L.A. Stage Insider
Celebrating the Best in Live Theater and Cabaret in the Greater Los Angeles Area
Written by Julio Martinez
June 12, 2024
NEWS
Tyne Daly Michael Van Duzer
As part of its Proud Out Loud programming honoring the achievements of five-time Tony Award winning playwright and librettist Terrence McNally (1938-2020), Theatre West is screening the Emmy-nominated American Masters documentary about McNally, “Every Act of Life,” produced, written, and directed by Theatre West member Jeff Kaufman. The film will be shown at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, 2024. The screening will be followed by a discussion and talkback with Kaufman, producer Marcia Ross, and veteran McNally performer and documentary participant Tony-winner Tyne Daly. The panel will be moderated by Michael Van Duzer, President of the Artistic Board of Theatre West, which is located at 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, in Los Angeles, 90068. For tickets and more information, go to www.theatrewest.org.
Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC) today announced the playwrights selected for its 27th annual Conference and New Works Festival to be held August 1 - 4 in Ojai, CA. Playwrights and their plays to be presented in the Festival include: Libby Carr, Calf Scramble; Lee Cataluna, Thursdays Come at Morning; Alex Lin, barren.; Christina Pumariega, ¡VOS!; and Mfoniso Udofia, The Ceremony. Prior to sharing their new plays at the Festival, the playwrights participate in the Conference, a two-week workshop to develop their new work with directors, dramaturges, and OPC artistic staff. They are then joined by professional actors, stage managers, and production teams who help bring each playwright’s vision to life for Festival audiences. OPC’s Writers-in-Residence also receive new play development support at the Conference and participate in the Festival as part of the artist community. 2024 Writers-in-Residence will include celebrated playwrights Jaclyn Backhaus, Steve Yockey, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Stephen Adly Guirgis. 2024 marks Jeremy B. Cohen’s second year as OPC’s Producing Artistic Director. He is joined by Senior Artistic Producer Hannah Wolf and Artistic Producer Jeff Liu.In addition to the five new plays, the Festival will include an evening celebrating new work by artists across the OPC community, including the 2024 Writers-in-Residence and students in the Youth Workshop and Intern programs. The weekend will also include a conversation with the playwrights, led by Cohen. For Festival passes, single tickets and more information, go here.
PREMIERES
Matt Walker, Rick Batalla and Cloie Wyatt Taylor
Troubadour Theater Company is celebrating its 29th season with the Premiere of “Duran DurAntony & Cleopatra,” one of Shakespeare’s most notorious tragedies, Antony & Cleopatra, combined with the music of 80’s wild boys, Duran Duran. The award-winning Troubies tell the twisted tale of love, lust, and sharp objects, where the Rio Grande becomes the Nile. With musical direction by Ryan Whyman, adaption & direction by Matt Walker, the production is now open, running thru June 16 at the Colony Theatre, 555 N. Third St. in North Burbank. The cast features: Beth Kennedy, Rick Batalla, Mike Sulprizio, Rob Nagle, Cloie Wyatt Taylor, John Paul Batista, Katie Kitani, Mark McCracken, Philip McNiven, Suzanne Jolie, and adaptor/director Matt Walker. Performances are Thu & Fri (8pm), Sat (4 & 8pm), and Sun (4 & 7:30pm). Tickets available online at www.troubie.com, colonytheatre.org, or by calling the box office at (818) 558-7000.
Hershey Felder & Jonathan Silvestri
HFP LIVE presents the world premiere of “Rachmaninoff and The Tsar,” starring pianist/actor/playwright/producer Hershey Felder and Jonathan Silvestri, directed by Trevor Hay. Plays Aug 7-25 at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Felder is featured in the role of Sergei Rachmaninoff, playing opposite British-Italian actor Silvestrim in the role of Tsar Nicholas II. For tickets and more information, go to www.atrachandthetsar.com, or call (213) 544-0477 (12-5 pm daily).
AROUND TOWN
Eillen Barnett Teri Bibb Dana Miller
Musical Theatre Guild brings their inaugural year, 1996, to life with an evening of songs from musicals running on Broadway during that significant year, performed by an all-star array of over two dozen Guild members. The music from this fundraising concert, benefitting Musical Theatre Guild’s Student Outreach programs, will be the unique mix of classics and less-familiar choices that audiences have come to expect from MTG. Performs June 25 (8:30pm) at The Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. For tickets and more information, go here.
Take a theatrical journey this summer when South Coast Repertory returns for a final summer at Mission San Juan Capistrano with “The Old Man and The Old Moon,” book, music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co. The Outside SCR offering, which performs outdoors under the stars, runs July 20-Aug. 11. Directed by SCR Associate Artistic Director Kim Martin-Cotten, the production takes audiences on an epic adventure across land, sea and sky—all in the name of love, underscored by indie-folk music. The Old Man and The Old Moon came from the minds of seven budding theatre artists when they were still students at Carnegie Mellon University. The seven: Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi and Dan Weschler, founders of PigPen Theatre Co. The cast features Jess Andrews, Tommy Beck, Armando Gutierrez, Matt MacNell, Joe Ngo, Alex Lydon and Ana Marcu. For more information and tickets, go here.
Arts in Review, hosted by arts journalist Julio Martinez, celebrating the best in theater and cabaret in the Greater Los Angeles area, airs on KPFK90.7fm on Fridays (2-2:30pm), streamed live around the world in real time over KPFK.org.
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