L.A. Stage Insider
Celebrating the Best in Live Theater and Cabaret in thr Greater Los Angeles Area
L.A. Stage Insider
Written by Julio Martinez
July 12, 2023
PREMIERES
Ron Sossi
“Worlds created, maintained and destroyed while you wait.” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble presents the Premiere of “Elephant Shavings,” “a lazy person’s guide to enlightenment,” written and directed by Odyssey Theatre Ensemble artistic director Ron Sossi and set within the walls of West L.A.’s Odyssey Theatre complex. The cast features Denise Blasor, Diana Cignoni, Jack Geren, Jeff LeBeau, Cameron Meyer and Giovanna Neilan The production opens Aug 19, running through Oct 1. Previews Aug 16 & Aug 17, followed by one press preview, also open to the public, on Aug 18. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 477-2055 or go to OdysseyTheatre.com.
Emerson Collins
P3 Theatre Company, in association with the Del Shores Foundation and Beard Collins Shores Productions, is presenting the Premiere of “The Red Suitcase,” written by Jiggs Burgess, directed by Del Shores, and starring Emerson Collins, featuring Kristen McCulloug, Bruce Melena, Charlotte Louise White, Mat Hayes, Pam Trotter and Tiago Santos. Mr. Burgess’ previous play, “Wounded,” recently won the “International Fringe Encore Series Award” at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival giving it a 4-week Off-Broadway run at the Soho Playhouse in NYC in January 2024. “The Red Suitcase” will preview Aug & 11 (8pm, ); opening Aug 12 (8pm), performing weekends, through Sep 3 at the Broadwater Theatre Main Stage, 1076 Lillian Way in Los Angeles. Tickets and additional information available online at https://p3theatre.biz/theredsuitcase/.
Suanne Spoke Photo by Ed Krieger
International City Theatre continues it 2023 season with the Premiere of “Exit Wounds,” looking at the human story behind the sensationalist headlines of a tragedy, written by Wendy Graf. ICT producing artistic director caryn desai [sic] directs Suanne Spoke, Michael Polak and Hayden Kharrazi for a three-week run, Aug 25-Sep 10 (low-priced previews, Aug 23 & 24). Exit Wounds runs Thu, Fri & Sat (8pm) and Sun (2pm), Aug 25 through September 10. International City Theatre is located in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center at 330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (562) 436-4610 or go to www.InternationalCityTheatre.org.
SOLO MOJO
Ann Noble
“Stuck in jail, a clown conjures her favorite female radicals from history in order to make sense of her civil disobedience, which led directly to her current incarceration.” Echo Theatre Company presents “A Bella Incarceration,” conceived, written & performed by Ann Noble, plays July 25 (8 pm), continuing on Tuesdays (8pm) thru Aug. 22. Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave, L. A., CA 90039. For tickets and more information, go here.
CRITICS CORNER:
“Garden of Alla: The Alla Nazimova Story”
Actress Romy Nordlinger does not just perform a solo play, focused on the life of the actress, Alla Nazimova. Nordlinger interacts constantly with her audience, as well as surrealistic, ever-changing video projections created by Adam Jesse Burns, punctuated beautifully by the sounds and original music originated by Nick T. Moore, also seamlessly directed by Lorca Paress. She impressively underscores the life and career of the silent film superstar, visionary Hollywood writer/director/producer, and LGBTQ trailblazer who created the Garden of Alla.
Nordlinger provides just enough detail about Nazimova’s youth in Yalta, living in a troubled Jewish home in 19th century Tsarist Russia. Her talent as a violinist led her to a life where she could perform, soon attracting an audience of wealthy men, whom she bedded to further her career. She became a disciple of Konstantin Stanislavsky while studying at Moscow Art Theatre, where she blossomed into a star.
Nordlinger impressively morphs into the stern Stanislavsky and those other men who provided the steppingstones to her successes and later failures. This included cigar-chomping Lee Schubert, who built her a theater after she moved to New York and became after a star. She even learned English in five months to headline in “Hedda Gabler,” later popularizing the works of Ibsen, Chekhov and Turgenev. The show takes on an added richness after Nazimova moves to Hollywood where she made her film debut in “War Brides,” produced by Lewis J. Selznick in 1916.
Nordlinger gleefully romps through Nazimova’s Hollywood years, making highly successful films. One of the highest paid stars in tinseltown, she built her residence, Garden of Alla in 1919 at Crescent Heights and Sunset Blvd. Aside from becoming a haven for the Hollywood elite, including Charlie Chaplin, Dorothy Parker, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Errol Flynn, Rudolph Valentino, Cole Porter, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many others, it also welcomed a flow of ladies who participated in Nazimova’s “sewing circle” of actresses in order to conceal their true sexuality.
Nordlinger reveals that Nazimova made the mistake of “investing her own money” in two films, “A Doll’s House” and Oscar Wilde’s “Salomé” in 1922, which led to her financial ruin. The property was converted into a hotel. Nazimova moved back to New York and was once again was successful on stage. In 1938, she moved back into Garden of Alla, renting villa 24, where she died in 1945 at age 66.
The Garden of Alla was razed in 1959 by investor Bart Lytton to make way for Lytton’s Savings and Loan. Joni Mitchell immortalized the demolition in 1970 with “....you’ve paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” In 2021 the site met the same fate. “And the beat goes on.”
Garden of Alla: The Alla Nazimova Story runs through July 23, with performance Fri & Sat (8pm), Sun (2pm). For reservations and information, call (323) 851-7977 or go to TheatreWest.org Theatre West is located at 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West in LA. 90068.
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. On July 14, Arts in review welcomes Romy Nordlinger.
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