Shari Barrett - Page 3

Olivia Dufault on her unconventional play, its genesis, why she decided to bring its world premiere to Los Angeles, and how she hopes audiences will react to what she calls a tale of “love, shame, and the human need for connection.”

Darilyn Burtley brings the essence of Tina Turner's stunning stage presence to life!

I spoke with Julie about creating the women in this play who are deeply spiritual people who were raised in the Baptist church and have been wounded by it.

I spoke with Evelina Fernández about the play which blends intimate family drama with elements of magical realism to explore themes of memory loss, family dynamics, and the complexities of caring for aging loved ones. 

Brilliantly directed by Mike Reilly, Casey Morris and Carolina Rodriguez are both impeccable in their roles as teacher and student, with Rodriguez’s Susan a true master at emotional game playing.

I spoke with actor Babak Tafti who plays Omid, the only male student in the class of Iranian students learning to speak English.

With a cast of ten actors portraying more than 26 characters, it was bold choice for the intimate theater. But thanks to Perloff’s direction and choice of actors, anyone with the slightest interest in Shakespeare will find the play and its characters captivating.

What does it mean to live as your true, authentic self? I spoke with Level Up! playwright Gabriel Rivas Gómez on blending live performance with projection and inventive design to explore identity, family, and transformation.

When Tony “accidentally” brings his conservative parents over for dinner a night too early, all hell breaks loose as the polished socialites clash with the chaos and disorder of the Sycamore clan, which raised the roof with laughter thanks to Cate Caplin’s spot-on direction and the impeccable comedic timing instilled in her perfectly-cast ensemble.    

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, FAIRVIEW written by Jackie Sibblies Drury, makes its Los Angeles Premiere at Rogue Machine, directed by Oz Scott who I spoke with about his vision for the production.

In this next chapter, Sara takes on many personas who interact with her mother during her lifetime, each one a standout as an individual through unique voice and movement thanks to Sara's great skill with improvisation.

Veteran director Jack Heller returns to the Odyssey Theatre to helm a visiting production of Sex, Lies and Harold Pinter, an evening of two rarely staged Pinter one-acts—both darkly comic, both unmistakably unsettling. Opening night is set for March 20, with performances continuing through April 26.

Directed magnificently by Elijah Green, with energetic choreography by Katie Powers-Faulk and musical direction by Miki Yokomizo, the totally entertaining and artistically brilliant production pulled me in from the moment it started.

Pacific Opera Project’s production of Puccini’s final opera, Turandot features the husband and wife team of tenor Clay Hilley and soprano Sara Duchovnay in the roles of Calàf and Liù respectively. I spoke to them about peforming together onstage.

Boston-born Apollo Dukakis most important lifelong role has been as the adoring brother of his sister, Academy-Award winning actress Olympia Dukakis, who left us in 2021. To honor her memory, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is presenting OK, OLYMPIA, LET’S GO!, a multi-media celebration of her life that includes YOU AND ME, a one-act play written by Apollo.

Thanks to de Santos’ insightful direction, the on-going dialogues never seem to drag and the action flows at a pace which keeps the audience interested in just what happens between these well-written characters.

Director Max Mayer keeps the action authentic and story realistically contrite after helping execute the play’s workshop, making this production an especially meaningful return to the material.

Hilarity ensues as alcohol is consumed, leading to brilliant cat and mouse games during which laughs abound.

I really enjoyed the story, acting and staging, along with recognizing the Yiddish comments, behavior and attitudes from my own life being raised by a close-knit Jewish family.

Here's my interview with director Guillermo Cienfuegos and Richard III star Ann Noble about their vision for the production.