Michael Kearns News

Susan Anton, Barrett Foa, Loretta Devine, Allison Janney and Andrea Marcovicci are among the galaxy of Broadway, Film, and Television stars lending their talents to the 32nd annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (STAGE), Sondheim No. 5, with two performances on Saturday, June 18th at the beautiful Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.  David Galligan directs with Michael Orland as Music Director.  Performances will be at 2:00pm and 8:00pm.

The Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.) is delighted to announce the 32nd annual gala, 'Sondheim No. 5,' to be held on Saturday, June 18th, 2016 with two performances: 2:00 pm matinee and the evening at 8:00 pm, at the new beautiful Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210). David Galligan directs and serving as Musical Director for his first time is Michael Orland.

Playwright/actor David Trudell returns to the Skylight Theatre December 13 for a solo one-nighter with his holiday-themed SPIRITS, ANYONE?  Moon Mile Run's multi-hyphenate Michael Kearns identifies Trudell as an artist 'who aims to illuminate the zeitgeist of his generation through solo work that is identifiable, edgy, and humorous.'

The Spoken Word artists of QueerWise share intimate stories to remind you that AIDS is not over. Directed by Kearns, in honor of World AIDS Day 2015, We Laid Our Bodies Down vividly probes the immeasurable emotionality that continues to play out in the lives of LGBT individuals who grew up with the disease.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center, Victoria Mudd, and Elizabeth Yng-Wong have announced the world premiere production of Stanley Ann: The Unlikely Story of Barack Obama's Mother. The one-woman play, written by Mike Kindle and directed by Mark Bringelson, chronicles the life of Stanley Ann Dunham from her young adult years in Hawaii to her later professional life in Indonesia. Starring Ann Noble (The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?), Stanley Ann will play two preview performances on July 7 and 8 at 8pm and opening is set for Thursday, July 9 at 8pm at the Center's Davidson/Valentini Theatre.

Following last year's sold out benefit, the Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (STAGE) is delighted to announce the All-Star cast participating in the 31st annual gala, 'To Broadway, From Hollywood....With Love,' being held tonight, May 9th, at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. David Galligan directs with Brad Ellis serving as Musical Director for his first time.

Heartrending tales of tragedy weaved together by the common denominator of a gun (hence, Bang Bang) will rip your heartstrings and possibly cause a flow of tears. Ably directed by Mark Bringelson at an even, fast clip; his talented cast succeeds in presenting actual human faces to the oft-times, de-personalized news accounts of these all-too-common fatal occurrences.

Following last year's sold out benefit, the Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (STAGE) has announced the All-Star cast* participating in the 31st annual gala, 'To Broadway, From Hollywood….With Love,' being held on Saturday, May 9th, at 7:30pm at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA. David Galligan directs and serving as Musical Director for his first time is Brad Ellis.

Following last year's sold out benefit, the Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event(STAGE) is delighted to announce the All-Star cast* participating in the 31st annual gala, "To Broadway, From Hollywood….With Love," being held on Saturday, May 9th, at 7:30pm at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA. David Galligan directs and serving as Musical Director for his first time is Brad Ellis.

Highways Performance Space and Moon Mile Run present the world premiere of Bang Bang, the newest addition to Michael Kearns' compelling arsenal of theatrical work. Opening on Friday, April 10, 2015, Bang Bang is a character-driven play that examines societal 'headline' contentions with intensity and passion. Inspired by the myriad responses to gun violence in America - from Sandy Hook to Ferguson - Bang Bang, directed by Mark Bringelson, weaves a battered, shredded tapestry from individual lives torn apart when a trigger is pulled. The six performances are on Friday and Saturday nights from Friday, April 10 to Saturday, April 25, 2015 at 8:30pm at Highways Performance Space (18th Street Arts Center, 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404). General admission tickets are $20 in advance ($15 for students, Highways members, and seniors) and can be purchased here. Reservations may also be made by calling 310-315-1459. Additional information is available at www.highwaysperformance.org.

Following last year's sold out benefit, the Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (STAGE) is delighted to announce the All-Star cast participating in the 31st annual gala, 'To Broadway, From Hollywood….With Love,' being held on Saturday, May 9th, at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. David Galligan directs with Brad Ellis serving as Musical Director for his first time. The cast includes Loni Anderson, Obba Babatunde, Adrienne Baron, Mary Jo Catlett, Carole Cook, James Darren, Loretta Devine, Nancy Dussault, David Engel, Barbara Eden, Julie Garnye, Thea Gill, Jason Graae, Gregory Harrison, Sally Kellerman, Jon Maher, Melissa Manchester, Pat Marshall, James C Mulligan, Patricia Morison, Robert Morse, Donna Pescow, Jake Simpson, Sally Struthers, Donna Theodore, Lisa Vroman and Adam Wylie.

Following last year's sold out benefit, the Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (STAGE) is delighted to announce the All-Star cast participating in the 31st annual gala, 'To Broadway, From Hollywood....With Love,' being held on Saturday, May 9th, at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. David Galligan directs with Brad Ellis serving as Musical Director for his first time.

The Skylight Theatre Company presents a special launch event for Joseph Kierland's short story collection, 15, with a group of actors under the direction of Michael Kearns reading selections from the book. This event will take place in the Skylight Theatre, right next door to Skylight Books. Indie publisher, Underground Voices, will publish J.S. Kierland's short story collection July 21st. "J.S. Kierland is that rare writer, one who can deal with both urban and rural themes in masterful fashion. This gift allows him to write about a wide range of disparate characters and settings with astonishing precision and power. His taut prose style, innate sense of drama and ability to look at life in an unflinching but always compassionate way are everywhere in evidence in this remarkable collection of stories." --Willard Manus editor/publisher of lively-arts.com; author of Mott The Hoople. About the author: A graduate of the Yale school of Drama, Joseph Kierland was founder and director of the Los Angeles Playwright's Group and was Playwright-in-residence at New York's Lincoln Center, Brandeis University and the Los Angeles Actor's Theater. In the past decade, plays developed under Kierland's mentorship in the L.A. Playwright's Group were produced at a rate of more than one per month throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Kierland's original plays have been produced throughout the U.S. and Europe, and his film work includes writing the screenplay for the feature film, O'Hara's Wife, starring a young Jodie Foster. He has published a novel, edited two books of one-act plays, written two films, and has had over forty publications of his short stories in literary reviews and magazines around the country. This is his first collection of short stories. Location: 1818 N Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, California 90027 United States

The third play in MALIBU PLAYHOUSE's 2013-2014 season will be The Vortex by Noel Coward, opening Friday, April 11, 2014. The play will be directed by Artistic Director Gene Franklin Smith and stars Shannon Holt and Craig Robert Young. Tickets are $30, and may be purchased through the box office, online at http://www.malibuplayhouse.org or by calling 323-960-7711. There will be previews on April 9th and 10th for $20. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. Malibu Playhouse is located at 29243 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265 (near Zuma Beach, between Kanan-Dume Road and Morning View Drive, near Heathercliff Road).

Artistic Director GENE FRANKLIN SMITH and MALIBU PLAYHOUSE present a limited engagement of solo artist DAVID TRUDELL's hit autobiographical show NIGHT & DAVE tonight and tomorrow, November 1 and 2 at 8:00 p.m. and November 3 at 3:00 p.m.

That's the question explored by the acclaimed web series OLD DOGS & NEW TRICKS: COMPLETE SEASONS 1 & 2, available for the first time on DVD November 26th from Wolfe Video. The series will also be available for streaming on the same day from WolfeOnDemand.com.

Artistic Director GENE FRANKLIN SMITH and MALIBU PLAYHOUSE present a limited engagement of solo artist DAVID TRUDELL's hit autobiographical show NIGHT & DAVE on November 1 and 2 at 8:00 p.m. and November 3 at 3:00 p.m.

Wrap Your Heart Around It/written, composed and performed by LynnMarie Rink/directed by Michael Kearns /musical direction by Paul Carrol Binkley/Falcon Theatre/through August 11

Falcon Theatre is proud to present Paul Miller's production of Wrap Your Heart Around It, written, composed and performed by Five-time Grammy nominated Nashville musician LynnMarie Rink. Produced by Emmy award winning producer/director Paul Miller and directed by the acclaimed Michael Kearns, with musical direction by Nashville recording artist Paul Carrol Binkley, Wrap Your Heart Around It won Best Production of the 2012 United Solo Theatre Festival in New York City and has been catching the attention of industry professionals and fans alike.

Actress Kathryn Leigh Scott, best known for her role in the original Dark Shadows TV series, is the latest name to sign up for a special-guest-star turn in the award-winning gay web show Old Dogs & New Tricks' third season, shooting this fall in Los Angeles.