Harker Jones - Page 3

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.

While a complicated and creative adaptation, the production ultimately suffers from a lack of energy and a tonal inconsistency that is hard to reconcile.

Scott Thompson and Fred Barton plumbed legendary composer Harold Arlen’s catalog to create the dazzling world premiere jukebox musical ONE FOR MY BABY playing now at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL is smart, silly, and full of heart. Its expansive and inclusive ideas are not preached, they are sown. And it is another home run from the ever-reliable Open Fist Theatre Company.

This is just another gem of a production that should not fly under the radar. The Theater 68 Arts Complex in North Hollywood is an unsung space that consistently offers up intimate and challenging material.

The classic show is revived to hysterical effect with excellent directing, staging and acting

The themes in DEATH OF A SALESMAN are universal and timeless, though that doesn’t mean they always resonate. Firmer direction and better sound would have elevated this production so that it landed with more heft.

NIGHTINGALE is by turns stark, humorous, shocking, and devastating, revealing truths and realities obliquely but with the power of blunt force.

At a brisk 80 minutes, the rock opera flies by in a flash of opulence and sin with an infectious joie de vivre

The Road Theatre’s 2024–2025 season opener, Marlow Wyatt’s ROBBIN, FROM THE HOOD, is a smart and sensitive look at two kids in the projects of an unnamed tropical American city who strive for more.

The Antaeus Theatre Company pulls off another triumph with the enchanting and handsomely mounted Oscar Wilde classic.

The beloved story of dreamers and lovers in late ’80s New York is marred by poor sound and a band that drowns the players out.

Tom Jacobson’s script is a razor-sharp warning of how easy it is for history to repeat itself with long, dark shadows stretching across our country again.

A little more nuance to both the characters and the script would have given the show more weight. As it is, it’s quite broad, which, yes, is part of the point, but that point would be sharper if it were toned down a bit.

DIDO OF IDAHO is a dark comedy by Abby Rosebrock that tackles intense themes of grief, trauma, and obsession. Deftly directed by Abigail Deser, the show is powerful, pointed, and poignant with solid performances and clever staging. Another in a long-running series of knockouts from the Echo Theater Company.

MURDER AFTER HOURS is exquisitely well done and will keep you guessing up until the affecting and surprising end. It’s well worth spending an evening in the British countryside among the snipes and snubs of the upper class at the Lonny Chapman.