Amy Tolsky News

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, present the fourth and final show of its 2016-2017 season, the Los Angeles premiere of THE LYONS, written by acclaimed playwright Nicky Silver and directed by Scott Alan Smith.  THE LYONS will begin previews on Sunday, May 7 at 2pm; will open on Friday, May 12 at 8pm and run through Saturday, July 1 at the Road Theatre on Lankershim, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, present the fourth and final show of its 2016-2017 season, the Los Angeles premiere of THE LYONS, written by acclaimed playwright Nicky Silver and directed by Scott Alan Smith.  THE LYONS will begin previews on Sunday, May 7 at 2pm; will open on Friday, May 12 at 8pm and run through Saturday, July 1 at the Road Theatre on Lankershim, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

There are undoubtedly other productions worthy of merit in 2016 which I did not cover. This list is based only on what I saw and reviewed. (alphabetical listings; Equity, Equity-waiver & Non-Equity productions are mixed) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories) No set, costume, technical awards. I leave that to the bigger awards and to the expertise of those who really know those fields inside out.

BABY OH BABY a quirky new British comedy playing at the Whitefire Theatre in Los Angeles, running Today evenings through June 4, 2016, is offering $10 Tax Break tickets for this Today, April 16 - 8:00 pm show.

BABY OH BABY a quirky new British comedy playing at the Whitefire Theatre in Los Angeles, running Saturday evenings through June 4, 2016, is offering $10 Tax Break tickets for this Saturday, April 16 - 8:00 pm show.

Playwrights Phil Scarpaci and T.L. Shannon are from opposite sides of the pond. Scarpaci is American and Shannon, British. When they wrote Baby Oh Baby, they decided to leave the setting England, as the British are expert farceurs and know a thing or two about delivering comedy. Surprisingly, the play projects a very contemporary perspective on artificial insemination...and becomes quite serious midway through its 80 minute playing time. Not to say that a serious topic cannot be funny. Of course, we must laugh at everything, but sometimes the topic deserves a bit more exploration at the core, and frivolity is not always the best way to handle it. Now onstage on Saturdays only, at 8 pm through June 4, Baby Oh Baby has a terrific cast who make the material rise off the printed page with a nice entertainment high.

AMY TOLSKY is a popular character actress currently working in theatre, film and television. Her credits include Regional Theatre: South Coast Repertory. L.A.Theatre: Mud Blue Sky (The Road), The Importance of Being Earnest (Theatre Banshee); Table Manners, Nicholas Nickleby (Theatre 40); I Love Lucy Live Onstage; City of Angels; Theatre@Boston Court; Antaeus; The Odyssey; PRT.  Film:"Please Stand By"; "Fishes 'n Loaves:Heaven Sent"; "The Tiger Hunter", "Eat With Me".  Television: "Crowded"; "Shameless"; "Code Black"; "Married"; "Castle"; "2 Broke Girls"; "Parks and Recreation"; "Big Bang Theory"; "Jeeves and Wooster". Internet: "You've Probably Dated My Mom".   

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.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce the fourth show of its 2014-2015 season, the Los Angeles Premiere of MUD BLUE SKY, written by Marisa Wegrzyn and directed by Mary Lou Belli. MUD BLUE SKY will preview tonight, April 7; Wednesday, April 8 & Thursday, April 9 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 10 at 8pm and run through Saturday, May 30th at the Road on Lankershim, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce the fourth show of its 2014-2015 season, the Los Angeles Premiere of MUD BLUE SKY, written by Marisa Wegrzyn and directed by Mary Lou Belli. MUD BLUE SKY will preview on Tuesday, April 7; Wednesday, April 8 & Thursday, April 9 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 10 at 8pm and run through Saturday, May 30th at the Road on Lankershim, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

A Little House Christmas/based on the book Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder/'adapted for the stage by James DeVita/directed by Emily Chase/Sierra Madre Playhouse/through December 23Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic book Little House on the Prairie (1932) became famous as an hour-long TV drama in the 70s (1974-1983) starring Michael Landon and featuring Melissa Gilbert in her acting debut as Laura. The books, as well as the TV show, are forever popular. As part of their focus on America season, Sierra Madre Playhouse and its artistic director Christian Lebano have chosen James DeVita's stage adaptation of the stories as its holiday presentation A Little House Christmas beautifully directed by Emily Chase and featuring a superb cast of 10, now onstage in its West Coast premiere, through December 23.

Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel are set to return to the Greenway Court Theatre in 2012. I Love Lucy® Live on Stage has extended its run for an additional seven weeks of performances through February 26.

The Best in LA Theatre for 2011 (alphabetical listings) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories)

Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel are set to return to the Greenway Court Theatre in 2012. I Love Lucy® Live on Stage has extended its run for an additional seven weeks of performances through February 26.

Voting is now open for the 2011 Los Angeles Awards! Now it's time for you to get out and vote for your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Award. No time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Monday November 14, 2011.