Brandon Baruch News

Michael Matera, a young priest in the Chicago Archdiocese, returns to his parents' home in the Bronx after his grandfather dies. The Matera clan is gathering at the family home for Sunday dinner. Soon after Michael arrives, his retired working-class father Eddie confesses a sin (more like a felony, really) to Michael. It's a misdeed which could have serious consequences for other members of the family. To Eddie's dismay, Michael refuses to grant him absolution. There are reasons for this (which won't be given away here; You'll have to see the play to find out).

The two-time Telly Award-winning film version of The Blank Theatre's production of The Tragedy of JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare) is now available for free streaming on YouTube (https://youtu.be/jhnBy9fKvHk). Conceived, adapted, and directed by Daniel Henning, the play had its world premiere in Los Angeles on October 1, 2016.

Chicago, June, 1920. The Republican National Convention is in full swing. Warren G. Harding is overwhelmed by the prospect of being the nominee of the Republican Party for President.

Told in three separate one-act stories, the World Premiere of Leda Siskind's play THE SURVEILLANCE TRIOLOGY explores the ways in which private citizens have become victims of ever-present eavesdropping by forces able to be kept secret until the damage has been done. Directed by Amanda Conlon at Theatre 40, ultimately you may just walk out at the end wondering just how you are being watched and for just what purpose, especially when you turn your cell phone back on and begin interacting with it.

What do you get when you add a grieving family of four to a boatful of local Hawaiian fishermen? The brand new musical Good Fishermen Know A Lot About Sex. Through high hopes and low tides, Ally and her family learn about the cycle of life, how sex and fishing are intimately connected, and that even when faced with the most difficult of circumstances life does go on. AK Ink's production of Good Fishermen Know A Lot About Sex will premiere on the Guild Stage at the Hudson Theatres on October 11th. October is Drug Abuse Prevention Month and all proceeds from the show will go to benefit Opioid Abuse Prevention.

Renovations for Six has its U.S. Premiere at Theatre 40, in the Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212, July 18- August 18, 2019. Thurs.- Sat. at 8:00, Sun. at 2:00. The performance on Friday, July 19 will begin at 7 p.m.

Local Aerial company, Aeriform Arts has taken the dark and tragic love story of the classic ballet, Giselle, and turned it into a fringe-friendly hour of theatre, dance, cirque, and aerial performances.

THE SOUND OF MURDER by William Fairchild premiered in London in 1959, making the plot somewhat predictable now, given the abundance of murder mysteries written and being produced on local stages. But this one set play is exactly the kind of British murder mystery that Theatre 40 audiences enjoy, especially with the company's designers onboard who always create a visually stunning production. Skillfully directed by Adrian Cohen to keep the action interesting and a lot more than just a lot of talking heads with British accents, the cast of THE SOUND OF MURDER includes Roslyn Cohn, Gabriel Olivas, David Hunt Stafford, Peter Trencher, David Westbay and Kate Whitney. And why that title? There's some audio equipment involved that turns out to be a pivotal prop in the investigation!

Son of Semele Ensemble announces its upcoming production of Incognito by Nick Payne, to be performed at the Son of Semele Theater from March 16 to April 7, 2019. Partly inspired by true events, Payne's inventive, time-traveling play explores the ever-mysterious link between the physical organ we call the brain and the intangible identities we call "ourselves."

The Ghost Road Company is one of Los Angeles' premiere theatre ensembles dedicated to the creation of new work for the stage. The company is unique in its approach, having developed its own methods of collaborative development over many years. So when I heard they were reimagining the story of Oedipus, calling it JOCASTA: A MOTHERF**ING TRAGEDY conceived and directed by Brian Weir, I was intrigued to say the least. But after seeing the show, I am not quite sure how to write about it other than to say it was visually stunning to watch but confusing to the point of distraction.

To start the new year, The Ghost Road Company has announced its production of Jocasta: A Motherf**king Tragedy, conceived and directed by Brian Weir. Developed in workshop by the company, the show is set to open on Friday, January 11, at 8pm. The run will continue on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights through February 10 at the Broadwater Main Stage in Hollywood.

To start the new year, The Ghost Road Company has announced its production of Jocasta: A Motherf**king Tragedy, conceived and directed by Brian Weir. Developed in workshop by the company, the show is set to open on Friday, January 11, 2019, at 8pm. The run will continue on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights through February 10 at the Broadwater Main Stage in Hollywood.

New year, new Kilroys! For the past five years The Kilroys, an LA-based collective of playwrights/producers continuing the fight to achieve gender balance in the American theater, have been advocating for equal representation on our American stages, and have released an annual list of under-produced plays by women, trans, and non-binary writers. Despite some measurable progress, we still have a long way to go before we strike that balance. So, as we approach 2019, we are beyond thrilled to introduce a fresh new gang of fearless badass leaders. These women will seize our reins and continue the fight for equality, creating random acts of disruption along the way, while the OG Kilroys will serve as an advisory board supporting the current class. 

The nominees for the 29th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were announced this week.

Written in much the same style as The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman where a small group of actors portray several characters sharing their experience of living through a tragic local event and its aftermath on the town, Eric Ulloa's 26 PEBBLES does not just recount what happened on December 14, 2012, but is more about how the people of the Newtown community reached out to their neighbors to bond, cope and heal from that devastating tragedy in order to move forward with their lives to a more hopeful future.

The Rainbow, as a symbol, is realized through the KESHET CHAIM DANCE COMPANY with Special Guest Artists, DANCE STUDIO 84 ~ Rainbows speak directly to our hearts and souls. They bring the promise that the troubles of today will surely come to pass, and if you hold strong to your faith and vision, there will be new beginnings, new prosperity. On a foggy September evening up atop Mulholland Drive, at a beautiful location, environment and atmosphere, at the lovely Gindi Auditorium of The American Jewish University, 'Keshet @ 36, an Anniversary Celebration' took place to commemorate 36 years of art and entertainment.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition included productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. Stage Raw is a community funded professional journalism website that was created in response to the decline of arts coverage in local mainstream and alternative media.The Awards ceremony was held Monday night, August 20, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles, hosted by Coeurage Theatre Company, and co-directed by Jer Adrianne Lelliott, Thaddeus Shafer and Lauren Ludwig. Winners notated in red below.

Norm Foster has written over sixty plays which have been produced all over the world. Selections from this most-produced Canadian playwright have been included at Theatre 40 for many years, but this time the group is excited to present the U.S. Premiere of his appropriately titled new play SCREWBALL COMEDY which pays homage to this classic genre of entertainment. Emerging in the 1930s, screwball comedies were a wild new strain of fast-talking farces involving battles of the sexes and a world forever on the brink of chaos. The elements included a male and female who may be adversarial at first but are ultimately ideal for each other. Think of the classic films It Happened One Night, His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby and My Man Godfrey during which some farcical or slapstick action occurs, including snappy patter and crackling dialogue with bits of off-color humor thrown in, with the plot ultimately leading to the female gaining the upper hand in the relationship.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.