Clayton Farris

New Musical TINSELTOWN TIPTOE To Get Los Angles Staged Reading

Producer Christine Russell (Head Over Heels, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) will present a private staged industry reading of the new musical TINSELTOWN TIPTOE on Friday, May 20th in Los Angeles.

Broadway at the Bourbon Room Returns April 25 With 'cabaretSIXNINE'

'Broadway at the Bourbon Room' is a celebratory monthly musical cabaret with show-stopping performances by Broadway and LA's best. Broadway at The Bourbon Room preserves the caliber of a Broadway cabaret and injects it into the glamourous LA theatre scene, while providing a performance platform for opportunity and community.

Full Cast Announced For A LITTLE NEW MUSIC at the Catalina Jazz Club

After a two year intermission due to the COVID-19 pandemic, A Little New Music is back at Hollywood's historic Catalina Jazz Club with a fresh look at new musical theatre material. Audiences of A Little New Music's concert series will once again discover a distinguished variety of artists and a diverse assortment of songs intent on becoming future classics of the American musical theatre.

WEST ADAMS Featured On Skylight LIVE, July 30

Skylight Theatre presents a stream of the play WEST ADAMS. Written by Penelope Lowder & Directed by Michael A. Shepperd, 3:00pm Thursday, July 30, 2020.

KPFK's Arts In Review Spotlights Penelope Lowder's WEST ADAMS

KPFK'S Arts In Review welcomes playwright Penelope Lowder and actress Allison Blaize, discussing Skylight Theatre Company's presentation of the archival video of West Adams by Penelope Lowder, directed by Michael A. Shepperd, a play about the absurdity of racism, the first of a three play season of Skylight's SkyLab developed plays that were planned for 2020. It will run for free on FB and YouTube on Thursday, July 30th at 3pm, Skylight Live: https://skylighttheatre.org/event/skylight-live/.

BWW Interview: THIS WILL BE Ali MacLean's YEAR @ SheLa Arts

The third annual SheLA Arts' Summer Theater Festival has gone completely digital this year, running July 13 through July 19, 2020. I had the socially distant chance to pose a few questions to one of the five elected playwrights chosen for this year's festival, Ali MacLean, whose THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR will world premiere July 17th via Zoom.

Cast Announced For THE ART COUPLE At Kirk Douglas Theatre

Casting is set for Sacred Fools Theater Company's production of a?oeThe Art Couple,a?? which will be performed at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of Center Theatre Group's fourth annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Brendan Hunt and directed by Lauren Van Kurin,

BWW Review: WEST ADAMS at Skylight Theatre WEST ADAMS Smartly Takes on Privilege, Race, and Status

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.

BWW Interview: Actor/Director Michael A. Shepperd Stepping Off-Stage to WEST ADAMS

A creative staple of the Los Angeles Theatre community, director/actor Michael A. Shepperd will next be exhibiting his directorial talents in the world premiere of playwright Penelope Lowder's WEST ADAMS, opening February 1, 2020 at the Skylight Theatre. This dark comedy on race, class, and a bouncy house in the West Adams neighborhood features Andrés M. Bagg, Allison Blaize, Clayton Farris and Jenny Soo. Michael managed to find a spare moment between his multi-tasking to answer a few of my inquisitive queries.

Skylight Theatre Company Presents WEST ADAMS by Penelope Lowder

A new, dark, comedy about race and class. With a hostile takeover of a neighborhood block party and bouncy houses, Penelope Lowder's newest play set in historic West Adams takes an uncomfortable look at altruistic gentrification gone wrong. Perhaps reshaping a newly adopted neighborhood in your image isn't as lofty as one might think. Opening February 1, 2020.