L.A. Stage Insider
Celebrating the Best in Live Theater and Cabaret in the Greater Los Angeles Area
Written by Julio Martinez
August 7, 2024
WORKSHOPS, PANELS & CLASSES
LAWTF Ensemble of Staff & Players
Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival will present its 11th Annual Empowerment Weekend of workshops and panels tailored to empower and enhance the careers of solo performers, and an informative event to benefit all performers. This year’s event will be presented virtually online via Zoom. Zoom links will be provided to attendees following ticket purchase and registration. This weekend event includes career development offerings from industry professionals that are designed to meet solo artists where they are and to guide them to the next level of their work. Workshops and panels will cover areas that include creating a solo show, marketing, teamwork, touring, dramaturgy, and career development. Attendees will be able to attend 13 offerings, including an LAWTF Board Roundtable, workshops, and panels. All events will take place virtually on Zoom. Early Bird tuition is available through Aug 9. The opening panel on Friday, Aug 23 will be available at no cost to anyone buying a ticket for either Saturday or Sunday or the entire weekend. For more information and to buy tickets tø the LAWT Festival, go here.
James Snyder & Carmen Cusack
Los Angeles Musical Theater Studio announces two upcoming classes taught by two incredible theatre artists. Starting on Sep 4, Broadway's James Snyder (If/Then, In Transit, Cry Baby) teaches Performance Prep, which includes a Final Showcase Performance for an invited audience. Using the theme of "showing up", James Snyder will guide students from song selection to performance, working on vocal techniques and skills to engage the mind, body and voice. Beginning Sep 30, Two-Time Tony Nominee Carmen Cusack (Bright Star, Flying Over Sunset, Wicked, Les Miserables) returns to teach Finding Your True Voice, a class dedicated to achieving the synthesis of the individual’s voice with their work. Carmen will offer techniques and warmups designed to help actors use their voice in a healthy way and ensure that the authentic voice is coming through in each character. Her work will help performers ensure that that the singing voice is like an extension of the speaking voice, lifted and elevated. For more information and to enroll, go here.
PREMIERES
Mike Teverbaugh & Natalia Lazarus
After more than three decades in television writing, Mike Teverbaugh is set to bring his latest drama, “The Mostly True Story of a Common Scold,” focusing on Anne Royall, America’s first female journalist, alarmed by speeches from evangelical leaders declaring their intent to reshape America into a Christian nation, starts printing a newspaper from her Washington, D.C., kitchen to sound the alarm. She nearly pays with her life. A cast of six will be directed by Natalia Lazarus (founder of the Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory). The producton is set to open Sep 8, running through Oct 13. This will be the very first show for the Promenade Playhouse in their new location at 10931 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. 90064. More details to follow.
AROUND TOWN
Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield
Theatre 40 is reviving the classic the two-person drama, “Love Letters,” starring Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield, written by A.R. Gurney, directed by Jules Aaron. One performance only, Aug 24 (2pm). Theatre Forty, 241 S, Moreno Drive, in the Mary Levin Cutler Theatre, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. The venue is on the campus of Beverly Hills High School. Free parking is available in the parking lot beneath the theatre. To access parking, enter through the driveway at the intersection of Durant and Moreno Drives. Fore reservation, call (310) 364-0535; online ticketing: http://theatre40.org. Proceeds from this event support the continuing activities of Theatre 40, a non-profit organization. Theatre 40 is Beverly Hills’ professional theatre company.
Sara Porkalob and Andrew W. Russell
Geffen Playhouse is presenting the Los Angeles Premiere of Sara Porkalob’s “Dragon Lady,” directed by Andrew W. Russell. On the eve of her 60th birthday, Maria Pokolob Sr, fires up her new karaoke machine to regale her granddaughter Sara with her astonishing life story, directed by Andrew Porkalob. As a lounge singer who escaped a gangster-controlled nightclub in Manila to become a free-range mother of five in the United States, Maria is a matriarch not to be trifled with. Plays Sep 11 to Oct 4 at Gil Cates Theater in Westwood. For more information and to buy tickets, go HERE.
HFF2024 EXENSIONS
Hollywood Fringe may be over, but the life of the shows is not! Check back for tickets to extended runs of HFF24 show at hollywoodfringe.org through the end of September 2024! Click each show's link for more details, or check out the schedule for all of the scheduled extensions this summer. Happening this week: Aug 07 (8pm) - TYT 5 (The Broadwater); Aug 8 (9pm) - This Show Is Surrounded By True Events (The Broadwater); Aug 10 (5pm) - Black Bastard (Asylum @ Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre); Aug11 (7:30pm) - THE ANTI "YOGI" (Zephyr Theatre)
SOLO MOJO
Ty Fance
Monologue virtuoso, Ty Fance, is bringing his latest solo show to Porticos Art Space, 2033 East Washington Blvd., Pasadena on Aug 8 (7:30pm). His opening act is Pat Willson. Buy tickets at the door, beginning 6:30pm.
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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