Gary Lee Reed News

Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN originally written in 1960 (and updated in 1976) about two presidential candidates vying for their party's nomination could have seem much more relevant to present day politics if the set and costumes didn't so vividly remind of the 1970s. Gary Lee Reed directs a committed, but uneven cast. Curious interpretation having the opposing candidates running for president as polar opposites, flip sides of a coin. Mark Belnick's Governor William Russell is everything John Ruby's Senator Joseph Cantwell isn't.

'All My Sons' is the story of Joe Keller (played by the engaging Mark Belnick), a successful, middle-aged, self-made man who has done a terrible and tragic thing, by framing his business partner for a crime that caused the death of hundreds of servicemen from World War II, and engineering his own exoneration. Now, his son Chris (the charismatic Jack Tynan) is about to marry the partner's daughter (the solid Alexis Boozer Sterling), the incident is revisited, and his lie of a life is unraveled.

Wasatch Theatrical Ventures brings Arthur Miller's classic ALL MY SONS to the Lounge Theatre beginning April 6, 2019. A staple of the Los Angeles Theatre community, director/actor/designer Gary Lee Reed helms this ironically timely tale of defective aircraft tragedies. Gary spent a few moments to answer some of my quizzing questions.

THE 6th ACT presents a unique and multi-cultural look at one of the great literary characters of all time in William Shakespeare's HAMLET, directed by Matthew Leavitt and featuring June Carryl, Janet Greaves, Lorne Green, Desiree Mee Jung and Luke McClure, ALL as the Prince of Denmark. Additionally, THE 6TH ACT will be the New American Theatre's resident company for the year and HAMLET will be their inaugural production in this theatre. 

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (celebrating its 25th Silver Anniversary at the theatre) are thrilled to present the award-winning and revolutionary 1776 THE MUSICAL, with musical direction by Jeff Rizzo and directed & staged by Glenn Casale. 1776 THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, January 11, 2019 (with a press opening on Saturday, January 12 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, February 3, 2019 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (celebrating its 25th Silver Anniversary at the theatre) present the award-winning and revolutionary 1776 THE MUSICAL, with musical direction by Jeff Rizzo and directed & staged by Glenn Casale. 1776 THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, January 11, 2019 (with a press opening on Saturday, January 12 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, February 3, 2019 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

THE 6th ACT presents a unique and multi-cultural look at one of the great literary characters of all time in William Shakespeare's HAMLET, directed by Matthew Leavitt and featuring June Carryl, Desiree Mee Jung, Luke McClure, Matt Orduna and Jonathan Slavin, ALL as the Prince of Denmark. HAMLET will preview today, October 25 at 8pm; and will open on Friday, October 26 at 8pm and run through Sunday, November 18 at Theatre 68, 5112 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.  

THE 6th ACT presents a unique and multi-cultural look at one of the great literary characters of all time in William Shakespeare's HAMLET, directed by Matthew Leavitt and featuring June Carryl, Desiree Mee Jung, Luke McClure, Matt Orduna and Jonathan Slavin, ALL as the Prince of Denmark. HAMLET will preview on Thursday, October 25 at 8pm; and will open on Friday, October 26 at 8pm and run through Sunday, November 18 at Theatre 68, 5112 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.  

Playwright Chuck Faerber should be applauded for including the many current day issues that he squeezes into this 90-minute BALL YARDS, a collection of semi-related sketches, some succeeding more than others. This world premiere comedy directed by Richard Kuhlman tackles: anti-Semitism, the Ku Klux Klan, transgender transitioning, marketing spin at its most transparent desperation, drug trafficking, feminism.

How can we understand and contextualize new information challenging what we take for granted as scientific fact? Disinherit the Wind, a play of ideas by Matt Chait that asks us to view the wonders of science through a different lens, opens March 3 at The Complex on Hollywood's Theater Row.

How can we understand and contextualize new information challenging what we take for granted as scientific fact? Disinherit the Wind, a play of ideas by Matt Chait that asks us to view the wonders of science through a different lens, opens March 3 at The Complex on Hollywood's Theater Row.

How can we understand and contextualize new information challenging what we take for granted as scientific fact? Disinherit the Wind, a play of ideas by Matt Chait that asks us to view the wonders of science through a different lens, opens March 3 at The Complex on Hollywood's Theater Row.

The InterACT Theatre Company's production of playwright Jerry Sterner's OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY has an extended, very nice, exploratory prelude before the definitely-worth-waiting-for sizzling action dominates the stage with the equally matched, passionate Alexandra Wright and explosive Rob Shapiro as opposing lawyers.

The ultimate seduction, Other People's Money, comes to the Pico Playhouse for a limited run beginning October 21st. InterACT offers Jerry Sterner's award winning play, directed by Oliver Muirhead, perfectly suited and served up during America's political debates and elections. This humorous yet heartfelt look at corporate raiders and the state of capitalism gives audiences a lot to take home from both sides of the question.

This world premiere of playwright Ken Levine's GOING... GOING... GONE! has the benefit of a strong quartet of actors and sure-handed direction at a swift pace. Witty quips and snappy one-liners populate the rapid repartee of the baseball reporters in a sky-high reporters' box. If the purpose to duplicate the drudgery of sitting through 18-19 innings of a baseball game was intentional, Levine's script certainly succeeds.

Our universal need to be remembered is the underlying theme of a behind-the-scenes baseball comedy by Ken Levine, an Emmy Award-winning writer (Cheers, M*A*S*H, The Simpsons), acclaimed sportscaster and former host of Dodger Talk. Andrew Barnicle directs the world premiere of Going... Going... GONE! for an Oct. 1 opening at the Hudson Guild Theatre in Hollywood.

Our universal need to be remembered is the underlying theme of a behind-the-scenes baseball comedy by Ken Levine, an Emmy Award-winning writer (Cheers, M*A*S*H, The Simpsons), acclaimed sportscaster and former host of Dodger Talk. Andrew Barnicle directs the world premiere of Going... Going... GONE! for an Oct. 1 opening at the Hudson Guild Theatre in Hollywood.

In the program notes, playwright Laurel M. Wetzork states one of her primary reasons for writing BLUEPRINT FOR PARADISE as, 'It's important that we don't make the same mistakes we've made in the past.' As well-intentioned of Ms. Wetzork to fictionalize the 1941 construction of a Nazi compound in the Pacific Palisades, her well-meaning 'message' does not come soon enough in the almost two-and-a-half-hour show.

The ruins of an abandoned WWII Nazi compound in Pacific Palisades, known today as the 'Murphy Ranch,' are the inspiration for a new play. The Athena Cats presents the world premiere of Blueprint for Paradise by Laurel M. Wetzork, opening July 30 at the Hudson Theatres in Hollywood. Laura Steinroeder directs a cast that includes Alex Best, Regi Davis, Ann Hu, David Jahn, Steve Marvel, Peter McGlynn and Meredith Thomas.

The ruins of an abandoned WWII Nazi compound in Pacific Palisades, known today as the 'Murphy Ranch,' are the inspiration for a new play. The Athena Cats presents the world premiere of Blueprint for Paradise by Laurel M. Wetzork, opening July 30 at the Hudson Theatres in Hollywood. Laura Steinroeder directs a cast that includes Alex Best, Regi Davis, Ann Hu, David Jahn, Shawn Law, Peter McGlynn and Meredith Thomas.