John Garces

Recent reporting from the UK has many, anecdotally at least, convinced that post-pandemic shutdown audiences are significantly worse behaved than they were before the pandemic. While we don’t have hard data to back up that claim, the stories in the linked article below about the audience behavior are certainly eyebrow raising.

Distinguished artists from across the nation's entertainment industry came together at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood for The 24 Hour Musicals, the intensive theatrical endeavor where stars from Broadway, film and TV write, compose, rehearse and perform four original musicals within 24 hours. Now, the show premieres tonight on Stellar at 5:30 PT/8:30 ET and will be available through June.

On May 23, 2022, distinguished artists from across the nation's entertainment industry came together in Los Angeles for The 24 Hour Musicals, the intensive theatrical endeavor where stars from Broadway, film and TV come together to write, compose, rehearse and perform four original musicals within 24 hours at the Bourbon Room. 

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce that the critically acclaimed, world premiere production of THE PLAY YOU WANT, written by Bernardo Cubría and directed by Michael John Garcés will have a three-week extension following its announced closing on April 24.

The satirical juices flow through Michael John Garces’ production of THE PLAY YOU WANT. Set in the present day, the play offers a bunch of well-known, real-life figures who are sent up and ultimately knocked down to make Cubria’s point.

The Music Center and non-profit radio station dublab announced today the 71 “Best Films” and “Official Selections” awardees of A Quiet Scene: L.A., a free film competition and screening initiative that was launched in January 2021.

Company of Angels will welcome three new hires who are passionate about furthering CoA's mission to create a theater of Los Angeles that is deeply connected to communities who are under-represented on Los Angeles stages.

The full length plays of UNDER CONSTRUCTION 1 are just that...still 'Under Construction.' This is the result of the playwrights one year commitment to the workshop.

The Alfred Molina-starrer THE FATHER, currently in previews, will have its official opening night February 11, 2020 at the Pasadena Playhouse. Playwright Florian Zeller (translated by Christopher Hampton) illuminates the internal struggles of a very proud man cursed with dementia. Two versions of André's (the father) memory play out on stage that will keep the audience guessing as to which is André's reality. Jessica Kubzansky directs a seasoned cast including: Sue Cremin, Michael Manuel, Pia Shah, Hugo Armstrong and Lisa Renee Pitts. I had the chance to interview Michael Manuel, whom I last saw in his stunning portrayal of The Creature in A Noise Within's FRANKENSTEIN.

LAB RESULTS: The Antaeus Playwrights Lab Festival a?" Six new plays by award-winning, mid-career writers get developmental readings over the course of two weekends as part of Antaeus Theatre Company's second annual LAB RESULTS series. Each of the plays was developed in the Antaeus Playwrights Lab, an ongoing program that incubates new works that provide compelling roles for actors and creates a nurturing and supportive artistic community.  Last fall, two plays from the 2018 LAB RESULTS festival, The Abuelas by Stephanie Alison Walker and Eight Nights by Jennifer Maisel, were given critically acclaimed full productions as part of Antaeus' 2019-20 season.

Before getting to the review, allow me to write in full disclosure: Approximately a?' of my viewing enjoyment of this production was usurped due to the fact that there was an elderly gentleman having issues with his hearing devices and the one-act that developed in trying to assist him. The billowing and flustering and seat-switching that was going on with the 'annoyed and put-off' audience members added with the bumbling and fumbling of the Front Of-House staff that tried to assist him was, to say the least, amazingly distracting. Mind you, I was equally disappointed in the 50'something crowd expressing their irritation as I was with the lack of decorum from the staff. To the FOH staff, may I highly suggest to have a workshop on working with seniors before, during, and after a performance and allow for all scenarios that may come up during their visit. To the 50'something crowd...we will sometime (soon) be the age of that senior gentlemen, may we remember that and put forth the energy of how we wish to be treated during our twilight years. Seniors deserve our utmost respect!

Can opera be a medium for social commentary and change? I've been thinking about this lately--or, more accurately, yet again--since attending a preview of the new Jeanne Tesori-Tazewell Thompson opera, BLUE, which was part of the Guggenheim Museum's fascinating Works & Process series. The performance of excerpts and roundtable with its creators were part of preparations for the work's world premiere this summer at the Glimmerglass Festival.

Previews begin tonight for the world premiere production of The Convent, a new play by critically acclaimed playwright Jessica Dickey (The Amish Project, Charles Ives Take Me Home), directed by Daniel Talbott.

Mosaic Theater Company of DC announces an update to our Season Four lineup. The world premiere production of Aaron Davidman's The Shooting Gallery, which was scheduled to run in repertory with the regional premiere of Native Son, has recently undergone exciting creative changes. No longer a solo performance piece, it has expanded to feature two additional actors alongside its author. Additional workshop and rehearsal time, in coordination with director Michael John Garces' busy schedule this spring, will push the production into a future Mosaic season. Mosaic will present a workshop reading of the revamped project on February 11 and 12, 2019.  

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, remain committed to their meaningful mission to produce and develop New Work for the Stage

Villanova Theatre is thrilled to announce the 12th Annual Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium (PTRS), featuring a keynote address and workshop by renowned director, playwright and community artist Michael John Garces. This year's conference will kick off on Thursday, May 3 with the Emerging Scholars Panel followed by a workshop, panels and the keynote address on Friday, May 4, 2017. The theme of this year's conference is 'Community Outreach in the Arts.'  

Making its West Coast debut next month, Barker Room Rep, a new LA-based theater company with extensive NY roots, is committed to bringing stories that are inclusive and diverse to audiences in the Los Angeles theater community, and producing new and inspiring works catering to the modern mind.

/peh-LO-tah/by Marc Bamuthi Joseph and The Living Word Project, directed by Michael John Garces, with choreography by Stacey Printz, and composed by Tommy Shepherd, makes its New York debut this week, October 18-21 at the BAM Harvey Theater.

/peh-LO-tah/by Marc Bamuthi Joseph and The Living Word Project, directed by Michael John Garces, with choreography by Stacey Printz, and composed by Tommy Shepherd, makes its New York debut this week, October 18-21 at the BAM Harvey Theater.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company announces the first production of its 2017-2018 season, The Arsonists by Swiss playwright Max Frisch, in a new translation by Alistair Beaton, directed by Michael John Garces. The Arsonists will run from September 5 to October 8, 2017. The Arsonists is made possible by a generous grant from The Roy Cockrum Foundation.