Shari Barrett - Page 23

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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!

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.'

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.

The timely nature of the play, given how many seniors are now dealing with living alone in isolation which can lead to loneliness and depression to the point of feeling hopeless, THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN adds in a much-needed dose of how important it is to stay in touch and support our elderly family members who are struggling during our current on-going pandemic.

KRISTINA WONG FOR PUBLIC OFFICE is a 75-minute comedic performance that crosses the aesthetics of campaign rallies, church revivals, and solo theater shows to tell the story of what it means to run for local office, the history of voting, and the impact artists can have on democracy. The subject matter reflects Kristina Wong’s experience as an actual elected representative of Koreatown, Los Angeles. But before she created this raucous show about her current stint in Public Office, Wong was a scrappy performance artist with a bright future in reality television. So which career better suits her talents? Perhaps both!

Now more than ever is the time to consider what the foundation of democracy means to you, especially with the Presidential election less than a week away with our country so divided it seems there is no middle ground on which to stand. Perhaps it's been more years than you can count, if ever, when you last read the Constitution upon which our democracy is based and our rights as American citizens are outlined. I encourage you to tune in to WE THE PEOPLE streaming through Monday, November 2.