Interview: Cortés Alexander Celebrates his 60th with SONGS FROM THE 60'S & OTHER SWELL IDEAS at the Write-Off Room
New York Cabaret staple Cortés Alexander brings his show Cortés Alexander – Songs from the 60s and Other Swell Ideas back to the Write-Off Room September 30, 2023....
Interview: Sam Catlin Loves Creating a SEA OF TERROR With His Wife Julie Dretzin
The world premiere of Emmy Award winner Sam Catlin’s Sea of Terror opens September 29, 2023, at the Hudson Mainstage. Sam also directs his dark comedy on the pros and cons of socializing with the cast of John Ales, Julie Dretzin, Paul Schulze and Amy Scribner....
Interview: Lloyd J. Schwartz' Currently Between THE RIGHT IS OURS! & Storybook Theatre
The multi-tasking Lloyd J. Schwartz’ The Right is Ours! world premiered at the Sierra Madre Playhouse last week. Not content to only be writing and directing The Right is Ours!, Lloyd’s also the creative force behind Storybook Theatre at Theatre West (with his wife Barbara Mallory Schwartz). Llo...
Interview: A Man of Multi-Occupations Craig Hissong Directs AGATHA CHRISTIE'S TOWARDS ZERO
Next up for Theatre 40, Agatha Christies’ Toward Zero opens September 21, 2023. Craig Hissong directs this classic whodunnit with the cast of includes John Combs, Katyana Rocker Cook, Christopher Franciosa, Hisato Matsuyama, Michael Mullen, Kristin Towers Rowles, Jeremy Schaye, Michele Schultz, Ho...
Interview: Daniel K. Isaac Has Many BRILLIANT THINGs in His Life
Currently in previews, Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe’s Every Brilliant Thing opens September 14, 2023, at the Geffen. Colm Summers directs Daniel K. Isaac in this comic view on depression and suicide. Daniel keeps it in the same light vein in answering my queries....
Interview: Proud Mom Marilu Henner Ever Excited in Making MUSIC & Remembering MEMORIES
I had the incredible pleasure of talking to Marilu Henner on her upcoming show at the Write-Off Room Music and Memories on September 23, 2023. She completely wowed me with her uncanny detailed memory of her illustrious career. Marilu is only one of twelve people in the world who has hyperthymesia, ...
Interview: Matthew Quinn And Bertha Rodriguez of Combined Artform on the HOLLYWOOD INDEPENDENT THEATER FESTIVAL
Those who attend the Hollywood Fringe Festival (HFF) surely know the married couple, Matthew Quinn and Bertha Rodriguez, producers and venue managers who have been putting together many selections since HFF began in 2010 via their company Combined Artform and Asylum venues. Continuing the celebratio...
Interview: Amy Brenneman Is At Home Sharing THE SOUND INSIDE
Next up at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Los Angeles premiere of Adam Rapp’s Pulitzer Prize finalist The Sound Inside opens September 10, 2023 (with previews starting September 6th). Cameron Watson directs the cast of Amy Brenneman and Anders Keith, as Bella Lee Baird a Yale professor and her stude...
Interview: Jonathan Slavin's High on Introducing Us to FREUD ON COCAINE
The world premiere of Howard Skora’s Freud on Cocaine opens September 8, 2023, at the Whitefire Theatre. Howard also directs this comedy based on Freud’s Cocaine Papers with the cast of Jonathan Slavin, Barry Brisco, Kim Hopkins, Aaron LaPlante, Sara Maraffino, Sigute Miller and Amy Smallman-Wi...
Interview: Chris Winfield's Keeping His Tool Belt On for ROOM SERVICE
Next up for The Group Rep, John Murray and Allen Boretz’ zany comedy Room Service opening September 8, 2023, at their Lonny Chapman Theatre. Mareli Mitchel-Shields directs the large cast of Fox Carney, Joe Clabby, Joseph Eastburn, Tommy Jacobs, Jessica Kent, Sam Logan, Will Maizel, Matthew McLaugh...
Interview: Les Kurkendaal-Barrett L.A. Premieres His THE REAL BLACK SWANN: CONFESSIONS OF AMERICA'S FIRST BLACK DRAG QUEEN
The Los Angeles premiere of actor/writer Les Kurkendaal-Barrett’s The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen begins August 31, 2023, at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Davidson/Valentini Theatre....
Interview: Playwright Garry Michael Kluger on the World Premiere of WALKING IN SPACE at Theatre West
Prolific writer Garry Michael Kruger is bringing the world premiere of his latest play, Walking In Space, to Theatre West for a five-week run beginning September 8, directed by Arden Teresa Lewis. It centers on a family in crisis with a drug-addicted single mother needing the assistance of her child...
Interview: The Prolific Playwright Lisa Sanaye Dring Begins Her Southern California Domination with HUNGRY GHOST at the Skylight
The first of playwright Lisa Sanaye Dring’s simultaneous world premieres in southern California Hungry Ghost opens August 26, 2023, at the Skylight Theatre, with the second SUMO starting September 26, 2023, at La Jolla Playhouse. The much-in-demand Lisa graciously made some time between pre-produc...
Interview: Samantha Wynette Miller Cooking Up a STEW While Dealing With a DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD
Next up at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Center Theatre Group (in association with IAMA Theatre Company) present Alexis Scheer’s Our Dear Dead Drug Lord opening August 27, 2023 (already in previews). CTG’s associate artistic director directs the cast of Ashley Brooke, Aliyah Camacho, Samantha Wynett...
Interview: Playwright Will Arbery Takes on Catholic Conservatives in His HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING
Rogue Machine Southern California Premiere of Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning just opened August 19, 2023, at the Rogue Machine at the Matrix. Rogue Machine Theatre’s artistic director Guillermo Cienfuegos directs the cast of Roxanne Hart, Evangeline Edwards, Samuel Garnett, Stephen�...
Interview: Susan Priver On Returning To Harold Pinter's A SLIGHT ACHE After 17 Years
Seventeen years ago, Susan Priver starred as Flora opposite Henry Olek as Edward with Shelly Kurtz as the match seller in Harold Pinter’s A Slight Ache, a tragicomedy of manners that takes a funny, ominous, and unsettling journey into the human psyche. All three actors will reprise their roles in ...
Interview: Playwright Wendy Graf on EXIT WOUNDS World Premiere at International City Theatre
The world premiere of Graf’s play Exit Wounds is taking place at International City Theatre in Long Beach for a three-week run, August 25 through September 10, directed by ICT producing artistic director caryn desai [sic]. I decided to speak with Wendy on her process for creating the play, being a...
Interview: OTE's Ron Sossi Carves Out Some ELEPHANT SHAVINGS & Lots More
Next up for the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, the world premiere of OTE’s Artistic Director Ron Sossi’s Elephant Shavings opening August 19, 2023 (with previews beginning August 16th). Ron directs his script with the cast of: Denise Blasor, Diana Cignoni, Jack Geren, Jeff LeBeau, Cameron Meyer and G...
Interview: EXORCISTIC's Choreographer Camal Pugh Always Excited to Extract Budding Talent
HRS Productions and Orgasmico’s Exorcistic: The Unauthorized Rock Musical Parody of The Exorcist has taken up residence at Three Clubs in Hollywood playing Fridays and Saturdays through September 22, 2023. This original rock musical co-directed by Chadd McMillan and Alli Miller-Fisher, features...
Interview: Siena Foster-Soltis And Rory James Leech of CONTRITION PAGEANT at Misfit Toys Collective
It is hard to exactly box the show into a genre. The seeds of this show were planted, she recalls, partially in response to an earlier performance about “fallacious senses of intimacy with an audience” in which she and her collaborator “vomited confessions” at an audience in front of paintin...
Interview: Matthew Cavendish Returns Again to PETER PAN GOES WRONG
The West Coast premiere of Mischief Theatre Ltd.’s Peter Pan Goes Wrong opens August 11, 2023, at the Ahmanson (with previews beginning August 8th). Adam Meggido directs the zany cast of Bartley Booz, Matthew Cavendish, Bianca Horn, Harry Kershaw, Chris Leask, Henry Lewis, Ellie Morris, Charlie R...
Interview: Steve Czarnecki's Back Again to Raise Havoc in LES MIZ
The U.S. tour of Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables lands in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre beginning August 1, 2023.James Powell and Laurene Connor co-direct a cast of 40+ triple threats. Le Miz veteran Steve Czarnecki returns this time in the roles of Factory Foreman and ...
Interview: Emerson Collins Carries THE RED SUITCASE & Much More
Jiggs Jurgess’ The Red Suitcase world premieres August 12, 2023, at the Broadwater Theatre Main Stage. Del Shores directs this co-production of P3 Theatre Company, the Del Shores Foundation and Beard Collins Shores Productions with the cast of Emerson Collins, Kristen McCullough, Bruce Melena, Ch...
Interview: David Hunt Stafford on PLAYS IN REP & READING SERIES at Theatre 40
David Hunt Stafford (pictured) is the Artistic Director and Managing Director of Theatre 40, posts he has proudly held since 2000 at the professional theater company located on the campus of Beverly Hills High School. I decided to speak with David about the current plays running in rep during July a...
Interview: Skylar Astin Celebrating SONDHEIM in EVERYBODY RISE! At the Hollywood Bowl
A stellar cast of Broadway babies and leading men will gather for one-night only this Sunday evening July 30, 2023, to honor the late, great Stephen Sondheim in Everybody Rise! A Sondheim Celebration. Curated by Robert Longbottom and Kevin Stites, Kevin conducts the most talented cast of Patti LuPon...
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