REVIEW: A TALE OF TWO CITIES BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Whether you’ve read Charles Dicken’s epic novel A Tale of Two Cities, or not, you’re likely familiar with the novel’s opening lines: “It was the best of times. . .” and if you’re even more well versed, you may also know the last line too: […]

INTERVIEW: BYRON LANE BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO As part of its Summer of Celebration, Celebration Theatre presents the new play Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist by Byron Lane, directed by Tom DeTrinis. Byron Lane is an actor, writer, comedian and former personal assistant to Carrie Fisher with writing credits that include Last Will & Testicle (an award-winning […]

REVIEW: OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO People all over the world are familiar with the music of Tchaikovsky from his iconic ballet scores, symphonic works to his works for piano—his music is unmistakable and brilliant. However, many are likely unfamiliar with the fact that he lived in fear for all of his life […]

INTERVIEW: THE HIGH SCHOOLERS BEHIND WORST FIRST KISS PRODUCTIONS BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO While perusing this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival line-up I came across Worst First Kiss Productions and their production of Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. What immediately stands out is that this company is operated entirely by high school […]

REVIEW: LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD’S HOME FOR UNWED MOTHERS  BY RYAN LUÉVANO Skylight Theatre Company’s latest world premiere play is Louisa Hill’s Lord of the Underworld’s Home for Unwed Mothers, and once you get past the play’s lengthy title, what appears is a gripping and tender work that any mother or anyone that has a […]

REVIEW: ELEVATOR BY RYAN LUÉVANO Award-winning filmmaker and playwright Michael Leoni’s hit play Elevator returns to L.A. for a limited run at The Coast Playhouse. The premise is simple: seven strangers are trapped in an elevator. However, what ensues is a stimulating experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In both presentation […]

REVIEW: AT HOME AT THE ZOO BY RYAN LUÉVANO Just last September the world lost the great American playwright Edward Albee who had bestowed upon us so many wonderful plays most notably: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Zoo Story, A Delicate Balance and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? Now the Wallis Annenberg Center […]

REVIEW: AH, WILDERNESS! BY RYAN LUÉVANO Explore the humor of playwright Eugene O’Neill in A Noise Within Theatre company’s revival of his 1933 play Ah, Wilderness! The play represents, as O’Neill put it, the “other side of the coin” regarding his work. It’s his only comedy in the sea of tragic visions that populate his oeuvre including: Mourning Becomes Electra, […]

TOP THEATRE PICKS STILL PLAYING: 1) THE LAST FIVE YEARS  La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, JANUARY 21 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12 Imagine witnessing the last five years of one of your failed relationships played out on stage for all to see—that’s what the Jason Robert Brown musical The Last Five Years accomplishes. The show written in 2001 is […]

REVIEW: A CHRISTMAS CAROL BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO It’s that wonderful time of year once again: A Noise Within Theatre Company’s A Christmas Carol returns in a production that’s as glorious as ever. This classic Charles Dickens tale from 1843 is expertly adapted for the stage by co-director Geoff Elliot, who also plays the title […]