Shari Barrett
Shari Barrett, a Los Angeles native, has been active in the theater world since the age of six - acting, singing, and dancing her way across the boards all over town. After teaching in secondary schools, working in marketing for several studios, writing, directing, producing, and performing in productions for several non-profit theaters, Shari now dedicates her time and focuses her skills as a theater reviewer, entertainment columnist, and publicist to "get the word out" about theaters of all sizes throughout the Los Angeles area. As a founding member of the LA Stage Alliance Leadership Council Task Force, she and reps from theaters throughout the city worked together to articulate a vision for the theater community of Greater Los Angeles. Shari is a member of the Board of Directors for Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse, one of the thriving community theater groups in Los Angeles, and the Publicist for CRE Outreach at The Blue Door, a theater group dedicated to providing artistic expression for those with all disabilities, military veterans, and at-risk youth. Along with being on the dedicated team of Broadway World theater reviewers in Los Angeles, Shari writes a weekly "Stage Page" column in the Culver City News featuring local theater news and reviews, and recently won the "Theater Hound" critics award on Better Lemons. Shari has received recognition from the City of Los Angeles for her dedication of heart and hand to the needs of friends, neighbors and fellow members of society for her devotion of service to the people of Los Angeles, and is honored to serve the theater world in her hometown.
BWW Interview: Valerie Schillawski, Jen Knight, and Deborah Moylan of LEGENDS AND BRIDGE at Dramatically Incorrect Theater Group & Dance Company
BWW Interview: Stu James of SLOW FOOD at International City Theatre
BWW Interview: Four Female Directors Share Their Personal Histories Within THE ZIP CODE PLAYS: SEASON TWO by Antaeus Theatre Company
BWW Feature: VIRTUAL THEATER SERIES Schedule at Kentwood Players
BWW Interview: Producer Marilyn Fox of A BINTEL BRIEF at Pacific Resident Theatre
BWW Interview: Imaginative Director Branda Lock of PYGMALION at Little Fish Theatre
BWW Interview: Playwright and Actor Sarah Hunter on Why DOGS ARE BETTER THAN PEOPLE
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Stephen Foster & Chuck Pelletier who Recently Launched Round Earth Entertainment
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Daniel Durant, a Multi-Talented ASL Actor with Deaf West Theatre
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Monica Ricketts Who Discovered the Magic of Performing Onstage as a Child and Never Looked Back
BWW Interview: Lesley Fera on Creating the PRETTY LITTLE WINE MOMS Podcast
BWW Feature: Modern Adaptation of WAR OF THE WORLDS Brings Live Virtual Theater Into a New Realm of Artistic Possibility
BWW Review: THE ART OF FACING FEAR Produced By Company Of Angels and Rob LecroneBWW Interview: Imaginative Director Branda Lock of PYGMALION at Little Fish Theatre
May 12, 2021
How a director envisions a production makes all the difference in its prestation to an audience, starting with casting and continuing through rehearsals and all technical aspects of the show. I spoke with Branda Lock on bringing her vivid imagination and directing skills to George Bernard Show’s PYGMALION, filled with unique Lock-inspired changes to the casting which promise to shed new light on this classic tale of class struggles in Shaw’s time.
BWW Interview: Four Female Directors Share Their Personal Histories Within THE ZIP CODE PLAYS: SEASON TWO by Antaeus Theatre Company
May 11, 2021
Antaeus Theatre Company highlights the culture and history of six additional Los Angeles neighborhoods with Season Two of its popular 'The Zip Code Plays: Los Angeles' podcast series, set to launch May 20. Here are my interviews with the four female directors who discuss their own personal histories within the Zip Code Plays they direct. (Gigi Bermingham, Jennifer Chang, Saundra McClain, and Bernadette Speakes)
BWW Interview: Producer Marilyn Fox of A BINTEL BRIEF at Pacific Resident Theatre
May 8, 2021
A BINTEL BRIEF, comprised of a selection of sixty years of letters from the lower East Side of New York to The Jewish Daily Forward, a popular local paper among the Yiddish speaking immigrants, is being presented online by Pacific Resident Theatre, I wanted to find out more about how the production was conceived, directed and produced to find out if anyone on the team also shares a family story similar to mine. Here is what producer Marilyn Fox shared with me.
BWW Feature: VIRTUAL THEATER SERIES Schedule at Kentwood Players
April 28, 2021
The non-profit Kentwood Players, founded more than 70 years ago, is one of the longest-lasting community theatre companies in Los Angeles (and the nation.) Through the decades, Kentwood Players has staged more than 400 productions, touching the lives of tens of thousands of people throughout the region and beyond. It has been a haven for artists, a home for creativity and expression, and a reliable resource for high-quality community theatre in the southland, now showcased on the Kentwood Players Virtual Theater Series on You Tube.
BWW Interview: Stu James of SLOW FOOD at International City Theatre
April 19, 2021
Stu James answers questions about his virtual theatre appearance in SLOW FOOD, a tender, uproarious comedy by Wendy MacLeod and directed by Marya Mazor for International City Theatre. In this uproarious comedy, a vacationing couple heads to a Greek restaurant in Palm Springs for their anniversary dinner, only to be confronted with the worst service imaginable by a waiter who knows no limits to his meddling.
BWW Interview: Valerie Schillawski, Jen Knight, and Deborah Moylan of LEGENDS AND BRIDGE at Dramatically Incorrect Theater Group & Dance Company
April 16, 2021
LEGENDS AND BRIDGE is a comedy imagining former, silver-screen legend Joan Crawford (matronly, washed-up, and pickled on spiked Pepsi) who invites Judy Garland (recently fired from her CBS TV show) and Bette Davis (bitter at no longer being the “Queen of Hollywood”) up to her Manhattan apartment in 1964 to live with her as they work on a “secret” film project. I find it difficult to believe anyone reading this does not already know about the three screen legends featured in the show. But just to be sure, I decided to interview the three actors portraying them to find out more about what it was like to portray such well-known personalities.
BWW Interview: Sheila Carrasco on Exploring Female Identity in ANYONE BUT ME
March 8, 2021
Two solo explorations of female identity, written and performed by two funny Latinx-American women, are being presented by IAMA Theatre Company: ANYONE BUT ME, written and performed by Sheila Carrasco, directed by Margaux Susi; and THE OXY COMPLEX, written and performed by Anna LaMadrid, directed by Michelle Bossy. While following strict Covid-19 guidelines, both were filmed live at L.A.’s Pico Playhouse and will premiere virtually on March 21 at www.iamatheatre.com, where each will continue streaming through April 18. Sheila Carrasco, a resident of Santa Monica, just wrapped filming ANYONE BUT ME. As a fellow Westsider, I decided to speak with her about that experience prior to seeing her show.
PICK OF THE VINE at Little Fish Theatre Streams Online March 5 through 31
February 25, 2021
Founded in 2002 as an artists' ensemble, Little Fish Theatre presents classic and contemporary plays in an intimate setting on Centre Street in the Arts District of downtown San Pedro. With the pandemic forcing the shutdown of live theatre, Little Fish Theatre’s 2021 Virtual Season offers up a tasty serving of this year’s best short plays with Pick of the Vine.
BWW Interview: Mitch Feinstein on his Solo Autobiographical Performance in FOR LOVE OR MONEY
February 16, 2021
I recently spoke with writer/performer Mitch Feinstein on this autobiographical journey in FOR LOVE OR MONEY that invites all of us to consider: Can we learn lessons and make changes, or is it too late? Set at the onset of the pandemic, a successful 76-year-old businessman is forced to examine his choices in life, what he thinks he has achieved, and what he feels he has lost. Why did he so fervently quest for money and security at the expense of his own happiness and the trampling of his artistic soul?
BWW Feature: 2021 VIRTUAL THEATER SERIES by Kentwood Players
February 15, 2021
Kentwood Players Virtual Theater Series Continues in 2021 with “Three Syllables of Shame,” “Surf’s Up,” “State of Independence” and “Happy and Gay.” Also seeking new Zoom-formatted plays and directors interested in helming future VTS plays, as well as graphic artists interested in submitting a new logo design!
BWW Interview: Playwright and Actor Sarah Hunter on Why DOGS ARE BETTER THAN PEOPLE
January 24, 2021
Dogs Are Better Than People, written and performed by Sarah Hunter, and developed and directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, is an eccentric romp through drinking, bad men, and fabulous dogs who each tell Sarah’s story. But why, you may ask, does Sarah Hunter truly believe that Dogs are better than people? I spoke with her to find out
Kentwood Players to Hold Auditions for STATE OF INDEPENDENCE 1/23-1/24
January 3, 2021
AUDITIONS for STATE OF INDEPENDENCE, a Part of Kentwood Players Virtual Theater Series, Written for Zoom by Paul Koster and Directed by Susan Goldman Weisbarth, will be held via Zoom on Saturday, January 23, 2021, from 12pm – 4pm PST, by appointment only or Sunday, January 24, 2021, 7pm-9pm PST, by appointment only
BWW Feature: THIS WEEKEND at Kentwood Players
December 18, 2020
It's going to be a very busy weekend on December 19 and 20 for Kentwood Players with our 8th Annual Coat Drive, Auditions for 'Surf's Up,' Virtual Theater Series plays 'Recipe' and 'Together, Apart' along with our KP Live interview series on the Kentwood Players You Tube channel. Join us at youtube.com/kentwoodplayers
BWW Feature: THE CLAIRVOYANTS Online with Thommy Ten, Amelie van Tass and their dog Mr. Koni Hundini
November 29, 2020
Facing the current challenge of how to keep entertaining audiences, the duo’s new online show was broadcast in English (both speak several languages) on Sunday, November 29 with over 100 people from all over the world in the audience. In addition to never before seen tricks, the show features their dog, Mr. Koni Hundini, a Maltipoo who is always with them, whether at home or on the road. “So, most of the time we know what he is thinking and the other way around,” Amelie shared.
BWW Feature: Torrance Theatre Company Completes its First PLAY-AT-HOME Series in December
December 1, 2020
Torrance Theatre Company is completing its first PLAY-AT-HOME series of online theatrical experiences, designed to entertain audiences during the stay-at-home orders. All productions are performed live onstage within the theater while observing all COVID-19 restrictions, and recorded for broadcast. The final three plays presented in December include Beyond Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, and A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play.
BWW Feature: Torrance Theatre Company Continues Their Play-at-Home Series with ANNAPURNA by Sharr White
November 20, 2020
ANNAPURNA is driven by the emotionally charged relationship between a husband and wife. What makes the Torrance Theatre Company's Zoom production not like most others is that a real-life married couple is portraying the two characters, taped together on an actual stage with blocking - just without an in-person audience. Emma's good heart and deep-seated love for her ex shines through thanks to Baker-Kreiswirth's open-hearted and soulful character work, not to mention her loving way of making sure he has the supplies he needs to keep going. But it is Wolski who steals every scene with his wildly-intense emotions on his sleeve as well as his face
BWW Feature: Modern Adaptation of WAR OF THE WORLDS Brings Live Virtual Theater Into a New Realm of Artistic Possibility
November 15, 2020
Tonight I witnessed proof that the new medium of virtual theater is being transformed in the minds and hands of young people whose vision of what could be knows no bounds, thanks to MFA and Undergraduate students at Cal State LA whose production of WAR OF THE WORLDS, adapted by Ben Hernandez based on the novel by H.G. Wells and directed by Stephen Rothman, offered a very modern take on the classic Sci Fi tale of aliens invading the Earth, seemingly with destruction of the human race as their goal.
BWW Feature: VIRTUAL THEATER SERIES Continues by Kentwood Players
November 10, 2020
The Kentwood Players Virtual Theater Series, offering new plays free of charge on its You Tube channel at https://youtube.com/c/kentwoodplayers, announces upcoming new plays presented November 2020 through April 2021.
BWW Interview: Shawn Plunkett on SAFER APART by The Left Hand Productions
November 8, 2020
Writer and director Shawn Plunkett wants to fill the void of no theater by taking audiences back to days of live television, just without the in-person studio audience. 'SAFER APART will be performed LIVE so anything can happen, which is one of the major appeals of attending an in-person show. I am aiming to give it a cinematic touch, making sure it is not as static as actors sitting in a chair and just reading a script. We are moving, adjusting, using more than one camera. I will even be walking outside while holding a camera in one scene. And there will be lots of action, made all the more exciting since it is being done live.'
BWW Interview: Diana Wyenn on Her Very Personal Journey in BLOOD/SUGAR
November 7, 2020
Diana Wyenn's solo show BLOOD/SUGAR takes place at the intersection of public health and performance, focusing on her life as a diabetic. Performed live and broadcast from Wyenn's home, using multimedia effects, original movement, and Wyenn's physical surroundings to create a vivid account of the life-sustaining self-care that diabetes currently demands from one out of every 10 American adults. And since I am also a Type 1 diabetic, I knew I was the perfect person to speak with her about the creation of the show.
May 12, 2021
How a director envisions a production makes all the difference in its prestation to an audience, starting with casting and continuing through rehearsals and all technical aspects of the show. I spoke with Branda Lock on bringing her vivid imagination and directing skills to George Bernard Show’s PYGMALION, filled with unique Lock-inspired changes to the casting which promise to shed new light on this classic tale of class struggles in Shaw’s time.
BWW Interview: Four Female Directors Share Their Personal Histories Within THE ZIP CODE PLAYS: SEASON TWO by Antaeus Theatre Company
May 11, 2021
Antaeus Theatre Company highlights the culture and history of six additional Los Angeles neighborhoods with Season Two of its popular 'The Zip Code Plays: Los Angeles' podcast series, set to launch May 20. Here are my interviews with the four female directors who discuss their own personal histories within the Zip Code Plays they direct. (Gigi Bermingham, Jennifer Chang, Saundra McClain, and Bernadette Speakes)
BWW Interview: Producer Marilyn Fox of A BINTEL BRIEF at Pacific Resident Theatre
May 8, 2021
A BINTEL BRIEF, comprised of a selection of sixty years of letters from the lower East Side of New York to The Jewish Daily Forward, a popular local paper among the Yiddish speaking immigrants, is being presented online by Pacific Resident Theatre, I wanted to find out more about how the production was conceived, directed and produced to find out if anyone on the team also shares a family story similar to mine. Here is what producer Marilyn Fox shared with me.
BWW Feature: VIRTUAL THEATER SERIES Schedule at Kentwood Players
April 28, 2021
The non-profit Kentwood Players, founded more than 70 years ago, is one of the longest-lasting community theatre companies in Los Angeles (and the nation.) Through the decades, Kentwood Players has staged more than 400 productions, touching the lives of tens of thousands of people throughout the region and beyond. It has been a haven for artists, a home for creativity and expression, and a reliable resource for high-quality community theatre in the southland, now showcased on the Kentwood Players Virtual Theater Series on You Tube.
BWW Interview: Stu James of SLOW FOOD at International City Theatre
April 19, 2021
Stu James answers questions about his virtual theatre appearance in SLOW FOOD, a tender, uproarious comedy by Wendy MacLeod and directed by Marya Mazor for International City Theatre. In this uproarious comedy, a vacationing couple heads to a Greek restaurant in Palm Springs for their anniversary dinner, only to be confronted with the worst service imaginable by a waiter who knows no limits to his meddling.
BWW Interview: Valerie Schillawski, Jen Knight, and Deborah Moylan of LEGENDS AND BRIDGE at Dramatically Incorrect Theater Group & Dance Company
April 16, 2021
LEGENDS AND BRIDGE is a comedy imagining former, silver-screen legend Joan Crawford (matronly, washed-up, and pickled on spiked Pepsi) who invites Judy Garland (recently fired from her CBS TV show) and Bette Davis (bitter at no longer being the “Queen of Hollywood”) up to her Manhattan apartment in 1964 to live with her as they work on a “secret” film project. I find it difficult to believe anyone reading this does not already know about the three screen legends featured in the show. But just to be sure, I decided to interview the three actors portraying them to find out more about what it was like to portray such well-known personalities.
BWW Interview: Sheila Carrasco on Exploring Female Identity in ANYONE BUT ME
March 8, 2021
Two solo explorations of female identity, written and performed by two funny Latinx-American women, are being presented by IAMA Theatre Company: ANYONE BUT ME, written and performed by Sheila Carrasco, directed by Margaux Susi; and THE OXY COMPLEX, written and performed by Anna LaMadrid, directed by Michelle Bossy. While following strict Covid-19 guidelines, both were filmed live at L.A.’s Pico Playhouse and will premiere virtually on March 21 at www.iamatheatre.com, where each will continue streaming through April 18. Sheila Carrasco, a resident of Santa Monica, just wrapped filming ANYONE BUT ME. As a fellow Westsider, I decided to speak with her about that experience prior to seeing her show.
PICK OF THE VINE at Little Fish Theatre Streams Online March 5 through 31
February 25, 2021
Founded in 2002 as an artists' ensemble, Little Fish Theatre presents classic and contemporary plays in an intimate setting on Centre Street in the Arts District of downtown San Pedro. With the pandemic forcing the shutdown of live theatre, Little Fish Theatre’s 2021 Virtual Season offers up a tasty serving of this year’s best short plays with Pick of the Vine.
BWW Interview: Mitch Feinstein on his Solo Autobiographical Performance in FOR LOVE OR MONEY
February 16, 2021
I recently spoke with writer/performer Mitch Feinstein on this autobiographical journey in FOR LOVE OR MONEY that invites all of us to consider: Can we learn lessons and make changes, or is it too late? Set at the onset of the pandemic, a successful 76-year-old businessman is forced to examine his choices in life, what he thinks he has achieved, and what he feels he has lost. Why did he so fervently quest for money and security at the expense of his own happiness and the trampling of his artistic soul?
BWW Feature: 2021 VIRTUAL THEATER SERIES by Kentwood Players
February 15, 2021
Kentwood Players Virtual Theater Series Continues in 2021 with “Three Syllables of Shame,” “Surf’s Up,” “State of Independence” and “Happy and Gay.” Also seeking new Zoom-formatted plays and directors interested in helming future VTS plays, as well as graphic artists interested in submitting a new logo design!
BWW Interview: Playwright and Actor Sarah Hunter on Why DOGS ARE BETTER THAN PEOPLE
January 24, 2021
Dogs Are Better Than People, written and performed by Sarah Hunter, and developed and directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, is an eccentric romp through drinking, bad men, and fabulous dogs who each tell Sarah’s story. But why, you may ask, does Sarah Hunter truly believe that Dogs are better than people? I spoke with her to find out
Kentwood Players to Hold Auditions for STATE OF INDEPENDENCE 1/23-1/24
January 3, 2021
AUDITIONS for STATE OF INDEPENDENCE, a Part of Kentwood Players Virtual Theater Series, Written for Zoom by Paul Koster and Directed by Susan Goldman Weisbarth, will be held via Zoom on Saturday, January 23, 2021, from 12pm – 4pm PST, by appointment only or Sunday, January 24, 2021, 7pm-9pm PST, by appointment only
BWW Feature: THIS WEEKEND at Kentwood Players
December 18, 2020
It's going to be a very busy weekend on December 19 and 20 for Kentwood Players with our 8th Annual Coat Drive, Auditions for 'Surf's Up,' Virtual Theater Series plays 'Recipe' and 'Together, Apart' along with our KP Live interview series on the Kentwood Players You Tube channel. Join us at youtube.com/kentwoodplayers
BWW Feature: THE CLAIRVOYANTS Online with Thommy Ten, Amelie van Tass and their dog Mr. Koni Hundini
November 29, 2020
Facing the current challenge of how to keep entertaining audiences, the duo’s new online show was broadcast in English (both speak several languages) on Sunday, November 29 with over 100 people from all over the world in the audience. In addition to never before seen tricks, the show features their dog, Mr. Koni Hundini, a Maltipoo who is always with them, whether at home or on the road. “So, most of the time we know what he is thinking and the other way around,” Amelie shared.
BWW Feature: Torrance Theatre Company Completes its First PLAY-AT-HOME Series in December
December 1, 2020
Torrance Theatre Company is completing its first PLAY-AT-HOME series of online theatrical experiences, designed to entertain audiences during the stay-at-home orders. All productions are performed live onstage within the theater while observing all COVID-19 restrictions, and recorded for broadcast. The final three plays presented in December include Beyond Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, and A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play.
BWW Feature: Torrance Theatre Company Continues Their Play-at-Home Series with ANNAPURNA by Sharr White
November 20, 2020
ANNAPURNA is driven by the emotionally charged relationship between a husband and wife. What makes the Torrance Theatre Company's Zoom production not like most others is that a real-life married couple is portraying the two characters, taped together on an actual stage with blocking - just without an in-person audience. Emma's good heart and deep-seated love for her ex shines through thanks to Baker-Kreiswirth's open-hearted and soulful character work, not to mention her loving way of making sure he has the supplies he needs to keep going. But it is Wolski who steals every scene with his wildly-intense emotions on his sleeve as well as his face
BWW Feature: Modern Adaptation of WAR OF THE WORLDS Brings Live Virtual Theater Into a New Realm of Artistic Possibility
November 15, 2020
Tonight I witnessed proof that the new medium of virtual theater is being transformed in the minds and hands of young people whose vision of what could be knows no bounds, thanks to MFA and Undergraduate students at Cal State LA whose production of WAR OF THE WORLDS, adapted by Ben Hernandez based on the novel by H.G. Wells and directed by Stephen Rothman, offered a very modern take on the classic Sci Fi tale of aliens invading the Earth, seemingly with destruction of the human race as their goal.
BWW Feature: VIRTUAL THEATER SERIES Continues by Kentwood Players
November 10, 2020
The Kentwood Players Virtual Theater Series, offering new plays free of charge on its You Tube channel at https://youtube.com/c/kentwoodplayers, announces upcoming new plays presented November 2020 through April 2021.
BWW Interview: Shawn Plunkett on SAFER APART by The Left Hand Productions
November 8, 2020
Writer and director Shawn Plunkett wants to fill the void of no theater by taking audiences back to days of live television, just without the in-person studio audience. 'SAFER APART will be performed LIVE so anything can happen, which is one of the major appeals of attending an in-person show. I am aiming to give it a cinematic touch, making sure it is not as static as actors sitting in a chair and just reading a script. We are moving, adjusting, using more than one camera. I will even be walking outside while holding a camera in one scene. And there will be lots of action, made all the more exciting since it is being done live.'
BWW Interview: Diana Wyenn on Her Very Personal Journey in BLOOD/SUGAR
November 7, 2020
Diana Wyenn's solo show BLOOD/SUGAR takes place at the intersection of public health and performance, focusing on her life as a diabetic. Performed live and broadcast from Wyenn's home, using multimedia effects, original movement, and Wyenn's physical surroundings to create a vivid account of the life-sustaining self-care that diabetes currently demands from one out of every 10 American adults. And since I am also a Type 1 diabetic, I knew I was the perfect person to speak with her about the creation of the show.
