Michael Mullen News

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series of interviews with some of am the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight Series interview features Kristin Towers-Rowles, an Award-Winning Director, Triple-Threat Actress, and Granddaughter of Screen Legend Kathryn Grayson.

We are first introduced to a young girl, a very assertive, opinionated young girl, definitely with a strong sense of identity, and self worth. She is heard speaking, which we come to find out is us hearing her inner thoughts and feelings, through her a?oeMind's Eye,a?? her vocally taped diary, into a recorder. The time is 1968. We first view her as she runs, into, outside ~ an elderly man who has fallen in their garden, helping him up and, concerned, guides him inside her home, where she spends much of her sheltered life. Patty, played quite brilliantly by Peyton Kirkner, is both honest and earnest in her connection with her new and only friend, Calhoon (played wonderfully and with much heart by Lloyd Pedersen). They were instant friends; and even though Patty is legally blind they easily shared conversation. The actors totally conveyed that feeling, so it was all the more heart-wrenching when her mom, Lola Henderson, played determinedly by Maria Kress, who, understandably, is ultra protective, comes home and just couldn't fathom this new connection ~ having been the caretaker-mom all of Patty's life, this was a concern she had not yet encountered. Flash forward, and back and forth, throughout the rest of the play, this played out and developed one of the underlying themes while at the same time we were fast-forwarded to Patty (aka now renamed by herself, Trish) as a school teacher in 1981.

The Group Rep presents a free staged reading of the musical A Beating Heart, inspired by Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray with book by Thomas Sheehan and Claire Barré, lyrics by Thomas Sheehan, music and additional lyrics by EJ Reyes, directed by Jules Aaron. March 3 and March 4 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, California.

The Group Rep will present the revival of Doug Haverty's award winning play IN MY MIND'S EYE, directed by Bruce Kimmel, and produced for the Group Rep by Bita Arefnia. The play will run February 7 through March 15 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, California.

Ensemble Studio Theatre/Los Angeles in association with VS. Theatre Company has announced the world premiere production of The Water Tribe, a new play by Don Cummings. Under the direction of Tricia Small, opening is set for Friday, January 17, at 8pm. The engagement will run through February 9 at VS. Theatre.

There are plenty of couples that eschew the institution of marriage. Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon have been together for 37 years, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell for 35, Robin Roberts and Amber Laign have 14, and none have ever walked down the aisle together and said 'I do'.

A riotous script and a veteran cast who know their way around comedy highlight a bravura production of 'The Man Who Came To Dinner,' Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's classic 1939 play about a sidelined theater critic, forced to be wheelchair bound in a house in small town Ohio. Jim Beaver, Barry Pearl, and Kay Cole starr in this outrageously funny revival.

Ensemble Studio Theatre/Los Angeles in association with VS. Theatre Company has announced the world premiere production of The Water Tribe, a new play by Don Cummings. Under the direction of Tricia Small, there will be three preview performances January 10a?"12 and opening is set for Friday, January 17, at 8pm. The engagement will run through February 9 at VS. Theatre.

We all know how unintentionally funny nuns can be as they go about their daily lessons, ruler in hand, trying to get children to behave or do their lessons. Or perhaps not. But just imagine if you could be a fly on the wall in the early morning hours, listening in as they get together over coffee or while baking bread in their small kitchen and blissfully make fun of not only their students but each other, as well as their local Bishop who holds all the money needed to keep their beloved St. Cyril's convent and school from closing down. They smoke and swear while complaining about being old, jaded and stupid, but realize that just like their building and the entire neighborhood around them, we're just a?oeall dirt poor.a?? And incredibly funny!

The Group Rep presents Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's beloved farce THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, directed by Bruce Kimmel, produced by Doug Haverty. The comedy classic takes place a few weeks before Christmas in small town USA, after a famously outlandish NYC radio personality is invited to dine at the house of the well-to-do local factory owner. But this sharp-tongued celebrity slips on a patch of ice outside the front door and injures his hip. Confined to the house for a month, he drives his hosts mad by insulting them, monopolizing their world, wreaking havoc with romantic antics and receiving a constant stream of bizarre guests, including performers, scientists, penguins and even paroled convicts. As Christmas Day approaches mayhem ensues and fate delivers a comeuppance. 

The Group Rep presents Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's beloved farce THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, directed by Bruce Kimmel, produced by Doug Haverty. The comedy classic takes place a few weeks before Christmas in small town USA, after a famouslya??outlandish NYC radio personality is invited to dine at the house of the well-to-do local factory owner. Buta??this sharp-tongued celebrity slips on a patch of ice outside the front door and injures his hip. Confineda??to the house for a month, he drives his hosts mad by insulting them,a??monopolizing their world, wreaking havoc with romantic antics anda??receiving a constant stream ofa??bizarre guests, including performers,a??scientists, penguins and even paroled convicts.a??As Christmas Day approachesa??mayhem ensues and fate delivers aa??comeuppance.a??

Michael Mullen works onstage and behind the scenes. He is a superb costumer and an equally marvelous actor. In our conversation he talks about his 7 BWW Award nominations and overall about the joy of being in the theatre. How does it feel to be nominated four times for a BWW Award for costuming? MM: It feels really cool to be nominated for 4 BWW Awards for Costume Design. I loved working on all 4 of the shows. It was fun to delve into the 1930s with She Loves Me. I love the Victorian period which I got to do with The Importance Of Being Earnest. The Elizabethan period is one of my favorite time periods which we set The Merchant Of Venice in. And Roots was a series of 4 one-act shows that allowed me to create costumes from modern day to Peter The Great to Ayn Rand to a comedic cockroach.

Crown City Theatre Company (William A. Reilly and Gary Lamb, Artistic Directors) has announced a new production of The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez, directed and choreographed by Michael J. Marchak opening on Sunday, November 24, at 3pm. The engagement will run through February 9, 2020.

Actor/director/author Bruce Kimmel is best known to audiences for his tremendous work with Kritzerland, his own company that produces updated albums of classic musicals as well as recordings of new ones like his A Carol Christmas, produced last year at Group Rep and currently nominated for several BroadwayWorld Awards. Kimmel is about to open The Man Who Came to Dinner at Group Rep on December 6. In our convesation he talks about his fondness for the play and gives us his vision for a successful production of it. How do you envision The Man Who Came to Dinner onstage? BK: Fast. Funny. I love the play, have played Banjo twice, so it's really fun to come back to it as a director. The comedy is as funny as it's always been and it's also great to be able to bring whatever we can bring to it. But, for me, pace is key - the play can run long, but I'm making sure that doesn't happen here. Why do you think it has endured all these years even though it's a period piece with the mention of many, many names people today do not recognize? BK: The central situation is so relatable - someone takes over your house and your life, and disrupts everything, but, in the end, ends up being helpful to people. Add to that, the assortment of crazies who populate Sheridan Whiteside's wo

Theatre of NOTE closes its 2019 season with the world premiere of Fruition, by Alexis DeLaRosa, directed by Lauren Smerkanich.  Fruition will preview Friday and Saturday, November 1 and 2 at 8pm. It will open on Thursday, November 7 at 8pm and run through Saturday, December 7 at Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N Cahuenga Blvd (just north of Sunset) in Hollywood.  

Crown City Theatre Company (William A. Reilly and Gary Lamb, Artistic Directors) has announced a new production of The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez, directed and choreographed by Michael J. Marchak. The show will play two preview performances on Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23, at 8pm and is set to open on Sunday, November 24, at 3pm. The engagement will run through February 9, 2020.

AboutFACE Ireland have announced the final selections for the 2019 NEWvember New Plays Festival Dublin – a showcase of original plays to be held cross-city at two venues, Smock Alley in the city centre and the Civic in Tallaght, November 1-3 2019. The announcement was made by AboutFACE Co-Artistic Directors Anna Nugent and Paul Nugent. NEWvember Dublin will feature these works over a three-day weekend, presented via rehearsed readings. After 5 years of NEWvember Festivals in New York, this is the 3rd year the event will be held in Dublin. The spirit of NEWvember is to provide a dynamic, interactive and welcoming place where writers can hear their plays read by seasoned actors, and discuss their work and creative process. It was also announced that many of this year's playwrights will be in attendance, and will take part in post show Q&As, including writers travelling from the US. Additionally, this year's festival will feature for the first time a playwrights roundtable discussion, mixing emerging writers with established playwrights.

Knot Free Productions presents In Trousers, a 'prequel' to William Finn's groundbreaking March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, directed by Ryan O'Connor.

Theatre of NOTE closes its 2019 season with the world premiere of Fruition, by Alexis DeLaRosa, directed by Lauren Smerkanich.  Fruition will preview Friday and Saturday, November 1 and 2 at 8pm. It will open on Thursday, November 7 at 8pm and run through Saturday, December 7 at Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N Cahuenga Blvd (just north of Sunset) in Hollywood.    

Son of Semele presents 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane October 12 - November 3, 2019. Performances are Fridays & Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @ 5pm and Tuesdays @ 7pm.