Ken Sawyer News

An Evening with the Best of Broadway illuminated the historic Music Hall at Fair Park on Saturday night as Dallas leaders, philanthropists and lovers of the arts came together to support the magic of musical theatre at the 2018 DSM Gala.

Actors Co-op Theatre Company (Ovation Award-Winner 2017 Best Play, Intimate Theatre for 33 Variations) played to sold out houses opening weekend of their 27th Season with the thriller ROPE, written by Patrick Hamilton, directed by Ken Sawyer, produced by Kevin Shewey.  ROPE runs now through Sunday, October 28 at the Actors Co-op Crossley in Hollywood.

In 1948 Alfred Hitchcock directed the film Rope based on Patrick Hamilton's 1929 play. Its setting was switched from London to New York, and at least for me, the psychological crime story played out in a very talky, uninteresting manner. The stage play, by the way, is rarely produced. Currently onstage at Actors Co-op, Rope is a fun, delightful romp through a game of murder that perks attention from the moment it starts, and thanks to brilliant director Ken Sawyer and his outstanding cast, it's a riveting and enjoyable evening in the theatre, far, far ahead of that Hitchcok movie. I hate the word p

Director Ken Sawyer is an award-winning director for his productions of Deathtrap and Hit the Wall a few years ago at the LGBTQ Center. He is getting ready to open The Rope at Actors Co-op this Friday September 21. Sawyer took time from the busy tech week to discuss the play that became one of Alfred Hitchcock's curious films.  How does The Rope in play form differ from Hitchcock's movie? Hitchcock's movie took place in the 40s in New York City. The play originally was set

Actors Co-op Theatre Company (Ovation Award-Winner 2017 Best Play, Intimate Theatre for 33 Variations) presents the first show in its 27th Season with the thriller ROPE, written by Patrick Hamilton, directed by Ken Sawyer, produced by Kevin Shewey.  ROPE will preview on Thursday, September 20 at 8pm and will open Friday, September 21 at 8pm and run through Sunday, October 29 at the Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St. 90028 (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood) in Hollywood.

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.

What made the Hot List? A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at Theatre @ Boston Court, ALLEGIANCE by East West Players at the Aratani Theatre downtown, A WALK IN THE WOODS at Actors Co-op, and JACKIE UNVEILED at The Wallis. Check out the latest buzz below and go see a show! Reviews by BWW Sr. Editor Ellen Dostal (LADCC).

Actors Co-op Theatre Company presents the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award nominated drama A WALK IN THE WOODS, written in 1988 by playwright Lee Blessing. The witty two-hander concerns a relationship between two arms negotiators, one Russian and one American, and what happens when they step out of the war room and into the woods above Geneva, Switzerland, during a year of negotiations. Although the two eventually develop a friendly relationship, their personalities certainly differ in that the American is formal and idealistic while the Russian is easily led off topic and very pessimistic that any agreement will ever amount to any changes in the escalating arms race.

Actors Co-0p Theatre Company (Ovation Award-Winner 2014 Best Intimate Theatre Musical for 110 in the Shade) presents the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominated drama A Walk in the Woods written by award-winning playwright Lee Blessing, directed by Ken Sawyer, produced by Lauren Thompson. A Walk in the Woods will preview, Thursday, February 8 at 8:00 pm, and will open Friday, February 9 at 8:00 pm, and run through Sunday, March 18 at the Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower Street, 90028 (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood) in Hollywood.

After a rigorously competitive submission and selection process, new musicals, Rebel Genius and Hit The Wall. have been selected for the second season of LiveRead@SDA, a developmental series at the USC School of Dramatic Arts created to cultivate and provide critical support for the creation of innovative and contemporary new works for the American theatre.

Maria Gobetti, co-artistic director of the Victory Theatre Center, is pleased to announce casting has been completed for the next production scheduled in The Big Victory - the world premiere of Jon Klein's comedy RESOLVING HEDDA.

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media, today announced its lineup for the 2017 Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festiva

The 27th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Tuesday, January 17, at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center.

One thing is perfectly clear. Jane Wagner's perspective of the 80s, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe is a brilliant piece of writing. When Lily Tomlin performed it in the 80s (the film version was released in 1991) as a one-woman play, portraying all twelve characters, the charm of the play was watching Tomlin's ingenious skill. She flawlessly slipped in and out of all the characters, female and male, without changing makeup, hair or clothes. It was a phenomenal performance. Now thirty years later, Wagner and Tomlin have adapted the work for a cast of 12 actors under the direction of Ken Sawyer, which opened in October and has been extended until December 11 only at the LGBT Center on the Ed Gould Plaza at McCadden Place, Hollywood.

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, have announced that their critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS CHOICE, Stage Raw TOP TEN) first show of its 2016-2017 season, EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, written by Tony award-winning playwright Edward Albee and directed by Andre Barron, is extending again, now through Saturday, December 10 at the Road Theatre Company's second home, The Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce that their critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS CHOICE, Stage Raw TOP TEN) first show of its 2016-2017 season,EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, written by Tony award-winning playwright Edward Albee and directed by Andre Barron, is EXTENDING through SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 at the Road Theatre Company's second home, The Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

?For the first time in the 35-year history of Jane Wagner's iconic play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, the author and her creative and life partner Lily Tomlin have given their approval for it to be reinvented as a fully staged production performed by a company of 12 actors as opposed to its original solo format.

?For the first time in the 35-year history of Jane Wagner's iconic play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, the author and her creative and life partner Lily Tomlin have given their approval for it to be reinvented as a fully staged production performed by a company of 12 actors as opposed to its original solo format.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce that they will be starring in the first show of its 2016-2017 season, EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, written by Tony award-winning playwright Edward Albee and directed by Andre Barron, reuniting the three for the first time since the critically acclaimed The Other Place.  EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY will begin previews on Tuesday, September 13 at 8pm; will open on Friday, September 16 at 8pm and run through Saturday, November 5 at the Road Theatre Company's second home, The Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.