Liza Seneca News

Nestled uneasily in a space between comedy and misery, SUKKOT makes shoddy use of a good cast to serve up a banquet of familial angst and misery.

The 6th Act world premieres Matthew Leavitt’s SUKKOT opening January 13, 2024; at the Skylight Theatre. Joel Zwick directs the cast of Natalie Lander, Liza Seneca, Andy Robinson and Jonathan Slavin. A regular familiar face on the Los Angeles stages, Natalie carved out some time to answer a few of my queries.

The 6th Act has announced that Natalie Lander, Liza Seneca, Andy Robinson and Jonathan Slavin will star in the world premiere of SUKKOT, written by Matthew Leavitt (The Boomerang Effect) and directed by Joel Zwick (My Big Fat Greek Wedding).  

The Hollywood Independent Theater Festival will be extending The 6th Act's “Sonnets From Suburbia,” a one woman show with music. “Sonnets From Suburbia,” was conceived and written by Penny Peyser, directed by Co-Artistic Directors Matthew Leavitt and Liza Seneca and will be presented on September 6, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. and September 20, 2023 at 8:30 p.m. at Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre - 5636 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles 90038.

Method and Madness continues their weekly streams of classic plays with Shakespeare's KING LEAR, this Friday, May 1st, at 7 PM PST. The play is directed by Artistic Director Will Block and features Tony Amendola in the title role.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced the nominees for theatrical excellence for the year 2019. This year they are forgoing their annual event ceremony and will instead post the award recipients online in the upcoming weeks: 

THE 6th ACT presents a world premiere comedy, a heartfelt love letter to all things 99-seat theatre, THE $5 SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, written by Matthew Leavitt (The Boomerang Effect) and directed by Joel Zwick (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” Serrano The Musical). THE $5 SHAKESPEARE COMPANY will open on Friday, February 7 at 8pm and run through Sunday, March 8, 2020 at Theatre 68, 5112 Lankershim Blvd. in Hollywood.

Prolific episodic director Joel Zwick's next theatrical foray on the Los Angeles theatre boards will be helming the world premiere of Matthew Leavitt's THE $5 SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, beginning February 7, 2020 at The 6th Act's Theatre 68. This homage to 99-seat theatre in Los Angeles features: Kenajuan Bentley, Emerson Collins, Carolina Espiro, Natalie Lander, Luke McClure, Cindy Nguyen, Andy Robinson, Liza Seneca, Adam J. Smith and Jamie Zwick. Joel managed to take some time out of his multi-tasking to answer a few of my queries.

THE 6th ACT presents a world premiere comedy, a heartfelt love letter to all things 99-seat theatre, THE $5 SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, written by Matthew Leavitt (The Boomerang Effect) and directed by Joel Zwick (a?oeMy Big Fat Greek Wedding,a?? Serrano The Musical). THE $5 SHAKESPEARE COMPANY will open on Friday, February 7 at 8pm and run through Sunday, March 8, 2020 at Theatre 68, 5112 Lankershim Blvd. in Hollywood.  

Director Stephanie Shroyer's innovative staging and updating of Bertolt Brecht's 1944 THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE (using the translation of Alistair Beaton) features a solid ensemble using old-time, theatre magic to fascinate the audience with its tales of World War II tragedies.

The city burns in the heat of civil war and a servant girl sacrifices everything to protect a forsaken child. Antaeus Theatre Company presents Bertolt Brecht's1944 masterpiece, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, in a contemporary translation by award-winning playwright Alistair Beaton.Stephanie Shroyer directs for a July 11opening at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, where performances continue through Aug. 26. Low-priced previews begin July 5.

The city burns in the heat of civil war and a servant girl sacrifices everything to protect a forsaken child. Antaeus Theatre Company presents Bertolt Brecht's1944 masterpiece, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, in a contemporary translation by award-winning playwright Alistair Beaton.Stephanie Shroyer directs for a July 11opening at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, where performances continue through Aug. 26. Low-priced previews begin July 5.

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. 

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.  

As its inaugural production, new classical theatre company The 6th Act, led by co-artistic directors Matthew Leavitt and Liza Seneca, presents two playwrights united by a common theme in AN EVENING OF BETRAYAL. Act One is Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL, which tells its story of marital infidelity from end to beginning, and a condensed version of William Shakespeare's OTHELLO, also told in reverse, makes up Act Two

Artistic Directors Matthew Leavitt and Liza Seneca of THE 6TH ACT Theatre Company are pleased to announce their first full production with AN EVENING OF BETRAYAL. A unique combination of Harold Pinter's Betrayal and an extremely condensed version of Shakespeare's Othello, creatively adapted by Liza Seneca (of Antaeus), to mimic the reverse structure of 'Betrayal.' Elizabeth Swain (also from Antaeus), will direct. The show will open June 1st, 2018, at Theatre 68's MainStage Theatre.

The second play in this year's Block Party is AMERYKA, written and directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone, which continues through April 29, 2018 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Plan to arrive early so you can take advantage reading all the information posted in several areas of the lobby (as well as in the two main theater entrances) about Tadeusz Ko?ciuszko, a Polish freedom fighter who assisted Thomas Jefferson in the formation of our country, as his remarkable life and beliefs are central to the plot of this play.

 Artistic Directors Matthew Leavitt and Liza Seneca of THE 6TH ACT Theatre Company, along with acclaimed directorElizabeth Swain announce the cast for their Inaugural production, AN EVENING OF BETRAYAL.  They are thrilled to sign such a stellar cast for this complex production, a unique combination of Harold Pinter's Betrayaland an extremely condensed version of Shakespeare's Othello. The show will open June 1st, 2018, at Theatre 68's MainStage Theatre.  

The Critical Mass Performance Group production of "Ameryka," which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre, will open Saturday, April 21 at 8 p.m. Written and directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone in collaboration with the company, "Ameryka" is currently in previews and will close April 29.