes "this production could not be timelier. As America debates immigration policies, what better time to present this deeper look at the newcomer's experience." Performances are April 5-30 (press opening: April 8) at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View. For tickets ($35-$86) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.orgor call (650) 463-1960.

Twenty-five writers and artists from around the globe were honoredSunday night, April 13th, at the 30th Annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards at the prestigiousWilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. The two grand prize honors were captured by Randy Hendersonof Kingston, WA who was awarded the The Golden Pen Award and a $5,000 cash prize and Trevor Smith of Tucson, AZ who was awarded the The Golden Brush Award and a $5,000 cash prize.

Robert Bills Productions will present THE ODD COUPLE (female version), Neil Simon's 1985 adaptation of his Tony Award-winning Broadway comedy, at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave, previewing October 17, opening Friday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m. and running through Sunday, November 10. 'Felix' and 'Oscar' are now 'Florence' and 'Olive' in this riotously funny play centered around two wildly mismatched roommates living together in New York City. Robert Bills will direct. Check out the just-released promo photos below!