Playwright/composer/lyricist Stephanie Hutchinson in Print and on CD
Brentwood award-winning playwright/music composer/lyricist Stephanie Hutchinson has two of her short plays More Precious than Diamonds and Super 8 versus Bacara Resort and Spa published in a new anthology entitled The Best 10-Minute Plays for 2 or More Actors (2009) edited by Lawrence Harbison and with publishers SK, A Smith and Kraus Book.
Hutchinson has a very keen eye for diverse characterizations and with it an infectious sense of humor. Julie in Diamonds and Lulabelle in Super 8 are as different as day and night, but they both want love and know how to get what they want. The comedy is real, down-to-earth humor, emanating from the people themselves - totally believable, not superficial. They are both a fun read.
When I was first introduced to Miss Hutchinson, she had turned her More Precious than Diamonds into a musical, composing her own music and lyrics. It was performed in a festival of mini-musicals last June, 2009 at the Secret Rose Theatre in NoHo. The following is my review of the play, first printed in June, 2009 on my website:
Winner of the annual Mini Musical Fest @ The Secret Rose Theatre in my book is More Precious Than Diamonds by Stephanie Hutchinson. The play revolves around Julie (Fay Gauthier) and friend Michelle (Deborah Png) , window shopping a diamond ring in a Tiffany's store. Julie has always wanted a ring and is fed up with waiting for the right man to come along & buy one for her. Stewart, the salesman (Marco Antonio Aguilar), who assists Julie, not only shows her an $84, 900 ring, but ends up giving her much, much more. The mini play, with book, music and lyrics by Stephanie Hutchinson, is a sweet, fresh take on love at first sight. Jonathan Levit ably directs the mini play with Steve Walby also in the ensemble as a tough store security guard. The plot is simple and clear, the songs fresh and pretty, and the actors do a truly first-rate job in acting and singing their roles.
To purchase the book, autographed by Stephanie Hutchinson, of 10-Minute Plays: Please send a check for $31.65 (including tax, shipping/handling) to: Stephanie Hutchinson P.O. Box 492464 Los Angeles, CA 90049
CDs (plus synopsis) of MORE PRECIOUS THAN DIAMONDS, the Musical are also available for $8.50 (to the same address).
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Good Night, Oscar North Coast Repertory (9/16-10/11) |
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Much Ado About Nothing McCadden Place Theatre (8/07-8/16) |
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6 Out of 10 Theatre 68 (8/20-8/20) |
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Catch Me If You Can Colony Theatre (9/17-10/18) |
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Emily Skinner: In Concert Feinstein's at the Nikko (8/14-8/15) |
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Gershwin and the Golden Age Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) (10/11-10/11) |
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John Lloyd Young Feinstein's at the Nikko (8/21-8/22) |
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Love, Loss and What I Wore Sawyer's Playhouse (8/08-8/30) |
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Our Man in Santiago by Mark Wilding Odyssey Theatre Ensemble (9/10-9/20) |
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Come From Away Rubicon Theatre (10/27-11/21) |