February 11, 2020
Penelope Lowder's WEST ADAMS is a keenly observed look at race, class, and privilege seen through a magnifying glass that elevates it to an over-the-top state, for both better and worse. The timely show focuses on two interracial married couples: pregnant Caucasian Sarah (Allison Blaize) and Latin Edward (Andrés M. Bagg), and Asian Julie (Jenny Soo) and Caucasian Michael (Clayton Farris). They live in the burgeoning West Adams district of Los Angeles, thrilled to be part of the community's gentrification. But when a very wealthy black family moves in across the street, they struggle to even pretend they can keep up with the Jones', and the pressure devolves them into a spiral of resentment, racism, and, ultimately, revenge.