June August

The dialogue is so snappy and funny that I had the feeling the director could have distributed scripts and allowed the actors to take it from there. Wonderful performances. A must-see.

Along with other articles about Haley Izurieta--to wit:  local woman returns to the Coachella Valley in the Ensemble of the Broadway hit Beetlejuice--I was delighted to be granted an interview via a telephone conversation with her.

This show is a must-see. The impact of the writing, acting, and direction will be with you for a very long time.

METEOR SHOWER is brilliantly performed and directed. The fast-paced humor and laughs never stop. Running through March 15. Don't miss it.

American Moor, by Keith Hamilton Cobb, is a powerful, humorous, and deeply engaging examination of race and the relationship between actors and the directors who hold the power to cast them. Cobb, an accomplished Black actor and playwright, originally wrote American Moor to perform himself.

Adam Karsten is taking a different approach to GUYS AND DOLLS, running February 25 to March 8 at Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre

Whether or not you are familiar with this chaotic style of British comedy, Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guv’nors offers an enjoyable introduction to fast-paced, wacky farce. And I mean wacky. There’s nothing serious or thought-provoking about it. There’s enough of that on the news. And “guv’nor” has nothing to do with politics. It’s a colloquial British term for one’s boss or employer, in this case two employers. Bean adapted the play, set in 1963 Brighton, from Carlo Goldoni’s 18th century classic The Servant of Two Masters.

Alix Korey is an outstanding entertainer. It’s no wonder that an appreciative audience (including me) stood up as one to acknowledge your performance at the Cabaret season opener at CV Rep, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The show was a wonderful 75-minute break from the ordinary. And it is always a delight to see Wayne Abravanel at the piano.

Have you ever left a theater wishing the performer you just enjoyed could be your friend? That’s how I felt after hearing Susan Edwards Martin sing at CV Rep’s Cabaret Series. Susan has the knack of embracing you with her voice and making a place for you in the living room of her heart.

The world premiere at CV Rep of Beverly Hills Hotel Peace Talks by Gregg Ostrin is definitely a show worth seeing. The dialogue grabbed me from the first line. The acting does justice to the script. Although not a strict comedy genre, I found myself and the audience laughing at Ostrin's skill in handling characterizations and verbalizing Hollywood and political cliches.

As a regular theatergoer who has seen Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities before--twice in the Palm Springs area--I wasn't expecting to be surprised. Well, I was. It became more than a play; it was an experience. At rise, I found myself embraced by a set that invited me into the living room of an upscale Palm Spring home. From that moment on, I was captured by sensitive acting and masterful direction in this stunning production at Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre.

When laughter heals, Christopher Durang’s 1981 comedy BEYOND THERAPY is just what the doctor ordered. Jerome Elliott’s lively, creative direction enhances the adventures of two love-hungry Manhattanites, Bruce and Prudence, who have consulted their respective therapists for guidance in seeking stable relationships.

Desert TheatreWorks is to be congratulated for mounting a successful production of DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at the Indio Performing Arts Center April 4-13, 2025. A strong cast of 10, starring Tess Martinez in the title role, recalls the desperation of millions of innocent people during the Second World War in their attempt to survive the Nazi Holocaust.

The SHARK is BROKEN, a three-man, two-hour play inspired by the technical problems that delayed the filming of Jaws, is now amusing audiences at Revolution Stage Company in Palm Springs through April 19. Directed by Roger Welch, the script by Ian Frost and Joseph Nixon dramatizes the frustrations of actors Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw who were forced to wait aimlessly between takes in the cramped galley of a boat. Revolution Stage is presenting the production in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jaws.

I was moved—completely captivated by the stunning performance of Luis Alfaro’s award-winning Black Butterfly, a poignant peek into one aspect of Mexican-American culture, now playing at Green Room Theatre Company. The show offers more than the play itself.  On a makeshift stage in the RAP Foundation building, the show opens with an energetic display of talent by Ballet Folklórico.

Remember the advertising slogan, 'The Gift That Keeps on Giving'?  It originated in the 1920's to promote the newly invented phonograph by the Victor Talking Machine Company. It was so effective that RCA Victor resurrected it in 1963 as a Christmas season advertisement.  Well, in the spirit of 'I wish I had thought of that,' I am borrowing the slogan in reference to the Origins New Works Program by Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre.  Origins truly is a gift that keeps on giving.