Harker Jones

Chris Fisher’s illusions are the ace in the hole for this production. It’s astonishing what can be done live on stage these days, but the effects in PARANORMAL ACTIVITY will blow your mind.

Director Thomas and choreographer Gary Roberts have designed some creative staging, but it never quite takes off

Trepany House has never shied away from pushing buttons and boundaries, and its latest project, writer-director Amit Itelman’s STRINGS, does both to wild effect.

DOG OF CARNAGE is an incisive, contemplative fever dream about relationships, perspective, and the unique and deeply resonant love of a dog.

What Fallen Saints does so well is create worlds of horror that are only a few steps from where we are in the world ourselves, offering a mirror to the underside of our own lives.

While SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER still holds up, more assured direction would help this production rise to its source material

It’s clever and smart but not smirking. It’s romantic and sweet, but never saccharine. Everything about SOME LIKE IT HOT fires on all cylinders, gleaming like a brass band.

THE IRISH CURSE is a moving exploration of masculinity, brotherhood, and how one commonality can erase race, age, and socioeconomic lines to find connection.

Overall, this year’s Hollywood Fringe Fest was a boon of creativity and talent. See what our critic thought about several shows from this year's Hollywood Fringe!

It was a mixed bag at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, but overall, the show went on and talent persevered

A double feature from Pamela Eberhardt showcases her caustic wit and emotional depth

When PARADE debuted on Broadway in December 1998 it won Tonys for Best Book and Best Original Score and six Drama Desk Awards. The 2023 revival was nominated for six Tony Awards itself, winning two. Now touring, the show, based on a true story, is in Los Angeles through July 12. And while it takes place 1913–1915, it is still just as relevant today as it was a century ago.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is hitting new highs this year, and with 416 shows to choose from, there’s something for everyone. The sheer number of shows means there is essentially no way to see them all, but I’m giving an overview and mini reviews of some of them. This is part one.

Roston’s choreography is evocative and sensual with diaphanous and whimsical qualities, and she finds the perfect setting for each sequence as romantic dusk fades into ominous twilight.

Elizabeth Reaser gives a career-defining performance under the creative direction of Jennifer Chang in this utterly delightful triumph at the Pasadena Playhouse

Director Carolyn Ratteray infuses the poignant memory play with shards of humor that undermine the story’s power and its heartbreak

While the nature of truth is always complicated, the difference between right and wrong should not be. Gernand’s electrifying story may not change minds, but ideally it will make some think.

a.k. payne’s West Coast premiere of FURLOUGH’S PARADISE is a lyrical look at envy, resentment, and perspective, and it serves a reminder that there is always hope even if offered only as glimmers.