Shari Barrett - Page 52

Most of us often think about which famous historical figure or literary giant we would like to meet if we could go back in time. Turns out playwright/director Daniel Rover Singer is a passionate fan of both Charles Dickens and the Reverend Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll). Although Dickens and Carroll probably never actually met, what could have happened if they had?

In this hilarious satire of musical theatre, one story becomes five delightful musicals, each written in the distinctive style of a different master of the form, from Rodgers & Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim - and they all deal with the same classic melodrama plot - 'I can't pay the rent!' George Carlin famously joked a topic had to be universal for it to be funny. Well this topic certainly is and this show is hysterical!

Set in a garage in suburban Long Island, THE BLACK SUITS tells the tale of four boys (lead singer, guitar, bass and drums) who are preparing for stardom by way of the St. Anne's Battle of the Bands. The band and the music give focus and sustenance to the boys whose lives are filled with teenage angst and longing, struggles with friends and girlfriends, and the need to make choices.

David Trainer directs the Los Angeles Premiere of David Greig's celebrated new version of August Strindberg's psychological thriller CREDITORS, a co-production between two of the city's most respected theaters, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and The New American Theatre. The production is a sexy, savage, darkly comic, and very modern take on the battle of the sexes.

L.A. Theatre Works' Radio Theatre Series will air KINDERTRANSPORT written by Diane Samuels, directed by Jeannie Hackett and featuring Jane Kaczmarek, Susan Sullivan and Molly Quinn. The broadcast can be heard locally in Southern California on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 from 7-9 pm on KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles.

Worst. Thanksgiving. Ever. A family gathering to celebrate the iconic American holiday turns into a scathing indictment of phony liberal values in THE PAIN AND THE ITCH by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Bruce Norris (Clybourne Park), through December 1 at the Zephyr Theatre.

Fierce Backbone presents a world premiere comedy A GOOD GRIEF written by Leslie Hardy, directed by Jeffrey Wylie, at The Lounge Theatre through December 1. It's another night in Grief Counseling in Room 103, and four strangers are struggling with their own steps in the grieving process. All four are on a major collision course with each other's issues in this dark comedy, whether they like it or not.

L.A. Theatre Works presents Charles Busch's hilarious homage to movie nuns 'The Divine Sister' starring Charles Busch (Mother Superior) and members of the original Off Broadway cast: Alison Fraser (Sister Walburga) and Julie Halston (Sister Acacius). Joining them on stage were Emily Bergl (Agnes), Maxwell Caulfield (Jeremy, Brother Venerius) and his wife Juliet Mills (Mrs. Levinson).

Kentwood Players presents the beloved American holiday classic 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' by Joe Landry from tonight, November 8 through Saturday, December 14, 2013 for a six-week run on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm with Sunday matinees at 2:00pm at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue, Westchester, CA 90045. The production is directed by Gypsy Foster and produced by Vada Foster and Alison Mattiza by special arrangement with Playscripts Inc.

TRACERS features a stellar cast of young actors, all of whom have served in the United States military, a first since the original production. Their personal insights fuel the action as well as the rampant emotions that haunt them through the rigors of boot camp, the horrors of combat, the craziness of war, and the PTSD challenges of coming home including dealing with the effects of Agent Orange and living life in a wheelchair.

Through a theatrical coincidence, Kentwood Players and Cornerstone Theater Company are both working to positively influence an otherwise overlooked community on Skid Row through their support of the Los Angeles Mission this holiday season. Both companies believe art has the power to change the lives of people who need it the most and are using the power of live theater to bring the holiday spirit to LA's Skid Row.

If you're a fan of live theatre, love the spirit of Halloween and are intrigued at the thought of great pieces of literature brought to life, then Wicked Lit might be the bubbling cauldron for you! The horror story adaptation series takes place within the creepy and beautiful walls of the Mountain View Mausoleum in Altadena and even ventures into the stillness of the cemetery. Yup, you'll really be surrounded by actual dead people all night.

Are you feeling alone and lonely on a Friday or Saturday night at 10:30pm? Fear not - you are always welcome at LONE-ANON, a friendly, positive, court-ordered support group where forming a connection with other people is not only encouraged, it's mandatory. Just head over to Rogue Machine and be part of the wackiness!

SUNNY AFTERNOON examines the mysteriously unrecorded 48 hours Lee Harvey Oswald was in the custody of Police Captain William Fritz (Darrett Sanders), who has only a limited amount of time to pry the answers from Lee before he is to be transferred from police headquarters to county jail and an appointment with his own destiny.

INVISIBLE CITIES, the world's first large scale opera for wireless headphones, is being staged by The Industry, L.A. Dance Project and audio specialist Sennheiser to push the boundaries of art, imagination and wireless technology for an unprecedented, interactive dramatic experience, allowing the audience as well as by-standers in Los Angeles' Union Station - the largest railway terminal in the western United States - a chance to become totally immersed in the site specific opera.

Nearly everyone who lives in Los Angeles is fascinated with the entertainment industry and wants to somehow be a part of it. To the outsider, show business is the sexiest, most glamorous of pursuits. For those whom working within the Industry is an everyday, workaday reality, there is quite another perspective of the craziness the pursuit of fame and fortune, financing and distribution, can bring.

This beloved American holiday classic comes to life as a live 1940's radio broadcast, set on the stage and auditorium of Studio A at WBFR in Manhattan, New York on Christmas Eve, 1946. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.

On all accounts, THE LIAR is a delightfully ingenious and irreverent update of a classic French romp, presented in the Antaeus tradition best known as 'partner casting' with two actors sharing every role, working together throughout the rehearsal process to enrich the creative experience for both cast and audience.

Using its signature, award-winning combination of signed and voiced theater to bring new perspective to a modern American classic, Deaf West Theatre presents FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. It tells the poignant, funny and thought--provoking story of Charlie Gordon, a willing subject of an extraordinary experiment, and the strange interweaving of his life with Algernon, a mouse whose intelligence has been increased threefold by the daring new procedure.

Kentwood Players has received critical praise and audience raves on its wildly popular production of the comedy rock musical 'Little Shop of Horrors' at the Westchester Playhouse. Performances continue through October 19, 2013 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm with Sunday matinees at 2pm Call (310) 645-5156 for tickets before they are gone!