EL PORTAL THEATRE

by Michael Quintos - April 26, 2026

First developed and workshopped at South Coast Repertory’s annual Pacific Playwrights Festival in 2025, celebrated new “it” playwright Talene Monahon’s freshly birthed play EAT ME is currently being presented at OC’s Tony Award-winning regional theater as a fully-formed World Premiere prod...

by Shari Barrett - April 25, 2026

We never get a sense of what draws these two women to each other (other than sex), or what they have in common other than auditioning for acting work. Nor do we witness them falling in love, which makes it difficult to care whether or not their relationship succeeds....

by Harker Jones - April 23, 2026

The star of the show, in the end, is Jacobson’s script, leading us toward the titular HELL MOUTH through five well-drawn characters and their existential crises that mirror our own....

by Evan Henerson - April 21, 2026

The Southland has had its share of memorable Fugard stagings, and the newly-opened revival of “MASTER HAROLD” at the Geffen Playhouse boasts an impressive roster of artists and creatives – onstage and off – who bring this tale vibrantly to life....

by Harker Jones - April 16, 2026

The MVP of the show is the dynamic Oqalile Tshetshe, who has a star-making role that he inhabits with complexity, depth, and grace....

by Michael Quintos - April 15, 2026

Now having its Southern California regional production, MEAN GIRLS - THE MUSICAL continues performances at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through May 3, 2026. Produced by McCoy Rigby Entertainment, this fun, high-energy, youthfully-targeted new iteration of the 2018 stage adaptation o...

by Melissa Heckscher - April 15, 2026

TEEN BEAT LIVE is an immersive musical ode to the 80s that's a must-see, whether or not you’ve ever used a rotary phone, worn a Walkman, or unfolded the boy-toy poster from a Teen Beat magazine....

by Shari Barrett - April 14, 2026

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....

by Evan Henerson - April 13, 2026

ENGLISH isn’t so much a play about the power of words as it is about the inextricable and very complicated bonds between language, culture and identity....

by Michael Quintos - April 13, 2026

Bursting with contagious rhythm, irrepressible heart, and an abiding sense of community pride, Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning 2008 original Broadway musical IN THE HEIGHTS remains one of the most vibrant and emotionally resonant contemporary musicals to emerge from the early 21st century. F...