Today On ARTS IN REVIEW On KPFK 90.7FM

Julio Martinez-hosts arts in Review, celebrating the best in theater and cabaret in the greater Los Angeles area, Fridays (2-2:30pm) on KPFK (90.7FM). Today, March 16, Julio will be talking to playwright Justin Tanner and director Lisa James, discussing the premiere run of "El Niño," running at Rogue Machine playing April 2.

Justin Tanner is a Los Angeles playwright with over twenty produced plays to his credit. His first play, Changing Channels, was named one of the "best of the year" by the LA Times, produced by Jon Lawrence Rivera at The Second Stage Theater in Hollywood. He then partnered with Diana Gibson and Andy Daley at Hollywood's CAST Theatre where he wrote eleven plays, including the long running hits Zombie Attack! Teen Girl, Pot Mom and Heartbreak Help, working with such notable actors as French Stewart, Mark Ruffalo, Laurie Metcalf, Pamela Adlon, John Glover and Fred Willard. Justin's plays Space Therapy, Voice Lessons, and Day Drinkers all received Ovation Award nominations for Best Play. In addition to his work in theatre, Justin wrote for multi-award winning television series My So-Called Life (with Claire Danes and Jared Leto) and Gilmore Girls. His pilot Silver Lake was produced by Aaron Spelling. Since 2009 he has written, directed, photographed and edited 86 chapters of his mind-bending web series "Ave 43."

Director Lisa James is a multi-award winner for her work on Heartstopper (LA Weekly Award), Palladium is Moving (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award), Lynn Siefert's Litte Egypt, Wendy MacLeod's The Water Children (LADCC nomination and Garland Awards), Justin Tanner's Bitter Women (LADCC Award), Bold Girls, and The Visible Horse (LADCC and Garland Awards). World Premieres include Beth Henley's Tight Pants, Billy Aaronson's The News, ASCAP/Disney presentation Scream (music by David Foster), Justin Tanner's Oklahomo! and Little Egypt The Musical (music/lyrics Gregg Lee Henry) at both the Matrix Theatre (LA) and the Acorn Theatre (NYC), Dying is Easy Comedy is Hard Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA and NYC, and End Days at the Odyssey Theatre. EL NIÑO runs Saturdays and Mondays at 8:30pm, Sundays at 3:00pm through April 2, 2018 (no performances on March 19th). Rogue Machine is located in The Met, 1089 N Oxford Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029. Tickets are $40. Reservations: 855-585-5185 or at www.roguemachinetheatre.com.