Alan Mandel News

Members of the 'Pro99' movement of Actors' Equity Association have issued an open letter to AEA's newly elected president, Kate Shindle, in response to her victory and to her inaugural address as president of the national union for actors and stage managers. The open letter is signed by over 400 Equity members (listed below), including such notable names as Ed Asner, Francis Fisher, Sally Kirkland and Alfred Molina. The 'Pro99' movement formed in late 2014 in opposition to AEA's rollout of a new plan that will effectively force 'intimate theaters' in Los Angeles to pay Equity actors minimum wage, go 'non-union' or even close - despite an overwhelming vote against the plan by 66% of the Los Angeles membership on an advisory referendum. 'Pro99' members around the nation, who take their name from the current AEA '99 Seat Plan' that allows members to volunteer in smaller venues, oppose AEA's new promulgated plan. They are requesting that Equity leadership put a moratorium on the plan until local members' voices can be heard, and that the union work with its members to develop an alternative plan that will more realistically address the needs of the Los Angeles theater community.

Martin Sherman's 'Bent,' a groundbreaking drama about the rare power of love in the most inhumane conditions, opened last night, July 26 at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. Directed by Moises Kaufman, performances for 'Bent' will continue through August 23. (Previews started on July 15.) Check out a look inside opening night below!

L.A. Theatre Works just took to Facebook to trumpet their starry 2015-16 season. Among the big-name actors slated to appear in this year's productions are Kate Burton, Jenna Fischer, Christina Hendricks, James Marsters, Alfred Molina and Jennifer Westfeldt. 

Stars of stage, screen and television came out to celebrate Broadway's Biggest Night at The Actors Fund's 19th Annual Tony Awards® Viewing Party, held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on June 7, 2015.

Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie has set the 12th season at the CTG/Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.

Impassioned members of Actors' Equity Association in Los Angeles have raised funds from within their own ranks to follow up yesterday's North Hollywood rally with a full-page ad in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times to urge a 'No' vote on the upcoming AEA advisory referendum to eliminate L.A.'s 99-Seat Theater Plan. Scroll down for photos from the Pro-99 Rally, held yesterday, March 23!

Frances Fisher, French Stewart and Kirsten Vangsness will join a protest march by members of Actors' Equity Association against a proposal recently announced by their union to end the 99-Seat Theater Plan in Los Angeles on Monday, March 23.

The Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum production of 'The Price' by Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and National Medal of Honor-winner Arthur Miller, is a penetrating family drama by one of America's greatest dramatists. The play open the Mark Taper Forum's new season now through March 22, 2015. Click below to watch interviews with the cast and creative team, plus highlights from the show!

The Group Rep presents the west coast premiere of Frawley Becker's searing drama 'Tiger by the Tail' directed by Jules Aaron, produced by Richard Alan Woody and Frawley Becker. The play runs today, March 6th through April 19th, Todays and Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 2PM, at the Lonny Chapman Theatre located at the edge of the NoHo Arts District in North Hollywood, CA.

The Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum production of 'The Price' by Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and National Medal of Honor-winner Arthur Miller, is a penetrating family drama by one of America's greatest dramatists. The play opened at Mark Taper Forum on February 21. Check out a first look at highlights below!

The Group Rep presents the west coast premiere of Frawley Becker's searing drama 'Tiger by the Tail' directed by Jules Aaron, produced by Richard Alan Woody and Frawley Becker. The play runs March 6th through April 19th, Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 2PM, at the Lonny Chapman Theatre located at the edge of the NoHo Arts District in North Hollywood, CA.

The Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum production of 'The Price' by Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and National Medal of Honor-winner Arthur Miller, is a penetrating family drama by one of America's greatest dramatists. The play opened at Mark Taper Forum this weekend, on February 21. Check out photos from the opening night below!

Legendary playwright Arthur Miller's piercing family drama 'The Price' opens tonight, February 21. 2015, at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum and will continue through March 22. Previews began February 11. BroadwayWorld has a look at the cast in action below!

Legendary playwright Arthur Miller's piercing family drama "The Price" opens this Saturday, February 21. 2015, at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum and will continue through March 22. Previews began February 11. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum production of 'The Price' by Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and National Medal of Honor-winner Arthur Miller, is a penetrating family drama by one of America's greatest dramatists. The play open the Mark Taper Forum's new season tonight, February 11 through March 22, 2015, with the opening set for February 21.

Rehearsals began this week for the Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum production of 'The Price' by Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and National Medal of Honor-winner Arthur Miller. The penetrating family drama by one of America's greatest dramatists will open the Mark Taper Forum's new season February 11 through March 22, 2015, with the opening set for February 21. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal!

The full cast is set for the Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum production of "The Price" by Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and National Medal of Honor-winner Arthur Miller. The penetrating family drama by one of America's greatest dramatists will open the Mark Taper Forum's new season February 11 through March 22, 2015, with the opening set for February 21.

Three bold new plays and two classic dramas will be presented in Center Theatre Group's 2015 season at the Mark Taper Forum, it was announced today by CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

Orpheus Studio Productions and The Lansbury Players present FRANKENSTEIN: THE METAL OPERA, by Richard Campbell & Carol Pestridge. Directed by Alan Mandel. The cast includes Roy Ryan (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Frankenstein: The Metal Opera Workshop, Singin' In The Rain), Duncan Drury (Into the Woods, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Rent), James Craze (Ernie, BBC Doctors, Frankenstein: The Metal Opera Workshop), Anya Hamilton (Frankenstein: The Metal Opera Workshop, Tess of the D'Ubervilles, Into the Woods), Max Panks (The Merry Wives of Windsor, Lost Boy, Frankenstein: The Metal Opera Workshop) and Charlotte de Paeztron (West End Gospel Choir (Various), Dick Whittington, Mean Girls - The Musical)