THOUSAND OAKS THEATER REVIEWS

The Kingsmen Shakespeare Company will kick off its 22nd year with its first staging of 'The Two Noble Kinsmen' under the direction of a newcomer to the festival who has nearly 40 years of experience....

It contains possibly the last words William Shakespeare ever wrote and chances are you've never seen a production of it. THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN was written around 1613 but not published until 1634, and is attributed to both Shakespeare and John Fletcher, the man who would succeed him as resident play...

Real-life partners Jennifer Ridgway and Kevin Ellis play perpetual adulterers George and Doris in Bernard Slade's timeless comedy 'Same Time, Next Year' at Oxnard's Elite Theatre Company....

Claire Adams stars as a young North Carolina woman seeking a miracle - to heal her disfigured face caused by a farm accident from when she was young. Embarking on a Greyhound bus bound for Tulsa just after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was implemented, Violet deals with race, guilt, and shame in her ...

Dance serves a major purpose in musical productions. It enhances the script, it visually confirms what is being said and adds a physical energy that elevates the intent and solidifies who the characters are. This production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, A NEW MUSICAL, which is produced by 5-St...

'Hansel and Gretel' the opera is a playful romp through the forest....

The newly revamped national tour of 'Let It Be' includes a fantasy 'reunion' of the group on John Lennon's 40th birthday, October 9, 1980, two months before his murder. The group combined note-perfect renditions of two dozen Beatles songs as well as songs from the group members' solo careers during ...

Theater League's national tour of 'A Chorus Line' features a stellar cast, fabulous singing and dancing, but above all, the rock solid directing by Baayork Lee, the original Connie, who has ensured that Michael Bennett's original conception from over 40 years ago remains the same as he intended, as ...

Sam Shepard's 1983 black comedy 'True West' comes to life with Elite Theatre Company's searing portrayal of two brothers at war with one another. One is a struggling screenwriter, the other a parasitic bully. When the two clash, their personalities merge until you can't tell one from the other. Aaro...

'Kinky Boots' overcomes a formulaic, predictable storyline with energetic performances and Cyndi Lauper's outstanding score. The national tour features outstanding work from its trio of stars: Lance Bordelon as frustrated shoe factory owner Charlie Price, Jos N. Banks as enterprising drag queen Lola...

SISTER ACT is a feel-good musical comedy smash hit based on the 1992 film that has audiences ready to rejoice! Featuring original music by Tony® and 8-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Disney's Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Enchanted), dazzling dance routines and songs inspired by Motow...

Back in the late 60s, groups of people would meet up at an agreed-upon place to attend a "happening," defined as a partly improvised or spontaneous piece of theatrical or other artistic performance, typically involving audience participation. This description is exactly how I would describe what is...

Brian McDonald brilliantly plays multiple roles in the one-man comic fantasy 'Buyer and Cellar,' about serving as shopkeeper in Barbara Streisand's ornate underground personal shopping mall. A tour de force for McDonald and the Rubicon Theater Company....

'Motown: The Musical' is, plain and simply, Berry Gordy's revenge on 'Dreamgirls.' After getting displayed in a negative fashion in that show, Gordy decided to create his own version of his career, painting himself in noble colors....

When one says 'student directed' it sends a chill up this reviewer's back, especially within the high school theater community. So, walking into Agoura High School's production of 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' I wasn't expect much....

Ojai Art Center's production of 'Animal Crackers' features impeccable performances by Sean Mason (Groucho), Daniel Mitchell (Chico) and Anna Kotula (Harpo) as the Marx Brothers. Directed by John Medeiros....

One of the most current topics in the media now concerns transgender people being able to live the life they envision for themselves without prejudice or scorn aimed at them. After all, no doubt you have seen public restrooms now labeled to allow anyone access to them, be that person either physica...

Frantic, broad comedy and an attractive Spanish-flavored score highlight Musical Theatre Guild's recent staged reading of Jeffrey Lane's 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.'...

CYMBELINE proves to be a technical and emotional success- Director Michael J. Arndt consistently produces above-university-level work which constantly challenges his student actors....

The time: 1946. The place, Berlin, Germany. Esteemed German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler, who refused to leave his post as head of the Berlin Philharmonic, despite his refusal to acknowledge the vicious Hitler regime, is interrogated by an American de-Nazification officer, who believes Furtwangler ...

5-Star Theatricals (formerly Cabrillo Music Theatre) unveils its first production, an ambitious reworking of 'Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.' Did it work? Read our review to find out!...

Thanks to the magnificent performance of handsome and muscular Adam Hollick, there is an overwhelming Spiritual Presence that shines within Joseph, a power that allows him to overcome every obstacle in his way. He rises above being separated from his loved ones, sold to nomads traveling through the...

Nick Payne's acclaimed Off-Broadway smash 'Incognito' makes its West Coast debut with this thought-provoking production, staged at the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura....

The Elite Theatre Company begins a new theatrical experiment as three high school actors not only perform, but help in writing the script for a new drama, 'At the End of the Day.'...

What happens when a family loses a loved one? Said family bans together, consoles each other, and stand as a united front to continue the celebration of the memory of the lost family member....